Anonymous wrote:So...do people really do the immersion program for immersion's sake...or is this a backdoor into B-CC first and foremost. If the earlier, then should it matter where program is located? If the latter, then at least be honest with yourself and other posters here.

I want follow-on immersion/high level Spanish through 12th grade and I don't care where it is -- I would prefer a DCC school.

I am a mother of an RCF immersion student and 100% chose it because of the immersion program. We will send our child to SS International after RCF because it's close to our home. I can't speak for others, but know that not all of us care where the program goes afterwards. My preference would be that the program be continued through high school, but it doesn't sound like it is anywhere (even at BCC) - I don't care where, but it would be nice to keep going with it since it does take a lot of effort and time commitment. That's my interest.

So...do people really do the immersion program for immersion's sake...or is this a backdoor into B-CC first and foremost. If the earlier, then should it matter where program is located? If the latter, then at least be honest with yourself and other posters here.

I'm sure this will upset folks but think about what you're really saying. The underlying issue with some of these statements seems to be that Chevy Chase families (supposedly all wealthy and white?) want "separate but equal" schools which really aren't so "equal", are they? Focus your attention and energy into making all MCPS schools excellent, adaptable, and robust centers of learning rather than worrying about protecting a certain Chevy Chase demographic. By doing so, everybody wins. One thing I've learned about living in Montgomery County over the last few decades is that it's becoming an increasingly diverse county and that is never going to change. It will only increase and it will happen even in Chevy Chase soon enough if it hasn't already done so. So, if that's your fear, you should probably consider moving out of the county altogether. If that's not your fear, then let's boost our programs and opportunities rather than constrain them. We all will win.

Anonymous wrote:Looks like school safety data has been updated to include the 2009-2010 school year and Westland comes in with 1.4% suspension rate with the majority classified as attacks, Silver Spring International with 1.9%. Westland's FARMs = 11% (986 students total), SSI's FARMs = 43% (752 students total). So why are people so fond of Westland - is it the demographics?

Silver Spring International http://montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/regulatoryaccountability/SafetyGlance/currentyear/schools/03647.pdf
Westland http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/regulatoryaccountability/SafetyGlance/currentyear/schools/03412.pdf

yes

Anonymous wrote:Looks like school safety data has been updated to include the 2009-2010 school year and Westland comes in with 1.4% suspension rate with the majority classified as attacks, Silver Spring International with 1.9%. Westland's FARMs = 11% (986 students total), SSI's FARMs = 43% (752 students total). So why are people so fond of Westland - is it the demographics?

Silver Spring International http://montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/regulatoryaccountability/SafetyGlance/currentyear/schools/03647.pdf
Westland http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/regulatoryaccountability/SafetyGlance/currentyear/schools/03412.pdf

Wow, click on the links and look at the stats two years later... SSI has reverted back...

Looks like school safety data has been updated to include the 2009-2010 school year and Westland comes in with 1.4% suspension rate with the majority classified as attacks, Silver Spring International with 1.9%. Westland's FARMs = 11% (986 students total), SSI's FARMs = 43% (752 students total). So why are people so fond of Westland - is it the demographics?

Silver Spring International http://montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/regulatoryaccountability/SafetyGlance/currentyear/schools/03647.pdf
Westland http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/regulatoryaccountability/SafetyGlance/currentyear/schools/03412.pdf

Anonymous wrote:There is a benefit to the county to combining the immersion programs. SSIMS is undersubscribed. It's got the infrastructure in place for the SI program. So, the county doesn't essentially have to run an immersion program in two schools, which requires coordinators and other resources in both schools. These schools aren't so far apart that this doesn't seem viable.

In a tight budget situation, when the county has to make tough choices, this doesn't seem like a bad move.

I, for one, liked the idea that someone threw on the table above that would move all of RCFES to SSIMS. I drive between the two schools every day. It's not that far.

Amazing. And so transparent.

There is a benefit to the county to combining the immersion programs. SSIMS is undersubscribed. It's got the infrastructure in place for the SI program. So, the county doesn't essentially have to run an immersion program in two schools, which requires coordinators and other resources in both schools. These schools aren't so far apart that this doesn't seem viable.

In a tight budget situation, when the county has to make tough choices, this doesn't seem like a bad move.

I, for one, liked the idea that someone threw on the table above that would move all of RCFES to SSIMS. I drive between the two schools every day. It's not that far.