Yu Ying. What's better- one way or two way immersion

[Anonymous]

The thread about up and coming immersion schools was completely hijacked and unable to be brought back. Please continue the yu Ying "convo" here.

[Anonymous]

Thank you.

Everyone agrees two way immersion is better... But charter rules forbid preferences except for siblings.


So stop criticizing Yu Ying for something it has no control over and for following charter board rules.

[Anonymous]

I have no idea what "one way vs. two way" refers to.

But YY is a great school, any way.

[Anonymous]

Has Yu Ying gone to the council to drum up support for two-way immersion? When?

[Anonymous]

^You can do a search. Someone stated on another Yu Ying thread that YY has approached the public charter school board twice about letting kids test-in into the higher grades and got turned down twice.

Makes sense since I've heard they are dropping the last lottery entrance grade from 2nd to 1st. They literally have no way to replace kids that leave although their retention is very high especially in the younger grades. The difference between YY and MoCo Mandarin immersion is that in DC, there are very limited options, no G&T, no middle school/high school options that support Mandarin, etc.

[Anonymous]

I am a new YY parent this year. Haven't met anyone who doesn't think two way impression is not better.

A teacher told me of efforts to change the PCSB rules, including testimonials from parents of older fluent kids who would like to go but can't because of the grade 2 limit. No dice.

[Anonymous]

Immersion, not impression. In other words everyone at YY I have spoken to believes two way immersion is ideal.

[Anonymous]

As someone whose job requires that I take occasional assignments for a year or two outside the area, and then return, this topic is of great interest to me. It is VERY important that my children are able to return to a school they've been successful at, if they meet all the other requirements. Obviously there are lots and lots of students who move into the district above the 1st grade. Are we to accept that none may attend a bilingual charter? My kids can keep up the language skills required (esp. as my next assignment may be in CHINA).

I would ask that we keep this discussion focused on-topic of letting older kids with language skills test in and avoid talk of race or other issues.

The simple fact is that for any family here who serves in the military, or is in the civil service, or foreign service, this is a vital issue. It is sad, and hard for me to fathom, that DC public school policy turns its back on the kids of families who serve their country. This has got to change.

[Anonymous]

http://www.change.org/start-a-petition

Start a petition to the Public Charter School Board to get them to allow language test-in to back-fill available positions post-2nd grade. Post the petition on DCUM, immersion charter school FB pages and lists, neighborhood list-serves, etc. Take the results of the survey to the PCSB and the DC Council's Education Committee. A body at rest stays at rest, if you want change: GO FOR IT.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:^You can do a search. Someone stated on another Yu Ying thread that YY has approached the public charter school board twice about letting kids test-in into the higher grades and got turned down twice.

Makes sense since I've heard they are dropping the last lottery entrance grade from 2nd to 1st. They literally have no way to replace kids that leave although their retention is very high especially in the younger grades. The difference between YY and MoCo Mandarin immersion is that in DC, there are very limited options, no G&T, no middle school/high school options that support Mandarin, etc.

That won't be true much longer! DCI will allow the Yu Ying students to continue studying Mandarin all the way through HS and pursue the IB Diploma in Chinese.

[Anonymous]

YY will eventually find a way to the best practice of two way immersion just like it sorted out that pk and k should be full immersion. It takes time though to get the school community on board with programs that are so new, not to mention the work that must follow with the city government and the have/have not policy gardians.

[Anonymous]

The petition is a great idea! Pp who may move to China: yOu should start it.

[Anonymous]

the dc charter school reform act is federal law, not public charter school board policy or interpretation. I applaud an effort to change it, but it will be harder than lobbying the charter school board.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:YY will eventually find a way to the best practice of two way immersion just like it sorted out that pk and k should be full immersion. It takes time though to get the school community on board with programs that are so new, not to mention the work that must follow with the city government and the have/have not policy gardians.

K is not full immersion only preK is. When they add preK 3, THAT will be only in Mandarin so kids can get 2 full yrs of Mandarin before k.

[Anonymous]

Yu Ying already does too much to screen out children. Changing charter school law should not be changed to allow them to do so even more.