2025 Immersion Waitlist

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our family is interested in immersion schooling so my child will have meaningful exposure to a foreign language and gain fluency. I understand it's not uncommon that children can actually later be behind their peers in terms of English language standardized testing so I realize not every "outcome" will be a good one, but to answer your question, we want our child in a foreign language immersion program so that they csn learn another language well. I do wish this could take place at our home school.

I have heard of some refer to the opportunity in sort of an elitist way so I think I understand some of your frustration.

I suggest we keep this thread about the waitlist since there is a group of people appreciating the information sharing. And then if someone would like to continue discussing the MCPS immersion programs, that person should start a new thread.

My only experience with immersion programs are white families pushing to move their kid from their home school (that is predominantly native Spanish speakers) to another school that’s a different demographic to learn Spanish from teachers. Wouldn’t you rather your kid be immersed by native speakers? Without the longer bus ride and lack of data showing it helps your child?

Kids won't be fluent in a language just because they go to school with people who speak that language. If they are in an immersion program, they will gain fluency.

Lack of data? I don't think people need "data" to know and appreciate the value of being bilingual. My son certainly doesn't.

Spoken like a nice white parent. You don’t need data because you just know better and you don’t care at all what benefit non-native English speaking students would gain from your child because in your mind the system is designed only to benefit your child.

Are you…. against special and magnet programs at MCPS? Fine if you are, but I’m not sure what your issue is with immersion specifically.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our family is interested in immersion schooling so my child will have meaningful exposure to a foreign language and gain fluency. I understand it's not uncommon that children can actually later be behind their peers in terms of English language standardized testing so I realize not every "outcome" will be a good one, but to answer your question, we want our child in a foreign language immersion program so that they csn learn another language well. I do wish this could take place at our home school.

I have heard of some refer to the opportunity in sort of an elitist way so I think I understand some of your frustration.

I suggest we keep this thread about the waitlist since there is a group of people appreciating the information sharing. And then if someone would like to continue discussing the MCPS immersion programs, that person should start a new thread.

My only experience with immersion programs are white families pushing to move their kid from their home school (that is predominantly native Spanish speakers) to another school that’s a different demographic to learn Spanish from teachers. Wouldn’t you rather your kid be immersed by native speakers? Without the longer bus ride and lack of data showing it helps your child?

Kids won't be fluent in a language just because they go to school with people who speak that language. If they are in an immersion program, they will gain fluency.

Lack of data? I don't think people need "data" to know and appreciate the value of being bilingual. My son certainly doesn't.

Spoken like a nice white parent. You don’t need data because you just know better and you don’t care at all what benefit non-native English speaking students would gain from your child because in your mind the system is designed only to benefit your child.

You sure make a lot of wrong assumptions. We value being bilingual. My child values being bilingual. It's not that we "know better." But I can think of a bunch of obvious benefits. So can everyone else on this thread except you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our family is interested in immersion schooling so my child will have meaningful exposure to a foreign language and gain fluency. I understand it's not uncommon that children can actually later be behind their peers in terms of English language standardized testing so I realize not every "outcome" will be a good one, but to answer your question, we want our child in a foreign language immersion program so that they csn learn another language well. I do wish this could take place at our home school.

I have heard of some refer to the opportunity in sort of an elitist way so I think I understand some of your frustration.

I suggest we keep this thread about the waitlist since there is a group of people appreciating the information sharing. And then if someone would like to continue discussing the MCPS immersion programs, that person should start a new thread.

My only experience with immersion programs are white families pushing to move their kid from their home school (that is predominantly native Spanish speakers) to another school that’s a different demographic to learn Spanish from teachers. Wouldn’t you rather your kid be immersed by native speakers? Without the longer bus ride and lack of data showing it helps your child?

Kids won't be fluent in a language just because they go to school with people who speak that language. If they are in an immersion program, they will gain fluency.

Lack of data? I don't think people need "data" to know and appreciate the value of being bilingual. My son certainly doesn't.

Spoken like a nice white parent. You don’t need data because you just know better and you don’t care at all what benefit non-native English speaking students would gain from your child because in your mind the system is designed only to benefit your child.

You sure make a lot of wrong assumptions. We value being bilingual. My child values being bilingual. It's not that we "know better." But I can think of a bunch of obvious benefits. So can everyone else on this thread except you.

You act like this is the only way to become bilingual and your desire trumps the needs of others when we are in an educational crisis. Do you know how many kids in McPS still aren’t proficient in reading and math? Do you know how little money MCPS receives compared to the actual needs of the district? These immersion programs feel frivolous for families that just want their native English speaker to be bilingual in another language when we have huge communities of students that are non-native English speakers that need to learn English.

[Anonymous]

The immersion programs are also another way for families to self segregate. Any opportunity to get away from “those children” families will take but claim other reasons.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our family is interested in immersion schooling so my child will have meaningful exposure to a foreign language and gain fluency. I understand it's not uncommon that children can actually later be behind their peers in terms of English language standardized testing so I realize not every "outcome" will be a good one, but to answer your question, we want our child in a foreign language immersion program so that they csn learn another language well. I do wish this could take place at our home school.

I have heard of some refer to the opportunity in sort of an elitist way so I think I understand some of your frustration.

I suggest we keep this thread about the waitlist since there is a group of people appreciating the information sharing. And then if someone would like to continue discussing the MCPS immersion programs, that person should start a new thread.

My only experience with immersion programs are white families pushing to move their kid from their home school (that is predominantly native Spanish speakers) to another school that’s a different demographic to learn Spanish from teachers. Wouldn’t you rather your kid be immersed by native speakers? Without the longer bus ride and lack of data showing it helps your child?

Kids won't be fluent in a language just because they go to school with people who speak that language. If they are in an immersion program, they will gain fluency.

Lack of data? I don't think people need "data" to know and appreciate the value of being bilingual. My son certainly doesn't.

Spoken like a nice white parent. You don’t need data because you just know better and you don’t care at all what benefit non-native English speaking students would gain from your child because in your mind the system is designed only to benefit your child.

You sure make a lot of wrong assumptions. We value being bilingual. My child values being bilingual. It's not that we "know better." But I can think of a bunch of obvious benefits. So can everyone else on this thread except you.

You act like this is the only way to become bilingual and your desire trumps the needs of others when we are in an educational crisis. Do you know how many kids in McPS still aren’t proficient in reading and math? Do you know how little money MCPS receives compared to the actual needs of the district? These immersion programs feel frivolous for families that just want their native English speaker to be bilingual in another language when we have huge communities of students that are non-native English speakers that need to learn English.

If MCPS is offering immersion programs and my child is offered a spot, why shouldn’t my child participate? I’m sorry you hate these programs — feel free to take that up with the people who actually allocate resources.

FWIW although this is getting beside the point, I am not sure you understand how incredibly hard it is to actually become bilingual if there isn’t a fluent native speaker at home. This is actually the only way for most children to get that opportunity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The immersion programs are also another way for families to self segregate. Any opportunity to get away from “those children” families will take but claim other reasons.

You are obviously unfamiliar with the actual demographic makeup of immersion classes, their home schools, schools where immersion is housed, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The immersion programs are also another way for families to self segregate. Any opportunity to get away from “those children” families will take but claim other reasons.

You are obviously unfamiliar with the actual demographic makeup of immersion classes, their home schools, schools where immersion is housed, etc.

Seriously, that person is utterly clueless. So much wasted energy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The immersion programs are also another way for families to self segregate. Any opportunity to get away from “those children” families will take but claim other reasons.

You are obviously unfamiliar with the actual demographic makeup of immersion classes, their home schools, schools where immersion is housed, etc.

Seriously, that person is utterly clueless. So much wasted energy.

+1 Ignore that troll. They apparently think all Spanish classes should be eliminated because they think ELD should be the priority. Not fruitful to argue with an idiot.

[Anonymous]

We are in a school that houses a Spanish immersion program and I believe the majority of kids in our daughter's non-immersion Kindergarten class were ELD. I wish our daughter had picked up any Spanish from her classmates (we tried for the immersion lottery, but didn't get in), but sadly she didn't really learn any. The school also doesn't offer any Spanish options for non-immersion students, which feels like a real missed opportunity.

[Anonymous]

Has anyone heard of other language programs at the elementary level that interested parents could advocate for?

The current opportunities seem like all or nothing. If you don't get a seat in the immersion lottery, your child goes to a school with zero foreign language exposure. But the lottery data shows the internet in language programs exceeds the immersion seats.

So most of us will not get a seat in an immersion program, but will be left with wanting some type of language instruction. Has anyone heard of any language instruction at MCPS elementary schools? For example, do any have language-based after school programs parents can opt for?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Has anyone heard of other language programs at the elementary level that interested parents could advocate for?

The current opportunities seem like all or nothing. If you don't get a seat in the immersion lottery, your child goes to a school with zero foreign language exposure. But the lottery data shows the internet in language programs exceeds the immersion seats.

So most of us will not get a seat in an immersion program, but will be left with wanting some type of language instruction. Has anyone heard of any language instruction at MCPS elementary schools? For example, do any have language-based after school programs parents can opt for?

Many people in this situation out their kids in languages classes on the weekends, such as
My French classes
Chinese school
Russian school
Hindi classes
Amharic + bible classes
etc etc

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Has anyone heard of other language programs at the elementary level that interested parents could advocate for?

The current opportunities seem like all or nothing. If you don't get a seat in the immersion lottery, your child goes to a school with zero foreign language exposure. But the lottery data shows the internet in language programs exceeds the immersion seats.

So most of us will not get a seat in an immersion program, but will be left with wanting some type of language instruction. Has anyone heard of any language instruction at MCPS elementary schools? For example, do any have language-based after school programs parents can opt for?

Our ES regularly has after school language classes among the various after-scnool activities. We've never done it but I don't get the impression the kids learn that much, although that would probably be expecting a lot from sessions of an hour a week for six or eight weeks...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Has anyone heard of other language programs at the elementary level that interested parents could advocate for?

The current opportunities seem like all or nothing. If you don't get a seat in the immersion lottery, your child goes to a school with zero foreign language exposure. But the lottery data shows the internet in language programs exceeds the immersion seats.

So most of us will not get a seat in an immersion program, but will be left with wanting some type of language instruction. Has anyone heard of any language instruction at MCPS elementary schools? For example, do any have language-based after school programs parents can opt for?

Not through the school, but Whole Kids Academy has Spanish Immersion aftercare and summer camp, with transportation offered from several Rockville/Bethesda schools

[Anonymous]

We just received an invitation to the Potomac Chinese immersion program. I don't see how we could accept - we are not anwyhere close to the area and unlike other programs, there is no magnet bus. Nevertheless, I'd love to know a bit more before we formally decide. I know it's partial immersion, and I assume many children (though certainly not all?) come in with some Chinese language already. We have none! (And our older child is in Spanish immersion, so totally different!)

[Anonymous]

Wonder what numbers they are up to on the various waitlists? Anyone have any insight, especially for French?