Discussion over whether to expand Tyler dual-lang program turns to gentrification debate

[Anonymous]

This is ridiculous. My children are at an immersion charter. All students, from all backgrounds, of all races, are doing better than the kids at Tyler.

That mother quoted in the article doesn’t know anything about immersion. She’s just using that as an excuse to try to keep Tyler from becoming whiter, which is racist.

Saying that black kids couldn’t handle immersion is ALSO racist.

DCPS should do what it can to keep students of all races in the DCPS system. They’re hemorrhaging students to charters right now, especially on the Hill.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Students with special needs do not get what the need at these dual language/immersion schools and those schools are happy not to have them. Just look at the demographics of the schools. Special needs students are barely there.

What are you talking about???? I have a special needs child at an immersion school and could not be happier with the level of support we are getting from the school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is ridiculous. My children are at an immersion charter. All students, from all backgrounds, of all races, are doing better than the kids at Tyler.

That mother quoted in the article doesn’t know anything about immersion. She’s just using that as an excuse to try to keep Tyler from becoming whiter, which is racist.

Saying that black kids couldn’t handle immersion is ALSO racist.

DCPS should do what it can to keep students of all races in the DCPS system. They’re hemorrhaging students to charters right now, especially on the Hill.

That's because your charter only takes kids whose parents or guardians have it together enough to enter a lottery 6+ months before the school year starts and trek their kids across town to school each day. Your charter also doesn't have to take kids who move to the area mid-year, get kicked out of other schools, or who are in certain grades.

Tyler has to take everyone who lives in-bounds even if they come 3 days before the PARCC. If your school had to do that, how do you think the scores would change?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Students with special needs do not get what the need at these dual language/immersion schools and those schools are happy not to have them. Just look at the demographics of the schools. Special needs students are barely there.

What are you talking about???? I have a special needs child at an immersion school and could not be happier with the level of support we are getting from the school.

Generally speaking, the numbers of students with IEPs are significantly lower at the dual language schools. The average is 16.8%.

More significantly, related services such as speech therapy and/or specialized reading instruction for children with dyslexia, are not provided to students in Spanish, only English.

Oyster-Adams - 11%
Marie Reed 11%
Bruce Monroe 11%
Powell 13.9
Bancroft 14.5%

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is ridiculous. My children are at an immersion charter. All students, from all backgrounds, of all races, are doing better than the kids at Tyler.

That mother quoted in the article doesn’t know anything about immersion. She’s just using that as an excuse to try to keep Tyler from becoming whiter, which is racist.

Saying that black kids couldn’t handle immersion is ALSO racist.

DCPS should do what it can to keep students of all races in the DCPS system. They’re hemorrhaging students to charters right now, especially on the Hill.

Give me a break. That mother is rightfully concerned about a radical change to a school. It doesn't matter what the "research shows." I wouldn't want my school to become an immersion school either. I would also be VERY concerned about a change like this that effectively meant the English-speaking staff all had to leave the school summarily.

[Anonymous]

The difficult thing is that we ask - across most of DC - for DVOS to try hard to compete for students and families with charters. Then we get surprised that the families with the most advantages choose the best programs they can get their kids into and have an easier time getting into them even when access is meant to be leveled due to intrinsic advantages like transportation availability, time, work flexibility and time to support programs beyond the three Rs.

I think DCPS needs to create and grow and expand attractive programs everywhere as well as put in set-asides that help avoid push-out of disadvantaged families. My family wants dual language because it is a cultural extension of heritage language in our family and a learning boost. I do not want it for exclusive reasons. And some kids need it more than mine, e.g., LEP families with parents with little education or time. My view is that we can structure a dual language program on that basis. Set asides for home language and family income should be part of the game AND we should grow these programs citywide.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:One challenge with immersion is that it's hard for kids to join in when they move in later grades, and poorer kids in DC tend to move more. What do you do when a 4th grader moves IB for a dual-language school or when the charter they've been in counsels them out mid-year?

I think Tyler should go dual-language and Brent should be monolingual (or vice versa), and students in both boundaries should be able to rank their preferences for each. You'd be guaranteed a seat in one of them and there'd be sibling preference to keep families together. Then there would be lots more dual language slots and everyone would still have a monolingual alternative if they wanted it, and both schools would have more racial and economic diversity.

Hate this idea. YOu don't seem to know that Brent is bursting at the seams. Seen the new trailers on the small playground?

No room at Brent for most IB parent who want PreS3 and PreK4 let alone IB Tyler families who'd reject Spanish!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The difficult thing is that we ask - across most of DC - for DVOS to try hard to compete for students and families with charters. Then we get surprised that the families with the most advantages choose the best programs they can get their kids into and have an easier time getting into them even when access is meant to be leveled due to intrinsic advantages like transportation availability, time, work flexibility and time to support programs beyond the three Rs.

I think DCPS needs to create and grow and expand attractive programs everywhere as well as put in set-asides that help avoid push-out of disadvantaged families. My family wants dual language because it is a cultural extension of heritage language in our family and a learning boost. I do not want it for exclusive reasons. And some kids need it more than mine, e.g., LEP families with parents with little education or time. My view is that we can structure a dual language program on that basis. Set asides for home language and family income should be part of the game AND we should grow these programs citywide.

Dual language programs should be placed where LEP families live AND they should MOVE around, as the population shifts.

For example, Oyster is in a part of the city where there are no longer very many Latinx families living IB (student population is 61% Hispanic/Latino, including the OOB students, and only 16% are ELLs).

In contrast, Brightwood is 75% Hispanic/Latino and 61% of students are ELLs. Why is that a traditional school, and not an immersion program?

The wealthy who will also seek out good programs and commute for them should be the folks competing for the limited OOB slots.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:One challenge with immersion is that it's hard for kids to join in when they move in later grades, and poorer kids in DC tend to move more. What do you do when a 4th grader moves IB for a dual-language school or when the charter they've been in counsels them out mid-year?

I think Tyler should go dual-language and Brent should be monolingual (or vice versa), and students in both boundaries should be able to rank their preferences for each. You'd be guaranteed a seat in one of them and there'd be sibling preference to keep families together. Then there would be lots more dual language slots and everyone would still have a monolingual alternative if they wanted it, and both schools would have more racial and economic diversity.

Hate this idea. YOu don't seem to know that Brent is bursting at the seams. Seen the new trailers on the small playground?

No room at Brent for most IB parent who want PreS3 and PreK4 let alone IB Tyler families who'd reject Spanish!

Then make Brent dual language and Tyler monolingual. It's the same number of IB kids in the combined boundary either way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:One challenge with immersion is that it's hard for kids to join in when they move in later grades, and poorer kids in DC tend to move more. What do you do when a 4th grader moves IB for a dual-language school or when the charter they've been in counsels them out mid-year?

I think Tyler should go dual-language and Brent should be monolingual (or vice versa), and students in both boundaries should be able to rank their preferences for each. You'd be guaranteed a seat in one of them and there'd be sibling preference to keep families together. Then there would be lots more dual language slots and everyone would still have a monolingual alternative if they wanted it, and both schools would have more racial and economic diversity.

Hate this idea. YOu don't seem to know that Brent is bursting at the seams. Seen the new trailers on the small playground?

No room at Brent for most IB parent who want PreS3 and PreK4 let alone IB Tyler families who'd reject Spanish!

Then make Brent dual language and Tyler monolingual. It's the same number of IB kids in the combined boundary either way.

And where will you put the OOB Spanish-dominant students? that would have to go at Brent? The Brent families would all have to have IB rights to their neighborhood school. That's why these programs all begin in under=enrolled buildings.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:One challenge with immersion is that it's hard for kids to join in when they move in later grades, and poorer kids in DC tend to move more. What do you do when a 4th grader moves IB for a dual-language school or when the charter they've been in counsels them out mid-year?

I think Tyler should go dual-language and Brent should be monolingual (or vice versa), and students in both boundaries should be able to rank their preferences for each. You'd be guaranteed a seat in one of them and there'd be sibling preference to keep families together. Then there would be lots more dual language slots and everyone would still have a monolingual alternative if they wanted it, and both schools would have more racial and economic diversity.

Hate this idea. YOu don't seem to know that Brent is bursting at the seams. Seen the new trailers on the small playground?

No room at Brent for most IB parent who want PreS3 and PreK4 let alone IB Tyler families who'd reject Spanish!

Then make Brent dual language and Tyler monolingual. It's the same number of IB kids in the combined boundary either way.

Come on, every Hill parent knows that Tyler has subsidized housing its catchment and Brent does not - Brent would never want to combine boundaries. That’s why people buy in the Brent district.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:One challenge with immersion is that it's hard for kids to join in when they move in later grades, and poorer kids in DC tend to move more. What do you do when a 4th grader moves IB for a dual-language school or when the charter they've been in counsels them out mid-year?

I think Tyler should go dual-language and Brent should be monolingual (or vice versa), and students in both boundaries should be able to rank their preferences for each. You'd be guaranteed a seat in one of them and there'd be sibling preference to keep families together. Then there would be lots more dual language slots and everyone would still have a monolingual alternative if they wanted it, and both schools would have more racial and economic diversity.

Hate this idea. YOu don't seem to know that Brent is bursting at the seams. Seen the new trailers on the small playground?

No room at Brent for most IB parent who want PreS3 and PreK4 let alone IB Tyler families who'd reject Spanish!

Then make Brent dual language and Tyler monolingual. It's the same number of IB kids in the combined boundary either way.

And where will you put the OOB Spanish-dominant students? that would have to go at Brent? The Brent families would all have to have IB rights to their neighborhood school. That's why these programs all begin in under=enrolled buildings.

The Tyler and Brent boundaries would have two IB schools: Brent and Tyler. You'd have a right to attend one of those schools, and a right to express a preference as to which one you got, but you could get either of them. If the combined boundary for the two schools can't handle the number of kids then it's time to shift the boundary, sending more kids to the Cluster or Payne.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:One challenge with immersion is that it's hard for kids to join in when they move in later grades, and poorer kids in DC tend to move more. What do you do when a 4th grader moves IB for a dual-language school or when the charter they've been in counsels them out mid-year?

I think Tyler should go dual-language and Brent should be monolingual (or vice versa), and students in both boundaries should be able to rank their preferences for each. You'd be guaranteed a seat in one of them and there'd be sibling preference to keep families together. Then there would be lots more dual language slots and everyone would still have a monolingual alternative if they wanted it, and both schools would have more racial and economic diversity.

Hate this idea. YOu don't seem to know that Brent is bursting at the seams. Seen the new trailers on the small playground?

No room at Brent for most IB parent who want PreS3 and PreK4 let alone IB Tyler families who'd reject Spanish!

Then make Brent dual language and Tyler monolingual. It's the same number of IB kids in the combined boundary either way.

And where will you put the OOB Spanish-dominant students? that would have to go at Brent? The Brent families would all have to have IB rights to their neighborhood school. That's why these programs all begin in under=enrolled buildings.

The Tyler and Brent boundaries would have two IB schools: Brent and Tyler. You'd have a right to attend one of those schools, and a right to express a preference as to which one you got, but you could get either of them. If the combined boundary for the two schools can't handle the number of kids then it's time to shift the boundary, sending more kids to the Cluster or Payne.

You would have more luck combining Tyler and Payne, with the gerrymandered chunk taken out for Watkins.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wow I’m so glad that I can send my kids to an immersion school. Not only is it a great fit for us, but it keeps out ignorant parents who don’t understand immersion or how the mind works.

- middle class non-white special needs parent who is so happy these idiots are scared of foreigners.

Immersion is good for some kids but not all, this obsession with immersion is new. What about the future, what about new schools that focus on STEM, Coding, Computers, tech etc at a young age. It is a fad, you don't see schools in Finland doing this, yeah if it is a good fit for you great but don't impose it on schools who maybe don't want it. If immersion was so wonderful schools like CHEC and students from Bancroft would have amazing scores, they don't many of the EL population born in the US struggle in DCPS because of low literacy in English and speaking Spanish at home, not the same I know but for some students they never master proficiency in writing and reading in any language well and that includes Latinos born in US. IF you are high SES of course it is a different story because you have inbuilt support but for struggling communities is this the best we can offer. Overall test scores at DCPS are atrocious compared to the rest of the country, immersion is not the solutions - the rest of the country is not behind the curve they are ahead of it, DCPS central is always trying out new initiatives to increase the population of the schools they don't care as much about the kids and the community. Shiny new buildings, Immersion, etc .

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:One challenge with immersion is that it's hard for kids to join in when they move in later grades, and poorer kids in DC tend to move more. What do you do when a 4th grader moves IB for a dual-language school or when the charter they've been in counsels them out mid-year?

I think Tyler should go dual-language and Brent should be monolingual (or vice versa), and students in both boundaries should be able to rank their preferences for each. You'd be guaranteed a seat in one of them and there'd be sibling preference to keep families together. Then there would be lots more dual language slots and everyone would still have a monolingual alternative if they wanted it, and both schools would have more racial and economic diversity.

Hate this idea. YOu don't seem to know that Brent is bursting at the seams. Seen the new trailers on the small playground?

No room at Brent for most IB parent who want PreS3 and PreK4 let alone IB Tyler families who'd reject Spanish!

Then make Brent dual language and Tyler monolingual. It's the same number of IB kids in the combined boundary either way.

And where will you put the OOB Spanish-dominant students? that would have to go at Brent? The Brent families would all have to have IB rights to their neighborhood school. That's why these programs all begin in under=enrolled buildings.

The Tyler and Brent boundaries would have two IB schools: Brent and Tyler. You'd have a right to attend one of those schools, and a right to express a preference as to which one you got, but you could get either of them. If the combined boundary for the two schools can't handle the number of kids then it's time to shift the boundary, sending more kids to the Cluster or Payne.

I don't think DCPS is going to implement a choice-set in just two elementary schools. Try again.