There are only 2 charter bilingual school in DC that I know where you can not get in after a certain grade. One is Yu Ying where you cannot get in after 1st and LAMB where you can not get in after PreK. Why does everyone keep saying "most bilingual schools" do not offer acceptances after 1st grade?

The other 4 bilingual charter schools offer acceptance beyond 1st. FYI-I have no idea of what Sela plans on doing.

Completely agree with this PP comment - and bilingual is hard to do well once kids get a bit older.
Start early and it's just teaching kids in different languages. Try it later and you face challenges. It's unfortunate you can't get into most schools after 1st - but I get it.

Bilingual is great - but teaching in a bilingual environment can be tough and isn't for everyone.

I don't think a bilingual school has any disadvantages per se; however, to me it would be important to realize that a bilingual track is an add-on to the general school quality; it doesn't make a bad school good.

I would pick a good quality monolingual school over a poor quality bilingual school. Of course, these choices are never THAT black and white in real life, but I do think it's important not to use "bilingual" as a substitute for "good."

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The majority of parents at our DCI feeder school have no plan of changing school. I beleive - as with any new school- there will be some bumps but they will ease.

I am excited for our new junior/high school and do not see my family pulling out.


FYI - YuYing and Stokes are not the only schools. There will also be graduates from DC Bilingual, LAMB and eventually Mundho Verde.

You can't know what parents plans are. We tell others that we're on board with DCI when asked. This is to avoid offending anyone when we're really on the fence, looking at privates, the burbs, Washington Latin, Basis etc.

DCI is indeed far from our home on the Hill and the DCPC's aversion to testing in worries us. Too many of the kids in our feeder struggle for us to feel committed. We like the optimism in the air, but have our doubts for a very bright kid who also excels at sports.

The distance from the Hill to Walter Reed, through bad traffic, will not ease. No, the traffic will only worsen.

Matbe they should phase out Yu Ying since some of the parents are disturbed about not being able to test in and the lack of ability to backfill beyond 1st.

Now that will be a problem. DCI originated with YY. YY is the one with the 100,000 square foot space at WR. YY is currently the only one approved by the DCPCB to extend to 12th grade into DCI.

I'm not sure why people here have the opinion that bilingualism is actually harmful. I'm American born and bread and became fluent in Spanish later in life. I have insisted that my DCs are bilingual and it's a fight every time I discuss this with someone. Even with family I'm having to advocate. It's ridiculous. What's up Americans? Living in Europe the norm was actually trilingualism. Also, my DS is completely fluent in Spanish and has absolutely no problems. He's never confused. Never has trouble knowing what to say and when. People are even annoyed when there hear him speaking in Spanish. I encourage him to not flaunt it and that's where the confusion comes in. He doesn't get it. At least when I explain racism when that's appropriate I'll have this to refer back to. Frankly, I don't get it either.

No disadvantage. Only those living in the USA think that there would every be a disadvantage to being bilingual, while the rest of the world teaches its children more than one language.

I'm privileged to have been brought up bilingual. Instead of shunning bilingualism, more people here in the US should embrace it. It's one of the many ways we will be able to compete in a highly competitive global workforce.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The majority of parents at our DCI feeder school have no plan of changing school. I beleive - as with any new school- there will be some bumps but they will ease.

I am excited for our new junior/high school and do not see my family pulling out.


FYI - YuYing and Stokes are not the only schools. There will also be graduates from DC Bilingual, LAMB and eventually Mundho Verde.

You can't know what parents plans are. We tell others that we're on board with DCI when asked. This is to avoid offending anyone when we're really on the fence, looking at privates, the burbs, Washington Latin, Basis etc.

DCI is indeed far from our home on the Hill and the DCPC's aversion to testing in worries us. Too many of the kids in our feeder struggle for us to feel committed. We like the optimism in the air, but have our doubts for a very bright kid who also excels at sports.

The distance from the Hill to Walter Reed, through bad traffic, will not ease. No, the traffic will only worsen.

Matbe they should phase out Yu Ying since some of the parents are disturbed about not being able to test in and the lack of ability to backfill beyond 1st.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The majority of parents at our DCI feeder school have no plan of changing school. I beleive - as with any new school- there will be some bumps but they will ease.

I am excited for our new junior/high school and do not see my family pulling out.


FYI - YuYing and Stokes are not the only schools. There will also be graduates from DC Bilingual, LAMB and eventually Mundho Verde.

You can't know what parents plans are. We tell others that we're on board with DCI when asked. This is to avoid offending anyone when we're really on the fence, looking at privates, the burbs, Washington Latin, Basis etc.

DCI is indeed far from our home on the Hill and the DCPC's aversion to testing in worries us. Too many of the kids in our feeder struggle for us to feel committed. We like the optimism in the air, but have our doubts for a very bright kid who also excels at sports.

The distance from the Hill to Walter Reed, through bad traffic, will not ease. No, the traffic will only worsen.

DCI might not be for you and that is OK. For others-we are good. We are not concerned about kids being able to test in beyond 6th grade.

DCI isn't for everyone. For us that will stay, we wil make it work.

If that means smaller classes-I am ALL FOR IT!!