tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post5134424495765373039..comments2024-03-29T02:41:52.718-07:00Comments on Seattle Schools Community Forum: Making Sense of Funding Foreign Language ImmersionMelissa Westbrookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17179994245880629080noreply@blogger.comBlogger51125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-59031149822942916812013-10-23T01:17:30.891-07:002013-10-23T01:17:30.891-07:00Learning proper English Grammar should always be p...Learning proper English Grammar should always be prioritized.1300 Numbershttp://vtelecom.com.au/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-82042910213271914002013-03-26T22:30:38.095-07:002013-03-26T22:30:38.095-07:00Where on the McDonald website does it say" th...Where on the McDonald website does it say" the expectation that every family in the school can contribute $1K+ every year" as you state. Please link me to that phrasing.<br /><br />From everything I can find and have heard, their goal is 100% participation and "giving what works for your family". <br /><br />Why are you spending all the hours you seem to have on the real issue of adequate state funding. Instead you seem focused on going after the lowest hanging fruit, the families who pay a bulk of the local taxes to schools, vote to pass additional funding, and then donate money to further enhance their school for whoever's kids show up (whether it's option or not). You should look up how many families there ARE OPTION families. <br /><br />I applaud these families who do not stand on the sidelines waiting for politicians and bloggers to improve our schools for our current kids. What a ridiculous thread and waste of energy pointing at the school communities fighting over the scraps of being 48th in the country on per pupil spending. Spend some time in schools and less time at board meetings. Go kids!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-84034415692620649752013-03-22T09:18:06.667-07:002013-03-22T09:18:06.667-07:00"I think my gut would be less gutted if these..."I think my gut would be less gutted if these schools were option schools not neighborhood schools."<br /><br />I think that is very much the feeling of the majority of directors on the Board. <br /><br />Grey Watch, good observation about Lincoln. It certainly would make sense given the closeness of Hamilton, McDonald and JSIS.Melissa Westbrookhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12588239576000641336noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-5101014643656249692013-03-21T21:07:25.710-07:002013-03-21T21:07:25.710-07:00I have long been an advocate of these as option sc...I have long been an advocate of these as option schools. Given that they aren't, I don't understand why the kids that stick with the program through grade 8 go to Ingraham when they are all in Roosevelt's boundaries. This costs the district more for transportation (bus passes for everyone). With the growth of immersion and APP (which also feeds into Ingraham as IBX), capacity will be a challenge before too long. I wouldn't be surprised if they reopen Lincoln as a language pathway school.GreyWatchhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15177134279070087546noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-3598831783082508332013-03-21T19:47:28.098-07:002013-03-21T19:47:28.098-07:00Poor choice of words about Wallingford - may be be...Poor choice of words about Wallingford - may be better off. All I can say is that the expectation that every family in the school can contribute $1K+ every year is not one that many neighborhoods in Seattle can match.Melissa Westbrookhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12588239576000641336noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-26336603098747385572013-03-21T19:05:04.736-07:002013-03-21T19:05:04.736-07:00OMG! 7%?! There it is!OMG! 7%?! There it is!mirmac1https://www.blogger.com/profile/10183460709639638172noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-61956914944353763262013-03-21T18:46:43.467-07:002013-03-21T18:46:43.467-07:00Melissa Westbrook wrote:
"Is that per studen...Melissa Westbrook wrote:<br /><br />"Is that per student district spending plus PTA spending (taking total PTA dollars and dividing per student)? I have no idea what you are saying here."<br /><br />It's the last comment on the blog post I referenced. That poster explains how he/she tabulated the data. The gist appears to be that PTA spending on staff is reflected in the budget as a grant and is thus part of the total.<br /><br />"Again, is the district only going to open these schools in wealthier neighborhoods and poorer ones? That's going to let out more middle class schools like John Rogers or Loyal Heights. "<br /><br />I'm not sure I'd call30 Wallingford wealthy. FWIW, JSIS has almost twice as many FRL kids (7%) as Loyal Heights (4%) percentage-wise according to the 2011-12 School Reports.<br /><br />Immersion Fan<br /><br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-3544411533199959942013-03-21T12:57:10.678-07:002013-03-21T12:57:10.678-07:00Immersion, I'm not sure how that list is tabul...Immersion, I'm not sure how that list is tabulated or where you got it. From the thread you cite:<br /><br />"There is no districtwide database documenting PTA fundraising by school" <br /><br />Is that per student district spending plus PTA spending (taking total PTA dollars and dividing per student)? I have no idea what you are saying here.<br /><br />I'm not arguing about who gets IAs but how would it look if only schools who had a better-off parent base and could fund IAs look against one that couldn't? Again, is the district only going to open these schools in wealthier neighborhoods and poorer ones? That's going to let out more middle class schools like John Rogers or Loyal Heights. <br /><br />NE Mom is right about the IAs as I pointed out in the thread. Both schools make a very big point about how having them lowers the class size and they are available for other duties around the school.<br /><br />Again, any school can do this but I am not for funding staff positions on a mostly permanent basis nor am I for huge amounts of staffing. As the JSIS PTA points out, one-third of their school is the IAs.<br /><br />I'll have a separate thread about all that was said at the Board meeting. This is now on their radar and I think we may see some discussion around the boundaries (maybe only discussion but who knows?).Melissa Westbrookhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17179994245880629080noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-25690362866773844442013-03-21T12:05:42.349-07:002013-03-21T12:05:42.349-07:00Perhaps off-topic, but since so much of so many di...Perhaps off-topic, but since so much of so many discussions these days will be played out in the new redraws of the (not new, but newly changing) student assigment plan: wallyhood makes the point about neighborhood divisions and it reminded me that i really wish they would draw lines down alleys or the backs of lotlines. I know that sounds messy, butt it is so divisive and unstable to be on the dividing lines. Our neighborhood has 3 elementaries, two middles, and two high schools in a 2 block area because we are at a corner. Many people don't know their neighbors behind them as well, but do know the ones across the street. <br />northend mom (again)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-81791028883117620652013-03-21T11:56:37.204-07:002013-03-21T11:56:37.204-07:00Immersion, the surrounding elementary schools rais...<br />Immersion, the surrounding elementary schools raise no where near this amount of money through PTA: Bagley - about 100K, West Woodland - about 170K, Greenwood - about 110K; Greenlake - around 130-140K. 450K boggles my mind. As a former PTA president, I can't imagine the pressure - and I can't imagine pressuring families to donate at that level. Frankly, it just doesn't sound like public school.<br /><br />Another thing about immersions being neighborhood schools, and not options, is that for students with learning disabilities (particularly language based learning disabilities), language immersion can be a nightmare. And often learning disabilities aren't diagnosed until 2nd or 3rd grade, so families who go to their neighborhood immersion school don't realize it isn't a fit. <br /><br />I’ve never thought that the variety in our schools jibes with the new student assignment plan. It seems unfair that by virtue of your address, you get better access to programs - spectrum, Montessori, language immersion, ALO, types of special education, etc. However, I also object to the notion that schools should be identical. It’s a conflict. I think the whole NSAP is a farce, though. It hasn’t saved much transportation money, schools forms are still confusing, and the notion of “predictability” is a joke. <br /><br />Bagley was mentioned before and it is different that the language immersions in that only half the school is Montessori, so if you live in the neighborhood and don’t want Montessori you have another option. However, the only real reason Montessori isn’t part of this discussion is, as Melissa says, it isn’t as popular as immersion and it certainly isn’t so expensive. <br /><br />A final point: the IA thing seems inequitable to me on another level. Having IAs lowers the ratio of adult to student and other schools can’t duplicate this lowering even if we do raise tons of $ because of limits in the collective bargaining agreement as it currently exists. I’m not saying that this point is the immersion school’s fault or that it’s a bad thing to have more adults in the classrooms, I’m just saying that other schools can’t do it. For the rest of us, even if we raised 200K to hire additional tutors, classroom aides, etc., we’d be capped by the teachers’ contract. I can’t remember the limit – it’s something like half the salary amount a full time instructional assistant (usually special education) is the total amount that can be used to fund extra adults in the classes (regardless of a school’s size or # of classes and teachers). Somehow language immersion IAs skirt this contract limit and it’s not because it’s parents who are funding them.<br />Northend Mom<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-29953498711390680292013-03-21T11:51:28.022-07:002013-03-21T11:51:28.022-07:00Melissa Westbrook said:
"What data do you ba...Melissa Westbrook said:<br /><br />"What data do you base this on? Other elementaries are raising $300-450k a year? I can only think of one or two that would fall in that category besides JSIS and McDonald. "<br /><br />I was remember this thread which didn't list JSIS or McDonald in the top four at the time:<br /><br />http://saveseattleschools.blogspot.com/2012/01/money-our-schools-and-ptsas.html<br /><br />I think it's more relevant to look at dollars / student though. JSIS has gotten a lot more crowded recently, and I think it's a fair bit bigger than McGilvra.<br /><br />At any rate, someone kindly tabulated $ / student of a subset of schools including PTA (this is at least a year old):<br /><br />Per Student Dollar(with PTA Funds) <br />Rainier View $10,794.00 <br />Northgate $8,848.00 <br />Roxhill $8,464.00 <br />West Seattle $8,315.00 <br />Hawthorne $8,206.00 <br />Bailey $7,825.00 <br />MLK $7,600.00 <br />Leschi $6,766.00 <br />Queen Anne $6,741.00 <br />Stevens $6,671.00 <br />Dearborn $6,660.00 <br />Beacon Hill $6,345.00 <br />View Ridge $6,318.00 <br />Montlake $6,270.00 <br />McGilvra $6,134.00 <br />John Hay $6,094.00 <br />John Muir $5,854.00 <br />Coe $5,825.00 <br />Loyal Heights $5,348.00 <br />Laurelhurst $5,283.00<br /><br />Note, this is a subset which someone tabulated. I believe if JSIS hits their target, they'd be roughly on par with QA - still middle of the pack in terms of $ / student.<br /><br />"If Concord and Beacon Hill didn't have the fed dollars to pay the IAs, what would happen then? Because JSIS and McDonald have a parent base that can raise that money, they get IAs but a poorer school cannot?"<br /><br />You're arguing a hypothetical situation. Concord and Beacon Hill *do* have IAs. Are you arguing that they should get IAs and that JSIS and McDonald should not?<br /><br />Immersion Fan<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-65429279957782107062013-03-21T11:48:47.507-07:002013-03-21T11:48:47.507-07:00I'd like to address two issues I find disconce...I'd like to address two issues I find disconcerting about our neighborhood's language immersion schools. This is based on past comments I've read on the neighborhood news blog, Wallyhood.<br /><br />One is that the schools have divided our neighborhood into what some people believe are the "haves" versus the "have nots". People moved to Wallingford just so their kids could attend JSIS. But when the boundaries shrank, there were many neighbors who were very disappointed that their children would not be going to JSIS. Many were angry that they had to send their children to B.F. Day in Fremont (which is technically as equidistant to Wallingford Avenue as JSIS, both .5 miles, it's just the daunting prospect of crossing 99). <br /><br />And when the District shrank the boundary further east to Corliss Avenue (dividing the actual street so that the eastern half goes to JSIS and the western half would attend B.F. Day) there was even more backlash. Neighbors were genuinely upset that their kids would not be attending their friends' school.<br /><br />Neighbors took out their frustration on B.F. Day, saying that the school was far more inferior to JSIS. They cried "foul" because they had their hopes of sending their children to a language immersion school. (By the way, I am not judging these folks, nor am I condoning their anger).<br /><br />B.F. Day, in my opinion, is a great school; but it gets a bum rap because people in the neighborhood compare it to JSIS or McDonald.<br /><br />The second observation I've made is that I've heard from parents who have sent their kids to JSIS only to discover that their child was struggling with language immersion. And many of the parents who have told me this first-hand tell me that they didn't know this going in...but the struggle became evident for their children in Kindergarten or First Grade. Some folks had their kids tested out of JSIS for APP, others moved them to Salmon Bay or B.F. Day; but the thing I hear again and again from parents is that language immersion isn't for everyone.<br /><br />My point here is that I believe a language immersion program should be in an option school. It doesn't belong in a neighborhood model because it truly isn't for everyone. Plus, it's a shame that our neighborhood has been divided by this.Wallyhoodernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-42964353242835501962013-03-21T09:36:30.403-07:002013-03-21T09:36:30.403-07:00Immersion, said:
I also haven't seen any evi...Immersion, said:<br /><br /> I also haven't seen any evidence that they are raising more PTA funds per student compared to other schools in their respective areas.<br /><br />What data do you base this on? Other elementaries are raising $300-450k a year? I can only think of one or two that would fall in that category besides JSIS and McDonald. <br /><br />Also, I didn't say the district is funding anyone more. The only extra funding they get is in the first three years. <br /><br />As well, the immersion program CAN work without IAs but the schools and their principals have made the determination that they believe it is better with the IAs. If Concord and Beacon Hill didn't have the fed dollars to pay the IAs, what would happen then? Because JSIS and McDonald have a parent base that can raise that money, they get IAs but a poorer school cannot? It's a slippery slope.<br /><br />Good point, Mirmac. I wonder if the district might get its hand slapped for this by the State Auditor. Are the ELL students getting all the services they are eligible for via these funds BEFORE the IAs work with the rest of the class?Melissa Westbrookhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12588239576000641336noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-27835917029832621672013-03-21T09:02:14.799-07:002013-03-21T09:02:14.799-07:00Look at the demographic make up of Concord and Bea...Look at the demographic make up of Concord and Beacon Hill. They have very high number of ELL students and a sizable Hispanic population which allows for cost effective dual language immersion program. The budget is not evenly divided out per kid like you think. Money aimed at ELL, FRL, and special ed are supposed to go for their services. If you have a kid who primary language is Trigrinya, hopefully they'll get an IA who'll speak that language and not just plunked down in an "English immersion" class. <br /><br />Do you have many ELL kids at JSIS and McDonald? If not, I don't think the situations are comparable.<br /><br />If the district is keen on offering sustainable language immersion, why not take schools with a sizable Hispanic population and make them immersion option schools (like A-mom suggested)? The advantage of learning with native speakers of both language is built in. The other thing with cost, why 2 languages? That seems more costly for an elementary school to bear especially if it doesn't have a sizable Japanese speaking population to begin with.<br /><br />triageAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-49449603969760717692013-03-21T08:26:32.934-07:002013-03-21T08:26:32.934-07:00"It is a strange notion to speak of equity fo... "It is a strange notion to speak of equity for one school PTA to raise $450,000 annually and wish for replication at the same time."<br /><br />Why is raising $450K a requirement? Concord and Beacon Hill are replicating the program without anything near that. And, several other schools are getting similar or more government funding. Even more (most?) schools are already getting more funding per student than John Stanford. On the flip side, I'm pretty sure a number of neighborhood schools already raise more PTA money than JSIS as well.<br /><br />And, of course, JSIS doesn't have to raise $450K either. If they don't, I'm sure they'll deal, just like they are doing this year. <br /><br />Immersion FanAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-7318211812047661822013-03-21T06:22:50.813-07:002013-03-21T06:22:50.813-07:00And there you have it. DeBell thinks it's just...And there you have it. DeBell thinks it's just peachy to use ELL students' IAs to support non-ELL students. That's "leveraging" and "hybrid" thinking out of the box. Except it shafts the ELL students.<br /><br />This is precisely like the misuse of special education funds at Ballard that produced and audit finding and is again under review.mirmac1https://www.blogger.com/profile/10183460709639638172noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-34196128310381550212013-03-21T00:36:07.680-07:002013-03-21T00:36:07.680-07:00Cost to sustain the MS pipeline down the road? The...Cost to sustain the MS pipeline down the road? There isn't really a MS immersion program--it's just a class. Instead of your basic Spanish 1 or Japanese 2 class, they take the immersion version of the class instead. If you cut immersion in the feeder schools, you just have more kids in intro level classes. Same number of bodies, same number of teachers.<br /><br />HIMSmomAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-83123515122250221982013-03-20T23:06:55.710-07:002013-03-20T23:06:55.710-07:00It is a strange notion to speak of equity for one ...It is a strange notion to speak of equity for one school PTA to raise $450,000 annually and wish for replication at the same time. Not to mention the cost to sustain the MS pipeline every year down the road. What happens in HS?<br /><br />triage<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-14576128554335244312013-03-20T22:02:39.534-07:002013-03-20T22:02:39.534-07:00I think there are a few conflated issues here.
Fi...I think there are a few conflated issues here.<br /><br />First, on funding, I don't believe any of the international schools are getting higher funds per student than other schools in the area. I also haven't seen any evidence that they are raising more PTA funds per student compared to other schools in their respective areas. Ignore the immersion aspect for the moment. John Stanford - according to last year's budget - is getting $5802 per student. Concord is getting $7847 per student. If John Stanford manages to raise $1000 per student via alternative means, it's still not closing that gap. It's a strange notion of equity to turn down this money.<br /><br />Second, on the notion of making international schools option schools, does anyone have a practical plan to make this happen? If JSIS / Latona is made an option school, where is the capacity for the neighborhood. If you move the program, what's a reasonable transition plan? Are you moving the entire existing student body with the program? Or just halting the program for those kids and starting anew with a different set? All of this sounds painful. Ultimately, this is punishing a program for its success when - given the demand - the focus ought to be on replicating it.<br /><br />Immersion FanAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-26304699714180500362013-03-20T22:02:24.011-07:002013-03-20T22:02:24.011-07:00Charlie, if moving immersion out of one of these t...Charlie, if moving immersion out of one of these two schools to plop it elsewhere, why pull it from the school with the well-established program rather than the newer program, that doesn't yet have immersion at the upper grades??? <br /><br />HIMSmomAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-13511637218788185312013-03-20T21:29:05.253-07:002013-03-20T21:29:05.253-07:00Charlie, you have the devil in you.
I attended th...Charlie, you have the devil in you.<br /><br />I attended th School Board meeting and told them that these schools should be option schools and this kind of pressure on parents for fundraising is wrong. I appealed to Director Carr as a former PTA President and former SCPTA President.<br /><br />So when they got to the discussion about this issue, it seems like some listened and some didn't. <br /><br />Carr gets it...in spades. She kind of demurred about doing anything about the status of the schools but seemed to believe it will come. (I pointed out that they were going to redo boundaries this coming year and it's the best time for any kind of changes.) <br /><br />She said:<br /><br />"From my perspective, it highlights for all of us that we have an unsustainable funding model. Putting our schools and families in a position to finance programs in a neighborhood school. These are not option schools.<br /><br />I've asked several times for staff to come back with a WSS formula for these programs, funding model. In an instance where student populations (like ELL) don't cover money for expenses, iit goes to families and it is not appropriate model for a public school system. Or have some option for families to not be subject to it in their neighborhood school."<br /><br />DeBell said (and this is true to his new nature):<br />"Principals put forward a plan and we looked at towards a hybrid of choice/attendance for these programs. It's an open question and one that deserves attention at the appropriate time."<br /><br />Yes, Michael, we can keep kicking this particular can down the road but for how long? I am also interested in this hybrid plan that he says the principals put forward.<br /><br /> We have a funding model, we have a varety of grants and this is a grant generated by parents. This happens all the time.<br /><br />Uh, no Michael because these are grants OVER $250k that require the Board's approval. This does not happen all the time.<br /><br />"It is really pointing to we are underfunded school system. This all started with grant money from outside sources and not the case here and I believe these two school communities are doing the right things."<br /><br />No one said it was the wrong thing. But's not right, either.<br /><br />He then called it a "Stop-gap opportunity to carry this program forward where school doesn't have ELL." <br /><br />But he missed the part where the principal from McDonald said that it was NOT one-time but would be annual. The principal didn't even ask when the district might be able to fund these staff positions. Clearly, it is not a stop-gap opportunity. <br /><br />I unfortunately missed the rest of the discussion but I'll review it when the tape goes up for viewing. I assume they moved it forward but I think it will still be up for discussion.Melissa Westbrookhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12588239576000641336noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-21628928958893545452013-03-20T19:45:56.666-07:002013-03-20T19:45:56.666-07:00So the solution is to leave Latona as a neighborho...So the solution is to leave Latona as a neighborhood school and simply relocate the language immersion program.Charlie Mashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17173903762962067277noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-81492754639106537422013-03-20T17:30:19.186-07:002013-03-20T17:30:19.186-07:00I agree with Kellie. I cannot imagine how school b...I agree with Kellie. I cannot imagine how school boundaries could be drawn if e.g. JSIS became an option school. The neighboring McDonald and BF Day attendance areas are already huge. It is a shame that the University Height's Center was sold by SPS not so long ago. I am really not looking forward to all the anxiety, stress, and uncertainty that a redrawing of elementary (and middle!) school boundaries is going to cause next fall after we just went through this 4 years ago.Sabine Meckinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17894106929137582679noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-13984988402188790602013-03-20T15:31:23.590-07:002013-03-20T15:31:23.590-07:00There is only one reason why JSIS remained an atte...There is only one reason why JSIS remained an attendance area school during the change to the NSAP - Bryant. Staff repeated at multiple meetings that they would be unable to draw boundaries for Bryant without BOTH opening McDonald as an attendance area school AND making JSIS an attendance area school.<br /><br />This was an untenable solution to a very real problem. However, it is a very simple issue. Bryant was incredibly over-full at the time of the NSAP and Bryant was the closest school for over 800 currently enrolled SPS elementary students. That was a real problem that needed a real solution. <br /><br />However the solution to Bryant is the ONLY physical school in a large geographic area is not to make the adjacent school, which just so happens to the be the school with the longest wait list in SPS an attendance area school simply so that you can draw boundaries. <br /><br />So here we are a few short year later:<br /><br />Bryant - still full and even fuller than before.<br />JSIS - still popular, still full and now has the smallest boundaries of any school. <br />McDonald - full and only going to get fuller. <br /><br />So we still have the same issue. It is almost impossible to draw boundaries for Bryant as it is a medium size school with no option for portables. The previous neighborhood schools of University Heights and Ravenna Eckstein are gone. <br /><br />So something is going to have to give. Even if both McDonald and JSIS no longer offered language immersion, it would be a huge challenge to place enough school capacity in these neighborhoods.kelliehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01322661098626555834noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-26789386744786010962013-03-20T15:20:26.067-07:002013-03-20T15:20:26.067-07:00SeattleMom, actually anyone in the city can apply ...<b>SeattleMom</b>, actually anyone in the city can apply to any Option school. (And if Geographic Zones are too big, then that opportunity is meaningless.) It is true that transportation is only provided in a MS service area (so NE gets transported to Thornton Creek, JAddams and Pinehurst and some get a shuttle to Salmon Bay as well.) I don't think SPS advertises this very well. <br /><br />Note, one reason JSIS and McDonald are right next to each other is that the Board wanted a critical mass to move up together to a Middle School program. Making immersion programs into Option schools would alleviate this issue-- Option immersion kids could feed up together to a more centrally located middle school.<br /><br />So say they either split the JSIS and McD programs in half and co-housed an option immersion program with a neighborhood program or made one of those schools fully neighborhood and one fully option immersion: The immersion kids could be assigned to, say, Wilson Pacific along with kids from a new north end (Northgate as A-mom suggests?) option immersion program. They wouldn't have to go to Hamilton. Transportation could be provided from SN to McDonald or JSIS and from NN to Northgate. Or, you know what, maybe just no transportaion at all. I know that is inequitable, but maybe not clearly on socioeconomic grounds.<br /><br />I also think there should be a native language speaker tiebreaker for immersion schools.Maureenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18444916440000921599noreply@blogger.com