Hey Everyone,
So, I wanted to look further into what was going on at Davis Bilingual Magnet School and decided to contact the principal, Christopher Loya. In an interview I had with him last week, we discussed the bilingual program that is taking place at the school and explored the beneficial aspects of upholding such a program. Here is what was discussed:
Click here to listen to interview
Q: Explain the schools overall philosophy and goal for the success of its students.
A: "[The] students can and should be bilingual"
Three goals to reach for:
*Cross cultural attitudes
*Biliteracy
*High academic achievement
Q: Tell me a little bit about the bilingual program you have, when it was started, and how you maintain this program in your curriculum?
A: Loya said that he maintains his program by instilling in the children a Dual Language Immersion Program that is a bit more language intensive than others. All K-1 grades have classes entirely in Spanish. Second graders have 85% of their classes in Spanish, and 3-5 grades have 70% of their classes in Spanish.
Q:Are there any personal thoughts you have regarding any dual language schooling program?
A: Loya quoted Dr. Luis Moll from the Univerisity of Arizona who stated, "If your child is coming out of the school system and it's not bilingual and biliterate, then you are being short changed by the system." Loya said that he believes Moll's quote best represents what his schools' overall mission is geared towards achieving.
Q: How has the bilingual program proven to be successful for the students?
A: Loya answered by saying that it has been based on the high academic success of the students, as their scores are currently in the top 1/4 of schools in Tucson.
Q: Have you personally encountered any people, parents etc. that have been against what you are doing in your bilingual program here at Davis School?
A: Loya stated that he had not encountered anyone, personally, who has been against the program. He stated, "There's a lot of political clout." "We try to integrate the community as much as possible into our school [and] the school has added to the community quite a bit." Loya also stated that some people do not agree with bilingual education because "a lot of it is just miscommunication."
Q: Statistics: Percentages of students enrolled:
A: White ~23%
Hispanics ~71%
African American/Asian etc. ~1-2%
Q: Are there any other personal thoughts or comments you would like to add?
A: Loya stated that the school is an award winning school, as it has brought in awards from various departments, such as their teacher staff award and their counseling program award. Loya also stated that the school is "easy to sell," as there now stands a waiting list for entrance into the school.
So, I wanted to look further into what was going on at Davis Bilingual Magnet School and decided to contact the principal, Christopher Loya. In an interview I had with him last week, we discussed the bilingual program that is taking place at the school and explored the beneficial aspects of upholding such a program. Here is what was discussed:
Click here to listen to interview
Q: Explain the schools overall philosophy and goal for the success of its students.
A: "[The] students can and should be bilingual"
Three goals to reach for:
*Cross cultural attitudes
*Biliteracy
*High academic achievement
Q: Tell me a little bit about the bilingual program you have, when it was started, and how you maintain this program in your curriculum?
A: Loya said that he maintains his program by instilling in the children a Dual Language Immersion Program that is a bit more language intensive than others. All K-1 grades have classes entirely in Spanish. Second graders have 85% of their classes in Spanish, and 3-5 grades have 70% of their classes in Spanish.
Q:Are there any personal thoughts you have regarding any dual language schooling program?
A: Loya quoted Dr. Luis Moll from the Univerisity of Arizona who stated, "If your child is coming out of the school system and it's not bilingual and biliterate, then you are being short changed by the system." Loya said that he believes Moll's quote best represents what his schools' overall mission is geared towards achieving.
Q: How has the bilingual program proven to be successful for the students?
A: Loya answered by saying that it has been based on the high academic success of the students, as their scores are currently in the top 1/4 of schools in Tucson.
Q: Have you personally encountered any people, parents etc. that have been against what you are doing in your bilingual program here at Davis School?
A: Loya stated that he had not encountered anyone, personally, who has been against the program. He stated, "There's a lot of political clout." "We try to integrate the community as much as possible into our school [and] the school has added to the community quite a bit." Loya also stated that some people do not agree with bilingual education because "a lot of it is just miscommunication."
Q: Statistics: Percentages of students enrolled:
A: White ~23%
Hispanics ~71%
African American/Asian etc. ~1-2%
Q: Are there any other personal thoughts or comments you would like to add?
A: Loya stated that the school is an award winning school, as it has brought in awards from various departments, such as their teacher staff award and their counseling program award. Loya also stated that the school is "easy to sell," as there now stands a waiting list for entrance into the school.
2 comments:
My daughter attended Davis from 2nd grade to 5th and will likely never be able to have as good an educational experience as she had there - in her life. The foundation Davis provide for learning, let alone in dos idiomas, is great. Teachers encourage students to be critical thinkers, not to accept the status quo, and to use all their tools for thinking. My daughter became truly bilingual. She cried when she left, as most Davis 'graduates' do. And, most go to Roskruge so they can be with their Davis compadres, then Tucson High. But, as a former teacher, I can say that my students who had come from Davis felt that anything after Davis was downhill. I think it is because it combines the best of education, great social relations among students, helpful and trusting relations with teachers, administrators, and families, and a good education in 2 languages. Can't go wrong with that. Davis is a phenomenon in Tucson and a model for bilingual education. It's use of the Exito Bilingue program is key. Glad you did the article. I might have called it, however, A Great Education in the Borderlands: A Model for Everywhere. - Karen
I went to davis in 4 & 5th grade that was back in 2000 I loved that school and learned alot. We did alot
camping trips, cooking, learning computers, and of course I learned alot of spanish. Best school by far!!
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