Moving from Dallas - Need recommendations on best DC Spanish Immersion Schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a 2nd grader and a kindergartner in a 2-way dual language school in Dallas. I've read good reviews on Bancroft and Bruce-Monroe. I don't think we can afford homes in Oyster school district. Any opinions on Bancroft or Bruce-Monroe or Dual Language in Alexandria. Thank you for your time!
~Andrea

She's looking for other options. Posters are still talking about OA.

OP Im posted earlier on the issues of BM. But Im also a resident of the Park View (In bound for Bruce Monroe) neighborhood which I generally like very much. Nice homes, lots of tree lined streets, lots of family activities on the stunning grounds of the Old Soldiers Home/Lincoln Cottage and easy access to petworth metro station. And renovated houses in Parkview now start around $650 but get bid up to around 700k, average days on market is about 7. I just wanted to add that to the concversation since you have to factor in what you can afford and then what public school you will be in bound for. Its frustrating to pay so much money for housing and still be in bounds for such a challenged school. In DC, very few neighborhoods have house prices that are "affordable" and get you a good school. West of Rock Creek park, you are looking at 800-1mil for a lot of homes that needs updates and are small or not close to metro. On Cap Hill, to be IB for Brent you are looking at probably 900k. I love DC and I want more families to move here but previous posters are probably being fair when they suggest you look in VA instead. And if the lottery doesn't work for us in a few years, we will head to VA as well.

The Riggs Park neighborhood is still reasonable with nice homes etc. The neighborhood school is Lasalle, but you can lottery for you school of choice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'd rent in the Tyler area. Great neighborhood to raise kids in. Higher grades in spanish immersion are made of very small classes.

Don't do it. The test scores are TERRIBLE at Tyler. Further, when I toured the school, I witnessed several behavioral issues among the older students (i.e, cursing and yelling in the hallways).

GASP!!!! YOU MEAN KIDS CURSE????? Well my god. Who'd have thunk it????
Yes, by all means, let's try to find a school where no kids have ever uttered a curse word.

Tyler ends at 5th grade. Do your 3rd through 5th graders curse? If you're comfortable with that type of environment, then I wish your children well during their tenure at Tyler. However, I don't want my children exposed to the chaos that I witnessed during the tour. That's my choice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'd rent in the Tyler area. Great neighborhood to raise kids in. Higher grades in spanish immersion are made of very small classes.

Don't do it. The test scores are TERRIBLE at Tyler. Further, when I toured the school, I witnessed several behavioral issues among the older students (i.e, cursing and yelling in the hallways).

GASP!!!! YOU MEAN KIDS CURSE????? Well my god. Who'd have thunk it????
Yes, by all means, let's try to find a school where no kids have ever uttered a curse word.

Tyler ends at 5th grade. Do your 3rd through 5th graders curse? If you're comfortable with that type of environment, then I wish your children well during their tenure at Tyler. However, I don't want my children exposed to the chaos that I witnessed during the tour. That's my choice.

Guess your school of choice during your tour you didn't hear the kids at that time? All kids curse at some point even if it's just a word or two they heard from their parents. You don't know what goes on at the playground when you are t there.

[Anonymous]

NP here -- yes, kids do curse, however, if kids are cursing in the school halls, there is a problem. The kids should know that that is not okay and there should be adults present in the halls that discourage that behavior. As a 4th grader, I remember experimenting with curse words; however, my friends and I had enough sense not to curse in the school building where teachers, parents and visitors could hear (as there were consequences). I remember mostly saying a few choice words on the playground away from adults.

I never visited Tyler, however I did visit another DC public school where the older kids (4th/5th grade) cursed and were disrespectful in the hallways during an open house/tour day for prospective parents. I crossed the school off our list because if the administration/teachers can't control the kids on an Open House day, sorry, but I think that reflects on the school culture negatively.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'd rent in the Tyler area. Great neighborhood to raise kids in. Higher grades in spanish immersion are made of very small classes.

Don't do it. The test scores are TERRIBLE at Tyler. Further, when I toured the school, I witnessed several behavioral issues among the older students (i.e, cursing and yelling in the hallways).

GASP!!!! YOU MEAN KIDS CURSE????? Well my god. Who'd have thunk it????
Yes, by all means, let's try to find a school where no kids have ever uttered a curse word.

Tyler ends at 5th grade. Do your 3rd through 5th graders curse? If you're comfortable with that type of environment, then I wish your children well during their tenure at Tyler. However, I don't want my children exposed to the chaos that I witnessed during the tour. That's my choice.

Guess your school of choice during your tour you didn't hear the kids at that time? All kids curse at some point even if it's just a word or two they heard from their parents. You don't know what goes on at the playground when you are t there.

Are you trying to kid yourself, or others to?

[Anonymous]

I am white and not low SES. I chose Bruce Monroe for PS 3 (through the lottery, not in-boundary) and declined some very choice Charter Schools. I toured the school and liked the teachers as well as the physical environment. I also like the fact that most of the kids speak Spanish, not English. A big reason I chose it was proximity to my home and not having to spend an hour and a half in a car everyday with two kids, in order to get a three year old to school.

There are some things I don't like about the school, but I know that would happen anywhere. The complaints I've heard about the "good" charter schools are numerous.

I don't have a long-range plan. Things change in my life from year to year and things change with the schools also. What I know right now is I am happy with Bruce Monroe and my three year old LOVES it. I just don't think I could do any better than that today.