Texas Public School System to Make Arabic Language and Culture Classes Mandatory For All Students Using Federal Grant Money…
With school systems woefully underfunded why are they using much needed tax dollars to shove Arabic down the kids throats?
MANSFIELD (CBS) — Some Students at Mansfield ISD schools could soon be learning Arabic as a required language. The school district wants students at select schools to take Arabic language and culture classes as part of a federally funded grant.
The Foreign Language Assistance Program (FLAP) grant was awarded to Mansfield ISD last summer by the U.S. Department of Education.
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.”
HT: David D.
Posted by ZIP on Tuesday, February 8, 2011, at 9:58 am | 
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Arabic as a “language of the future” — not any other of the languages of Islam, but ARABIC.
How very interesting.
Ummm, WHY?
This is a bunch of bullshit! I could see “spanish”, for obvious reasons, but–WTH is any of this crap “mandatory”!
The DOE has identified Arabic as a ‘language of the future.’
————-
Shouldn’t we be learning Chinese instead?
While we choose to fight Radical Islam with both hands tied behind our backs, the Chinese communist will not bat an eye to execute them by the tens of thousands.
The Chinese language should be the most useful for our future.
.
Well, they know Muslim immigration is increasing exponentially as are their breeding rates. Muslims don’t willingly integrate into our society and few learn the language in any detail. Plus, the government is doing nothing on all points.
Thus, when their numbers increase to the point where they can take over, at least we’ll be able to understand their orders.
Hear me out on this folks.
Islam is the new Communism – spreading through the world like a cancer. Look where it was 50 years ago, where it is now and where it will probably be in 50 years.
I have no problem with our kids learning Arabic. We’re going to have to confront this problem sooner or later. So they may as well know the language of the people trying to kill them.
I hope the parents in these districts pull their children out of school. IF they don’t they are allowing creeping sharia. Are they okay with an islamic future? Each day the invasion and conquering steps up in speed. Really sick of being labeled as racist, hater, phobic, blah blah blah… I don’t like it when anyone forces their will on me. This is what they are doing, they are forcing their will on us. It is a form of rape. Not all rape is sexual.
Let’s try english first! English as the national language and everyone must know it!
Why worry about the future? It doesn’t look like it’s going to be a bright one anyway with the clowns, goons, and downright criminals we have in charge.
The Koran is next! They must be taught about the beauty of the Koran and the beauty of Sharia law!
I guess they are preparing these kids because they sense we will be overtaken by our enemies..
Whatever genius came up with this bull needs to go NOW !
next it will be press three for arabic at the dial tone…or how to reem your eyes under a burka at the school show and tell. this is very strange when english in south Texas has a passing rate of 29 percent. Rick Perry and the Texas Education Association system sounds like it is permanently out to lunch when we know this is not about culture it is more follow-up onsurpressing the contributions of Hispanics in Texas History.
WTF!!!!
De-fund, De-fund, De-fund. Absolutely ridiculous.
Are these people out of their friggin minds?
I say wholly so..
The requirement for greek and/or latin was once a college grad requirement yet it was removed as not practical.
What is the end game? To teach the kids how the evil murdering horde death cult does its bidding for Mephistopheles no doubt.
These evil peopel are getting some kind of meme on how to do this and I want to see it..
Mega creeps!
Looks like all the nutcase lefties from the 60′s and 70′s are going all out to implement their values and beliefs before retirement.
Investigate this funding! How many other Mansfields are out there,pushing the stealth jihad right under our co-exist snouts?
The program is called FLAP? How appropriate.
This is a DOE pilot program ( see http://www.mansfieldisd.org/ )
One must understand that (deliberate capitalizations) Professional Educators are infatuated with avant-garde pilot programs. They get tingles up their legs just thinking about them. This means (*swoon*) Status for the Mansfield district, and that’s closer to their professional hot-button than mere education.
From the districts website, sorry it doesn’t adhere to your fearmongering.
“Why Arabic?
The Arabic language is listed by the federal government as a “critical language.” This means that our country has a shortage of Arabic speakers and in order to maintain a presence in the Middle East, we need people who not only are proficient in the Arabic language, but also possess knowledge about Arabic cultures and traditions. We are given a unique opportunity to provide students the opportunity to learn Arabic so they can pursue careers in diplomacy and international business.”
“Will every student be studying Arabic?
Every student will have the opportunity to participate in the program.”
- key word being OPPORTUNITY, not mandated.
Its a new language in addition to others being taught at school. Arabic history encompases Jeudaism, Christianity, and Islam. The religion will not be taught but its importance in the culture of Arabia will.
They were not trying to implement the plans without parents knowing, they were fully developing the plans before presenting it to the parents… You know so that when everyone starts thinking that the district is preaching “radical islam” and all that nonsense they could show them, in detail, exactly what the curriculum is.
This makes no sense at all. If a language is required there at least ought to be a shopping list. I have the same complaint in NJ, my grandchildren have a single language choice: spanish. What bullshit.
The business language of the world – like it or not – is essentially English. At every conference I ever attended in Europe or Asia, the presentations were 99.9% of the time done in English. All of our sales meetings in Asia were conducted in English, and even my Asian friends said what other language could one use? Even in the Philippines, I witnessed a friend of mine speaking Tagalog to another Filipino – but they were from different islands – so they eventually had to switch to English to make themselves fully understood.
Before anyone thinks that I support only English – I don’t – I support parents getting to choose for a youngster until said youngster is old enough to choose for themselves. I do not support enforced choices – most especially by the government. I think it a wonderful thing to be able to speak more than one language.
When I was in high school many years ago, they were offering Russian language classes for the same reason. It does not hurt to know your enemy. Many of the Islam fanatics are fluent in English. I don’t see the problem with learning their language.
The problem is that our government does not recognize the danger that Islam, Sharia and mass Muslim immigration poses to our culture and freedoms.
Space reserved for some piece of leftist trash to state that the news article didn’t state what the news article stat, er, I’m too late it seems…
I supposed some little monkey named “John” (is that it today?) would think Arabic the language of the future.
It’s not just language. It’s Arabic Studies, and it will be rolled up into the Social Studies curriculum.
You leftist trash out there that whine about religious right types taking over the curriculum standards? There’s might be a reason for that.
I work in medical billing. I just called a doctor’s practice in Connecticut (!!!) and the automated phone system gave me the “para espanol, oprima numero dos” treatment. I found it strangely depressing. I know this doesn’t have to do with learning Arabic in Mansfield, Texas (not too far from me, incidentally) but thought I would share anyway. It’s no longer only a border state issue.
I’ve heard people be accused of getting mad whenever they hear someone speaking Spanish out in public. To me, it’s just part of the background noise, especially in Texas, and it doesn’t offend me any more than it would if I saw a couple of people communicating in sign language. What offends me is when the Spanish speakers start expecting the environment to change to accommodate them.
http://www.mansfieldisd.org/curriculum/foreign-language/arabic.htm
Info page on Arabic studies.
Great choice of words asshole.
nice try John,
except for this:
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.
see the mandatory for some?
MANDATORY for elementary while optional for older students.
wonder why that is?
easier to indoctrinate a young child.
dumbass.
“What does the 100 minutes per week look like?
Students will receive an average of 20 minutes per day of Arabic language and culture through social studies classes, advisory once a week and intermittently in electives such as technology applications, art and P.E. This grant provides for 100 minutes each week out of 1875 total instructional minutes. They will also have access to Arabic literature in Language Arts, as well as having opportunities for language acquisition through the use of Rosetta Stone and iPod Touches before and after school as well as during the school day.”
“Why Cross Timbers?”
“Cross Timbers Intermediate School has the highest percentage of native Arabic speakers in the district. The cultural knowledge that our Arabic students possess will be of great assistance to the development of this program.”
Calm down people. I think it is a good thing that we offer our children a wide range of knowledge of many languages and cultures. This is a good thing. We are talking about language not religion. How many of you would like to see christianity at school. Probablly a lot. Just because it is what you choose doesn’t mean it is for everyone. Learning many languages early expands your childs ability to learn with ease in a variety of areas. Offer them all of the knowledge, give them guidence and watch them bloom into something wonderful. And I am white and speak english as a first language. What I am not is racist or small minded. EXPAND your brain!
“The cultural knowledge that our Arabic students possess will be of great assistance to the development of this program.”
I don’t see any issues with elementary and intermediate mandatory Arabic Cultural socialization. Especially with possible Sharia-friendly families helping form the curriculum/content.
What could possibly go wrong?
Grant money, stamp it out! How did Texas get infiltraded with these MORONS?!
Good round up here, including a local CBS report that indicates they were hiding the program from parents until the last minute. I wonder why:
http://www.frugal-cafe.com/public_html/frugal-blog/frugal-cafe-blogzone/2011/02/08/good-grief-learning-arabic-language-will-be-mandatory-in-a-number-of-texas-school-part-of-1-3-million-federal-grant/
Also has a list at end (in response to a diff. statement by Big Sis) of about 10 Muslim US soldiers who have been convicted of terrorism or espionage since 9/11.
oliviamom:
I am old and very well travelled. While I applaud your point of view, and actually share most of it, we (USA) did not require mandatory Russian or Chinese cultural instruction during the Cold War. High School students could choose to learn that. Twenty minutes a day of “Arabic” language and Culture to elementary students is PC Bullshit.
You miss the point.
dmacleo
Thank you for your kind and mature response. Yes, the government is obviously trying to indoctrinate our children, like telling them that Thanksgiving was a wonderful and happy event and that everyone involved was there out of the kindness of their own heart. God forbid we teach our children about the cultures and languages of the world instead of dead languages and euro-centric languages. Given our continued involvement in Arabic states this program sounds like a good way to open doors to students, future workers and future soldiers. If you want to win the hearts and minds of the combatants you need to at least speak the language. If you want to stop government expenditure towards fruitless wars than an educated and culturally aware citizenry is a must.
Heh, now mandatory Arabic culture indoctrination is “expanding your brain.”
I wonder how many mandatory Western culture classes are in the Arab world?
I wonder if any of them leave one smart enough to recognize the difference between race and religion as our “new” airhead poster seems to be having a problem with that distinction.
Texas??………..Texas??????????????
@oliviamom
It is a little presumptuous of you to assume that nobody on here might already speak another language, as do their children–or that the problem is that we are against expanding our children’s horizons or our own,– or that we don’t have an interest in learning new things, or believe it is a “good” thing to investigate other cultures, etc. I speak 3 languages fluently, and have lived in 5 foreign countries, and traveled several others. My children speak more than one language.
The problem to me is that the classes are “MANDATORY”. If they were elective, it would make a lot more sense to me. Using taxpayer money to force kids to learn Arabic, is to assume that there are no other languages and cultures to learn, in order to expand one’s mind.
How about offering more than one choice? and it begs the question, why ARABIC? why MANDATORY?
“If you want to stop government expenditure towards fruitless cold wars than an educated and culturally aware citizenry is a must.”
I think I read Ike put that line in a speech, right before announcing mandatory Russian language instruction and cultural immersion, for young children.
Maybe in that parallel world that Bill Clinton inhabits.
“If you want to stop government expenditure towards fruitless wars than an educated and culturally aware citizenry is a must.”
Yes, of course. We must learn to live in a culture that is acceptable to others. They will know that we love them as they impose their society. Force the children to comply.
Yes, I know I am fearmongering. But as a young 6 year old child in Texas, I participated in an optional Spanish/Mexican program. For an hour we studied language and Culture. It was optional. Local Latin Nationals did not use the opportunity to tell us that pets were really just backup livestock or that Gringos were all stupid assholes like John.
What happened to MANDATORY English spoken in all government buildings?
When you work that one out get back to me.
They should be learning Mandarin Chinese. That’s the language of the future.
John your rainbows and unicorn rhetoric -If you want to win the hearts and minds of the combatants you need to at least speak the language. – is so naive. Unless you accept allah there is no winning hearts or mind. islam has no heart for non-believers. Nothing will change their mind. its islam or you’re their slave or killed, eventually.
Listen to Teacake.
@Teacake
Simply stated! Spot on!
maebe thay shud master teeching english b4 takling a 4rin languige.
As a Texan, I have to say this is probably gonna go over like a turd in a punchbowl.
@Keep_Honkin
“like a turd in a punch bowl”? is that like “Obama in the White House”? Aren’t they the same???
Strange VMI coincidence? or are all references to ME culture and language going to now be identified as modern and the new ‘it’ theme for the future” the new ‘journ-o-list meme’ of the day?
Recall the list of VMI faculty in the “Modern Cultures and Languages” listing http://tinyurl.com/4zftc6k
I see a possible silver lining in this story. If any of these students actually take this course seriously, it could provide the DoD and/or military with translators.
Certainly ME culture and language are modern, wtd.
Just don’t reach for anything with your left hand.
Could you imagine if they’d tried to cram Russian down our throats during the cold war?! Oh…
http://www.hoover.org/publications/hoover-digest/article/6289
Your response put the lie in the shining light, John (@10:26) . . .
Arabic history, eh? Get it through your thick skull that none of us are interested in revisionist history according to the new, modern, language and culture of the future, Arabic. Pound sand.
Lan Astaslem.
When I saw Mansfield, I thought it was Mansfield, MA.
Infuriating….this has to be stopped, wake the heck up America before it is far too late.
Rush Limbaugh just said that this is in store for 4 other school districts in the US.
not sure which yet though.
Good. Teach the suckers Arabic so they can counter the cancer known as Pisslam. بدأت تعلم العربية منذ ثلاث سنوات وذلك تغيرت منظري الكامل في مشكلة الإسلام
Of course I know this isn’t going to happen. The curriculum will be full of PC drivel about showing “tolerance” to invading marauders in sheepskin.
”WHAT PART OF AMERICA THAT THEY DON’T UNDERSTAND?
Once again to be PC we don’t wish to offend anyone and ask that they assimilate into our culture. We’ll all just run down to Muzzietown and get our curried goat and hummus while they breed like cattle and gain control of our political offices.
Maybe the Chinese are our only hope!
On the other hand, I wonder if introducing Arabic culture and language to elementary & middle grade students is a reaction to
1. Get ahead of the curve in response to
2. and undermine Texas Board of Education Adopts Resolution Calling for Textbook Publishers to Curtail Pro-Islam Bias
We have a dearth of arabic speakers in various positions (DoE, DoD, State, etc.) so the government provides a grant to schools willing to teach arabic to correct this. I can see complaining about the school board not communicating with parents but otherwise this is a non-issue.
The military needs patriotic Americans that can speak arabic for military translators. How about, instead of relying on foreigners, we teach some of our citizens to speak arabic?
Sounds sensible to me, but lets not take our eyes off it in the future, in case it turns to shit.
Hey here’s an idea, how about they F*CKING teach AMERICAN VALUES and HISTORY FIRST!
DUMBASSES!
The only thing I want to learn about Arabic Culture is how to stomp it OUT of existence!
For those that didn’t notice, the Mansfiled ISD apparently hgot an earful when this story broke as they changed their tune and have since put the program on “hold”.
Language has been offered in schools for as long as I can remember with me taking French and Spanish, however at no time was any language mandatory nor were we “immersed” in their culture.
At a time when Christians are being expelled for trying to pray yet schools allow Muslims time away from class to pray in a “special” room, at a time when Virginia Military Institute is preparing to glorify the Golden Years in Spain when Christians and Jews were persecuted while having a Muslim who supports the Muslim Brotherhood as their keynote speaker,when we have radicals Muslims serving in our Federal Government, when the immigration of Muslims is at an all time high…..I pity those that are so blind that they can not see what is going on…..the Muslim Brotherhood has stated they will destroy us from within and if allowed, they will do just that.
This is not about learning another language or broadening your knowledge it is the underlying reason behind it.
Better teach them to quote Koran verses too. That way they might (probably not) survive the wests coming capitulation.
As long as there is a muslim in the White House freedom in America has become something we enjoyed in the past. They are breeding 8 to 1 and in 20 years they will control all of Europe. Guess who is next?
Liberals still believe Obama is not Muslim.
Only liberals are so easy to fool.
NASA for the Muslims, take that liberals !!!!
Vote for Obama in 2012 and finally US will become a Muslim country for you liberal woman do not forget your burqa.
How can you separate Islam from Arab culture?
Let’s get rid of the DOE – think of the money we could save?
1. WHO is going to teach Arabic to young children? A Muslim? Many of the phrases in Arabic have to with Islam—dawah, deen, haram, halal, ummah,fatwa, etc. There are lots of examples. Will these Muslim “teachers” be told NOT to indoctrinate young children? Or will this be an opportunity for “dawa”?
2.Will these Muslim teachers be imported from Saudi Arabia to do their dirty indoctrination? Or will they use local Muslims who are members of CAIR, ISNA, the Muslim Brotherhood?
3. Arabic is apparently THE most difficult language to learn-many adults don’t get it right and struggle to learn it. If you children have to learn this, what about those who struggle to read and write English?
Arabic is written from right to left. (so is Hebrew but Hebrew is not as difficult as Arabic)
More confusion. Especially in a population where many parents may be illiterate for English. What about dyslexic children and those with learning difficulties,who struggle with ordinary English reading? Will they be able to opt out?
4. What texts(books) will the children learn form and read from? Islam forbids the telling of secular stories so there is very Arabic literature.Most of it has to do with Islam and the Koran.Will these children be reading from the Koran? All Muslim children who learn Arabic and who learn to read Arabic learn from the Koran first.
5. All the Arabic teaching material , books etc, in the US comes from Saudi Arabia and has a strong Wahabist bent.
Ask the Texas Education Dept to answer these questions please.
6. Will the children be allowed to have their ham, bacon and pork sandwiches in their lunch boxes in their school bags? What if they have eaten bacon and lunch and smell of it for the next lesson?Will the teachers freak out?
7. What if some of the older girls wear tight or revealing clothes? Will the teachers discriminate against them?
8. What about Jewish children who will be discriminated against firstly by teachers for being Jewish and secondly by passages in the Koran which exhort the muslims to “kill the Jew wherever you may find him?” For sure they will at some stage have to read the Koran.
9. What will the children do when the teacher has to face east and pray 5 times a day?
What is this but a supreme opportunity for dawah (conversion) by Obama’s Muslim administration?
Also why only Texas? Is Texas an experiment by the Department of Education or one of Obama’s Muslim crazy crony czars?
Or are Texans perceived as rightwing Christian clingers by the administration and Barack Osama who need re-education?
Or is it because so many Muslims are crossing the border illegally from Mexico, that they think Texas will go Muslim first and the kids better be prepared?
Those school board Directors need to be let out to pasture for attempting to sellout our freedom of choice in exchange for Federal funding . Down with communism , up with freedom . I don’t care if __________ is the language of the future, anything that is mandatory is automatically a ‘red’ flag !
Hey we need to train our future Islamic spies somewhere, Mexican’s looks more like the Terrorists we are combating than whites, so have at it.
There is one reason for this.
English is the language of business, even for Arab business, so it’s not that.
The real reason (besides spreading lies about islam) is that the koran is only considered valid to muslims when it is in arabic. This is to push the koran.
As for islam containing the history of other religions, that is exactly what a muslim propagandist would say, i.e. that it is the last and most perfect religion with nothing possible to follow. Islam does not teach true history, world culture, or religous practices except for islam itself.
To anyone saying it’s no big deal, do us all a favor and study up on this. Especially, read the muslim brotherhood’s plan for America from the Holy Land Foundation trial. It’s annoying and dangerous that so many people with no idea of what is going on regarding this ideology write to blogs or newspapers and spout off about it.
Do we know of any other school districts in the nation where this is happening? If not, simple curiosity compels me to ask “Why Mansfield?”
The Department of Education is a joke.
Public Education is akin to a Public Toilet…people use it because they have to.
We could balance the budget and pay off the deficit if we didn’t waste so much money on Public education. Teachers Unions are bankrupting the country. Look at the N.Y.City school system and try not to laugh, yet that’s where all public school systems throughout the nation are headed.
We believe that Obama let all these people in by Amnesty no background checks of any kind to our knowledge,the illegals came in at the wrong time in California History and as long as we don’t close our borders obama will win and we will be worse than we are now. We hoped a Black man would of been more humble and be proud to run America and her peole but no he spends more than any other President and takes from our Social Securtiy for his agenda like Pelosi. We will be paying for these Arabic School while are children don’t get Teachers that are great (Americans) THAT IS TO PUSH OUR CHILDREN . The Arab’s well get their way if the people that Love this America and the wealthy don’t start helpping out and lower taxes in California becaues Obama is putting out more money on others than are own. He won’t have the people that are hear speak-read-write- our English which is the language of the land but he’ll make our children and possiabley the latino’s learn Arabic and their History not ours and that will be the down fall of America the way we know her and there will be a muslim flag on our White HOUSE,IF WE DON’T STOP OBAM FROM DESTORY HER. THEY WILL TAKE AWAY ARE FREEDOM AND IF SHARAI LAW GETS IN HERE WERE DOMED. This is all against us folks.Obama had 330 parties in 2009 and traveled and spent more that they will tells us and all the staffers she has and heis awful wake up America now write to your mayor’s-politicans now. we will be under their contrl watch and see yes our children are spoiled and adults they don’t live with in a budget neither does the white house or pelosi we pay for her rental and daugther’s medical and she is married and alot of them put their kids thorough college didn’t pay tutition at all. God Bless ALL that Loves America and wants her to pull out of theis read up on whom Obma signed our land and business too and how he wants russians to take over Alaska