Asking for Advice - Rejection from Oyster-Adams Preschool

[Anonymous]

Dear all,

I would like to ask for your advice as my daughter was rejected from Oyster-Adams Spanish dominance preschool program.

Some context: We moved to DC one year ago from Panama City, Panama. Hence, my daughter spent her first 3 years in a mostly Spanish speaking environment (other than her mom, who speaks to her in English). I am a native Spanish speaker and I only speak to my daughter in Spanish (everywhere and anytime!) and I read to her in Spanish every night.

She got a spot in the Spanish dominance preschool program at Oyster-Adams, which requires Spanish dominance (and I thought it was a great fit, now I regret it). We took her to test her Spanish dominance at Oyster as required... Initially, she was scared and did not want to take the test. 3-year-old kids are required to go to a room without their parents for an interview, which can be tough to kids that haven't been to school before. After much effort, she went to the interview.

Last Friday, we got a letter from the principal saying she did not qualify for Spanish dominance. So now, we are left without a school and with what I feel is a very unfair decision.

I would appreciate your advice dealing with this situation and DC Public Schools. What should we do from here?

Thank you,

Diego

[Anonymous]

Put in a post-lottery application anywhere and everywhere.

Do you live IB for Oyster? If so your child can attend starting in K.

You could try appealing to Katarina Brito, the DCPS lead for all dual language programs, but I think the decision rests with the principal. I think the schools are accustomed to shy and reticent 3-year-olds, so that may or may not have been the issue.

Ms Brito's email is on this page https://dcps.dc.gov/DL

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Dear all,

I would like to ask for your advice as my daughter was rejected from Oyster-Adams Spanish dominance preschool program.

Some context: We moved to DC one year ago from Panama City, Panama. Hence, my daughter spent her first 3 years in a mostly Spanish speaking environment (other than her mom, who speaks to her in English). I am a native Spanish speaker and I only speak to my daughter in Spanish (everywhere and anytime!) and I read to her in Spanish every night.

She got a spot in the Spanish dominance preschool program at Oyster-Adams, which requires Spanish dominance (and I thought it was a great fit, now I regret it). We took her to test her Spanish dominance at Oyster as required... Initially, she was scared and did not want to take the test. 3-year-old kids are required to go to a room without their parents for an interview, which can be tough to kids that haven't been to school before. After much effort, she went to the interview.

Last Friday, we got a letter from the principal saying she did not qualify for Spanish dominance. So now, we are left without a school and with what I feel is a very unfair decision.

I would appreciate your advice dealing with this situation and DC Public Schools. What should we do from here?

Thank you,

Diego

Is there any way to appeal that decision? Does your daughter answer in Spanish to you (my understanding is that this is the key thing they test for)? I am sorry to hear and I hope she can reconsider. Meanwhile add to post lottery lists and your inbound.

[Anonymous]

I know this is mean, but your post was only about you and where you lived. Does your child actually speak Spanish BACK to you? If not, that's obviously what showed during testing.

[Anonymous]

First, I would record your child conversing with you in Spanish and share it with the school principal. Write to the principal in Spanish so it's obvious that your child is being raised in a Spanish-speaking household. Ask what the process is to appeal.

If you don't get a satisfactory response, DC has a school ombudsperson: https://sboe.dc.gov/page/office-of-the-ombudsman-for-public-education

At the same time, I would suggest putting your child on the waitlist for every Spanish bilingual school you're not already on that you would attend--you can do this through the MySchoolDC website. They are:

Bancroft
Bruce-Monroe
Cleveland
DC Bilingual
Stoke Brookland
Stokes East End
Houston (this is your best chance but furthest from you)
Marie Reed
Bethune Brookland
Bethune 16th Street
Mundo Verde 8th Street
Mundo Verde P Street
Powell
Tyler

I bet at one of the DCPS schools they will think your child speaks Spanish well enough to qualify for Spanish dominance (at charter schools they don't consider language dominance). You could practice having friends over and letting your child speak with them, having your child speak to the pediatrician, librarian, supermarket cashier, etc. so they're more prepared for any future evaluations.

I would also put yourself on the waitlist for Appletree Columbia Heights and other Appletrees since their waitlists tend to move faster.

Also look at these (private schools that offer free PK): https://www.myschooldc.org/find-schools/school-options-outside-my-school-dc Communikids and CentroNia and Jubilee Jumpstart are all bilingual. There are also tuition-charging day cares that will have spots when their 3 year olds go to PK in August, so that can be your final option if needed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:First, I would record your child conversing with you in Spanish and share it with the school principal. Write to the principal in Spanish so it's obvious that your child is being raised in a Spanish-speaking household. Ask what the process is to appeal.

If you don't get a satisfactory response, DC has a school ombudsperson: https://sboe.dc.gov/page/office-of-the-ombudsman-for-public-education

At the same time, I would suggest putting your child on the waitlist for every Spanish bilingual school you're not already on that you would attend--you can do this through the MySchoolDC website. They are:

Bancroft
Bruce-Monroe
Cleveland
DC Bilingual
Stoke Brookland
Stokes East End
Houston (this is your best chance but furthest from you)
Marie Reed
Bethune Brookland
Bethune 16th Street
Mundo Verde 8th Street
Mundo Verde P Street
Powell
Tyler

I bet at one of the DCPS schools they will think your child speaks Spanish well enough to qualify for Spanish dominance (at charter schools they don't consider language dominance). You could practice having friends over and letting your child speak with them, having your child speak to the pediatrician, librarian, supermarket cashier, etc. so they're more prepared for any future evaluations.

I would also put yourself on the waitlist for Appletree Columbia Heights and other Appletrees since their waitlists tend to move faster.

Also look at these (private schools that offer free PK): https://www.myschooldc.org/find-schools/school-options-outside-my-school-dc Communikids and CentroNia and Jubilee Jumpstart are all bilingual. There are also tuition-charging day cares that will have spots when their 3 year olds go to PK in August, so that can be your final option if needed.

Indeed, I know folks who rave about one of these (cannot recall which?) so I would call them up right away to add to their possible list. Your child will get a good bilingual PK for free if they can get a spot (no idea how tough that is).

[Anonymous]

I think this experience is very telling of the school. I would move on to a more nurturing place. A lot of good ideas are outlined above.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I know this is mean, but your post was only about you and where you lived. Does your child actually speak Spanish BACK to you? If not, that's obviously what showed during testing.

Obviously,s he responds in Spanish. Of course, she often mixes English and Spanish as it is expected with bilingual kids who are learning. Her comprehension is 100% and she can even translate from one language to another.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know this is mean, but your post was only about you and where you lived. Does your child actually speak Spanish BACK to you? If not, that's obviously what showed during testing.

Obviously,s he responds in Spanish. Of course, she often mixes English and Spanish as it is expected with bilingual kids who are learning. Her comprehension is 100% and she can even translate from one language to another.

If you are not IB, I'd move on and look elsewhere for next year. At this point they will have likely filled the spot.

[Anonymous]

OP, just wanted to note, you posted this exact same message on local listservs this week, with your real name and email address attached to it. If you don't mind not being anonymous that's fine but if you do, please be careful what specifics you post in this thread moving forward.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know this is mean, but your post was only about you and where you lived. Does your child actually speak Spanish BACK to you? If not, that's obviously what showed during testing.

Obviously,s he responds in Spanish. Of course, she often mixes English and Spanish as it is expected with bilingual kids who are learning. Her comprehension is 100% and she can even translate from one language to another.

If you were my friend, I would tell you to move on as soon as you can. The school may have good test scores, but it’s not somewhere I felt comfortable sending my kids. If you really felt it’s worth that sort of atmosphere, move inbound. They have to take you next year.

[Anonymous]

An update:

I spoke to the principal Mayra Cruz. She had actually assumed my daughter only spoke English before the interview even took place. Definitely, the process is rigged. I would not trust her with my daughter. Will look at other options.

Thanks!

Diego

[Anonymous]

Can you do an independent test that shows Spanish dominance? Can you ask to retake the interview? Can you get a diagnosis of anxiety and ask for a special accommodation that would allow you to be in the room for the interview so you can try to get your child to answer you in Spanish?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I know this is mean, but your post was only about you and where you lived. Does your child actually speak Spanish BACK to you? If not, that's obviously what showed during testing.

I don't think it's mean. The Spanish dominance test is about what language the child speaks, not what language the parents speak.

They are used to testing three-year-olds, so the fact that she was hesitant or shy shouldn't have been an issue. Lots of three-year-olds are. But if they spoke to her in Spanish and she answered in English, or appeared not to understand, they are likely going to categorize her as not Spanish dominant. If her mother speaks English, it's quite possible that is her default language--when people speak to her in Spanish, does she answer in Spanish? What about when they speak to her in English? What language does she use when she hurts herself or needs help?

You can certainly contact the principal and DCPS and ask for her to be retested and her spot reconsidered, but I'd base it on her nervousness. It's not clear what the unfairness could be--she took the same Spanish test as all the other kids who received a spot based on claimed Spanish dominance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:An update:

I spoke to the principal Mayra Cruz. She had actually assumed my daughter only spoke English before the interview even took place. Definitely, the process is rigged. I would not trust her with my daughter. Will look at other options.

Thanks!

Diego

I don't know about rigged, but that's odd and upsetting. I would have though there would be some transparency and consistency to these tests for dominance. I'm sorry if you did not also list others like Cleveland, Marie Reed, Bancroft which have a Spanish dominance preference.