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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I wonder how long until they just nix the entire immersion program past elementary. [/quote]
Nix it there too[/quote]

Why would they do this? It’s a very popular program with a lot of educational benefits?[/quote]

It doesn’t really benefit APS as a whole and numbers greatly drop off once middle school hits. We should be doing what is best for APS not a select group of families. Option schools in general should be reevaluated in APS. [/quote]
Immersion isn't any more of a select group than is attending Jamestown, Discovery or Taylor.  All those kids have the economic means to buy in bounds.  At least immersion kids have a lottery chance regardless of their background or economic means.[/quote]

None of those schools you mentioned offer immersion Spanish instruction. If what you are implying is that immersion offers a better level of instruction or better group of peers, I don’t know what to say to that other than work on fixing the neighborhood schools. It doesn’t assuage my conscience to have APS filled with the haves, the have nots, and the have nots who got lucky in the lottery. [/quote]
No, it's just refuting the notion that immersion is some "select" group and should therefore be actively disfavored by APS to avoid creating an inequity.  It's not.  It's kids in public school.  And it's no more a special interest group than the parents at Jamestown or Discovery.  Those parents want what's best for their kids, as do the parents of those in Immersion.[/quote]

If anything, option schools have been overly favored for reasons that have never been clear to me. This is a public education system - the idea that we should have all kinds of “options” not directly related to educational need (ie ESL, special needs, gifted services) is bizarre. [/quote]Huh?  Immersion is important to many ESL students.  It allows parents who don't speak English to converse with their child's teacher, administration, guidance counselor, PTA, etc.  Spanish speaking families and, in turn, educational outcomes of ESL students are strongly supported by having their kids in immersion.[/quote]

There are plenty of schools in Arlington with similar or higher EL rates. Perhaps they should get some attention too?

EL Rate for all Arlington County Elementary: 28.96%
Claremont: 32.96%
Key: 35.21%
Barrett: 50%
Barcroft: 46.09%
Abingdon:39.07%
Campbell: 36.87%
Carlin Springs 66.15%
Innovation: 33.47%
Hoffman Boston: 48.15%
Drew: 38.49%
Arlington Traditional: 35.04%
Long Branch: 32.52%
[/quote]I'm not aware of a waitlist for Spanish speakers to enroll in immersion.  If parents are uncomfortable with English, immersion is an option for all Spanish speaking students in Arlington.  Supply matches demand.  For many Spanish dominant parents, immersion is an important option.[/quote]

And for my Hispanic parents, having their children learn English is more important. [/quote]

Good thing they also learn English at the immersion schools, including getting ESL support. [/quote]

Yes, of course. However, it's disingenuous to present immersion as a lifeline to EL families when half of the elementary schools in Arlington have rates that are similar or higher. In the case of Claremont, EVERY SINGLE SCHOOL that borders it has a higher EL rate. I mean, come on. [/quote]

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