There has been a battle to control Shuang Wen and it's future. The past of Shuang Wen was not true to it's name or it's children.
Shuang Wen dubbed their dual language afterschool program as part of the school. Those who could afford to learn Chinese were admitted to the school. Those who could not afford the program were named lazy and shiftless parents. This began the battle of the Haves and the Have Nots.
Shuang Wen is a public school open to all in the district regardless of economic status, religion, race or creed. The option of learning Mandrin was not for those who could afford it but for those who choose it. The reality of it all is that every parent that enrolls their children in the school are looking for a top notch education for their children at a rock bottom cost. True HAVES donate and fundraise to make the school a better place overall. Currently our parents are NOT fund raising or focusing on how to use the money we have to make the school better.
Let's stop fighting for what is equally ours. The right to a free and exceptional education for all our children.
Thursday, March 22, 2012
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Shuang Wen is moving forward
Although, our past is shady we are looking toward a bright future. We have a long road ahead of us, however, it is brighter due to the new principal.
Please support or continue supporting our new principal and her efforts to sucessfully establish a dual language program.
It is a struggle bringing our school into compliance and in doing so we are faced with all new financial obstacles.
The Department of Education finally stepped in to correct the errors made by ex principal Ling Ling and in doing so they have added tons of bureaucracy. Unfortunately, due to this unbelievable red tape Shuang Wen is not able to recieve funds in a timely fashion to properly finance day to day schools expenses.
It appears that the DOE does nothing or EVERYTHING wrong.
Please support or continue supporting our new principal and her efforts to sucessfully establish a dual language program.
It is a struggle bringing our school into compliance and in doing so we are faced with all new financial obstacles.
The Department of Education finally stepped in to correct the errors made by ex principal Ling Ling and in doing so they have added tons of bureaucracy. Unfortunately, due to this unbelievable red tape Shuang Wen is not able to recieve funds in a timely fashion to properly finance day to day schools expenses.
It appears that the DOE does nothing or EVERYTHING wrong.
Monday, March 5, 2012
Community
Over the course of this school year I have heard several parents of Shuang Wen speak of "Community", most speak only of the school community and dismiss the neighborhood surrounding the school. Is it possible that the neighborhood in which the building is place does not matter?
I have been a resident of the Lower East Side naming directly across the street from where Shuang Wen now stands. The school as well as the neighborhood means very much to me.
Removing the dual language program from Shuang Wen School is a decision that affects the neighborhood and NOT just the student body. Currently only the Pre-K, Kindergarten, 1st Grade and 2nd Grades have established a true dual language program. Most of the more (anti dual language) vocal parents have children in the upper grades which have not established true dual language program.
What makes a dual language program a true dual language program?
A dual language program in a public school settings consists of the core circirullum taught in two languages. The languages can be taught in a 50/50 model (which half English Half Secondary Language), 60/40 (mainly English and 40% in a Secondary Language) or 80/20 model ( Mainly English and 20% Secondary Language). There are other options in the percentages, however it then becomes more of a bilingual model rather than a dual language model.
Currently the 3rd - 5th grades do not have any Chinese taught during the day at Shuang Wen. The 6th -8th grades have only one class ( Social Studies) taught in Chinese. This is NOT a true dual language program. It is a disservice to the children who are not already fluent in Manadrin. Please bear in mind there are five dialects in China. Therefore you maybe Chinese but you may not speak Manadrin.
PS 184 SHUANG WEN offers an afterschool at a cost of $1000.00 a year which is a language arts afterschool and offers Manadrin. The children do not receive any DOE credit for the afterschool. It is a stand alone program. Therefore if you can not afford the afterschool your child may not learn any Chinese until the 6th-8th grades and by that time if you are not fluent your child may fail Social Studies. That failure will be recorded by the DOE unlike the afterschool.
Our community has the opportunity for our children who may not even have a passport to learn a foreign language in a context familiar to them. They have the opportunity to learn of a culture other than what they see. This opportunity allows our children to have a broader outlook on life. It allows them to see further than their current economic circumstance. Taking away this program for a misguided sense of loyalty would be a crime.
The neighborhood consists of mainly low income families. Most of which would not be able to afford the opportunity that Shuang Wen is currently offering the neighborhood and students.
I wholeheartedly understand the need, the want, the desire for your children to succeed. I understand why Chinese speaking parents want to ensure their children are able to compete in an English speaking society. However, I have the same want, need, desire for my child as well as the children in my COMMUNITY.
PLEASE SUPPORT PRINCIPAL IRIS CHIU, you can show your support by writing to Ms. Chui supporting her efforts to maintain a true dual language program
SHUANG WEN SCHOOL
327 Cherry Street
New York, New York 10002
or email your letter of support to PS184DUALLANGUAGE@GMAIL.COM
Thank you for reading my blog and showing your support.
I have been a resident of the Lower East Side naming directly across the street from where Shuang Wen now stands. The school as well as the neighborhood means very much to me.
Removing the dual language program from Shuang Wen School is a decision that affects the neighborhood and NOT just the student body. Currently only the Pre-K, Kindergarten, 1st Grade and 2nd Grades have established a true dual language program. Most of the more (anti dual language) vocal parents have children in the upper grades which have not established true dual language program.
What makes a dual language program a true dual language program?
A dual language program in a public school settings consists of the core circirullum taught in two languages. The languages can be taught in a 50/50 model (which half English Half Secondary Language), 60/40 (mainly English and 40% in a Secondary Language) or 80/20 model ( Mainly English and 20% Secondary Language). There are other options in the percentages, however it then becomes more of a bilingual model rather than a dual language model.
Currently the 3rd - 5th grades do not have any Chinese taught during the day at Shuang Wen. The 6th -8th grades have only one class ( Social Studies) taught in Chinese. This is NOT a true dual language program. It is a disservice to the children who are not already fluent in Manadrin. Please bear in mind there are five dialects in China. Therefore you maybe Chinese but you may not speak Manadrin.
PS 184 SHUANG WEN offers an afterschool at a cost of $1000.00 a year which is a language arts afterschool and offers Manadrin. The children do not receive any DOE credit for the afterschool. It is a stand alone program. Therefore if you can not afford the afterschool your child may not learn any Chinese until the 6th-8th grades and by that time if you are not fluent your child may fail Social Studies. That failure will be recorded by the DOE unlike the afterschool.
Our community has the opportunity for our children who may not even have a passport to learn a foreign language in a context familiar to them. They have the opportunity to learn of a culture other than what they see. This opportunity allows our children to have a broader outlook on life. It allows them to see further than their current economic circumstance. Taking away this program for a misguided sense of loyalty would be a crime.
The neighborhood consists of mainly low income families. Most of which would not be able to afford the opportunity that Shuang Wen is currently offering the neighborhood and students.
I wholeheartedly understand the need, the want, the desire for your children to succeed. I understand why Chinese speaking parents want to ensure their children are able to compete in an English speaking society. However, I have the same want, need, desire for my child as well as the children in my COMMUNITY.
PLEASE SUPPORT PRINCIPAL IRIS CHIU, you can show your support by writing to Ms. Chui supporting her efforts to maintain a true dual language program
SHUANG WEN SCHOOL
327 Cherry Street
New York, New York 10002
or email your letter of support to PS184DUALLANGUAGE@GMAIL.COM
Thank you for reading my blog and showing your support.
Sunday, March 4, 2012
The Message
Everyone has a voice but not everyone has a message.
The message that was bestowed on me to convey is SUPPORT IRIS CHIU and SUPPORT THE DUAL LANGUAGE PROGRAM at Shuang Wen.
I am asking for letters of support to be emailed to PS184DUALLANGUAGE@GMAIL.COM or mailed to The Shuang Wen School, c/o Iris Chiu 327 Cherry Street New York New York 10002.
Support the principal and the faculty efforts to establish a true dual language program at Shuang Wen.
If you want to see a taste of what can be accomplished visit you tube video My Baby Speaks Chinese uploaded by Misterhems. You can search under Misterhems. This was less than one year of a true dual language program.
The message that was bestowed on me to convey is SUPPORT IRIS CHIU and SUPPORT THE DUAL LANGUAGE PROGRAM at Shuang Wen.
I am asking for letters of support to be emailed to PS184DUALLANGUAGE@GMAIL.COM or mailed to The Shuang Wen School, c/o Iris Chiu 327 Cherry Street New York New York 10002.
Support the principal and the faculty efforts to establish a true dual language program at Shuang Wen.
If you want to see a taste of what can be accomplished visit you tube video My Baby Speaks Chinese uploaded by Misterhems. You can search under Misterhems. This was less than one year of a true dual language program.
THE PURPOSE
I was asked two very important questions: What is the purpose of this blog? What is the call to action?
THE PURPOSE
Over the past three years there have been articles in a couple of periodicals namely the Gotham News and several segements produced on New York One misrepresenting the removal of Ling Ling Chou, the principal of the Shaung Wen.
The removal has been described as a racially motivated action by the Department of Education. A small minority of parents have named ex-principal Ling Ling " The Mother" of Shuang Wen; In addition to attempting to make her some sort of an educational MARTYR.
This blog came about to disspell this myth to those who are aware of the recent outlandish propaganda. In addition, to provide a voice for the parents that have not had a voice during the Ling Ling regime.
I am hoping to reach other parents of Shuang Wen, community members of District One and the general public.
By word of mouth I hope to come in contact with other parents who have children educated in a dual language education enivironment.
THE CALL
What is it I want people to do after reading this blog? What can you do to help?
SHUANG WEN currently has an excellent principal Iris Chiu who needs your support. I am calling for support of the dual language program to remain in the school. Showing support can be done by simply writing letter of support to the school or emailing your support to PS184duallanguage@gmail.com.
Shuang Wen PS 184
327 Cherry Street
New York New York 10002
Thank you
THE PURPOSE
Over the past three years there have been articles in a couple of periodicals namely the Gotham News and several segements produced on New York One misrepresenting the removal of Ling Ling Chou, the principal of the Shaung Wen.
The removal has been described as a racially motivated action by the Department of Education. A small minority of parents have named ex-principal Ling Ling " The Mother" of Shuang Wen; In addition to attempting to make her some sort of an educational MARTYR.
This blog came about to disspell this myth to those who are aware of the recent outlandish propaganda. In addition, to provide a voice for the parents that have not had a voice during the Ling Ling regime.
I am hoping to reach other parents of Shuang Wen, community members of District One and the general public.
By word of mouth I hope to come in contact with other parents who have children educated in a dual language education enivironment.
THE CALL
What is it I want people to do after reading this blog? What can you do to help?
SHUANG WEN currently has an excellent principal Iris Chiu who needs your support. I am calling for support of the dual language program to remain in the school. Showing support can be done by simply writing letter of support to the school or emailing your support to PS184duallanguage@gmail.com.
Shuang Wen PS 184
327 Cherry Street
New York New York 10002
Thank you
Saturday, March 3, 2012
SAVE THE DUAL LANGUAGE PROGRAM
The translation of Shuang Wen actually means Dual Language. Apparently the founding principal had NO knowledge or expertise on how to establish a Dual Language Program within the DOE regulations and because of that the parents and children were lied to.
It is also apparent that children that come from Chinese speaking households ( be it billingual or monolingual) do not want Chinese taught in the school during the day. It is seems that their primary goal is to teach their children proper and proficient English. Therefore the vision and goal of the school contradicts it's name.
It is ok to make mistakes it is NOT ok to continue the mistake and thumb your nose disrespectfully at the institution that gave you the chance and then expect a favor ( to keep making the same mistake).
Ex-principal Ling Ling Chou lack the knowledge to properly successfully supervise a school much less a dual language program.
She should have been removed much sooner and the DOE missed the mark by allowing her to manipulate and lie to the parents and students of Shuang Wen. Although misguided or not monitored her ultimate objective was to develope a dual language school. She failed to do so. What she did was allow SWAN to develope a language program on the school's premises. This does not qualify the school to be Shuang Wen (dual language school).
Unfortunately we have misguided and miseducated parents that are trying to do away with beginings of a true dual language progam at the Shuang Wen School. Ex-principal Ling Ling did not adequately perform her duties. The scores you refer to does not accurately reflect any accomplishments. If Ling Ling is as competent as you state then she is able to transform any school into a top performing school. If this is true I wish her luck in returning to the Public School system and transforming another school however, I would not welcome her back to SHUANG WEN especially if it means that my child would lose the opportunity of a dual language education.
In addition, I have no issue with the SWAN afterschool however, I do feel that SWAN could do more to diffuse the tension within the school and develope a comprehensive English afterschool to accomodate those parents concerned that their children would not fair well in a dual language enivironment.
In addition, the mere implication that the DOE was racist in removing Ling Ling is absord. It is insulting to me as an African American parent who has experienced racism in my lifetime to have her removal placed in the same degree as my life experiences. Ling Ling was given an opportunity to develope a dual language school, a priviledge to enrich children of our community with her country's cultural, history and language. The fact she was given the opportunity negates the race card the fact that the DOE is continuing the DUAL LANGUAGE program negates a charge of racism. The fact Ling Ling was asked to leave affirms that it is her inability to perform her duties as prescribed by the DOE. Examine the facts and NOT the lies.
Shuang Wen is a public school that not only belongs to the school community but it belongs to the neighborhood.
SAVE DUAL LANGUAGE AT SHUANG WEN!!!!!!!!!!!
It is also apparent that children that come from Chinese speaking households ( be it billingual or monolingual) do not want Chinese taught in the school during the day. It is seems that their primary goal is to teach their children proper and proficient English. Therefore the vision and goal of the school contradicts it's name.
It is ok to make mistakes it is NOT ok to continue the mistake and thumb your nose disrespectfully at the institution that gave you the chance and then expect a favor ( to keep making the same mistake).
Ex-principal Ling Ling Chou lack the knowledge to properly successfully supervise a school much less a dual language program.
She should have been removed much sooner and the DOE missed the mark by allowing her to manipulate and lie to the parents and students of Shuang Wen. Although misguided or not monitored her ultimate objective was to develope a dual language school. She failed to do so. What she did was allow SWAN to develope a language program on the school's premises. This does not qualify the school to be Shuang Wen (dual language school).
Unfortunately we have misguided and miseducated parents that are trying to do away with beginings of a true dual language progam at the Shuang Wen School. Ex-principal Ling Ling did not adequately perform her duties. The scores you refer to does not accurately reflect any accomplishments. If Ling Ling is as competent as you state then she is able to transform any school into a top performing school. If this is true I wish her luck in returning to the Public School system and transforming another school however, I would not welcome her back to SHUANG WEN especially if it means that my child would lose the opportunity of a dual language education.
In addition, I have no issue with the SWAN afterschool however, I do feel that SWAN could do more to diffuse the tension within the school and develope a comprehensive English afterschool to accomodate those parents concerned that their children would not fair well in a dual language enivironment.
In addition, the mere implication that the DOE was racist in removing Ling Ling is absord. It is insulting to me as an African American parent who has experienced racism in my lifetime to have her removal placed in the same degree as my life experiences. Ling Ling was given an opportunity to develope a dual language school, a priviledge to enrich children of our community with her country's cultural, history and language. The fact she was given the opportunity negates the race card the fact that the DOE is continuing the DUAL LANGUAGE program negates a charge of racism. The fact Ling Ling was asked to leave affirms that it is her inability to perform her duties as prescribed by the DOE. Examine the facts and NOT the lies.
Shuang Wen is a public school that not only belongs to the school community but it belongs to the neighborhood.
SAVE DUAL LANGUAGE AT SHUANG WEN!!!!!!!!!!!
Thursday, March 1, 2012
SAVE DUAL LANGUAGE AT SHUANG WEN
I am starting this blog on February 29, 2012 because of the level of frustration I feel as a direct result of misrepresentation of parent concerns at my daughter's school.
A bit of history of my daughter's school Shuang Wen School PS 184. The school is currently housed at what used to be PS 137. The Department of Education relocated the school to coexist with PS 134 on East Broadway. I remember when this occurred and my community was in an uproar. It was told to the community that the school that was taking over the building was a private school. Some were told it was a Charter School. No one understood that it was Public School. One of the reason for the confusion was that in order to attend the school you had to pay to attend the school. No one understood you were paying for the afterschool and not the school. However, the afterschool was described as the Chinese School and if you wanted your child to learn Chinese you would have to pay for that service.
The DOE (Department of Education) took a school from the community that serviced all to add a school that promoted discrimination. It was apparent that the parents looked down on the community and their residences.
It is still evident that parents of this school look down on the community by some of there comments.
Notably, Shuang Wen has done exceptionally well in their scoring in comparsion to the school that was removed. However, PS 134 serviced a higher volume of Special Education Children in the community. And unfortunately the standardized tests do not accomodate children with disabilities and that is a point that parents should FIGHT so that the testing is fair and an accurate reflection of the teachers and students progress.
There is a GREAT need for Standardized Testing Reform as well as Special Education. Shuang Wen was exempt from this fight because of how the principal describe the cirrculum. The principal deliberately gave out incorrect information in order to keep the school exempt for admitting Special Education Students ( children with IEP), keep high scores and basically run the school the way she wanted to run it without any oversight or consequence. The DOE was direlect in there duties and missed the mark in correcting this issue years ago. Unfortunately, parents and children have been misguided which has caused splitter groups to pop up. Parents against Ling Ling, Parents for Ling Ling, Parents for Education and Univolved Parents.
Before you choose who you are for or against it is important to make your children first and educate yourself on the history and the mistakes made.
With our new interim principal who has experience with a Dual Language program unlike Ling Ling. With the principal who we have in place now, we have a chance to correct all the wrongs done in the past and give our children a first rate dual language education. But there are parents who want to take that away. The DOE have single handedly divided the city with standardized tests and gifted and talented schools.
All our children have the compacity to learn. It is the teachers that need these classifications in order to properly service the childen. It is the adult in charge of educating our children that need to know what there strengths are in order to properly teach our children.
The current standardized test are unfair and a true reflection of our educational system or our children.
I feel this is the point that divides our parents.
Let me make this clear: Ling Ling did not DO ANYTHING but circumvent policies and regulations. It is time to face the music and correct our wrongs and properly service our children.
I am FOR DUAL LANGUAGE EDUCATION for our children. I AM FOR A 50/50 model. I AM SUPPORT IRIS CHUI.
I support doing things correctly and I support Education and I definitely support EDUCATING my daughter.
It is imperative that we keep our dual language status so that we can continue to fair well with the standardized test. Until there is a true reform to the testing and the DOE.
With having a dual language school it comes with the cavert that it would serve as a disadvantage to admit certain Special Education Students because of the rigidious cirrculum. It serves as a disservice to children with current learning curves to be placed in a situation where there learning needs can not be met.
Keep our school as a DUAL LANGUAGE school, we have a wonderful dual language High School in the district that we can not have a feeder school because we are taking away a choice from the community because some parents do not have all the facts and are making decisions based on lies.
And I most add that most of these parents do not live in the district and DO NOT RESPECT the residences of the DISTRICT
A bit of history of my daughter's school Shuang Wen School PS 184. The school is currently housed at what used to be PS 137. The Department of Education relocated the school to coexist with PS 134 on East Broadway. I remember when this occurred and my community was in an uproar. It was told to the community that the school that was taking over the building was a private school. Some were told it was a Charter School. No one understood that it was Public School. One of the reason for the confusion was that in order to attend the school you had to pay to attend the school. No one understood you were paying for the afterschool and not the school. However, the afterschool was described as the Chinese School and if you wanted your child to learn Chinese you would have to pay for that service.
The DOE (Department of Education) took a school from the community that serviced all to add a school that promoted discrimination. It was apparent that the parents looked down on the community and their residences.
It is still evident that parents of this school look down on the community by some of there comments.
Notably, Shuang Wen has done exceptionally well in their scoring in comparsion to the school that was removed. However, PS 134 serviced a higher volume of Special Education Children in the community. And unfortunately the standardized tests do not accomodate children with disabilities and that is a point that parents should FIGHT so that the testing is fair and an accurate reflection of the teachers and students progress.
There is a GREAT need for Standardized Testing Reform as well as Special Education. Shuang Wen was exempt from this fight because of how the principal describe the cirrculum. The principal deliberately gave out incorrect information in order to keep the school exempt for admitting Special Education Students ( children with IEP), keep high scores and basically run the school the way she wanted to run it without any oversight or consequence. The DOE was direlect in there duties and missed the mark in correcting this issue years ago. Unfortunately, parents and children have been misguided which has caused splitter groups to pop up. Parents against Ling Ling, Parents for Ling Ling, Parents for Education and Univolved Parents.
Before you choose who you are for or against it is important to make your children first and educate yourself on the history and the mistakes made.
With our new interim principal who has experience with a Dual Language program unlike Ling Ling. With the principal who we have in place now, we have a chance to correct all the wrongs done in the past and give our children a first rate dual language education. But there are parents who want to take that away. The DOE have single handedly divided the city with standardized tests and gifted and talented schools.
All our children have the compacity to learn. It is the teachers that need these classifications in order to properly service the childen. It is the adult in charge of educating our children that need to know what there strengths are in order to properly teach our children.
The current standardized test are unfair and a true reflection of our educational system or our children.
I feel this is the point that divides our parents.
Let me make this clear: Ling Ling did not DO ANYTHING but circumvent policies and regulations. It is time to face the music and correct our wrongs and properly service our children.
I am FOR DUAL LANGUAGE EDUCATION for our children. I AM FOR A 50/50 model. I AM SUPPORT IRIS CHUI.
I support doing things correctly and I support Education and I definitely support EDUCATING my daughter.
It is imperative that we keep our dual language status so that we can continue to fair well with the standardized test. Until there is a true reform to the testing and the DOE.
With having a dual language school it comes with the cavert that it would serve as a disadvantage to admit certain Special Education Students because of the rigidious cirrculum. It serves as a disservice to children with current learning curves to be placed in a situation where there learning needs can not be met.
Keep our school as a DUAL LANGUAGE school, we have a wonderful dual language High School in the district that we can not have a feeder school because we are taking away a choice from the community because some parents do not have all the facts and are making decisions based on lies.
And I most add that most of these parents do not live in the district and DO NOT RESPECT the residences of the DISTRICT
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