Entering Oyster as Spanish-dominant -- Spanish proficiency test?

[Anonymous]

So I know that kids who are identified on the home language survey are generally tested for English language proficiency -- my question is about Spanish language proficiency. Do kids going to Oyster take a Spanish proficiency test?

[Anonymous]

If you put down Spanish as your dominant language, yes, there is a proficiency test. I think all of the schools that required you to choose English or Spanish as a dominant language are testing.

[Anonymous]

Some parents may be inclined to lie about which is their child's dominant language, thinking that they stand a better chance that way, so children are tested and their offer is cancelled if it turns out their parents lied.

[Anonymous]

It's often not a matter of "lying" but of stretching the truth ("sure, my cutie is Spanish dominant because she's spent 3 years full time with her Salvadoran nanny!").

OP: yes, there's a test, and quite in-depth.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Some parents may be inclined to lie about which is their child's dominant language, thinking that they stand a better chance that way, so children are tested and their offer is cancelled if it turns out their parents lied.

Absolutely true. I know a family that lied about that child's language dominance, and Oyster withdrew their Spanish-dominant seat and placed them at the end of the English-dominant WL.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
It's often not a matter of "lying" but of stretching the truth ("sure, my cutie is Spanish dominant because she's spent 3 years full time with her Salvadoran nanny!").

OP: yes, there's a test, and quite in-depth.

For one, there's no such thing as Spanish dominant. There's umpteen threads on this already. Please do a search. Unless your child just arrived here in the States, he/she is English dominant- even if the parents do not speak English.

Secondly, my child was in Spanish-only daycare and developed perfect Spanish fluency. She passed the test at Oyster with flying colors. If the kid can speak Spanish, the kid can speak Spanish.

Don't get rattled by these Span. Dom. Truther Bullies. They may have moral objections to what you chose to do or whatever. That's their problem.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
It's often not a matter of "lying" but of stretching the truth ("sure, my cutie is Spanish dominant because she's spent 3 years full time with her Salvadoran nanny!").

OP: yes, there's a test, and quite in-depth.

For one, there's no such thing as Spanish dominant. There's umpteen threads on this already. Please do a search. Unless your child just arrived here in the States, he/she is English dominant- even if the parents do not speak English.

Secondly, my child was in Spanish-only daycare and developed perfect Spanish fluency. She passed the test at Oyster with flying colors. If the kid can speak Spanish, the kid can speak Spanish.

Don't get rattled by these Span. Dom. Truther Bullies. They may have moral objections to what you chose to do or whatever. That's their problem.

The lottery application for Oyster states the following: "Please note that this is a dual-language program. The dual language program at Oyster-Adams has two separate lotteries for pre-k, kindergarten, and 1st grade students – one for children whose dominant language is English, and another for those who are native Spanish speakers whose dominant language is Spanish. Admitted students will be assessed to confirm their dominant language."

There is no ambiguity. If your child is not a native Spanish speaker whose dominant language is Spanish, then you have stolen the seat from a child who fits that description. In other words, you are a liar and a thief. Btw, there are plenty of children who are born and raised in this country (by two Spanish speaking parents) who are, in fact, Spanish-dominant. Your kid and others have skirted the rules and stolen seats at Oyster, but it's not without risks. Parents who are attempting this strategy need to be prepared to lose their seat if they do not speak Spanish...karma does exist.

[Anonymous]

Oyster-Adams is an amazing school. Like all schools, though, it has a healthy quota of crazy parents.

I rest my case.

[Anonymous]

If the benchmark is for a child to pass a "rigorous" fluency test, and a child meets that standard Oyster would be in hot water to deny admission based upon the race of the child or parents or the requirement that the parents meet some standard not legally required. Oyster knows this. To concerned parents, if your child is legitimately fluent, you won't have a problem. My kid could talk a supposed Spanish dominant kid under the table. I wish someone would deny her entry because of the cognitive dissonance her blonde hair and blue eyes create. That's moot because we're in.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Oyster-Adams is an amazing school. Like all schools, though, it has a healthy quota of crazy parents.

I rest my case.

+1. The problem with the previous principal is that she has often enabled if not encouraged the crazies. Well, she's out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Oyster-Adams is an amazing school. Like all schools, though, it has a healthy quota of crazy parents.

I rest my case.

+1. The problem with the previous principal is that she has often enabled if not encouraged the crazies. Well, she's out.

Immersion Fever turned their minds

[Anonymous]

Oyster is not allowed to have racial preferences. If they talk shit to you at the test, remind them of this. If my child was denied and they were a native fluent speaker, oyster would be facing a discrimination lawsuit. They're not dumb enough to risk that, especially since the dominance designation is manufactured to get Latinos in the school- which is illegal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Oyster is not allowed to have racial preferences. If they talk shit to you at the test, remind them of this. If my child was denied and they were a native fluent speaker, oyster would be facing a discrimination lawsuit. They're not dumb enough to risk that, especially since the dominance designation is manufactured to get Latinos in the school- which is illegal.

What are you talking about?!? Oyster has never said anything about racial preferences--Latinos can be ANY race. So, if your bilingual child passes the test, Oyster can simply ask you who speaks Spanish in the immediate family. You better speak Spanish (especially once the interviewer starts speaking to you only in Spanish). You can sue all you want (any idiot can file a lawsuit). Oyster will simply point to the language about native fluency, and then your case is dismissed. There is absolutely no racial component to requiring an OOB student to have native fluency.

[Anonymous]

It seems like such a nice school, but every thread involving Oyster turns into a verbal fistfight. Why?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Oyster is not allowed to have racial preferences. If they talk shit to you at the test, remind them of this. If my child was denied and they were a native fluent speaker, oyster would be facing a discrimination lawsuit. They're not dumb enough to risk that, especially since the dominance designation is manufactured to get Latinos in the school- which is illegal.

What are you talking about?!? Oyster has never said anything about racial preferences--Latinos can be ANY race. So, if your bilingual child passes the test, Oyster can simply ask you who speaks Spanish in the immediate family. You better speak Spanish (especially once the interviewer starts speaking to you only in Spanish). You can sue all you want (any idiot can file a lawsuit). Oyster will simply point to the language about native fluency, and then your case is dismissed. There is absolutely no racial component to requiring an OOB student to have native fluency.

Oyster cannot discriminate against a child based upon the language ability of the parent. You can speculate all you want. Oyster is stupid enough to follow your lead. The truth of the matter is a very small number of non-Hispanic fluent kids show up on Oyster's doorstep, so this largely a non-issue. In the case where a child is native fluent by the presented standard, they get in. Don't listen to all of these trolls trying to instill fear. They're hoping they frighten you off, knowing full well if you ignore their hateful asses and take the test, you're fine... And in. It pisses them off that you win in their pissing contest.