Arlington losing families
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Anonymous
Why can't you reply correctly? |
Anonymous
| We moved to Arlington because I was hired by APS and my partner works in-person downtown. We will probably never be able to buy in Arlington at this point. If we leave it has nothing to do with schools. |
Anonymous
| We wanted a house, decent size yard and garage. We focused on McLean and Vienna after trying without luck to find that in our budget in Arlington. |
Anonymous
This is spreading misinformation. "Gifted" is not eliminated. "Gifted" based on what YOU think it should look like in schools is not what APS uses as the model. Not really. Only this week, my 6th grader was able to sign up for intensified 7th grade middle school classes in science, social studies and English. My current 8th grader didn't have the option of signing up for intensified 7th grade classes, other than for math, because they're being phased in. Looks to me like APS is adding gifted/rigor, at least at the middle school level. |
Anonymous
I find it hilarious when the APEs reference their own newsletter as fact. Keep classy APE. |
Anonymous
So go scream at your girl Miranda about it. You guys in APE have shown us all that you know how to yell at board members. |
Anonymous
But there comes a tipping point when that high cost is just prohibitive and/or no longer worth it. |
Anonymous
| I'm curious: is APE's newsletter incorrect? So far, the only defense I have seen in regards to the rigor at APS is that they have added back intensified classes in middle school. That said, my understanding is that all middle schoolers are required to take reading since so many are not at grade level (correct me if this is wrong). |
Anonymous
PP here, not part of APE. They had links to the policy and PIP and I was too lazy to copy both links on phone. It’s clear the policy lowers the amount of homework allowed, and the PIP limits elementary homework to reading and math. So no project based work like you see in science and social studies in years past. I don’t think they even assign novels to read in elementary school anymore? It’s all “read whateva, 30 mins, we trust you” |
Anonymous
| APS = ACPS. That’s the new world order. |
Anonymous
| Families are leaving because they want more space and a backyard. MM is not going to change that preference or stop the outflow. That said, I did pull my kids from APS to go private. It is shocking to me how many families on my block send to private. I moved here 15 years ago and every family was at APS. Most worrisome is that most families did start at APS and then pulled. Private was not their plan. Arlington will be like Alexandria in 25 years - only rich families who send to private and everyone else at declining public schools. |
Anonymous
This right here. APS needs to start course correcting. Teachers see it too. APS is not the district that it once even if housing prices are the bigger issue. |
Anonymous
| This is spot on. |
Anonymous
Word. |
Anonymous
Yes, families all over the world live in smaller housing then in the US. A decent percentage of the US populations live in apartment buildings and condos but a higher percentage of people in the US live in larger single family housing, or want to, because that is a part of the American Dream. There is more space in the US then on most other countries. There has been a different idea of what housing should be and what space that we want to have. While the idea might be unique, it is pretty normal for a family to want a bedroom for every child and a yard to play in. People tolerate smaller places when they are younger or have a younger family but as the family grows, they want more space. Arguing that families will eventually suck it up and settle for living in a duplex or 6 plex or whatever because that happens in Europe or Asia or other parts of the world doesn't hold water because that is not the American experience. Everyone I know who started living in NY City or DC or LA moved to the burbs once their kids were nearing ES because they decided that the confined space of their apartment or condo or townhouse wasn't working for them and they wanted more space. More space was available and they could afford it and they could afford the associated costs (longer commute) so they moved. The people who stayed were the people who could not afford the associated costs or they made enough that they could move to a larger apartment or condo in the city so everyone had more space even if they didn't have the yard. We looked to buy in Arlington 15 years ago and realized that we could afford a house that needed massive remodeling in Arlington or we could buy a far larger house with a better backyard that required no work in a school boundary that offered an immersion language program for our future kids. And the house was under our budget. We bought in Fairfax County and didn't look back. |
