Is there no MCPS elementary school that offer second language..?

[Anonymous]

I hope I have this wrong.. We're considering moving from DC where kids are at Lafayette. We're really happy they get Spanish from Pre-K there (not as immersion) but it looks like there is no second language in MCPS until middle school, unless one does immersion? Is that right or am I missing something?

Thanks

[Anonymous]

No, unless you go to an immersion program.

I would not move here from Lafayette. Wait until MS.

[Anonymous]

If there are any, it will be due to a special grant, like several years ago, when Kensington Parkwood offered Italian (the grantor has moved the program to a different school district). MCPS contracts with a company to offer after-school French, Spanish and Chinese (private pay).

Generally, MCPS is stuck in the 1970s-80s as far as foreign language learning goes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Generally, MCPS is stuck in the 1970s-80s as far as foreign language learning goes.

Not the OP, but I've definitely thought the same. Such a waste for a supposedly progressive district! Instead of wasting time with Ibram Kendi, it would be much more helpful to teach Spanish in ES.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If there are any, it will be due to a special grant, like several years ago, when Kensington Parkwood offered Italian (the grantor has moved the program to a different school district). MCPS contracts with a company to offer after-school French, Spanish and Chinese (private pay).

Generally, MCPS is stuck in the 1970s-80s as far as foreign language learning goes.

Or getting foreign language teachers is hard enough for all schools districts so with resources short it makes more sense for MS/HS/Immersion program

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If there are any, it will be due to a special grant, like several years ago, when Kensington Parkwood offered Italian (the grantor has moved the program to a different school district). MCPS contracts with a company to offer after-school French, Spanish and Chinese (private pay).

Generally, MCPS is stuck in the 1970s-80s as far as foreign language learning goes.

Yes, I am so surprised about this. Makes me reconsider the whole MCPS option frankly.

[Anonymous]

The main option you have is the two-way immersion programs which are for all students at Oakland Terrace ES, Kemp Mill ES, Brown Station ES, Rolling Terrace ES and Washington Grove ES. Also I think I read that Highland ES was piloting Spanish classes as a less resource intensive option than immersion, not sure what has happened with that given the pandemic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Generally, MCPS is stuck in the 1970s-80s as far as foreign language learning goes.

Not the OP, but I've definitely thought the same. Such a waste for a supposedly progressive district! Instead of wasting time with Ibram Kendi, it would be much more helpful to teach Spanish in ES.

Kendi is not part of the ES curriculum in MCPS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If there are any, it will be due to a special grant, like several years ago, when Kensington Parkwood offered Italian (the grantor has moved the program to a different school district). MCPS contracts with a company to offer after-school French, Spanish and Chinese (private pay).

Generally, MCPS is stuck in the 1970s-80s as far as foreign language learning goes.

More than several years. The kids who had Italian are in high school and beyond now. But younger kids have had an option for morning extracurricular Spanish for a fee. That instruction was more frequent than the once weekly Italian was.

[Anonymous]

Important to note that there are now 2 types of immersion programs in ESes now. They have the traditiional full immersion in Spanish and French and a Chinese immersion, which I understand to be for less of the day. Then they also have 2-way immersion in Spanish at 5 ESes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The main option you have is the two-way immersion programs which are for all students at Oakland Terrace ES, Kemp Mill ES, Brown Station ES, Rolling Terrace ES and Washington Grove ES. Also I think I read that Highland ES was piloting Spanish classes as a less resource intensive option than immersion, not sure what has happened with that given the pandemic.

This, although at least at Oakland Terrace, the program is for kids in third grade and younger, and moves up a year every year. DD is in fourth, so she missed the program (we still love the school, but it's a bummer). Her two younger siblings are in the TWI and it's fantastic.

[Anonymous]

Unfortunately MCPS considers the study of foreign languages as EC subjects, not academic. I think that's wrong but there's probably not much anyone can do to change it. The curriculum in recent years has become so strongly STEM focused that we're lucky there are still humanities around.

[Anonymous]

Immersion programs were never a real option for most families. Even if we won the lottery, as downtown commuters, we weren’t able to handle the transportation logistics. Many families couldn’t, especially those without cars.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Immersion programs were never a real option for most families. Even if we won the lottery, as downtown commuters, we weren’t able to handle the transportation logistics. Many families couldn’t, especially those without cars.

It's super lame that immersion programs at a handful of schools are the only option for most kids for a foreign language before 6th grade. I don't think before/after school counts, since it's not during actual school hours and there's a difference between that and an academic subject (not on report card, presumably no recognition or continuation in MS etc). Is it really that hard to find Spanish teachers? (I'm not being sarcastic, I'm genuinely curious.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Immersion programs were never a real option for most families. Even if we won the lottery, as downtown commuters, we weren’t able to handle the transportation logistics. Many families couldn’t, especially those without cars.

It's super lame that immersion programs at a handful of schools are the only option for most kids for a foreign language before 6th grade. I don't think before/after school counts, since it's not during actual school hours and there's a difference between that and an academic subject (not on report card, presumably no recognition or continuation in MS etc). Is it really that hard to find Spanish teachers? (I'm not being sarcastic, I'm genuinely curious.)

I know a few fully bilingual Latina women interested in teaching through my family and daycare and it seems like it's quite difficult for them to get teaching jobs in MCPS. They've ended up in other lower paying roles (e.g. private school teacher/paraeducator), not deeply familiar with their credentials and I'm sure it has to do with them having the wrong degrees, but it goes to show that just because you have a large Latino population if there are too many barriers to them getting the necessary credentials then you won't get as many Spanish-speaking teachers as you'd like.