Thinking of moving IB for Oyster-Adams

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We currently live on Capitol Hill and love it and don't mind our IB school for the preschool years, but probably need a bigger house and a better long-term school trajectory. DH is interested in immersion and I don't care as much but am not adverse to it. Getting into an immersion charter seems like a long-shot. DH also thinks we should consider applying to WIS. I would rather stay with public schools at the elementary level, but we could afford private for our two kids and a pretty nice house IB for Oyster-Adams. For those of you at Oyster-Adams, what do you think of the quality of education at the elementary school level? Besides the Spanish curriculum, is the English/Math/Science, etc. curriculum as strong as you would like? Do people switch to private at middle school or do people stick with the O-A middle school and then go to Wilson? Do you like living in the neighborhood?

OP, we love the school and the neighorhood. Our plan is for our kids to do both elementary and middle at Oyster-Adams (assuming the Adams campus continues making good progress), and probably WIS for high school since bilingual ed is a priority for us. But we have time to wait and see if the bilingual program at Roosevelt High, included in the recent boundary plan, gets off to a great start.

[Anonymous]

Being completely fluent in Mandarin by 8th when starting at Grade 6 is a a bit of a stretch. I wouldn't choose OA for the Mandarin program, but it has other things going for it. Small community, small school feel, bilingualism. There are drawbacks as well, common to many DCPS elementary schools, like mediocre standards, big classes, overworked teachers who do their best but have way too many students to keep track. I would also say that Spanish grammar is not a focus, so the program leaves kids with high fluency but with deficits in writing. It's fixable once the kids start taking grammar classes in high school, but I just wanted to point out that fluency and grammar are not on balance.

OA and WIS are almost incomparable. The community is different, the class sizes are different, and the instruction is different. Both offer a bilingual education, but go about it differently.


To the OP, in between the OA cheerleaders and the haters is the reality. Visit for yourself, do some due-diligence, and realize every school isn't perfect on every level but still can get the job done.

OP, we love the school and the neighorhood. Our plan is for our kids to do both elementary and middle at Oyster-Adams (assuming the Adams campus continues making good progress), and probably WIS for high school since bilingual ed is a priority for us.

WIS is great at the high school level but does not offer bilingual instruction. Advanced Spanish classes are available and fluency can be maintained and increased, but not through bilingual classrooms. It's bilingual through 8th grade.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Being completely fluent in Mandarin by 8th when starting at Grade 6 is a a bit of a stretch. I wouldn't choose OA for the Mandarin program, but it has other things going for it. Small community, small school feel, bilingualism. There are drawbacks as well, common to many DCPS elementary schools, like mediocre standards, big classes, overworked teachers who do their best but have way too many students to keep track. I would also say that Spanish grammar is not a focus, so the program leaves kids with high fluency but with deficits in writing. It's fixable once the kids start taking grammar classes in high school, but I just wanted to point out that fluency and grammar are not on balance.

OA and WIS are almost incomparable. The community is different, the class sizes are different, and the instruction is different. Both offer a bilingual education, but go about it differently.


To the OP, in between the OA cheerleaders and the haters is the reality. Visit for yourself, do some due-diligence, and realize every school isn't perfect on every level but still can get the job done.

OP, we love the school and the neighorhood. Our plan is for our kids to do both elementary and middle at Oyster-Adams (assuming the Adams campus continues making good progress), and probably WIS for high school since bilingual ed is a priority for us.

WIS is great at the high school level but does not offer bilingual instruction. Advanced Spanish classes are available and fluency can be maintained and increased, but not through bilingual classrooms. It's bilingual through 8th grade.

Thanks for the clarification, PP. We are aware of that, but are quite impressed they offer the IB in both languages, so Spanish level must be quite high all the way. We'll see!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Being completely fluent in Mandarin by 8th when starting at Grade 6 is a a bit of a stretch. I wouldn't choose OA for the Mandarin program, but it has other things going for it. Small community, small school feel, bilingualism. There are drawbacks as well, common to many DCPS elementary schools, like mediocre standards, big classes, overworked teachers who do their best but have way too many students to keep track. I would also say that Spanish grammar is not a focus, so the program leaves kids with high fluency but with deficits in writing. It's fixable once the kids start taking grammar classes in high school, but I just wanted to point out that fluency and grammar are not on balance.

OA and WIS are almost incomparable. The community is different, the class sizes are different, and the instruction is different. Both offer a bilingual education, but go about it differently.


To the OP, in between the OA cheerleaders and the haters is the reality. Visit for yourself, do some due-diligence, and realize every school isn't perfect on every level but still can get the job done.

OP, we love the school and the neighorhood. Our plan is for our kids to do both elementary and middle at Oyster-Adams (assuming the Adams campus continues making good progress), and probably WIS for high school since bilingual ed is a priority for us.

WIS is great at the high school level but does not offer bilingual instruction. Advanced Spanish classes are available and fluency can be maintained and increased, but not through bilingual classrooms. It's bilingual through 8th grade.

Since WIS costs about $35,000 more than Oyster, anyone who is especially concerned about their child's Spanish grammar at Oyster can afford twice weekly private tutoring (plus, Saturday Spanish school), and still save tens of thousands of dollars annually. As a matter of fact, you can send your kid to a spanish immersion summer program abroad and still come out way ahead. Plus, you can always try to send your child to WIS for high school (or boarding school abroad for a truly international experience). In terms of value for money (your tax dollars), Oyster simply can't be beat. Any gaps you find can be more than made up for with the money saved.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Btw, I'm confident that the middle school will offer even more math differentiation under the new principal--she has stated that it's one of her priorities. She even hired a male AP who has an educational background/speciality in math.

You mean the AP for 4th and 5th? Meh. Nice guy, but not ready for administrator level in the sink-or-swim DC principal world. He doesn't teach math classes or tutor, that I know of, and he can barely handle recess discipline. I've never heard him described as a math specialist. That would be nice, but I wouldn't count on him as some kind of fix for those who are really into math at advanced levels.

There are many, many positives about the school, but it will take a while for the new (28 year old?) principal and the relatively new elementary PK-3 AP and the brand new 4th/5th AP and the MS AP (who is useless and has been there long enough to have fixed differentiation but didn't) and the MS Dean of Students to gel as a team. You read that right. THREE APs and a DoS for a MS of less than 180 kids. Meanwhile, at the Oyster building there is a part-time music teacher for roughly 300 kids.

Think of O-A more like a charter than a neighborhood school. Like PP also said, reality is somewhere between paradise and purgatory. The experience also depends on the individual child. Some kids end up tri-lingual stars at selective private and public high schools. Other kids in the same family end up switching to English-only DCPS programs, charters, or private schools before 4th grade. This happens across all demographics. It's not exactly Sophie's Choice, but it's hard to predict which student, let alone family, will stay or go in any given year. The new admin hasn't quite grasped this phenomenon. It will probably take a few years.

If you're looking for some degree of consistency, try any private school in DC. They're all about $35K and almost all the DC ones offer or require Spanish language starting in Kinder.

If your priority is diversity west of Rock Creek, then by all means go IB for O-A. Just make sure you have a plan B for each child.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Btw, I'm confident that the middle school will offer even more math differentiation under the new principal--she has stated that it's one of her priorities. She even hired a male AP who has an educational background/speciality in math.

You mean the AP for 4th and 5th? Meh. Nice guy, but not ready for administrator level in the sink-or-swim DC principal world. He doesn't teach math classes or tutor, that I know of, and he can barely handle recess discipline. I've never heard him described as a math specialist. That would be nice, but I wouldn't count on him as some kind of fix for those who are really into math at advanced levels.

There are many, many positives about the school, but it will take a while for the new (28 year old?) principal and the relatively new elementary PK-3 AP and the brand new 4th/5th AP and the MS AP (who is useless and has been there long enough to have fixed differentiation but didn't) and the MS Dean of Students to gel as a team. You read that right. THREE APs and a DoS for a MS of less than 180 kids. Meanwhile, at the Oyster building there is a part-time music teacher for roughly 300 kids.

Think of O-A more like a charter than a neighborhood school. Like PP also said, reality is somewhere between paradise and purgatory. The experience also depends on the individual child. Some kids end up tri-lingual stars at selective private and public high schools. Other kids in the same family end up switching to English-only DCPS programs, charters, or private schools before 4th grade. This happens across all demographics. It's not exactly Sophie's Choice, but it's hard to predict which student, let alone family, will stay or go in any given year. The new admin hasn't quite grasped this phenomenon. It will probably take a few years.

If you're looking for some degree of consistency, try any private school in DC. They're all about $35K and almost all the DC ones offer or require Spanish language starting in Kinder.

If your priority is diversity west of Rock Creek, then by all means go IB for O-A. Just make sure you have a plan B for each child.

Lol--it sounds as if you had to make Sophie's choice in your own family. You definitely sound a little bitter--I guess Spanish immersion didn't work out for one or more of your children--not sure if that's Oyster's fault though. For another perspective, our children (who come from an English speaking home) have thrived at Oyster--and they are not the exception. There are children who will struggle...at Oyster and any other immersion program. Dual immersion schools aren't for everyone folks. Oyster can't make every lump of coal a diamond. And please don't forget that WIS (and every other $35k plus/ year school) gets to screen their applicants via an IQ test, interviews and an extensive application (not to mention affluence). Oyster has to educate everyone who lives IB and/or wins a seat in the lottery.
Btw, Oyster doesn't have much in common with the charters I've toured (and I've toured every language immersion charter in DC). Among other things, there is definitely a neighborhood feel for those of us who live IB. We also have a library (Lamb), no non-immersion tracks (Yu Ying), relatively low poverty (DC Bilingual and Stokes), a useful target language (Sela), a nice affluent neighborhood (MV) and the highest test score of all immersion schools.
Look, I understand that Oyster is a target, but please stop perpetuating lies. It's not perfect, but it's a great school. If it's not for you, move on and open up a space for a more suitable student.

[Anonymous]

PP, you really don't help the thread by throwing out analogies like turning coal into diamonds. way to bring it down a notch.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Btw, I'm confident that the middle school will offer even more math differentiation under the new principal--she has stated that it's one of her priorities. She even hired a male AP who has an educational background/speciality in math.

You mean the AP for 4th and 5th? Meh. Nice guy, but not ready for administrator level in the sink-or-swim DC principal world. He doesn't teach math classes or tutor, that I know of, and he can barely handle recess discipline. I've never heard him described as a math specialist. That would be nice, but I wouldn't count on him as some kind of fix for those who are really into math at advanced levels.

There are many, many positives about the school, but it will take a while for the new (28 year old?) principal and the relatively new elementary PK-3 AP and the brand new 4th/5th AP and the MS AP (who is useless and has been there long enough to have fixed differentiation but didn't) and the MS Dean of Students to gel as a team. You read that right. THREE APs and a DoS for a MS of less than 180 kids. Meanwhile, at the Oyster building there is a part-time music teacher for roughly 300 kids.

Think of O-A more like a charter than a neighborhood school. Like PP also said, reality is somewhere between paradise and purgatory. The experience also depends on the individual child. Some kids end up tri-lingual stars at selective private and public high schools. Other kids in the same family end up switching to English-only DCPS programs, charters, or private schools before 4th grade. This happens across all demographics. It's not exactly Sophie's Choice, but it's hard to predict which student, let alone family, will stay or go in any given year. The new admin hasn't quite grasped this phenomenon. It will probably take a few years.

If you're looking for some degree of consistency, try any private school in DC. They're all about $35K and almost all the DC ones offer or require Spanish language starting in Kinder.

If your priority is diversity west of Rock Creek, then by all means go IB for O-A. Just make sure you have a plan B for each child.

Lol--it sounds as if you had to make Sophie's choice in your own family. You definitely sound a little bitter--I guess Spanish immersion didn't work out for one or more of your children--not sure if that's Oyster's fault though. For another perspective, our children (who come from an English speaking home) have thrived at Oyster--and they are not the exception. There are children who will struggle...at Oyster and any other immersion program. Dual immersion schools aren't for everyone folks. Oyster can't make every lump of coal a diamond. And please don't forget that WIS (and every other $35k plus/ year school) gets to screen their applicants via an IQ test, interviews and an extensive application (not to mention affluence). Oyster has to educate everyone who lives IB and/or wins a seat in the lottery.
Btw, Oyster doesn't have much in common with the charters I've toured (and I've toured every language immersion charter in DC). Among other things, there is definitely a neighborhood feel for those of us who live IB. We also have a library (Lamb), no non-immersion tracks (Yu Ying), relatively low poverty (DC Bilingual and Stokes), a useful target language (Sela), a nice affluent neighborhood (MV) and the highest test score of all immersion schools.
Look, I understand that Oyster is a target, but please stop perpetuating lies. It's not perfect, but it's a great school. If it's not for you, move on and open up a space for a more suitable student.

Oyster-Adams can refuse entry to IB students past 2nd grade who are not at or near proficiency in both languages. The principal decides who gets in OOB and is not obligated to follow lottery results.

What we do have that other schools don't is a high percentage of middle and upper income Latinos and Spanish-fluent non-Latinos both IB and OOB. Our little carbon deposits show up at the school's door already cut and polished. One of the best things about Oyster-Adams is it's diversity overall and within the Latino population. It would be wonderful if that continues, but it's hard to say. The "love it or leave it" attitude is less pervasive around 3rd grade. It's more like "respect it, but open to options." This is just the reality of the school choice environment in DC. People should not judge others' commitment to a school. We are all committed to our children first, no?

[Anonymous]

PP, you are incorrect. Oyster and all other neighborhood DCPS must take all in-boundary families regardless of language ability. So if a kid moves IB for O-A for 8th grade and doesn't know a word of Spanish, O-A must accomodate that student. The student can choose to go to Francis-Stevens instead, but if she elects to stay at O-A, O-A cannot turn her down. Oyster and other dual-language schools can, however, require proficiency for OOB families after 2nd grade.

Regardless, for OOB families, O-A MUST follow the lottery results. They can't pick and choose. The only way they could turn down someone who had earned a rightful spot through the lottery is if that person claimed Spanish dominance/fluency and did not have it.

[Anonymous]

Which is it, dominance or fluency?

[Anonymous]

In the early years, they have two lotteries--one for English dominant, one for Spanish dominant. If you apply and say you are Spanish dominant and they determine your kid is English dominant, you give up the right to the spot if you are selected through the lottery.

All the language DCPS have a certain grade after which they won't admit if you are not fluent i the language--I think it's 2nd, but am not sure.

[Anonymous]

But you can be fluent without being dominant...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:But you can be fluent without being dominant…

Yes, dominancy is only if you apply when there are 2 lotteries and you say you are dominant.

[Anonymous]

But how do they determine dominant? Or is it enough to be fluent?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:But how do they determine dominant? Or is it enough to be fluent?

We applied to the English dominant lottery so don't know. But they do test. Given that if you get in you are dropped for lower choices, I would not risk it if I was just fluent (but then it was our too choice so risked getting in nowhere otherwise).