Why do they need to know so much???

[Ibbygirl]

Okay this is really bugging me. Wednesday was my son's first day back to PS and in his backpack in addition to the student code of conduct manual there were 4 forms that I had to fill out front and back and return to the teacher. One was for emergency contact information ( Okay I get that one), one was saying I've received and read the code of conduct book (I get that one too) the backside of which was for allowing my child to be photographed, then there's the one for school lunches which he doesn't even use because he's Autistic and will only eat pizza (but I HAVE to fill it out anyway). I had to put in dh's social security number and his monthly salary, all our phone numbers, address, the names of everyone else in the house is including children even if they don't contribute an income:confused: , and then this last one about race... I will type this out because it seemed all so weird when I was reading it I want you all to be able to read it exactly how it is written on the form. All of the bolding and underlined parts are how it appears on the form I've just changed the color to separate what appears on the form from my own comments.....

 

 

Every school district in Florida is required to report to the Florida Department of Education each year student data by race and ethnicity categories that are set by the federal government. The Department of Education does not report individual student data back to the federal government but does report the total number of students in various categories in each school. These reports help us keep track of changes in student enrollments and ensure that all students received the educational programs and services to which they are entitled.

 

The federal government recently changed the reporting categories for student data. As a result, you have the opportunity to update the student data for your child. With the new reporting categories, you may now identify your child by ethnic group (either Hispanic/Latino or not Hispanic/Latino) and by one or more racial groups (American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian, Black/African-American, Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander, White). Starting with the 2009-10 school year, all schools in Florida will report student data to the Department of Education using the new categories.

 

Please complete the information below and return it to your child's school within 3 days of the receipt of the code of Student Conduct booklet. For more information about the student data reporting categories for ethnicity and race, please contact your child's school.

 

Student's Name:

Grade:

 

Please answer BOTH questions 1 and 2

 

1. Is your child Hispanic or Latino? (Please mark only one.)

 

No, my child is not Hispanic or Latino.

 

Yes, my child is Hispanic or Latino- A person of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or Central American, or other Spanish culture of origin, regardless of race.

 

2. What is your child's race? (Please mark all that apply.)

 

American Indian or Alaska Native- A person having origins in any of the original peoples of North and South America (including Central America) and who maintains a tribal affiliation or community attachment.

 

Asian- A person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent, e.g. Cambodia, China, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Phillippine Islands, Thailand, and Vietnam.

 

Black or African American- A person having origins in any black racial groups of Africa. Terms such as "Haitian" or "Negro" can be used in addition to "Black or African American."

 

Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander- A person having origins in any of the original peoples of Hawaii, Guam, Samoa, or other Pacific Islands.

 

White- A person having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East or North Africa.

What the??? :confused: What in the world does any of this have to do with my son's schooling?? I have always disliked the racial questions on school forms even when the only options were black, white or Indian, but this??

 

Why in the world do they need this much information about my child (us and our other children who don't even attend this school) in order to "ensure that all students received the educational programs and services to which they are entitled.":confused::confused:

 

What do you all make of this??

 

Thanks to all who reply. :) Really... thanks... reading the form letter posted here has to be about as much fun as a trip to the dentist so thank you for bearing with it so that I could glean from your thoughts. :)

 

Jennifer

[akmommy]

My guess is the income and race questions have to with additional funding or grants they may recieve based on low income and minority students.

HTH

[Ibbygirl]

My guess is the income and race questions have to with additional funding or grants they may recieve based on low income and minority students.

HTH

 

That would make sense, but it really makes me uncomfortable that they are so intrusive. So in other words it's like they are using us for information so that their school or district can get more funds?? I still hold that I shouldn't have to fill out the lunch form since my son does not now nor has never eaten the lunches at school, but I still have to fill it out anyway? And why do they need to know the name of my daughter too who doesn't even go to their school?? :confused: Man! I wish I could homeschool my son too. I really don't like any of this. :(

[Samiam]

You don't have to fill out any of that stuff. Give them the basic emergency info, sign the paper that said you got and agree to the code of conduct, and leave the rest blank. Don't ask them, don't mention it to them, just leave it blank.

[tex-mex]

My guess is the income and race questions have to with additional funding or grants they may recieve based on low income and minority students.

HTH

 

Yup... most likely helps with Title I funding.

 

Title I is an old program that helps bring in needed $$$ to schools that qualify. Categorical funding. Bureaucats.

[jeri]

"must" report. So I wouldn't do it.

 

Also, I think if you read the lunch policy carefully,you will find that this only has to be filled in if (1) you desire hot lunch and (2) you are looking to qualify for reduced rate for lunch. If neither applies, you don't have to. So check before you tell anyone your dh's ssn or salary, be careful! They CANNOT ask for this otherwise. It's illegal to ask for SSNs.

 

jeri

[Ibbygirl]

Categorical funding. Bureaucats.

 

:rolleyes: Well the bureaucracy would explain the number of forms anyway. hehehe :p

[Ibbygirl]

"must" report. So I wouldn't do it.

 

Also, I think if you read the lunch policy carefully,you will find that this only has to be filled in if (1) you desire hot lunch and (2) you are looking to qualify for reduced rate for lunch. If neither applies, you don't have to. So check before you tell anyone your dh's ssn or salary, be careful! They CANNOT ask for this otherwise. It's illegal to ask for SSNs.

 

jeri

 

Every year I have not filled out the lunch form because it is to see who qualifies for free or reduced lunches and it doesn't apply to me and every year I get a call from the school that they need to form filled out and turned in. :rolleyes:

[LaxMom]

Every year I have not filled out the lunch form because it is to see who qualifies for free or reduced lunches and it doesn't apply to me and every year I get a call from the school that they need to form filled out and turned in. :rolleyes:

I believe, when I received a similar call, my answer was "My daughter does not qualify for free or reduced lunch and I categorically refuse to share our income and SSNs with you."

 

In our system, we also had a form to opt OUT of school based medical services (physicals, etc). Um, opt OUT?? How about if you're interested, you can apply for such?

[....]

When my daughter started kindergarten at the ps, they asked me what race she belonged to and I could ONLY select one. She's half Korean and half white. :confused: I went around in circles with this question for a long time. Is she not white because she is half Korean? Or would she not be considered Korean because she is half white? :confused:

 

They also looked at her and asked me if she spoke English. :confused: I gave birth to that thing, I hope she speaks English! :D

[Ibbygirl]

When my daughter started kindergarten at the ps, they asked me what race she belonged to and I could ONLY select one. She's half Korean and half white. :confused: I went around in circles with this question for a long time. Is she not white because she is half Korean? Or would she not be considered Korean because she is half white? :confused:

 

They also looked at her and asked me if she spoke English. :confused: I gave birth to that thing, I hope she speaks English! :D

 

hehehehe I just hate that the race of the child even matters to them at all. What does it matter if a child, is black, white, brown or purple? It has nothing to do with their capacity to learn. If they are concerned about meeting children's needs then it would seem more appropriate to ask if English is their native language or not. I've really never understood why they need to know the race of a child at all. To me it only invites trouble. :rolleyes:

[eight_gregorys]

"must" report. So I wouldn't do it.

 

Also, I think if you read the lunch policy carefully,you will find that this only has to be filled in if (1) you desire hot lunch and (2) you are looking to qualify for reduced rate for lunch. If neither applies, you don't have to. So check before you tell anyone your dh's ssn or salary, be careful! They CANNOT ask for this otherwise. It's illegal to ask for SSNs.

 

jeri

 

 

I'm pretty sure this is correct. Usually the lunch form is to see if you qualify for reduced lunch and maybe for funding.

[Ellie]

But you gotta know that there are some folks who would have hissy fits if their dc's assorted races and whatnots are not Officially Recognized somehow. TPTB are just CYA.

 

I'd be way more offended and uncooperative about having to provide my dh's SSN.

 

I'm afraid I'd be sent home with a note saying that I don't play well with others.:lol:

[lynn]

I never fill out personal info such as ss #'s, family income etc. I just throw those away. I only fill out what I feel is important ie contact info that's it . I guess they would consider me rebellious or nonconformist.....

Edited August 13, 2009 by lynn

[phathui5]

I had to put in dh's social security number and his monthly salary, all our phone numbers, address, the names of everyone else in the house is including children even if they don't contribute an income:confused: , and then this last one about race...

 

I would NOT give them our social security numbers and income information. Did you fill that out?

[Garga]

I don't give out the SSN to anyone either. The doctor's office has a space for it and I leave it blank.

 

I'd leave blank whatever you don't feel like answering.

[MicheleinMN]

Okay, I was sort of considering letting my ds (13) TRY ps for a bit this fall, but just listening here to the amount of forms I would have to fill out, and remembering how intrusive the whole system is....I'm thinking he's just going to have to deal with doing school at home!

 

Thanks for the reminder of how much I don't like to work with the system!

[Ibbygirl]

I'd leave out income and SS#. Nobody's friggin business. The rest I could care less about. Why on earth do they need SS#s? Do they plan to make a contribution to your retirement? If not, then they don't need it.

 

LOL I wish they would make a contribution. :p

 

I don't fill out stuff if I don't want to. I think people assume that because a place like a school or doctor's office gives one a form that they MUST give every piece of information. I'd fill out what I'm comfortable with and let them come back and prove to me which info I left out that by law I must give them. I'd also ask what they do to protect my information.

 

I'm one of those people that feel like I have to fill all the forms out. I don't know why it never occurs to me to "just say no" Yes, it is the information privacy that concerns me too and as you say, it's none of their business.

[Ibbygirl]

But you gotta know that there are some folks who would have hissy fits if their dc's assorted races and whatnots are not Officially Recognized somehow. TPTB are just CYA.

 

I'd be way more offended and uncooperative about having to provide my dh's SSN.

 

I'm afraid I'd be sent home with a note saying that I don't play well with others.:lol:

 

hehehe Yeah, every year it seems they add another piece of paper to the stack and this year's with all of the requests for such detailed information really bothered me.

 

I would NOT give them our social security numbers and income information. Did you fill that out?

Yes I did. As I was filling out the forms, I became increasingly annoyed with the amount of information they were asking me for and each consecutive form just seemed more intrusive than the one before it. I guess it just never occurs to me that I can say no to them. :(

 

 

Okay, I was sort of considering letting my ds (13) TRY ps for a bit this fall, but just listening here to the amount of forms I would have to fill out, and remembering how intrusive the whole system is....I'm thinking he's just going to have to deal with doing school at home!

 

Thanks for the reminder of how much I don't like to work with the system!

 

Oh you're welcome. :) I'm glad I could be the cautionary tale for you I guess. :p I wish that I could homeschool my son also. I really hope that I can at some point as he develops more, but right now he really is better off in the school because of the therapies and stuff that he gets. I really thank you all for your comments and contributions to this thread. I guess I have this type of mindset that the school as an extension of the school board has some kind of powers and that I have to comply with their requests.

 

Next year I will leave things blank. I feel stupid now for having given them the information even though it bothered me. Now I am upset with myself that I let them intimidate me. :(

Edited August 13, 2009 by Ibbygirl

[Starr]

I've quit giving out ssn since the encouragement on the board. Thanks everyone for sharing this info.

[Ibbygirl]

I just wonder what the doctor's offices, schools etc do with all of that information?? I mean, what do they really need it for?

[OH_Homeschooler]

That would make sense, but it really makes me uncomfortable that they are so intrusive. So in other words it's like they are using us for information so that their school or district can get more funds?? :(

 

They are not exactly "using you"--they need that information to get certain funding--funding that will apply to your school and the students there, including your son.

 

As others have said, you can just not fill that information in. But then the principal will probably be forced to "guess" because they don't like to have incomplete information. IMO it's best to just indicate the race, but if you're really opposed to it, no one is forcing you.

[BMW]

I understand ibbygirl... my son (aspergers) does So good in ps... he gets occupational therapy, has a wonderful classroom teacher who exposes him to everything grade level (although it's not required, I have him do all the class work - with my help - so that he gets a better education... my pet peeve with special ed is that there are often gaps/holes in their overall education because they learn the basics and it's left at that), then my son has two more teachers in special ed... he leaves class for a couple hours each day for language arts and math...

 

I could not duplicate at home what he receives. I get annoyed with all the paperwork each year, too. I don't understand why you cannot just tell the office that nothing has changes since the previous year, just keep the same forms!!! I hate it that they want to know each person in the home and where they go to schoo... yadda, yadda, yadda... I have begun not listing everyone because it's not crucial... I don't have to tell them that my 19yog is at home and works and doesn't go to college right now...

 

Anyway, just chiming in to say I understand, I do all that, too. Though the lunch paper IS optional and I've never had to give dh's info... just his work place and phone number.

[Ibbygirl]

They are not exactly "using you"--they need that information to get certain funding--funding that will apply to your school and the students there, including your son.

 

As others have said, you can just not fill that information in. But then the principal will probably be forced to "guess" because they don't like to have incomplete information. IMO it's best to just indicate the race, but if you're really opposed to it, no one is forcing you.

 

Actually the race thing is really just more of a pet peeve of mine. It just makes no sense to me why they would need to know the race of a child in order to educate them and to me it smacks of racism and profiling to me which is why I don't like it, but I do fill the forms out. It was just that this new form this year was just so over the top I was incredulous.

 

The social security #'s, listing the name of my dd (even though she is homeschooled and not a student there) our income, that kind of information bothers me more.

[lgm]

Race info is there to analyze test scores...can't have the situation where certain subgroups don't get an education on purpose as was done in our leaders' childhoods..all must make AYP...

[Ibbygirl]

I understand ibbygirl... my son (aspergers) does So good in ps... he gets occupational therapy, has a wonderful classroom teacher who exposes him to everything grade level (although it's not required, I have him do all the class work - with my help - so that he gets a better education... my pet peeve with special ed is that there are often gaps/holes in their overall education because they learn the basics and it's left at that), then my son has two more teachers in special ed... he leaves class for a couple hours each day for language arts and math...

 

I could not duplicate at home what he receives. I get annoyed with all the paperwork each year, too. I don't understand why you cannot just tell the office that nothing has changes since the previous year, just keep the same forms!!! I hate it that they want to know each person in the home and where they go to schoo... yadda, yadda, yadda... I have begun not listing everyone because it's not crucial... I don't have to tell them that my 19yog is at home and works and doesn't go to college right now...

 

Anyway, just chiming in to say I understand, I do all that, too. Though the lunch paper IS optional and I've never had to give dh's info... just his work place and phone number.

 

:grouphug: thanks. :) My dd is Asperger's too! :) She does well at home though so I keep her here with me, but ds is severely Autistic and he's much better off at the school. I'm not going to fill that lunch form out anymore. He doesn't eat lunch there and even if he did he wouldn't qualify for the free/reduced lunch program.

[Ibbygirl]

Race info is there to analyze test scores...can't have the situation where certain subgroups don't get an education on purpose as was done in our leaders' childhoods..all must make AYP...

 

Okay I can see that. That makes sense.

[phathui5]

I just wonder what the doctor's offices, schools etc do with all of that information?? I mean, what do they really need it for?

 

How can they commit identity theft if they don't have it? I mean, they really DO need it. To like, open credit cards and stuff.

[AndyJoy]

My dh NEVER gives his Social Security number unless he has to. It was pretty funny watching the faces of the community college registrars when he refused to give it. They had no idea what to do! He explained to them that they must have some system of assigning a random number to him. After 15 minutes of researching and calling a supervisor, they were surprised to find that he was right. They had never had anyone refuse before.

 

He also annoys the staff of doctors' offices because he actually reads the materials they have you sign and crosses out anything to which he does not agree to be bound.

 

I found this information about your right to withhold your SSN:

Am I required to give my Social Security number to government agencies?

 

The answer depends upon the agency. Some government agencies, including tax authorities, welfare offices, and state Departments of Motor Vehicles, can require your SSN number as mandated by federal law (42 USC 405 ©(2)©(v) and (i)). Others may request the SSN, leading you to believe you must provide it.

 

The Privacy Act of 1974 requires all government agencies — federal, state and local — that request SSNs to provide a "disclosure" statement on the form. The statement explains whether you are required to provide your SSN or if it’s optional, how the SSN will be used, and under what statutory or other authority the number is requested (5 USC 552a, note). The U.S. Office of Management and Budget, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) provides guidance and oversight regarding the Privacy Act of 1974. The text of the Privacy Act can be found at the Web site http://www.usdoj.gov/opcl/privstat.htm .

 

The Privacy Act states that you cannot be denied a government benefit or service if you refuse to disclose your SSN unless the disclosure is required by federal law, or the disclosure is to an agency that has been using SSNs before January 1975, when the Privacy Act went into effect. There are other exceptions as well. Read the Code of Federal Regulations section here: http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/cfr_2008/julqtr/28cfr16.53.htm

 

If you are asked to give your SSN to a government agency and no disclosure statement is included on the form, you should complain to the agency and cite the Privacy Act of 1974. You can also contact your Congressional representative and U.S. Senators with your complaint. Unfortunately, there appear to be no penalties when a government agency fails to provide a disclosure statement.

 

A federal program called the Federal Parent Locator Service — and its subset, the National Directory of New Hires — uses computerized databases to provide addresses and SSNs to state and local agencies to help locate parents evading child-support orders or to resolve parental kidnapping and child custody cases. No consent is required. While beneficial, such databases contain the potential for abuse if other purposes are found for such information.

[Ibbygirl]

My dh NEVER gives his Social Security number unless he has to. It was pretty funny watching the faces of the community college registrars when he refused to give it. They had no idea what to do! He explained to them that they must have some system of assigning a random number to him. After 15 minutes of researching and calling a supervisor, they were surprised to find that he was right. They had never had anyone refuse before.

 

He also annoys the staff of doctors' offices because he actually reads the materials they have you sign and crosses out anything to which he does not agree to be bound.

 

I found this information about your right to withhold your SSN:

Am I required to give my Social Security number to government agencies?

 

The answer depends upon the agency. Some government agencies, including tax authorities, welfare offices, and state Departments of Motor Vehicles, can require your SSN number as mandated by federal law (42 USC 405 ©(2)©(v) and (i)). Others may request the SSN, leading you to believe you must provide it.

 

The Privacy Act of 1974 requires all government agencies — federal, state and local — that request SSNs to provide a "disclosure" statement on the form. The statement explains whether you are required to provide your SSN or if it’s optional, how the SSN will be used, and under what statutory or other authority the number is requested (5 USC 552a, note). The U.S. Office of Management and Budget, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) provides guidance and oversight regarding the Privacy Act of 1974. The text of the Privacy Act can be found at the Web site http://www.usdoj.gov/opcl/privstat.htm .

 

The Privacy Act states that you cannot be denied a government benefit or service if you refuse to disclose your SSN unless the disclosure is required by federal law, or the disclosure is to an agency that has been using SSNs before January 1975, when the Privacy Act went into effect. There are other exceptions as well. Read the Code of Federal Regulations section here: http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/cfr_2008/julqtr/28cfr16.53.htm

 

If you are asked to give your SSN to a government agency and no disclosure statement is included on the form, you should complain to the agency and cite the Privacy Act of 1974. You can also contact your Congressional representative and U.S. Senators with your complaint. Unfortunately, there appear to be no penalties when a government agency fails to provide a disclosure statement.

 

A federal program called the Federal Parent Locator Service — and its subset, the National Directory of New Hires — uses computerized databases to provide addresses and SSNs to state and local agencies to help locate parents evading child-support orders or to resolve parental kidnapping and child custody cases. No consent is required. While beneficial, such databases contain the potential for abuse if other purposes are found for such information.

 

 

Oh that's brilliant!! Thanks so much for posting that! :)

[Mabelen]

You don't have to fill out any of that stuff. Give them the basic emergency info, sign the paper that said you got and agree to the code of conduct, and leave the rest blank. Don't ask them, don't mention it to them, just leave it blank.

 

The only thing with this approach is that the school might then classify your child for you. I understand the reasons why schools need to classify students according to income or ethnicity and race. I feel your school's classification is pretty open and flexible, i.e. it does not restrict your choice to any one category only. My beef with my kids' school district is that you don't have the freedom to pick multiple choices. For our family that is important because we are both multiethnic and multiracial. I left my kids' blank for that particular reason, with the result that my oldest turned out classified as Hispanic while my youngest was classified as white (different schools, same school district).

[Tree House Academy]

This one threw me...other "names" for the race were not listed anywhere but on the African American one. What is THAT?

 

Black or African American- A person having origins in any black racial groups of Africa. Terms such as "Haitian" or "Negro" can be used in addition to "Black or African American."

 

 

Just incase you aren't sure if your child is African American, let us give you some other names you can be called by and see if those ring any bells. :confused::confused::confused:

 

My niece is half African American and half white - you wouldn't even believe the things that have been said to her BY ADULTS as well as other kids in the school system. :(

Edited August 13, 2009 by Tree House Academy

[Ibbygirl]

This one threw me...other "names" for the race were not listed anywhere but on the African American one. What is THAT?

 

Black or African American- A person having origins in any black racial groups of Africa. Terms such as "Haitian" or "Negro" can be used in addition to "Black or African American."

 

 

Just incase you aren't sure if your child is African American, let us give you some other names you can be called by and see if those ring any bells. :confused::confused::confused:

 

My niece is half African American and half white - you wouldn't even believe the things that have been said to her BY ADULTS as well as other kids in the school system. :(

 

 

LOL I know! Crazy! I had to check the box that my son was hispanic and then check off African American, white and Native American. I just thought it was amusing too that they had such a long list of names for the other ethnic groups and then just "white" for caucasian. :p hehehe

[Ibbygirl]

This would happen to my nieces. They are bi-racial but one is blond and the other dark. Their baby brother is so "in-between" that a new ped commented on his "tan" (he was a year old) :lol:

 

lol My son is brown too. :) He looks mostly Indian though. :)

[Mabelen]

hehehehe I just hate that the race of the child even matters to them at all. What does it matter if a child, is black, white, brown or purple? It has nothing to do with their capacity to learn. If they are concerned about meeting children's needs then it would seem more appropriate to ask if English is their native language or not. I've really never understood why they need to know the race of a child at all. To me it only invites trouble. :rolleyes:

 

In my kids' school district parents are asked to fill a home language survey form to assess the English language background of a child.

 

These are the questions:

 

 

1. Which language did your son or daughter learn when he or she first began to talk?

____________________________________________________

2. What language does your son or daughter most frequently use at home?

 

 

 

____________________________________________________

3. What language do you most frequently speak to your son or daughter?

 

 

 

____________________________________________________

4. What language is spoken most often by the adults at home?

 

 

[Ibbygirl]

In my kids' school district parents are asked to fill a home language survey form to assess the English language background of a child.

 

These are the questions:

 

 

1. Which language did your son or daughter learn when he or she first began to talk?

____________________________________________________

2. What language does your son or daughter most frequently use at home?

 

 

 

____________________________________________________

3. What language do you most frequently speak to your son or daughter?

 

 

 

____________________________________________________

4. What language is spoken most often by the adults at home?

 

 

 

 

 

LOL

 

1. can you say redundant?

 

2. Do you say redundant in Spanish or in English.

 

3. When you speak redundantly what language do you speak it in?

 

4. Can you say redundant?

 

;) :p

[stripe]

There are people who begin to speak in one language, and end up speaking primarily in another language. There are also people who are bilingual but only speak to their children in the non-English language.

 

My son, for example, spoke quite a bit in his second language when he was little, switched to mostly English, and now is bilingual (roughly equal in both languages). I dislike that "bilingual in X and English" somehow means "non-English speaker." I would be very annoyed to indicate on a form that my child speaks 2 languages, or that another language is spoken in the home, and have that child put into ESL classes.

[Mabelen]

LOL

 

1. can you say redundant?

 

2. Do you say redundant in Spanish or in English.

 

3. When you speak redundantly what language do you speak it in?

 

4. Can you say redundant?

 

;) :p

 

Actually, I think it is a fair way of finding out how much English language exposure a particular child has and has had. Not all students classified as Hispanic or anything else have the same English language command or background.

 

My children were spoken to equally both in English and Spanish from birth, but the language THEY use most frequently at home is English, I use English and Spanish equally to communicate with them (Spanish when I am on my own with them, English when my husband is around) and my husband and I use English exclusively to communicate because my husband is not a Spanish speaker. This is very different, for example, from a family where both parents share the same native language.

[Mabelen]

There are people who begin to speak in one language, and end up speaking primarily in another language. There are also people who are bilingual but only speak to their children in the non-English language.

 

My son, for example, spoke quite a bit in his second language when he was little, switched to mostly English, and now is bilingual (roughly equal in both languages). I dislike that "bilingual in X and English" somehow means "non-English speaker." I would be very annoyed to indicate on a form that my child speaks 2 languages, or that another language is spoken in the home, and have that child put into ESL classes.

 

I agree.

[Ibbygirl]

Actually, I think it is a fair way of finding out how much English language exposure a particular child has and has had. Not all students classified as Hispanic or anything else have the same English language command or background.

 

My children were spoken to equally both in English and Spanish from birth, but the language THEY use most frequently at home is English, I use English and Spanish equally to communicate with them (Spanish when I am on my own with them, English when my husband is around) and my husband and I use English exclusively to communicate because my husband is not a Spanish speaker. This is very different, for example, from a family where both parents share the same native language.

 

Oh yes. I know. :) I was just being faecetius. :) My family live in the latin quarter of Tampa and when my mom was growing up, English wasn't necessary at all in the entire community. Kind of like little Havana in Miami that way. We used to speak mostly Spanish at home when dd was young and when ds was too, but when we found out he had Autism, we made and effort to speak mostly English since he had no spoken language at all. If he speaks now, he speaks mostly English, although he will say some things in Spanish too. :)

[KristenS]

Haven't read the whole thing, but I know that around here, all that Adequate Yearly Progress, NCLB stuff has a lot to do with such questions ... the results are broken down by race and income and other factors ... ALL subpopulations have to show improvement or the school loses points. So it might have to do with that.

[Ibbygirl]

Haven't read the whole thing, but I know that around here, all that Adequate Yearly Progress, NCLB stuff has a lot to do with such questions ... the results are broken down by race and income and other factors ... ALL subpopulations have to show improvement or the school loses points. So it might have to do with that.

 

Yes, I'm sure that is why the school is pushing the forms so that they can get funding and that is a good thing, I want them to get whatever funding they can, my "issue" with the forms was the intrusiveness of them and I they seem to be more so ever year. This year's "race and ethnicity" form just seemed so over the top, I couldn't believe it.

[Orthodox6]

I would leave blank any question you do not wish to answer. If asked, I would say that the answer is unavailable. Questions about income and "race", in particular, rankle me.

[WistfulRidge]

I know that where my parents live in NC (and before they started homeschooling) they had to fill out a similar form for the school district. There it was required so that they could keep the percentages of each race (white and black...they didn't seem to care as much about the others) at fairly equal levels in all the schools. Every few years, or even from year to year, they'd re-do the school boundaries so that based on said information they could "re-balance" the races. They didn't do it one year and there was a huge outrage because one school suddenly had more african-american students than white students. It made me spitting mad that they insisted on repeatedly uprooting children from an already unstable learning environment just to soothe their 18/1960s mentalities.

[mcconnellboys]

It sounds to me like it might be immigration related....

[EmilyK]

Our neighborhood school, which my kids have attended, is borderline Title I. Some years it is, some years it isn't. No one is ever forced to fill out a form, but it is much appreciated. Since the school's funding increases if 40 percent or more of the students qualify for free and reduced lunch, it helps if those who qualify apply even if they don't choose to use the lunch. The PTA also raises money to pay for scholarships for after school enrichment/fun classes (art, science, etc) and the scholarship qualification is pegged to free or reduced lunch as well.

[Sebastian (a lady)]

Some of the requirements of No Child Left Behind are related to results by various groups. The law requires certain test results not just by the school population as a whole but by individual groups (racial or ethnic) as well.

 

The school cannot measure their results with a group unless they have identified which test scores go with which group.

 

Sebastian

An Anglo-Dano-Rhine Franken-Bavarian-American

[Audrey]

I seriously don't like the questions asking for SSN#s, income and race. The SSN would make me worried about possible identity theft. How many hands do these forms go through, eh? The income one is simply none of their stinking business, thankyouverymuch! Were it me, I would send the forms back with "refuse to answer" written in those sections. I do not believe you are *required* to divulge information like that.

[Audrey]

In my kids' school district parents are asked to fill a home language survey form to assess the English language background of a child.

 

These are the questions:

 

 

1. Which language did your son or daughter learn when he or she first began to talk?

 

____________________________________________________

 

2. What language does your son or daughter most frequently use at home?

 

 

 

 

____________________________________________________

 

3. What language do you most frequently speak to your son or daughter?

 

 

 

 

____________________________________________________

4. What language is spoken most often by the adults at home?

 

 

 

 

 

 

GRRRRR... those really p*ss me off! Those kinds of language questions always pop up here. Except it's not about language at all. It's all a political game, and I AM NOT PLAYING!

 

I leave those blank, too.

[nrg]

I am testing coordinator for a charter school in California. This information is used to determine your school's achievement levels in comparison to like schools and to determine the expectancy band based on income, education levels, race, etc. The federal government has added the stipulation this year that "decline to state" is no longer an acceptable response, so all demographic questions must be answered. The income levels determine eligibility for the National School Lunch Program, and are used to determine eligibility for other programs and, often, grants. In summary, the information is collected for statistical purposes in our data-driven system.