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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Oyster uses Spanish education as an excuse for why the other subject areas are mediocre and watered down.  I would love for Spanish to no longer serve as the proxy for mediocre.

If the leadership can't right this ship in this location, [b]I shudder to think what it would be like in a new one.[/b][/quote]

It would be missing the high-achieving in-bounds kids, which is currently its real advantage over other public Spanish immersion options in the District. So... it would be a much less successful school on the whole.[/quote] how do you know it's the in bounds students who are high achievers? According to DC CAS (I think), Adams grades with 60 something out of bound scored higher than Deal.

The real difference between Oyster and other schools is the level of education of parents who speak Spanish, this includes Hispanics, foreign educated Anglos, in and out of bounds.

Try not to assume too much about the current families or what people would or would not do if the school were to move or change.

The growth of language charter options may have more impact than DCPS.[/quote]

Actually, the PP makes a better argument.  It is true that O-A middle school students out scored Deal (and every other DCPS middle school), and the middle school at O-A is mostly populated by OOB students.  However, OOB kids outnumber IB kids in every grade at O-A except K and 1st grade (it was a perfect 50/50 split in 2nd grade this past school year).  As an IB parent, I know for a fact that many of those IB kids become OOB kids after a few years when their parents move to, typically, larger/less expensive homes.  So actually, many of those OOB kids in the upper grades were initially IB, and they share a similar demographic profile to the kids/families that remain IB.

The REAL real difference between Oyster and other language immersion schools is that Oyster attracts better educated families who are both native English AND native Spanish speakers.  That is due, in large part, to the fact the Oyster is located in an affluent neighborhood that many people perceive as safe and highly desirable.  If Oyster becomes a citywide magnet, it will have to move, and it will lose its desirable location.  The thing that the admin. won't seem to acknowledge is that Oyster's location is a big part of the reason it attracts the families it does, and why it is so successful.  If you lose that element, the school will not be nearly as successful--just take a look at every immersion charter or Marie-Reed and Bancroft   Those two DCPS dual immersion schools are within walking distance to O-A, yet they are struggling in every way possible.  If O-A moves, it will be able to trade on its good name/reputation for a few years, until families slowly begin to realize that this is not the same Oyster that was in Woodley Park.  It won't have the same mix of students and it won't be able to raise the same type of money for all of those extras...which increasingly are necessities.  And by that time it will be too late.  A great school will be destroyed for what?  So the principal only has to visit one building?[/quote]

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