Enrollment of Hispanics in Virginia schools surged in 2010 and hasn’t slowed down since. If the trend line continues — and there is no assurance that it will — Hispanics could become the second largest ethnic/racial group within ten to fifteen years. Asians are gaining ground as a percentage of the school population as well, though far more slowly.
(Thanks to Jim Weigand for the chart.)
— JAB
(comments below)
(comments below)
One of the issues of the rapid increase in the percentage of Hispanics and Asians in the public schools, is the increased funding required to educate those that require extra help because of their Limited English Proficiency (LEP).
In 2003, state and local governments were required to fund an additional $19,009,076 for categorical expenditures “English as a Second Language.”
In the 2014-2015 school year, 12 years later, that cost has increased 466% to $107,672,890.
Unfortunately, with the porous national borders, these taxpayer expenditures for this category will continue to escalate at rates well above the average cost increases for the general population of students.
I’m waiting for the more vociferous of the anti-immigrant brigade to demand that we stop educating these kids – as it is an “incentive” for the undocumented ….
Second – I’ve never seen or heard from the “secure the border” folks – precisely what we’re not doing that we need to do… nor how much money they’re willing to spend in doing it.
It’s sort of like the health care issue.. lots of wailing and gnashing of teeth but when you ask for specifics – there are none – just blame for the “porous” borders (which are more secure than ever before with a lot more money than every before during Bush) being spent on it.
It would seem the advocates would encourage Congress to add a lot more money to the Border Patrol budget and demand that it be spent on the things they think we need to be doing that we’re not.
that’s a big problem with a lot of so-called conservatism these days.. lots of blame – almost zero specification of what to do… to fix.
Larry, it is the porous borders that is causing the problems. I think a lot of people would favor a plan that allowed long-time residents who have been paying taxes and who don’t have criminal records to remain in the United States. But, at the very same time, a failure to slow illegal immigration is placing huge costs on state and local governments. It’s also putting downward pressure on wages earned by many people, including most everyone who gets permission to stay and work in the U.S.
This week I heard Fairfax County Public School superintendent Karen Garza say she recently visited a world history class at Lee High School, where all 25 students in the class lacked a working knowledge of English and many of them had not been to school in several years. Think about the added cost to Fairfax County taxpayers. Think about all the resources being shifted from other County and School programs.
What to do? Allow private citizens to sue any business that hires workers without papers, collecting treble damages and attorney fees. Ban every company and their owners that do not use E-Verify from any federal, state or local government contract for ten years.
Interestingly, a federal judge in D.C. just held a labor union representing STEM workers had standing to challenge a decision of the Dept of Homeland Security to extend the right of foreign students to work beyond 12 months to well over two years.
” Larry, it is the porous borders that is causing the problems. I think a lot of people would favor a plan that allowed long-time residents who have been paying taxes and who don’t have criminal records to remain in the United States. But, at the very same time, a failure to slow illegal immigration is placing huge costs on state and local governments. It’s also putting downward pressure on wages earned by many people, including most everyone who gets permission to stay and work in the U.S.”
well you jumped from porous borders to something else and my question is – can you define with specificity what is “porous” and how we fix it?
“This week I heard Fairfax County Public School superintendent Karen Garza say she recently visited a world history class at Lee High School, where all 25 students in the class lacked a working knowledge of English and many of them had not been to school in several years. Think about the added cost to Fairfax County taxpayers. Think about all the resources being shifted from other County and School programs.”
yup – tell me specifically how we fix the border.
“What to do? Allow private citizens to sue any business that hires workers without papers, collecting treble damages and attorney fees. Ban every company and their owners that do not use E-Verify from any federal, state or local government contract for ten years.”
it’ simple what to do. Put people in prison that hire undocumented. period. The problem is that Conservatives want it both ways and they are cowardly about what will actually “fix” the border and the employment issue.
“Interestingly, a federal judge in D.C. just held a labor union representing STEM workers had standing to challenge a decision of the Dept of Homeland Security to extend the right of foreign students to work beyond 12 months to well over two years.”
are we talking about uneducated undocumented workers or something else?
are you telling me that under Bush and Reagan we had much tighter borders and rules and this administration has made swiss cheese of both – or what?
what has changed since Bush that makes this – this POTUS fault?
Larry, you’ve become so protective of Obama that you are seeing attacks where none exist. I think both the Bush and Obama administrations did/are doing a bad job protecting the border. Segments of the two major political parties want open borders for different reasons. Some Republicans want dirt cheap labor, while some Democrats are trying to keep the professional caring class employed and are trolling for future votes.
My approach to protecting the border is going after employers – exactly what I said.
But I am extra critical of Obama’s effective closing his eyes and facilitating the entry of many illegal, unaccompanied minors. I regard this as similar to what Carter did with the Mariel boat arrivals. And I voted for Carter in 1980. I’d also like someone to stick a two-by-four up the US Chamber of Commerce president’s &^^ – sideways.
Actually no. I’m asking for specifics on both the border and the employment.
Did this POTUS loosen the border by diverting resources away from it?
or did more holes appear that he did not fix?
I’m trying to understand what specific things on the border need to be fixed.
or is this really about the other end where people see more undocumented and assume the border is not secured but have never really seen it much less know where it is “open” and we know it and don’t fix it?
It’s not Obama any more than it was Bush or any more that a GOP POTUS like Jeb Bush would all be guilty of – right? So I’m asking – what are the things that need to be done that you would send to the POTUS to sign?
At some point – you guys have to put up or shut up on more than a couple of issues and I’m not holding my breath… I think you’re unhappy but you really don’t know what to do… about it.
Going after employers with a vengeance would fix much of the problem. If employers are too afraid of the financial consequences of closing their eyes to whether a person is eligible to work in the United States, businesses are going to use E-Verify. Attorney fees alone are going to be multiple six figures. And for many businesses, a 10-year bar on government contract eligibility would scare them into compliance. And, with private enforcement, the lawyers would be all over offenders like stink on a pig. Do you think otherwise? The lack of jobs would most certainly cut down on illegal immigration and put upward pressure on wages, especially for those without great skills and good educations.
The southern border needs to be patrolled, with special effort made to nail the guides, who, if caught, should face a mandatory 20 years in prison. These steps should be taken, with appropriate legislation, by any American president. Substantial rewards should be offered for people who turn in guides.
I think we can have better border control and fewer illegal immigrants and their associated costs, without conducting raids on the illegals per se. Either that or let taxpayers have amnesty too. Let me decide if I want to pay any FIT.
Canada has a very effective guest worker program..
re: e-verify – fix it
re: the border – “special patrols” where, when, who? and where is the money for more patrols?
I don’t have any problems with a tighter border but I do think it’s going to cost a LOT MORE money and then the “guides” will start bringing folks in on boats and the right will then be screaming for more Coast Guard, etc…
I’m for solutions… I totally don’t think we want more undocumented.. but I think as long as they know they can get employment – they will come and we won’t be successful in stopping them. It’s like drugs. If there is demand – they’re going to get here and it don”t have a single thing to do with this POTUS – if he does not have hard proposals on his desk to respond to.
the basic narrative from the right is – “it’s broke – you fix it”.
@TMT – most folks to the left of the hard core – moderate and liberal would say to virtually any proposal ” do it”. Most on the left are NOT in the business of wanting MORE problems.. and actually see new immigrants – without any changes – as virtual slave labor anyhow.
THe problem is the right does not seem to know what they really want other than beat the current POTUS over the head with it…
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