Ashamed wrote on Sep 2, 2006 3:39 AM:I think it is just crazy that there is a school in the United States with 620 First through Fifth graders, and over half of the students Are Still Learning To Speak English! You Californians have been walking around with your blinders on too long. Now look at what you've done. And what about those children in the 40 percent, what happens to their education? I went to school in Vista long ago, and we had our own share of differring "cultures, ethnicities and experiences" back then. But, they all spoke English, or they didn't speak at all.

Vista Teacher wrote on Sep 2, 2006 9:35 AM:Is it a sign of community, or more of the strong-arm tactics of VUSD, that more parents haven't chosen to move their children from Crestview? Parents of the English learners have been convinced by VUSD Administrators that their children will do better in a Bi-Lingual program as opposed to being mainstreamed in an English only class. This tactic has been used for many years at VUSD, but the results are always the same: children end up illiterate in both languages! So, having witnessed firsthand the pressure placed upon the parents in this school to follow the direction of the Administrators (not to mention the cultural propensity of most of these parents to submit to authority), one is left to wonder if these parents would choose to move their children if they were to know that they have the right to do so, and that they and their children would not suffer any discrimination for making such a choice. VUSD Administration has a vested interest in keeping these children and their parents in a dependant class. Their racial biases are rapidly becoming repugnant to those of us with the cognitive ability to see the truth of what is happening here.

not all is well at North County Times wrote on Sep 2, 2006 9:53 AM:This article is not a weekly series it is a cover up by the North County Times. First you don’t print my blogs of the facts behind the CDE graphs that were submitted by VUSD to the state. Second you print some kind of, “diversity” have you looked at the numbers and graphs or do you just get a couple of white little boys and girls and say, “see we are diverse, lets call the North County Times and do a feel good article.” It is very fishy that the North County Times loves the Minutemen comments and blogs. They love to make failure schools feel good because it sells papers to the VTA and VUSD administration. By the way where is my community forum? Why do you only print Minutemen bs?

lets just all feel sick today wrote on Sep 2, 2006 10:15 AM:It is apparent that the North County Times has changed from a reputable newspaper with excellent reporters like: Rob O’Dell, Ron Raposa, Michael Williams, Michael Buchanan, and what happened to the only reporter that actually knew the Ralph Brown Act? Oh, yeah another company quickly picked him up because of his knowledge. So what do we have left? Well we got copycat of the Star and the Globe newspaper now. It is not about the facts, intellectual stories, or the truth but more about satire, stretching the truth, and making every corrupt public agency feel good. The better they feel about their justification of corruption and siphoning of public funds the more papers they will buy from you right? It comes down to one thing sell newspapers and compete with Copley who also has their head buried in the sand. Honestly the Minutemen are quite hilarious, non-threatening and are supporter by thousands of closet racists at every level of society. I suspect that the North County Times is now run by feminist with no ambition to go after good stories, research or facts.

resident wrote on Sep 2, 2006 11:22 AM:The families need to be held accountable for not teaching their kids english

Diversity? wrote on Sep 2, 2006 11:27 AM:Is that a code word for ILLEGAL ALIENS? "60 percent of the school's 620 students are learning to speak English" What country is this school district in anyways?

20/20 is 100% mark wrote on Sep 2, 2006 11:40 AM:I am going to send 20/20 a copy of this article. One more piece John Stossel can add to his series on, "STUPID IN AMERICA." and the teachers’ union strong control of public education. Yet our children are massively failing and all we get is more reverse psychology, more brainwashing excuses, and blame on the parents and students. When is the North County Times going to wake up and report the facts! What does failure and sanctions mean? What does it define under the NCLB. VUSD parents contact John and have him do a piece on VUSD great success stories…or should we say failures.

Michael wrote on Sep 2, 2006 12:03 PM:Interesting how Ms. Beeson has been teaching 4th grade at Crestview for 18 years and still has a job. The STAR test scores for Crestview since 1998 show a consistent decline in academic performance for students as they move from the 4th grade to 5th grade. I think the real crime here is the fact that the empirical data proves VUSD teachers, like Ms. Beeson, have failed at their jobs and yet complain that they are not paid as the professionals they are. Well, I think they should be paid as the professionals they are and get a big fat pink slip.

to Vista teacher wrote on Sep 2, 2006 12:40 PM:Vista teacher you aced it. You’ve VUSD number dialed to the T.

DA wrote on Sep 2, 2006 1:51 PM:I THINK IT WOULD BE EASIER TO TEACH THE WHITE KIDS TO SPEAK SPANISH. THE WAY IT'S GOING, THATS THE WAY IT WILL BE SOON! GOD FORBID

Putting Lipstick on a Pig wrote on Sep 2, 2006 2:55 PM:60% of the students don't speak English fluently, and yet this is considered "diversity"? Call me crazy, but I'd consider this number to be a majority. I guess saying that a strong majority of students at Crestview Elementary are not fluent in English doesn't put such a nice light on the situation, does it? Yet that is the truth. 60% - a vast majority - of the students at this school aren't proficient in English. What an utter, utter shame.

Come on wrote on Sep 2, 2006 7:09 PM:What is wrong with the teachers and administrators around North County? You need to stand up and speak for these children. SPEAK and LEARN only in ENGLISH!! A principal in the San Marcos area said her claim to fame was organizing the Cinco de Mayo festival at the school. What is wrong with this picture?

Skip wrote on Sep 2, 2006 8:11 PM:FOLLOW THE LOGIC HERE :The Federal Government fails to secure the United States Borders, thus allowing millions of illiterate, impoverished, and non-English speaking illegal Aliens to flood our cities and ultimately enter into our school systems...... Then it penalizes our schools with sanctions because these same students cannot meet the Federal guidelines for performance, and our schools cannot adequately teach them. What kind of Alternate universe is our government in? This is so out of touch with reality.

To Michael: wrote on Sep 2, 2006 10:07 PM:Michael... I invite you to try and teach just one day in Yvonne Beeson's classroom. By lunch, you'll be running back to your cubicle in Corporate America. Yvonne has shaped - in the English language - the hearts and minds of hundreds of American citizens. What have you done? When we cross the Pearly Gates, the rewards of your efforts will only have been to make money for someone else. Yvonne will have her "wings" for the dramatic affect she's made on her students over the last several decades. "Give her a pink slip" you say? I say write a check to the school from your profits, volunteer your time, be an activist for English reading and writing, AND INVEST IN CALIFORNIA'S FUTURE - instead of just critizing from your Corporate America cubicle.

response to-to Michael wrote on Sep 2, 2006 11:09 PM:Boy you sure sound like a lot of VTA chatter, actually I work with the kids VUSD teachers failed to teach. I see hundreds of kids walking through the halls of justice, not to work but to serve hard time. I wonder how many of these kids went through the high rated teachers you mentioned classes? Most of these kids are basically functioning illiterates. I mean 14-17 year olds reading at a 2nd grade level in both English and Spanish. I see a whole lot of lost souls with no dreams and hearts that were broken in infancy, hard as nails, with no hopes of visions. Is this the kind of heart and mind shaping you are referring to?

If it weren't for Corporate America wrote on Sep 3, 2006 8:19 AM:You ask what corporate America has done for these kids? You say that a failed school system that prepares kids to become criminals is more Godly than those who are working to support all the taxes paying for your failed schools? Well, maybe you should just go back to your Little Red Book and suffer, as did so many in the former Soviet Union. Your anti-Capitalistic Utopian society cannot work! The experiment FAILED, just as your Socialist Schools are Failing today. Your Propaganda sounds so familiar to those of us who have received a proper education and use the critical thinking skills we've learned to discern truth from fiction. Problem with Yvonne's record, and that of the rest at VUSD's failing schools is that the ones being hurt are children! If you get wings for ensuring children will continue to suffer, then I don't want to know your deity.

John wrote on Sep 3, 2006 3:37 PM:The real shame is the parents of the 10 to 20 percent of the kids who couldnt pass the HS Eq.test even gave a dam about raising ther Kids.Thats the real shame. Dont blame only the Teachers(although some of the blame falls on them too).Blame the PARENTS.fOLKS THIS WAS AN 8TH GRADE EXAM.

Gary in Murieta wrote on Sep 3, 2006 8:12 PM:THIS IS WHY WE NEED STATE VOUCHERS! I placed my children in Private Schools (elementary) a few years ago. It is very expensive and my wife had to get a job so we could do it. It is well worth it because everyone speaks English, our kids can say Merry Christmas without fear of retribution, and some religion is taught. As long as I can afford it my children will never go back to public schools again.

Ex-student wrote on Sep 6, 2006 3:46 PM:“No better place to learn”. Let us all hope that this is not a reflection of the grasp that all teachers have on the english language in the Vista Unified School District. Let us also hope that they do not consider their level of teaching as being “maxed out”. Always strive to be better.