Anonymous wrote:Has anyone been offered a slot from a wait lists? I think those who were given slots had to decide by last Friday (5/8). Wondering if anyone has been contacted yet.

Yes, good news this week.

Thank you to the parent who posted turning down the Sligo Creek spot. My child is #5 on the waitlist. I've crossed every body part I have. You gave me a bit of hope! Thanks.

Has anyone been offered a slot from a wait lists? I think those who were given slots had to decide by last Friday (5/8). Wondering if anyone has been contacted yet.

Anyone have the inside scoop on the 3rd grade entry waitlist for Sligo or RCF? Is it long? I'm looking at the year after next. My child is fluent in both Spanish and French.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don;t think you can apply until you live in MoCo so timing might be difficult. If there is an empty 3rd grade spot, with no weight list they might let you fill it after you moved. I know at College Gardens the numbers drop as the years go by..but there are probably fewer kids that are able to test in with Chinese. The numbers drop the most for 4th when kids move to HGCs.

How do I find out if there's a third grade wait list? Is it on a website somewhere?

There certainly is a waitlist. Call the division of consortia choice and they can tell you details. We actually turned down a spot for 3rd grade @ College Gardens last week.

May I ask why turned down that spot? We have accepted a kindergarten spot. We are not a Chinese speaking family so, I am a bit worried about the support I can offer my child.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don;t think you can apply until you live in MoCo so timing might be difficult. If there is an empty 3rd grade spot, with no weight list they might let you fill it after you moved. I know at College Gardens the numbers drop as the years go by..but there are probably fewer kids that are able to test in with Chinese. The numbers drop the most for 4th when kids move to HGCs.

How do I find out if there's a third grade wait list? Is it on a website somewhere?

There certainly is a waitlist. Call the division of consortia choice and they can tell you details. We actually turned down a spot for 3rd grade @ College Gardens last week.

Anonymous wrote:I don;t think you can apply until you live in MoCo so timing might be difficult. If there is an empty 3rd grade spot, with no weight list they might let you fill it after you moved. I know at College Gardens the numbers drop as the years go by..but there are probably fewer kids that are able to test in with Chinese. The numbers drop the most for 4th when kids move to HGCs.

How do I find out if there's a third grade wait list? Is it on a website somewhere?

Anonymous wrote:May 8th is deadline to decide for those invited.

Thanks hopefully we will have good news next week. For now, we are proceeding with kindergarten orientation at our home school with hopes that we will still be invited. THX!

I agree that it takes a commitment of the entire family as parents and taxpayers that we should be responsible in our commitment to the programs that we are applying. The cases and the issues that are being brought up may be valid but definitely represent the minority of those applying. In regards, to using the program to move to another school without interest in the program cannot be a frequent. We are all in Montgomery County. Although quality of education may not be equal, I can't imagine a parent going through this progress and dealing with transportation issues to change to one of these other schools. Many of the immersion programs are not even located in the best schools or locations. In regards to sibling preferences at least for those entering the same grade, they are not at an advantage. For example twins, would effectively be considered one child. They don't get two chances to get in the program. You basically role the dice once. They both get in or neither get entrance.

Why can't everybody just be thankful that we all have a chance to get into exceptional programs that are not offered everywhere like they are in Montgomery County? Don't criticize others or the program that everybody here clearly wanted to be accepted. My children have not been invited to the program which is disappointing. However, I am still hopeful and hope to set a good example for my children with how I handle the situation. So, let's support and congratulate each other and stop being so toxic.

May 8th is deadline to decide for those invited.

Has any family been contacted who were on the waiting list for RCF? Does anyone know when those offered slots must make a decision?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As someone who is committed to having my child learn a second language I think it is unfair that some kids get a space just to avoid their home school. But that is my opinion. There are always going to be ways where things seem unfair depending who is looking at it and how. When my kid didn't get a preschool space at a school I liked bc the class was filled with siblings it felt unfair but it was the policy and I accepted it. I'm sure if it was the other way around it would feel unfair bc it would negatively affect my family! I kept trying and we found something that worked for us. I think if there is a fight worth fighting it is that demand exceeds supply.

People are underestimating the level of commitment that is required to be successful in these programs. The children and parents who are motivated about learning a new language fair much better in these programs for the long haul. The drop-out rate increase significantly as they kids get older, especially third grade and beyond. In some program third, fourth, and fifth grades are tiny! Unfortunately at that point new comers have to test in. It stinks.

I always thought this was a function of kids getting into the HGC. Why would kids drop out of immersion otherwise? And re: the home school issue - I used to think that too - that immersion was just a way for kids to get out of a poor home school. We are in an immersion program, and really the demographics of our home school and the immersion school are about the same - if anything, the home school has better test scores, etc. We gave it a shot because I think that language learning is benficial at an early age. But once we were in the program, I came to know that many of the kids there actually had stronger, or at least equal, home school options. Their families just wanted the immersion experience. I guess my point is, I don't think the often cited reason of poor home school options is prevalent for a majority of the families that enter the immersion programs.

We left immersion for 4th because my child knew only a few words of the target language and couldn't keep up with her immersion classes. It really doesn't work for everyone.

Re: the Title I issue, the problem we saw was that a lot of the things that you might take for granted at a more middle-class school weren't present. Few afterschool activities at the school and few field trips. It came from a good place (sensitivity to the struggles of low-income families), but it made the school experience kind of...grim. I'm not anti-immersion at all, but it really doesn't work for every child. My kid is thriving at our home school now.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As someone who is committed to having my child learn a second language I think it is unfair that some kids get a space just to avoid their home school. But that is my opinion. There are always going to be ways where things seem unfair depending who is looking at it and how. When my kid didn't get a preschool space at a school I liked bc the class was filled with siblings it felt unfair but it was the policy and I accepted it. I'm sure if it was the other way around it would feel unfair bc it would negatively affect my family! I kept trying and we found something that worked for us. I think if there is a fight worth fighting it is that demand exceeds supply.

Isn't it unfair that they have a home school that needs to be avoided?

Exactly!!!
I believe mcps needs to expand the way students can get into various school. For example if they can allow residents to apply for any school that has opening (unfilled spaces after home school kids get in) via lottery, or on a first come first serve basis . That way, people who are doing the immersion for the purpose avoiding their home school may apply to something else. I think DC does something similar like this

Or, MCPS could work to improve the home school.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As someone who is committed to having my child learn a second language I think it is unfair that some kids get a space just to avoid their home school. But that is my opinion. There are always going to be ways where things seem unfair depending who is looking at it and how. When my kid didn't get a preschool space at a school I liked bc the class was filled with siblings it felt unfair but it was the policy and I accepted it. I'm sure if it was the other way around it would feel unfair bc it would negatively affect my family! I kept trying and we found something that worked for us. I think if there is a fight worth fighting it is that demand exceeds supply.

Isn't it unfair that they have a home school that needs to be avoided?

Exactly!!!
I believe mcps needs to expand the way students can get into various school. For example if they can allow residents to apply for any school that has opening (unfilled spaces after home school kids get in) via lottery, or on a first come first serve basis . That way, people who are doing the immersion for the purpose avoiding their home school may apply to something else. I think DC does something similar like this

When my kids were at College Gardens so many kids left for HGC's, that 4th and 5th were combined into one classroom. Maybe because it is not a low performing school, people choose it more for the school then the Chinese? Not sure if that is still the case.