Northwest Indiana Discussion

Here are the highlights of the meeting:

Ms. Ward was absent this evening.

Calender:

Public Work Session Monday March 19, 2012 5:30pm 41 Williams Street.
Regular School Board Meeting Monday March 26, 2012 6pm 41 Williams Street.

Public Expression:

There were several speakers this evening in support of the Bilingual Program and the Bilingual Staff. There were several calls for the resignation of Board Member Cindy Murphy, for alleged derogatory remarks and the alleged attitude towards the Bilingual Program and Staff.

My Take:

A very quick meeting this evening, probably the shortest meeting of the School Board that I have ever attended in all these years, when you leave out the Public Expression segment. Special Presentations and Recognition were delayed to the next Board Meeting. Most of the audience in attendance this evening were in support of the Bilingual Program and the Bilingual Staff. There were very adamant about the call for the resignation of Board Member Cindy Murphy.

Is the bilingual program to teach students English? We use English as a New Language here.

Yes. The main focus of the program is to teach the children English. They are doing a very good job at the Bilingual Program. The Bilingual Program also helps adult immigrants obtain citizenship, and for adult women immigrants, a chance to learn to support themselves through the sewing classes.
But, OTOH, there is accounting, payroll, and percentage, and other discrepencies. I have been posting about SOME of the problems I have been made aware of, but not all. Like I have posted before, this is the tip of the iceberg. There is plenty more to come.

So let me get this straight. They are questioning the spending of the bilingual department that is in charge of teaching the children of illegal immigrants the English language and the U.S. history to their parents so they may become legal citizens. Meanwhile they teach the women folk how to sew so some sweat shop in a garge can employ them for $4 a day under the table. You just have tolove the School CIty of Hammond. I say shut it all down and let the State instructors come up here and teach them.