Immersion schools-is Mandarin too weird for Austin? (Houston, Leander: day care, home)

[lederhosen]

Hello,

My family has been weighing a move from SF (where we live) to Texas (where we are from) for some time. We'd probably to move to Austin, where my husband's family has a place in the country, which our son is incredibly attached to. One consideration has been the availability of a proper Mandarin immersion school experience. His nanny has cared for him while speaking to him entirely in Mandarin and he's starting pre-k3 at a private Mandarin immersion (100%) elementary school in Berkeley next year. We're committed enough that we're going to leave the city specifically for this school.

On a visit to Austin last month, I looked into options, and it seemed that there were few. I visited Magellan School, and <30% time is devoted to the language. I don't believe it's enough as the language initially requires considerable character memorization and is tonal. We learned that Doss elementary is starting a small program. The park next to the school is nice, the administrators seem awesome, but the school is a little overwhelming in its size. The kids in the cafeteria were also feasting on fried chicken fingers, pre-k was parked in front of cartoons during nap time, and there were Texas flags proclaiming proud nationhood in many places, which reminded us of George Bush and made us nervous. The best interests of their dedicated administrators aside, I also don't know whether there will be money and the parent support to launch an authentic immersion program.

I'd love to learn what people know of the options for Austin. Are there options? Are there parents in the same boat?

Is there an enterprising parent out there who is currently plotting to create a true Mandarin immersion private school/charter school in Austin? If so, please send me a line!

Or is Austin too parochial for Mandarin? Houston is starting an all-Mandarin public magnet school this fall, but it's a large cosmopolitan city. That said, Minnesota, Utah, Connecticut, and even a very un-Chinese corner of the Florida panhandle have public Mandarin immersion programs. Mandarin is the fastest growing immersion language in the US. So when, Austin?

Thanks!

[Austin97]

Originally Posted by lederhosen

Hello,

My family has been weighing a move from SF (where we live) to Texas (where we are from) for some time. We'd probably to move to Austin, where my husband's family has a place in the country, which our son is incredibly attached to. One consideration has been the availability of a proper Mandarin immersion school experience. His nanny has cared for him while speaking to him entirely in Mandarin and he's starting pre-k3 at a private Mandarin immersion (100%) elementary school in Berkeley next year. We're committed enough that we're going to leave the city specifically for this school.

On a visit to Austin last month, I looked into options, and it seemed that there were few. I visited Magellan School, and <30% time is devoted to the language. I don't believe it's enough as the language initially requires considerable character memorization and is tonal. We learned that Doss elementary is starting a small program. The park next to the school is nice, the administrators seem awesome, but the school is a little overwhelming in its size. The kids in the cafeteria were also feasting on fried chicken fingers, pre-k was parked in front of cartoons during nap time, and there were Texas flags proclaiming proud nationhood in many places, which reminded us of George Bush and made us nervous. The best interests of their dedicated administrators aside, I also don't know whether there will be money and the parent support to launch an authentic immersion program.

I'd love to learn what people know of the options for Austin. Are there options? Are there parents in the same boat?

Is there an enterprising parent out there who is currently plotting to create a true Mandarin immersion private school/charter school in Austin? If so, please send me a line!

Or is Austin too parochial for Mandarin? Houston is starting an all-Mandarin public magnet school this fall, but it's a large cosmopolitan city. That said, Minnesota, Utah, Connecticut, and even a very un-Chinese corner of the Florida panhandle have public Mandarin immersion programs. Mandarin is the fastest growing immersion language in the US. So when, Austin?

Thanks!

you should probably just stay in sf/berkeley.

That being said, our daughter is in a full immersion preschool program at chinese with meggie. There is another program at the asian american cultural center. Meggie does plan to grow her school (we started with her when it was at her house, now it is at the progress school building). We have two years before we need a full immersion elementary school. We are in one of the best school chains in the entire city so I would hate to go private for elementary, but would consider it.

[neddy]

The only immersion programs I know in public schools are Spanish not any other language in Leander ISD.

[orangetravelerJP]

Why are you thinking of moving to Austin? I only ask because your post doesn't lead me to believe that Austin is the right place for you at this point in time. Maybe if you describe the reasons that you are considering a move, it would help the people on the forum to give you some good advice. I know you're asking specifically about the language programs but obviously that's not the only issue factoring into a possible move. Even if you found the right school situation, there may be other reasons that Austin would or would not be a good place for your family.

[sxrckr]

You're seeing the one in Houston because like you said it's an international cosmopolitan city and also pretty much the Asian cultural center of the state/region.
I don't have the explanation for the other places, but I can't imagine them being successful without a demand.

[sxrckr]

Originally Posted by veggiegirl26

Why are you thinking of moving to Austin? I only ask because your post doesn't lead me to believe that Austin is the right place for you at this point in time.

I thought she said her husband's family had a place here.

But good point otherwise because too many people come on here saying it's just because they heard something or had a fun visit. Visit is not the same as daily real life.

[mark311]

Originally Posted by lederhosen

The kids in the cafeteria were also feasting on fried chicken fingers, pre-k was parked in front of cartoons during nap time, and there were Texas flags proclaiming proud nationhood in many places, which reminded us of George Bush and made us nervous.

This joke definitely set a tone for the answers you will receive. Making that type of comment in a TX forum is as ludicrous as me going into a CA forum and stating, "All the CA flags reminded us of Richard Nixon and made me nervous". The cartoons are definitely unacceptable for a pre-k, but a school menu that has chicken fingers one day every couple of weeks is pretty normal. The menu has to be different every day.

The San Francisco Bay area has the highest Asian population in the United States. It will be difficult to find what you're looking for in the Austin area in my opinion.

[sami78]

Originally Posted by Austin97

you should probably just stay in sf/berkeley.

That being said, our daughter is in a full immersion preschool program at chinese with meggie.

Austin97, I'm looking into Chinese immersion for my little ones and was curious about Chinese with Meggie. My kids (ages 3 and 15 months) are in full-time daycare, and I was thinking a session on the weekend might be a little much for them but could juggle my work schedule to take them a day during the week and drop them back off at their daycare. Interested in learning what your scheduling is like with this program.

Also, if you enroll your child in your neighborhood public school that doesn't offer Chinese immersion, do you think you'll do after-school or weekend Chinese lessons?

[Austin97]

Originally Posted by sami78

Austin97, I'm looking into Chinese immersion for my little ones and was curious about Chinese with Meggie. My kids (ages 3 and 15 months) are in full-time daycare, and I was thinking a session on the weekend might be a little much for them but could juggle my work schedule to take them a day during the week and drop them back off at their daycare. Interested in learning what your scheduling is like with this program.

Also, if you enroll your child in your neighborhood public school that doesn't offer Chinese immersion, do you think you'll do after-school or weekend Chinese lessons?

we do 10 hours a week (4 classes) 2 days a week and do regular preschool 2 days/week. Im not sure it is quite enough, I would love to add a 3rd day, but our schedule wont really allow it.

they run classes all day so you could do 3 classes in a single day and that would be like a regular day care day.

We would do an after school class vs weekend class. I had to do weekend classes when I was a kid and it was the worst thing ever. On the other hand I would come home from school and watch tv for 2-3 hours - totally wasted time.

[Aquitaine]

You would need to indicate other priorities besides having family here. Austin and SF are both great places for a lot of people and while Austin has a reputation for being liberal, it is Texas liberal ... doesn't hold a candle to a place like SF.

For some of us that is exactly why we like it, but you are looking at an area in many respects will be the opposite of what you are coming from. If that's OK and you're just trying to carve out a niche that is closer to what you have in SF, that's well and good, but like the other replies I'd agree that your question raises a number of yellow flags. Not even so much for the mandarin part, but you will find a lot of Texas pride everywhere in Texas, and if you automatically associate that with George Bush then you might do well to immerse yourself in some Texas history to appreciate why it's quite possible for people to be proud of one without having to be proud of both!