Fairfax County-unequal opportunity for language learning?

[Anonymous]

Can somebody help me understand how it is possible that Fairfax county provides unequal opportunity in schools funded by taxpayer dollars and doesn't address this fact through a viable transfer request process?

Only certain elementary schools are designated as immersion (Kent Gardens for French as example). Some others have fles but only in a specific language (Chinese only offered at a few school, Spanish at a few others etc)

If a student wishes to have immersion or a specific language they are basically out of luck unless they are zoned for a school that has those--and it's haphazard in terms of who has what. And to make matters worse, you are only eligible for immersion in middle school if you had in elementary which basically discriminates against those who go to elementaries with no language option

In Arlington at least there is a lottery system where you get a fair (even if limited) shot at accessing this type of taxpayer funded resource for your child at a location reasonable to your home (ie-Claremont or Key for Spanish)

In Fairfax, the policy seems unequal that some school populations are denied the opportunity given to other school populations.

Unless I have misread the transfer policy, you can not request a transfer review due to desire for immersion or language exposure nor can you apply for a lottery to a school with immersion or fles unless you live in certain bounds for that school or cluster Seems ripe for a petition of some sorts to get it looked at. I am surprised that there doesn't seem to be much discontent in this (much on these boards is about aap but I rarely hear anything about the language options. Maybe I have totally misunderstood the situation?

Am I mistaken? Just seems like a policy that treats taxpayer dollars unevenly.

[Anonymous]

Maybe people look at the location of these programs before they buy or rent homes.

[Anonymous]

There used to be a lottery process for the immersion programs. Has that changed?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There used to be a lottery process for the immersion programs. Has that changed?

I was thinking the same thing. My son applied via lottery to Spanish immersion at Lake Anne ES and got in (we were initially wait-listed).

[Anonymous]

The immersion schools are all by lottery? Siblings do get priority, but to join immersion, one must apply to the lottery, even if it is your neighborhood school. You are required to provide transportation if it is not your neighborhood school, but could drive clear across FCPS if you so desired.

[Anonymous]

Pp here. First sentence should have been a statement, not question.

[Anonymous]

To the original poster:

It's not like they are denying students equal math or reading education. It's a foreign language and I don't think its a requirement for them to teach it to everyone. Something nice to have, but most don't seem to care about it as much as you do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The immersion schools are all by lottery? Siblings do get priority, but to join immersion, one must apply to the lottery, even if it is your neighborhood school. You are required to provide transportation if it is not your neighborhood school, but could drive clear across FCPS if you so desired.

Is this a new policy for in boundary kids to have to apply for their neighborhood immersion school? When DC went to Bailey's Spanish immersion, in boundary kids automatically got in.

[Anonymous]

Here's a link to information on the application process:

http://www.fcps.edu/is/worldlanguages/immersion.shtml#partial

It is a county wide lottery. Bailley's Elementary has a separate process for which you contact the school directly.

[Anonymous]

Gosh, think of all the time and energy the OP wasted writing that post and being indignant. All she had to do was go to the FCPS website, search "immersion programs" and read that there's a county-wide lottery with no preferential treatment for in-bounds families.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Can somebody help me understand how it is possible that Fairfax county provides unequal opportunity in schools funded by taxpayer dollars and doesn't address this fact through a viable transfer request process?

Only certain elementary schools are designated as immersion (Kent Gardens for French as example). Some others have fles but only in a specific language (Chinese only offered at a few school, Spanish at a few others etc)

If a student wishes to have immersion or a specific language they are basically out of luck unless they are zoned for a school that has those--and it's haphazard in terms of who has what. And to make matters worse, you are only eligible for immersion in middle school if you had in elementary which basically discriminates against those who go to elementaries with no language option

In Arlington at least there is a lottery system where you get a fair (even if limited) shot at accessing this type of taxpayer funded resource for your child at a location reasonable to your home (ie-Claremont or Key for Spanish)

In Fairfax, the policy seems unequal that some school populations are denied the opportunity given to other school populations.

Unless I have misread the transfer policy, you can not request a transfer review due to desire for immersion or language exposure nor can you apply for a lottery to a school with immersion or fles unless you live in certain bounds for that school or cluster Seems ripe for a petition of some sorts to get it looked at. I am surprised that there doesn't seem to be much discontent in this (much on these boards is about aap but I rarely hear anything about the language options. Maybe I have totally misunderstood the situation?

Am I mistaken? Just seems like a policy that treats taxpayer dollars unevenly.

It took decades for them to offer full day kindergarten to all children. It is all about resources.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The immersion schools are all by lottery? Siblings do get priority, but to join immersion, one must apply to the lottery, even if it is your neighborhood school. You are required to provide transportation if it is not your neighborhood school, but could drive clear across FCPS if you so desired.

Is this a new policy for in boundary kids to have to apply for their neighborhood immersion school? When DC went to Bailey's Spanish immersion, in boundary kids automatically got in.

In-boundary kids get first priority for Spanish Immersion at Bailey's, but because it's so overcrowded there may not be enough Spanish Immersion spots for every in-boundary kid. Remember, Spanish Immersion is only a small portion of the Bailey's population. If the parent doesn't contact the school specifically about SI, the child could be shut out. I know of at least one in-boundary Bailey's family that it happened to.

[Anonymous]

There is a lottery system for the language immersion programs, if you get in you provide transportation.

For FLES, I agree with the OP. Some schools have it, some don't. I don't think this wise use of resources. If FCPS provides foreign language classes for some schools at no additional charge, it should provide foreign language classes in all schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There is a lottery system for the language immersion programs, if you get in you provide transportation.

For FLES, I agree with the OP. Some schools have it, some don't. I don't think this wise use of resources. If FCPS provides foreign language classes for some schools at no additional charge, it should provide foreign language classes in all schools.

I think the School Board would like to see that occur as well. But budget/resources have been the limiting factor.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:To the original poster:

It's not like they are denying students equal math or reading education. It's a foreign language and I don't think its a requirement for them to teach it to everyone. Something nice to have, but most don't seem to care about it as much as you do.

New poster here. You are wrong (not to mention short-sighted, IMO). A foreign language in elementary should not be seen as "nice" but as "basic". And yeah, most parents I know care as much as OP does, so I wouldn't assume her to be in the minority. We just bought a house in N. Arlington and one of the first things we looked at for the local elementary was its foreign language program.