RSS10 & 8 Year Old Students Kicked Off School Bus Because they Spoke English
Just to provide some context to this story … Yes, it took place in the United States , the 
Minneapolis, MN area to be exact. So now its a detriment to speak English in the United States? Talk about avoiding a potential terrible issue by sheer luck. In a day and age where we read about sexual predators snatching children to and from school, these people created a possible issue instead of thinking of the children first.
The St Paul School District is apologizing profusely for their actions that prevented two school children from being allowed on a school bus. The reason: they children spoke English.
Rachel Armstrong sent her kids to pick up the bus as usual Monday, but after the driver let the kids on, he told them he would not pick them up again. He even said he wouldn’t take them home that afternoon.
Armstrong left work early Tuesday, forced to pick up her kids from Phalen Lake Elementary School.
Her twin girls, 10, and her son, 8, were kicked off their regular school bus. They were told by the bus driver the route is for non-English speaking students only. (KSP-TV)
That on Earth is this school district thinking? They have a responsibility for the safety of school children getting to school, while in school and getting them home. They stranded the children at the bus stop. Right now in Missouri there is an Amber Alert for a missing, 13 year old boy, William Ownby, who was kidnapped after he was dropped off a school bus and walking home. Andre-Anna Jackson went missing walking to Tillicum Elementary School. Imagine if something had happened to these children because the school district left these children at a bus stop just because it was not the “English” bus? Unbelievable.
Administrators at St. Paul Public Schools admit the district made a mistake when it stranded the kids at school Monday.
However, the district points out, that particular bus route serves one of three language academies. The one at Phalen Lake is for Hmong students learning English.
The academies all have separate bus routes to keep its students together.
The district decided to enforce the separate routes beginning Monday, but it did not tell the Armstrong family.
“It is our responsibility to ensure the safety of these kids and we made a mistake. The kids should have gotten home that day,” Dayna Kennedy, a public relations representative said.
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28 Responses to “10 & 8 Year Old Students Kicked Off School Bus Because they Spoke English”
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I watched this story on the news last night. THERE’S MORE TO THE STORY. The local news outlet was sympathetic for the kids. It appears as though the family had moved out of area and were no longer eligible for bussing. It appears as though they were/or have been sneaking rides on the bus for a special school for kids who maybe go to the Hmong school. It’s amazing they got this much media attention when they weren’t even eligible for bussing.
Paul, you missed the point! it wasnt about them being on a bus they should not have been on for whatever reason, it was about the safety of the children. you call the parents, you notify the school district, but you dont leave 8 and 10 year olds alone at a bus stop!
IF THEY HAD BEEN BLACK THE NAACP WOULD HAVE BOYCOTTED THE SCHOOL. BLACK Vs WHITE, NO MATTER THE REASONING.
tHE pARENTS OF THE KIDS WERE WRONG AND SHOULD APOLOGIZE
TO THE SCHOOL BOARD AND THE NATIONAL MEDIA.
Let me share a true story. Late 60′s family moves to Ohio, on lake Erie, town of Sheffield Lake. The street we lived on was a dead end street off of another street. We caught the bus on the main street. A full day of school and its time to go home via the buses. I take the bus from when I rode in. A helpful school teacher and bus driver said, NO, NO, NO, your address is this, so you must take another bus. Tried to plead my case the way any ten year old would, but to no avail. They took me to the bus “they” saw fit and deposited me on, with no regard to whether or not it was correct. A newly made friend witnessed them depositing me on the wrong bus, waited for them to leave, departed his bus, boldly (as another 10 year old can be) came on the wrong bus, found me, pulled me along with announcing to all who would listen, “he lives on my street” When we were stopped, and they tried to enforce their way, Raymond finally said, his parents work and my mom is watching him. It was a “LIE”, but it worked and I made it home on the “correct” bus. Told my parents the story who called the school and took another 20 minutes and a note the next day to straighten out. School officials work with binders on, its their way or nothing. What a waste! This was back in the late 60′s, do you honestly think its better now?
SAFETY …. SAFETY …. SAFETY
R
Under what authority are our tax dollars being spent on a bus route for non-English speakers ONLY?
The Bleeding Heart Liberal Authority.
we have similar things happen in texas, and i no longer vote for any one with a hispanic name thats running for public office – the hispanics taught me how to stero-type. totally disrespectful. build the border wall i say!
Who here doesn’t understand the term “child endangerment”? I guess for some on this board it applies only to non-English speaking children.
My regret at this time is that I wasn’t a law authority there, as I would most definitely arrest this scoundrel of a bus driver with that exact charge, and I of course would write out the complaint IN ENGLISH(no translation, either)
I think some people are missing the point. The bus driver did not abandon them somewhere. They weren’t suppossed to be on that bus and he told them and they had to wait at school for their mom to pick them up. If he had taken them, he could have lost his job. You are are only allowed tp take kids that are on your route. It is actually more dangerous to take kids on the wrong bus route. BTW, it was not only a non-English speaking bus. That’s crap. If he went to the same school as the Hmong kids, he could have taken that bus. I think it’s very inflammatory to say they weren’t allowed on the bus because they don’t speak English. They weren’t allowed because it wasn’t their route.
AND THEY WEREN’T SUPPOSED TO BE ON ANY BUS BECAUSE THE PARENTS MOVED. THEY WERE SNEAKING A RIDE.
Hey Kay Zee Ess and all,
Here is the point: so many of you are so gullible you believe the news as telling the truth, the whole story when they omit facts to dramatize. As an example: you believe as gospel that the kids weren’t allowed on the bus because they couldn’t speak english! This makes great headlines doesn’t it? It got your attention didn’t it? In fact your posting means you believe whatever the news tells you right? This is the point! Don’t believe everything….they’re in it for the ratings! Here’s a question for you? Why would you fire the bus driver when the facts you’ve been provided are wrong? Guilty until proven innocent right!
“Administrators at St. Paul Public Schools admit the district made a mistake when it stranded the kids at school Monday.
However, the district points out, that particular bus route serves one of three language academies. The one at Phalen Lake is for Hmong students learning English.”
Admitting a mistake, indeed. What I put in my previous post still stands tall.
Hmmm, yeah, let’s make sure we keep cultures separated so as not to insult and upset the customs and idiosyncrazies(sic)of those not wanting to associate with Americans. PC at its finest via the retarded(as in retarded) educational system.
Those students fortunate and blessed enough to reside in this great country should be able to ride shoulder to shoulder with the rest of us lowly Gringos, n’est pas?.
Sorry Paul et al, but this incident should not be allowed to occur ever again, but I guess it will because of the self-hatred many of those who wear their hearts on their sleeve exhibit.
Not politically correct but honest.
“As an example: you believe as gospel that the kids weren’t allowed on the bus because they couldn’t speak english!”
Or is it because they were white or Black or Hispanic???
The magic eight ball says – Could be!
You’re still wrong. They never should have admitted doing something wrong! These kids weren’t allowed on any bus! They moved outside the bussing district. Just because some spokesperson apologizes doesn’t mean she should have. I’m just stating fact! How can I be more clear: these kids aren’t allowed on any bus. How could they have been stranded when the mother was called to pick them up. They weren’t in a dark alley! They weren’t stranded right in front of their own damn school right by the front door where there are teachers everywhere overseeing the kids getting on there buses. This story is so fricken ridulous. Trust me on this!
By the way: race isn’t the issue here! How much you bet it becomes one though! The kids weren’t allowed on any bus – how much more simpler can it be!
“Administrators at St. Paul Public Schools admit the district made a mistake when it stranded the kids at school Monday.” NOTE AT SCHOOL, NOT DARK ALLEY!
“However, the district points out, that particular bus route serves one of three language academies. The one at Phalen Lake is for Hmong students learning English.” THIS BUS WAS NEVER FOR THE 2 KIDS IN QUESTION
“The academies all have separate bus routes to keep its students together.” FOR KIDS WHO LIVE IN THE BUSSING DISTRICT NOT KIDS WHO MOVE AND DON’T NOTIFY THE SCHOOL.
“The district decided to enforce the separate routes beginning Monday, but it did not tell the Armstrong family.” OKAY SO THE KIDS WERE SNEAKING A RIDE EVEN THOUGH THEY WEREN’T LEGITIMATE BUSSERS. THE MOTHER WAS TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE LACK OF ENFORCEMENT AND THAT THEY WERE NO LONGER ELIGIBLE FOR BUSSING – PERIOD.
“”It is our responsibility to ensure the safety of these kids and we made a mistake. The kids should have gotten home that day,” Dayna Kennedy, a public relations representative said.” THIS COMMENT WAS LIKELY MADE BEFORE THE DISTRICT EVEN REALIZED WHAT THE FULL STORY REALLY WAS. THE REAL STORY IS THE FAMILY MOVED W/O NOTIFYING THE SCHOOL &/OR WAS THE LIKELY REASON THEY WERE NEVER NOTIFIED OF THE CHANGE – THEY WEREN’T ALLOWED TO BE ON ANY BUS!
Paul’s summary: so the family was taking advantage of the lack of enforcement but when the enforcement was enacted they were notified because they weren’t on any bussing roster because they weren’t eligible for bussing at all. So the bus driver assumed the kids were on the wrong bus because they didn’t speak Hmong but this route was close enough to there new home where they could walk a fairly short distance – so he did the logical thing – told the kids this wasn’t there bus because this was for Hmong speaking students. The kids got right off (not in a dark alley) were stranded with there trusted school staff who called mommy to come get them. Poor mom is now screwed because her scam has been revealed (on purpose or by error – who knows) so she calls the media – my poor babies were stranded because they didn’t speak english. Reporters ask questions because all the facts hadn’t been sorted out. The spokesperson assumes the district errored by not notifying mommy but mommmy wasn’t on any list to be notified. In the end – mommy screwed up not the school other then not fully investigating before they opened there dumb traps. TRUST ME ON THIS.
Paul – I do get it. These kids really had a parent who was putting them at risk by sneaking them on a bus they were not supposed to ride. Everyone is mad at the wrong person. Why not ask what the parent was teaching these kids by this behavior? That they can do what they want, and cause a big stink when it doesn’t work out, even though they were in the wrong? If I moved out of my school district, I would clearly understand that I could not expect my kids to ride the bus in my former neighborhood, and I would not teach my kids to lie by sneaking them on a bus that they were ineligible to ride.
The school district had nothing to apologize for if these kids were where they didn’t belong due to a parent’s refusal to follow district zoning rules. If you put your kids on the wrong bus deliberately, then having to leave work to come and get them is a fair expectation by the school administrators. This parent made her own problems.
Paul,
I appreciate your rather long-winded reasoning but this did bring about a valid and legitimate concern. The good people of that state are pouring their hard earned tax dollars into a SEGREGATED and by extension RACIST mechanism by which the students may maintain their racist and cultural purity while they learn “English”(I’m sure that they may consider it a foreign language, notwithstanding that they should be assimilated NOT SEGREGATED) But I guess that may be just peachy with you.
Newsflash, Paul. I wouldn’t give a dime to encourage and enhance their right to a SEGREGATED ride to and from school, where they don’t have to be infected with AMERICAN ideals and children.
Sorry, Charlie, it just don’t wash with me. The mother(who you ridicule as “mommy”) is justified to her anger and concern of her children being left out in the cold. The bus driver would still be under arrest and be given the chance to explain his demeanor.
Thank you for your comments.
Oh, the tears!
BTW, Paul
Don’t get me wrong. Should the HMONG or any other group want to fund a program to bus their children PRIVATELY, they are invited to be my guest. JUST PLEASE AND THANK YOU DO NOT PICK MY POCKET TO SUPPORT YOUR SEGREGATED, RACIST BUS RIDE TO SCHOOL. That is purely and simply ANTI-AMERICAN(one wonders what else is taught there?).
Kay zee: for once we agree. It’s totally bullshit this liberal state has such a fricken program. That wasn’t the issue though.
Kay zee: Making up facts and interpreting them incorrectly. I now see your colors. Who said these poor children were ever left out in the cold? Until today it hasn’t been below freezing in MN in several weeks. In fact, we had a white Christmas and I haven’t worn a jacket to work for weeks. 1) No one said they were left in the cold 2) It’s not cold in MN (at least this year or until maybe today).
Paul, Paul, Paul…
A figure of speech is not making up facts, therefore no interpretation correctly nor incorrectly made and I apologize for your confusion or lack of grasping the idiom(or metaphor).
Hey, guess who’s on Hannity right now, “colors” notwithstanding? Small wonder, indeed.
So since you now see MY “colors”, I guess I may be able now to see the reasons behind your hysteria about this topic.
I suppose it’s time to move on to another topic on Ye Olde Scared Monkeyes.
At any rate, thanks for the input you have provided all of us. There is nothing better than the American concept of debate and healthy exchange of ideas for all to share, regardless of my or anyone elses’ “colors”.
Catch ya’ later.
From what I have read, the bus driver didn’t leave them at the bus stop, he took them to school and told them they couldn’t come home on the bus. The school called and notified the parents that they would have to pick up the kids at school. The parents knew the kids weren’t allowed on the bus because they lived outside of the bussing zone and still sent the kids to the bus stop to ride the bus. Since the driver had to notify the kids not to get back on the bus in the afternoon, I am assuming that the parents didn’t bother to take the kids to the bus stop, but sent them there alone. How is this a case of the school being negligent?
Kay Zee,
I saw Sean Hannity and I was furious. Even though the lady admitted moving from the district 1 yr ago on the show they still had empathy for the family. They missed the point. They were hitching a ride on a bus close to their home but technically out of the school boundaries. How’s this? The administrator offered to pay half for the kids bussing in the future – but the board won’t approve it! UN_F**** believable. The family was hitching a ride, got busted and now they’re getting media attention and empathy.
We live .95 miles from my daughters school. 2 houses down literally they get bussed as they’re over 1 mile or over. My daughter cannot on any circumstances hitch a ride on that bus. She has to get a ride or walk.
allright, so all around the country should we kick all the non english people off??? works for me
Chaos: that was a dumb thing to say.
Sounds pretty dumb coming from someone with a Greek moniker-Chaos. Guess you get kicked off, too.
I think it is a lot of time unfair with public schools on how families that don’t speak english gets a lot of privleges. So kids that don’t speak english, bus routes go in their areas. Areas that have kids that speak english, bus routes don’t go there. It seems to usually be that way. There is no preK classes for kids that speak english, but there are preK classes for kids that don’t speak enlgish.