APS middle school boundary process

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If my child ends up going to Swanson what are the positives and negatives of going above 100%, 110%, 120%...?

Classes
Aren't they capped in size?
Do the fill up quicker - are they harder to get into?
New/Different classes - like sign language?
Trailers
Sports Teams - hard to get on?
Lunch Room Full

Also if a Middle School is only 90% capacity do they miss out on anything? Would innovative classes be pulled due to lower enrollment?

There are not positives for being overenrolled. It means:

Classes are capped, so they need more classrooms (more trailers)
Classes filling? That depends upon whether or not the school gets more staff - probably not
No new classes. Resources are already strained
Yes, trailers.
Teams have more competition
Lunch Room full
Usually admin staff isn't increased, so that's less personal attention for students and parents.

Oh, and they don't pull innovate classes when the numbers are low. There is just more breathing room, less stressed kids and less stressed teachers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can the open slots at Williamsburg be converted to an APS lottery? Like H-B Woodlawn.

They should do a lottery but only for ED students.

Like VPI but for Middle School - VMI?

Yes. Otherwise it will just be a brain drain with the highest SES kids from Jefferson and Kenmore transferring.

You may be overestimating the appeal of attending school with the spawn of snotty rich folks.

+1. Count me as a parent who is THRIlLLED to avoid further interaction with the miserable Washington Golf crowd as a result of being redistricted to Stratford. Due to current boundaries, I have spent far more time with them than I would wish on anyone. Truly, they are the saddest, drunkest, least spouse-faithful group of people you will ever meet. Their sons play lacrosse and their daughters are on dance team and they throw parties that seem like so much fun until you realize how much they hate everyone - including themselves. Anyhow, I'm rambling, but cheers to Stratford and some chance at normalcy for our kids!

[Anonymous]

Wow, reading all this nonsense makes me want to pull my son (age 6) out of APS now for private rather than waiting til MS, so I don't have to interact with you all.

[Anonymous]

I admit to being part of the problem. We live in S Arlington and have kids in the Immersion program. When the idea was raised to send half of Immersion to Williamsburg, we were up in arms. I really admire the academics there, but it's just way too far - especially juggling several kids at different school ages. And I was a little worried about some of the social problems at Williamsburg as well. Bottom line, I'd like to see the schools better integrated - but honestly don't want my kids bussed all the way to Williamsburg.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I admit to being part of the problem. We live in S Arlington and have kids in the Immersion program. When the idea was raised to send half of Immersion to Williamsburg, we were up in arms. I really admire the academics there, but it's just way too far - especially juggling several kids at different school ages. And I was a little worried about some of the social problems at Williamsburg as well. Bottom line, I'd like to see the schools better integrated - but honestly don't want my kids bussed all the way to Williamsburg.

I don't think we've found anyone who wants THEIR kid to be bussed to Williamsburg. People want other people's brown and/or poor kids to be bussed to Williamsburg so that "the numbers look better.". You're not part of any problem.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I admit to being part of the problem. We live in S Arlington and have kids in the Immersion program. When the idea was raised to send half of Immersion to Williamsburg, we were up in arms. I really admire the academics there, but it's just way too far - especially juggling several kids at different school ages. And I was a little worried about some of the social problems at Williamsburg as well. Bottom line, I'd like to see the schools better integrated - but honestly don't want my kids bussed all the way to Williamsburg.

I don't think we've found anyone who wants THEIR kid to be bussed to Williamsburg. People want other people's brown and/or poor kids to be bussed to Williamsburg so that "the numbers look better.". You're not part of any problem.

dumb question but has anyone considered moving hb woodlawn to williamsburg? i think that would make an option program there much more appealing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I admit to being part of the problem. We live in S Arlington and have kids in the Immersion program. When the idea was raised to send half of Immersion to Williamsburg, we were up in arms. I really admire the academics there, but it's just way too far - especially juggling several kids at different school ages. And I was a little worried about some of the social problems at Williamsburg as well. Bottom line, I'd like to see the schools better integrated - but honestly don't want my kids bussed all the way to Williamsburg.

I don't think we've found anyone who wants THEIR kid to be bussed to Williamsburg. People want other people's brown and/or poor kids to be bussed to Williamsburg so that "the numbers look better.". You're not part of any problem.

dumb question but has anyone considered moving hb woodlawn to williamsburg? i think that would make an option program there much more appealing.

Not even the students who live nearby want to go to Williamsburg if they have a decent other option. I have not argued that they should be forced to do so. Many of us arguing for diversity actually DON'T want ED or ethnic/racial minorities put on buses and sent away, rather the other way around (send some north kids who live closer south), until the County makes good on their promise of diverse and inclusive communities.

As for locating a choice option at Williamsburg, I think if you're going to be in an option program, you don't also get to demand where it's located. They'll put it where they have space. Generally, it makes more sense to have the option schools centrally located, but the problem is that the centrally located schools already have capacity programs and don't really want to host additional programs when they've spent time building the programs that they have. I think APS is going to have to consider what happens to the MS Immersion program if it grows the way the elementary programs have. I think they might even have to consider a stand-alone immersion MS. It would make sense to locate that school centrally and closer to populations that can benefit most from easier access. The VHC parcel on Carlin Springs comes to mind. They're going to use it for something--might as well be a school.

Putting HB at Williamsburg is a bad idea. HB Woodlawn is less diverse even than Williamsburg. There are a number of rumors as to why that is, but it certainly would not help it's reputation as a school for "the elite" if they moved it into the wealthiest, whitest, and least accessible (for ED students who mainly live very far from there) of the existing high schools. I think moving the Montessori middle years program here might be better, acknowledging that it would be more difficult choice for minority/ED families. But it's exactly that--a choice. If you're going to be in a program, that's part of the trade-off. Potentially this move could free up a little space at Gunston, so some additional planning units could be moved back out of Kenmore. That way Kenmore could continue to allow transfers and build up their STEAM certificate program. I don't think moving any existing program can happen in time for the boundary change, but maybe they can begin planning how to do this with the least amount of disruption and make the change(s) over the next few years.

[Anonymous]

HB at the Wilson school is a done deal. They are building specific to that program right now! An isolated location like Wiliamsburg doesn't work for that type of campus.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I admit to being part of the problem. We live in S Arlington and have kids in the Immersion program. When the idea was raised to send half of Immersion to Williamsburg, we were up in arms. I really admire the academics there, but it's just way too far - especially juggling several kids at different school ages. And I was a little worried about some of the social problems at Williamsburg as well. Bottom line, I'd like to see the schools better integrated - but honestly don't want my kids bussed all the way to Williamsburg.

I don't think we've found anyone who wants THEIR kid to be bussed to Williamsburg. People want other people's brown and/or poor kids to be bussed to Williamsburg so that "the numbers look better.". You're not part of any problem.

dumb question but has anyone considered moving hb woodlawn to williamsburg? i think that would make an option program there much more appealing.

Not even the students who live nearby want to go to Williamsburg if they have a decent other option. I have not argued that they should be forced to do so. Many of us arguing for diversity actually DON'T want ED or ethnic/racial minorities put on buses and sent away, rather the other way around (send some north kids who live closer south), until the County makes good on their promise of diverse and inclusive communities.

This is where all the calls for diversity fall apart and the argument goes around and around. Both of the PPs pointed out that they want OTHER kids to bus to achieve parity. This is the rock and hard place that the APS staff found themselves in. Which group of people to you point to and say "sorry, you lose. Everyone else gets to stay close to home, but we're going to shuttle you around like pawns on a chessboard to fix economic disparities consciously and deliberately created by the County Board." APS staff did the right thing, treat everyone equally in how they made determinations. If you watched the presentation on Tuesday, they spoke to families in the north, they spoke with families in apartment complexes in the south, with English and with Spanish speakers. Everyone wants their kids closer to home. Everyone wants to fix the disparity, but only by moving other people's kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I admit to being part of the problem. We live in S Arlington and have kids in the Immersion program. When the idea was raised to send half of Immersion to Williamsburg, we were up in arms. I really admire the academics there, but it's just way too far - especially juggling several kids at different school ages. And I was a little worried about some of the social problems at Williamsburg as well. Bottom line, I'd like to see the schools better integrated - but honestly don't want my kids bussed all the way to Williamsburg.

I don't think we've found anyone who wants THEIR kid to be bussed to Williamsburg. People want other people's brown and/or poor kids to be bussed to Williamsburg so that "the numbers look better.". You're not part of any problem.

dumb question but has anyone considered moving hb woodlawn to williamsburg? i think that would make an option program there much more appealing.

Not even the students who live nearby want to go to Williamsburg if they have a decent other option. I have not argued that they should be forced to do so. Many of us arguing for diversity actually DON'T want ED or ethnic/racial minorities put on buses and sent away, rather the other way around (send some north kids who live closer south), until the County makes good on their promise of diverse and inclusive communities.

This is where all the calls for diversity fall apart and the argument goes around and around. Both of the PPs pointed out that they want OTHER kids to bus to achieve parity. This is the rock and hard place that the APS staff found themselves in. Which group of people to you point to and say "sorry, you lose. Everyone else gets to stay close to home, but we're going to shuttle you around like pawns on a chessboard to fix economic disparities consciously and deliberately created by the County Board." APS staff did the right thing, treat everyone equally in how they made determinations. If you watched the presentation on Tuesday, they spoke to families in the north, they spoke with families in apartment complexes in the south, with English and with Spanish speakers. Everyone wants their kids closer to home. Everyone wants to fix the disparity, but only by moving other people's kids.

But they are moving other people's kids, just not the ones who show up to school board meetings or who have Civic Associations to send letters and lobby at open office hours. Abingdon is getting split into 3 MS, kids on the Pike who are close to Jefferson are getting shuttled to Gunston. It happens, just to the families who aren't aware and/or organized. So if we're doing this anyway, and we always will because the boundaries aren't going to be perfect, it should be in a mindful way to address capacity AND diversity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Loved the old guy from Maywood last night who spoke up about diversity now that his kids are all grown up. From Lilly white Maywood, classic.

Jackwagon, he has kids in school currently. He's a respected member of the community and co-chair of the Arlington Civic Federation School's Committee. Also, if he's been in Arlington long enough it's entirely possible that he's watched the area he lives in and the schools his home is zoned to become less and less diverse. He's allowed to feel how he feels.

FWIW, he's married to an African-American woman, and has kids who are currently in ES and MS. I don't always agree with his positions on everything, but he's a thoughtful guy who is engaged in the process.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I admit to being part of the problem. We live in S Arlington and have kids in the Immersion program. When the idea was raised to send half of Immersion to Williamsburg, we were up in arms. I really admire the academics there, but it's just way too far - especially juggling several kids at different school ages. And I was a little worried about some of the social problems at Williamsburg as well. Bottom line, I'd like to see the schools better integrated - but honestly don't want my kids bussed all the way to Williamsburg.

I don't think we've found anyone who wants THEIR kid to be bussed to Williamsburg. People want other people's brown and/or poor kids to be bussed to Williamsburg so that "the numbers look better.". You're not part of any problem.

Anyone who complains about lack of diversity in the schools but then protests their children being bused to achieve diversity *is* part of the problem. Don't put up a fight for something you're not willing to make any sacrifices to accomplish.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I admit to being part of the problem. We live in S Arlington and have kids in the Immersion program. When the idea was raised to send half of Immersion to Williamsburg, we were up in arms. I really admire the academics there, but it's just way too far - especially juggling several kids at different school ages. And I was a little worried about some of the social problems at Williamsburg as well. Bottom line, I'd like to see the schools better integrated - but honestly don't want my kids bussed all the way to Williamsburg.

I don't think we've found anyone who wants THEIR kid to be bussed to Williamsburg. People want other people's brown and/or poor kids to be bussed to Williamsburg so that "the numbers look better.". You're not part of any problem.

dumb question but has anyone considered moving hb woodlawn to williamsburg? i think that would make an option program there much more appealing.

Not even the students who live nearby want to go to Williamsburg if they have a decent other option. I have not argued that they should be forced to do so. Many of us arguing for diversity actually DON'T want ED or ethnic/racial minorities put on buses and sent away, rather the other way around (send some north kids who live closer south), until the County makes good on their promise of diverse and inclusive communities.

As for locating a choice option at Williamsburg, I think if you're going to be in an option program, you don't also get to demand where it's located. They'll put it where they have space. Generally, it makes more sense to have the option schools centrally located, but the problem is that the centrally located schools already have capacity programs and don't really want to host additional programs when they've spent time building the programs that they have. I think APS is going to have to consider what happens to the MS Immersion program if it grows the way the elementary programs have. I think they might even have to consider a stand-alone immersion MS. It would make sense to locate that school centrally and closer to populations that can benefit most from easier access. The VHC parcel on Carlin Springs comes to mind. They're going to use it for something--might as well be a school.

Putting HB at Williamsburg is a bad idea. HB Woodlawn is less diverse even than Williamsburg. There are a number of rumors as to why that is, but it certainly would not help it's reputation as a school for "the elite" if they moved it into the wealthiest, whitest, and least accessible (for ED students who mainly live very far from there) of the existing high schools. I think moving the Montessori middle years program here might be better, acknowledging that it would be more difficult choice for minority/ED families. But it's exactly that--a choice. If you're going to be in a program, that's part of the trade-off. Potentially this move could free up a little space at Gunston, so some additional planning units could be moved back out of Kenmore. That way Kenmore could continue to allow transfers and build up their STEAM certificate program. I don't think moving any existing program can happen in time for the boundary change, but maybe they can begin planning how to do this with the least amount of disruption and make the change(s) over the next few years.

How do you think that will work out? Yeah, let's bus a bunch of kids from Williamsburg (which will already have excess capacity) south into schools that are already over capacity, making overcrowding in those schools even worse, but then bus no one north to fill their seats at Williamsburg. WTF?

[Anonymous]

Decision is in two weeks right? Any updates

[Anonymous]

If only Alexandria City residents were as honest and robust as you Arlington residents. I hang my head in shame (having posted plenty over the years on DCUM on ACPS).