Immersion parent here... Honestly, I wanted my child to learn Chinese. We checked off all the boxes and didn't get the spot we wanted but accepted a spot at RCF. I had no idea of the significance of the program BCC at the time we applied for immersion as we had just moved into the area.

I'm a parent of two kids at RCF Spanish immersion. We value strongly learning a second language and would have happily gone to any of the immersion programs - applied to all and got RT and RCF spots. We chose RCF because it is full immersion (RT is only partial immersion). We have been thrilled with the school and have felt like a very welcome part of the community while there.

We live on the eastern part of the county and are hoping to be able to attend SSIMS for MS, mostly because getting to Westland would be a nightmare, but also because of the continued fighting over us at the MS and HS levels.

It's like wetland and BCC parents would do anything to make us feel like trespassers in THEIR community - that we should feel privileged that they let us stay, however tenuously, annually hearing fights about how we're not wanted. Everyone assumes we're just after the education that they've paid for and won't entertain the thought that we chose it for the language benefit - we're assumed to be liars and cheats of the system. It feels mean-spirited and segregationist and Elitist, as if they can't imagine that anyone wouldn't be desperately clawing for what they have over what I have. It makes me think that that isn't the community I want for my family, and compounded with the geography issue, is a reason we'll go to SSIMS.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PP - If you can eliminate 25 kids/grade - that's 100 kids which is about 2/3 of the current overcrowding. Does it solve the whole problem? No. But that's a sizable percentage. Should we look at ALL COSAs? Yes. But that doesn't mean you do nothing at all while you work through the other COSAs.

And couldn't this be seen as an opportunity to increase the number of Spanish 7 classes around the entire system? Why should BCC be one of the few when there are surely home school communities that would appreciate the option.

Because, when you take 25 immersion kid and split them up around 20 high schools, that means that there are only a few kids prepared for Spanish 7 at each school -- not enough to offer a successful class. You can't have an effective Spanish class that is teaching to three different levels of Spanish in the same classroom. This would mean that each group is getting about 15 minutes of instruction and spending the rest of the time teaching themselves. Not really an effective strategy in a foreign language.

Maybe a solution would be to spread around the schools that offer advanced classes. For example, ensure that at least one DCC school offers it so that kids in the DCC have an option to choose a school that has Spanish 7. Seems if the BOE goes through with this, they should find a way to ensure students who want to continue advanced classes can.

Question for the immersion parents- if continuing to BCC wasn't an option, would you still enroll your kids in the immersion program knowing they'd have to go back to their home high school?

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Immersion parent here. Yes, without a doubt. The program is really challenging- especially because we dont speak Spanish. I have no idea why someone would put up with six years of this plus three years of a 45 min drive to Westland just to maybe get to go to BCC. If it matters, SSIMS is our home middle school and my fifth grader is going there next year.

Anonymous wrote:Eastern is not a COSA its a competitive application to a magnet school.

The DCC is forced upon us as the only option for magnet schools. I would be much happier with something in my own BCC cluster, gifted education should be offered in every school. The selection of Eastern is intended to bring affluent, white kids into lower socio-economic schools. Blair is not a COSA, it is also a highly competitive magnet school.

Your argument makes no sense.

You misunderstand what I'm saying. I'm not talking about the magnets at all.

You said that kids in immersion get an automatic COSA which is unique. I'm telling you that if you attend a DCC middle school for any reason ( in your case it's because of entrance into the eastern magnet). You can get an automatic COSA to go to DCC school even if you don't live in the DCC. If you didn't know now you do. So the immersion program situation is not unique.

Anonymous wrote:BCC is crazy overcrowded.

My child attends Eastern as a magnet, she will apply to Blair and may be accepted and may not, there is no guarantee for her to continue with her classmates, why is Spanish Immersion so special that they get a guaranteed COSA? Especially to a school that is bursting at the seams.

The argument is always, "if my DC does not have the same opportunity, then nobody's child should." Why not advocate for your child to have a direct path to the magnet program in highschool?

Eastern is not a COSA its a competitive application to a magnet school.

The DCC is forced upon us as the only option for magnet schools. I would be much happier with something in my own BCC cluster, gifted education should be offered in every school. The selection of Eastern is intended to bring affluent, white kids into lower socio-economic schools. Blair is not a COSA, it is also a highly competitive magnet school.

Your argument makes no sense.

Anonymous wrote:BCC is crazy overcrowded.

My child attends Eastern as a magnet, she will apply to Blair and may be accepted and may not, there is no guarantee for her to continue with her classmates, why is Spanish Immersion so special that they get a guaranteed COSA? Especially to a school that is bursting at the seams.

Well if your child goes to Eastern they are allowed to enter choice even if they don't live in the DCC. Why is your kid so special? Why can't anyone outside of the DCC get the same opportunity to choose between 6 school outside of their zone?

BCC is crazy overcrowded.

My child attends Eastern as a magnet, she will apply to Blair and may be accepted and may not, there is no guarantee for her to continue with her classmates, why is Spanish Immersion so special that they get a guaranteed COSA? Especially to a school that is bursting at the seams.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There's no reason that this one immersion elementary program should give kids a path into the cluster for their entire school experience. There's no other program in the county that allows for that.

In fact, these kids should feed into SSIMS middle school immersion rather than Westland as Westland is overcrowded, SSIMS has an immersion program and so many kids at RCF live closer to SSIMS anyways.

MCPS should fix this program anomaly.

+1 immersion parent and I agree. I'm it for the language. SSIMS is where I'm sending DC. Though full disclosure, I don't care much for BCC. I do wish there was a hs continuation of the immersion experience. MCPS has models to follow elsewhere. Expanding these programs (in many ways) and well as dual- immersion (only one program now exists - 1! That's a shame!) should be their focus. With a school system with $ like this, it's too bad we aren't trailblazers here.

Huh? Because you don't like BCC you want to stop others who may not have advanced language from at homeschool from continuing on? Sure if there is defined program to continue no matter what school it's at it's preferable but kids should be allowed to articulate in a cluster they've been in since Kindergarten.

Anonymous wrote:The superintedant's recommendation does not address whether an automatic COSA to B-CC will continue for immersion students at Westland.

They don't really deserve to go to BCC, send them back to their home school. More than likely that will be their best opportunity to use their new found fluency in Spanish.

Anonymous wrote:There's no reason that this one immersion elementary program should give kids a path into the cluster for their entire school experience. There's no other program in the county that allows for that.

In fact, these kids should feed into SSIMS middle school immersion rather than Westland as Westland is overcrowded, SSIMS has an immersion program and so many kids at RCF live closer to SSIMS anyways.

MCPS should fix this program anomaly.

+1 immersion parent and I agree. I'm it for the language. SSIMS is where I'm sending DC. Though full disclosure, I don't care much for BCC. I do wish there was a hs continuation of the immersion experience. MCPS has models to follow elsewhere. Expanding these programs (in many ways) and well as dual- immersion (only one program now exists - 1! That's a shame!) should be their focus. With a school system with $ like this, it's too bad we aren't trailblazers here.

The superintedant's recommendation does not address whether an automatic COSA to B-CC will continue for immersion students at Westland.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Any decision yet?

Check this thread - the superintendent recommends that the immersion students at RCF continue to Westland and BCC.

Whoops here is the link: http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/590864.page

Anonymous wrote:Any decision yet?

Check this thread - the superintendent recommends that the immersion students at RCF continue to Westland and BCC.

Any decision yet?