Mandatory Arabic Classes Coming to Mansfield Texas Schools

CBS - Mandatory Arabic Classes

As part of the five-year $1.3 million grant, Arabic classes would be mandatory at Cross Timbers Intermediate School and Kenneth Davis Elementary School. The program would also be optional for students at T. A. Howard Middle School and Summit High School.

Parents at Cross Timbers say they were caught off-guard by the program, and were surprised the district only told them about it in a meeting Monday night between parents and Mansfield ISD Superintendent Bob Morrison.

The DOE has identified Arabic as a ‘language of the future.’ But parent Joseph Balson was frustrated by the past. “Why are we just now finding out about it?” asked Balson. “It’s them (Mansfield ISD) applying for the grant, getting it approved and them now saying they’ll go back and change it only when they were caught trying to implement this plan without parents knowing about it.”

Mandatory Arabic classes for the Elementary and Intermediate schools (that's usually K-5).
Optional for Middle and High School. So why the mandatory Arabic?
If you are going to make a second language mandatory in that part of the country, Spanish
would make more sense.

I agree with the parents .. looks like the school was backdooring it in and trying to sneak it past parents .. trying to get it all in place before the parents found out and had problems with it. The school told the parents that it wouldn't be teaching Islam .. only Arabic 'culture'. But the fact is that the 'culture' is Islamic. The two go hand in hand.

I understand learning about other cultures and other religions, but don't outlaw learning about Christianity and then lie and say that the program won't be teaching about Islam. It definately will.

WHY is the department of education giving away money for this??? We've got schools in this country that can't even teach English or math ... and yet they are giving away millions to teach young children Arabic and Islamic cultures? It's insane. :shk: Get the English and Math skills up to speed .. teach Spanish as a second language since millions upon millions of people here speak that language and it would be useful to know .. but to teach Arabic in the middle of Texas where it'll be forgotten the minute the recess bell rings? WASTE OF MONEY.

Mansfield School District WebSite

This grant is a wonderful opportunity for the students in MISD. We have been selected as one of only five districts across the country to participate in the grant that provides Arabic studies. Arabic studies include language acquisition, culture, government, art, traditions and history.

So I've gotta' wonder .. the millions of our tax money spent on this program .. when they say they are going to teach the Islamic culture, traditioins and history .. will it be the accurate version or the politically correct sanitized version. Wonder if the little girls in the classroom will get to hear the mysoginistic horrors of Islamic culture. Betchya' not.

reply to post by FlyersFan


This is a GREAT idea. America is the number one country where no matter where you go, the vast majority of people around you only speak English. I've been all over the world, and I currently go to Moscow State University, and live with students from all over the world, and they speak 3-4 languages fluently, AND THERE ENGLISH IS BETTER THAN AMERICANS! This gives them a huge advantage over us for job competition in the international job market.

Arabic is a very valuable language to learn. You can EASILY get numerous well paying government jobs by knowing Arabic. What is so bad about opening up the opportunity for these kids to learn a very valuable assets in a crap economy?

being texas wouldn't mandatory spanish make more sense?

reply to post by RustyShakleford92

I'm all for second and third languages being in the school system. But they picked something that is of no use to elementary school kids in Texas. Arabic and Islamic 'culture'. It's a waste of money at this time and in that place. A second language of Spanish in Texas would make more sense. Like a second language of French in Vermont makes more sense (close to French-Canada). See?

The Education folks say 'Arabic is an up and coming world language'. Okay .. maybe. But those kids from Texas would benefit more from Spanish being their second language. And honestly, the entire country would benefit more if the Education folks had used those millions to actually teach ENGLISH and MATH in the school systems that are failing rather than try to get all fancy with Arabic in Texas.

reply to post by FlyersFan


OP, I agree with you in that mandatory Spanish requirements would be a better fit for the location, or from a global perspective, even Mandarin...

However, the fact that there are only 5 such programs across the US indicates to me that it probably had to do with some zealous grant-writers and the need for "diversity" to fund these particular districts.

The article talks about the need for knowing Arabic in the future; and given the state of affairs/the Arab population increasing rapidly, there will definitely be a time for translators for intel, and other purposes (native to the states) in the coming years.

As you say, I don't think they can separate the language and Islam if they must teach the culture as well.

If more programs start popping up, then I think it is safe to say that Arabic (and Islam, for that matter) will be a unfortunate necessity,and not merely a coincidence, as such forces start to dominate the global scene....

reply to post by FlyersFan


Spanish is not going to get you a job though. As an American who is fluent is Arabic, you can almost instantly have access to thousands of jobs, even without a college degree. Arabic is THAT sought after. And even big businesses operating in the Middle East need these people.

Why learn Spanish? To appease the illegal immigrants in this country? What good is being fluent in Spanish? Will it get you a good job? Probably not.

People all around the world learn a foreign language or two usually for business and knowing Spanish is not really that impressive in the business world, unless trips to Mexico sound appetizing.

it is a good opportunity to all student ... but making mandatory will make them hate it not enjoy a new language.

reply to post by FlyersFan


I think this program is bad idea at a time when school districts around the country are bleeding to death for lack of funding.

Florida alone is cutting something like 3.5 billion dollars from education.

I also think it's silly to choose Arabic, Spanish would have been much more useful.

Anyone who has lived in Texas or Florida knows how handy Spanish comes in, and how many jobs prefer that you are able to speak it.

The main thing is the school board basically trying to slip this by the parents without presenting it in public session well in advance of when they did.

That's a good way to tick people off.

reply to post by RustyShakleford92

Why learn Spanish? To appease the illegal immigrants in this country? What good is being fluent in Spanish? Will it get you a good job? Probably not.

Sorry, not true. 1/2 of my family lives in Houston, TX, where some of the legal immigrants aren't fluent in English. The test they give you for the green card is a joke... Because some of my family is fluent in Spanish, they were able to move to leadership/management roles because they could communicate across the organizations, including the non-English speaking workers....

Good grief Charlie Brown, will we be dialing 1 for English, 2 for Spanish, 3 for Arabic...
I suck at languages. Glad I'm not in school anymore!!

I don't agree with the mandatory aspect of it...but see nothing wrong with adding it as an option.

I'm wondering though if the "mandatory" part of it is just exposing kids to the language...like learning to count to 10 and naming the colors...like many schools already do with spanish.


Howerver...I think Mansfield Texas may benefit from some additional education...based off of this comment from the article.

Some parents had concerns over religion. “The school doesn’t teach Christianity, so I don’t want them teaching Islam,” said parent Baron Kane.

Are people really this dense to think that learning the Arabic language equates to learning about Islam???

reply to post by RustyShakleford92
ha, a implanted islam promoter...if ever i saw one, that's you.....teaching islam not just a language is sneaky, low down and underhanded back stabbing boy.....just like the op states....spanish first.... then the nwo buzzards....

Originally posted by RustyShakleford92
reply to post by FlyersFan

 

Spanish is not going to get you a job though. As an American who is fluent is Arabic, you can almost instantly have access to thousands of jobs, even without a college degree. Arabic is THAT sought after. And even big businesses operating in the Middle East need these people.

Why learn Spanish? To appease the illegal immigrants in this country? What good is being fluent in Spanish? Will it get you a good job? Probably not.

People all around the world learn a foreign language or two usually for business and knowing Spanish is not really that impressive in the business world, unless trips to Mexico sound appetizing.

I'm all in the way over in Rhode Island and now seeing where some jobs require that you are bilingual and speak spanish. I'm talking a simple factory job! Since it is required that a person speak English to be a citizen, it is obvious they are catering to illegals.

Originally posted by MindSpin
Are people really this dense to think that learning the Arabic language equates to learning about Islam???

You didn't read the article. It said that it was mandatory learning of Arabic AND of Arabic 'culture'. Arabic 'culture' is dominated with Islam. The little kiddies can't even read, write, or do math in this country and yet they are having Arabic 'culture' pushed on them. Sociology classes full of Allah this and Sharia that are better handled in high school .. not by kindergardeners through fifth graders who are still learning ABC and 123.

reply to post by FlyersFan


Well I guess you answered my question then...people really are that dense.


Learning about other cultures...how evil and dangerous...THEY ARE BRAINWASHING OUR KIDS TO WORSHIP ALLAH....or not. Maybe they just want to teach kids about a HUGE population of the planet and that they have different beleifs and lifestyles than we do...and that is OK...we don't have to hate people that are different.

Yep...I totally see the evilness in that

Originally posted by MindSpinAre people really this dense to think that learning the Arabic language equates to learning about Islam???

Are people really so dense as to believe that Islam can be separated from Arabic Culture - if so perhaps you should do a tour or two in one of these great cultures so you can see the "depth" first hand. It's prabably a great culture in which to be a man - not so much for women. As for men, I suppose as long as you have the faith you'll be ok; if not - well I wouldn't recommend it as a course of action.

While there are a few secular Arab states few if any are not entirely dominated by faith. It pervades every aspect of their lives from birth, to marriage to death and back around to what and how they eat and how they act. it’s not like here where people might happen to have a religion - there the religion has the people.

It is impossible to separate their culture from their religion as one would not exist without the other.

Reply to post by RustyShakleford92

As a person who calls Texas home, I can tell you straight up that you are wrong.

So wrong in fact, that is difficult to find even a job at a convenience store if you do not know Spanish.

Luckily, I am fluent, as it was my first language.


Posted Via ATS Mobile: m.abovetopsecret.com

Originally posted by MindSpin
people really are that dense.

:shk: You are throwing stones while living in a glass house, MindSpin.

1 - Arabic is useless for kids who are K-5 grade in Texas.
2 - Spanish as a second language actually makes sense in Texas. Not Arabic.
3 - Arabic 'culture' is indeed so tangled with Islam that you can not teach one without the other.
4 - As I said, teaching about Islam/Arabic culture is fine for high school. K-5 should be learning English and about their own country first.
5 - The parents complaint if valid .. the school was back dooring this in without them being told.
6 - The money is a waste. Schools across this nation are failing. The money could be used to actually teach the children english and math - things they need to know FIRST before learning about people on the other side of the planet.

reply to post by Lemon.Fresh


To be honest, I don't have any knowledge about factory jobs or blue collar jobs in the US. What I do know is about business, PR, and marketing jobs. Knowing Spanish will not help you in any way, shape or form because the major country most businesses I've worked for deal with (Spanish speaking) is Spain, and I would say almost all of Spanish university graduates are fluent in English,so in reality, Spanish is not needed for the white collar world.

You want to know languages that will get you somewhere in the world? Arabic, Mandarin Chinese, Russian, Belorussian, Ukrainian....etc. Why? Because these countries don't have the people to speak English, and being someone that can speak one of these language and English will go very far in their carrer.

If you want a job in a convienent store, and have to speak Spanish, that is f'ed up. I've never heard of anything like this. But shouldn't we be pushing our kids in their early years to learn a language like the Europeans do with their kids and English? How many European kids enjoy learning English? They probably think it's the stupidest thing in the world, yet when they are older they realize what a great salable tool they've aquired.

You can't say I'm wrong, I'm living proof that knowing the right language will make you open up an overwhelming amount of jobs where you are the basically one dictating how much you make. If I choose Spanish over Russian and Ukrainian, then I would probably be in the USA right now unemployed or with a BS job.

The only redeeming quality I take from this is

Know Thine Enemy

I mean, Chinese & Russian kids learn English, right