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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]the charter/dcps hybrid was tried twice. both times dcps walked away from the idea. i know the dci folks were very frustrated with dcps not being willing/able to make it happen.[/quote]

I would love to know more about this hybrid idea and what was tried.  It sounds like a terrible idea from the charter end of things, because as long as a facility is available, what is the benefit of a charter partnering with DCPS??

And the idea of DCI partnering with DCPS is the worst ever, given that DCI is already a collaboration of 5 elementary schools trying to figure out how to combine cultures, students, missions and language instruction into a cohesive middle and high school.  What would DCPS add to that other than problems with school culture (not because DCPS has all bad school culture, but it would be like a 6th culture to add in depending on the school)?

Where/when/how were DCPS/charter hybrids tried in the past?  And what was on the table for DCI and DCPS to do together that DCPS walked away from?[/quote]

I can think of an excellent reason for creating strong DCPS-charter hybrids emphasizing foreign language instruction.  Alternatively, beefed up DCPS programs would do the job.  In a nutshell, charters don't allow students to test in.  In other cities, even Rockville, bilingual and bilterate kids can test into K-8 immersion language schools, at least to replace drop-outs and to enter special lotteries for native speakers.  You also have test-in magnet middle schools for advanced students, like the humanities program at Eastern MS in Silver Spring.  This program teaches several languages (non-immersion) to 6th-8th graders at an accelerated pace, admitting no more than 20% of applicants county-wide.

What you have in DC public are charter language immersion schools with few native speakers, or advanced students either.  The native speaker deficit isn't just seen at Yu Ying, the most egregious case, you find it at Tyler SI, Stokes and others.  Oyster's middle school has many native speakers, but few advanced students.  Because DC charter law doesn't allow students to test in, DCI is going to exclude potential students who speak, read and write Spanish, French and Chinese as well or better than some of their students.

This makes little sense when bilingual and biliterate students, and "gifted" students, would be an asset to any middle or high school teaching foreign languages, "new blood" as it were.  I hate it when political goals (avoiding cherry picking students) trump common sense and educational goals.

I'm not excited about DCI, because I can't see it being all that great with few native speakers.  I'm not excitied about "Global," because I can't see it being all that wonderful without the high standards that come from admitting a critical mass of strong students.  When is DC going to reach for the stars where foreign language instruction goes?  Even Deal doesn't offer advanced classes outside of math. [/quote]

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