Yu Ying - Transferring to Yu Ying from another state

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I often think there are two DCs. The dynamic, innovative, progressive and cosmopolitan DC which has the best and brightest coming from all over the country and all over the world to try and make a change - versus a stagnant, old-school, retrograde core that's resistant to change.

That's why thread after thread boils over here. Movers and shakers bringing something better or pushing for something better and then those who did nothing either feeling threatened and lashing out at everyone or asking where their piece of the pie is.

You obviously forgot the 3rd DC: the one full of people who think that the only way to be "dynamic, innovative, progressive and cosmopolitan" is to have policies, plans and structures that serve your middle and upper classes and push lower classes out. Because that is pretty much what you're saying about the fact that the public charter school board does not allow charters to test in at any grade because it doesn't want to cut out access to families who can't afford a private Mandarin tutor, or Spanish summer camp, or private Montessori schools until they can nab a spot at a public one.

You do a disservice to visionary people everywhere who who are dynamic, innovative and progressive who actually want a present and a future where EVERYONE is served well, not just a DC where only those who can afford to live here and go to school here (even in public school). When you trash the policy of not testing in for charter schools, you trash one of the fundamental values that DC charter schools were developed for: offering other quality options to DC residents who had the worst of options. Guess who those DC residents were when charters were first established here? Not you, not me, not OP, because we weren't sending our kids ot public school then (unless we lived IB for the only decent middle or high school). To turn around and say you can test in absolutely undermines the commitment to providing access to ALL DC residents (just like neighborhood preference would as well). No, that is NOT "stagnant, old-school and retrograde being resistent to change.

Deal with it entitled people: the very people preventing a test in option are the "stagnant, old-school, retrograde" people who were part of creating the charter schools that you so desperately want entry to now. Trying to keep the door even faintly open for lower SES families and families who don't have geographic advantages of being IB for great DCPS schools is NOT stagnant, and while I do hope there will some day be a way to figure out increasing applications and interest from families who already speak Mandarin or French or whatever, so that the pool of applicants includes more native speakers, I defend to the end the randomness of admission and the fact that kids who herwise wouldn't have a shot in a million years at speaking Mandarin and all the doors that may open to that child, that that child has a shot - a loooooong shot (like everyone else's long shot), but a shot nonetheless, at going to a school like Yu Ying.

Instead of writing a book on DCUM, read one dipshit... and get therapist!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wouldn't be surprised if Yu Ying is the only Mandarin immersion school in the country that does not allow students to test in for their higher grades. All thanks to DC politics.

Really? Exactly which "DC politics" benefit from this policy? Seriously, if you're going to spew ridiculous, uninformed soundbites, back them up. What "politics" are behind keeping this policy?

The same policy that does not allow for pure test-in charters. So back to the initial question, know any Mandarin schools that are not allowed to take test-in students in the later grades?

[Anonymous]

Hi, 15:21.

I read the follow-up from OP that pissed you off as "here is how things should work in a perfect world."

The rants that followed made me wonder how much some parents hate the lower SES families that won the charter school lottery.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wouldn't be surprised if Yu Ying is the only Mandarin immersion school in the country that does not allow students to test in for their higher grades. All thanks to DC politics.

Really? Exactly which "DC politics" benefit from this policy? Seriously, if you're going to spew ridiculous, uninformed soundbites, back them up. What "politics" are behind keeping this policy?

The same policy that does not allow for pure test-in charters. So back to the initial question, know any Mandarin schools that are not allowed to take test-in students in the later grades?

Get a clue - "DC politics" does not equal POLICY. The first is people, the 2nd is written policies.

For "DC politics" to prevent YY from being like every other immersion school in the country according to you (which is wrong, but you don't care about facts, do you), it takes PEOPLE to defend this policy.

If you say DC politics are preventing this, you are saying specific PEOPLE are invested in this not changing. WHO is invested? Without being able to say who you think is keeping this policy as is and defending it, your are admitting you're full of shit and have no clue how either DC politics work or how charter schools in DC work.

So, who in DC politics wants this so badly they are enforcing it against all these privileged people who want ot see it change?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I often think there are two DCs. The dynamic, innovative, progressive and cosmopolitan DC which has the best and brightest coming from all over the country and all over the world to try and make a change - versus a stagnant, old-school, retrograde core that's resistant to change.

That's why thread after thread boils over here. Movers and shakers bringing something better or pushing for something better and then those who did nothing either feeling threatened and lashing out at everyone or asking where their piece of the pie is.

You obviously forgot the 3rd DC: the one full of people who think that the only way to be "dynamic, innovative, progressive and cosmopolitan" is to have policies, plans and structures that serve your middle and upper classes and push lower classes out. Because that is pretty much what you're saying about the fact that the public charter school board does not allow charters to test in at any grade because it doesn't want to cut out access to families who can't afford a private Mandarin tutor, or Spanish summer camp, or private Montessori schools until they can nab a spot at a public one.

You do a disservice to visionary people everywhere who who are dynamic, innovative and progressive who actually want a present and a future where EVERYONE is served well, not just a DC where only those who can afford to live here and go to school here (even in public school). When you trash the policy of not testing in for charter schools, you trash one of the fundamental values that DC charter schools were developed for: offering other quality options to DC residents who had the worst of options. Guess who those DC residents were when charters were first established here? Not you, not me, not OP, because we weren't sending our kids ot public school then (unless we lived IB for the only decent middle or high school). To turn around and say you can test in absolutely undermines the commitment to providing access to ALL DC residents (just like neighborhood preference would as well). No, that is NOT "stagnant, old-school and retrograde being resistent to change.

Deal with it entitled people: the very people preventing a test in option are the "stagnant, old-school, retrograde" people who were part of creating the charter schools that you so desperately want entry to now. Trying to keep the door even faintly open for lower SES families and families who don't have geographic advantages of being IB for great DCPS schools is NOT stagnant, and while I do hope there will some day be a way to figure out increasing applications and interest from families who already speak Mandarin or French or whatever, so that the pool of applicants includes more native speakers, I defend to the end the randomness of admission and the fact that kids who herwise wouldn't have a shot in a million years at speaking Mandarin and all the doors that may open to that child, that that child has a shot - a loooooong shot (like everyone else's long shot), but a shot nonetheless, at going to a school like Yu Ying.

Instead of writing a book on DCUM, read one dipshit... and get therapist!

Excellent! If that is the best response you can come up with, I've obviously made my point. But really, I'm pretty sure I'm not having this conversation with you anyway. You don't sound like anyone with enough of a clue to be a threat to anything I believe in, so don't bother coming back with a specific book recommendation for me to read - I'm certain I'm not interestd in what you think at all.

Cheers!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hi, 15:21.

I read the follow-up from OP that pissed you off as "here is how things should work in a perfect world."

The rants that followed made me wonder how much some parents hate the lower SES families that won the charter school lottery.

Believe me, they are boiling. It's probably the only time that most of those families think of lower SES families at all. The comments made here that show such utter ignorance... or total disregard... on the impact on access to these school spots is disgusting. It's par for the course, and hardly new, but it's still disgusting.

I really love the one though who thinks you're only innovative or progressive if you oppose the strict random access. But that is also very status quo, this attitude of "I'm used to things working for me, or being able to buy/strategize my way through what doesn't work for me. I don't like this, it's old, stagnant, not forward-thinking because it doesn't serve ME!"

Believe me I understand and also value the benefit of native speakers in an immersion or bilingual school. It's an incredible asset, it enhances everyone's experience. But with everything, you have to weigh the costs with the benefits, and the bottom line is that enough people in DC can start sending their kids to Mandarin daycare at 1 yr old, or hiring Mandarin speaking nannies, to eventually make sure that every open slot is flled with someone who either actually grew up in a Mandarin speaking household, or who has been groomed from year 1 to gain entry into a Mandarin program. On the flipside, you have a DC public education system that was the worst in the country, but none of the people complaining now cared that it wasn't serving low SES families, because that wasn't their family and they assumed it was private or move out of DC.

Now innovative people brought good charters to DC, with a mission, and now that everyone wants those schools, "To hell with the mission!"

Yup, your point is right on. It makes people most livid that they have no control (it was maddening for me too, but I understood why and I didn't try to overturn it even after getting shut out 2 years from the schools we wanted). But for some, the fact that no only did they NOT get in, but someone who doesn't own a car and who doesn't look like their neighbors got it instead... yeah, that brings the hate even more.

[Anonymous]

Again OP is asking about entrance into 3rd grade by demonstrating proficiency in Mandarin. Currently seats in 3rd, 4th and 5th grades stay empty if a student leaves. Replacing students who leave with those who know Mandarin at that grade level rather than keeping that seat empty isn't taking away from anyone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I often think there are two DCs. The dynamic, innovative, progressive and cosmopolitan DC which has the best and brightest coming from all over the country and all over the world to try and make a change - versus a stagnant, old-school, retrograde core that's resistant to change.

That's why thread after thread boils over here. Movers and shakers bringing something better or pushing for something better and then those who did nothing either feeling threatened and lashing out at everyone or asking where their piece of the pie is.

You obviously forgot the 3rd DC: the one full of people who think that the only way to be "dynamic, innovative, progressive and cosmopolitan" is to have policies, plans and structures that serve your middle and upper classes and push lower classes out. Because that is pretty much what you're saying about the fact that the public charter school board does not allow charters to test in at any grade because it doesn't want to cut out access to families who can't afford a private Mandarin tutor, or Spanish summer camp, or private Montessori schools until they can nab a spot at a public one.

You do a disservice to visionary people everywhere who who are dynamic, innovative and progressive who actually want a present and a future where EVERYONE is served well, not just a DC where only those who can afford to live here and go to school here (even in public school). When you trash the policy of not testing in for charter schools, you trash one of the fundamental values that DC charter schools were developed for: offering other quality options to DC residents who had the worst of options. Guess who those DC residents were when charters were first established here? Not you, not me, not OP, because we weren't sending our kids ot public school then (unless we lived IB for the only decent middle or high school). To turn around and say you can test in absolutely undermines the commitment to providing access to ALL DC residents (just like neighborhood preference would as well). No, that is NOT "stagnant, old-school and retrograde being resistent to change.

Deal with it entitled people: the very people preventing a test in option are the "stagnant, old-school, retrograde" people who were part of creating the charter schools that you so desperately want entry to now. Trying to keep the door even faintly open for lower SES families and families who don't have geographic advantages of being IB for great DCPS schools is NOT stagnant, and while I do hope there will some day be a way to figure out increasing applications and interest from families who already speak Mandarin or French or whatever, so that the pool of applicants includes more native speakers, I defend to the end the randomness of admission and the fact that kids who herwise wouldn't have a shot in a million years at speaking Mandarin and all the doors that may open to that child, that that child has a shot - a loooooong shot (like everyone else's long shot), but a shot nonetheless, at going to a school like Yu Ying.

Instead of writing a book on DCUM, read one dipshit... and get therapist!

Excellent! If that is the best response you can come up with, I've obviously made my point. But really, I'm pretty sure I'm not having this conversation with you anyway. You don't sound like anyone with enough of a clue to be a threat to anything I believe in, so don't bother coming back with a specific book recommendation for me to read - I'm certain I'm not interestd in what you think at all.

Cheers!

Holy shit! You, again! Give it a damn rest. Take your psychosis to where it's better handled- an asylum!!!

[Anonymous]

There seems to be huge amount of confusion on this board. Local school boards can do what they like with their schools - establish test-in programs, magnets, immersion etc., as they have to stay within the bounds of local laws, and their employees are public employees. Thus, Oyster, the MoCo Mandarin programs etc. can allow in later grade admissions.

Charter schools, which involves the transfer of public money to private entities in the form of the school's board or, in some cases, one of these national corporations like Edison, are subject to stricter oversight in the form of federal regulations. They must award spaces by lottery. That's the only way to keep resources from being siphoned off from the original mission of improving schools for low income kids (although the record of charters on that front nationwide is not great). The Options case suggests that charters need some oversight.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There seems to be huge amount of confusion on this board. Local school boards can do what they like with their schools - establish test-in programs, magnets, immersion etc., as they have to stay within the bounds of local laws, and their employees are public employees. Thus, Oyster, the MoCo Mandarin programs etc. can allow in later grade admissions.

Charter schools, which involves the transfer of public money to private entities in the form of the school's board or, in some cases, one of these national corporations like Edison, are subject to stricter oversight in the form of federal regulations. They must award spaces by lottery. That's the only way to keep resources from being siphoned off from the original mission of improving schools for low income kids (although the record of charters on that front nationwide is not great). The Options case suggests that charters need some oversight.

Thank you, you explained it much better than I did, in much less space (and with much lower blood pressure!).

Even the understandable point that attrition at higher grades leaves spots un-filled is still not understanding that it's a grossly slippery slope when you start allowing for test in options at all.

At least for those in feeder schools, that same concern about attrition is actually leading to MORE innovation: DCI. That's the main reason they came up with the idea, and it stands to address the attrition issue wonderfully if it works.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Again OP is asking about entrance into 3rd grade by demonstrating proficiency in Mandarin. Currently seats in 3rd, 4th and 5th grades stay empty if a student leaves. Replacing students who leave with those who know Mandarin at that grade level rather than keeping that seat empty isn't taking away from anyone.

Aside from the fact that it's still strictly not allowed, I think you also grossly underestimate the challenge of creating a system where you are strictly lottery for lower grades but allow test in for upper grades. What grade becomes the cut off? What stops schools from making the same argument and going lower and lower in which grade this begins? What if powerful people start to count on attrition as their way of getting in, what kinds of pressures does the school then get to push students out?

That may all sound like crazy paranoid questions to you... believe me, there is abundant charter school experiences nationwide to show it's not. Politics are powerful. The only way to insure the millions (tens of millions? hundreds of millions?) of public money that is dedicated to access for UNDERSERVED students stays focused on providing access is to make it random. Testing in in uppper grades still provides chances for abuse and siphoning.

But don't worry, at some point, no one but middle and upper income families will be able to afford to live inside the District anyway... it will be interesting to see what happens to charters when there are no low income families to serve anymore...

[Anonymous]

The DCI "innovation" is mostly to get around the charter board's insistence that there be no testing in options. The majority of students will be from their feeders whose main entry yr will be as 3/4 yr olds. It'll be interesting how many students DCI actually takes for 6, 7, 8, and 9th grades through their open lottery. Probably very few if any. They don't want to have a lot of students who need remediation in English nevermind know another language.

[Anonymous]

The person that tries to prove a point by asking obnoxious questions is my favorite DCUM archetype. I can picture her typing in a rage so perfectly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To OP - I also want to apologize for the nastiness of the DCUM citizenry on this thread. In person, we're more civilized. Online and anonymously, we're not. Good luck with your move!

This is incorrect. I'm equally as, what you would call nasty but I call direct and blunt, in person. And guess what, I have a great family and community here in DC, including friends with as little tolerance as I have for the entitled bullshit that is rampant in DC. We find it best to call it like it is, celebrate beauty and good deeds where we see them, and keep it moving. No apologies from us to people like OP with an attitude.

I bet we are friends.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Again OP is asking about entrance into 3rd grade by demonstrating proficiency in Mandarin. Currently seats in 3rd, 4th and 5th grades stay empty if a student leaves. Replacing students who leave with those who know Mandarin at that grade level rather than keeping that seat empty isn't taking away from anyone.

It would be taking away from the possible empty seats in a DCI lottery.