Is bilingual education a luxury now?

Regarding "Patchogue-Medford: Bilingual program backed" [News, April 28], I don't understand what bilingual education has to do with the price of parsley? They can't be serious.

People are struggling to save their homes and barely making ends meet. Bilingual education to compete in a global market? Just give me a break! This is hogwash!

Conceding to unrealistic use of our tax dollars is what made Long Island the milking cow of despair. These people, even the ones who are complaining, allowed this to happen by giving full control to the fox to watch over the chicken coop. I would fire all of them. You can clearly see that they shamefully manipulate the whole system (our money) for their nefarious tax hikes, right in our faces.

They are displaying the same shoddy behavior as the politicians they voted for. These soft-core criminals forget that the parents of the kids they care so much for are going bankrupt because of their unsustainable demands.

Victor Castleton, Wantagh
 

Instead of a half-English, half-Spanish class, why not just have the kids who speak only Spanish learn English? The reason these children don't speak English is because their parents either can't or won't speak or learn the most widely used language in the country.

I don't believe it's wrong to learn other languages besides English at any age, but it's more important that the Spanish-speaking children assimilate to American culture. Otherwise it's just going to repeat.

It's like I told the dishwasher back when I was waiting tables. Learn more English, make more money.

Patrick Hickey Jr., North Massapequa
 

While the Patchogue-Medford school board is making sure we keep intact one of the best bilingual programs at the elementary level, ensuring that we educate all the children in the school district will surely help ease tensions. That also includes our gifted and talented students. Where are the parents crying out for the Challenge program that was cut years ago for budget reasons?

This district educates one of the most culturally and socioeconomically diverse populations in Suffolk County. The languages have changed from Italian and Polish to Spanish, and the percentage of bilingual students has risen from 4 percent to 25 percent. We still have a large percentage of gifted, intelligent, bright, curious children (some of whom are bilingual) whose needs are not being met.

Andrea Quatrale, East Patchogue