ASFS vs Innovation

[BonnieBee]

We live in the "cutout" area south of Innovation that is zoned for ASFS. We both take the Metro to work (from Courthouse station), and our toddler goes to preschool near Innovation too. Our older will start Kindergarten in the fall. We heard that ASFS students have the option of transferring to Innovation but we've also heard Innovation isn't as good a school as ASFS. Anyone able to share experiences? We want our kids to go to a great school but Innovation would definitely be more convenient.

Can anyone share their experiences?

[Anonymous]

I have never heard anyone say Innovation isn't a good school, and I live near you. Can you share more about what you heard?

[Anonymous]

Innovation is a newer school, established as a second neighborhood school for the Lyon Village/Courthouse area when APS redrew boundaries because ASFS was overcrowded (at that time, there were over 800 students for a school that has capacity to hold 550). A number of teachers from ASFS left to help start Innovation, which also included a number of ASFS families that had previously been zoned for ASFS. ASFS historically has been an exceptionally strong school -- nationally known. For example, former U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan sent his children there, when he served in his cabinet role. However, ASFS now has a new principal as of this 2023-24 school year, and she has been controversial, to put it mildly. Some say she is in over her head, has a clear political agenda, tries to enact change for the sake of change without a reasonable basis, and cares more about securing her next promotion than about the teachers or students she is charged with leading. While the teaching staff care about the students and are themselves strong, the educational quality has gone down, as teacher morale has plummeted, including the morale of many new teachers who joined the school this year, for lack of support. It has been sad to see this, but your family is probably better off, both in terms of educational quality and cultural environment at Innovation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have never heard anyone say Innovation isn't a good school, and I live near you. Can you share more about what you heard?

Heard some parents talking about it, TBH I don't know enough about the schools.

[Anonymous]

We’ve been at Innovation since it opened. The leadership is great and our teachers have all been good to great. It’s a diverse, welcoming school. No complaints from us.

[Anonymous]

We're at Innovation. Teacher quality has been a little mixed but generally positive, and the community is everything we hoped for living in this area. The biggest issue is that my kid's international friends keep leaving because their parents get stationed in another country.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Innovation is a newer school, established as a second neighborhood school for the Lyon Village/Courthouse area when APS redrew boundaries because ASFS was overcrowded (at that time, there were over 800 students for a school that has capacity to hold 550). A number of teachers from ASFS left to help start Innovation, which also included a number of ASFS families that had previously been zoned for ASFS. ASFS historically has been an exceptionally strong school -- nationally known. For example, former U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan sent his children there, when he served in his cabinet role. However, ASFS now has a new principal as of this 2023-24 school year, and she has been controversial, to put it mildly. Some say she is in over her head, has a clear political agenda, tries to enact change for the sake of change without a reasonable basis, and cares more about securing her next promotion than about the teachers or students she is charged with leading. While the teaching staff care about the students and are themselves strong, the educational quality has gone down, as teacher morale has plummeted, including the morale of many new teachers who joined the school this year, for lack of support. It has been sad to see this, but your family is probably better off, both in terms of educational quality and cultural environment at Innovation.

I’ve heard very disturbing things about behavior at innovation. Fights during recess without consequences, the administration condoning bullying, and drug use on school grounds in the 4th/5th grade. It’s possible that asfs could be there too in a few years, but at least right now that’s not the case. We live in that cutout, and we’re thinking of moving our kids because they were in the original cohort that started innovation. But I was concerned for my eldest since he was a fifth grade boy, and most of what I heard was disturbing from other fifth grade families there.

School quality wise, asfs still has a more active pta. The new principal seems to want to actively alienate parents by eliminating most opportunities to volunteer in the school, so again unclear how long the pta will stay as it is. Right now asfs is slightly better, but again who knows in the future.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have never heard anyone say Innovation isn't a good school, and I live near you. Can you share more about what you heard?

I know three families who went/go there. One had their child bullied, one is happy, and the other child (2nd grade) told me it wasn’t a good school so she moved to catholic. I think most who can afford it would jump ship if the needed to.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: Right now asfs is slightly better, but again who knows in the future.

Slightly better? The rest of your post made it sound like a big difference

[Anonymous]

Never heard of any disruptive behaviors mentioned here. Know a lot of happy families there. To the OP, take what you read here with a grain of salt.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We're at Innovation. Teacher quality has been a little mixed but generally positive, and the community is everything we hoped for living in this area. The biggest issue is that my kid's international friends keep leaving because their parents get stationed in another country.

This happens at ASFS too. Lots of foreign service folks.

[Anonymous]

My son has attended Innovation since Kindergarten. We've been very happy. He's had great teachers. Principal Peters is very responsive. It is nice to be in a school that has a little extra room. The school is quite diverse, and yes it is sad that it includes so many foreign service families who will leave after a year, but there are benefits to making friends who have been all over the world.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Innovation is a newer school, established as a second neighborhood school for the Lyon Village/Courthouse area when APS redrew boundaries because ASFS was overcrowded (at that time, there were over 800 students for a school that has capacity to hold 550). A number of teachers from ASFS left to help start Innovation, which also included a number of ASFS families that had previously been zoned for ASFS. ASFS historically has been an exceptionally strong school -- nationally known. For example, former U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan sent his children there, when he served in his cabinet role. However, ASFS now has a new principal as of this 2023-24 school year, and she has been controversial, to put it mildly. Some say she is in over her head, has a clear political agenda, tries to enact change for the sake of change without a reasonable basis, and cares more about securing her next promotion than about the teachers or students she is charged with leading. While the teaching staff care about the students and are themselves strong, the educational quality has gone down, as teacher morale has plummeted, including the morale of many new teachers who joined the school this year, for lack of support. It has been sad to see this, but your family is probably better off, both in terms of educational quality and cultural environment at Innovation.

I’ve heard very disturbing things about behavior at innovation. Fights during recess without consequences, the administration condoning bullying, and drug use on school grounds in the 4th/5th grade. It’s possible that asfs could be there too in a few years, but at least right now that’s not the case. We live in that cutout, and we’re thinking of moving our kids because they were in the original cohort that started innovation. But I was concerned for my eldest since he was a fifth grade boy, and most of what I heard was disturbing from other fifth grade families there.

School quality wise, asfs still has a more active pta. The new principal seems to want to actively alienate parents by eliminating most opportunities to volunteer in the school, so again unclear how long the pta will stay as it is. Right now asfs is slightly better, but again who knows in the future.

I don't want to be naive, but drug use on the playground? Innovation is surrounded by streets with lots of people walking by all the time since it's just a block or so from
the Courthouse metro. Recess is in plain view of tons of people passing by. I don't that someone told you this, but if true, that's pretty bold/bad.

[Anonymous]

^don't doubt. Sorry missed a word there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Innovation is a newer school, established as a second neighborhood school for the Lyon Village/Courthouse area when APS redrew boundaries because ASFS was overcrowded (at that time, there were over 800 students for a school that has capacity to hold 550). A number of teachers from ASFS left to help start Innovation, which also included a number of ASFS families that had previously been zoned for ASFS. ASFS historically has been an exceptionally strong school -- nationally known. For example, former U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan sent his children there, when he served in his cabinet role. However, ASFS now has a new principal as of this 2023-24 school year, and she has been controversial, to put it mildly. Some say she is in over her head, has a clear political agenda, tries to enact change for the sake of change without a reasonable basis, and cares more about securing her next promotion than about the teachers or students she is charged with leading. While the teaching staff care about the students and are themselves strong, the educational quality has gone down, as teacher morale has plummeted, including the morale of many new teachers who joined the school this year, for lack of support. It has been sad to see this, but your family is probably better off, both in terms of educational quality and cultural environment at Innovation.

I’ve heard very disturbing things about behavior at innovation. Fights during recess without consequences, the administration condoning bullying, and drug use on school grounds in the 4th/5th grade. It’s possible that asfs could be there too in a few years, but at least right now that’s not the case. We live in that cutout, and we’re thinking of moving our kids because they were in the original cohort that started innovation. But I was concerned for my eldest since he was a fifth grade boy, and most of what I heard was disturbing from other fifth grade families there.

School quality wise, asfs still has a more active pta. The new principal seems to want to actively alienate parents by eliminating most opportunities to volunteer in the school, so again unclear how long the pta will stay as it is. Right now asfs is slightly better, but again who knows in the future.

I don't want to be naive, but drug use on the playground? Innovation is surrounded by streets with lots of people walking by all the time since it's just a block or so from
the Courthouse metro. Recess is in plain view of tons of people passing by. I don't that someone told you this, but if true, that's pretty bold/bad.

I heard of bullying/fights on the playground, and drug use was during extended day. The drug use part was told by a long term friend who I had known since preschool, which is why I found it so disturbing. She said that the administration was very dismissive when they brought it to them. Yorktown has pretty pervasive drug use (and is the same pyramid for innovation— the entire school other than 1 planning unit goes to yorktown).