Region 1 - what's going to happen with language immersion under the regional model?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It seems a little odd to create this new language program at Whitman but no language pathway at the HS level for the hundreds kids doing Spanish in elementary and middle school.

What exactly are you looking for beyond AP Spanish Language and AP Spanish Literature?

4 years of language classes suited to children who are already semi-fluent in the language when they start high school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It seems a little odd to create this new language program at Whitman but no language pathway at the HS level for the hundreds kids doing Spanish in elementary and middle school.

What exactly are you looking for beyond AP Spanish Language and AP Spanish Literature?

4 years of language classes suited to children who are already semi-fluent in the language when they start high school.

+1 Spanish lit for example. Latin American history in Spanish

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Very interested in this as the superintendent has said that they will make changes to immersion and that he will split the Sligo Creek French program into two when he closes SSIMS.

I’m against the SSIMS closure but that’s not what I recall him saying. He said “we love these programs; if anything we need to expand these programs. We might end up having FI at both eastern I and Sligo.” I don’t trust him but he’s avoiding saying they’re scaling it back.

The superintendent says many things and then changes his mind. They are making it all up was they go along. Don't count on anything until they begin changing up the middle school programming next year.

+1000

I do not for a second believe they GAF about the amount of resources and effort that have been put into standing up the Spanish immersion programs. Taylor can't take credit for them so he isn't going to build on them

[Anonymous]

I truly believe Taylor is a racist narcissist POS who only cares about the communities he is familiar with and grew up in and in bolstering his resume for his next job

[Anonymous]

Sure, expand. Wherever they do they need a system that helps families north of Rockville make these programs more attainable. An hour+ bus ride makes for a brutal day for young kids just starting school in a new language.
And we have plenty of neighbors who would love to attend these programs. It’s not just Silver Spring families who are interested in language immersion.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They need to find a way to redistribute the language immersion programs at the elementary level. Right now, a majority of these programs (and all 3 Spanish programs) are in silver spring/chevy chase and the farthest north (French) is in Rockville. Hopefully the regional model (eventually) helps with this.

Redistribute or expand? I realize there are challenges to expansion. I know in French it seems like it would be hard to add more teachers to sustain another class at either school. Is it more possible with Spanish? I think few would complain if they were only able to add Spanish programs…. It seems like even adding 1-2 more classes in the county would go significantly further toward meeting the demand.

By class I mean kindergarten class that goes through the program, which of course is a lot of teachers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It seems a little odd to create this new language program at Whitman but no language pathway at the HS level for the hundreds kids doing Spanish in elementary and middle school.

What exactly are you looking for beyond AP Spanish Language and AP Spanish Literature?

4 years of language classes suited to children who are already semi-fluent in the language when they start high school.

+1 Spanish lit for example. Latin American history in Spanish

Yes, the kids need help maintaining their skills until college. It’s just not the same to be in a class of kids who are relative novices in the language.

I understand we can’t offer everything, but MCPS throws a ton of money at these immersion programs only to let it fizzle out at the end.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It seems a little odd to create this new language program at Whitman but no language pathway at the HS level for the hundreds kids doing Spanish in elementary and middle school.

What exactly are you looking for beyond AP Spanish Language and AP Spanish Literature?

4 years of language classes suited to children who are already semi-fluent in the language when they start high school.

+1 Spanish lit for example. Latin American history in Spanish

Yes, the kids need help maintaining their skills until college. It’s just not the same to be in a class of kids who are relative novices in the language.

I understand we can’t offer everything, but MCPS throws a ton of money at these immersion programs only to let it fizzle out at the end.

+1 and I think something that often gets lost in discussions about language programs is that it is huge amount of effort for the child to learn a second language. People think it happens automatically. It doesn't, they have to work at it. And with the TWI programs, they imposed this extra labor on families that didn't necessarily ask for it (everyone that goes to a TWI school is in the TWI program), without giving the schools basic necessary resources to implement the programs well, like books. The first kids that went through our school's TWI program are now in 7th grade and set to be the first group that deals with the disaster that will be the regional program model. We know it will be a disaster because they also half-assed the implementation of TWI and are now crying that these kids have worse math and literacy outcomes than other kids (unless they are wealthy kids whose parents hire tutors).

So these 7th graders who were the guinea pigs for the botched implementation of TWI get to be the guinea pigs for the afterthought regional programs they decide to put at Einstein. And MCPS just forgets about all the hard work these kids put in , with no opportunities to continue their Spanish learning in a meaningful way in high school. They just ignore it and place a language program at a wealthy high school across town instead.

And you know what, we can't have everything, and I am grateful for my child's opportunity to benefit from TWI even though we did have to hire a tutor, but then I ask myself, why why why are they pretending they can implement dozens of new high school programs at dozens of high schools when they can't even get the programs they have now right, several years after they created them?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It seems a little odd to create this new language program at Whitman but no language pathway at the HS level for the hundreds kids doing Spanish in elementary and middle school.

What exactly are you looking for beyond AP Spanish Language and AP Spanish Literature?

4 years of language classes suited to children who are already semi-fluent in the language when they start high school.

+1 Spanish lit for example. Latin American history in Spanish

Yes, the kids need help maintaining their skills until college. It’s just not the same to be in a class of kids who are relative novices in the language.

I understand we can’t offer everything, but MCPS throws a ton of money at these immersion programs only to let it fizzle out at the end.

+1 and I think something that often gets lost in discussions about language programs is that it is huge amount of effort for the child to learn a second language. People think it happens automatically. It doesn't, they have to work at it. And with the TWI programs, they imposed this extra labor on families that didn't necessarily ask for it (everyone that goes to a TWI school is in the TWI program), without giving the schools basic necessary resources to implement the programs well, like books. The first kids that went through our school's TWI program are now in 7th grade and set to be the first group that deals with the disaster that will be the regional program model. We know it will be a disaster because they also half-assed the implementation of TWI and are now crying that these kids have worse math and literacy outcomes than other kids (unless they are wealthy kids whose parents hire tutors).

So these 7th graders who were the guinea pigs for the botched implementation of TWI get to be the guinea pigs for the afterthought regional programs they decide to put at Einstein. And MCPS just forgets about all the hard work these kids put in , with no opportunities to continue their Spanish learning in a meaningful way in high school. They just ignore it and place a language program at a wealthy high school across town instead.

And you know what, we can't have everything, and I am grateful for my child's opportunity to benefit from TWI even though we did have to hire a tutor, but then I ask myself, why why why are they pretending they can implement dozens of new high school programs at dozens of high schools when they can't even get the programs they have now right, several years after they created them?

I didn’t know TWI immersion was having these kinds of issues. Is it school to school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It seems a little odd to create this new language program at Whitman but no language pathway at the HS level for the hundreds kids doing Spanish in elementary and middle school.

What exactly are you looking for beyond AP Spanish Language and AP Spanish Literature?

4 years of language classes suited to children who are already semi-fluent in the language when they start high school.

+1 Spanish lit for example. Latin American history in Spanish

Yes, the kids need help maintaining their skills until college. It’s just not the same to be in a class of kids who are relative novices in the language.

I understand we can’t offer everything, but MCPS throws a ton of money at these immersion programs only to let it fizzle out at the end.

+1 and I think something that often gets lost in discussions about language programs is that it is huge amount of effort for the child to learn a second language. People think it happens automatically. It doesn't, they have to work at it. And with the TWI programs, they imposed this extra labor on families that didn't necessarily ask for it (everyone that goes to a TWI school is in the TWI program), without giving the schools basic necessary resources to implement the programs well, like books. The first kids that went through our school's TWI program are now in 7th grade and set to be the first group that deals with the disaster that will be the regional program model. We know it will be a disaster because they also half-assed the implementation of TWI and are now crying that these kids have worse math and literacy outcomes than other kids (unless they are wealthy kids whose parents hire tutors).

So these 7th graders who were the guinea pigs for the botched implementation of TWI get to be the guinea pigs for the afterthought regional programs they decide to put at Einstein. And MCPS just forgets about all the hard work these kids put in , with no opportunities to continue their Spanish learning in a meaningful way in high school. They just ignore it and place a language program at a wealthy high school across town instead.

And you know what, we can't have everything, and I am grateful for my child's opportunity to benefit from TWI even though we did have to hire a tutor, but then I ask myself, why why why are they pretending they can implement dozens of new high school programs at dozens of high schools when they can't even get the programs they have now right, several years after they created them?

I didn’t know TWI immersion was having these kinds of issues. Is it school to school?

I don't think the study from last year broke it down by school, but the link to the report is on this page: https://ww2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/sharedaccountability/reports/detail.aspx?id=1600

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It seems a little odd to create this new language program at Whitman but no language pathway at the HS level for the hundreds kids doing Spanish in elementary and middle school.

What exactly are you looking for beyond AP Spanish Language and AP Spanish Literature?

4 years of language classes suited to children who are already semi-fluent in the language when they start high school.

+1 Spanish lit for example. Latin American history in Spanish

Yes, the kids need help maintaining their skills until college. It’s just not the same to be in a class of kids who are relative novices in the language.

I understand we can’t offer everything, but MCPS throws a ton of money at these immersion programs only to let it fizzle out at the end.

+1 and I think something that often gets lost in discussions about language programs is that it is huge amount of effort for the child to learn a second language. People think it happens automatically. It doesn't, they have to work at it. And with the TWI programs, they imposed this extra labor on families that didn't necessarily ask for it (everyone that goes to a TWI school is in the TWI program), without giving the schools basic necessary resources to implement the programs well, like books. The first kids that went through our school's TWI program are now in 7th grade and set to be the first group that deals with the disaster that will be the regional program model. We know it will be a disaster because they also half-assed the implementation of TWI and are now crying that these kids have worse math and literacy outcomes than other kids (unless they are wealthy kids whose parents hire tutors).

So these 7th graders who were the guinea pigs for the botched implementation of TWI get to be the guinea pigs for the afterthought regional programs they decide to put at Einstein. And MCPS just forgets about all the hard work these kids put in , with no opportunities to continue their Spanish learning in a meaningful way in high school. They just ignore it and place a language program at a wealthy high school across town instead.

And you know what, we can't have everything, and I am grateful for my child's opportunity to benefit from TWI even though we did have to hire a tutor, but then I ask myself, why why why are they pretending they can implement dozens of new high school programs at dozens of high schools when they can't even get the programs they have now right, several years after they created them?

I didn’t know TWI immersion was having these kinds of issues. Is it school to school?

I thought the evaluation showed that the TWI kids were initially behind, but eventually caught up. And this was to be expected precisely because they are learning in 2 languages.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I truly believe Taylor is a racist narcissist POS who only cares about the communities he is familiar with and grew up in and in bolstering his resume for his next job

+1. I think he is intent on closing magnets, with his particular focus on the RM IB, because he wasn't admitted to RM's IB program when he was in high school. Ouch.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It seems a little odd to create this new language program at Whitman but no language pathway at the HS level for the hundreds kids doing Spanish in elementary and middle school.

What exactly are you looking for beyond AP Spanish Language and AP Spanish Literature?

4 years of language classes suited to children who are already semi-fluent in the language when they start high school.

+1 Spanish lit for example. Latin American history in Spanish

Yes, the kids need help maintaining their skills until college. It’s just not the same to be in a class of kids who are relative novices in the language.

I understand we can’t offer everything, but MCPS throws a ton of money at these immersion programs only to let it fizzle out at the end.

+1 and I think something that often gets lost in discussions about language programs is that it is huge amount of effort for the child to learn a second language. People think it happens automatically. It doesn't, they have to work at it. And with the TWI programs, they imposed this extra labor on families that didn't necessarily ask for it (everyone that goes to a TWI school is in the TWI program), without giving the schools basic necessary resources to implement the programs well, like books. The first kids that went through our school's TWI program are now in 7th grade and set to be the first group that deals with the disaster that will be the regional program model. We know it will be a disaster because they also half-assed the implementation of TWI and are now crying that these kids have worse math and literacy outcomes than other kids (unless they are wealthy kids whose parents hire tutors).

So these 7th graders who were the guinea pigs for the botched implementation of TWI get to be the guinea pigs for the afterthought regional programs they decide to put at Einstein. And MCPS just forgets about all the hard work these kids put in , with no opportunities to continue their Spanish learning in a meaningful way in high school. They just ignore it and place a language program at a wealthy high school across town instead.

And you know what, we can't have everything, and I am grateful for my child's opportunity to benefit from TWI even though we did have to hire a tutor, but then I ask myself, why why why are they pretending they can implement dozens of new high school programs at dozens of high schools when they can't even get the programs they have now right, several years after they created them?

I didn’t know TWI immersion was having these kinds of issues. Is it school to school?

I thought the evaluation showed that the TWI kids were initially behind, but eventually caught up. And this was to be expected precisely because they are learning in 2 languages.

DP - that's not how I read the report - this is for 4th grade literacy (slide 53)

Overall, students enrolled in Non-TWI schools
outperformed students enrolled in TWI schools
among all service groups and most racial/ethnic
groups, except White students, who had better
results in TWI schools (82.9% vs. 74.4%), although
the results were not statistically significant.

Among various racial/ethnic and service groups,
non-TWI students had a higher percentage of
students meeting or exceeding the literacy
benchmark, with statistically significant
differences. Specifically, the percentages were as
follows: Black or African American students (67.9%
vs. 38.9%), Hispanic/Latino students (73.1% vs.
59.2%), students not receiving ELD services (69.0%
vs. 54.5%), students receiving FARMS (75.0% vs.
56.0%), and male students (72.2% vs. 63.7%).

https://ww2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/sharedaccountability/reports/2025/250513_Two%20Way%20Immersion%202024_Final.pdf

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It seems a little odd to create this new language program at Whitman but no language pathway at the HS level for the hundreds kids doing Spanish in elementary and middle school.

What exactly are you looking for beyond AP Spanish Language and AP Spanish Literature?

4 years of language classes suited to children who are already semi-fluent in the language when they start high school.

+1 Spanish lit for example. Latin American history in Spanish

Yes, the kids need help maintaining their skills until college. It’s just not the same to be in a class of kids who are relative novices in the language.

I understand we can’t offer everything, but MCPS throws a ton of money at these immersion programs only to let it fizzle out at the end.

+1 and I think something that often gets lost in discussions about language programs is that it is huge amount of effort for the child to learn a second language. People think it happens automatically. It doesn't, they have to work at it. And with the TWI programs, they imposed this extra labor on families that didn't necessarily ask for it (everyone that goes to a TWI school is in the TWI program), without giving the schools basic necessary resources to implement the programs well, like books. The first kids that went through our school's TWI program are now in 7th grade and set to be the first group that deals with the disaster that will be the regional program model. We know it will be a disaster because they also half-assed the implementation of TWI and are now crying that these kids have worse math and literacy outcomes than other kids (unless they are wealthy kids whose parents hire tutors).

So these 7th graders who were the guinea pigs for the botched implementation of TWI get to be the guinea pigs for the afterthought regional programs they decide to put at Einstein. And MCPS just forgets about all the hard work these kids put in , with no opportunities to continue their Spanish learning in a meaningful way in high school. They just ignore it and place a language program at a wealthy high school across town instead.

And you know what, we can't have everything, and I am grateful for my child's opportunity to benefit from TWI even though we did have to hire a tutor, but then I ask myself, why why why are they pretending they can implement dozens of new high school programs at dozens of high schools when they can't even get the programs they have now right, several years after they created them?

I didn’t know TWI immersion was having these kinds of issues. Is it school to school?

I thought the evaluation showed that the TWI kids were initially behind, but eventually caught up. And this was to be expected precisely because they are learning in 2 languages.

I have heard this but thought it was based on research not specific to MCPS. The evaluation being referred to above is specific to the MCPS TWI programs and does not look beyond 4th grade. But what is especially concerning is the lack of support and rushed rollout of the programs and the impact it had on kids as described in the report.