Schools Cater to Foreign Students

* As a parent in the L. A. Unified School District and a mother of two American-born children, I find it ludicrous that our school system insists on catering to the needs of the many immigrants who come to our country to start their new lives.

After many years of fighting a losing battle with Reseda Elementary School and L. A. Unified, I finally took my boys out of school. I home-school them in their native language, English.

I was told that because I did not want my children to learn Spanish, I was obviously prejudiced. I would like my children to learn Spanish, but not to get by in school. My son was flunking second grade because he was one of six kids in his class of 35 who spoke English.

I was told several times that the school must teach the language of the majority of the children in the class. Most of the class was taught in Spanish.

Last time I checked, we still lived in America, and the majority spoke English.

Maybe L. A. Unified will wake up and smell the coffee when it starts losing money and students due to parents like me who are now taking up home schooling so our children may get an equal or better education to the non-English-speaking children now in our school system.

When my children grow up, I would like them to be able to work in an environment where an employer specifies “Must speak English.”

PAULA CAMPBELL

Reseda