What is your first choice bilingual program?

[Anonymous]

Here's my concern about Yu Ying: While it currently has a retention rate pushing 90%, it hasn't yet hit the upper elementary / middle school years when "everybody leaves" the other well regarded charters in town that continue past the elementary level (e.g., Cap City and Haynes). And if Yu Ying experiences a similar exodus of its highest SES famlies (for whom private school is a realistic option), it seems like its relatively small size (What are there this year, 44 second graders?) plus its policy of not taking in new kids past second grade would present a real death-spiral threat. I mean, with 150 kids in 6th-8th, you can offer all the sports and music and drama that parents expect for their middle schoolers after school (not to mention dedicated science, music, art, etc. teachers during the school day). With 100 kids, too, probably, with a few corners cut. But with 60? And no endowment? I don't see how. And then I don't see why those last 60 stay.

I'm not bashing the school. We've applied for pre-K this year, and it's definitely in our family's "Big 3." But the numbers game is tough, and Yu Ying obviously has not yet had the chance to develop any kind of a track record. And that's scary -- if we start at Yu Ying in the fall, it will be with the intention of staying through 8th grade and getting the full benefit of ten years of Chinese immersion. If the school falls to pieces in 4th grade, though, we'd face the grim choice of leaving on the table the last years of Chinese immersion DC likely would need for any kind of lasting bilingualism, or sticking things out through years of the subpar "specials" and extracurriculars invariably associated with undersized, underfunded middle schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Here's my concern about Yu Ying: While it currently has a retention rate pushing 90%, it hasn't yet hit the upper elementary / middle school years when "everybody leaves" the other well regarded charters in town that continue past the elementary level (e.g., Cap City and Haynes). . . . And that's scary -- if we start at Yu Ying in the fall, it will be with the intention of staying through 8th grade and getting the full benefit of ten years of Chinese immersion. If the school falls to pieces in 4th grade, though, we'd face the grim choice of leaving on the table the last years of Chinese immersion DC likely would need for any kind of lasting bilingualism, or sticking things out through years of the subpar "specials" and extracurriculars invariably associated with undersized, underfunded middle schools.

As a YY parent with a child in the "rising grade" this is a big concern, with only 42 kids in 3rd grade now. (and for historical and unique to the first 2 cohort reasons a few are actually 2nd graders in the 3rd class). I think it will be less of a concern as next year's preK will be starting ~100 kids in the class, so there are a lot more to start with. Middle school options, not bilingual obviously, but where at least there is a faculty member so would allow some continued exposure to Chinese include Deal, WIS, Washington Latin. From my perspective, if you start a school in preK, and your kids is happy there through 4th, that's a pretty good deal in this town. So much is unknown, not only about how things will develop at the school, but also about what kind of a learner / person your kid will be.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I thought Yu Ying was my first choice. But, my PS DD got into Stokes this year, and we are not moving. it is a lovely school.

Just curious - I thought the admission period for Stokes runs until April 2011...how is it that you already know that you have a spot for the 2011-2012 school year? Do they have an early lottery and a later lottery?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I thought Yu Ying was my first choice. But, my PS DD got into Stokes this year, and we are not moving. it is a lovely school.

Just curious - I thought the admission period for Stokes runs until April 2011...how is it that you already know that you have a spot for the 2011-2012 school year? Do they have an early lottery and a later lottery?

I think PP's kid is at the school now, i.e. she/he is not applying to Yu Ying this year (and was not eligible last year).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here's my concern about Yu Ying: While it currently has a retention rate pushing 90%, it hasn't yet hit the upper elementary / middle school years when "everybody leaves" the other well regarded charters in town that continue past the elementary level (e.g., Cap City and Haynes). . . . And that's scary -- if we start at Yu Ying in the fall, it will be with the intention of staying through 8th grade and getting the full benefit of ten years of Chinese immersion. If the school falls to pieces in 4th grade, though, we'd face the grim choice of leaving on the table the last years of Chinese immersion DC likely would need for any kind of lasting bilingualism, or sticking things out through years of the subpar "specials" and extracurriculars invariably associated with undersized, underfunded middle schools.

As a YY parent with a child in the "rising grade" this is a big concern, with only 42 kids in 3rd grade now. (and for historical and unique to the first 2 cohort reasons a few are actually 2nd graders in the 3rd class). I think it will be less of a concern as next year's preK will be starting ~100 kids in the class, so there are a lot more to start with. Middle school options, not bilingual obviously, but where at least there is a faculty member so would allow some continued exposure to Chinese include Deal, WIS, Washington Latin. From my perspective, if you start a school in preK, and your kids is happy there through 4th, that's a pretty good deal in this town. So much is unknown, not only about how things will develop at the school, but also about what kind of a learner / person your kid will be.

Totally agree, but if you're going to bail at 4th (before the Mandarin has fully "set"), wouldn't you be better off in a more traditional (and really excellent) school such as Haynes?

[Anonymous]

Pulling after 4th grade is too early for lasting bilingualism/biliteracy, IMO. Example: My child JUST got it together this year (5th) in Spanish. For Chinese? A much harder language, you would have to stay longer to really benefit. Bilingual education is a model that has slower progression in both languages until they come together when the child's mind develops in a way that can synthesize the language and concepts and integrate them. You pull the kid early and what you have is the slower progress in both languages (think spelling, reading, writing, much less conversation) without that fantastic moment when it clicks. In my experience, 4th is too early to expect the "click." I'm seeing it with my own child in 5th just now and for a few other kids in 5th. None in 4th or lower, really.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here's my concern about Yu Ying: While it currently has a retention rate pushing 90%, it hasn't yet hit the upper elementary / middle school years when "everybody leaves" the other well regarded charters in town that continue past the elementary level (e.g., Cap City and Haynes). . . . And that's scary -- if we start at Yu Ying in the fall, it will be with the intention of staying through 8th grade and getting the full benefit of ten years of Chinese immersion. If the school falls to pieces in 4th grade, though, we'd face the grim choice of leaving on the table the last years of Chinese immersion DC likely would need for any kind of lasting bilingualism, or sticking things out through years of the subpar "specials" and extracurriculars invariably associated with undersized, underfunded middle schools.

As a YY parent with a child in the "rising grade" this is a big concern, with only 42 kids in 3rd grade now. (and for historical and unique to the first 2 cohort reasons a few are actually 2nd graders in the 3rd class). I think it will be less of a concern as next year's preK will be starting ~100 kids in the class, so there are a lot more to start with. Middle school options, not bilingual obviously, but where at least there is a faculty member so would allow some continued exposure to Chinese include Deal, WIS, Washington Latin. From my perspective, if you start a school in preK, and your kids is happy there through 4th, that's a pretty good deal in this town. So much is unknown, not only about how things will develop at the school, but also about what kind of a learner / person your kid will be.

Totally agree, but if you're going to bail at 4th (before the Mandarin has fully "set"), wouldn't you be better off in a more traditional (and really excellent) school such as Haynes?

Yes, another YY parent here and I agree that if your plan is to bail at 4th you might as well just go. There's really no point to a bilingual education for 3 years of elementary school.

I think the first real test for Yu Ying will be what this year's 1st graders do. This was the first class to start at YY as Pre-Kindergarteners and go up through the program from there. And these are the committed families who want to see the school go to middle school/jr. high and beyond.

[Anonymous]

What about spending a few years at Yu Ying and then transferring to a school that offers Mandarin 3x week? How much would be gained or lost?

[Anonymous]

I would guess that full-time immersion on alternating days (Yu Ying) would be a lot different than 3x/wk Mandarin classes. That is going from 20 hours/ wk to 3ish hours.

[Anonymous]

Mundo Verde

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What about spending a few years at Yu Ying and then transferring to a school that offers Mandarin 3x week? How much would be gained or lost?

Ten years later, one kid is fluent in Chinese and the other can order Chinese food in Mandarin for the family's day trip to Chinatown for Chinese New Year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes, another YY parent here and I agree that if your plan is to bail at 4th you might as well just go. There's really no point to a bilingual education for 3 years of elementary school.

I think the first real test for Yu Ying will be what this year's 1st graders do. This was the first class to start at YY as Pre-Kindergarteners and go up through the program from there. And these are the committed families who want to see the school go to middle school/jr. high and beyond.

Excellent points. Would there be more MS demand from families in/trying to get into Thomson and Eaton? If YY is the only public MS in DC, it may be worth it for the schools forging those MS ties now. It's hard enough to get a good Spanish MS and HS. Seems like there is opportunity for public language programs to band together in DC at the later grades. By then you'll know if it makes sense for your child.

Do 1st grade families (in any language) think it's possible to create critical mass for MS+ public and charter schools? My vote is yes. (Two in bilingual immersion at elementary at the moment.)

[Anonymous]

DCPS is making Jefferson MS an IB school with Chinese. Feeder coming from Thomson and Brent.

[Anonymous]

And Amidon Bowen is a feeder, too. I picked up a brochure for Jefferson at the middle school fair and it looks like Chinese will only be offered once a week. Quite far from immersion.

[Anonymous]

Yes, and IB is expensive. Ward 6 parents think that an IB program will somehow make Jefferson acceptable for their progeny, but I don't think they exactly "get" what IB is and what it offers.

It's going to take a whole lot more than an IB-MYP program to fix Jefferson and the Chinese they are going to offer promises to be weak, in true DCPS fashion.

I predict the whole IB thing will go up in smoke once the budget gets whacked.