Immersion upheaval: immersion schools are changing throughout the county

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Where can I read more about the plan to convert it to a two-way immersion program? As someone who was considering buying into the Rolling Terrace boundary, that sounds perfectly fine to me.

Rolling Terrace has some information up on their website. Just a note that the new program begins with next year's kindergartners, so if you were moving with an older child, there won't be an immersion option next year. http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/rollinges/templates/default.aspx?id=566600

[Anonymous]

Thank you - this is exactly what I was looking for.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I fear that opening 2-way immersion schools only in areas with large Spanish speaking populations will further drive out the non-Hispanic middle class and accelerate segregation in MCPS. If MCPS is really serious about the benefits of learning a second language for all children, they would open immersion schools in Bethesda and Chevy Chase too. But they won't.

And to those who point to the popularity of the lottery immersion schools I'll say this: of 5 families I know who sent their kids to language immersion, 4 did so to avoid their low-income local school and get them into a classroom of middle class peers. If you offer them that same immersion experience at their local low-income school, they will not want it.

OK. But probably plenty of other people will.

And, as the PP already said, it's difficult to have two-way Spanish-English immersion schools in areas where very, very, very few kids speak Spanish.

Yup. I find it ironic that so many families in my neighborhood wanted to send their kids to a Spanish immersion program where their kids would never actually interact with peers who are native Spanish speakers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I fear that opening 2-way immersion schools only in areas with large Spanish speaking populations will further drive out the non-Hispanic middle class and accelerate segregation in MCPS. If MCPS is really serious about the benefits of learning a second language for all children, they would open immersion schools in Bethesda and Chevy Chase too. But they won't.

And to those who point to the popularity of the lottery immersion schools I'll say this: of 5 families I know who sent their kids to language immersion, 4 did so to avoid their low-income local school and get them into a classroom of middle class peers. If you offer them that same immersion experience at their local low-income school, they will not want it.

OK. But probably plenty of other people will.

And, as the PP already said, it's difficult to have two-way Spanish-English immersion schools in areas where very, very, very few kids speak Spanish.

Yup. I find it ironic that so many families in my neighborhood wanted to send their kids to a Spanish immersion program where their kids would never actually interact with peers who are native Spanish speakers.

It's hard to imagine people would think like that. But if they are glad of the new changes because they think with their kids in immersion for a full day instead of just two classes, they will be isolated from the undesirables, they will be surprised.

Full immersion at Burnt Mills and Page will have plenty of seats reserved for the local population which will foil their ideal of racial segregation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thank you - this is exactly what I was looking for.

Now look at the list of teachers and cross them off. Anyone that is not bilingual will be gone. Total upheaval for staff.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thank you - this is exactly what I was looking for.

Now look at the list of teachers and cross them off. Anyone that is not bilingual will be gone. Total upheaval for staff.

I assume only in K next year.