December 7, 2005

Kansas City boy suspended from school for speaking Spanish during recess

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Zach Rubio, a student at Turner School District’s Endeavor School in Kansas City, Kansas, was recently suspended for two days because he spoke Spanish during recess, which, among other things, is not against school policy. Despite Zach’s not breaking any rules, however, the principal, Jennifer Watts, explained: “We are not in Mexico, we are not in Germany.”

Where are we, Ms. Watts? Oh…I almost forgot, we’re in Kansas, where the schools are dedicated to teaching nonsense, and the line separating church and state gets thinner every day. Why not go ahead and prohibit students from speaking their native languages?

In fairness to the Kansas school system, Zach was allowed to return to school once news of the suspension reached Superintendent of Schools Bobby Allen. His father is waiting for an official apology, but isn’t likely to get it. Principal Watts will not talk with the local newspaper. Feel free to drop her a line and see if she’ll talk with you. Just don’t email her in Spanish.

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We just wrapped up a shorter-than-normal, urgent-as-ever fundraising drive and we came up about $45,000 short of our $300,000 goal.

That means we're going to have upwards of $350,000, maybe more, to raise in online donations between now and June 30, when our fiscal year ends and we have to get to break-even. And even though there's zero cushion to miss the mark, we won't be all that in your face about our fundraising again until June.

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