Spanish immersion PGCPS

[Anonymous]

Does anyone have any insight on the Spanish immersion programs in Pg county? Is the lottery competitive?

[Anonymous]

As of the week before classes started, Chavez was still accepting new students so I would say no.

[Anonymous]

Lotteries vary by year. The year we applied (2021), we did both Spanish and French thinking we'd take whichever one we got. We ended up getting into both and were able to choose, but I don't think is this typical.

[Anonymous]

The lottery for the language immersion programs is not nearly as competitive as it was in the past.

I think it is because of the expansion of specialty programs, charter schools (CMIT) and increasing performance in neighborhood elementary schools.

It also really depends on which immersion program you are zoned for. I think Dora Kennedy is the most "difficult" to get into.

[Anonymous]

Anyone with kids at Chavez? if so how do you like it. Looking to possibly start in a few years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The lottery for the language immersion programs is not nearly as competitive as it was in the past.

I think it is because of the expansion of specialty programs, charter schools (CMIT) and increasing performance in neighborhood elementary schools.

It also really depends on which immersion program you are zoned for. I think Dora Kennedy is the most "difficult" to get into.

My kids are at DKFI and yes, I think you are correct. In the last, people used the immersion schools as options to neighborhood schools, vs. actually wanting their kids to be bi-lingual.

Upside to the French schools is they go through 8th grade. Some have been hesitant to send their kids to the Spanish schools because of the uncertainty around middle school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The lottery for the language immersion programs is not nearly as competitive as it was in the past.

I think it is because of the expansion of specialty programs, charter schools (CMIT) and increasing performance in neighborhood elementary schools.

It also really depends on which immersion program you are zoned for. I think Dora Kennedy is the most "difficult" to get into.

My kids are at DKFI and yes, I think you are correct. In the last, people used the immersion schools as options to neighborhood schools, vs. actually wanting their kids to be bi-lingual.

Upside to the French schools is they go through 8th grade. Some have been hesitant to send their kids to the Spanish schools because of the uncertainty around middle school.

PGCPS does have Spanish Immersion middle school and high school programs now.

[Anonymous]

Avoid like the plague if your child has any sort of special needs or is tag. They don’t work with either and will just flat refuse to follow IEPs for the special needs kids and don’t do any additional enrichment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Avoid like the plague if your child has any sort of special needs or is tag. They don’t work with either and will just flat refuse to follow IEPs for the special needs kids and don’t do any additional enrichment.

This applies to almost all the specialty programs. I have heard a lot of these complaints from parents in the language immersion, Montessori and CPA programs. I don't think that Chavez does any TAG pull out and I know more than one kid whose parent pulled them because they wouldn't follow their 504/IEP.
Kenmoor TAG does a pretty good job with IEPs and 504s because they are set up to deal with the 2E kids from the autism program.