Why do Parents Believe in DCI?

[Anonymous]

I just don't understand the attitude that you have to have parents who can speak, read, etc the immersion language for their kids to become proficient/bilingual. But maybe it's bc I'm an immigrant whose parents don't know English and I speak English just fine enough to get into an Ivy League college for undergrad.

You don't need native speaker parents to become bilingual in another language. You really don't. Only Americans seem to think this.

[Anonymous]

P.S. Most of the Chinese grad students I know who speak excellent English (enough to go to grad school in the US) have parents who don't know English yet somehow manage.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:P.S. Most of the Chinese grad students I know who speak excellent English (enough to go to grad school in the US) have parents who don't know English yet somehow manage.

Yeah, what about medical students whose parents aren't doctors? Or math majors whose parents are mathematicians? It's about the people doing the teaching, when it comes to higher level subjects. And the principal of DCI was assistant principal at Deal, which is, wait for it...an IB school.

[Anonymous]

The parents I know believe in the mission of DCI, they believe in their own kids and their classmates and the charter schools (Stokes, Centro Mia etc.) that are feeding in

[Anonymous]

Let's wait before we jump to conclusions and dismiss a school.

Good luck to Taiwanese dad on his trips to Rockville. Let's all keep our opinions to ourselves if they're based on sweeping, often inaccurate, judgments.

[Anonymous]

So, if the IB exam is so difficult, wouldn't DCI need to offer Algebra in 7th grade? How will kids catch up if this isn't an option?

Also, I looked at the books kids read in 6th grade. One book is The Lightening Thief which, while it got good reviews, doesn't seem very difficult. How much writing do the kids do?

Current parents, please provide feedback. TIA!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If they are behind in DCI, they were behind at their HRCS. The continuation of the target language is the draw. [/b]Why waste six years of language instruction, especially in Mandarin which is a hard language.

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Every parent I know who has decided to send their child to a different middle school, past and currently, has continued or will continue with Mandarin education for their children. What makes you think we would not for our children? Before DCI, which is only in its first year of operation, we had continuation plans beyond Yu Ying.

Not everyone is as well-resourced (i.e. wealthy) as you. Many whose kids currently attend Yu Ying would have ZERO options for continuing Mandarin for free, at that level, if our kids didn't go to DCI. So bravo for you that you have that option, but perhaps if you broke out of your apparently selective group a little, you'd meet plenty of parents who would not have that option. The PP you're responding to apparently knows a wider range of parents than you and your friends.

Not buying this. Hope Chinese School is cheaper than a pair of Lebrons. Parents don't have a problem affording those.

You're funny! "Parents" also don't have a problem affording Sidwell, it's fully enrolled every year. So you assume that because some parents afford a specific program, ALL parents can afford that? That is the most ridiculous assumption ever.

I also don't know what Lebrons are, but I do know many of our fellow families at YY. Which is the school we're talking about. So how about you stick to what you know about all the families that can afford Hope Chinese School and Lebrons, and I'll stick to the YY families I know that can't afford any Chinese enrichment outside of the school (because there are some that really would like to add to what their kids are getting), and know that they'd like something like Hope to further their students but can't afford it.

Lebrons are sneakers. Even the poor kids own a pair ow two.

[Anonymous]

I have kids at a feeder. I am optimistic about DCI because I have seen the leadership at my feeder school and have attended information meetings featuring DCI leadership and came away impressed.

I am thankful that there are families ahead of us taking the lumps of the growing pains that come with launching a school.

[Anonymous]

Yes, thank you current families! I am worrying about whether to send DCI in a few years so I shouldn't really be complaining. I have the luxury of waiting to see how the school progresses.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Then why have I heard stories about behavior problems and kids who are behind academically? I was thinking the opposite... that high achieving students aren't willing to take a risk on school without a proven track record, especially for middle school. We certainly feel this way. I am hoping for good test scores and some positive reports about the school because it would be so easy just to send DC to DCI!

Also check the special needs board and you will see that lots of charters weed out by refusing to provide accommodations to students with educational disabilities. Illegal, but works until a parent decides to fight back. That is another way that charters weed out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Then why have I heard stories about behavior problems and kids who are behind academically? I was thinking the opposite... that high achieving students aren't willing to take a risk on school without a proven track record, especially for middle school. We certainly feel this way. I am hoping for good test scores and some positive reports about the school because it would be so easy just to send DC to DCI!

Also check the special needs board and you will see that lots of charters weed out by refusing to provide accommodations to students with educational disabilities. Illegal, but works until a parent decides to fight back. That is another way that charters weed out.

+100 been there, done that. Wish we'd have known our legal recourse at the time.

[Anonymous]

I am on the special needs board all the time and I don't see any evidence of this.

- have kid with IEP at feeder

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am on the special needs board all the time and I don't see any evidence of this.

- have kid with IEP at feeder

+1. Also at a feeder with IEP

[Anonymous]

I have children at YY and we will be going to DCI for the same reasons many have said. We invested 6 years in Mandarin and aren't interested in giving that up. Plus lets face it - there aren't a whole lot of other options. I always find it hilarious when people rave about Montgomery County. They don't have a full immersion Mandarin program for elementary school students. As a result my kids are stronger in Mandarin than theirs (except perhaps for those that are native speakers). I've also had my children in the full immersion Saturday school in Rockville and they've done extremely well. If I listen to the one parent they must all be lying to me but somehow I doubt it

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: They don't seem to know that most Chinese immigrants speak Cantonese, not Mandarin, or what Cantonese is.

There is no way this is true, so I don't really trust anything you say.