How to find a school

[Kotenochek 0]

Hey Guys,

I have a question,which probably is not for this forum,but maybe you can help me.

I want to bring here for a few months my niece from Georgia-country,not a state!!!She is 11 years old and is not very good at english.The whole point is to get her into an american school ,so she learns english.

Do you have any experience with getting kids into school without green card or citizenship,but with a student visa?

Also how fast kids get used to english speaking community?

Please,share any knowledge you have about this topic...

Thank you!!!

[slim 1,530]

It's pretty much up to the school district at that age. Your first stop should be the local schools' superintendent or similar position. They'll be able to guide you in the right direction.

If that doesn't work, try a church group or private school. They'd love to have her (and your money!)

Kids learn English faster than I eat pie. She'll be fine. Keep us posted on this topic, it's pretty cool!

[BluesTraveler 0]

I want to bring here for a few months my niece from Georgia-country,not a state!!!She is 11 years old and is not very good at english.The whole point is to get her into an american school ,so she learns english.

Most likely you will need to enroll her in a private school. Check your area for local catholic or private schools. Ask them if they have ESL English as a Second Language classes. She will definitely benefit from spending a few months in an American school. She will learn about gang signs, random locker searches, metal detectors, and pick up some English.

[payxibka 10,047]

Hey Guys,

I have a question,which probably is not for this forum,but maybe you can help me.

I want to bring here for a few months my niece from Georgia-country,not a state!!!She is 11 years old and is not very good at english.The whole point is to get her into an american school ,so she learns english.

Do you have any experience with getting kids into school without green card or citizenship,but with a student visa?

Also how fast kids get used to english speaking community?

Please,share any knowledge you have about this topic...

Thank you!!!

I enrolled my son in public school... no greencard, no citizenship... they did not even ask what his immigration status was... I imagine these requirements vary greatly from state to state and even school district to school district...

[Kotenochek 0]

I do not think i can afford a private school at this economy..Especially in Northern California area..The problem is that i would need school to give me an invitation ,so i apply for her student visa...Or another option is a tourist visa,but then she can stay here only for 3 months right?

Thank you guys for trying to help!

Edited October 5, 2009 by Kotenochek

[Rob_Lesya 4]

I do not think i can afford a private school at this economy..Especially in Northern California area..The problem is that i would need school to give me an invitation ,so i apply for her student visa...Or another option is a tourist visa,but then she can stay here only for 3 months right?

Thank you guys for trying to help!

As for the visa issue--- I'm honestly not sure whether you can get a student visa for an 11 year old or not. See this quote from the Moscow Embassy website regarding student visas-

Most successful applicants for student visas are attending college or post graduate programs; however, we do issue F-1 visas to high school students depending on the program and arrangements made.

But as regards the school --- however she gets here, once she's here public school in most cases will be a better option for her anyway. Because of No Child Left Behind almost all public school districts will offer ESL programs at all grade levels. Some private schools might offer it, but many (if not most) will not.

[visaveteran 1]

Issue 1: If you intend for your niece to come the USA as a tourist (what other choice do you have?), I'm not sure she'll have much priority in getting a visa. People have been turned down who were siblings of a GC holder. But who knows?

Issue 2: Public schools in No. California are probably "sanctuary cities" and will no doubt accept her but remember she'll be expected to participate in all classwork, not just English grammar. Can she cut it? It may be one thing to drop a 5 or 6 year old into a strange and scary education setting in a foreign country with hopes of adapting, but for an 11 year old girl it will be very difficult. And if she'll only be here a few months, what's the point? How much can she learn in a few months in a strange school?

If it all works out that she can visit, look for a local English tutor from the FSU. There's seems to be a lot of them around the bigger cities.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

Hey Guys,

I have a question,which probably is not for this forum,but maybe you can help me.

I want to bring here for a few months my niece from Georgia-country,not a state!!!She is 11 years old and is not very good at english.The whole point is to get her into an american school ,so she learns english.

Do you have any experience with getting kids into school without green card or citizenship,but with a student visa?

Also how fast kids get used to english speaking community?

Please,share any knowledge you have about this topic...

Thank you!!!

Our 14 year old did not speak English, almost none, when we made the decision to get married and move to the US. He had 9 months of 3 times a week tutoring in Ukraine before he came. He spoke very little English ob arrival.

He had a k-2 visa of course but we were never asked for any legal wuthorization for him to attend school here. (Vermont) He took an English exam, (I think it is called WEVA if I remember correctly) and he scored well below the minimum standard. The school, by Vermont law, had to provide an ESL teacher free of charge to us. He spent an hour each day with this teacher. He then attended regular classes and I helped him with his homework every night, acting as his translator more than anything.

6 weeks after school started he was promoted from 8th grade to 10th grade as he was so far advanced and they "couldn't teach him anything" as they said. He went on to a local high school who also had an ESL teacher. Actually there were several students in that ESL class. By Christmas vacation I no longer needed to help wiuth all his homework, just some. He made the basketball team and had no problems with instructions from the coach. He took another exam and passed and was phased out of the ESL class. He finished the year 5th in the 10th grade class for regular English courses. He is 14. On Thursday this week, just over 1 year from arriving, he will take a TOEFL exam for college entrance. He is now in the 11th grade, loaded with classes and should graduate high school at age 16. The TOEFL is an alternative test for college entrance used for foreign educated students in the USA for less than 7 years. It is an alternative to the SAT or ACT tests which he will also take. He has the option of using any of the scores for college consideration.

His English level now is excellent though he speaks more of the "teen speak" rather than "King's Englsih" as his mother does. She is always correcting BOTH of us. LOL He understands idioms and slang much better than Mom does.

Children adapt well to the language. You need to get them involved with other children, play sports or some activity that keeps them speaking English, FORCE them to speak English. At home he speaks probably 80% Russian and watches both Russian and English movies and TV, but he stays active in school and after school activites so he gets plenty and we let him "rest" at home a little. If he was having problems we would insist on English at home. He is also now studying Spanish.

Check with your local schools for their programs which will vary by state. You will not have a problem enrolling him, just make sure they don't throw him in a situation where everything will bounce off him. If you can, get him started with a tutor.