Immersion upheaval: immersion schools are changing throughout the county

[Anonymous]

I fear that opening 2-way immersion schools only in areas with large Spanish speaking populations will further drive out the non-Hispanic middle class and accelerate segregation in MCPS. If MCPS is really serious about the benefits of learning a second language for all children, they would open immersion schools in Bethesda and Chevy Chase too. But they won't.

And to those who point to the popularity of the lottery immersion schools I'll say this: of 5 families I know who sent their kids to language immersion, 4 did so to avoid their low-income local school and get them into a classroom of middle class peers. If you offer them that same immersion experience at their local low-income school, they will not want it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I fear that opening 2-way immersion schools only in areas with large Spanish speaking populations will further drive out the non-Hispanic middle class and accelerate segregation in MCPS. If MCPS is really serious about the benefits of learning a second language for all children, they would open immersion schools in Bethesda and Chevy Chase too. But they won't.

And to those who point to the popularity of the lottery immersion schools I'll say this: of 5 families I know who sent their kids to language immersion, 4 did so to avoid their low-income local school and get them into a classroom of middle class peers. If you offer them that same immersion experience at their local low-income school, they will not want it.

Rock creek forest and Westland are in the Bethesda Chevy Chase zone. The problem is not opening schools in Bethesda. It’s why are there aren’t more up county programs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I fear that opening 2-way immersion schools only in areas with large Spanish speaking populations will further drive out the non-Hispanic middle class and accelerate segregation in MCPS. If MCPS is really serious about the benefits of learning a second language for all children, they would open immersion schools in Bethesda and Chevy Chase too. But they won't.

And to those who point to the popularity of the lottery immersion schools I'll say this: of 5 families I know who sent their kids to language immersion, 4 did so to avoid their low-income local school and get them into a classroom of middle class peers. If you offer them that same immersion experience at their local low-income school, they will not want it.

Rock creek forest and Westland are in the Bethesda Chevy Chase zone. The problem is not opening schools in Bethesda. It’s why are there aren’t more up county programs.

Sorry, I'm talking about the 2-way immersion schools they're rolling out. The kind where everyone in the school zone does immersion, not the choice schools like RCF. They have already opened three this year and two are upcounty: Brown Station and Washington Grove. They will be opening more. The odds are zero that they will open them in wealthy white schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I fear that opening 2-way immersion schools only in areas with large Spanish speaking populations will further drive out the non-Hispanic middle class and accelerate segregation in MCPS. If MCPS is really serious about the benefits of learning a second language for all children, they would open immersion schools in Bethesda and Chevy Chase too. But they won't.

And to those who point to the popularity of the lottery immersion schools I'll say this: of 5 families I know who sent their kids to language immersion, 4 did so to avoid their low-income local school and get them into a classroom of middle class peers. If you offer them that same immersion experience at their local low-income school, they will not want it.

Rock creek forest and Westland are in the Bethesda Chevy Chase zone. The problem is not opening schools in Bethesda. It’s why are there aren’t more up county programs.

Sorry, I'm talking about the 2-way immersion schools they're rolling out. The kind where everyone in the school zone does immersion, not the choice schools like RCF. They have already opened three this year and two are upcounty: Brown Station and Washington Grove. They will be opening more. The odds are zero that they will open them in wealthy white schools.

The school district says dual language works best when you have enough students already proficient in each language to mentor each other. So, I would not expect them to open one in an area without a lot of fluent Spanish speakers. Having said that, I don't see why there can't be more partial immersion. There should be significant time spent in early grades in different languages. And I wish someone would say what "low-income" schools people are trying to avoid by applying to immersion programs. I can't imagine that the advantages of bilingualism would not be a bigger draw than the desire to not be near low income people. (Not that I think it's good to avoid low income people.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I fear that opening 2-way immersion schools only in areas with large Spanish speaking populations will further drive out the non-Hispanic middle class and accelerate segregation in MCPS. If MCPS is really serious about the benefits of learning a second language for all children, they would open immersion schools in Bethesda and Chevy Chase too. But they won't.

And to those who point to the popularity of the lottery immersion schools I'll say this: of 5 families I know who sent their kids to language immersion, 4 did so to avoid their low-income local school and get them into a classroom of middle class peers. If you offer them that same immersion experience at their local low-income school, they will not want it.

Rock creek forest and Westland are in the Bethesda Chevy Chase zone. The problem is not opening schools in Bethesda. It’s why are there aren’t more up county programs.

Sorry, I'm talking about the 2-way immersion schools they're rolling out. The kind where everyone in the school zone does immersion, not the choice schools like RCF. They have already opened three this year and two are upcounty: Brown Station and Washington Grove. They will be opening more. The odds are zero that they will open them in wealthy white schools.

The school district says dual language works best when you have enough students already proficient in each language to mentor each other. So, I would not expect them to open one in an area without a lot of fluent Spanish speakers. Having said that, I don't see why there can't be more partial immersion. There should be significant time spent in early grades in different languages. And I wish someone would say what "low-income" schools people are trying to avoid by applying to immersion programs. I can't imagine that the advantages of bilingualism would not be a bigger draw than the desire to not be near low income people. (Not that I think it's good to avoid low income people.) Goodness- get out of my head! What she said, everybody. Thanks for saving me time by typing this out for me. My dd is in an immersion program and left a highly desired school to do so, several of her classmates did. The school tracks this and shares this information. It boggles my mind that there are people who still don’t get this. We want our children to be bilingual. Period.

[Anonymous]

HAHAHha. Yeah whatever PP. great way to spread around the FARMs rates and continue to build classes of one-third sub-performers, average performers and high performers. Kid learn best from their 30 peers, right folks!! The top kids can doodle around and the teacher can focus on the bottom.

MoCo immersion is not at all how Oyster school or WIS does it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I fear that opening 2-way immersion schools only in areas with large Spanish speaking populations will further drive out the non-Hispanic middle class and accelerate segregation in MCPS. If MCPS is really serious about the benefits of learning a second language for all children, they would open immersion schools in Bethesda and Chevy Chase too. But they won't.

And to those who point to the popularity of the lottery immersion schools I'll say this: of 5 families I know who sent their kids to language immersion, 4 did so to avoid their low-income local school and get them into a classroom of middle class peers. If you offer them that same immersion experience at their local low-income school, they will not want it.

Amen, it is an opt out program not a language one.

[Anonymous]

You can keep this mess in the DCC, I am so glad I can walk my kids to their elementary and enjoy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I fear that opening 2-way immersion schools only in areas with large Spanish speaking populations will further drive out the non-Hispanic middle class and accelerate segregation in MCPS. If MCPS is really serious about the benefits of learning a second language for all children, they would open immersion schools in Bethesda and Chevy Chase too. But they won't.

And to those who point to the popularity of the lottery immersion schools I'll say this: of 5 families I know who sent their kids to language immersion, 4 did so to avoid their low-income local school and get them into a classroom of middle class peers. If you offer them that same immersion experience at their local low-income school, they will not want it.

Rock creek forest and Westland are in the Bethesda Chevy Chase zone. The problem is not opening schools in Bethesda. It’s why are there aren’t more up county programs.

Yea, and about 90% of the kids in immersion at RCF live in Silver Spring

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You can keep this mess in the DCC, I am so glad I can walk my kids to their elementary and enjoy.

I'm not sure what you mean. There are plenty of schools within walking distance of homes in the "DCC." What exactly is this mess you are talking about? I'd really like to know.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I fear that opening 2-way immersion schools only in areas with large Spanish speaking populations will further drive out the non-Hispanic middle class and accelerate segregation in MCPS. If MCPS is really serious about the benefits of learning a second language for all children, they would open immersion schools in Bethesda and Chevy Chase too. But they won't.

And to those who point to the popularity of the lottery immersion schools I'll say this: of 5 families I know who sent their kids to language immersion, 4 did so to avoid their low-income local school and get them into a classroom of middle class peers. If you offer them that same immersion experience at their local low-income school, they will not want it.

Amen, it is an opt out program not a language one.

Except of course for all the committed people who are passionate about learning languages. And there are a great many among the students, parents and staff in the immersion programs. It's just so silly to do the right thing for the wrong reasons while taking spots from people who are actually passionate about giving their children the gift of bilingualism. It's also interesting that no one ever says which schools exactly are the ones with all the poor folk they don't want their child associating with.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I fear that opening 2-way immersion schools only in areas with large Spanish speaking populations will further drive out the non-Hispanic middle class and accelerate segregation in MCPS. If MCPS is really serious about the benefits of learning a second language for all children, they would open immersion schools in Bethesda and Chevy Chase too. But they won't.

And to those who point to the popularity of the lottery immersion schools I'll say this: of 5 families I know who sent their kids to language immersion, 4 did so to avoid their low-income local school and get them into a classroom of middle class peers. If you offer them that same immersion experience at their local low-income school, they will not want it.

Rock creek forest and Westland are in the Bethesda Chevy Chase zone. The problem is not opening schools in Bethesda. It’s why are there aren’t more up county programs.

Yea, and about 90% of the kids in immersion at RCF live in Silver Spring

The worst school in the BCC cluster is still better than anything in the DCC. And then they fight for the kids to “stay with their friends” and go on to Westland even though the immersion program is over. Why not head back to your neighborhood school, wait no need to answer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You can keep this mess in the DCC, I am so glad I can walk my kids to their elementary and enjoy.

I'm not sure what you mean. There are plenty of schools within walking distance of homes in the "DCC." What exactly is this mess you are talking about? I'd really like to know.

They multiple reasons the county feels the need to put these programs in those school is the issue that is the growing mess. Think of it this way, stores never put in demand items on sale. It is a last ditch effort to stem white flight in areas that have been getting poorer and darker for 30 years and are reaching tipping points.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I fear that opening 2-way immersion schools only in areas with large Spanish speaking populations will further drive out the non-Hispanic middle class and accelerate segregation in MCPS. If MCPS is really serious about the benefits of learning a second language for all children, they would open immersion schools in Bethesda and Chevy Chase too. But they won't.

And to those who point to the popularity of the lottery immersion schools I'll say this: of 5 families I know who sent their kids to language immersion, 4 did so to avoid their low-income local school and get them into a classroom of middle class peers. If you offer them that same immersion experience at their local low-income school, they will not want it.

Rock creek forest and Westland are in the Bethesda Chevy Chase zone. The problem is not opening schools in Bethesda. It’s why are there aren’t more up county programs.

Yea, and about 90% of the kids in immersion at RCF live in Silver Spring

The worst school in the BCC cluster is still better than anything in the DCC. And then they fight for the kids to “stay with their friends” and go on to Westland even though the immersion program is over. Why not head back to your neighborhood school, wait no need to answer.

No, it's not. Like I said dd's immersion program in the dcc has lots of students from Bethesda area schools. These kids are getting something they can't get from these English only schools Bethesda school. You can't see the value in that. So can just stay basic and ignorant.

[Anonymous]

What’s the DCC? Our kids are in Pyle and bored out of their minds after the 4 & 5th grade magnet program. Student peer set and classroom interactions not even close.