Reply to Bilingual Kids in Language Immersion ES Programs, Which Programs Have Many & Strive to Attract Them?

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Reply to "Bilingual Kids in Language Immersion ES Programs, Which Programs Have Many & Strive to Attract Them?"

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][/quote]  We can afford a more serious school where our input is more likely to be valued, and can find the Mandarin elsewhere. [/quote]

Curious where you can find Mandarin elsewhere.  I have looked and can't seem to find it.  Most schools teach language as a subject among many (i.e. Brent, Thompson, Sidwell), but if your kid is coming from Immersion or speaks Mandarin at home there is not much available.   [/quote]

There have been several mentions of MoCo Chinese programs, I don't know a thing about them but apparently they exist and are much much more welcoming of Cantonese speakers than YY.  But I don't know if the MoCo programs address what you're asking, which is the immersion/bilingual track all the way through (as opposed to just classes).[/quote]

From what I've heard, the MoCo Chinese programs lets kids test-in for any open spots, any grade, unlike Yu Ying which will accept anyone via lottery, no testing for proficiency, for any open spots up to 2nd grade.  Even in MoCo, people apply via lottery but there is no preferences given to native speakers for K - the starting grade for immersion.  Since the other options are so much better in MoCo, the Chinese immersion program only attracts people who are interested in Chinese - not people who are escaping crappy schools, thus more native speakers and people who have a strong connection to China.

MoCo also has much much better school options so many of the kids who start in immersion will transfer out to G&T in 3rd grade or later leaving spots which are filled by test-in kids.[/quote]

Also, comparing how MoCo runs it's immersion schools to a DC charter is like comparing apples to oranges.  MoCo is one of the best school systems in the whole country while DCPS is always at the bottom and comparing a single DC charter to MoCo?  Different demographics, serving different populations, about as different as you can get other than they are both immersion Mandarin.

If MoCo immersion appeals, the only way you're going to get it is to move.[/quote]

MoCo runs their schools differently and their immersion programs aren't charters like in DC.  A different set of rules applies, and it applies to a different larger demographic of students.  You  can't compare one school to another, without looking at the totality of variables.

Yu Ying is a great place for us.  We're in the lower grades, we'll see how it goes when the children are older, but for now we're quite happy.  If there's a decision to made about moving, we'll make it when the time comes.  We know there's not another opportunity like it in DC, and we are definitely city people.  We're hopeful that the expansion into MS/HS is going to work well for our children, that would certainly be the desired outcome.  We want Mandarin, we want immersion, and we want to stay in DC.  For us, the choice is simple, and it works for us.  Everyone has to make their own decisions based on their own priorities.

Cheers![/quote]

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