Keep in mind that I mostly worked with those students who were discipline problems and a majority of them academically low as well. Thus, with the issues I dealt with, I think, I tended to get the "worse" of everyone.
I'm mostly referring to adults (parents), who make no attempt to learn because it's easier to have translators. I can't give every specific event (I wouldn't remember all of them anyway in 22 years) but let me put the jest of it this way.
Maybe once a week or so, (yes, that often), either myself,or my co-worker, the Principal the school or the district itself, was attacked (verbally) by an adult (usually parent)because no Spanish speaker was available to translate for them. We had a few Spanish speaking teachers but we were not allowed to pull them from class unless it was an emergency.
Many times just to cool them down I'd get the custodian who spoke Spanish and he would at least give me an idea of which direction to go or tell me what they wanted so I could try to help them. Many times too, they'd run to the district to complain that nobody could help them because nobody who spoke Spanish was available. This wouldn't happen if they knew the language or not even totally know the language, but learn enough to communicate.
Oh and when I ended the last school year, my boss (the Assistant Principal) told me that out of approximately 450 8th graders, over half of them wouldn't promote to 9th grade because they didn't have good enough grades in English/Math. Now some were "placed" into 9th which is another story. Who's to blame??? Maybe everyone I don't know. But something needs to be done that's for sure. I think not knowing the language is a part of it and our children are the ones losing out.
A few years back the district even offered free night classes on basic English. Low attendance ended it.
As far as L.A.'s official language, that was some years back for the city of L.A. I believe the people started a petition to make Spanish the official language of L.A. If I'm not mistaken it was voted on too and was defeated. At any rate it didn't come about.
TIS
"Mankind must put an end to war before war puts an end to mankind. War will exist until that distant day when the conscientious objector enjoys the same reputation and prestige that the warrior does today." JFK
