Experiences with Dual Language Immersion?

[zovall]

Anyone here have experiences with dual language immersion programs? 

Renascence School International in Costa Mesa has a triple language program. 

 

[iacrenter]

Saw their youtube videos. Pretty interesting stuff. That is the direction our public schools need to take. But alas our education system is stuck in the last century.

 

[WoodburyDad]

We looked into and are strongly considering LILA
http://lilaschool.com/aboutlila/aboutlilamain.html

 

[WoodburyDad]

Oh, I almost forgot.  Capistrano Unified also offers Mandarin immersion.  Wait, IHO --- remind me again what city is zoned to Capo?  Oh yeah, LADERA RANCH.  So I could move 10 min south of Irvine on the toll road, get a big, newer, house is a beautiful master planned community --- and Mandarin immersion? 

http://capousd.ca.schoolloop.com/file/1229223240065/1218998864154/8360870054163844321.pdf

I agree with the points you make about the language immersion programs and get the whole open the blinds and look beyond Irvine argument.
However, we have friends that followed the same rationalization, moved to a ?larger, more house for the money? in Ladera and soon after discovered disappointment with the schools.
Now they are paying UCLA like tuition over a longer period of time to send their kids to St. Margaret?s.
I?m all for you should do what works and fits best for you and your family.
Just simply want to present the other side of the coin.

 

[irvinehomeowner]

I dunno, if I was paying TIC the big bucks to attend IUSD, and TIC was giving IUSD big bucks (like $20M?) to supplement their budget, I'd probably be going to a school board meeting and asking questions like why a ghetto school district like LAUSD has smaller class sizes and immersion programs.  Hardly seems fair, does it?

I do wonder about the class sizes... I feel that was the main culprit in my case when it came to the difficulty my kid had in public school.

I think the problem here is there are so many kids in Irvine compared to "ghetto LAUSD". Maybe Irvine doesn't have enough classrooms to have only 24 students per teacher.

I'd rather have more in-class assistant teachers or less students than a 2nd language immersion program. While I understand the benefits of learning another language... I think TIC needs to address the benefit of more 1-to-1 and personal instruction on the *primary* subjects.

 

[qwerty]

However, we have friends that followed the same rationalization, moved to a ?larger, more house for the money? in Ladera and soon after discovered disappointment with the schools.
Now they are paying UCLA like tuition over a longer period of time to send their kids to St. Margaret?s.
I?m all for you should do what works and fits best for you and your family.
Just simply want to present the other side of the coin.

But I can also point to several regular posters here (myself included) that felt the same way once they entered IUSD.  AND they paid the a hefty premium to be in IUSD.  My sense (not supported by any data) is that the people who believe strongest in IUSD are likely ones with younger kids not yet in school --- or maybe not even with kids yet.  I suspect those with kids actually attending might temper some of their excitement.

Now, I'm not bashing IUSD --- its a fine school district and your or any kids would have a wonderful experience.  But if anyone thinks for one minute that IUSD is some sort of silver bullet to success, please reconsider.  ALL public schools in California have the same curriculum.  Yes, Irvine has slightly higher average test scores than greater Orange County --- but they are far from the best in California.  Look to the Bay Area for that.  And the test scores are much more reflective of demographics than some excellence in educating being employed at IUSD. 

So if the ONLY reason one is buying in Irvine is the schools --- and but for that you would consider cheaper alternatives --- consider cheaper alternatives.  If there are other reasons, then by all means go where your heart is.

yeah i definitely agree with this.  it is the asian demographic that makes the IUSD, not the other way around.  just look at the api scores when they are broken out by race.  once i did that it helped me realize, along with others experiences posted here, that IUSD is not what it is made out to be.  i may even by a house a next to IHS and just send my unborn kids to Mater Dei.

 

[usctrojancpa]

However, we have friends that followed the same rationalization, moved to a ?larger, more house for the money? in Ladera and soon after discovered disappointment with the schools.
Now they are paying UCLA like tuition over a longer period of time to send their kids to St. Margaret?s.
I?m all for you should do what works and fits best for you and your family.
Just simply want to present the other side of the coin.

But I can also point to several regular posters here (myself included) that felt the same way once they entered IUSD.  AND they paid the a hefty premium to be in IUSD.  My sense (not supported by any data) is that the people who believe strongest in IUSD are likely ones with younger kids not yet in school --- or maybe not even with kids yet.  I suspect those with kids actually attending might temper some of their excitement.

Now, I'm not bashing IUSD --- its a fine school district and your or any kids would have a wonderful experience.  But if anyone thinks for one minute that IUSD is some sort of silver bullet to success, please reconsider.  ALL public schools in California have the same curriculum.  Yes, Irvine has slightly higher average test scores than greater Orange County --- but they are far from the best in California.  Look to the Bay Area for that.  And the test scores are much more reflective of demographics than some excellence in educating being employed at IUSD. 

So if the ONLY reason one is buying in Irvine is the schools --- and but for that you would consider cheaper alternatives --- consider cheaper alternatives.  If there are other reasons, then by all means go where your heart is.

yeah i definitely agree with this.  it is the asian demographic that makes the IUSD, not the other way around.  just look at the api scores when they are broken out by race.  once i did that it helped me realize, along with others experiences posted here, that IUSD is not what it is made out to be.  i may even by a house a next to IHS and just send my unborn kids to Mater Dei.

Nothing wrong with sending your kids to Mater Dei. 

 

[irvinehomeowner]

Nothing wrong with sending your kids to Mater Dei. 

Just trying to get there may be a problem.

 

[usctrojancpa]

Nothing wrong with sending your kids to Mater Dei. 

Just trying to get there may be a problem.

I used to drive out there from Huntington Beach for 3 years without an issue.

 

[traceimage]

So if the ONLY reason one is buying in Irvine is the schools --- and but for that you would consider cheaper alternatives --- consider cheaper alternatives.  If there are other reasons, then by all means go where your heart is.

You don't "buy for the schools" for your own children or future children. You "buy for the schools" for the [hopefully] wealthy, education-minded Asian family who is going to someday buy your home from you.

 

[irvinehomeshopper]

This is about the smartest post I have seen in recent time. There are 45 Commercial SAT prep businesses in Irvine. The patrons are Asian and Indian. The high API and SAT scores are the results of parents extracurricular financial resources.

Irvine is not the lone champion. Others like Walnut, Diamond Bar, Chino Hills, Rowland Heights, Arcadia, San Marino, Whitney, Granada Hills, El Camino, Thousand Oaks, South Pasadena, Peninsula High, and Palos Verdes High are rated 10 schools with a high Asian student population. These schools were just average until the Asians got there.

Just take a look at the Hispanic student test scores from all these schools including Irvine. The scores would warrant either suicidal or honor killing.

Not to insult Qwerty. Even Irvine could not help your people.

However, we have friends that followed the same rationalization, moved to a ?larger, more house for the money? in Ladera and soon after discovered disappointment with the schools.
Now they are paying UCLA like tuition over a longer period of time to send their kids to St. Margaret?s.
I?m all for you should do what works and fits best for you and your family.
Just simply want to present the other side of the coin.

But I can also point to several regular posters here (myself included) that felt the same way once they entered IUSD.  AND they paid the a hefty premium to be in IUSD.  My sense (not supported by any data) is that the people who believe strongest in IUSD are likely ones with younger kids not yet in school --- or maybe not even with kids yet.  I suspect those with kids actually attending might temper some of their excitement.

Now, I'm not bashing IUSD --- its a fine school district and your or any kids would have a wonderful experience.  But if anyone thinks for one minute that IUSD is some sort of silver bullet to success, please reconsider.  ALL public schools in California have the same curriculum.  Yes, Irvine has slightly higher average test scores than greater Orange County --- but they are far from the best in California.  Look to the Bay Area for that.  And the test scores are much more reflective of demographics than some excellence in educating being employed at IUSD. 

So if the ONLY reason one is buying in Irvine is the schools --- and but for that you would consider cheaper alternatives --- consider cheaper alternatives.  If there are other reasons, then by all means go where your heart is.

 

[irvinehomeshopper]

So if the ONLY reason one is buying in Irvine is the schools --- and but for that you would consider cheaper alternatives --- consider cheaper alternatives.  If there are other reasons, then by all means go where your heart is.

You don't "buy for the schools" for your own children or future children. You "buy for the schools" for the [hopefully] wealthy, education-minded Asian family who is going to someday buy your home from you.

So true!

 

[iacrenter]

That is the direction our public schools need to take. But alas our education system is stuck in the last century.

Actually, a lot of public school districts offer immersion programs, including the Los Angeles School District.  The brand new K-8 school opening next year which my daughter will attend offers Korean immersion (and will also offer other Mandarin and Spanish classes for non-immersion students beginning at 2nd grade).  My wife's good friend is a teacher at a different Mandarin Immersion LAUSD school.  Here is a link that discusses a little about the program at our school:

http://www.porterranchcommunityschool.org/dual-language-program.html

As a matter of fact, even the school district I grew up attending back in suburban Minneapolis, MINNESOTA(!) offers Mandarin immersion.  Imagine that?  Look at all those white kids speaking Mandarin:

http://www.minnetonka.k12.mn.us/academics/immersion/pages/default.aspx

I dunno, if I was paying TIC the big bucks to attend IUSD, and TIC was giving IUSD big bucks (like $20M?) to supplement their budget, I'd probably be going to a school board meeting and asking questions like why a ghetto school district like LAUSD has smaller class sizes and immersion programs.  Hardly seems fair, does it?

I was not referring only to Irvine or even California. I was speaking broadly of the entire US public education system.

Yes there are some schools with special programs but the vast majority of kids across the country do not have access to this type of education. Standards and expectations are too low and we are only further shortchanging our future by cutting funding to education across the country. Multilingual learning from an early age should be the national standard for ALL.