I didn't know the Founding Fathers spoke Spanish!

(Via Drudge) NBC 2 News (Florida): Students may be required to take Spanish---

LEE COUNTY— A proposal in Tallahassee is causing a stir in schools in Southwest Florida. The state's top democrat is supporting a plan to make Spanish classes mandatory for all students in kindergarten through second grade, just like English or Math.

The youngest students in Southwest Florida's public school system could soon be saying hola to a new language. A proposed law would make Spanish mandatory for students in kindergarten through second grade.

"I frankly believe, the earlier you teach someone, the better it is," said George Muentes, an English as a second language teacher.

The law would make Spanish a core class like math and science. It would also force school officials to shuffle an already crowded schedule."

The length of the school day won't change, but the Spanish would have to be squeezed in somewhere, which means a few popular classes may have to be cut to make room.

"The options would be the specials, the arts, music and PE. But here in Charlotte County those are very important to us," said Mike Riley of the Charlotte County school district.

If the bill passes, it won't take effect till 2007. But the thought of mandatory Spanish classes is already a controversial subject with some parents.

So many public school students can't even speak proper English, and English is the language of the United States (no, not yet officially).

Public schools are supposed to teach children the basics: reading (in English), writing (in English), and math, not Spanish, jewelry-making, or any number of other frivolous classes so many schools offer now.

English ought to be mandatory because English is what we speak, read, and write in this country, but we are not a Spanish country. We don't speak, read, or write Spanish.

It is one thing for a family to use Spanish or French or Italian or Russian or whatever at home. It is an entirely different matter for public schools, paid for by the taxpayers and the government, to force children to learn a language not of their own country. And if you live in this country, you better learn English or get out.