June 01, 2006

What The Immigration “Compromise” Means: Reconquista In The Schools—At Taxpayer Expense

By Bryanna Bevens

President Bush was at it again Thursday, urging an immigration “compromise”—i.e. capitulation to his amnesty and legal immigration increases—before the U.S. Chamber of Commerce audience. (In case we forget who’s paying for this.)

I’ve already written about what this means on the ground here in Southern California, in little towns like Maywood. Now—right while Bush was bloviating—we find out what it means in the schools.

On Thursday morning, a reporter from KABC Los Angeles was assaulted as he left Academia Semillas del Pueblo (website), a public charter school within the Los Angeles Unified School District.

The school principal, Marcos Aguilar, [send him email] had refused to grant KABC an interview, but the thug attacker still felt compelled to confiscate the reporter’s tapes.

(According to the McIntyre in the Morning Show on 790 KABC, Principal Aguilar told a producer that he only speaks to Spanish media.)

Worse yet, Aguilar had also warned the producer about visiting the school.

"I would be very careful before I came down here" he said. (Story here. Michelle Malkin’s Hotair.com is also following it).

What school is this? What is causing all the controversy?

Academia Semillas del Pueblo (website) is a public charter school within the Los Angeles Unified School District.

For those unfamiliar with the concept of charter education, the California Department of Education offers this definition:

“A charter school is a public school, and it may provide instruction in any of grades K-12. A charter school is usually created or organized by a group of teachers, parents and community leaders or a community-based organization, and it is usually sponsored by an existing local public school board or county board of education.”

What really distinguishes a charter school is this:

“A charter school is generally exempt from most laws governing school districts, except where specifically noted in the law.”

Just to re-cap, charter schools are funded with tax dollars but not subject to the laws which govern other public schools.

Students need only sit for the state standardized testing (STAR) each year. But other than that, these schools can run amok on your nickel.

Additionally, charter schools have the option to not publish test results unlike regular public schools that by law are required to do so. (CDE website scroll down.)

To be fair, many charter schools have succeeded where standard public schools have not—by identifying children with special needs and customizing the curriculum accordingly, students often neglected by the system have received a quality education. [VDARE.COM note: Peter Brimelow gave them a qualified endorsement in his book on the economics of education, The Worm in the Apple, describing them as “an attempt to import market features into a fundamentally socialist system—a form of American perestroika.”]

Buy quality education doesn’t seem to be the goal with Academia Semillas del Pueblo.

Here’s an overview of its, umm, distinctive educational objectives:

“Academia Semillas del Pueblo Charter School is a kindergarten through eighth grade public school dedicated to providing urban children of immigrant native families an excellent education founded upon their own language [BB: my italics!], cultural values and global realities.”

Wow…founded upon their own language…how nice, for them.

This language would be Spanish of course. Which would be irritating enough if the madness stopped there. But it does not. The website adds:

“Students of Academia Semillas del Pueblo have the exceptional opportunity to become more educated about the culture and traditions of their ancestors by participating in the study of Nahuatl-Mexicano, the most spoken native language in East L.A.”

Think it can’t get any worse? Think again!…

“Furthermore, students receive Mandarin language and culture instruction with the goal of furthering our students' preparation for global citizenry.”

Not French, not German, not Italian or even Latin…Nahuatl and Mandarin.

These kids need to prepare themselves for “global citizenry” (whatever the Hell that is) by speaking the languages of Aztecs and Communists, respectively.

I suppose this is a fantastic program for students who seek careers in human sacrifice mediation or nuclear disarmament. But I fear the job pool is somewhat limited for those who choose Nahuatl.

Then again, it’s only been about 500 years since the Aztec empire fell (to the Spanish, not those abhorrent Americans). So I suppose there could be a few Aztecs lingering on.

But speaking of communists…

The website for Academia Semillas del Pueblo provides quite a few pictures of student life on campus.

This first picture was taken during a campus function for Spring Equinox (not generally celebrated even here in California, in case you were wondering):

A Mexican flag of course…

This second picture was taken during an Annual Project:

Recognize that flag? That would be… Cuba!!

Not surprisingly, I could not find an American flag anywhere on the site or in the picture gallery.

Looking at the faculty and curriculum, it is a wonder that this school was ever allowed to open its doors.

Course work includes:

According to Academia Semillas:

“An educated person in the 21st century therefore must be engaged in the realities of global economies, sciences, politics, societies, cultures and the Earth's living ecosystems. At Academia Semillas del Pueblo, Tai Chi and Aztec Dance prepare our children to face conflict with harmony [BB: my italics].”

They may not be able to communicate in English or perform the math requirements for a cashier’s job at McDonald’s. But they will be able to face conflict with harmony.

So when somebody cuts in front of them in the welfare line, they won’t feel the need to shoot them or anything…now that’s progress!

Academia Semillas also provides something called “Mexican Indigenous Art, Culture, Science and History.”

Don’t bother looking for American history, science or culture—it’s not there.

The school does mention that one academic goal is to “achieve mastery of state standards.”

So does it?

According to GreatSchools.net,

“The API Statewide Rank ranges from 1 to 10. A rank of 10, for example, means that the school's API fell into the top 10% of all schools in the state with a comparable grade range.”

Academia Semillas del Pueblo has an API Statewide Rank of…1 (that’s o-n-e).

Well, maybe the ranking system is unfair…perhaps these kids are being compared to students in better, more affluent or predominately White school districts. But GreatSchools.net says

“To create the Similar Schools Rank, the California Department of Education compares this school's test scores to 100 schools across the state with similar demographic profiles.”

What’s more…

“California uses parent education level, poverty level, student mobility, student ethnicity and other data to identify similar schools.”

When compared to similar schools, Academia has a ranking of…1 (ONE!).

The school’s student profile is 97 percent Hispanic. There are only 14 non-Hispanic students. of which all are listed as Native American or Indian.

Almost 90 percent of the students are on the free lunch program and 44 percent are listed as “English Learners”— students whose primary language is not English.

The home language of the English Learner students is 100% Spanish…that’s funny, it’s not Nahuatl or Mandarin?

(There isn’t a single Asian student in this school, let alone Chinese…or White or Black.)

Just for comparison, the statewide average shows only 50 percent of students on the free lunch program and only 25% as English Learners.

As for the faculty, that’s a real mess…which is saying something.

The principal, Marcos Aguilar, is this radical Reconquista guy (photo here…but I warn you, it’s terrifying). For an idea of his disposition (including his racist view of Blacks and Whites) you can click here or here.

According to the California Treasurer’s Office, Academia Semillas was just approved for millions of dollars in facility funding.

Nearly seven million ADDITIONAL tax-dollars have been allocated to expand the size of Academia Semillas and increase the grade level to 8. [Charter School Facility Funding, A Joint Report to the Legislature]

Yes, your hard-earned money at work.

If schools such as Academia Semillas del Pueblo want to shortchange Hispanic students by providing them with a sub-standard education so be it—I can’t stop them.

But I don’t have to pay for it and neither should you.

What can we do?  What VDARE.com readers do best…go after these people!

Here’s a good place to start:

Marta Reyes, Director
California Department of Education
Charter Schools Division
1430 N Street, Room 5401
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: (916) 322-6029         Fax: (916) 322-1465
Email: Charters@cde.ca.gov

When you’re finished there, send Principal Aguilar an email…or two.