[ferret111]

Originally Posted by algia

In Miami you will not get by well unless your circle is made out of 5 ppl without speaking Spanish, same in Fort Lauderdale, Orlando and soon in Tampa too. Don't think for a moment we're exempt.

Oh, really? Because I get along fine in Orlando and I can only speak a negligible amount of Spanish. In fact, my lack of knowledge of the Spanish language has never prevented me from doing anything in this state, and most of the time it doesn't even come up. It's the darndest thing, too, when I go into a Hispanic-oriented store and the shopkeepers either speak fluent English or enough to complete the transaction.

So please, keep spreading the paranoia of our native English language being diluted by those Spanish speakers.

[algia]

Please stop being insulting to me and tell me what my experiences have been.

When we lived in SoFla, every single job I applied for required being Bilingual, all the jobs they had at the employment agencies I used at the time required me to be bilingual in Spanish.

Lucky "YOU" that you did not have this problem. I wish I could say the same thing.

There is no paranoia, you're probably mingling in a tiny little circle and have not been directly affected by this. I have, there are tons of people in my family/friends that can attest this so, again, Lucky you, I wish I could say the same.

Originally Posted by ferret111

Oh, really? Because I get along fine in Orlando and I can only speak a negligible amount of Spanish. In fact, my lack of knowledge of the Spanish language has never prevented me from doing anything in this state, and most of the time it doesn't even come up. It's the darndest thing, too, when I go into a Hispanic-oriented store and the shopkeepers either speak fluent English or enough to complete the transaction.

So please, keep spreading the paranoia of our native English language being diluted by those Spanish speakers.

[ferret111]

Originally Posted by algia

Please stop being insulting to me and tell me what my experiences have been.

When we lived in SoFla, every single job I applied for required being Bilingual, all the jobs they had at the employment agencies I used at the time required me to be bilingual in Spanish.

Lucky "YOU" that you did not have this problem. I wish I could say the same thing.

There is no paranoia, you're probably mingling in a tiny little circle and have not been directly affected by this. I have, there are tons of people in my family/friends that can attest this so, again, Lucky you, I wish I could say the same.

Well I can't speak for South Florida, as I haven't been down there since I was eight years old, but Spanish is definitely not a requirement in Florida's sixty-four other counties. And I don't mingle in a tiny little circle; neither friends nor family members of mine have been affected by this and they live in other parts of the state. Not to mention all of my interactions with clerks and shopkeepers, even in Hispanic stores.

I'm not trying to insult you or anything--I don't know you and I certainly don't have any sort of vendetta against you, especially on an internet forum--but since most of your posts consist of wild and absurd generalizations, I don't believe all of what you say. No offense, but I just don't play into that stuff.

[algia]

We have family in SoFla and my husband could not get a job down there anymore either without speaking Spanish.
That's why we moved to Orlando, and then when Orlando took a dive we moved here.

I never said I had a problem with the clerks, we get along just fine. I was talking about when I was looking for jobs and the job description required it. That's all. As far as I am concerned it should be in schools casually at this point.

Originally Posted by ferret111

Well I can't speak for South Florida, as I haven't been down there since I was eight years old, but Spanish is definitely not a requirement in Florida's sixty-four other counties. And I don't mingle in a tiny little circle; neither friends nor family members of mine have been affected by this and they live in other parts of the state. Not to mention all of my interactions with clerks and shopkeepers, even in Hispanic stores.

I'm not trying to insult you or anything--I don't know you and I certainly don't have any sort of vendetta against you, especially on an internet forum--but since most of your posts consist of wild and absurd generalizations, I don't believe all of what you say. No offense, but I just don't play into that stuff.

[bbronston]

I have a degree in education but I never really used it. We were taught to start with a curriculum that was beyond our control and we designed behavioral objectives to meet the demands of the curriculum. Our lesson plans were designed to achieve the objectives. Testing afterwards was a way to measure the students's (and our) success at achieving the behavioral objective. Today's teachers essentially do the same thing but the curriculum, objectives, and lesson plans are already provided to them and the books/materials they use (at least around here) provide both a basic plan and an enhanced plan. The FCAT measures the student's ability to achieve the objectives and therefore the teacher's ability to get it across. My point, I guess, is that the educational process may be more formalized now but it is essentially the same as it has been for a very long time. I have mixed feelings about what is going on with the teachers, one-year contracts, and the removal of tenure (which I never thought made sense) but I don't see the problem with "teaching to the test" as long as the test is a measure of the behavioral objectives established by the state. Teachers can and do still "enrich" their plans beyond the basic level and, I imagine, those will be the teachers who will receive the merit increases.

[vaughanwilliams]

I hope these "top ranked" teachers have a lot of time on their hands-if you take away tenure and hand out raises only on merit and threaten layoffs constantly, teachers will flee this state and settle somewhere else. The few young teachers I know are talking about doing just that. And good luck enticing any teachers from other states. People have a way of figuring out where they're not welcome.

[bbronston]

Originally Posted by vaughanwilliams

I hope these "top ranked" teachers have a lot of time on their hands-if you take away tenure and hand out raises only on merit and threaten layoffs constantly, teachers will flee this state and settle somewhere else. The few young teachers I know are talking about doing just that. And good luck enticing any teachers from other states. People have a way of figuring out where they're not welcome.

Definitely a possible outcome and I guess we'll have to wait to see what happens. Of course, another possible outcome is that top notch teachers around the country might be attracted to the great Florida lifestyle and want to teach where, unlike their present location, their excellence could be rewarded. Who knows? It could happen. It's all in the marketing.

[vaughanwilliams]

If the teachers are to blame for all of education's woes (as many on here and in the state legislature claim), then it must follow that the "great Florida lifestyle" (includes shopping at Bealls, I suppose) hasn't been much of a recruiting tool in attracting the super teacher.
As far as marketing-the problem of trying to sell horse manure as caviar is you need a buyer that is uneducated and uninformed enough to buy it. Teachers are neither.

[Donna-501]

Originally Posted by craigm1841

There you go lying again. This is a downright, blatent, absurd lie.

I dont know a lot of spanish speakers here in FL personally, but I know a lot of people, all of whom are employed. Can you offer an explanation for that, or am I lying now?

If you can get away with lying, calling you a lier is not a personal attack, it is merely stating fact.

I Broward, Dade and Palm Beach County you need spanish for many jobs. It has been that way since the 1980's.

[Donna-501]

Originally Posted by algia

Normally, Spanish should be taught in EVERY school and be mandatory to graduate just like English, that would produce more educated people and less welfare people! Plus, there is absolutely NOTHING wrong with speaking a second language. (or a 3rd, or a 4th)

I don't agree with that. I think that if you want to learn it that you can but don't think it should be a requirement.