24700 Bit Rd
Monterey, CA 93940

POV from English-speaking parent with a child at Dual Language Academy of the Monterey Peninsula (DLAMP)Parents who are looking for an inclusive, dual-language school option for their children should know that schools with bilingual programs won't rank as well on state testing because, well, half of the student body doesn't speak English in their homes and testing is done... you guessed it, in English. Also, your little prince(ess) may not necessarily be the majority anymore so you'll need to embrace other cultures/religions/politics, the goods and the not-so-goods, with empathy and open minds.Our personal experience at DLAMP has been a positive one. No school is perfect but the teachers at DLAMP have all been engaged and cared about my son's education and social happiness. The biggest issue at DLAMP is the teacher turnover rate. Because the MPUSD schools cannot pay as well as neighboring districts, they have an issue keeping and recruiting Bilingual teachers for their program. Fortunately, they've recently partnered with CSUMB and set up programs to help solve that problem.DLAMP is trying to educate children to equal proficiency in two languages by the time they reach 8th grade, regardless of what language is spoken in their homes. This is the reason I chose DLAMP for my son - I want him to think in and speak two languages. This increases his opportunities in life, critical reasoning, and overall global understanding. The COVID distance learning probably affected the bilingual schools more than traditional schools but I was impressed at how the teachers and admin rose to the challenge. My son really missed his friends in 2020 and dropped a bit academically but still talked fondly of his teachers and felt loved by them. If you chose DLAMP or a similar bilingual program, it may seem like a child is lagging behind while in k-3 grades but, if you can be patient and encourage them at home (cartoons in Spanish, penpals, etc), you'll reap the benefits starting around 4th and 5th grades. We are seeing it now and I'm hearing the same from the other parents. YOU, the parents, have to throw in some Spanish activities and time at home, too, though... this is a group effort and needs to be supported at home as well as school. If you're not willing to at least set their apps, games, and cartoon controls to Spanish... then please don't take up an English speakers spot in a limited program that should go to families who understand and will accept the challenge.