New principal: how to improve Oyster-Adams

[Anonymous]

You are misinformed if you believe that the vast majority of students who attend immersion schools in this area graduate with a higher level of Spanish fluency/literacy than Oyster students...if those students also come from English speaking homes (you must compare apples to apples). Please name the schools where this is allegedly the case. It can't be LAMB because I had a recent conversation with a parent whose son attended LAMB from PS through 5th grade. A year after leaving the school, and entering a private monolingual middle school, the kid can't even hold a conversation completely in Spanish (although he still understands Spanish very well.). This same parent told me that a LAMB administrator informed him that grade level fluency and literacy were no longer LAMB's goals for its graduating 5th graders because it just isn't realistic. I also don't think it’s Stokes or DC Bilingual, because both of those schools struggle just to get their high FARMs student populations to perform proficiently on the DC-CAS. Mundo Verde and Yu Ying don't have a enough of a track record to compare with Oyster; besides which, YY had to create a non-immersion track for those students who weren't even at grade level in English. No other dual immersion DCPS comes close to performing well as Oyster, so we shouldn't even focus on what they're doing in Spanish until those schools get it together in English. Are you speaking of WIS? I would hope that if you're shelling out $38,000 per year that your child speaks and reads like a native Spaniard (or Cervantes himself). However even WIS has this to say on their website:

Q: Will my child be bilingual when he/she leaves the Primary School?
A: When the second language learning is happening exclusively at school, it is not our
expectation that every child will attain a truly bilingual status. The goal for many students is
strong language fluency and proficiency by the end of 5th grade. For most families who wish
for their child(ren) to be fully bilingual, significant support outside of school is necessary. (link: http://www.wis.edu/data/files/gallery/ContentGalle...ently_Asked_Questions_1213.pdf)

Even WIS, the gold standard for dual immersion education in this area states that most children will need SIGNIFICANT support outside of school to be fully bilingual. So please PP, tell us which magical schools around here have managed to produce these extraordinary bilingual and biliterate students…without significant outside support (who also come from English speaking homes) where all others have failed?!?

[Anonymous]

You are misinformed if you believe that the vast majority of students who attend immersion schools in this area graduate with a higher level of Spanish fluency/literacy than Oyster students...if those students also come from English speaking homes (you must compare apples to apples). Please name the schools where this is allegedly the case. It can't be LAMB because I had a recent conversation with a parent whose son attended LAMB from PS through 5th grade. A year after leaving the school, and entering a private monolingual middle school, the kid can't even hold a conversation completely in Spanish (although he still understands Spanish very well.). This same parent told me that a LAMB administrator informed him that grade level fluency and literacy were no longer LAMB's goals for its graduating 5th graders because it just isn't realistic. I also don't think it’s Stokes or DC Bilingual, because both of those schools struggle just to get their high FARMs student populations to perform proficiently on the DC-CAS. Mundo Verde and Yu Ying don't have a enough of a track record to compare with Oyster; besides which, YY had to create a non-immersion track for those students who weren't even at grade level in English. No other dual immersion DCPS comes close to performing well as Oyster, so we shouldn't even focus on what they're doing in Spanish until those schools get it together in English. Are you speaking of WIS? I would hope that if you're shelling out $38,000 per year that your child speaks and reads like a native Spaniard (or Cervantes himself). However even WIS has this to say on their website:

Q: Will my child be bilingual when he/she leaves the Primary School?
A: When the second language learning is happening exclusively at school, it is not our
expectation that every child will attain a truly bilingual status. The goal for many students is
strong language fluency and proficiency by the end of 5th grade. For most families who wish
for their child(ren) to be fully bilingual, significant support outside of school is necessary. (link: http://www.wis.edu/data/files/gallery/ContentGalle...ently_Asked_Questions_1213.pdf)

Even WIS, the gold standard for dual immersion education in this area states that most children will need SIGNIFICANT support outside of school to be fully bilingual. So please PP, tell us which magical schools around here have managed to produce these extraordinary bilingual and biliterate students…without significant outside support (who also come from English speaking homes) where all others have failed?!?

I don't care what other public or charter schools in DC are doing if they are behind what other public schools in Texas or California can achieve. By the way,
DCI is planning to have AP Spanish in middle school.

Talk to your dearest Spanish teacher at Oyster-Adams and s/he will tell you that we don't have Spanish curriculum standards and that this can be much improved.

[Anonymous]

Yes PP, I already know that you don't care about bilingual education facts, but let's just pretend that you care. As I pointed out, WIS also does not achieve the result that you claim Texas and California schools achieve with their similarly situated students. WIS is routinely cited as one of the best international schools in the entire country, and they tell you on their website that your child is unlikely to achieve grade level fluency and biliteracy without significant outside support. But please don't take my word or WIS' word on this...just keep spreading your misinformation and bitterness. I'll keep providing that significant outside support so that my child actually achieves the result you seek. Btw, DCI is trying to do a lot of things, and I hope it's successful. However, please don't forget that Oyster has been successfully educating children for over 40 years... long before anyone had ever heard of DCI or it's feeder schools. That does not mean that there isn't room for improvement at Oyster, because of course that is always welcome. I fully intend to do my part to help the new principal improve the school, and not just post things on DCUM and complain.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I like that Adams offers Chinese in MS to students that don't need extra support in English or Spanish. DC is excited learning Chinese with Ms. Li and discusses Chinese phonetics with child of friends that goes to posh GDS.



Chinese is good, but the Spanish needs to be improved. After 10 years of immersion (Pre K - 8) we should expect better results in terms of literacy. A stronger Spanish curriculum that has a capstone AP course in 8th grade would do a lot to improve academics and retention at the school. Many more families would stay if their child is earning college credit at Adams.




You expect a 7th or 8th grader to earn credit for college courses? Are you serious?!? What schools offer that option?

Someone told me it is the most common AP course for 8th graders. In any case, many schools do offer AP Spanish in 8th grade. It is perfectly feasible and not a pipe dream. Look it up on the web. For example, http://www.teamiddleschoolspanish.org/overview_booklet.pdf

DC should definitely follow Texas' example. Perhaps DC should also start teaching that the earth is 6000 years old, too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can someone please provide a concrete reason why the two campus thing is bad? I keep hearing that, but I have yet to hear a single concrete example of why it is a problem. As the parent of a kid whose teams already compete with gym time, I think consolidating the whole school into one building with one gym, one set of outdoor play areas and one lunch room would be an absolute nightmare. Furthermore, I would expect the parents of kindergarteners to be reluctant to send their tiny kids to the same school as 8th graders. We've gone through both buildings, and we think it works great. I get that it might be inconvenient for the principal, but won't she have more APs next year per student than any other school in DCPS?

The two campus model is not bad--I prefer it as well. Monica just didn't like the arrangement.

I prefer the two campus model too. Much more humane dimension than one single macrocampus, separation of elementary and MS kids, consistent with the nationwide trend towards small schools.

Agreed. The problem at O-A is the grade configuration of 3rd grade and 4th/5th grade being over a mile apart. This means that for students there is less differentiated instruction and accelerated learning opportunities. Which leads to dissatisfaction and the large dropoff that starts when the move to Adams for 4th grade presents parents with a "natural" break to move children to new schools. One of my children lost nearly a third of their grade before starting at Adams and most from Woodley side of the boundary.

I would have preferred one building for elementary grades even if it meant trailers. (Many high performing schools use trailers or have crappy buildings.)

Third and fourth shouldn't be a "natural" break socially or academically for a dual-immersion program for long term bi-literacy.

If the Oyster space on Calvert can somehow include 4th & 5th, students would be better served.

[Anonymous]

Q: Will my child be bilingual when he/she leaves the Primary School?
A: When the second language learning is happening exclusively at school, it is not our
expectation that every child will attain a truly bilingual status. The goal for many students is
strong language fluency and proficiency by the end of 5th grade. For most families who wish
for their child(ren) to be fully bilingual, significant support outside of school is necessary. (link: http://www.wis.edu/data/files/gallery/ContentGalle...ently_Asked_Questions_1213.pdf)

Even WIS, the gold standard for dual immersion education in this area states that most children will need SIGNIFICANT support outside of school to be fully bilingual. So please PP, tell us which magical schools around here have managed to produce these extraordinary bilingual and biliterate students…without significant outside support (who also come from English speaking homes) where all others have failed?!?

Dear PP,

I am not bitter. I just want OA to improve where it realistically can. Like WIS, I don't expect children to be bilingual and biliterate by the end of elementary school. But by the end of MS it is an achievable objective as many other schools that are offering the AP exam have showed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In response to PP, yes, we have new principal. Her name is Mayra Canizales.

Former OA parent here-She seems fantastic. I wonder how the teachers feel about answering to a 28 year old, though. She's half the age of some of them.

[Anonymous]

I believe Oyster-Adams currently has a parent-teacher group researching bilingual teaching approaches in schools in Maryland and Virginia in order to build a new Spanish teaching curriculum built on best practices.

Is the new principal bilingual? I presume she is but do not see it stated anywhere.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I believe Oyster-Adams currently has a parent-teacher group researching bilingual teaching approaches in schools in Maryland and Virginia in order to build a new Spanish teaching curriculum built on best practices.

Is the new principal bilingual? I presume she is but do not see it stated anywhere.

Yes, she is definitely bilingual.

[Anonymous]

But is she bi-literate? Can she translate her own email, or will she be dependent on volunteer parent translators like Monica. It slows down communication a lot.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:But is she bi-literate? Can she translate her own email, or will she be dependent on volunteer parent translators like Monica. It slows down communication a lot.

Yes, definitely. She is a native Spanish/English dual language speaker

[Anonymous]

Hi everyone, looking at the WIS site I see that in middle school they have seven core subjects and one elective.

English;
Second Language (Dutch, French or Spanish);
Mathematics;
Science;
Humanities (History and Geography combined); ** Humanities is taught in the second language**
Physical Education/Health; and
Arts (Visual Art/Music)

+ one elective.

It would be so great if we could do something similar at Adams. In our case, that would be

English Language Arts;
Spanish Language Arts;
Mathematics;
Science;
Spanish Humanities (History and Geography combined taught in Spanish);

+ one elective (Chinese, or one of the extra support classes for English, Spanish, etc)

remaining time would be for Physical Education/Health and Arts (Visual Art/Music)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hi everyone, looking at the WIS site I see that in middle school they have seven core subjects and one elective.

English;
Second Language (Dutch, French or Spanish);
Mathematics;
Science;
Humanities (History and Geography combined); ** Humanities is taught in the second language**
Physical Education/Health; and
Arts (Visual Art/Music)

+ one elective.

It would be so great if we could do something similar at Adams. In our case, that would be

English Language Arts;
Spanish Language Arts;
Mathematics;
Science;
Spanish Humanities (History and Geography combined taught in Spanish);

+ one elective (Chinese, or one of the extra support classes for English, Spanish, etc)

remaining time would be for Physical Education/Health and Arts (Visual Art/Music)

What does Adams' current middle school schedule look like?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Q: Will my child be bilingual when he/she leaves the Primary School?
A: When the second language learning is happening exclusively at school, it is not our
expectation that every child will attain a truly bilingual status. The goal for many students is
strong language fluency and proficiency by the end of 5th grade. For most families who wish
for their child(ren) to be fully bilingual, significant support outside of school is necessary. (link: http://www.wis.edu/data/files/gallery/ContentGalle...ently_Asked_Questions_1213.pdf)

Even WIS, the gold standard for dual immersion education in this area states that most children will need SIGNIFICANT support outside of school to be fully bilingual. So please PP, tell us which magical schools around here have managed to produce these extraordinary bilingual and biliterate students…without significant outside support (who also come from English speaking homes) where all others have failed?!?

Dear PP,

I am not bitter. I just want OA to improve where it realistically can. Like WIS, I don't expect children to be bilingual and biliterate by the end of elementary school. But by the end of MS it is an achievable objective as many other schools that are offering the AP exam have showed.

Well, at least we share the same goal that REALISTIC improvements are made at O-A. While I strongly believe that Oyster is a great school with a long and proud history, there is always room for improvement. However, it’s important to acknowledge that Oyster does a darn good job (great community and high test scores) considering it’s constraints (constant DCPS budget cuts and a lackluster outgoing principal)—the school’s shortcomings are really high class problems that other public schools would LOVE to have (i.e., Algebra II instead of Algebra I in 8th grade; more electives and sports extracurriculars; improved/updated website; less mean girl/boy (verbal) issues in middle school; and offering an AP Spanish class).

Btw, please don’t be duped into believing that WIS’ students, generally, achieve the bilingualism/biliteracy of which you speak with just 2-3 years of additional schooling. There are many students at WIS (some of whom I know personally), who come from monolingual homes and they are still not at grade level in oral fluency and literacy in the target language at the end of 8th grade. If that was not the case, WIS would make it crystal clear on its website that its students are balanced bilinguals by the end of middle school. WIS can’t make that claim…so it doesn’t. It’s also important to remember that WIS is FULL immersion in PK and K. Oyster is 50/50 the entire way through. WIS can hand-pick its classes at every grade level (usually 1/3 English, 1/3 Spanish and 1/3 bilingual). Despite the dual lottery, Oyster has no real control over the percentage of English speakers after PK. WIS draws from an almost uniformly upper middle class and wealthy population (0% to <1% FARMS); Oyster is 25% FARMS. WIS doesn’t have to worry about the DC-CAS (or any other test) in 3rd grade…Oyster does. I say all of this to say that WIS has much more control over its curriculum and (largely affluent) student body, and yet it’s students’ don’t achieve much greater bilingualism/biliteracy than Oyster students without significant outside support in the target language. Yes, Oyster can and should improve, but let’s also be realistic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonworriedn response to PP, yes, we have new principal. Her name is Mayra Canizales.[/quote wrote:

Former OA parent here-She seems fantastic. I wonder how the teachers feel about answering to a 28 year old, though. She's half the age of some of them.

Teachers report to assistant principals. The MS AP is the one who should be worried.