Bilingual Kids in Language Immersion ES Programs, Which Programs Have Many & Strive to Attract Them?

[Anonymous]

NP without an axe to grind, and male, so you may not want to dearie me, love. '

We speak Shanghai'ese. We're IB for a JKLM school and didn't try for YY. I don't think I've ever met a non-Chinese who could carry on a conversation in a dialect other than, you guessed it, MANDARIN.

My only regret about not putting in for the YY lottery is the concern that I may end up with children who can't read or write Chinese, like me. Learning to pronounce Mandarin is easy enough for a dialect speaker who makes the effort, or starts young enough, but characters are really difficult and time-consuming to learn. I assure you that it's silly to divide tiny tots who speak Mandarin and other dialects into separate categories, but then we're not exactly short on silliness in DC Public.

One day, YY will have new administrators, maybe a really long time from now, but they will. So even if the Charter Board doesn't come aound, maybe future admins will know enough to see the wisdom in plucking dialect speakers off the wait list along with Mandarin speakers. Fancy that!!

[Anonymous]

We chose YY over private schools. It was the only public school we entered the lottery for. Our IB school does suck but we knew that when we moved into our house and it was never a consideration. Mandarin is important to our family. Know several others at YY who made the same choice. YY is the only game in town for immersion Mandarin so I can understand the vehemance that comes up about getting a spot for your kid.

[Anonymous]

As a long time YY parent I am really sad to see the lies---yep, saying it---lies-- about preferential admission. They are scrupulous about being honest in the lottery and the wait list and I would caution everyone on this list to understand that the "dude we spoke to the VP" poster was a fraud. #1, the VP has no admission power, and #2, the school has turned down rich, mandarin-speaking chinese who offered tens of thousands to get in because they refuse to violate the lottery process. They have also turned in families who violated residency who could have made a big donor-difference to the school. And those folks were furious. Remember, you have no idea who is posting what/posing as whom on this listserv. And it would behoove everyone to question the motivations of the most virulent critics.

[Anonymous]

Regarding the YY pre-k wait list for this school year, it got at least to ~30, maybe further.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:NP without an axe to grind, and male, so you may not want to dearie me, love. '

We speak Shanghai'ese. We're IB for a JKLM school and didn't try for YY. I don't think I've ever met a non-Chinese who could carry on a conversation in a dialect other than, you guessed it, MANDARIN.

My only regret about not putting in for the YY lottery is the concern that I may end up with children who can't read or write Chinese, like me. Learning to pronounce Mandarin is easy enough for a dialect speaker who makes the effort, or starts young enough, but characters are really difficult and time-consuming to learn. I assure you that it's silly to divide tiny tots who speak Mandarin and other dialects into separate categories, but then we're not exactly short on silliness in DC Public.

One day, YY will have new administrators, maybe a really long time from now, but they will. So even if the Charter Board doesn't come aound, maybe future admins will know enough to see the wisdom in plucking dialect speakers off the wait list along with Mandarin speakers. Fancy that!!

Doubtful that YY will ever be that "Chinese" with the accompanying favoritism, bribery and corruption that is a given in Chinese culture. Guess the dialect speakers want a real Chinese school...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As a long time YY parent I am really sad to see the lies---yep, saying it---lies-- about preferential admission. They are scrupulous about being honest in the lottery and the wait list and I would caution everyone on this list to understand that the "dude we spoke to the VP" poster was a fraud. #1, the VP has no admission power, and #2, the school has turned down rich, mandarin-speaking chinese who offered tens of thousands to get in because they refuse to violate the lottery process. They have also turned in families who violated residency who could have made a big donor-difference to the school. And those folks were furious. Remember, you have no idea who is posting what/posing as whom on this listserv. And it would behoove everyone to question the motivations of the most virulent critics.

Please, I've been around long enough to know that it happens. The administrators at charters have "soft" admission power once the computer has established a wait list. The YY principal has been know to tell the parents of Mandarin-speaking children that she'll "be in touch." If you don't believe that YY plucks off the wait list like almost every other charter, your prerogative but I'm taking it all with a grain of salt (or maybe a bag of salt). The advantage of anonymous posting is that the truth is more likely to surface than on MOTH or wherever.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: One day, YY will have new administrators, maybe a really long time from now, but they will. So even if the Charter Board doesn't come aound, maybe future admins will know enough to see the wisdom in plucking dialect speakers off the wait list along with Mandarin speakers. Fancy that!

+1. Yes, things will probably look up after one or two of the current admins go. The approach could even "go Tyler" in spirit if YY hires an ethnic Chinese administrator. I'm not Chinese but am an optimist, I'd wager they will eventually. Makes sense.

[Anonymous]

Tyler is a DCPS and not a charter. Principals at DCPS like Tyler has always had discretion over their waitlists and who they can let in. No news here.

Bypassing the waitlist on a charter is a serious offense and can get people fired. Since so many are so adamant about replacing some of the admins at YY, why don't you report them to the charter board instead of spreading unsubstantiated rumors on an anon board.

[Anonymous]

Manipulating a charter waiting list is easily done. Humans make the phone calls. Nobody's standing behind callers insisting that they moves down lists systematically, or jump to follow up once parents have called back to leave messages.

We speak French at home and got off a waiting list much faster than expected. Not sure if we were plucked, but the school knew who we were and, privately, I wouldn't rule it out. Happy to say it's all lies if it makes anybody feel better!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Tyler is a DCPS and not a charter. Principals at DCPS like Tyler has always had discretion over their waitlists and who they can let in. No news here.

Bypassing the waitlist on a charter is a serious offense and can get people fired. Since so many are so adamant about replacing some of the admins at YY, why don't you report them to the charter board instead of spreading unsubstantiated rumors on an anon board.

Oh bully for you. What are anon boards for? Return to OP's starting comments to get a feel for the Tyler principal's take on the importance of including native speakers. An attitude more than a policy. Nobody's forcing her to have a vision, or to peddle her vision to her school community.

[Anonymous]

YY has gone through it's entire waitlist for preK until the current preK case. So are you saying there were people "plucked" from the waitlist this yr due to favoritism? When DCI was also on the table in front of the charter board? Hard to believe. In fact, unbelievable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:YY has gone through it's entire waitlist for preK until the current preK case. So are you saying there were people "plucked" from the waitlist this yr due to favoritism? When DCI was also on the table in front of the charter board? Hard to believe. In fact, unbelievable.

So you were on the scene, elections observer style, monitoring as YY made every call to wade through the "entire waitlist for preK," following up with every parent contacted to learn of his or her decision.

No you are saying all this...

Lies!

[Anonymous]

Every preK class except for the current preK class has gone through the entire waitlist. Everyone who was on the waitlist was offered a spot. No need to play favorites or line jump.

The current preK class is the only preK class since YY's inception which has not gone through the entire waitlist. Hard to believe YY would offend the charter board by circumventing charter rules at the same time they were trying to get DCI approved. The school in fact has been cracking down on things like non-residents attending the school and made a show of following the rules generally. It's one of the very few DC publics, charter or DCPs that actually threw out non-residents.

While your reading comprehension is poor, I urge you to read this several times before you comment.

[Anonymous]

Don't humor the man anybody. YY boosters have a great way of sinking every language immersion related thread.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Don't humor the man anybody. YY boosters have a great way of sinking every language immersion related thread.

Hi, I was going to say that about YY haters!