Why does everyone prioritize language immersion?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Because the challenges of immersion study deters most parents of FARMs students from applying to charters, unless they speak the target language at home (Spanish).

With immersion in the mix, you get an overwhelmingly SES student bodies at a few charters (e.g. YuYing, 10% FARMs) like at JKLM, Brent etc.

Also, immersion adds extra challenge in a city without formal GT programs.

Immersion works to get high SES parents what they want when they can't afford Upper NW or the priciest Cap Hill real estate. Few will admit this but that's the story.

Capital Hill is fine, but there's nothing after ES. Upper NW is awful, though. If all you care about is good schools instead of living in the city, then might as well move to the suburbs, which are truly good. Instead, you have the worst of both worlds.

Immersion is a draw for a certain type of family that has high expectations, but is also open and worldly, in a way that those who prefer Tenleytown are not.

Immersion in DC charters is for families who were lucky. Not open, not worldly or any other virtue or superior world view. It is pure dumb lottery luck. Though that doesn’t fit the story some people like to play in their heads.

Yes, lucky, but, also listed immersion schools high on their lists. That I believe is what the OP is questioning.

[Anonymous]

^This. Not everyone prioritizes Immersion. Those who do have a few characteristics in common in addition to luck.

[Anonymous]

There is not a great deal of difference between a family whose student is 30 on the waitlist and the one who gets matched when everyone is shooting for the same schools. They both list the same schools at the top of their list but the lucky ones get in. Those who luck out are no more deserving than the family who misses by one or two.

And not everyone who gets lucky prioritizes immersion. They may just not want their IB and they think the immersions and Montessoris and experiential learning schools sound good so they list them. They may not have these magical immersion qualities you speak of.

It’s just luck.