Anonymous wrote:

OJH wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OK OP. I took a second to actually read your first point (filtering out the distinct aroma du nutcase) and you do make a good point. It would be helpful if there were more information on the odds of getting into each school that did not require parents to know they have to look elsewhere to understand their odds. The information is there (in the form of annual retrospective lottery data) but that isn't always so easy to find or understand. So, it would be cool if they could include an "odds" calculator or at least flag the schools where literally no kids with your profile have gotten seats in the lottery.

LMAO! Yes, I'm neurotic. However, every African/Asian/European person I met in college spoke at least 3 languages passably. It's worth prioritizing for the future of as many American children as possinle.

A lot of people have children who speak multiple languages, such as mine who speak, read, and write 3 fluently. Stop praising yourself, you're not that special. We know many people who are doing/have done the same.

Anonymous wrote:Tyler speaks completely in spanish for prek3 and 4

Anonymous wrote:Hi Swami! Here's our list, though not 100% sure about the order. Am listing a few past our IB school as not 100% sure DD will get in.

1. LAMB

1. DC Bilingual
2. Stokes
3. Lee Montessori
4. Inspired Teaching
5. Powell (in-bounds)
6. EL Haynes
7. Shining Stars

Thanks!

Anonymous wrote:

OJH wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Um, welcome to DC. I don't think you're going to find happiness here.

I grew up in the DMV. The city has potential, and universal pk3/pk4 is game changer we shouldn't be satisfied with until it's fair, or at least honest. Would love to know how your children's experience has been here... This forum is scarier than the streets.

They've been doing great in a DCPS that's talked about as second rate. We moved in boundary for the school and haven't had to deal with the lottery other than PK3 and that wasn't a big deal.

Anonymous wrote:

OJH wrote:"Best" may be irrelevant, statistically, if your priority is a specific language...

Don't waste lottery choices on a school with 0% chance of admission. If you pick one with less than 1% chance, just KNOW that you must make it your first choice for any hope at all

I'm struggling a LOT with this, since my son already speaks multiple languages.

Elsie Stokes new East End campus is an amazing opportunity since first year programs have no sibling preference taking all the spots.

ALSO... there are one or two excellent NON LOTTERY preschools with free immersion pk3/pk4 immersion as well! Selection process is mysterious, but very much worth a try, especially if you dont plan to live in DC longterm or can afford private elementary school or moving to high performing public elementary school boundary later.

PP you do not understand the way the DC lottery works. Pls stop giving bad advice. Listing a school first doesn’t improve your chances of getting on.

Everyone gets a master number. If that number is #1 you will get into the school you list first. If your number is dead last you won’t get into anything for preschool, except perhaps your IB DCPS.

You are right about Stokes being a good choice this year because new kids to Stokes will have a shot at spaces that are usually all taken by siblings of already enrolled kids.

Anonymous wrote:Hi, parents.

At our DCPS, the music teacher and the librarian regularly show Disney movies and other popular cartoons during music and library time. That is, in library, rather than read a book to the kids or have the kids find books, kids only watch cartoons. And in music, rather than play a rhythm instrument, listen to different styles of music, sing, etc., kids only watch cartoons.

Now -- my kids are in PreK and K, and I am pretty sure that music class and library are taken more seriously for grades 1-5. Question -- if you were in my shoes, would you raise concern with the admin or the teachers themselves? Ask that your kid interacts with books during library time and that the music teacher puts in at least a 15-20 minute effort before reverting to the tv? Or would you let it go?

Thanks!

Anonymous wrote:Would you consider moving IB for Oyster, or private if language is that important to you? WIS and Rochambeau offer full immersion in French.

Anonymous wrote:Um, welcome to DC. I don't think you're going to find happiness here.

Anonymous wrote:OK OP. I took a second to actually read your first point (filtering out the distinct aroma du nutcase) and you do make a good point. It would be helpful if there were more information on the odds of getting into each school that did not require parents to know they have to look elsewhere to understand their odds. The information is there (in the form of annual retrospective lottery data) but that isn't always so easy to find or understand. So, it would be cool if they could include an "odds" calculator or at least flag the schools where literally no kids with your profile have gotten seats in the lottery.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Mandarin is taught for one hour total in the ECE CMI classes. It seems like a total waste to me and I wish they just had Spanish everyday

Sorry, one hour total per week.

Anonymous wrote:

OJH wrote:Hello to all!
Longtime lurker, first time writer, and first time player of the insane school lottery here in DC.
I have one point, and three questions:

1. My School DC website and customer service reps are committing fraud by regurgitating "Put your choices in order of which you want the most". There is no disclosure whatsoever, if a school has ZERO or less than 1% of slots available to those without sibling and/or boundary and/or other legal preference. The data does not lie, and it's absolutely unconscionable. There should be ONE list for where you would want to go if every program was immediately scalable (enabling schools to justify increased resources) and one for reality, where child's future is at stake. Lottery system for public education is in of itself unconstitutional, and I would happily join a class action lawsuit seeking policy change and NO resources diverted from education.

2. Other than Washington Yu Ying, which PK3/PK4/K immersion programs are taught entirely in the target language?

3. How many PK/K hours per day or week is Mandarin taught at Thomson? How many at Creative Minds? Do ANY other schools offer Mandarin on a regular basis? Are there any new Mandarin programs on the horizon?

4. I speak French fluently, and would love to network with homeschool parents creating alternative learning culture. Please add me on facebook.com/goldyard or instagram @cherry.brain if you are connected to these quiet folks.

Full disclosure: I am self-educated, low income single parent, who sacrificed a HECK OF A LOT for "DS" to hear 4 languages every weekday. We moved to DC for a family emergency, and I'm on a mission to build on that foundation.

Oyster's PK4 is now full Spanish immersion.

Anonymous wrote:1) The DC lottery is quite transparent. On the data section of the My School website, you can find results from past years, and that should answer some of your questions about how many kids get in off of waitlists for each school.The DC lottery uses the Roth algorithm, which means that you should list your schools in order of your true preference. It doesn't help to.put a less desirable school first. You should of course have some safety schools, incase you get a poor lottery number. The DC lottery is the gold standard; in cities like chicago, you have to be more strategic.

2) Most immersion schools in DC are bilingual, not monolingual in the target language. They try to use a dual language model, as research suggests that this is most effective for language acquisition. Yu Ying can't do this because they don't have enough native speakers.

3) My French speaking friends use this program

http://www.saturday-schools.org/french

Anonymous wrote:Look, I agree that listing schools with no spots is really difficult on parents, but what exactly do you propose if not a lottery system?

I mean, DC could have all neighborhood schools, but then ZERO kids would be getting the language immersion you seem to think is paramount.

On your FB page, you are advertising for a charter school, so your issue isn't with charters and a desire for neighborhood schools - your issue is with your specific kid not being guaranteed full immersion in a city full of folks looking for language immersion.