Immersion program may leave gunston

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:I wonder how long until they just nix the entire immersion program past elementary.

Nix it there too

Why would they do this? It’s a very popular program with a lot of educational benefits?

It doesn’t really benefit APS as a whole and numbers greatly drop off once middle school hits. We should be doing what is best for APS not a select group of families. Option schools in general should be reevaluated in APS.

Immersion isn't any more of a select group than is attending Jamestown, Discovery or Taylor. All those kids have the economic means to buy in bounds. At least immersion kids have a lottery chance regardless of their background or economic means.

None of those schools you mentioned offer immersion Spanish instruction. If what you are implying is that immersion offers a better level of instruction or better group of peers, I don’t know what to say to that other than work on fixing the neighborhood schools. It doesn’t assuage my conscience to have APS filled with the haves, the have nots, and the have nots who got lucky in the lottery.

No, it's just refuting the notion that immersion is some "select" group and should therefore be actively disfavored by APS to avoid creating an inequity. It's not. It's kids in public school. And it's no more a special interest group than the parents at Jamestown or Discovery. Those parents want what's best for their kids, as do the parents of those in Immersion.

If anything, option schools have been overly favored for reasons that have never been clear to me. This is a public education system - the idea that we should have all kinds of “options” not directly related to educational need (ie ESL, special needs, gifted services) is bizarre.

Huh? Immersion is important to many ESL students. It allows parents who don't speak English to converse with their child's teacher, administration, guidance counselor, PTA, etc. Spanish speaking families and, in turn, educational outcomes of ESL students are strongly supported by having their kids in immersion.

There are plenty of schools in Arlington with similar or higher EL rates. Perhaps they should get some attention too?

EL Rate for all Arlington County Elementary: 28.96%
Claremont: 32.96%
Key: 35.21%
Barrett: 50%
Barcroft: 46.09%
Abingdon:39.07%
Campbell: 36.87%
Carlin Springs 66.15%
Innovation: 33.47%
Hoffman Boston: 48.15%
Drew: 38.49%
Arlington Traditional: 35.04%
Long Branch: 32.52%

I'm not aware of a waitlist for Spanish speakers to enroll in immersion. If parents are uncomfortable with English, immersion is an option for all Spanish speaking students in Arlington. Supply matches demand. For many Spanish dominant parents, immersion is an important option.

And for my Hispanic parents, having their children learn English is more important.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Still wondering if this is a start to an end for immersion at the middle school level. APS needs to reconsider “lottery” schools.

No, it isn't. MS immersion parents have asked for the relocation to Kenmore. Note, they have not asked for its relocation to WMS. Immersion parents believe Kenmore's location will help strengthen the program.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wonder how long until they just nix the entire immersion program past elementary.

Nix it there too

Why would they do this? It’s a very popular program with a lot of educational benefits?

It doesn’t really benefit APS as a whole and numbers greatly drop off once middle school hits. We should be doing what is best for APS not a select group of families. Option schools in general should be reevaluated in APS.

Immersion isn't any more of a select group than is attending Jamestown, Discovery or Taylor. All those kids have the economic means to buy in bounds. At least immersion kids have a lottery chance regardless of their background or economic means.

None of those schools you mentioned offer immersion Spanish instruction. If what you are implying is that immersion offers a better level of instruction or better group of peers, I don’t know what to say to that other than work on fixing the neighborhood schools. It doesn’t assuage my conscience to have APS filled with the haves, the have nots, and the have nots who got lucky in the lottery.

No, it's just refuting the notion that immersion is some "select" group and should therefore be actively disfavored by APS to avoid creating an inequity. It's not. It's kids in public school. And it's no more a special interest group than the parents at Jamestown or Discovery. Those parents want what's best for their kids, as do the parents of those in Immersion.

If anything, option schools have been overly favored for reasons that have never been clear to me. This is a public education system - the idea that we should have all kinds of “options” not directly related to educational need (ie ESL, special needs, gifted services) is bizarre.

Huh? Immersion is important to many ESL students. It allows parents who don't speak English to converse with their child's teacher, administration, guidance counselor, PTA, etc. Spanish speaking families and, in turn, educational outcomes of ESL students are strongly supported by having their kids in immersion.

There are plenty of schools in Arlington with similar or higher EL rates. Perhaps they should get some attention too?

EL Rate for all Arlington County Elementary: 28.96%
Claremont: 32.96%
Key: 35.21%
Barrett: 50%
Barcroft: 46.09%
Abingdon:39.07%
Campbell: 36.87%
Carlin Springs 66.15%
Innovation: 33.47%
Hoffman Boston: 48.15%
Drew: 38.49%
Arlington Traditional: 35.04%
Long Branch: 32.52%

Wow that’s surprising the EL rate Claremont of Claremont is slower than some of the other schools.

The FARMS rates tell the same story. They track very closely with the EL rates. The story that middle school immersion can’t move to Williamsburg is just that - a story. I would love to see the actual demographics of the middle school program, because one of the highest concentration planning units near Gunston (you know, the reason it has to stay closer) is Fairlington. Not wealthy, but also not low income. They definitely have cars.

Why do you think they want to move it to Kenmore? There are more native Spanish speaking families closer to Kenmore.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wonder how long until they just nix the entire immersion program past elementary.

Nix it there too

Why would they do this? It’s a very popular program with a lot of educational benefits?

It doesn’t really benefit APS as a whole and numbers greatly drop off once middle school hits. We should be doing what is best for APS not a select group of families. Option schools in general should be reevaluated in APS.

Immersion isn't any more of a select group than is attending Jamestown, Discovery or Taylor. All those kids have the economic means to buy in bounds. At least immersion kids have a lottery chance regardless of their background or economic means.

None of those schools you mentioned offer immersion Spanish instruction. If what you are implying is that immersion offers a better level of instruction or better group of peers, I don’t know what to say to that other than work on fixing the neighborhood schools. It doesn’t assuage my conscience to have APS filled with the haves, the have nots, and the have nots who got lucky in the lottery.

No, it's just refuting the notion that immersion is some "select" group and should therefore be actively disfavored by APS to avoid creating an inequity. It's not. It's kids in public school. And it's no more a special interest group than the parents at Jamestown or Discovery. Those parents want what's best for their kids, as do the parents of those in Immersion.

If anything, option schools have been overly favored for reasons that have never been clear to me. This is a public education system - the idea that we should have all kinds of “options” not directly related to educational need (ie ESL, special needs, gifted services) is bizarre.

Huh? Immersion is important to many ESL students. It allows parents who don't speak English to converse with their child's teacher, administration, guidance counselor, PTA, etc. Spanish speaking families and, in turn, educational outcomes of ESL students are strongly supported by having their kids in immersion.

There are plenty of schools in Arlington with similar or higher EL rates. Perhaps they should get some attention too?

EL Rate for all Arlington County Elementary: 28.96%
Claremont: 32.96%
Key: 35.21%
Barrett: 50%
Barcroft: 46.09%
Abingdon:39.07%
Campbell: 36.87%
Carlin Springs 66.15%
Innovation: 33.47%
Hoffman Boston: 48.15%
Drew: 38.49%
Arlington Traditional: 35.04%
Long Branch: 32.52%

I'm not aware of a waitlist for Spanish speakers to enroll in immersion. If parents are uncomfortable with English, immersion is an option for all Spanish speaking students in Arlington. Supply matches demand. For many Spanish dominant parents, immersion is an important option.

And for my Hispanic parents, having their children learn English is more important.

*many, not my

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Still wondering if this is a start to an end for immersion at the middle school level. APS needs to reconsider “lottery” schools.

No, it isn't. MS immersion parents have asked for the relocation to Kenmore. Note, they have not asked for its relocation to WMS. Immersion parents believe Kenmore's location will help strengthen the program.

A representative group of all immersion parents? Im an immersion parent but my kids aren’t in middle school. It might be more accrue to say some MS Immersion parents want this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Still wondering if this is a start to an end for immersion at the middle school level. APS needs to reconsider “lottery” schools.

No, it isn't. MS immersion parents have asked for the relocation to Kenmore. Note, they have not asked for its relocation to WMS. Immersion parents believe Kenmore's location will help strengthen the program.

And why do they think it's going to help strengthen the program?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Still wondering if this is a start to an end for immersion at the middle school level. APS needs to reconsider “lottery” schools.

No, it isn't. MS immersion parents have asked for the relocation to Kenmore. Note, they have not asked for its relocation to WMS. Immersion parents believe Kenmore's location will help strengthen the program.

We are not against it moving but prefer it not to move to Kenmore of all areas. I don't think it's correct that it's all of the middle school parents who are looking for this change.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Still wondering if this is a start to an end for immersion at the middle school level. APS needs to reconsider “lottery” schools.

We can all only hope?

Aps has literally been spending ton of time and effort developing new curriculum and strengthening the program the last few years. Why in the world would this signal the end?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Still wondering if this is a start to an end for immersion at the middle school level. APS needs to reconsider “lottery” schools.

We can all only hope?

Aps has literally been spending ton of time and effort developing new curriculum and strengthening the program the last few years. Why in the world would this signal the end?

If they have been spending that much on a select group (time and money) for a lottery school that is one of many reasons.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Still wondering if this is a start to an end for immersion at the middle school level. APS needs to reconsider “lottery” schools.

We can all only hope?

Aps has literally been spending ton of time and effort developing new curriculum and strengthening the program the last few years. Why in the world would this signal the end?

If they have been spending that much on a select group (time and money) for a lottery school that is one of many reasons.

They are addressing issues that have been well known for a long time but haven’t been addressed because funding keeps being cut.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wonder how long until they just nix the entire immersion program past elementary.

Nix it there too

Why would they do this? It’s a very popular program with a lot of educational benefits?

It doesn’t really benefit APS as a whole and numbers greatly drop off once middle school hits. We should be doing what is best for APS not a select group of families. Option schools in general should be reevaluated in APS.

Immersion isn't any more of a select group than is attending Jamestown, Discovery or Taylor. All those kids have the economic means to buy in bounds. At least immersion kids have a lottery chance regardless of their background or economic means.

None of those schools you mentioned offer immersion Spanish instruction. If what you are implying is that immersion offers a better level of instruction or better group of peers, I don’t know what to say to that other than work on fixing the neighborhood schools. It doesn’t assuage my conscience to have APS filled with the haves, the have nots, and the have nots who got lucky in the lottery.

No, it's just refuting the notion that immersion is some "select" group and should therefore be actively disfavored by APS to avoid creating an inequity. It's not. It's kids in public school. And it's no more a special interest group than the parents at Jamestown or Discovery. Those parents want what's best for their kids, as do the parents of those in Immersion.

If anything, option schools have been overly favored for reasons that have never been clear to me. This is a public education system - the idea that we should have all kinds of “options” not directly related to educational need (ie ESL, special needs, gifted services) is bizarre.

Huh? Immersion is important to many ESL students. It allows parents who don't speak English to converse with their child's teacher, administration, guidance counselor, PTA, etc. Spanish speaking families and, in turn, educational outcomes of ESL students are strongly supported by having their kids in immersion.

There are plenty of schools in Arlington with similar or higher EL rates. Perhaps they should get some attention too?

EL Rate for all Arlington County Elementary: 28.96%
Claremont: 32.96%
Key: 35.21%
Barrett: 50%
Barcroft: 46.09%
Abingdon:39.07%
Campbell: 36.87%
Carlin Springs 66.15%
Innovation: 33.47%
Hoffman Boston: 48.15%
Drew: 38.49%
Arlington Traditional: 35.04%
Long Branch: 32.52%

I'm not aware of a waitlist for Spanish speakers to enroll in immersion. If parents are uncomfortable with English, immersion is an option for all Spanish speaking students in Arlington. Supply matches demand. For many Spanish dominant parents, immersion is an important option.

And for my Hispanic parents, having their children learn English is more important.

Good thing they also learn English at the immersion schools, including getting ESL support.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wonder how long until they just nix the entire immersion program past elementary.

Nix it there too

Why would they do this? It’s a very popular program with a lot of educational benefits?

It doesn’t really benefit APS as a whole and numbers greatly drop off once middle school hits. We should be doing what is best for APS not a select group of families. Option schools in general should be reevaluated in APS.

Immersion isn't any more of a select group than is attending Jamestown, Discovery or Taylor. All those kids have the economic means to buy in bounds. At least immersion kids have a lottery chance regardless of their background or economic means.

None of those schools you mentioned offer immersion Spanish instruction. If what you are implying is that immersion offers a better level of instruction or better group of peers, I don’t know what to say to that other than work on fixing the neighborhood schools. It doesn’t assuage my conscience to have APS filled with the haves, the have nots, and the have nots who got lucky in the lottery.

No, it's just refuting the notion that immersion is some "select" group and should therefore be actively disfavored by APS to avoid creating an inequity. It's not. It's kids in public school. And it's no more a special interest group than the parents at Jamestown or Discovery. Those parents want what's best for their kids, as do the parents of those in Immersion.

If anything, option schools have been overly favored for reasons that have never been clear to me. This is a public education system - the idea that we should have all kinds of “options” not directly related to educational need (ie ESL, special needs, gifted services) is bizarre.

Huh? Immersion is important to many ESL students. It allows parents who don't speak English to converse with their child's teacher, administration, guidance counselor, PTA, etc. Spanish speaking families and, in turn, educational outcomes of ESL students are strongly supported by having their kids in immersion.

There are plenty of schools in Arlington with similar or higher EL rates. Perhaps they should get some attention too?

EL Rate for all Arlington County Elementary: 28.96%
Claremont: 32.96%
Key: 35.21%
Barrett: 50%
Barcroft: 46.09%
Abingdon:39.07%
Campbell: 36.87%
Carlin Springs 66.15%
Innovation: 33.47%
Hoffman Boston: 48.15%
Drew: 38.49%
Arlington Traditional: 35.04%
Long Branch: 32.52%

I'm not aware of a waitlist for Spanish speakers to enroll in immersion. If parents are uncomfortable with English, immersion is an option for all Spanish speaking students in Arlington. Supply matches demand. For many Spanish dominant parents, immersion is an important option.

And for my Hispanic parents, having their children learn English is more important.

Good thing they also learn English at the immersion schools, including getting ESL support.

Yes, of course. However, it's disingenuous to present immersion as a lifeline to EL families when half of the elementary schools in Arlington have rates that are similar or higher. In the case of Claremont, EVERY SINGLE SCHOOL that borders it has a higher EL rate. I mean, come on.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wonder how long until they just nix the entire immersion program past elementary.

Nix it there too

Why would they do this? It’s a very popular program with a lot of educational benefits?

It doesn’t really benefit APS as a whole and numbers greatly drop off once middle school hits. We should be doing what is best for APS not a select group of families. Option schools in general should be reevaluated in APS.

Immersion isn't any more of a select group than is attending Jamestown, Discovery or Taylor. All those kids have the economic means to buy in bounds. At least immersion kids have a lottery chance regardless of their background or economic means.

None of those schools you mentioned offer immersion Spanish instruction. If what you are implying is that immersion offers a better level of instruction or better group of peers, I don’t know what to say to that other than work on fixing the neighborhood schools. It doesn’t assuage my conscience to have APS filled with the haves, the have nots, and the have nots who got lucky in the lottery.

No, it's just refuting the notion that immersion is some "select" group and should therefore be actively disfavored by APS to avoid creating an inequity. It's not. It's kids in public school. And it's no more a special interest group than the parents at Jamestown or Discovery. Those parents want what's best for their kids, as do the parents of those in Immersion.

If anything, option schools have been overly favored for reasons that have never been clear to me. This is a public education system - the idea that we should have all kinds of “options” not directly related to educational need (ie ESL, special needs, gifted services) is bizarre.

Huh? Immersion is important to many ESL students. It allows parents who don't speak English to converse with their child's teacher, administration, guidance counselor, PTA, etc. Spanish speaking families and, in turn, educational outcomes of ESL students are strongly supported by having their kids in immersion.

There are plenty of schools in Arlington with similar or higher EL rates. Perhaps they should get some attention too?

EL Rate for all Arlington County Elementary: 28.96%
Claremont: 32.96%
Key: 35.21%
Barrett: 50%
Barcroft: 46.09%
Abingdon:39.07%
Campbell: 36.87%
Carlin Springs 66.15%
Innovation: 33.47%
Hoffman Boston: 48.15%
Drew: 38.49%
Arlington Traditional: 35.04%
Long Branch: 32.52%

Wow that’s surprising the EL rate Claremont of Claremont is slower than some of the other schools.

It’s not, and it’s what I’ e been saying upthread. There isn’t a waitlist for Spanish speakers, and the neighborhood schools have a higher EL rate than the option school. Firstly, Spanish isn’t the only language the EL families speaks, and second, the Spanish speakers are NOT choosing Immersion, for reasons other than proximity. Simple as that. They don’t want it. Map why are we twisting ourselves into pretzels pretending that moving the location will change that problem?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wonder how long until they just nix the entire immersion program past elementary.

Nix it there too

Why would they do this? It’s a very popular program with a lot of educational benefits?

It doesn’t really benefit APS as a whole and numbers greatly drop off once middle school hits. We should be doing what is best for APS not a select group of families. Option schools in general should be reevaluated in APS.

Immersion isn't any more of a select group than is attending Jamestown, Discovery or Taylor. All those kids have the economic means to buy in bounds. At least immersion kids have a lottery chance regardless of their background or economic means.

None of those schools you mentioned offer immersion Spanish instruction. If what you are implying is that immersion offers a better level of instruction or better group of peers, I don’t know what to say to that other than work on fixing the neighborhood schools. It doesn’t assuage my conscience to have APS filled with the haves, the have nots, and the have nots who got lucky in the lottery.

No, it's just refuting the notion that immersion is some "select" group and should therefore be actively disfavored by APS to avoid creating an inequity. It's not. It's kids in public school. And it's no more a special interest group than the parents at Jamestown or Discovery. Those parents want what's best for their kids, as do the parents of those in Immersion.

If anything, option schools have been overly favored for reasons that have never been clear to me. This is a public education system - the idea that we should have all kinds of “options” not directly related to educational need (ie ESL, special needs, gifted services) is bizarre.

Huh? Immersion is important to many ESL students. It allows parents who don't speak English to converse with their child's teacher, administration, guidance counselor, PTA, etc. Spanish speaking families and, in turn, educational outcomes of ESL students are strongly supported by having their kids in immersion.

There are plenty of schools in Arlington with similar or higher EL rates. Perhaps they should get some attention too?

EL Rate for all Arlington County Elementary: 28.96%
Claremont: 32.96%
Key: 35.21%
Barrett: 50%
Barcroft: 46.09%
Abingdon:39.07%
Campbell: 36.87%
Carlin Springs 66.15%
Innovation: 33.47%
Hoffman Boston: 48.15%
Drew: 38.49%
Arlington Traditional: 35.04%
Long Branch: 32.52%

I'm not aware of a waitlist for Spanish speakers to enroll in immersion. If parents are uncomfortable with English, immersion is an option for all Spanish speaking students in Arlington. Supply matches demand. For many Spanish dominant parents, immersion is an important option.

And for my Hispanic parents, having their children learn English is more important.

Good thing they also learn English at the immersion schools, including getting ESL support.

Okay, but until you can convince the families that this is the case, moving the program won’t solve the problem you’re trying to fix. Geez. What’s the point of it being closer if they still don’t want it?

[Anonymous]

And also, maybe Immersion needs to move out of Claremont and into Carlin Springs. Try that first and see if it makes a difference in Spanish enrollment?