[peachweenie]

Hello, fellow moms!

There is a new public school opening up near me, it's K-12 and being run by a university renown for its progressive education program. However this school is geared towards low-income bilingual children (spanish/english or korean/english) who are learning english. We are not a bilingual family, but it would be very cool for our child to learn another language. Plus, it's K-12 - how cool is that?

Right now, my son is in K at a charter school which he loves and he says he doesn't want to leave. He will be learning foreign languages at this school. But this school is a 45-minute drive away, so it's hard to feel a part of the community.

Here's my dilemma - do I put my son in an environment where he might feel different? We are low-income, but we have a place in a good charter school. Enrollment is by lottery - would I be denying another family a place at this school whose children go to an underperforming school? I kind of feel like this school is not meant for me, yet I think it might be a great opportunity for my child.

Help me think this through!

Thanks a lot,

PW

 

[meemee]

do you know the language? spanish? how will you help with homework?

my first thougth was OMG DONT ROCK THE BOAT!!! but that is coming from a background of my dd being unhappy at her school. honestly if your child is enjoying the school i would do nothing to change that.

dont even compare charter with public - i have yet to come across a better public than a charter. but then of course my experience is v. limited. having looked into schools all around me - nope!!! didnt find one. so check on that one for sure.

if you asked me the 45 min drive is worth it. my dd could go to a school 45 min away but my ex would no way do that.

a starting school could be an experience of extremes. either EXTREMELY GOOD or V V V BAD - depending on how the school handles the newness.

i wouldnt worry about taking out a seat for a low income family. the key is getting your son to a school he will enjoy.

 

[Flor]

Lots to consider. A charter is a public school, of course, and there are many that perform below standard, but they may have other benefits. I would assume this bilingual school would also be charter? Anyway, I guess it depends on your kid. My son is in kindy and is very shy, timid, slow to warm up, and all that, so I've had him in the same Montessori since he was 3, even in the same class with same teacher and there is pretty much no way I'm going to change that because it takes him soooooooo long to adjust. He should be there until 8th grade unless something horrible happens. Other kids adjust easily and it isn't a big deal.

A bilingual charter just opened here, too, and while I was tempted, I didn't go for it because it was the first year the school was around and I just didn't believe they could pull off what their vision was. I needed to see the school before I could enroll my child. He only gets kindergarten once and I didn't want him to be the experiment as they figure it all out. It turns out I was right. They talked about so much art, dance and cultural projects, but at the end of the day, a charter is a public school and they still had struggling students and were able to do much less than they had hoped. It would be hard for me to put my child in a school that hadn't been around long enough to work out the details. Maybe that isn't adventurous of me, but ds needs stability and routine. With a university backing, though, they might be able to more and have more experience than the situation here.

A commute is hard, too. I commuted to high school and it did affect me socially. Also, though it didn't seem so bad at the time, it is the one thing I just won't make my kids do. We have some nice schools 30 minutes away, but I felt really separated from my peers because I lived in a different city. I was left out of spontaneous playdates.

 

[kimiij]

I'm also in the "don't rock the boat" camp. Especially if you're going to be in the car for three hours a day and you're soon has explicitly expressed his desire to stay where he's at. A charter school is a pretty great place to be (usually) and it sounds like you've lucked out with that.

 

[peachweenie]

Thanks for your comments, everyone. Just in case I wasn't clear, the charter school we are going to now is 45 minutes away. The new school is a 5 minute drive away. The new school is a pilot school, not sure how that differs from a charter, but it is a public school. I don't really want to rock the boat, but our charter is Waldorf-inspired and I have some problems with their extreme anti-media stance and my son loves computers (which is discouraged until 7th grade).

 

[meemee]

Quote:

Originally Posted by peachweenie I don't really want to rock the boat, but our charter is Waldorf-inspired and I have some problems with their extreme anti-media stance and my son loves computers (which is discouraged until 7th grade).

aaaaaaah this adds a whole different perspective to the issue. my only thought would be - since first is such a hard transition age and second grade such a 'easy' grade, i would try to stay there another year before changing. that will also give you a chance to see how the new school is doing. that is if you can indeed hang in there another year.

oh and btw going to the local public school doesnt mean the children will be from the neighbourhood.

 

[AndrewsMother]

I am a fan of bilingual education, especially foreign language immersion. There are a few studies that can be found via google that disucss the drawbacks of bilingual education when children who speak a first language other then English are expected to assimilate into a new culture.

If the program is designed to make the Spanish and Korean children fluent in English while retaning their fluency in their native language, while at the smae time immersing the English speaking children in a 2nd or third language I would change schools.

If the purpose of the charter is to provide English language instruction to Korean and Spanish children that will result in moving towards a curriculum that is 100% English, I would not consider the school.

Do you have a third option?

 

[Flor]

Quote:

Originally Posted by AndrewsMother If the program is designed to make the Spanish and Korean children fluent in English while retaning their fluency in their native language, while at the smae time immersing the English speaking children in a 2nd or third language I would change schools. If the purpose of the charter is to provide English language instruction to Korean and Spanish children that will result in moving towards a curriculum that is 100% English, I would not consider the school. Do you have a third option?

Good points and as an ESL teacher, I agree.