Powell, Marie Reed, or Cleveland for Spanish immersion?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What, exactly, are people afraid of in exposing their kids to lower income peers? Exposure to another culture, black or Hispanic? We are talking about elementary school children here. Happily our children are growing up in a more color blind world. Try speaking to someone from a different SES, culture, neighborhood and learn something new.

I think you are drawing the wrong conclusions from the questions. I'm the original poster, and we are moving back to the US this month from Latin America. So no, no afraid of exposing my kids to low income kids or another culture--they are well acquainted with both. But since we aren't currently based in DC, we are making decisions in something of a vacuum. I'm concerned about the quality of the bilingual education, and in maintaining their Spanish, as my job will likely take us back south of the border at some point.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:All this talk about the classes do not have enough native Spanish speaking kids. My concern, as a highly educated Hispanic, is that the majority of Hispanic kids in these programs are from very poor families, and the parents are illiterate in Spanish. They speak Spanish, but not well. Their spelling, in particular, is grammatically wrong. I want my kids to keep their Spanish, but I am concerned that the other kids will bring the overall learning in the classroom down. Not to mention that these kids are learning English for the first time. I saw this at Powell, for example.

But the teachers are there to teach them the proper way to speak the language, no? Also what school would you recommend instead? Let me guess Oyster or MV?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All this talk about the classes do not have enough native Spanish speaking kids. My concern, as a highly educated Hispanic, is that the majority of Hispanic kids in these programs are from very poor families, and the parents are illiterate in Spanish. They speak Spanish, but not well. Their spelling, in particular, is grammatically wrong. I want my kids to keep their Spanish, but I am concerned that the other kids will bring the overall learning in the classroom down. Not to mention that these kids are learning English for the first time. I saw this at Powell, for example.

But the teachers are there to teach them the proper way to speak the language, no? Also what school would you recommend instead? Let me guess Oyster or MV?

I also think this is less of a concern if your child loves reading. As they hit the upper grades, what they see in books will be the dominant influence on their vocabulary/spelling.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All this talk about the classes do not have enough native Spanish speaking kids. My concern, as a highly educated Hispanic, is that the majority of Hispanic kids in these programs are from very poor families, and the parents are illiterate in Spanish. They speak Spanish, but not well. Their spelling, in particular, is grammatically wrong. I want my kids to keep their Spanish, but I am concerned that the other kids will bring the overall learning in the classroom down. Not to mention that these kids are learning English for the first time. I saw this at Powell, for example.

But the teachers are there to teach them the proper way to speak the language, no? Also what school would you recommend instead? Let me guess Oyster or MV?

I also think this is less of a concern if your child loves reading. As they hit the upper grades, what they see in books will be the dominant influence on their vocabulary/spelling.

+1 on the reading.

[Anonymous]

The problem I am referring to is present at all the schools, MV and Oyster included.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The problem I am referring to is present at all the schools, MV and Oyster included.

But what's the alternative? I don't really see one, short of bilingual homeschooling.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The problem I am referring to is present at all the schools, MV and Oyster included.

But what's the alternative? I don't really see one, short of bilingual homeschooling.

Studying abroad?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The problem I am referring to is present at all the schools, MV and Oyster included.

This sounds like a complaint about the limitations of all public schools. If that's the case, and you have the means, go private. Or hire a tutor, or Spanish-speaking nanny.

But recognize that a public school has to serve the needs of its resident population and, in DC, that includes a lot of kids whose parents don't speak proper Spanish. It does not mean their kids can't learn.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The problem I am referring to is present at all the schools, MV and Oyster included.

This sounds like a complaint about the limitations of all public schools. If that's the case, and you have the means, go private. Or hire a tutor, or Spanish-speaking nanny.

But recognize that a public school has to serve the needs of its resident population and, in DC, that includes a lot of kids whose parents don't speak proper Spanish. It does not mean their kids can't learn.

I take it that the post on the top line was from the person who self-identified as a "highly educated Hispanic." I'd be interested in hearing what that poster has chosen for education for his/her own children.

[Anonymous]

That's it! I'll quit my job and homeschool! No, seriously, we can't afford private school. So DCPS it is.