I'm reluctant to believe that the kids you mention speak Chinese well. We used to believe such claims, until we got into the habit ot trying to talk to YY kids being called native speakers (we speak several major dialects between us). Since YY doesn't test Chinese-speaking kids for fluency or placement, and very few of the parents speak any dialect of Chinese, the claim is all too easy to make.

...and there have been at least 3 native speakers in my kids class in PreK and K. In a class of 18, in DC, with no preference.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What's odd to me is how complacent parents who should know better can be. One of the most engaging threads on DCUM in the last few months was the one asking "Are We All Kidding Ourselves in DC?" Absent was the usual tiresome boosting.

Come on, well-meaning admins who can hardly speak any Chinese running a Mandarin immersion school? Chinese-speaking students welcome in name only? This is really the best YY can ever do? It can't be.

Yu Ying welcomes all students regardless of heritage and background if they are lucky to get in through the lottery. Many of us think this is good thing... and if it results in some Chinese-speaking kids not getting in, so be it.

It is a good thing. Because it was set up to serve the residents of DC. All of them. And all are really and truly welcome. When students who already speak Chinese get in, it is a boost and great thing for the school. But DC public charters should be available to anyone who lucks in through the lottery.

Anonymous wrote:What's odd to me is how complacent parents who should know better can be. One of the most engaging threads on DCUM in the last few months was the one asking "Are We All Kidding Ourselves in DC?" Absent was the usual tiresome boosting.

Come on, well-meaning admins who can hardly speak any Chinese running a Mandarin immersion school? Chinese-speaking students welcome in name only? This is really the best YY can ever do? It can't be.

Yu Ying welcomes all students regardless of heritage and background if they are lucky to get in through the lottery. Many of us think this is good thing... and if it results in some Chinese-speaking kids not getting in, so be it.

Anonymous wrote:What's odd to me is how complacent parents who should know better can be. One of the most engaging threads on DCUM in the last few months was the one asking "Are We All Kidding Ourselves in DC?" Absent was the usual tiresome boosting.

Come on, well-meaning admins who can hardly speak any Chinese running a Mandarin immersion school? Chinese-speaking students welcome in name only? This is really the best YY can ever do? It can't be.

There are hundreds of families who are absolutely fine with you not applying, so that they are one-shot closer to getting in. We are all happy to live with your discontent about it and are glad you will pursue other options for your own kids. Enjoy, hope you find a great school for you!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What's so interesting about these threads is that while some may be raising concerns truly because they just care about the quality of DC education, it's so incredibly obvious that those who commit time over and over again to slamming these specific aspects of a school like Yu Ying are doing so because they have something to prove, some personal "wrong" that they are trying to "right".

Because sane, level-headed people who truly don't have a dog in the fight understand the difference between arguing about best practice and what is preferable, and how that can be achieved under the current rules, or they talk about how to change the rules. They do not return to the same complaints thread after thread after thread and keep trying to "will into reality" rules or priorities that are either not available or not preferable to those most directly affected (the staff and families at the school).

It's not apples or organges; it's pure sour grapes. And it is so odd.

What it comes down to is that some Chinese people want an edge in admissions since the language taught is Mandarin. They feel it's an entitlement.

You're behind the times on this one, mate. Five years ago, maybe, for a few. Chinese immigrants are not in fact known for their sense of entitlement. Their tendency is to work very hard, push their kids to enter professions, keep to themselves, and that's about it.

Anonymous wrote:What's odd to me is how complacent parents who should know better can be. One of the most engaging threads on DCUM in the last few months was the one asking "Are We All Kidding Ourselves in DC?" Absent was the usual tiresome boosting.

Come on, well-meaning admins who can hardly speak any Chinese running a Mandarin immersion school? Chinese-speaking students welcome in name only? This is really the best YY can ever do? It can't be.

Nobody said this is the best they can "ever" do. But it sounds like you are advocating (again) for preferential admission for Chinese speakers, and that's not likely to happen in DC.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

You do not seem to understand the DC charter school system at all.

The problem is that I do understand it, all too well. I'm on the board of directors of a DC charter, resigning shortly because I'm not on board with their policy of celebrating Apartheid education (the franchise is happy supporting and creating schools that aren't diverse).

One-way immersion is too far from best practices for me to cheer about it, or claim that it's the best we can or should do in this city outside of Oyster. You cheer if that works for you, but I can't see how your kids will accrue the benefit. Why let MoCo and NoVa walk away with the local academic edge as far as the eye can see?

Are those MoCo and NoVa schools you reference Charter Schools? If not, they are not relevant. Like NoVa and MoCo, DCPS allows dual lotteries for their immersion schools.

I wish they weren't relevant. Kids learn immersion Chinese in those suburban schools and, one day, they will be taking the very same AP, SAT II and IB Diploma Chinese language exams as DCI Mandarin-track students.

**Fixing quotes**

I live in DC, I'm not planning to move from DC, and I am a YY parent. Honestly I really don't care what is happening in NoVA or MoCo. I don't live in VA or MD. And given the laws and rules of DC, and the fact that some brilliant and dedicated parents 7 or so years ago put in the major sweat and hard work to start Yu Ying and find it's current home and turn it into the IB school it is today, I am grateful for the chance my kids have to attend. I absolutely believe that schools can learn from other systems and there is always room for improvement. But you are concerned about kids who aren't your kids and what they'll be competing against, when the fact is that they will STILL have language skills that are incredibly competitive and useful and will serve them really really well. I am not worried in the least that a MoCo kid will outscore my kids - hey, more power to them. They probably worked really hard to get to that point.

But I live in DC, I want my kids in school in DC, and I am humbly grateful that they have a chance to attend YY and DCI. Grateful and excited. And I give major props to all the parents and adults who made all the HRCSs happen, no matter what their focus, as well as the staff who run the HRDCPS schools. It's an unimaginably hard job to do, and I give all kinds of props to those who've shown they can do it.

And did I mention I live in DC? And I want my kids in school in DC? Right. So discussion of rules and policies that currently don't apply in DC ARE irrelevant until/unless they change. And I am also glad that you PP, and everyone else complaining about what YY isn't doing, are free to move to MoCo or NoVa or MA or wherever else you think they do this better, and go to school there. But please don't trouble yourself worrying about how my kids will do up against MoCo kids. They will be fine.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What's so interesting about these threads is that while some may be raising concerns truly because they just care about the quality of DC education, it's so incredibly obvious that those who commit time over and over again to slamming these specific aspects of a school like Yu Ying are doing so because they have something to prove, some personal "wrong" that they are trying to "right".

Because sane, level-headed people who truly don't have a dog in the fight understand the difference between arguing about best practice and what is preferable, and how that can be achieved under the current rules, or they talk about how to change the rules. They do not return to the same complaints thread after thread after thread and keep trying to "will into reality" rules or priorities that are either not available or not preferable to those most directly affected (the staff and families at the school).

It's not apples or organges; it's pure sour grapes. And it is so odd.

What it comes down to is that some Chinese people want an edge in admissions since the language taught is Mandarin. They feel it's an entitlement.

That is really what this whole conversation about changing Principals and not recruiting native language speakers boils down to. People who want in but couldn't get in and will raise every point they can, every opportunity they can, to try to discredit the school. The school they are so pissed their kids don't attend. Crazy.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

You do not seem to understand the DC charter school system at all.

The problem is that I do understand it, all too well. I'm on the board of directors of a DC charter, resigning shortly because I'm not on board with their policy of celebrating Apartheid education (the franchise is happy supporting and creating schools that aren't diverse).

One-way immersion is too far from best practices for me to cheer about it, or claim that it's the best we can or should do in this city outside of Oyster. You cheer if that works for you, but I can't see how your kids will accrue the benefit. Why let MoCo and NoVa walk away with the local academic edge as far as the eye can see?

Are those MoCo and NoVa schools you reference Charter Schools? If not, they are not relevant. Like NoVa and MoCo, DCPS allows dual lotteries for their immersion schools.

I wish they weren't relevant. Kids learn immersion Chinese in those suburban schools and, one day, they will be taking the very same AP, SAT II and IB Diploma Chinese language exams as DCI Mandarin-track students.