Anonymous
Post 01/12/2014 15:22     Subject: Yu Ying - Transferring to Yu Ying from another state
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I often think there are two DCs. The dynamic, innovative, progressive and cosmopolitan DC which has the best and brightest coming from all over the country and all over the world to try and make a change - versus a stagnant, old-school, retrograde core that's resistant to change.

That's why thread after thread boils over here. Movers and shakers bringing something better or pushing for something better and then those who did nothing either feeling threatened and lashing out at everyone or asking where their piece of the pie is.


You obviously forgot the 3rd DC: the one full of people who think that the only way to be "dynamic, innovative, progressive and cosmopolitan" is to have policies, plans and structures that serve your middle and upper classes and push lower classes out. Because that is pretty much what you're saying about the fact that the public charter school board does not allow charters to test in at any grade because it doesn't want to cut out access to families who can't afford a private Mandarin tutor, or Spanish summer camp, or private Montessori schools until they can nab a spot at a public one.

You do a disservice to visionary people everywhere who who are dynamic, innovative and progressive who actually want a present and a future where EVERYONE is served well, not just a DC where only those who can afford to live here and go to school here (even in public school). When you trash the policy of not testing in for charter schools, you trash one of the fundamental values that DC charter schools were developed for: offering other quality options to DC residents who had the worst of options. Guess who those DC residents were when charters were first established here? Not you, not me, not OP, because we weren't sending our kids ot public school then (unless we lived IB for the only decent middle or high school). To turn around and say you can test in absolutely undermines the commitment to providing access to ALL DC residents (just like neighborhood preference would as well). No, that is NOT "stagnant, old-school and retrograde being resistent to change.

Deal with it entitled people: the very people preventing a test in option are the "stagnant, old-school, retrograde" people who were part of creating the charter schools that you so desperately want entry to now. Trying to keep the door even faintly open for lower SES families and families who don't have geographic advantages of being IB for great DCPS schools is NOT stagnant, and while I do hope there will some day be a way to figure out increasing applications and interest from families who already speak Mandarin or French or whatever, so that the pool of applicants includes more native speakers, I defend to the end the randomness of admission and the fact that kids who herwise wouldn't have a shot in a million years at speaking Mandarin and all the doors that may open to that child, that that child has a shot - a loooooong shot (like everyone else's long shot), but a shot nonetheless, at going to a school like Yu Ying.


We're talking about admission into the higher grades not entrance at the younger grades which should remain pure lottery. The open seats in third, fourth and fifth grades can only be taken by students who already know Mandarin. In fact, this was the reason that YY only takes new students up to second grade b/c kids taken after that cannot catch up.
Anonymous
Post 01/12/2014 15:21     Subject: Yu Ying - Transferring to Yu Ying from another state
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Such a perfect thread full of assholes.

Sorry, OP, that you did not know the nuances of municipal politics from a city where you don't live before you asked a reasonable question.





+1 OP got reamed for asking a perfectly reasonable question. Apologies. How is she/he to know that DC is unreasonable and chaotic when it comes to schools.


Is wasn't the initial question, it was her follow-up whining, after she had been provided the answer, that provoked the irritation.
Anonymous
Post 01/12/2014 15:21     Subject: Yu Ying - Transferring to Yu Ying from another state
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I wouldn't be surprised if Yu Ying is the only Mandarin immersion school in the country that does not allow students to test in for their higher grades. All thanks to DC politics.


Really? Exactly which "DC politics" benefit from this policy? Seriously, if you're going to spew ridiculous, uninformed soundbites, back them up. What "politics" are behind keeping this policy?


Same PP, let me explain further why it's such a ridiculous statement - if you knew which types of DC power elite have tried to worm their way into Yu Ying, and what the administration has had to deal with in the way of worrying about the consequences of pissing those same people off, but stuck to their guns about their process and keeping admissions by the book, you'd shut the heck up. "DC Politics" would LOVE to see YY become more like Oyster, with both 2 lotteries in effect and also plenty of wiggle room to let in highly appointed families.

I pray YY will never go that way. That would truly be a system run by "DC politics".

But go ahead PP, since you said it was DC politics keeping a language test in option from happening, which "DC politics" are you speaking of that somehow benefit from this current policy?
Anonymous
Post 01/12/2014 15:18     Subject: Yu Ying - Transferring to Yu Ying from another state
Anonymous wrote:I wouldn't be surprised if Yu Ying is the only Mandarin immersion school in the country that does not allow students to test in for their higher grades. All thanks to DC politics.


Really? Exactly which "DC politics" benefit from this policy? Seriously, if you're going to spew ridiculous, uninformed soundbites, back them up. What "politics" are behind keeping this policy?
Anonymous
Post 01/12/2014 15:17     Subject: Yu Ying - Transferring to Yu Ying from another state
Anonymous wrote:I often think there are two DCs. The dynamic, innovative, progressive and cosmopolitan DC which has the best and brightest coming from all over the country and all over the world to try and make a change - versus a stagnant, old-school, retrograde core that's resistant to change.

That's why thread after thread boils over here. Movers and shakers bringing something better or pushing for something better and then those who did nothing either feeling threatened and lashing out at everyone or asking where their piece of the pie is.


You obviously forgot the 3rd DC: the one full of people who think that the only way to be "dynamic, innovative, progressive and cosmopolitan" is to have policies, plans and structures that serve your middle and upper classes and push lower classes out. Because that is pretty much what you're saying about the fact that the public charter school board does not allow charters to test in at any grade because it doesn't want to cut out access to families who can't afford a private Mandarin tutor, or Spanish summer camp, or private Montessori schools until they can nab a spot at a public one.

You do a disservice to visionary people everywhere who who are dynamic, innovative and progressive who actually want a present and a future where EVERYONE is served well, not just a DC where only those who can afford to live here and go to school here (even in public school). When you trash the policy of not testing in for charter schools, you trash one of the fundamental values that DC charter schools were developed for: offering other quality options to DC residents who had the worst of options. Guess who those DC residents were when charters were first established here? Not you, not me, not OP, because we weren't sending our kids ot public school then (unless we lived IB for the only decent middle or high school). To turn around and say you can test in absolutely undermines the commitment to providing access to ALL DC residents (just like neighborhood preference would as well). No, that is NOT "stagnant, old-school and retrograde being resistent to change.

Deal with it entitled people: the very people preventing a test in option are the "stagnant, old-school, retrograde" people who were part of creating the charter schools that you so desperately want entry to now. Trying to keep the door even faintly open for lower SES families and families who don't have geographic advantages of being IB for great DCPS schools is NOT stagnant, and while I do hope there will some day be a way to figure out increasing applications and interest from families who already speak Mandarin or French or whatever, so that the pool of applicants includes more native speakers, I defend to the end the randomness of admission and the fact that kids who herwise wouldn't have a shot in a million years at speaking Mandarin and all the doors that may open to that child, that that child has a shot - a loooooong shot (like everyone else's long shot), but a shot nonetheless, at going to a school like Yu Ying.
Anonymous
Post 01/12/2014 15:17     Subject: Yu Ying - Transferring to Yu Ying from another state
I wouldn't be surprised if Yu Ying is the only Mandarin immersion school in the country that does not allow students to test in for their higher grades. All thanks to DC politics.
Anonymous
Post 01/12/2014 14:42     Subject: Yu Ying - Transferring to Yu Ying from another state
Anonymous wrote:Such a perfect thread full of assholes.

Sorry, OP, that you did not know the nuances of municipal politics from a city where you don't live before you asked a reasonable question.





+1 OP got reamed for asking a perfectly reasonable question. Apologies. How is she/he to know that DC is unreasonable and chaotic when it comes to schools.
Anonymous
Post 01/12/2014 14:39     Subject: Yu Ying - Transferring to Yu Ying from another state
Such a perfect thread full of assholes.

Sorry, OP, that you did not know the nuances of municipal politics from a city where you don't live before you asked a reasonable question.



Anonymous
Post 01/12/2014 14:35     Subject: Yu Ying - Transferring to Yu Ying from another state
Anonymous wrote:OP, I agree that DC is "different" to put it nicely. DC politics does not allow for test-in to charters for anything and only preferences are given to siblings of current student. Believe me, everyone would LOVE to have test-in schools for gifted programs, language immersion, etc. But since this will give middle class kids an advantage over the underprivileged, it will not happen here.

You'll be happy to know that Yu Ying has tried to get the DCPCSB to allow testing-in for kids who are proficient in Mandarin for the higher grades, TWICE!, and been turned down twice.


Thank you for the insight! I understand the need for equal educational opportunities for children who are not as privileged. Perhaps DC International will be a viable option for us a few years from now.
Anonymous
Post 01/12/2014 13:58     Subject: Yu Ying - Transferring to Yu Ying from another state
I often think there are two DCs. The dynamic, innovative, progressive and cosmopolitan DC which has the best and brightest coming from all over the country and all over the world to try and make a change - versus a stagnant, old-school, retrograde core that's resistant to change.

That's why thread after thread boils over here. Movers and shakers bringing something better or pushing for something better and then those who did nothing either feeling threatened and lashing out at everyone or asking where their piece of the pie is.
Anonymous
Post 01/12/2014 13:51     Subject: Yu Ying - Transferring to Yu Ying from another state
OP, I agree that DC is "different" to put it nicely. DC politics does not allow for test-in to charters for anything and only preferences are given to siblings of current student. Believe me, everyone would LOVE to have test-in schools for gifted programs, language immersion, etc. But since this will give middle class kids an advantage over the underprivileged, it will not happen here.

You'll be happy to know that Yu Ying has tried to get the DCPCSB to allow testing-in for kids who are proficient in Mandarin for the higher grades, TWICE!, and been turned down twice.
Anonymous
Post 01/12/2014 13:33     Subject: Yu Ying - Transferring to Yu Ying from another state
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:OP, any chance we can convince you not to move to DC? We have quite a lot of self-entitled, officious douchebags here already. No need to add to the count, especially someone who would be at the head of the list.


What's worse...

Those "douchebags" who feel "entitled" just because they work their asses off, pay in huge amounts of taxes, get actively involved in improving the schools, put in hundreds of hours volunteering, who host fundraisers to benefit the school, raise funds for teacher gifts, for student activities, for trips, and so on - and then have the arrogant audacity to expect good things of those schools?

Or.... the ones who feel "entitled" to reap the benefits even though they haven't done jack squat to help or contribute in any way?


Ding ding ding! We have a winner!!

It wasn't OPs original search for a good option for her child that made her look like a douche. It was her tone, assumptions, and incredulousness that somehow DC would be different. It's understandable to be surprised at the differences, but not condescending about them.


I am the OP, and that is just it, transferring to a Mandarin Immersion School in DC is different. It is reasonable to expect that a Mandarin immersion school in a city as progressive and transient as Washington DC would have transfer opportunities for students in higher grades.
DC is different, in many ways that any other city in our nation, and because of that a transplant would expect more from schools that specialize in a language that is taught through immersion in very few schools nationwide.

No transplant should have an advantage over local residents, current DC families should have the option to make use of public and charter school spaces as they become available. My disbelief does not come from a place of entitlement, but sheer disbelief that any school system would limit its ability to serve as many students as possible in each grade level. Local or transplant, some child with target level proficiency should have the opportunity to fill an open space.

If five students withdraw from a 2nd grade class in one school at the end of the year, that is a significant loss of funds over the course of three years. Why shouldn't five new 3rd grade students have the opportunity to fill those spaces and ensure continued funding?

When my child leaves the immersion school in our city, I hope that some child will test into the school and benefit from the taxes that we have paid, my volunteer efforts, the funds that I have donated, and my active involvement in the school. My efforts are to impact the greater good of the community served, not just the interests of my child.
Anonymous
Post 01/12/2014 12:53     Subject: Yu Ying - Transferring to Yu Ying from another state
Anonymous wrote:To OP - I also want to apologize for the nastiness of the DCUM citizenry on this thread. In person, we're more civilized. Online and anonymously, we're not. Good luck with your move!


This is incorrect. I'm equally as, what you would call nasty but I call direct and blunt, in person. And guess what, I have a great family and community here in DC, including friends with as little tolerance as I have for the entitled bullshit that is rampant in DC. We find it best to call it like it is, celebrate beauty and good deeds where we see them, and keep it moving. No apologies from us to people like OP with an attitude.
Anonymous
Post 01/12/2014 12:48     Subject: Yu Ying - Transferring to Yu Ying from another state
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:OP, any chance we can convince you not to move to DC? We have quite a lot of self-entitled, officious douchebags here already. No need to add to the count, especially someone who would be at the head of the list.


What's worse...

Those "douchebags" who feel "entitled" just because they work their asses off, pay in huge amounts of taxes, get actively involved in improving the schools, put in hundreds of hours volunteering, who host fundraisers to benefit the school, raise funds for teacher gifts, for student activities, for trips, and so on - and then have the arrogant audacity to expect good things of those schools?

Or.... the ones who feel "entitled" to reap the benefits even though they haven't done jack squat to help or contribute in any way?


Ding ding ding! We have a winner!!

It wasn't OPs original search for a good option for her child that made her look like a douche. It was her tone, assumptions, and incredulousness that somehow DC would be different. It's understandable to be surprised at the differences, but not condescending about them.
Anonymous
Post 01/12/2014 12:39     Subject: Yu Ying - Transferring to Yu Ying from another state
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Yu Ying doesn't accept kids past 2nd grade because the law does not allow them to be selective in admissions and it would be too hard for kids to catch up after that point. All DC charters are bound by this law. Yu Ying's hands are tied. They can't admit anyone new in third grade or above. If they allowed it they would have to admit kids by strictly by lottery, so they don't.

I believe there are Mandarin immersion schools in both Potomoc (Montgomery County) and College Park (PG County).


I contacted both Potomac and College Park, but I don't know if I want to commit to suburban living. I can understand that selective admissions are unlawful, but it should be possible to test for competency, then apply to the lottery for spaces that may come available due to attrition, if the student's level of learning is equal to or greater than that of grade level peers.


Federal law. Chinese or any language proficiency cannot be screened for public lottery admissions.

How does Oyster get around this "federal law". They screen for admissions and hold two separate lotteries. Cherrypicking at it's best, eh?


Because oyster is not a charter--it is a DCPS.