MoCo Language Immersion Lottery - what are the odds and when do you find out?

[Anonymous]

If we were to enter the lottery for french and spanish immersion programs, what are the odds of getting a slot (1 in 6, 1 in 10, 1 in 20)? Also, when do you find out if you got in? Is it early enough that you can explore other school options or would you pretty much be closed out of privates by that time?

[Anonymous]

It's been a couple of years since we tried but my sense was that the odds were roughly in the range of 1 in 10 or maybe a little higher. I think for immersion you can choose more than one school, which might increase your chances if you are willing to do it.

I think the deadline for applying is usually April for the following September, whereas for privates I think you need to apply by January (you would probably need to pay a deposit at a private school before you would even apply to immersion).

[Anonymous]

At Rock Creek Forrest the wait list goes into the 300s.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:At Rock Creek Forrest the wait list goes into the 300s.

So depressing.

[Anonymous]

I don't think that's true -- I think it's around 100. Still, if you aren't in the first 20 or so I don't think there's a chance you will get in.

[Anonymous]

Also, RCF is not all it's cracked up to be. I say this as a parent with kids in this school for the past 6 years.

The school facility stinks, and that really makes a difference in the quality of school life. I know they will build a new school in the not so distant future, but still ...

The principal has some weaknesses, the school is chaotic and there are problems with the administration feeling top down and authoritative rather than warm and welcoming. There are significant bad feelings between immersion parents and neighborhood parents, and the admin hasn't been very effective in addressing this.

There's high turnover on the part of the immersino teachers and it's really hard to repalce them so there's always a lot of uncertaintly from year to year.

[Anonymous]

PP here -- hit "submit" to soon.

There are some really good veteran immersion teachers at RCF, particularly a few in the early grades. And my kids have come away with pretty good fluency particulary in writing, reading and understanding Spanish. To get them fluent in spoken Spanish is really a family effort so you have to give that some thought.

There's also a lot of uncertaintly about whether the immersion kids will continue to go on to Westland next year and in subsequent years. If they don't, your child may be split up from friends for middle school, so that's a possible disadvantage.

The immersion experience is really valuable in many ways but if you don't get in, don't feel too bad. You are skipping some of the issues I listed in my previous post.

[Anonymous]

^PP: Wow, sorry for all the typos!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't think that's true -- I think it's around 100. Still, if you aren't in the first 20 or so I don't think there's a chance you will get in.

Yes it is. My kid got wait listed in the 100s but I know kids who went into the early 300s.

[Anonymous]

Since you are clearly wanting to be in an immersion program to get out of your home school (I glean that from your comment about private schools), you need to think first if immersion is really right for your child. My DD is at an immersion school and every year there are kids who drop out of the program b/c it is just not the right fit for them. There are also some kids whose parents keep them in it when they defiinitely shouldn't be (due to learning issues or other circumstances). You should want your child in an immersion program to learn another language, not to game the system and get out of your home school.

[Anonymous]

Which the majority of folks do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Since you are clearly wanting to be in an immersion program to get out of your home school (I glean that from your comment about private schools), you need to think first if immersion is really right for your child. My DD is at an immersion school and every year there are kids who drop out of the program b/c it is just not the right fit for them. There are also some kids whose parents keep them in it when they defiinitely shouldn't be (due to learning issues or other circumstances). You should want your child in an immersion program to learn another language, not to game the system and get out of your home school.[/quote

I know some people get offended by the concept of using immersion as a way out, but honestly, montgomery county has cornered some of us in this fashion. Of course I want my child to learn a second language and wouldn't consider immersion otherwise, but the bottom line is that the education he would receive through the immersion program is far superior from what he would receive at his home school. I wouldn't send him to or keep him in immersion if I thought it was a bad fit, but I don't even feel safe sending him to his home school so there's very little room for persuading me that immersion wouldn't be the better option. I would at least give immersion a chance before taking the next step, which would be either moving or seeking out a private school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Since you are clearly wanting to be in an immersion program to get out of your home school (I glean that from your comment about private schools), you need to think first if immersion is really right for your child. My DD is at an immersion school and every year there are kids who drop out of the program b/c it is just not the right fit for them. There are also some kids whose parents keep them in it when they defiinitely shouldn't be (due to learning issues or other circumstances). You should want your child in an immersion program to learn another language, not to game the system and get out of your home school.[/quote

I know some people get offended by the concept of using immersion as a way out, but honestly, montgomery county has cornered some of us in this fashion. Of course I want my child to learn a second language and wouldn't consider immersion otherwise, but the bottom line is that the education he would receive through the immersion program is far superior from what he would receive at his home school. I wouldn't send him to or keep him in immersion if I thought it was a bad fit, but I don't even feel safe sending him to his home school so there's very little room for persuading me that immersion wouldn't be the better option. I would at least give immersion a chance before taking the next step, which would be either moving or seeking out a private school.

I completely agree with this as this was our dilemma as well. MCPS is allegedly the same across the county but we in the DCC know for a fact that some of our home schools are simply unacceptable.

My kids are now 11 and 13 and I feel as if I've spent the better part of their lives angling for them to get into this or that magnet. So far it has worked, and ok, fine, but really, it's not fair to those of us in these districts to have to do this.

We are now facing this all over again as we look at high schools, and honestly, we are thinking about just MOVING to a better school district. Which pisses me off given that our current house, where we have lived for 15 years, is worth about $800K. Really? Buying an $800K house and paying the associated property taxes STILL doesn't give my kids a decent education?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Since you are clearly wanting to be in an immersion program to get out of your home school (I glean that from your comment about private schools), you need to think first if immersion is really right for your child. My DD is at an immersion school and every year there are kids who drop out of the program b/c it is just not the right fit for them. There are also some kids whose parents keep them in it when they defiinitely shouldn't be (due to learning issues or other circumstances). You should want your child in an immersion program to learn another language, not to game the system and get out of your home school.[/quote

I know some people get offended by the concept of using immersion as a way out, but honestly, montgomery county has cornered some of us in this fashion. Of course I want my child to learn a second language and wouldn't consider immersion otherwise, but the bottom line is that the education he would receive through the immersion program is far superior from what he would receive at his home school. I wouldn't send him to or keep him in immersion if I thought it was a bad fit, but I don't even feel safe sending him to his home school so there's very little room for persuading me that immersion wouldn't be the better option. I would at least give immersion a chance before taking the next step, which would be either moving or seeking out a private school.

I completely agree with this as this was our dilemma as well. MCPS is allegedly the same across the county but we in the DCC know for a fact that some of our home schools are simply unacceptable.

My kids are now 11 and 13 and I feel as if I've spent the better part of their lives angling for them to get into this or that magnet. So far it has worked, and ok, fine, but really, it's not fair to those of us in these districts to have to do this.

I am realy curious where you live in MoCo where your house is worth $800K and you feel the elementary schools are not acceptable.

We are now facing this all over again as we look at high schools, and honestly, we are thinking about just MOVING to a better school district. Which pisses me off given that our current house, where we have lived for 15 years, is worth about $800K. Really? Buying an $800K house and paying the associated property taxes STILL doesn't give my kids a decent education?

[Anonymous]

I just don't get the comment from the last poster. I surely can understand that you want a good education for your children but honestly if you can afford to spend 800K on a house then why didn't you buy in an area with better schools so that it wasn't something you would have to worry about. In your case I don't think MCPS has forced you into anything because you have the ability to buy probably anywhere in the county and get the best schools...