HB Woodlawn provides unfair advantage to students for college since no intensified classes

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Let’s not forget HB that there are no intensified classes offered. You keep talking about AP classes but fail to mention that your students are taking all basic classes with those. The students at Yorktown, Wakefield, and W&L are having to take these AP classes along with intensified classes to be competitive.

People keep repeating this, but it is not accurate. HB does offer intensified math options in every grade. I wish people that don't actually know would stop repeating things that are not true.

And it is also worth noting that at least in middle school, HB's courses all move at an "intensified" pace because they have to compress the curriculum into a shorter amount of total class hours than the other schools, to allow for their extra electives, weekly town hall, etc.

This is a huge unfair advantage in my book.

I should add, as is the fact that all courses move at an "intensified" pace.

I am sorry but this is completely untrue. Besides math, the other classes are not intensified at HB. I have a kid at HB and one at Washington and Liberty. There is a HUGE difference in the depth of the content between the intensified classes and the classes my daughter takes at HB. I am not sure how you think having a shorter period of time for the class amounts to an intensified class. This just means they have less time to start homework in the class etc. The curriculum mirrors the non-intensified classes at the other APS. You can ask any teacher at HB and they will confirm this. You clearly don’t know what an intensified class is.

This!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Let’s not forget HB that there are no intensified classes offered. You keep talking about AP classes but fail to mention that your students are taking all basic classes with those. The students at Yorktown, Wakefield, and W&L are having to take these AP classes along with intensified classes to be competitive.

You are very fixated on a small number of students at one school and how, you perceive, they have a leg up on your student. And really, given that not all students at HBW are aiming to compete for top schools, it’s really even a small cohort you are obsessing about.

My guess is that you wanted your high achieving student to attend HBW but did not get a spot. If that is the case, I am very sorry about that. Personally, I wish that HBW would get rid of the middle school and expand the high school seats so that more students can see if HBW is the right school for them.

+1

I would be for HB as HS seats only, too. But I think “self governance” and “fostering independence” are ridiculous excuses for the fact that HB is just very, very small, and all the advantages (and some disadvantages) stem simply from that fact and not that the kids are allowed to run around Rosslyn on their lunch break.

The independence has nothing to do with having an open campus, most of them don't go further than the 7-11 and CVS next door. The difference is that they aren't monitored constantly by a bunch of vice principals and hall monitors and don't have to account for every minute of their day to an adult--they are accountable for getting their work done, not for being in a certain place at a certain time except for scheduled classes. They have to learn to manage free periods and free time, which is preparation for college. So yes, it's an advantage, and it also wouldn't work at a school with 3,000 kids, and it also wouldn't work at a school with a lot of kids who aren't super interested in being at school all day.

Open campus works with schools of all sizes, large and small. Montgomery County’s large high schools for example. When HB Woodlawn was created, all Arlington high schools had open campus for all grades.

Currently, open campus is limited to seniors at the comprehensive schools. With the shorter lunch periods though, and on-campus parking which is now hard to find, I doubt many leave at lunch. Perhaps a handful of seniors walk to Ballston, the Rt 7 fast food joints, or Langston Harrison, but that’s probably it.

you missed the point entirely

[Anonymous]

I have a senior at W-L with many friends at HB, and I have never heard that people think HB has an advantage or disadvantage when it comes to college acceptances. HB is interesting to me in that the kids I know that go there love it, but the kids that don't aren't envious. That's rare for Arlington.

[Anonymous]

It’s been made abundantly clear OP has no actual knowledge of HB or college admissions. They read one book and are making wild assumptions that don’t hold water.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Let’s not forget HB that there are no intensified classes offered. You keep talking about AP classes but fail to mention that your students are taking all basic classes with those. The students at Yorktown, Wakefield, and W&L are having to take these AP classes along with intensified classes to be competitive.

People keep repeating this, but it is not accurate. HB does offer intensified math options in every grade. I wish people that don't actually know would stop repeating things that are not true.

And it is also worth noting that at least in middle school, HB's courses all move at an "intensified" pace because they have to compress the curriculum into a shorter amount of total class hours than the other schools, to allow for their extra electives, weekly town hall, etc.

This is a huge unfair advantage in my book.

Well, again you don't know what you're talking about. Look at it this way. The kids who take AP classes at HB have 1/5 less class time to learn all the material and prepare for the same exam. I guess you think that's somehow an advantage too?

One thing can be an advantage and a different thing be a disadvantage. Not a matter of not knowing what I'm talking about. Rather, knowing what is being talked about. Being able to take more electives is an advantage and has nothing to do with how much time there is to get ready for an AP exam. But you go ahead and keep clinging to the unfairness of the HB AP situation outweighing anything else or anyone else's opinions.

Ok let's refresh what's being talking about. I guess I have to remind you that you literally said a couple posts above that HB kids have an advantage because all courses move at an "intensified" pace.

I pointed out in response that this isn't actually the advantage that you think it is.

As for being able to take more electives, I guess they can in theory. But the kids at HB are counseled not to fill up all 8 periods so the vast majority take 7 classes, same as the other schools. And HB has far fewer electives to choose from anyways.

And I'll remind you that there is more than one other poster than you on this chain. I'm not the one who said that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Let’s not forget HB that there are no intensified classes offered. You keep talking about AP classes but fail to mention that your students are taking all basic classes with those. The students at Yorktown, Wakefield, and W&L are having to take these AP classes along with intensified classes to be competitive.

People keep repeating this, but it is not accurate. HB does offer intensified math options in every grade. I wish people that don't actually know would stop repeating things that are not true.

And it is also worth noting that at least in middle school, HB's courses all move at an "intensified" pace because they have to compress the curriculum into a shorter amount of total class hours than the other schools, to allow for their extra electives, weekly town hall, etc.

This is a huge unfair advantage in my book.

Well, again you don't know what you're talking about. Look at it this way. The kids who take AP classes at HB have 1/5 less class time to learn all the material and prepare for the same exam. I guess you think that's somehow an advantage too?

One thing can be an advantage and a different thing be a disadvantage. Not a matter of not knowing what I'm talking about. Rather, knowing what is being talked about. Being able to take more electives is an advantage and has nothing to do with how much time there is to get ready for an AP exam. But you go ahead and keep clinging to the unfairness of the HB AP situation outweighing anything else or anyone else's opinions.

Ok let's refresh what's being talking about. I guess I have to remind you that you literally said a couple posts above that HB kids have an advantage because all courses move at an "intensified" pace.

I pointed out in response that this isn't actually the advantage that you think it is.

As for being able to take more electives, I guess they can in theory. But the kids at HB are counseled not to fill up all 8 periods so the vast majority take 7 classes, same as the other schools. And HB has far fewer electives to choose from anyways.

And I'll remind you that there is more than one other poster than you on this chain. I'm not the one who said that.

Then read a few posts before you wrongly claim that a response wasn't responsive.

And if you're so triggered by someone not knowing who you are when you post anonymously, go ahead and identify yourself.