DC Bilingual VS Inspired Teaching?
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Anonymous
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Just not sure what to go with.
DC Bilingual is closer and we are a family that can support Spanish in the home. Inspired Teaching is not too far but a fifteen minute drive as opposed to a twenty minute walk We are a white non-profit type family. Is this a no-brainer? We know families that love each school and feel fortunate to have such a great choice to make. But I also feel paralyzed because we haven't sent a kid to either school. We have done tours, like the administration and facilities of each. I love the location of DC Bilingual but feel like ITS might be a better fit? Mostly because we would be just an average family at ITS whereas our son would be different at DCB. And we know that we are very lucky to have two great options. |
Anonymous
| Are you sure it's a 15 minute drive? We drive past DCB every day on way to IT building and it takes us 7-8 minutes from DCB (Fort Totten-2nd-Harwood-4th). |
Anonymous
No, I'm not. I really thought it was less because I used to do that commute and I thought it was less but Googlemaps tells me it's 11-12 minutes so I was adding a bit to that assuming the commute has increased since I did it ten years ago. |
Anonymous
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That's a big difference in commutes. For me, the walk might make the difference.
But I think your level of desire for bilingual ed is also important. Personally I don't see it as viable long-term, unless the child has a native speaker at home. By your phrasing, it sounds like you might not actually be native speakers? On the flip side, my understanding is that DCI is more viable for middle school options right now, which is important too. I'd want to take the long-term view and really investigate how the upper grades are at ITS and DCI and whether either of them will really be a place you want for jr high. It seems to me that a lot of these charter schools kind of peter out in the upper grades, in terms of instructional content that starts to be much more important as you get closer to HS (eg math). |
Anonymous
You should try it one day. Of course there will be a few minutes added on (especially after Bridges opens) but our commute is 15 minutes and DCB is our halfway point. |
Anonymous
We are not native speakers but are both strong Spanish speakers. Good point on upper elementary grades and MS/HS comparisons. It's very easy to take the short term view. |
Anonymous
| What is the draw to DCI? Is it just to have somewhere to go for high school? Didn't IT middle score better than DCI? |
Anonymous
| I wouldn't choose a bilingual school for my preschooler based solely on it having a path to HS, nor would I reject a non-language school simply because it doesn't (yet) have a HS. Go with your gut OP. Where do you see your child successful? Where do you see your family fitting better? Does your child like or have an affinity or cultural connection to language that you would prioritize above all other factors? |
Anonymous
NP. Re DCI -- for some having a high school path is really important, even if they know they may go elsewhere. DCI is a larger middle school than IT will be - so more social and extracurricular activities. There is also the IB curriculum. As for test scores - only one year of data to compare due to switch to PARCC and DCI has a much more diverse population (more SN, more economically at risk, more ELL). You'd have to try and compare subgroups and I"m not sure there are enough students to do that. This is an immersion / non-immersion decision. |
Anonymous
No dog on this fight but what I know upper grades at Inspired are very diverse. I agree with PP, I would not choose a school for a 3 year old just for a high school path. There are enough options in the city for high school that I wouldn't make a long term bet just for that reason. |
Anonymous
Not really! in just 6-7 years when jr high is on the horizon, you might really regret not having a middles school/high school path in place. I agree that this is just one consideration among many, and definitely fluid, but it's a big consideration. |
Anonymous
Inspired has a middle school. DCI is no guarantee to be an option. I have friends that are opting out of DCI for Macfarland/Roosevelt. |
Anonymous
How ? The dual-language program at Macfarland is not open to anyone not enrolled in a DCPS Spanish immersion program. And that's the only part of Macfarland that's opening this fall. I can, however, imagine some who hope that Macfarland/roosevelt will be an option for them when their child reaches 6th grade because they don't want to commute all the way up to Walter Reed. |
Anonymous
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We are a former IT family that left for another school for the Spanish immersion. LOVED IT- and it was a great experience in our two years there. Still friends with many families- and have stayed in touch with teachers here and there.
Spanish immersion is important to us - so have not regretted the switch. We know of friends who left another charter (MV) for DC Bilingual. Also have friends who have worked there- looks like a positive place to be, with solid teaching, especially in the early grades. Personally, based on what you've indicated, I would give it a shot. Between now and middle school/high school, you will see how schools improve, how large a school environment there is, etc. Suerte! |
Anonymous
| I truly doubt that there are people choosing Macfarland over DCI. DCI is fed by DCB, Stokes, Lamb, MV and YY. It is a great school. But OP- you should make sure you want to do immersion. |