Washington Yu Ying feedback

[Anonymous]

I have posted once ( and once alone) about Yu Ying two months ago. I have a child at Yu Ying, I am a separate poster from the most recent participants on this thread.
Here are specific things I like about the school:

The teachers are actually doing differentiated instruction based on where kids are at--my child is strong in "math" and while other kids are doing basic number recognition, and concepts, she has been given assignments that challenge her. Not sure if this is going on in the Chinese class room as well, but I think it is.

Second: So far I like the PYP-primary years program curriculum that the school is using. I like the unit of inquiry model where a block of time is used to explore related concepts. She really seems to enjoy this aspect of school.

I like the parents and children I've met. Very interesting jobs, backgrounds, and things that made them choose Yu Ying. From all over the city.

I like the diversity--before my child was at a school that was 96% African American. It wasn't diverse--very homogenous. Her current classmates are white, black (AA and African or Carribean), Hispanic, and Asian.

I like the progress she is making in Mandarin (I am probably in a minority of parents at the school because for me learning Mandarin was a side note, I was more concerned about the overall quality of the school, rigor of academics, and her peer environment).

I like the transparency the school adminstration has used with parents about enrollment, budget, funding, and how parents can be involved.

I like the web portal the school set up so I can log in and read about my child's day, see lesson plans, pictures of her, and upcoming events.

Now here are some things I don't like:

I wish the school and a bigger playground or better outdoor space.
I wish I knew where the school will be 3 years from now given that their lease is temporary
I wish the school offered music instruction
I wish the school offered transporation given its location
I wish they had applied to be a k-highschool! (Where will she go in 9th grade?) Flip side of this is that I like that the school is Prek-8th--no worrying about middle school in DCPS!
I wish the school had more students that are Mandarin native speakers, even though I know this goal is hard to achieve given the small chinese pop. in DC

After two months, I feel much more comfortable about the choice I made to enroll her. She is happy and tells me she loves school. Her English literacy skills have improved markedly, and obviously her Mandarin as well. I would whole-heartedly recommend parents check out the school not because I'm a booster, or a sock puppet, but because I'm a parent who was at another charter that I felt unhappy with and I think the Yu Ying teaching staff and administration have really stepped up the quality and excellence of education my daughter is receiving.

[Anonymous]

I'm new to this thread, but also a Yu Ying parent. My son is 4 and he is teaching me colors and numbers up to 20 in Chinese. Surreal! He's not really challenged in the English class because he already reads to me at home and they are doing pretty basic stuff, but he loves the Chinese and his teacher Jue Wang is outstanding -- tremendous energy and unlimited patience with kids even when they understand just a fraction of what she says. She was the one pictured in the CityPaper cover story. Even though they can't always follow her words, she uses big animated gestures and objects to illustrate meaning. It's brilliant. You have to see it.

The school is also well run for a new school, very professional and cutting edge. They have a family portal where I get daily updates from my son's teachers with pictures of class activities and audio clips of the Chinese words.

I love the other families I've met at Yu Ying. They are very diverse, open-minded, and curious about the world.

What I don't like? I wish the school were closer to my home. Maybe the permanent location will be closer.

[Anonymous]

No wonder our schools are full of mean and selfish and self absorbed litttle bratty kids...the apple does not fall far...

[Anonymous]

Great feedback, 13:55. Thanks for taking the time.

[Anonymous]

I have posted about Yu Ying before, but not here and never to this level of detail.

How We Found Yu Ying:

We chose the school for our child because we wanted an education that offered more than just "appropriate grade level" or worse - remedial work. We wanted something academically engaging, which would offer our child a real intellectual challenge, and DCPS schools don't offer G & T programs. We disagreed about the appropriate course (DH wanted to move to Fairfax and I wanted to stay in DC and look at private schools) and actually "lucked into" Yu Ying because another family we know was talking about it (they had already decided to enroll their daughter in K). I don't know if we would have actually moved, this may be a good time to buy a house but it's a terrible time to sell one. I couldn't even bring myself to contact a realtor.

Background on Us, What We Wanted in a School, and Why We Chose Yu Ying:

DH taught college-level math courses while in grad school and I speak more than one language so we were confident that we could support our child in school if the teachers weren't up to snuff. However, the prospect of having to hover over DC's academics in that fashion seemed truly depressing. What we wanted was a curriculum that would engage and challenge our child, something to inspire DC to work hard and take pride in accomplishments and success - basically a program that would inspire a love of learning. As it happens, we actually weren't looking at Mandarin in particular (or even language immersion in general) but we decided it aligned well with our educational priorities and goals.

My schooling did not particularly challenge me when I was growing up. I was bright enough to be at the top of my class and get into a very competitive university, but I never really had to WORK HARD until I got to college. When I did, I was shocked to be surrounded by so many very bright fellow students who had learned genuine academic discipline at their elite private (or highly competitive public) schools. On the one hand it was great that learning was "cool" in this environment, but it made me aware of the shortcomings of being smart enough to "coast" through school and get top grades and be a National Merit Finalist without having to apply myself. This is something I really want to avoid for our child.

What I like about DC learning Mandarin is that it is something each individual child can take as far as his(her) abilities and interest allow, much like learning English. By that I mean that all American schoolchildren study and learn English, but the brightest among them take it step further and read for pleasure on their own and otherwise actively pursue the acquisition of knowledge simply because they've learned to enjoy it. I’m convinced the addition of another language to the curriculum presents such an opportunity to the student, but with the benefit of academic program support.

Finally, all factors being otherwise equal (or equivalent), it confers a compelling educational background, which an elite college admissions officer is going to give a long, hard look. I know that last Spring/Summer when I walked out of the school’s presentation, I vividly recall thinking to myself “I would have LOVED a school like this growing up!”

Things I Like About Yu Ying:

I appreciate that the school is trying to make it easier for me to support DC's Chinese. The school is also planning to offer Mandarin classes for family members too, and I hope to take advantage of it at some point. The Family Portal includes links to the vocabulary the children are using, as well as audio bytes of how the words should sound. For all I know all schools have such a comprehensive family access portal, but from my survey of family and friends I'm inclined to doubt it. I certainly appreciate being able to browse the curriculum documents and realize that the entire language arts, math, Chinese, etc. program has been so thoroughly planned in all its goals and objectives and methods and is available for scrutiny. I suspect this rigor is related to Yu Ying's application to be an I.B.O. program, but that's another feature of the school, which I like. I like the inclusion of Visual Arts and Physical Education in the curriculum, though I'll be glad when Music is introduced as well. I like the aftercare Friday Fieldtrips (which have included visits to the Zoo, the Chinese Cultural Center, the National Arboretum, and attendance at a book reading by Dionne Warwick) because as a family we concur with the philosophy of using the city as a learning laboratory to explore and enjoy. I sincerely am impressed by the caliber of the teachers whose professional qualifications are available on the website (for those demanding parents like myself who need to be reassured of these things).

Things I Would Change:

Once the school receives its IBO certification (a 3-4 year process) I'd like to see it rewrite its charter up through 12th grade. I'd also like to know where the permanent facility will be (personally I like the quiet corner of DC they're in now and I'd prefer if they stay far away from the bustling though convenient commercial corridors). And as a poster above mentioned, I'd like a larger playground & apparatus, though the inclusion of P.E. in the curriculum mitigates this somewhat.

Bottom Line:

I would definitely recommend Yu Ying to family, friends, and even acquaintances, etc. Having said that, my feelings about promoting the school are ambivalent and it's fine with me if the school has somewhat of a low profile. If the only applicants are education-savvy parents on DCUM my heart will not be troubled. I'm not sure if that qualifies as a regrettably elitist attitude, but I like the intelligent, dedicated, and sophisticated nature of the families I've met so far, and I'm in no hurry to see if it will change. It's not the school for everyone, but if you've made it to the end of this post and you're still intrigued, then chances are it is right for you.

[Anonymous]

Thanks so much to 11:47 for the thorough post of Yu Ying. It is really helpful and much appreciated.

[Anonymous]

My son is a native speaker (mother, mother-in-law and others speak almost entirely to him in Mandarin) and we're considering this as an option, but one of the concerns we have is that he is quite a bit more advanced in his Mandarin than some of his fellow students who are getting their first exposure to it and are not practicing at home. We've spoken to some other Chinese families (in DC and MD) who have expressed similar concerns about immersion--they're more comfortable in sending them to good English-only schools and supplementing with the Chinese language classes on the weekends and speaking it at home. We're planning on attending an open house when we get a chance and talk to some of the teachers to hear their thoughts on this.

[Anonymous]

I would also like more information about this school. I attended an open house. It seems really impressive; however,
not very happy with the leadership. In particular, I think the executive director was quite rude and avoided answering some questions. I would like to know anyone else's opinions--especially, those of current families, if possible.

[Anonymous]

I am a current parent at the school. I have had a good overall experience thus far. It hasn't been perfect--but my major criteria are being met. A. My daughter loves going to school, B) she is learning a ton in both English and Mandarin, C) her teachers are EXCELLENT and D) the administration is open and transparent with parents about everything.

Sorry you had a negative experience with the exec dir. I have never had any problems with her, the principal, or the teachers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would also like more information about this school. I attended an open house. It seems really impressive; however,
not very happy with the leadership. In particular, I think the executive director was quite rude and avoided answering some questions. I would like to know anyone else's opinions--especially, those of current families, if possible.

Sorry you felt that way, I actually like her quite a lot. Anyway, you could try posting here the questions you felt she was avoiding. Maybe someone else can answer them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would also like more information about this school. I attended an open house. It seems really impressive; however,
not very happy with the leadership. In particular, I think the executive director was quite rude and avoided answering some questions. I would like to know anyone else's opinions--especially, those of current families, if possible.

I'm also a current parent, my daughter is in preK. I really like Mary, the Executive Director. I find her very accessible and she has tons of drive and energy. All of the board members are pretty amazing and continue to work incredibly hard to develop the school. We love it of course, and it's the main reason we're staying in DC.

[Anonymous]

Interestingly, I also had an unpleasant (truthfully rude) experience with the ED. I have two kids that will be attending Yu Ying in the fall. I meet her at an open house this past spring and was surprised to see how uninterested she was in a new parent and his children. This was a fundraising event put on by the kids and the teachers, so her excuse was that she was not in a position to answer any questions about the school. She was there to participate and assist in the fundraiser only. In my first encounter with her, I thought I must have misunderstood and gave her the benefit of the doubt. So, I approached her a second time at the same event to explain that I was in fact a new parent and wanted to simply introduce myself. I also told her that I thought the encounter seemed rude. Instead of Mary having the slightest apologetic posture she instead made it my issue. Stating again that she did not have time to speak with me and that I should schedule time to speak with "someone at the school". I was quite put off. I later observed Mary interact with parents (who I assume she already knew) at the same event. I'm initially left thinking what was it about me that would cause such a negative response from her. However, I soon came to the conclusion that she was infact just a rude individual and the posts on this site have confirmed my suspicion. I have read people say that it has not been their experience, but once and now twice is too many times. I have no ax to grind here, I don't know her and I am new to the school. I will say this, I am not of fan of the Yu Ying ED and if her treatment is representative of how me and my kids should expect to be treated, i am not sure I will want them to attend for very long.

[Anonymous]

PP, I met the ED at a recruitment fair and I was surprised at how rude she was too. I thought she was overwhelmed by the number of parents she had to speak with.

[Anonymous]

Mary,

You've posted on this thread. Care to reply?

[Anonymous]

She is brusque, to be sure. But her job is to oversee the nuts and bolts, and generally doesn't require people skills. That being said, I have no idea why she speaks for or represents the school because her demeanor seems to be universally off-putting. It would be *nice* if she was charismatic, but she is the paperwork/ facilities person. She is not involved in the classrooms or teaching in way that I have ever witnessed (and I am at the school very regularly). She is, however, a very nice person who is well qualified and works VERY hard at the school.