A Fine Ending At Maryvale ES

As many >Rockville Central readers may know, it appeared for some time that fourth-grade families in Maryvale’s well-regarded French immersion program were, according to the Washington Post, perhaps about to get short shrift:

[B]ecause only 77 fourth-graders had enrolled in Maryvale Elementary School, one of the two French immersion teachers at that grade level would have to be dropped and some students shunted into a combined fourth- and fifth-grade class.

This had parents in the immersion program, understandably, quite worried and up in arms. The network began to do its work, sending concerned letters to officials, and stonewalling letters expressing optimism that “all Maryvale students will have a successful school year” began to be received back from said administrators.

But there is a happy ending to this tale. As the WaPo piece makes clear, through patient, persistent, and civil conforntation, the standoff was averted. Both Maryvale administration and parents stuck to dialogue, even when a solution seemed unlikely.

Finally, a couple of new students appeared on the scene and the administration was able, under its guidelines, to add a teacher. French immersion students at Maryvale have a 20-1 student-teacher ratio, not too shabby.

Of course, each side says it thinks the other blinked. Parents say the new students were a fig leaf to allow the administration to change its course without losing face. The administration says that, throughout, it was just following guidelines.

What is important, though, is that through it all a healthy dialogue was maintained. This is something to build on when, inevitably, the next confrontation arises. There’s a precedent set now, at Maryvale, whereby opposing sides can talk things through, without papering over their differences and without automatically coming to loggerheads.

Bravo.

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