Reply to Ward 6 and Miner ES: Grassroots Movement for Dual Language (Mandarin) Program

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Reply to "Ward 6 and Miner ES: Grassroots Movement for Dual Language (Mandarin) Program"

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]It's all a beautiful argument, but there's no way to call it anything other than what it is: a way to white-wash the classrooms.  And, I get it, that's fine. Would I rather you take your kid and $s out of DCPS and go private or charter? No. It's not an either/or proposition, it's just an us/them solution - and you're right, $s for the school is $s for the school, but it would be great if that meant an equal amount would be spent on each child, or better yet, MORE Would be spent on the kids that need more, which aren't the Mandarin-immersion kids.

I'm not sure what the solution is, because this is the same problem in every other public school EOTP: gotta have a hook or it's too hard to justify sending kiddo in.  To that end, is it the best solution? Mandarin just seems like the LAST thing they should be using to differentiate.  Spanish, French, literally any other language will make it easier for the lower-SES parent to access, so perhaps this is what makes it seem so unpalatable.  
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White-wash the classrooms?  You are certainly forgetting that their are African American parents and students who would choose to go the immersion route.  There are plenty of parents/kids of all backgrounds who would love the chance to help their child out by giving them a multi-lingual background.  Knowing multiple languages isn't a "white" thing.

Now do I think parents who put their child in these programs are more involved in their child's education?  Yes.  Is that a bad thing for a school to have these type of parents?   Absolutely not.  Having parents who demand that the school curriculum is challenging and kids are learning is going to benefit all students in that school.  Most teachers and administrators love having involved parents as well.

As far as language access, there are plenty of programs out there to support Mandarin.  Spanish isn't an option (see Taylor), and DCPS chooses the language.  http://miparentscouncil.org/2013/06/24/being-black-and-bilingual/ (Black and Bilingual).  http://paassc.com/ (Parents of African American Students Studying Chinese)

Do I think that money needs to be spent to help all students? Certainly.  But what I really think may help some of these students is that DCPS starts providing after school meals again.  That's a fight I'm willing to join too.  DC has done a poor job of making sure these kids have quality meals which may be the only meals they have during the day.  It's a small wonder that some of these kids have trouble at school when they have empty stomachs and are worrying about what they are going home to after the day.  A school can't solve all the issues at home that are disrupting a child's education, but they damn sure could give that child a full stomach before sending them home.

Do you know what the teachers at Miner want that would make their job easier?  A washer and dryer so that they could wash the school uniforms for the kids who go home and don't have a option to get clean uniforms for the next day. That is certainly dedication from the teachers.  How do I know this?  Because I've become involved in helping the discussion to improve the whole school, like most everyone else who has started investing in Miner and is excited for the "hook" of a immersion program.  BTW, people are working on getting those teachers a commercial washer and dryer.
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