How's Ida B Wells doing?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Whittier parent here. Everything is working out logistically for the schools being across the street from each other. The principals talk frequently (calling it #manorparktowerofpower). Wells was so far above expected enrollment they established a sixth cohort and had to hire more teachers. I haven’t been inside during the day yet but all seems well. Our alumni in 6th grade come back over for hugs a lot.

As far as bilingual or immersion, we talked about it and our families don’t want it. A couple of years ago our 8th graders were second behind Brightwood for all of DCPS on a Spanish language exam. The families who do prioritize it have found other options. We’re investing (relatively speaking) in our STEM program, which we’re really excited about.

I am a neighborhood parent and really hope Wells does well. That being said- what is the plan for year 3 and beyond when they are enrolling so many kids??? There won’t be nearly enough space for all the neighborhood kids. Why does DCPS do this?

It's currently at 184 for 6th grade, built for anticipated 550 and 100% capacity at 630. We've already realized the cafeteria size could be an issue (since it's shared with Coolidge), but educational spaces have room to grow.

We were told for years by Council that we'd never fill the school so it wasn't worth doing. FWIW.

Ah, DCPS. Everyone gives them sh*t for building. But then the complaints of overcrowding begin.

A lot of the 6th graders are OOB kids who got access by graduating from a feeder or matching in the lottery. They offered 50 seats and matched with 19 of 34 applicants in the lottery. If crowding becomes a problem there is no need to offer lottery seats. I think it's smart to bring in the biggest 6th grade cohort they possibly can, because that brings in more money. In future years, they can comfortably admit 220 6th graders and let it attrition down to 210 7th graders and 200 8th graders. If that becomes an issue they could probably use some trailers like other schools do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You raise a very good point. The bilingual DCPS schools offered are not in this area, where most native speakers live. Remember, the point of bilingual ed is not only to teach a language to English speakers, but to serve ELL kids better. Those parents are the least likely to advocate for themselves to DCPS.

Many Latino families do not want a Spanish middle, high school, the students speak enough Spanish at home and in the community. The want their students to do well in English and go on to lead successful lives. In mixed-bilingual families, families from high SES they may prefer ...

This is a truly unfortunate misunderstanding of the purpose of dual language education. Also to the PP above, no, it’s not just to teach English speakers a second language! Schools like Brightwood already have a huge percentage of ELL and they are essentially in English immersion. Problem there is they don’t become literate in Spanish (at a high level) and also may miss some instruction given in English (see lower test scores). Schools instead do remedial work and ESl etc and treat them basically like some type of IEP kids when they are positioned to be so much more in a dual language environment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You raise a very good point. The bilingual DCPS schools offered are not in this area, where most native speakers live. Remember, the point of bilingual ed is not only to teach a language to English speakers, but to serve ELL kids better. Those parents are the least likely to advocate for themselves to DCPS.

Many Latino families do not want a Spanish middle, high school, the students speak enough Spanish at home and in the community. The want their students to do well in English and go on to lead successful lives. In mixed-bilingual families, families from high SES they may prefer ...

This is a truly unfortunate misunderstanding of the purpose of dual language education. Also to the PP above, no, it’s not just to teach English speakers a second language! Schools like Brightwood already have a huge percentage of ELL and they are essentially in English immersion. Problem there is they don’t become literate in Spanish (at a high level) and also may miss some instruction given in English (see lower test scores). Schools instead do remedial work and ESl etc and treat them basically like some type of IEP kids when they are positioned to be so much more in a dual language environment.

https://www.participatelearning.com/blog/how-dual-language-programs-benefit-english-language-learners/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You raise a very good point. The bilingual DCPS schools offered are not in this area, where most native speakers live. Remember, the point of bilingual ed is not only to teach a language to English speakers, but to serve ELL kids better. Those parents are the least likely to advocate for themselves to DCPS.

Many Latino families do not want a Spanish middle, high school, the students speak enough Spanish at home and in the community. The want their students to do well in English and go on to lead successful lives. In mixed-bilingual families, families from high SES they may prefer ...

This is a truly unfortunate misunderstanding of the purpose of dual language education. Also to the PP above, no, it’s not just to teach English speakers a second language! Schools like Brightwood already have a huge percentage of ELL and they are essentially in English immersion. Problem there is they don’t become literate in Spanish (at a high level) and also may miss some instruction given in English (see lower test scores). Schools instead do remedial work and ESl etc and treat them basically like some type of IEP kids when they are positioned to be so much more in a dual language environment.

https://www.participatelearning.com/blog/how-dual-language-programs-benefit-english-language-learners/

IDEALLY, this is not the reality in DC and many other urban areas. The students who are minority and low-SES as you say often do not develop fluency in any language, and as "bilingual" ed is popular right now with the high-SES community they often dominate or push the agenda at many of the bilingual schools and they become to teach the majority English speakers a second language. How these things should work and do work are often different. ELs throughout the country are struggling mind you, it is not just a local issue. Second language learners in this country often stagnate at an English proficiency level of 3, when proficient to their peers is considered a 5 or 6.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You raise a very good point. The bilingual DCPS schools offered are not in this area, where most native speakers live. Remember, the point of bilingual ed is not only to teach a language to English speakers, but to serve ELL kids better. Those parents are the least likely to advocate for themselves to DCPS.

Many Latino families do not want a Spanish middle, high school, the students speak enough Spanish at home and in the community. The want their students to do well in English and go on to lead successful lives. In mixed-bilingual families, families from high SES they may prefer ...

This is a truly unfortunate misunderstanding of the purpose of dual language education. Also to the PP above, no, it’s not just to teach English speakers a second language! Schools like Brightwood already have a huge percentage of ELL and they are essentially in English immersion. Problem there is they don’t become literate in Spanish (at a high level) and also may miss some instruction given in English (see lower test scores). Schools instead do remedial work and ESl etc and treat them basically like some type of IEP kids when they are positioned to be so much more in a dual language environment.

https://www.participatelearning.com/blog/how-dual-language-programs-benefit-english-language-learners/

IDEALLY, this is not the reality in DC and many other urban areas. The students who are minority and low-SES as you say often do not develop fluency in any language, and as "bilingual" ed is popular right now with the high-SES community they often dominate or push the agenda at many of the bilingual schools and they become to teach the majority English speakers a second language. How these things should work and do work are often different. ELs throughout the country are struggling mind you, it is not just a local issue. Second language learners in this country often stagnate at an English proficiency level of 3, when proficient to their peers is considered a 5 or 6.

From personal experience and the experiences of many family members and friends, I completely disagree with this. My family immigrated here and I knew no English when I started K. Had ESL classes for 2-3 years and did fine. Performed well academically in English classes, took top level classes, AP English, etc...

When ESL kids come here young in the elementary years, they become highly proficient in English quickly. Even my cousin who came at 11 years old is highly proficient in speaking, reading, writing.

It’s obvious PP is twisting information.

If you are older such as late teens and adults is when it is much more difficult to learn another language. So these are the people who might not become proficient.

Studies have proven that kids learn another language best within a window of birth till about 8 years old. It’s still easy to learn after 8 but as you get older, it’s more difficult and the most difficult as an adult.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Powell is in Ward 4 and as a dual language program and has a high percentage of Hispanics in the neighborhood.

There you go OP or whomever is advocating for an additional program.

Powell is the only DCPS dual language program in Ward 4. PPs are saying that perhaps there should be another, especially considering the percentage of ELL learners in the Wells/Coolidge feeder pattern. IMO Brightwood should be a dual-language school and offer students preference or something to MacFarland or CHEC.

Not all ELLs at the feeders are Spanish speaking. There are quite a few Amharic and French speakers as well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You raise a very good point. The bilingual DCPS schools offered are not in this area, where most native speakers live. Remember, the point of bilingual ed is not only to teach a language to English speakers, but to serve ELL kids better. Those parents are the least likely to advocate for themselves to DCPS.

Many Latino families do not want a Spanish middle, high school, the students speak enough Spanish at home and in the community. The want their students to do well in English and go on to lead successful lives. In mixed-bilingual families, families from high SES they may prefer ...

This is a truly unfortunate misunderstanding of the purpose of dual language education. Also to the PP above, no, it’s not just to teach English speakers a second language! Schools like Brightwood already have a huge percentage of ELL and they are essentially in English immersion. Problem there is they don’t become literate in Spanish (at a high level) and also may miss some instruction given in English (see lower test scores). Schools instead do remedial work and ESl etc and treat them basically like some type of IEP kids when they are positioned to be so much more in a dual language environment.

Above is true. If your ESL program is not strong and teachers are not experienced, they will get a suboptimal experience and it’s easy to say they need to be placed in remedial classes instead of getting the adequate and experienced resources they need.

As to the statement above that Latino families do not want Spanish immersion, I think it depends on SES. Low SES families who are not literate in English tend not to want their kids in Spanish immersion. That’s because they can’t support the English at home and are worried that only 1/2 the time is spent learning English.

But high SES native Spanish speaking families, they are already proficient in English, highly educated, and absolutely want Spanish immersion so their kids are fluent in not only speaking but also reading and writing in Spanish. They can easily also support and help their child in English at home but most don’t need it. The child is easily bilingual. We see this in many kids in our language immersion charter.

The opposite is also true of native English speaking parents who really value and want language immersion. If they can’t support at home, they will support outside of school if the child even needs it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You raise a very good point. The bilingual DCPS schools offered are not in this area, where most native speakers live. Remember, the point of bilingual ed is not only to teach a language to English speakers, but to serve ELL kids better. Those parents are the least likely to advocate for themselves to DCPS.

Many Latino families do not want a Spanish middle, high school, the students speak enough Spanish at home and in the community. The want their students to do well in English and go on to lead successful lives. In mixed-bilingual families, families from high SES they may prefer ...

This is a truly unfortunate misunderstanding of the purpose of dual language education. Also to the PP above, no, it’s not just to teach English speakers a second language! Schools like Brightwood already have a huge percentage of ELL and they are essentially in English immersion. Problem there is they don’t become literate in Spanish (at a high level) and also may miss some instruction given in English (see lower test scores). Schools instead do remedial work and ESl etc and treat them basically like some type of IEP kids when they are positioned to be so much more in a dual language environment.

Above is true. If your ESL program is not strong and teachers are not experienced, they will get a suboptimal experience and it’s easy to say they need to be placed in remedial classes instead of getting the adequate and experienced resources they need.

As to the statement above that Latino families do not want Spanish immersion, I think it depends on SES. Low SES families who are not literate in English tend not to want their kids in Spanish immersion. That’s because they can’t support the English at home and are worried that only 1/2 the time is spent learning English.

But high SES native Spanish speaking families, they are already proficient in English, highly educated, and absolutely want Spanish immersion so their kids are fluent in not only speaking but also reading and writing in Spanish. They can easily also support and help their child in English at home but most don’t need it. The child is easily bilingual. We see this in many kids in our language immersion charter.

The opposite is also true of native English speaking parents who really value and want language immersion. If they can’t support at home, they will support outside of school if the child even needs it.

Yes about SES. This is why it’s very easy to get into DCPS dual language programs as native Spanish speaking. They are not attracting the high SES native speaking families and the low SES families are not interested.

[Anonymous]

Anything new? Anyone here actually send their kids there?

[Anonymous]

Substitute teacher here. I have subbed there this year. They only have 6th grade this year. In my visual perspective the school is LARGELY Hispanic, like over 60% . Just like Roosevelt SHS.

[Anonymous]

Any updates from this school year?

[Anonymous]

I looked into Ida Wells last year and did not hear good things. Hopefully it has improved.
Isn’t the dual college HS also housed at Coolidge? Why have they stuffed so many different programs there?
I guess because Coolidge is significantly underenrolled. There, I answered my own question.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I looked into Ida Wells last year and did not hear good things. Hopefully it has improved.
Isn’t the dual college HS also housed at Coolidge? Why have they stuffed so many different programs there?
I guess because Coolidge is significantly underenrolled. There, I answered my own question.

Curious as to specifics from this or another current parent?

[Anonymous]

Coolidge has two academies and the citywide Early College application program. The Health Sciences academy has been there for several years and Mass Media became a full-fledged academy (with certifications) two years ago. These programs were all in response to community input to meet the needs and interests of current students and an interest in a rigorous citywide application program to grow enrollment.

I'm also curious what the PP heard about Ida B Wells, because my experience as a neighbor and upper-elementary Whittier parent has been the opposite. Obviously distance learning for a new school isn't the best way to gauge their accomplishments, but their enrollment is surpassing expectations and there's a lot of positive energy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Coolidge has two academies and the citywide Early College application program. The Health Sciences academy has been there for several years and Mass Media became a full-fledged academy (with certifications) two years ago. These programs were all in response to community input to meet the needs and interests of current students and an interest in a rigorous citywide application program to grow enrollment.

I'm also curious what the PP heard about Ida B Wells, because my experience as a neighbor and upper-elementary Whittier parent has been the opposite. Obviously distance learning for a new school isn't the best way to gauge their accomplishments, but their enrollment is surpassing expectations and there's a lot of positive energy.

Early College Academy is with Trinity. It had a rough start but perhaps things are better now.