Unconventional comparison, but Lee vs Yuying?

[Anonymous]

This is a very strange comparison, I know, but reading some of the posts is making me second guess, so thought I’d post the question here and am prepared to be ridiculed. We matched at Lee for pk3, which we are very happy about, but we’re also high on the waitlist for YY so might get in. Our child speaks mandarin at home, so Chinese immersion is obviously a priority for us. However, seeing some of the posts here have made me question the quality of Chinese teaching at YY. We put in for Lee as we think our kid would do well with Montessori, and we would continue to teach the kiddo Chinese at home. So I guess my question is, is YY really that unimpressive that as a family serious about our child being fully bilingual, that we shouldn’t be so hung up on YY? I know many would say just go private or move to the burbs, but that’s not an option for us for the next couple of years. Other than Chinese, how is YY overall? Does it create a nurturing and challenging environment for different kinds of kids and their learning styles? We also care deeply about our child’s learning of maths and English, as he has shown much interest and aptitude for numbers, letters, spelling, and early math skills. I know I’m probably asking to be ripped apart. Oh well. Thank you to anyone who can offer helpful insight.

[Anonymous]

Do you want DCI, or no?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do you want DCI, or no?

Well, thought we wanted DCI, but then it sounds like we would be better off with Basis or Latin? Understanding that Chinese would not be an option at Basis or Latin and the chances of getting into Latin are slim. We’re also just entering pk3, so really haven’t thought too far down the road to middle school, as short sighted as that may be.

[Anonymous]

Don't get all your information from DCUM and don't predict who your three year old will be 8 years from now. Go with what works for your faily.

[Anonymous]

I'm not a Yu Ying parent.... but

I don't see why wouldn't you want to go to Yu Ying if Mandarin is a priority for your family. What are the comments on DCUrbanMoms that concern you? I think there's a lot of haters out there, but Yu Ying is a very good school. Yes, some kids may not speak the language well, but other will. The school expects you to get very involved, and yes, it may be a cult, but it's the only (right?) school that does Mandarin full time/immersion. I think if anything, if you kiddo speaks mandarin, he/she'll be ahead of the curve and thrive.

Again, my kid doesn't go there, but every time I go to the playground around the neighborhood, I see a group of Yu Ying Moms/kids, and they seem to be a click group. Are you the type of parent who likes to get involved? or more laid back?

[Anonymous]

If you're serious about your kid becoming bilingual, OP, why Mandarin?

Without an adult in the home who speaks Chinese, it's impossible to raise a kid bilingual in English and Chinese in this particular city. The YY families where kids are bilingual have had at least one Chinese-speaking adult in the home for years, generally Chinese au pairs (who are very difficult to host during the pandemic). We know DC families where one parent, or both, speaks Chinese to the kids most of the time time, and requires the kids to answer in Chinese. These kids have attended weekend Chinese programs for native speakers since they were tiny tots. Yet the parents complain that the kids aren't fully bilingual.

Why not go for immersion in a far more accessible language?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you're serious about your kid becoming bilingual, OP, why Mandarin?

Without an adult in the home who speaks Chinese, it's impossible to raise a kid bilingual in English and Chinese in this particular city. The YY families where kids are bilingual have had at least one Chinese-speaking adult in the home for years, generally Chinese au pairs (who are very difficult to host during the pandemic). We know DC families where one parent, or both, speaks Chinese to the kids most of the time time, and requires the kids to answer in Chinese. These kids have attended weekend Chinese programs for native speakers since they were tiny tots. Yet the parents complain that the kids aren't fully bilingual.

Why not go for immersion in a far more accessible language?

OP IS a Mandarin speaker.

[Anonymous]

If you can raise your kids to speak Mandarin and want challenging math and English, OP, I'd skip YY. What I'd do is plant my family in Upper NW if I could afford it. I'd send the kid to a DCPS program: Mann, Key, Murch, Eaton, Lafayette or Janney. I'd also take my kid to a demanding weekend language program in MoCo for native speakers. There are several.

The academics are YY are so-so, with the worst test scores in reading/English for white kids in the city. It's joke immersion without an ethnic Chinese community supporting the school. Parents just pretend that the school is well run. Friendly school community, but academics are mediocre and the strongest students tending to end up at Washington Latin or BASIS from 5th grade. It is what it is.

[Anonymous]

YY parent who was in PK and left. We are bilingual Mandarin at home, my child is fluent, and online learning did not work for us at all. The classes were mostly in English, slow and tedious. Of course as more students are going in person, your child will likely have a different experience than mine.

I would maybe try it and if you don't like it, you can try the lottery or go in bounds later. If you don't think you can suffer through YY or your inbound school, then go with Lee.

[Anonymous]

OP, don't let the YY boosters convince you that all the criticism of their school on these boards comes from trolls and "haters." Much of it comes from native speakers. Some of it comes from parents who bailed for DCPS programs or private schools. For the past 13 years, YY has been run by a principal who can barely carry on a simple conversation in Mandarin, a head who refuses to take low English test scores seriously. Her teachers lke to poke fun at her in their dialects (Cantonese, Fujian) right in front of her.

Deal with the reality now, or deal with it later.

[Anonymous]

Appreciate everyone’s input. I think perhaps what we’ll do if we get into YY is to try it at least for pk, as my understanding is that pk generally is pretty good across the city. We will in the meantime supplement English and math learning at home while we try to lottery for one of the DCPS schools in upper NW, but it also sounds like those schools are impossible to get into even when you’re in bound and we’re not in a position to move. Does anyone know how the test scores are for Lee?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Appreciate everyone’s input. I think perhaps what we’ll do if we get into YY is to try it at least for pk, as my understanding is that pk generally is pretty good across the city. We will in the meantime supplement English and math learning at home while we try to lottery for one of the DCPS schools in upper NW, but it also sounds like those schools are impossible to get into even when you’re in bound and we’re not in a position to move. Does anyone know how the test scores are for Lee?

All test scores are seriously out of date at this point. But I remember being very underwhelmed by Lee's. Their upper elementary program is still finding it's way, high attrition due to lack of a middle school that people have confidence in, and a big achievement gap. I think it is a good school overall though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Appreciate everyone’s input. I think perhaps what we’ll do if we get into YY is to try it at least for pk, as my understanding is that pk generally is pretty good across the city. We will in the meantime supplement English and math learning at home while we try to lottery for one of the DCPS schools in upper NW, but it also sounds like those schools are impossible to get into even when you’re in bound and we’re not in a position to move. Does anyone know how the test scores are for Lee?

If you are a parent of a three year old and are already thinking about lotterying for upper NW schools then you aren't going to be happy anywhere.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Appreciate everyone’s input. I think perhaps what we’ll do if we get into YY is to try it at least for pk, as my understanding is that pk generally is pretty good across the city. We will in the meantime supplement English and math learning at home while we try to lottery for one of the DCPS schools in upper NW, but it also sounds like those schools are impossible to get into even when you’re in bound and we’re not in a position to move. Does anyone know how the test scores are for Lee?

If you are a parent of a three year old and are already thinking about lotterying for upper NW schools then you aren't going to be happy anywhere.

Gratuitously mean comment directed at an immigrant parent trying to plan ahead on good form.

OP, if you want an Upper NW school, consider renting or buying in one of the cheaper swathes of Upper NW, e.g. Glover Park. It's unrealistic to plan to lottery into Upper NW DCPS program from K-5th. Don't worry about PreS3, PreK4 or even K. Many good public programs for Early Childhood Education in DC (ECE).

You could also rent or buy in southern Montgomery County MD, to access K-5th grade Mandarin immersion at College Gardens or Potomac school-within-a-school elementary schools. Those programs attract many Mandarin speakers and are run by competent American-Born Chinese admins who speak dialects and Mandarin.

[Anonymous]

We knew several families at YY with one native-speaking parent. They were delighted to get their kids some extra Mandarin practice, plus the reading and writing, without having to give up Saturdays for Chinese school or do one parent/one-language at home.