Only In NJ: Special Treatment For Those Who Don\’t Speak English

Bill\’s Point of View:

Thanks to a reader of ClearysNoteBook I obtained a copy of a new law that was passed by the Senate and General Assembly of New Jersey that gives special privileges to students who don\’t speak English to opt out of taking certain test unless it is written in the individual\’s language.

The law appears to include other statewide tests, not just those given to a student. For example the law would pertain to the tests given to obtain a New Jersey drivers license or hunting license.

The legislation (Assembly Bill, No. 969) was sponsored by: Assemblywoman NILSA CRUZ-PEREZ District 5 (Camden and Gloucester Counties), Assemblyman JOSEPH J. ROBERTS, JR. also of District 5, Assemblyman VINCENT PRIETO District 32 (Bergen and Hudson), Assemblywoman VALERIE VAINIERI HUTTLE, District 37 (Bergen).

No doubt someone will have to pay for the test to be written in Spanish, Arabic or whatever language the individual speaks. And then there will be extra cost to hire people qualified to speak the foreign language to score the test.

The state is bankrupt yet those in charge continue to find ways to waste our tax dollars.

I don\’t know about you but I am upset. When our forefathers came to this country so many years ago, be they Irish, Italian, Polish, German etc., they had to learn the English language or they wouldn\’t survive.

Why do the Liberals who control our State government feel it necessary to give the minorities of today special treatment?

This is America. The language that is spoken in this country is English. Yet for some reason those who make the laws in New Jersey continually bend over backwards to appease the whims of a certain few.

I said it before and will say it again. ONLY IN NEW JERSEY!

ASSEMBLY, No. 969 STATE OF NEW JERSEY 213th LEGISLATURE

SYNOPSIS

Provides that student of limited English-speaking ability shall not be required to take certain tests. CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel

An Act concerning the testing of students of limited English-speaking ability and supplementing P.L.1974, c.197 (C.18A:35-15 et seq.).

Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

1. Notwithstanding the provisions of P.L.1979, c.241 (C.18A:7C-1 et seq.) or any other law, rule or regulation to the contrary, a student of limited English-speaking ability who is identified as such pursuant to P.L.1974, c.197 (C.18A:35-15 et seq.) shall not be required to take any diagnostic, standardized, Statewide, or district-wide test in English which has not been designed or normed for non-native speakers of English until the student has been in a State-approved program for at least two academic years, except that the student may be given the option of taking any test in English, or may be required to take a standardized test or undergo other assessment in the native language of the student in order to measure certain abilities or general academic progress.

• This act shall take effect immediately.

• Related: Bills Point of View
  

  Related: Bits and Tidbits

• Prime Minister John Howard: IMMIGRANTS, NOT AUSTRALIANS, MUST ADAPT
  
• Related: Speak English