Oh, looks like this link doesn’t work ((

I’ll try a different way then:

“Testimony to the Board of Education from Oakland Terrace E.S. Families
January 17, 2023
My name is Alison Pflepsen and I am the parent of a kindergartener and a third grader at Oakland Terrace, a two-way Spanish-English immersion school with more than 500 students.1 I am also the President of the school’s PTA. Tonight I am speaking on behalf of more than 100
parents who have signed this testimony.2
I am here to express families’ concerns regarding large class sizes at our school, and to request action be taken in the FY2024 budget to rectify this situation. At Oakland Terrace, teachers instruct twice as many students as their colleagues at most other elementary schools.
Our TWI teachers teach two groups of students every day: a cohort of students in their homeroom class, as well as a cohort in their co-teacher’s class. This is because one teacher provides instruction in English and the other in Spanish.
As a result of our school losing Focus status this year, we have seen individual class
sizes balloon to unacceptable levels for a dual-language program.3 For example, the number of children in each kindergarten class jumped from approximately 16 last year to 26 this
year, with similar increases in other grades. This means that teachers are responsible for
teaching, grading, managing and supporting more than 50 students every day—a workload that is unacceptable and unsustainable.
Our teachers, school leadership, and support staff are doing everything they can in the face of this adversity. But the only way to solve this problem and to reduce class sizes is for MCPS to provide funding for more teachers. This is critical because smaller TWI class sizes
are essential to: (1) provide the highest quality dual-language instruction; (2) enable teachers to differentiate instruction; and (3) avoid challenges recruiting and retaining teachers for this unique program.
Oakland Terrace, and all TWI schools, need to have the requisite human and other resources to implement the program well. Importantly, this funding should not be contingent on Focus
or Title I status, but should be based on what is needed to successfully implement the
program.
Secondly … need to develop strategic plan for TWI.
TWI needs to identify curricular materials
For all subjects.
TWI needs to be comprehensively evaluated “.

Issues as of January 2022 outlined here:

https://www.boarddocs.com/mabe/mcpsmd/Board.nsf/files/CN6PC563EA00/$file/Alison%20Pflepsen%20-%20Oakland%20Terrace%20ES.pdf.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^^we’ve also had a very positive experience with Newport Mill and know lots of older kids who’ve thrived at Einstein, Blair, Wheaton, etc.

I've heard mixed things about Newport. Einstein is good but they don't have a lot of advanced AP classes which is an issue as they push the kids to IB. Or, you have to do MC.

We loved OTES for our kids. We also love being in the DCC because one of our kids went to a middle school magnet (tho that was county wide) and then a high school academy. The other wanted to stay with more friends and went to Einstein and Newport. Both good experiences, especially the magnet/academy kid but also the Einstein kid.

Our perspective was that there were plenty of AP classes at Einstein. Our kid did a mix of both. We wish he had done more APs - the IBs were not as good a fit for him and his college did not offer college credit for the IBs he took but would have taken the credits for similar APs.

They don't have any math above AP Caculus.

I'm not sure that is true. But my kid, who is zoned for Einstein, got to take Multivariable Calc as a junior because he goes to a different DCC high school. So, if you are right and your kid appears to be very into math, there are other options.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^^we’ve also had a very positive experience with Newport Mill and know lots of older kids who’ve thrived at Einstein, Blair, Wheaton, etc.

I've heard mixed things about Newport. Einstein is good but they don't have a lot of advanced AP classes which is an issue as they push the kids to IB. Or, you have to do MC.

We loved OTES for our kids. We also love being in the DCC because one of our kids went to a middle school magnet (tho that was county wide) and then a high school academy. The other wanted to stay with more friends and went to Einstein and Newport. Both good experiences, especially the magnet/academy kid but also the Einstein kid.

Our perspective was that there were plenty of AP classes at Einstein. Our kid did a mix of both. We wish he had done more APs - the IBs were not as good a fit for him and his college did not offer college credit for the IBs he took but would have taken the credits for similar APs.

They don't have any math above AP Caculus.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^^we’ve also had a very positive experience with Newport Mill and know lots of older kids who’ve thrived at Einstein, Blair, Wheaton, etc.

I've heard mixed things about Newport. Einstein is good but they don't have a lot of advanced AP classes which is an issue as they push the kids to IB. Or, you have to do MC.

We loved OTES for our kids. We also love being in the DCC because one of our kids went to a middle school magnet (tho that was county wide) and then a high school academy. The other wanted to stay with more friends and went to Einstein and Newport. Both good experiences, especially the magnet/academy kid but also the Einstein kid.

Our perspective was that there were plenty of AP classes at Einstein. Our kid did a mix of both. We wish he had done more APs - the IBs were not as good a fit for him and his college did not offer college credit for the IBs he took but would have taken the credits for similar APs.

We love Oakland Terrace! Great community and some really wonderful teachers. Class sizes are still really small. There’s a good amount of after school enrichment activities and the after care program has been wonderful.

Anonymous wrote:^^we’ve also had a very positive experience with Newport Mill and know lots of older kids who’ve thrived at Einstein, Blair, Wheaton, etc.

I've heard mixed things about Newport. Einstein is good but they don't have a lot of advanced AP classes which is an issue as they push the kids to IB. Or, you have to do MC.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are *many* teacher parents whose kids go to OTES. They are onto something.

They don’t make a lot of money and their options are limited in this very expensive metro area. That is what it is saying

Ahem. My DH is an MCPS teacher. I'm a lawyer (though not a partner) and we can afford almost anything. We chose OTES.

You sound mad, like you made a mistake is choosing the wrong ES for your kids.

^^we’ve also had a very positive experience with Newport Mill and know lots of older kids who’ve thrived at Einstein, Blair, Wheaton, etc.

Anonymous wrote:Bringing this post up from 2019.
OTES had its issues, were any resolved by now?
Were there improvements in TW immersion?
Can’t find any new comments on a school, class size issue. Can someone share their recent experience?

You’ll have to be more specific about the issues. The current principal isn’t as heavy-handed as her predecessor, but also isn’t the most collaborative with parents.

TWI is a mixed bag, depending on the teachers and the specific kid. It’s been great for my kid who picks up languages easily and has zero SN. It’s been less great for my kid with dyslexia (though the school itself has been very supportive and, IMO, done the best job they could so far).

Class sizes are mostly small, though that might be changing again this year.

I’ve had three kids go through/currently in OTES. Overall, we’re very happy with the school community and the teachers. Some of the latter are truly outstanding educators and people. Families are down to earth and helpful. There are lots of highly educated parents with high expectations for their children’s academic performance, i.e., cohort is not an issue.

I have 2 kids at OTES and we are in no way FARMS, nor are most of our neighbors. I guess some families are, but their finances are none of my business.

We play the Spanish version of TV shows, dubbed films, Spanish language radio, etc for at-home backup. But we have done this since they were toddlers.

DH and I speak decent French, and Spanish is very easy to learn compared to French. We love OT; not sure what middle school will bring.

Bringing this post up from 2019.
OTES had its issues, were any resolved by now?
Were there improvements in TW immersion?
Can’t find any new comments on a school, class size issue. Can someone share their recent experience?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^^
Because it is the same unhappy person posting as several/many people. The same person (former unhappy employee or weirdo parent?) that has been posting this sh*t for years.

The writing style is exactly the same. It is one person posting. Look at older OTES threads and you will see it the message is always the same.

You have a tinfoil hat and you must notice the irony of the fact that YOU keep posting that it’s the same poster over and over. It’s not, because I’m one of them. Stop silencing people with reasonable and completely uncrazy feedback. Why are you so upset by negative feedback?

DP, but I don’t think someone accusing another person of wearing a tinfoil hat can credibly claim to provide “uncrazy” feedback.

Anonymous wrote:^^
Because it is the same unhappy person posting as several/many people. The same person (former unhappy employee or weirdo parent?) that has been posting this sh*t for years.

The writing style is exactly the same. It is one person posting. Look at older OTES threads and you will see it the message is always the same.

You have a tinfoil hat and you must notice the irony of the fact that YOU keep posting that it’s the same poster over and over. It’s not, because I’m one of them. Stop silencing people with reasonable and completely uncrazy feedback. Why are you so upset by negative feedback?

^^
Because it is the same unhappy person posting as several/many people. The same person (former unhappy employee or weirdo parent?) that has been posting this sh*t for years.

The writing style is exactly the same. It is one person posting. Look at older OTES threads and you will see it the message is always the same.