In Nebraska, school districts in some small towns are buckling under the flood of non-English speaking children whose parents have come to work in the meat-packing plants. For instance:
"in Lexington, the in-town schools, with an enrollment of 2,500, have 804 students learning English as a second language, and 1,172 who are getting a free or reduced-price lunch." [Nebraska Fears Segregation in Schools – by Scott Bauer AP Friday February 18 2005]
It happens that Nebraska law allows parents to send their children to other public school districts if they wish. Faced with this disaster, many have done so.
This exercise of their rights has provoked an outburst of vituperation from certain State Senators, led by the chairman of the State Education Commission, Ron Raikes. They are alleging racism and pushing to consolidate the school districts—which would mean parents can't escape.
By no coincidence this is a pet project of the State teacher union, the Nebraska State Education Association, which has effectively controlled Nebraskan public education for many years, with terrible results. (Some Nebraskans realize this, citing my Worm in the Apple!)
Allegations of racism frequently mask special interest log-rolling, of course. But why can't Nebraskan parents protect the education of their children from the immigration disaster without being insulted by their elected representatives? [Ask Senator Raikes]
(Thanks to Sanford L. Sipple)
Here Jerry Woodruff in Middle American News; here Fran Griffin, publisher of Sobran's.
