Mandarin Immersion: the other perspective

Dear Patch.com,
It seems there is a lot of one-sided anti- Mandarin coverage being published about the Lake Forest immersion program. It would be great if you would also share the perspectives of parents whose children are in the program to give people an opportunity to see both sides of the argument. Cherokee is my daughter's school either way. My background is in Elementary and Special Education, I have had the wonderful experience of teaching at a school in Connecticut that offered an immersion program option, it was amazing. My husband and I chose the Mandarin immersion program because of the age at which a second language was introduced and because research has shown immersion instruction to be highly effective, we didn't care if it was Spanish/Mandarin or something else. I hear the concerns of those parents who chose to stay with the English program, some of which are quite legitimate. However, a lot of what is being said in conversation around town, on Facebook and published in the Tribune, Gazebonews.com, and Patch.com has incorrect or misleading information. I do believe it is possible for both programs to be successful in one school, in fact that is why I volunteered my time to be a member of the LASIC (Language Acquisition Student Integration Committee.) We need to come together as a community and support one another so that students in all programs can be socially, emotionally, and academically successful. The beauty of where we live is the access to education, opportunity, and choice! Please feel free to contact me to discuss this matter further.
Thank you,
Jennifer Mulloy
Concerned Cherokee parent