APS - questions about Key / ASFS building swap

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Most of Claremont immersion is people escaping underperforming schools not a drive for immersion. Many kids are in Key b/c it is their neighborhood school and just easier for the parents. And it’s popular for parents that speak Spanish since it caters to them; we have a large Mongolian population too, should we build a program that just caters to them? We don’t have the space or luxury for immersion where it is now, unclear if there is space anywhere for that full population

You really have no basis to make that statement. Key has 92 students from Long Branch and 82 from Taylor. Not their neighborhood school.

Claremont has the most from Abingdon- which is not surprising b/c its neighborhood is zoned Abingdon. Its next largest number is 90 from Oakridge- which is not an underperforming school.

AVoiding the surrounding elementaries isn't the only reason, but it is certainly a factor. Aren't students in the abingdon zone guaranteed admission to Claremont. And a few years ago, at least, Abingdon was seen by people in Fairligton as an underperforming school. Oakridge is just plain crowded, so that's prob a factor there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Im a Key parent and I hadn’t even heard about this proposed building swap. Is this really being considered, or is it one of a million proposals that will amount to very little?

They have to do something, because with the change in transfer policy they have created a zone with 850 kids and no neighborhood elementary school in the boundary. One option is to redraw boundaries around ASFS and the other option is to make Key a neighborhood school by moving immersion elsewhere. Either way people get very angry.

No way would I be “angry” if Key became a neighborhood school. Spanish immersion is played out. It’s like time traveling to 2009.

Funny, the 2,000+ Immersion families feel differently. But good luck swaying the SB to your way of thinking

Most of Claremont immersion is people escaping underperforming schools not a drive for immersion. Many kids are in Key b/c it is their neighborhood school and just easier for the parents. And it’s popular for parents that speak Spanish since it caters to them; we have a large Mongolian population too, should we build a program that just caters to them? We don’t have the space or luxury for immersion where it is now, unclear if there is space anywhere for that full population

They aren't doing away with Immersion. Five option schools now, five option schools will remain after this process. If they move Immersion, it will displace somebody's neighborhood school. And from a transportation/density of students standpoint, that might make sense.

As to your point about Immersion "catering" to a certain population, what is your damage? If it's better for the Spanish-speaking families, while ALSO providing a benefit (a second language) to English-speaking families, isn't this a win-win? I'm not an Immersion parent but we strongly considered it, because it's increasingly important that English-speaking students become bilingual. And if it also helps the long-term fluency of Spanish-dominant kids, that is just the icing on the cake. We're hopeful that FLES and MS and HS language courses will be enough to make fluency in Spanish possible for our kids, even though we didn't go the Immersion route, because they're going to need it. This is not a luxury, it's educating kids for the reality of the future which is upon us. The sooner we Anglos realize this and get on board, the better it will be for everyone.

Well put--this is exactly the argument t that aps had in mind when immersion began in 1986-to encourage UMC people who fret about their children's future to change their mindset and see their concerns were not at odds with their kids attending a school with a poorer, 1st or 2d generation immigrant student body. Lyon Village was a diff place in the 80s.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Im a Key parent and I hadn’t even heard about this proposed building swap. Is this really being considered, or is it one of a million proposals that will amount to very little?

They have to do something, because with the change in transfer policy they have created a zone with 850 kids and no neighborhood elementary school in the boundary. One option is to redraw boundaries around ASFS and the other option is to make Key a neighborhood school by moving immersion elsewhere. Either way people get very angry.

No way would I be “angry” if Key became a neighborhood school. Spanish immersion is played out. It’s like time traveling to 2009.

Funny, the 2,000+ Immersion families feel differently. But good luck swaying the SB to your way of thinking

Most of Claremont immersion is people escaping underperforming schools not a drive for immersion. Many kids are in Key b/c it is their neighborhood school and just easier for the parents. And it’s popular for parents that speak Spanish since it caters to them; we have a large Mongolian population too, should we build a program that just caters to them? We don’t have the space or luxury for immersion where it is now, unclear if there is space anywhere for that full population

They aren't doing away with Immersion. Five option schools now, five option schools will remain after this process. If they move Immersion, it will displace somebody's neighborhood school. And from a transportation/density of students standpoint, that might make sense.

As to your point about Immersion "catering" to a certain population, what is your damage? If it's better for the Spanish-speaking families, while ALSO providing a benefit (a second language) to English-speaking families, isn't this a win-win? I'm not an Immersion parent but we strongly considered it, because it's increasingly important that English-speaking students become bilingual. And if it also helps the long-term fluency of Spanish-dominant kids, that is just the icing on the cake. We're hopeful that FLES and MS and HS language courses will be enough to make fluency in Spanish possible for our kids, even though we didn't go the Immersion route, because they're going to need it. This is not a luxury, it's educating kids for the reality of the future which is upon us. The sooner we Anglos realize this and get on board, the better it will be for everyone.

And yet, you didn’t get onboard. You passed.

Because it was too far, and we were not offered transportation (we are in the Claremont zone and DC1 was wait-listed at Claremont, but was offered a spot at Key without transportation). My understanding is that transportation is guaranteed now, so if we were applying today, this wouldn't be an issue.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Most of Claremont immersion is people escaping underperforming schools not a drive for immersion. Many kids are in Key b/c it is their neighborhood school and just easier for the parents. And it’s popular for parents that speak Spanish since it caters to them; we have a large Mongolian population too, should we build a program that just caters to them? We don’t have the space or luxury for immersion where it is now, unclear if there is space anywhere for that full population

You really have no basis to make that statement. Key has 92 students from Long Branch and 82 from Taylor. Not their neighborhood school.

Claremont has the most from Abingdon- which is not surprising b/c its neighborhood is zoned Abingdon. Its next largest number is 90 from Oakridge- which is not an underperforming school.

AVoiding the surrounding elementaries isn't the only reason, but it is certainly a factor. Aren't students in the abingdon zone guaranteed admission to Claremont. And a few years ago, at least, Abingdon was seen by people in Fairligton as an underperforming school. Oakridge is just plain crowded, so that's prob a factor there.

So basically the main factor in families choosing Immersion is to get away from an elementary school? Then how do you explain the Oakridge to Claremont dynamic? If you only care about rankings, Oakridge is a 7 and Claremont a 5. Oh right, then it must be because Oakridge is overcrowded. Except that Claremont has 750 kids jammed into a school built for less than 600. Why is it so hard to believe a lot of families choose Immersion for ...Immersion.

[Anonymous]

So basically the main factor in families choosing Immersion is to get away from an elementary school? Then how do you explain the Oakridge to Claremont dynamic? If you only care about rankings, Oakridge is a 7 and Claremont a 5. Oh right, then it must be because Oakridge is overcrowded. Except that Claremont has 750 kids jammed into a school built for less than 600. Why is it so hard to believe a lot of families choose Immersion for ...Immersion.

Hey genius the scores aren't very accurate. Arlington highschools are rated 5, 4 & 3.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Most of Claremont immersion is people escaping underperforming schools not a drive for immersion. Many kids are in Key b/c it is their neighborhood school and just easier for the parents. And it’s popular for parents that speak Spanish since it caters to them; we have a large Mongolian population too, should we build a program that just caters to them? We don’t have the space or luxury for immersion where it is now, unclear if there is space anywhere for that full population

You really have no basis to make that statement. Key has 92 students from Long Branch and 82 from Taylor. Not their neighborhood school.

Claremont has the most from Abingdon- which is not surprising b/c its neighborhood is zoned Abingdon. Its next largest number is 90 from Oakridge- which is not an underperforming school.

AVoiding the surrounding elementaries isn't the only reason, but it is certainly a factor. Aren't students in the abingdon zone guaranteed admission to Claremont. And a few years ago, at least, Abingdon was seen by people in Fairligton as an underperforming school. Oakridge is just plain crowded, so that's prob a factor there.

So basically the main factor in families choosing Immersion is to get away from an elementary school? Then how do you explain the Oakridge to Claremont dynamic? If you only care about rankings, Oakridge is a 7 and Claremont a 5. Oh right, then it must be because Oakridge is overcrowded. Except that Claremont has 750 kids jammed into a school built for less than 600. Why is it so hard to believe a lot of families choose Immersion for ...Immersion.

No, I didn't say it was the "main factor", as my quote shows, I said it was "a factor." It is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Most of Claremont immersion is people escaping underperforming schools not a drive for immersion. Many kids are in Key b/c it is their neighborhood school and just easier for the parents. And it’s popular for parents that speak Spanish since it caters to them; we have a large Mongolian population too, should we build a program that just caters to them? We don’t have the space or luxury for immersion where it is now, unclear if there is space anywhere for that full population

You really have no basis to make that statement. Key has 92 students from Long Branch and 82 from Taylor. Not their neighborhood school.

Claremont has the most from Abingdon- which is not surprising b/c its neighborhood is zoned Abingdon. Its next largest number is 90 from Oakridge- which is not an underperforming school.

AVoiding the surrounding elementaries isn't the only reason, but it is certainly a factor. Aren't students in the abingdon zone guaranteed admission to Claremont. And a few years ago, at least, Abingdon was seen by people in Fairligton as an underperforming school. Oakridge is just plain crowded, so that's prob a factor there.

So basically the main factor in families choosing Immersion is to get away from an elementary school? Then how do you explain the Oakridge to Claremont dynamic? If you only care about rankings, Oakridge is a 7 and Claremont a 5. Oh right, then it must be because Oakridge is overcrowded. Except that Claremont has 750 kids jammed into a school built for less than 600. Why is it so hard to believe a lot of families choose Immersion for ...Immersion.

No, I didn't say it was the "main factor", as my quote shows, I said it was "a factor." It is.

And another factor is that parents may want to send their kids to an integrated school, any school, with the curriculum of secondary concern. In Arlington, the schools that are actually integrated by race and economic status are largely option schools. The others are much more segregated (either all rich and mostly white, or largely hispanic and poorer). The few that aren't you'd better have the coin to buy a house in the 800k range.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Most of Claremont immersion is people escaping underperforming schools not a drive for immersion. Many kids are in Key b/c it is their neighborhood school and just easier for the parents. And it’s popular for parents that speak Spanish since it caters to them; we have a large Mongolian population too, should we build a program that just caters to them? We don’t have the space or luxury for immersion where it is now, unclear if there is space anywhere for that full population

You really have no basis to make that statement. Key has 92 students from Long Branch and 82 from Taylor. Not their neighborhood school.

Claremont has the most from Abingdon- which is not surprising b/c its neighborhood is zoned Abingdon. Its next largest number is 90 from Oakridge- which is not an underperforming school.

AVoiding the surrounding elementaries isn't the only reason, but it is certainly a factor. Aren't students in the abingdon zone guaranteed admission to Claremont. And a few years ago, at least, Abingdon was seen by people in Fairligton as an underperforming school. Oakridge is just plain crowded, so that's prob a factor there.

So basically the main factor in families choosing Immersion is to get away from an elementary school? Then how do you explain the Oakridge to Claremont dynamic? If you only care about rankings, Oakridge is a 7 and Claremont a 5. Oh right, then it must be because Oakridge is overcrowded. Except that Claremont has 750 kids jammed into a school built for less than 600. Why is it so hard to believe a lot of families choose Immersion for ...Immersion.

No, I didn't say it was the "main factor", as my quote shows, I said it was "a factor." It is.

And another factor is that parents may want to send their kids to an integrated school, any school, with the curriculum of secondary concern. In Arlington, the schools that are actually integrated by race and economic status are largely option schools. The others are much more segregated (either all rich and mostly white, or largely hispanic and poorer). The few that aren't you'd better have the coin to buy a house in the 800k range.

Yep. This was our reason for going immersion. We didn't want to be at an all white school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Im a Key parent and I hadn’t even heard about this proposed building swap. Is this really being considered, or is it one of a million proposals that will amount to very little?

They have to do something, because with the change in transfer policy they have created a zone with 850 kids and no neighborhood elementary school in the boundary. One option is to redraw boundaries around ASFS and the other option is to make Key a neighborhood school by moving immersion elsewhere. Either way people get very angry.

No way would I be “angry” if Key became a neighborhood school. Spanish immersion is played out. It’s like time traveling to 2009.

Funny, the 2,000+ Immersion families feel differently. But good luck swaying the SB to your way of thinking

Most of Claremont immersion is people escaping underperforming schools not a drive for immersion. Many kids are in Key b/c it is their neighborhood school and just easier for the parents. And it’s popular for parents that speak Spanish since it caters to them; we have a large Mongolian population too, should we build a program that just caters to them? We don’t have the space or luxury for immersion where it is now, unclear if there is space anywhere for that full population

They aren't doing away with Immersion. Five option schools now, five option schools will remain after this process. If they move Immersion, it will displace somebody's neighborhood school. And from a transportation/density of students standpoint, that might make sense.

As to your point about Immersion "catering" to a certain population, what is your damage? If it's better for the Spanish-speaking families, while ALSO providing a benefit (a second language) to English-speaking families, isn't this a win-win? I'm not an Immersion parent but we strongly considered it, because it's increasingly important that English-speaking students become bilingual. And if it also helps the long-term fluency of Spanish-dominant kids, that is just the icing on the cake. We're hopeful that FLES and MS and HS language courses will be enough to make fluency in Spanish possible for our kids, even though we didn't go the Immersion route, because they're going to need it. This is not a luxury, it's educating kids for the reality of the future which is upon us. The sooner we Anglos realize this and get on board, the better it will be for everyone.

Well put--this is exactly the argument t that aps had in mind when immersion began in 1986-to encourage UMC people who fret about their children's future to change their mindset and see their concerns were not at odds with their kids attending a school with a poorer, 1st or 2d generation immigrant student body. Lyon Village was a diff place in the 80s.

Yeah—a much better one.

[Anonymous]

Immersion should be neighborhood schools in South Arlington. Make Barcroft immersion. Try to get some buy in from umc families and see better scores from the immigrant children.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Immersion should be neighborhood schools in South Arlington. Make Barcroft immersion. Try to get some buy in from umc families and see better scores from the immigrant children.

Yup.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

So basically the main factor in families choosing Immersion is to get away from an elementary school? Then how do you explain the Oakridge to Claremont dynamic? If you only care about rankings, Oakridge is a 7 and Claremont a 5. Oh right, then it must be because Oakridge is overcrowded. Except that Claremont has 750 kids jammed into a school built for less than 600. Why is it so hard to believe a lot of families choose Immersion for ...Immersion.

Hey genius the scores aren't very accurate. Arlington highschools are rated 5, 4 & 3.

Ok Einstein, but notice we're referencing elementary schools. Oh and it's high schools, two words.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Immersion should be neighborhood schools in South Arlington. Make Barcroft immersion. Try to get some buy in from umc families and see better scores from the immigrant children.

Yup.

You mean, immersion option schools should be in SA, or all SA elementaries, or all SA neighborhood schools should be? I don't think the latter makes much sense. Spanish is great, but it's not a magic potion. It's not going to suddenly turn Barcroft into Henry, or Claremont.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Immersion should be neighborhood schools in South Arlington. Make Barcroft immersion. Try to get some buy in from umc families and see better scores from the immigrant children.

First get rid of the weird calendar and see what happens.

Also, Spanish immersion isn't a good fit for all SA ES. There are a number of ELL students whose home language isn't Spanish.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Im a Key parent and I hadn’t even heard about this proposed building swap. Is this really being considered, or is it one of a million proposals that will amount to very little?

They have to do something, because with the change in transfer policy they have created a zone with 850 kids and no neighborhood elementary school in the boundary. One option is to redraw boundaries around ASFS and the other option is to make Key a neighborhood school by moving immersion elsewhere. Either way people get very angry.

No way would I be “angry” if Key became a neighborhood school. Spanish immersion is played out. It’s like time traveling to 2009.

Funny, the 2,000+ Immersion families feel differently. But good luck swaying the SB to your way of thinking

Most of Claremont immersion is people escaping underperforming schools not a drive for immersion. Many kids are in Key b/c it is their neighborhood school and just easier for the parents. And it’s popular for parents that speak Spanish since it caters to them; we have a large Mongolian population too, should we build a program that just caters to them? We don’t have the space or luxury for immersion where it is now, unclear if there is space anywhere for that full population

They aren't doing away with Immersion. Five option schools now, five option schools will remain after this process. If they move Immersion, it will displace somebody's neighborhood school. And from a transportation/density of students standpoint, that might make sense.

As to your point about Immersion "catering" to a certain population, what is your damage? If it's better for the Spanish-speaking families, while ALSO providing a benefit (a second language) to English-speaking families, isn't this a win-win? I'm not an Immersion parent but we strongly considered it, because it's increasingly important that English-speaking students become bilingual. And if it also helps the long-term fluency of Spanish-dominant kids, that is just the icing on the cake. We're hopeful that FLES and MS and HS language courses will be enough to make fluency in Spanish possible for our kids, even though we didn't go the Immersion route, because they're going to need it. This is not a luxury, it's educating kids for the reality of the future which is upon us. The sooner we Anglos realize this and get on board, the better it will be for everyone.

Well put--this is exactly the argument t that aps had in mind when immersion began in 1986-to encourage UMC people who fret about their children's future to change their mindset and see their concerns were not at odds with their kids attending a school with a poorer, 1st or 2d generation immigrant student body. Lyon Village was a diff place in the 80s.

Yeah—a much better one.

Fewer selfish snobs.