bilingual and immersion schools?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not necessarily! There are immersion charters with strong facilities, like Yu Ying and LAMB, and DCPS programs with weak facilities.

What PPs haven't been talking much about is the quality of the language instruction (both in English & the target language) and whether programs offer dual immersion, or something like it.

My spouse and I speak several languages taught in DC's bilingual/immersion schools between us. Sorry to say, we haven't been very impressed with either the English or target language skills of most of the older kids we've talked to at open houses when school was in session. Oyster did seem to be ahead of the curve, but not by much.

Nobody seems to push to raise standards for language instruction and learning in DC, with a view to kids knocking it out of the park on IB diploma language assessments down the track. Why IS this? Because DCPS and DCPSCB set such a low bar that they're satisfied with outputs?

LAMB parent. The facilities are ok - not great. There's no gym, no space for a school nurse (thus no nurse), no library at any of the campuses, no librarian (there's a room with books at Perry / an alcove at Missouri Ave). It's a strong school and great community despite these things, but not on par with all but the oldest DCPS schools.

YY got a great space that works for them and have figured out how to make after care a profit center to help pay for what they don't get from the city.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not necessarily! There are immersion charters with strong facilities, like Yu Ying and LAMB, and DCPS programs with weak facilities.

What PPs haven't been talking much about is the quality of the language instruction (both in English & the target language) and whether programs offer dual immersion, or something like it.

My spouse and I speak several languages taught in DC's bilingual/immersion schools between us. Sorry to say, we haven't been very impressed with either the English or target language skills of most of the older kids we've talked to at open houses when school was in session. Oyster did seem to be ahead of the curve, but not by much.

Nobody seems to push to raise standards for language instruction and learning in DC, with a view to kids knocking it out of the park on IB diploma language assessments down the track. Why IS this? Because DCPS and DCPSCB set such a low bar that they're satisfied with outputs?

LAMB parent. The facilities are ok - not great. There's no gym, no space for a school nurse (thus no nurse), no library at any of the campuses, no librarian (there's a room with books at Perry / an alcove at Missouri Ave). It's a strong school and great community despite these things, but not on par with all but the oldest DCPS schools.

YY got a great space that works for them and have figured out how to make after care a profit center to help pay for what they don't get from the city.

+1. I'm not a LAMB parent, but I was going to say the same thing about LAMB's main campus. When I toured, I thought the facilities were ok, but definitely not something to get excited about. I was particularly disappointed to see that the "library" consists of a library cart that is pushed from classroom to classroom by parent volunteers.

Thanks for your candor PP (the LAMB parent). It's refreshing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We've been at Oyster for two years after fleeing Mundo Verde. Worlds apart in terms of resources, resources in the form of physical plant as well as the counselor, librarian, psychologist, art teacher, etc on staff.

For our family what makes the world of difference in comparing our two experiences at Spanish immersion schools is the professionalism of Sra. Berrocal (at the lower school.) As a former teacher, a fellow parent and advocate of bilingual learning she is an amazing asset to the whole community. Adore her ability to focus and offer advice- even though at times it can be tough to receive.

The administration at MV- and the overall unevenness of teacher talent- drove us away. There is an inflexible dogma from the principal which does not hold the best interest of students in mind. (eg. No considersation of moving students from a classroom, the execution of Responsive Classroom)

DC is learning, and thriving, at school.

So why are you still on the MV FB page? It's a little bizarre since you take every opportunity to badmouth the school here.

How do you know she's on the FB page?

It's a neighborhood forum with like 30 people who suggest nearby bilingual activities and ask for help picking kids up from school etc. It is one of those pages where you can see exactly who viewed every post and PP always appears on the list.

[Anonymous]

Seriously? I think the MV parent is a bit anxious about exposing anything not aligned with their viewpoint.

Do you bother to check to see who has read posts on FB? Isn't there enough clutter?

No dog in this fight- we have friends who are both schools. And other schools- without this pettiness.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We've been at Oyster for two years after fleeing Mundo Verde. Worlds apart in terms of resources, resources in the form of physical plant as well as the counselor, librarian, psychologist, art teacher, etc on staff.

For our family what makes the world of difference in comparing our two experiences at Spanish immersion schools is the professionalism of Sra. Berrocal (at the lower school.) As a former teacher, a fellow parent and advocate of bilingual learning she is an amazing asset to the whole community. Adore her ability to focus and offer advice- even though at times it can be tough to receive.

The administration at MV- and the overall unevenness of teacher talent- drove us away. There is an inflexible dogma from the principal which does not hold the best interest of students in mind. (eg. No considersation of moving students from a classroom, the execution of Responsive Classroom)

DC is learning, and thriving, at school.

So why are you still on the MV FB page? It's a little bizarre since you take every opportunity to badmouth the school here.

How do you know she's on the FB page?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We've been at Oyster for two years after fleeing Mundo Verde. Worlds apart in terms of resources, resources in the form of physical plant as well as the counselor, librarian, psychologist, art teacher, etc on staff.

For our family what makes the world of difference in comparing our two experiences at Spanish immersion schools is the professionalism of Sra. Berrocal (at the lower school.) As a former teacher, a fellow parent and advocate of bilingual learning she is an amazing asset to the whole community. Adore her ability to focus and offer advice- even though at times it can be tough to receive.

The administration at MV- and the overall unevenness of teacher talent- drove us away. There is an inflexible dogma from the principal which does not hold the best interest of students in mind. (eg. No considersation of moving students from a classroom, the execution of Responsive Classroom)

DC is learning, and thriving, at school.

MV has a counselor, psychologist, and art teacher on staff. Two years ago MV was a much newer school. Glad you are an advocate for Oyster because we don't see that much on here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We've been at Oyster for two years after fleeing Mundo Verde. Worlds apart in terms of resources, resources in the form of physical plant as well as the counselor, librarian, psychologist, art teacher, etc on staff.

For our family what makes the world of difference in comparing our two experiences at Spanish immersion schools is the professionalism of Sra. Berrocal (at the lower school.) As a former teacher, a fellow parent and advocate of bilingual learning she is an amazing asset to the whole community. Adore her ability to focus and offer advice- even though at times it can be tough to receive.

The administration at MV- and the overall unevenness of teacher talent- drove us away. There is an inflexible dogma from the principal which does not hold the best interest of students in mind. (eg. No considersation of moving students from a classroom, the execution of Responsive Classroom)

DC is learning, and thriving, at school.

MV has a counselor, psychologist, and art teacher on staff. Two years ago MV was a much newer school. Glad you are an advocate for Oyster because we don't see that much on here.

Lol--You need to use your sarcastic font when you post statements like this. Oyster may have some of the most passionate parent supporters on DCUM.

[Anonymous]

Mary Bethune is not on those old lists and has been quite good for our DC...started PK3 recently at NW campus. http://www.mmbethune.org

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not necessarily! There are immersion charters with strong facilities, like Yu Ying and LAMB, and DCPS programs with weak facilities.

What PPs haven't been talking much about is the quality of the language instruction (both in English & the target language) and whether programs offer dual immersion, or something like it.

My spouse and I speak several languages taught in DC's bilingual/immersion schools between us. Sorry to say, we haven't been very impressed with either the English or target language skills of most of the older kids we've talked to at open houses when school was in session. Oyster did seem to be ahead of the curve, but not by much.

Nobody seems to push to raise standards for language instruction and learning in DC, with a view to kids knocking it out of the park on IB diploma language assessments down the track. Why IS this? Because DCPS and DCPSCB set such a low bar that they're satisfied with outputs?

LAMB parent. The facilities are ok - not great. There's no gym, no space for a school nurse (thus no nurse), no library at any of the campuses, no librarian (there's a room with books at Perry / an alcove at Missouri Ave). It's a strong school and great community despite these things, but not on par with all but the oldest DCPS schools.

YY got a great space that works for them and have figured out how to make after care a profit center to help pay for what they don't get from the city.

There is a nurse and a library at the South Dakota campus. No librarian though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Mary Bethune is not on those old lists and has been quite good for our DC...started PK3 recently at NW campus. http://www.mmbethune.org

MMBDA was terrible for our family. There were a number of reasons, but one of them was that the Spanish instruction was awful. Though I certainly wasn't there all day everyday, I got the impression that when the teachers actually used Spanish as the language of instruction (certainly not half the day every day), everything was repeated in English right afterwards. We were at the Brookland campus. I felt like my child regressed in terms of Spanish that year, and when we moved to a different immersion school his language abilities exploded.