Immersion programs in Schools, why does Fairfax have them and Loudoun doesn't? (McLean: income, living in)

[Denton56]

Originally Posted by live_strong28

With regard to "space for additional students" for underenrolled schools, KG clearly does not fall into that category. Kids are getting shoehorned into that school, and it would probably be a benefit if the French Immersion program went away.

KG has roughly an average of 15 students/teacher, while Sherman and Chesterbrook which are non GT schools, they have roughly a 11-12 ratio. Westgate which hugs McLean's border also has 11 kids/teacher.

If KG was underenrolled, I'd expect to see a ratio of 11-12 with the French Immersion program. Unfortunately, that's not the case.

I couldn't agree more with your second paragraph.

Yes, the neighborhood that surrounds Kent Gardens has turned over in the last 15-20 years since they began the French Immersion program. Like all aging neighborhoods, they experienced a decrease in elementary population when the first generation (or was it the second generation) of children aged out. The school system thought an immersion program might help to boost the population. Later, as the older folks moved out, they were replaced by younger families and the school population grew. The same thing happens in every neighborhood as it ages. Now the school is over crowded, as it once was, in a previous generation. This happens in almost every neighborhood. School age populations change.

Of course they didn't put a magnet language immersion program in a school that was overcrowded, as it is now. They put the program in a school that was losing population. Rather than take the short sided approach of closing the school, as they did in so many areas of the county, they tried to attract more out of boundary students to fill up the school. Doesn't this seem like an obvious solution?

Of course there are no poor schools in McLean, but some draw from higher income areas than others. duh. Even McLean has newer, higher, income areas, and older, less affluent, areas. Kent Gardens is in one of the lower income area FOR McLean, not to be confused with lower income areas in the rest of the county. It's all relative.

I am glad that you are happy in Kent Gardens and that you like the school. You are welcome to your opinion. You are not welcome to your ''facts''.

[live_strong28]

Originally Posted by Denton56

Yes, the neighborhood that surrounds Kent Gardens has turned over in the last 15-20 years since they began the French Immersion program. Like all aging neighborhoods, they experienced a decrease in elementary population when the first generation (or was it the second generation) of children aged out. The school system thought an immersion program might help to boost the population. Later, as the older folks moved out, they were replaced by younger families and the school population grew. The same thing happens in every neighborhood as it ages. Now the school is over crowded, as it once was, in a previous generation. This happens in almost every neighborhood. School age populations change.

Of course they didn't put a magnet language immersion program in a school that was overcrowded, as it is now. They put the program in a school that was losing population. Rather than take the short sided approach of closing the school, as they did in so many areas of the county, they tried to attract more out of boundary students to fill up the school. Doesn't this seem like an obvious solution?

Of course there are no poor schools in McLean, but some draw from higher income areas than others. duh. Even McLean has newer, higher, income areas, and older, less affluent, areas. Kent Gardens is in one of the lower income area FOR McLean, not to be confused with lower income areas in the rest of the county. It's all relative.

I am glad that you are happy in Kent Gardens and that you like the school. You are welcome to your opinion. You are not welcome to your ''facts''.

It's clear to everyone that if KG was ever a low scoring school, those days are long, long gone no matter how you present your "facts."

Even with Chesterbrook (Kirby Road) and Spring Hill (Spring Hill Road), both those areas used to be "lower income." Many homes that feed into Churchill Road, Chesterbrook, Spring Hill, and Franklin Sherman, nevermind just KG, are modest and older.

Given that, there are many pockets of communities that have expensive homes that feed into all the above mentioned schools. For example, the $2 mil homes on Evans Farm Dr. feed into KG. Ballantrae feeds into Franklin Sherman, etc.

[Denton56]

Yes, yes, there, there, it's all ok.

I am sure that you know many rich people and some of them send their kids to Kent Gardens. But that's hardly the point, is it? We were responding to the OP's question about why Fairfax county has some immersion schools and Loudoun does not. Asked and answered. Your mileage may vary.

[live_strong28]

Originally Posted by Denton56

Yes, yes, there, there, it's all ok.

I am sure that you know many rich people and some of them send their kids to Kent Gardens. But that's hardly the point, is it? We were responding to the OP's question about why Fairfax county has some immersion schools and Loudoun does not. Asked and answered. Your mileage may vary.

Yes...so until you're able to justify your point with real facts that KG was a low scoring, low income school, then your facts will remain only your facts, while my facts will continue to be taken from real, current, and verifiable data.

That point unfortunately, may or may not get through to you....even with schools like wealthy and high scoring Great Falls ES getting a language immersion program despite your theories.

[Denton56]

Yes, yes, Kent Gardens is doing fine now. Apparently their plan worked.

Happy now?

Obviously Kent Gardens is very near and dear to you. As I said before, I'm glad that you are happy there.

[live_strong28]

Originally Posted by Denton56

Yes, yes, Kent Gardens is doing fine now. Apparently their plan worked.

Happy now?

Obviously Kent Gardens is very near and dear to you. As I said before, I'm glad that you are happy there.

Unfortunately, that's just pure conjecture on your part about KG being "near and dear to me," just like it was pure conjecture on your part when you made unfounded statements about KG and why schools get immersion programs. I just presented facts that easily refuted your theories.

To humor you, since we all need some humor, what is FCPS's master plan for Great Falls ES's to transform them from a low scoring, and low income school? As I said before, caveats to already baseless arguments don't make a stronger argument.

Why bother wasting funds at rich and well performing schools such as Wolftrap where the parents supposedly don't value kids learning to count to 10 in Chinese or wasting time eating fortune cookies and sweet and sour pork when the money can be pooled for poor and low scoring schools elsewhere?

I rest my case.

[JD984]

Originally Posted by live_strong28

Unfortunately, that's just pure conjecture on your part about KG being "near and dear to me," just like it was pure conjecture on your part when you made unfounded statements about KG and why schools get immersion programs. I just presented facts that easily refuted your theories.

To humor you, since we all need some humor, what is FCPS's master plan for Great Falls ES's to transform them from a low scoring, and low income school? As I said before, caveats to already baseless arguments don't make a stronger argument.

Why bother wasting funds at rich and well performing schools such as Wolftrap where the parents supposedly don't value kids learning to count to 10 in Chinese or wasting time eating fortune cookies and sweet and sour pork when the money can be pooled for poor and low scoring schools elsewhere?

I rest my case.

In praise of language programs, whether located in Loudoun or Faifax and for whatever reasons, I offer the following:

"Dude, vous etiez sans aucune doute le mec le plus granulaire du forum City-Data hier soir! Felicitations! Vive toujours l'ecole Kent Gardens libre et riche!" [Dude, you were, without a doubt, the most granular guy on the City-Data forum last night. Congratulations! Long live free and rich Kent Gardens Elementary!]

[tgbwc]

The immersion programs were not implemented solely to help out lower income, lower performing schools. Orange Hunt ES has the German immersion program and it has never been even close to low income (single digit free/reduced lunch %) or low performing.

[live_strong28]

Originally Posted by JEB77

In praise of language programs, whether located in Loudoun or Faifax and for whatever reasons, I offer the following:

"Dude, vous etiez sans aucune doute le mec le plus granulaire du forum City-Data hier soir! Felicitations! Vive toujours l'ecole Kent Gardens libre et riche!" [Dude, you were, without a doubt, the most granular guy on the City-Data forum last night. Congratulations! Long live free and rich Kent Gardens Elementary!]

Word....no doubt playa.

Granularity rules.

Long live all free and rich ES's in McLean.

[live_strong28]

Originally Posted by tgbwc

The immersion programs were not implemented solely to help out lower income, lower performing schools. Orange Hunt ES has the German immersion program and it has never been even close to low income (single digit free/reduced lunch %) or low performing.

Another great example to squash baseless theories.

Add that under the list of caveats.