Barcroft elementary/ south Arlington crisis

[Anonymous]

This was posted on another thread, but I thought there might be people interested here as well.


The Affordable housing being crammed onto the western end of the Pike is of huge concern to all of the nearby neighborhoods.
If you live in Alcova heights, Douglas Park, Columbia Forrest, Nauck, Barcroft, Clarmemont etc... You need to make your voices heard.
There is a community meeting of the Concerned Citizens Group meeting on May 27, 7:30pm at Arlington Mill Community Center.
There is another meeting at Rappanhanock Coffee on June 1 at 10am.
Time is running out for us to voice our opinions and concerns. There are decisions being made that will impact our schools, property values and quality of life for decades to come. I urge people to make the time to be there.


Barcroft is really struggling, and if your child isn't zoned for that school it will likely be your problem soon. The proposed policies of the Arlington county board will cause these issues across all of south Arligton. This is not about being against affordable housing, this is about how we are accomplishing our goals as a county. The affordable housing lobby is very organized, very loud, and not concerned with the welfare of middle class arlingtonians and their children's education. We have to start advocating for ourselves. If not that board will take our silence as consent. Please try and make one of the two meetings.

[Anonymous]

UGH. I swear. I am a "middle class" white woman and live in a neighborhood zoned for Barcroft. My kids attend another APS elementary school with similar numbers of kids on free and reduced lunch and I am embarrassed that some of my neighbors are acting this way. Maybe those folks should move to N. Arl. where they'll fit in better.

I have never, ever felt like APS or the county does not have my "middle class" children's best interest at heart. It actually really pisses me off that someone would say this.

I'd like for that poster to give me some concrete examples of "middle class" white kids getting the shaft and all the ways that Barcroft is struggling more than other schools. Is it because the test scores are low? Well, if that's the case then you don't really know anything about education.

Are kids getting hurt? Are their social and emotional needs not being met? Are classrooms out of control so no learning can take place? What exactly is going on?

My husband and I support affordable housing that is done right. I'm talking about communities built by APAH and AHC. They have the support systems in place to assist their residents both young and old because they team up with partners like Greenbrier Learning Center, The Reading Connection, Doorways for Women and Families, La Cocina Virginia, etc. It's the "market rate" affordable housing that I have a problem with. There are lots of problems in those communities and no support for residents. The kids who live in APAH and AHC communities do far better (for the most part) than those who do not.

Are there problems in APS overall?

In my opinion, there are tons. The overcrowding is a huge problem as is the focus on test scores as is the lack of free play and recess in elementary schools. I could go on and on. There are huge countywide problems. Let's not blame the kids on free and reduced lunch and their families.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:UGH. I swear. I am a "middle class" white woman and live in a neighborhood zoned for Barcroft. My kids attend another APS elementary school with similar numbers of kids on free and reduced lunch and I am embarrassed that some of my neighbors are acting this way. Maybe those folks should move to N. Arl. where they'll fit in better.

I have never, ever felt like APS or the county does not have my "middle class" children's best interest at heart. It actually really pisses me off that someone would say this.

I'd like for that poster to give me some concrete examples of "middle class" white kids getting the shaft and all the ways that Barcroft is struggling more than other schools. Is it because the test scores are low? Well, if that's the case then you don't really know anything about education.

Are kids getting hurt? Are their social and emotional needs not being met? Are classrooms out of control so no learning can take place? What exactly is going on?

My husband and I support affordable housing that is done right. I'm talking about communities built by APAH and AHC. They have the support systems in place to assist their residents both young and old because they team up with partners like Greenbrier Learning Center, The Reading Connection, Doorways for Women and Families, La Cocina Virginia, etc. It's the "market rate" affordable housing that I have a problem with. There are lots of problems in those communities and no support for residents. The kids who live in APAH and AHC communities do far better (for the most part) than those who do not.

Are there problems in APS overall?

In my opinion, there are tons. The overcrowding is a huge problem as is the focus on test scores as is the lack of free play and recess in elementary schools. I could go on and on. There are huge countywide problems. Let's not blame the kids on free and reduced lunch and their families.

Uh, wow. You are naive. I live over in Alexandria City. We face the same issues as S. Arl. The middle class is of no concern to the school board or council members. The concern is on the low income population. The problem with crowding in too many low income and ESL students into one school is that then no one ends up learning well. One of the schools in Alex City had to turn into an immersion school. Not because of demand to teach English speaking students Spanish, but because the population of the school was majority ESL, low income. They had to find a way to teach those students. Middle class students didn't matter and if teaching primarily in Spanish didn't benefit them, that was of no concern. The OP is right to be concerned. You as a middle class person will have very limited options - stick with worsening, crowded schools or move farther away. OTOH, the low income residents won't face that issues as they will be propped up by vouchers, food stamps, free lunch, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:UGH. I swear. I am a "middle class" white woman and live in a neighborhood zoned for Barcroft. My kids attend another APS elementary school with similar numbers of kids on free and reduced lunch and I am embarrassed that some of my neighbors are acting this way. Maybe those folks should move to N. Arl. where they'll fit in better.

I have never, ever felt like APS or the county does not have my "middle class" children's best interest at heart. It actually really pisses me off that someone would say this.

I'd like for that poster to give me some concrete examples of "middle class" white kids getting the shaft and all the ways that Barcroft is struggling more than other schools. Is it because the test scores are low? Well, if that's the case then you don't really know anything about education.

Are kids getting hurt? Are their social and emotional needs not being met? Are classrooms out of control so no learning can take place? What exactly is going on?

My husband and I support affordable housing that is done right. I'm talking about communities built by APAH and AHC. They have the support systems in place to assist their residents both young and old because they team up with partners like Greenbrier Learning Center, The Reading Connection, Doorways for Women and Families, La Cocina Virginia, etc. It's the "market rate" affordable housing that I have a problem with. There are lots of problems in those communities and no support for residents. The kids who live in APAH and AHC communities do far better (for the most part) than those who do not.

Are there problems in APS overall?

In my opinion, there are tons. The overcrowding is a huge problem as is the focus on test scores as is the lack of free play and recess in elementary schools. I could go on and on. There are huge countywide problems. Let's not blame the kids on free and reduced lunch and their families.

Uh, wow. You are naive. I live over in Alexandria City. We face the same issues as S. Arl. The middle class is of no concern to the school board or council members. The concern is on the low income population. The problem with crowding in too many low income and ESL students into one school is that then no one ends up learning well. One of the schools in Alex City had to turn into an immersion school. Not because of demand to teach English speaking students Spanish, but because the population of the school was majority ESL, low income. They had to find a way to teach those students. Middle class students didn't matter and if teaching primarily in Spanish didn't benefit them, that was of no concern. The OP is right to be concerned. You as a middle class person will have very limited options - stick with worsening, crowded schools or move farther away. OTOH, the low income residents won't face that issues as they will be propped up by vouchers, food stamps, free lunch, etc.

Another thing - those partnerships you mentioned? They have produced very minimal to almost no real results in assisting residents or moving residents from poverty over the last 20 years.

[Anonymous]

And you are the same person who posted on the real estate section. There are too many poor kids at Barcroft now. Classrooms are on the computer lab, library etc because the over 70 kids that just showed up in September from the new dinwiddie development. You think your kid is learning? Maybe yours are special. Almost every parent I have spoken to at Barcroft says that unless their kid is in the gifted program, their kid is lost. The entire focus of the school is on the lower income kids. I learned that from the principal, hence my child does not go there. Obviously no one can change what has happened, but we must not let it get worse.

And by then way, what do you think will happen when a new elementary school is built at TJ? It will be built there and some one on the school board said it will be a neighborhood school. The scoop I hear is that the new boundaries will be at George mason so that the nice single family homes east of there be taken out of Barcroft and leave more space for more affordable housing in the westen pike. Yes, so the demographics at Barcroft will get WORSE.

Congrats to you and your altruism. MANY people disagree and will fight this, for our kids education and our property values. Yes, the count.

[Anonymous]

This is why people move out of Barcroft when their kids are about to go to kindergarten. This is why so many parents in Barcroft send their kids to Claremont or ATS.

[Anonymous]

17:05 back again...

I just want to know why none of the information about these special meetings are on my neighborhood listserv. Bancroft is our elementary school. Shouldn't we be informed?

Is it maybe because so many of the neighbors would eat you alive? I guess it's easier for you to hide behind the anonymity of DCUM.

And, no my children aren't special. They are happy, respectful, kind and caring though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:17:05 back again...

I just want to know why none of the information about these special meetings are on my neighborhood listserv. Bancroft is our elementary school. Shouldn't we be informed?

Is it maybe because so many of the neighbors would eat you alive? I guess it's easier for you to hide behind the anonymity of DCUM.

And, no my children aren't special. They are happy, respectful, kind and caring though.

I'm the OP. Actually, this was on the Douglas Park listserv. As I understood , it was sent from the Barcroft listserv. Please feel free to attend the meetings and make your feelings known. The persons organizing have promised to listen to everyone's concerns with respect. People need to meet and share their opinions and find out where we stand. I won't be hiding behind anything. I will be at this meeting.

[Anonymous]

Not everyone in Barcroft agrees that the housing being crammed into the west end of the pike is a good thing. I would say the majority of newer residents with young children disagree. Ideals fly out the window when you go on a school tour and realize your child will be the ONLY child who speaks English fluently in a class. How will that child be educated? Do they pull the 5 English speaking students from all K classes and do a non-ESOL lesson? What an isolating experience. This is not diversity, anymore than Jamestown's lily whiteness is. I bought into this neighborhood FOR its diversity and inclusiveness. Currently, there is no diversity at the school.

Families haven't organized up to this point because it has been relatively easy to get a transfer out for elementary, but with the overcrowding at Claremont, it's becoming increasingly difficult. And I don't know a single rising Kindergarten student who got into ATS (I know one who will go due to sibling preference). I know at least one neighbor who wanted to do a major house reno but is having second thoughts because she has a toddler and wants to be able to move without losing money in the event that they don't get a transfer for elementary in a few years. Given the school situation, I would say our neighborhood is becoming or already is "untouchable" for anyone with school aged kids, and that's who has been buying the single family homes in our neighborhood over the past 5 years and driving the market.

The situation as it stands is untenable. If you have a home in this neighborhood that was purchased in the last 10 years, you should be very nervous. Congrats to all you old timers, you'll still make bank, so you don't have to care what happens at the school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:UGH. I swear. I am a "middle class" white woman and live in a neighborhood zoned for Barcroft. My kids attend another APS elementary school with similar numbers of kids on free and reduced lunch and I am embarrassed that some of my neighbors are acting this way. Maybe those folks should move to N. Arl. where they'll fit in better.

I have never, ever felt like APS or the county does not have my "middle class" children's best interest at heart. It actually really pisses me off that someone would say this.

I'd like for that poster to give me some concrete examples of "middle class" white kids getting the shaft and all the ways that Barcroft is struggling more than other schools. Is it because the test scores are low? Well, if that's the case then you don't really know anything about education.

Are kids getting hurt? Are their social and emotional needs not being met? Are classrooms out of control so no learning can take place? What exactly is going on?

My husband and I support affordable housing that is done right. I'm talking about communities built by APAH and AHC. They have the support systems in place to assist their residents both young and old because they team up with partners like Greenbrier Learning Center, The Reading Connection, Doorways for Women and Families, La Cocina Virginia, etc. It's the "market rate" affordable housing that I have a problem with. There are lots of problems in those communities and no support for residents. The kids who live in APAH and AHC communities do far better (for the most part) than those who do not.

Are there problems in APS overall?

In my opinion, there are tons. The overcrowding is a huge problem as is the focus on test scores as is the lack of free play and recess in elementary schools. I could go on and on. There are huge countywide problems. Let's not blame the kids on free and reduced lunch and their families.

The only bit of info relative in this post is that your kids don't attend Barcroft. Boy, you are very generous when it comes to the education of other people's kids. That's not a very impressive stance. This year has been very frustrating to the parents at Barcroft, and it's putting a strain on everyone. The squeaky wheel gets the grease in this county and we need to start making some noise. The above meeting isn't about affordable housing, its about it's concentration on the western end of the Pike. The county had committed to spreading it out evenly everywhere, giving lower SES families the best chance of upward mobility. They are now discussing abandoning those plans, because they were hard. Well, that is not acceptable. They are essentially creating a ghetto, and it needs to be put in check. There is a wealth of data out there about why concentrated poverty is terrible. Please do some homework. This isn't about farms kids being bad. Of course they aren't, but when there are too many special needs kids, it overwhelms the schools.
The few lower SES children in Norh Arlington score considerably better than their same peers at Barcroft. Oh, and guess what? There is gap between the upper middle class kids too, though not as dramatic.
No, testing isn't the end all be all. We all want our kids outside playing, and engaging in hands on learning. Not gonna happen while the school is stuffed to the gills and every inch of green space has a trailer on it.
These are very real problems, and calling me a racist or a classist isn't going to make them go away. It stops the coversation, and that's truly the ignorant stance. I'm a liberal, but I live in the real world. I believe in discussing real problems, and working to find solutions that benefit everyone- not just looking for political talking points and an easy way out for the board.
- S. Arl parent

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:UGH. I swear. I am a "middle class" white woman and live in a neighborhood zoned for Barcroft. My kids attend another APS elementary school with similar numbers of kids on free and reduced lunch and I am embarrassed that some of my neighbors are acting this way. Maybe those folks should move to N. Arl. where they'll fit in better.

I have never, ever felt like APS or the county does not have my "middle class" children's best interest at heart. It actually really pisses me off that someone would say this.

I'd like for that poster to give me some concrete examples of "middle class" white kids getting the shaft and all the ways that Barcroft is struggling more than other schools. Is it because the test scores are low? Well, if that's the case then you don't really know anything about education.

Are kids getting hurt? Are their social and emotional needs not being met? Are classrooms out of control so no learning can take place? What exactly is going on?

My husband and I support affordable housing that is done right. I'm talking about communities built by APAH and AHC. They have the support systems in place to assist their residents both young and old because they team up with partners like Greenbrier Learning Center, The Reading Connection, Doorways for Women and Families, La Cocina Virginia, etc. It's the "market rate" affordable housing that I have a problem with. There are lots of problems in those communities and no support for residents. The kids who live in APAH and AHC communities do far better (for the most part) than those who do not.

Are there problems in APS overall?

In my opinion, there are tons. The overcrowding is a huge problem as is the focus on test scores as is the lack of free play and recess in elementary schools. I could go on and on. There are huge countywide problems. Let's not blame the kids on free and reduced lunch and their families.

The only bit of info relative in this post is that your kids don't attend Barcroft. Boy, you are very generous when it comes to the education of other people's kids. That's not a very impressive stance. This year has been very frustrating to the parents at Barcroft, and it's putting a strain on everyone. The squeaky wheel gets the grease in this county and we need to start making some noise. The above meeting isn't about affordable housing, its about it's concentration on the western end of the Pike. The county had committed to spreading it out evenly everywhere, giving lower SES families the best chance of upward mobility. They are now discussing abandoning those plans, because they were hard. Well, that is not acceptable. They are essentially creating a ghetto, and it needs to be put in check. There is a wealth of data out there about why concentrated poverty is terrible. Please do some homework. This isn't about farms kids being bad. Of course they aren't, but when there are too many special needs kids, it overwhelms the schools.
The few lower SES children in Norh Arlington score considerably better than their same peers at Barcroft. Oh, and guess what? There is gap between the upper middle class kids too, though not as dramatic.
No, testing isn't the end all be all. We all want our kids outside playing, and engaging in hands on learning. Not gonna happen while the school is stuffed to the gills and every inch of green space has a trailer on it.
These are very real problems, and calling me a racist or a classist isn't going to make them go away. It stops the coversation, and that's truly the ignorant stance. I'm a liberal, but I live in the real world. I believe in discussing real problems, and working to find solutions that benefit everyone- not just looking for political talking points and an easy way out for the board.
- S. Arl parent

Precisely. One of my neighbors who was casually accusing people, who are genuinely concerned about the challenges the school is facing, of racism and complaining about the "entitled" newcomers driving around in their Mercedes admitted to me that even the 70's she sent her children to parochial school and she has "a lot of guilt" about that. So, the school wasn't good enough for your kids, but my kids should do just fine.

[Anonymous]

It seems to me there's a fine line between, one on the one hand, moving into a community (South Arlington) and thinking that it's going to improve because "more people like us" will make the same decision and, on the other hand, being worried about recent planning decisions that concentrate poverty in certain areas and set certain schools up for either failure or chronic under-achievement.

My impression has always been that North Arlington residents call the shots in Arlington County, and that buying in South Arlington has long been risky because, at the end of the day, someone living north of Route 50 is going to decide will decide what happens there. And, to add insult to injury, if you don't agree with it, they'll call you lots of nasty names.

[Anonymous]

Can someone explain to me what about Barcroft was different this year than in past years. I'm not challenging the premise of any of the concerns. It seems clear that things are different now than they had been, and something is prompting people to speak up. Is it just a change in demographics? Teachers? Has the school openly acknowledged that it is having to adjust its priorities to meet higher need students? My undertanding is that most arlington elementary schools currently face serious overcrowding, but the concerns being voiced from Barcroft make it seem like it is being disproportionately impacted.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It seems to me there's a fine line between, one on the one hand, moving into a community (South Arlington) and thinking that it's going to improve because "more people like us" will make the same decision and, on the other hand, being worried about recent planning decisions that concentrate poverty in certain areas and set certain schools up for either failure or chronic under-achievement.

My impression has always been that North Arlington residents call the shots in Arlington County, and that buying in South Arlington has long been risky because, at the end of the day, someone living north of Route 50 is going to decide will decide what happens there. And, to add insult to injury, if you don't agree with it, they'll call you lots of nasty names.

Maybe it's been that way, but times they are a changing.
Saying people moved here and expect the area to change is over simplifying what has happened. This density of housing was not here even 6 years ago. Things are changing even for some of the newest residence. Maybe it's time for the SFH owners of south Arlington to create their own version of Arlingtonians for Sensible transit. How about Arlingtonians for sensible community planning?
It's been laissez faire for a while, but I think the age demographics are starting to shift. The younger families moving in have spent too much to live in a very good county. They have expectations for the schools, and this isn't going away.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Can someone explain to me what about Barcroft was different this year than in past years. I'm not challenging the premise of any of the concerns. It seems clear that things are different now than they had been, and something is prompting people to speak up. Is it just a change in demographics? Teachers? Has the school openly acknowledged that it is having to adjust its priorities to meet higher need students? My undertanding is that most arlington elementary schools currently face serious overcrowding, but the concerns being voiced from Barcroft make it seem like it is being disproportionately impacted.

They built a 100% affordable housing complex on Dinwiddie. The school got a last minute influx of low SES kids in an already crowded school. The county acted like it was unforeseeable. Nuts.