Options for Language Instruction after DCPS Cuts?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For kids who have already taken several years of Chinese, are they just supposed to start over with a new language? My kids currently take Chinese at Deal, and I’m concerned it will be cut in the future, whether at Deal or Jackson-Reed. What do these schools expect kids on the Mandarin language track to do when their language gets cut?

I bet they'll cut Mandarin at Walls, too.

*Avoid DCPS, go with YuYing if you can lottery in. Go with DCI later on.
*Leave after 4th for BASIS and start Mandarin there in 8th grade.
*Leave for Arlington or Fairfax, where kids can start Mandarin in 6th grade.
*Leave for MoCo where kids can't start Mandarin immersion in K.

DCPS doesn't give a hoot what your kid does if Mandarin gets cut.

[Anonymous]

Is anybody challenging the Mandarin cut? What is the Deal Mandarin teacher saying? What is the J-R Mandarin teacher saying?

[Anonymous]

Nobody imprtant cares.

[Anonymous]

I heard that the students at Walls testified against the budget cuts re: Chinese, but I can't imagine it will change anything. It's on the chopping block along with the theater program because it has fewer kids enrolled. It sucks for those kids who have already committed to learning the language and now can't continue their studies and take AP Chinese, thereby disadvantaging them in college applications, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is anybody challenging the Mandarin cut? What is the Deal Mandarin teacher saying? What is the J-R Mandarin teacher saying?

They are saying “拉屎.”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For kids who have already taken several years of Chinese, are they just supposed to start over with a new language? My kids currently take Chinese at Deal, and I’m concerned it will be cut in the future, whether at Deal or Jackson-Reed. What do these schools expect kids on the Mandarin language track to do when their language gets cut?

I bet they'll cut Mandarin at Walls, too.

*Avoid DCPS, go with YuYing if you can lottery in. Go with DCI later on.
*Leave after 4th for BASIS and start Mandarin there in 8th grade.
*Leave for Arlington or Fairfax, where kids can start Mandarin in 6th grade.
*Leave for MoCo where kids can't start Mandarin immersion in K.

DCPS doesn't give a hoot what your kid does if Mandarin gets cut.

Above is a pretty good summary and says it all for Mandarin.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I heard that the students at Walls testified against the budget cuts re: Chinese, but I can't imagine it will change anything. It's on the chopping block along with the theater program because it has fewer kids enrolled. It sucks for those kids who have already committed to learning the language and now can't continue their studies and take AP Chinese, thereby disadvantaging them in college applications, etc.

It does suck for those kids but budget cuts mean programs and opportunities for students will be cut. Thats the reality of DC right now. And there will probably be cuts next year because the revenue situation is bleak.

[Anonymous]

It's official, DCPS is in decline. Teaching Mandarin isn't a frill, it's a far more important world language than others DCPS isn't axing, namely Italian and French as noted. In the burbs, it's not uncommon for high schools in upscale areas to teach all 6 AP languages: Latin, Japanese, German, French, Spanish and Mandarin, plus Arabic and Russian. Looks like soon enough, J-R and Walls will only teach a few languages, all Romance languages. This just isn't a 21st century approach.

[Anonymous]

Meh. Unpopular opinion but most of these kids aren’t going to learn enough Mandarin to do anything with it anyway. In fact most kids don’t learn enough of a second language in the US (in school) for it to be useful.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Meh. Unpopular opinion but most of these kids aren’t going to learn enough Mandarin to do anything with it anyway. In fact most kids don’t learn enough of a second language in the US (in school) for it to be useful.

None of them has a chance of it becoming "useful" if they don't learn it in the first place.

But there is so much more education involved in learning a language than it being useful for a job or something. Grammar, vocabulary, memorization, geography, history, comparative arts, literature, and culture, etc etc. are all part of learning a language. And it's good for the brain.

Everyone learning Spanish is what's "meh." It's a good language to learn, but it hardly makes us educated in aggregate.

[Anonymous]

+100. Moreover, not teaching Mandarin helps turn off East Asian immigrant families from our schools. IMHO, we don't have nearly enough of them in DCPS as it is. Collectively, they punch far above their weight academically. Not strategic to axe Mandarin as we try to improve our by-right middle and high schools.

[Anonymous]

A lot of kids also don’t learn enough history, science, or math to “do anything” with it. Should we cut those too? What a ridiculous position.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is anybody challenging the Mandarin cut? What is the Deal Mandarin teacher saying? What is the J-R Mandarin teacher saying?

They are saying “拉屎.”

Correct

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A lot of kids also don’t learn enough history, science, or math to “do anything” with it. Should we cut those too? What a ridiculous position.

Those are considered basic educational requirements. You really don't see the difference? Language instruction in public school is not a must-have so when budgets get cut, that and arts-related classes go. If having your pick of languages (or arts, theatre, etc.) are non-negotiables for you or your student, you need a school system with more money.

[Anonymous]

Not necessarily more money, just much better planning and smarter priorities. DCPS has a long history of pouring money into Tag Mahal renovations of middle and high schools that still sit half empty 5 or 10 years later, e.g. Eliot Hine, Dunbar, Jefferson Academy.