school board work session on enrollment and transfers in options schools(and also a new high school)

[Anonymous]

They evolve the curriculum into "units of inquiry" so that means the teachers still teach the same curriculum but might organize it slightly differently. There is an emphasis on asking questions and encouraging students to see themselves and their situation in relation to the rest of the world. There are a lot of community service elements worked into the curriculum. It involves some extensive training opportunities for teachers. Also, students at an upper level (i.e. 5th grade) complete pretty extensive "portfolio projects" on a specific topic.

[Anonymous]

I worry about the new, different options presented because additional options and transfers will further complicate projections and school counts. The SB can't manage the system in place today so I can forsee an even bigger hot mess in the future! They need to do the basics well (balance school enrollment) first and then slowly add back choices. By the time my McKinley student is ready to attend Swanson MS, the SB will have added multi-story classroom trailers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do you guys realize that Randolph had always been an IB elementary school with open transfers? No? That's because no one cared.
Do we think they will now?
Reed will get filled because families want a neighborhood school and it's crowded over there.
And Randolph gets filled with the same students who are sitting there now, and the upper middle class families living near by still don't choose it...
So the SB gave Douglas Park families an automatic out, and guaranteed choice.
Great?

It does not have open transfers and hasn't for at least a few years. There are no open transfers at the ES level. Will it be a strong enough program to draw in families? I don't know. But at least they're willing to find out. What are you worried about? It's not like the school could get MORE segregated. The Douglas Park families already have automatic outs with the options that exist, or they move or go private. This won't change that, except that MAYBE a few more families might be willing to enroll and try to help build the program into one that others might eventually seek out. That's kind of how it's worked for most of the other choice programs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

i believe the biggest pain point/rejection with Kenmore site was traffic disruption. the school is located in an awkward corner with only bad to terrible access points. if you expanded the school to a HS 1.5 of its current size - more walkers and more student cars, it'd be potentially disastrous in am rush hour. though location wise it's probably better than the VHC site few hundred yards down the street.

I know that traffic is the classic NIMBY excuse - but in this case I agree it s a real program. Carlin Spring Road in front of and around Kenmore is already a complete clusterf***. I can't imagine how bad it will get if they expand that campus.

They might need to look into
a) upgrading the 50 overpass
b) widening Carlin Spring to include dedicate turning lanes.

As compared to what? I've driven that road at rush hour and during school release hours, frequently, and it's no worse than anywhere else. Really, not worse than George Mason or Glebe or any other N-S arterial. It's not ever going to be a bucolic, pastoral area. They'd need to add more traffic lights along the road, but I think they need those now to slow traffic at certain points and to allow people to more easily enter and exit the Glencarlyn neighborhood. And yes, upgrading the 50 overpass/exit and entry ramps would be needed. Carlin Springs could be widened at the point near Kenmore (more difficult to do that on sections where the houses are right up to the road). I think it's doable. No matter where they put the school, there will have to be traffic mitigation. There aren't any places on the table where these aren't concerns. It's not a unique problem for any one neighborhood.

[Anonymous]

I worry about the new, different options presented because additional options and transfers will further complicate projections and school counts. The SB can't manage the system in place today so I can forsee an even bigger hot mess in the future! They need to do the basics well (balance school enrollment) first and then slowly add back choices. By the time my McKinley student is ready to attend Swanson MS, the SB will have added multi-story classroom trailers.
----------
I agree 100%

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

i believe the biggest pain point/rejection with Kenmore site was traffic disruption. the school is located in an awkward corner with only bad to terrible access points. if you expanded the school to a HS 1.5 of its current size - more walkers and more student cars, it'd be potentially disastrous in am rush hour. though location wise it's probably better than the VHC site few hundred yards down the street.

I know that traffic is the classic NIMBY excuse - but in this case I agree it s a real program. Carlin Spring Road in front of and around Kenmore is already a complete clusterf***. I can't imagine how bad it will get if they expand that campus.

They might need to look into
a) upgrading the 50 overpass
b) widening Carlin Spring to include dedicate turning lanes.

As compared to what? I've driven that road at rush hour and during school release hours, frequently, and it's no worse than anywhere else. Really, not worse than George Mason or Glebe or any other N-S arterial. It's not ever going to be a bucolic, pastoral area. They'd need to add more traffic lights along the road, but I think they need those now to slow traffic at certain points and to allow people to more easily enter and exit the Glencarlyn neighborhood. And yes, upgrading the 50 overpass/exit and entry ramps would be needed. Carlin Springs could be widened at the point near Kenmore (more difficult to do that on sections where the houses are right up to the road). I think it's doable. No matter where they put the school, there will have to be traffic mitigation. There aren't any places on the table where these aren't concerns. It's not a unique problem for any one neighborhood. [/quote

]

I agree. And for a high traffic school, probably better to be on a major artery than tucked back in a neighborhood

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:



I worry about the new, different options presented because additional options and transfers will further complicate projections and school counts. The SB can't manage the system in place today so I can forsee an even bigger hot mess in the future! They need to do the basics well (balance school enrollment) first and then slowly add back choices. By the time my McKinley student is ready to attend Swanson MS, the SB will have added multi-story classroom trailers.
----------
I agree 100%

I don't know. This won't happen in an information vacuum. With the immersion, for example, the desire for a second middle school option has been floating around for a long time for obvious convenience reasons. With respect to the science focus and HBW-type school and ATS, so many people try to get into those lotteries without success. I agree that it's difficult to accurately measure how that demand will be reflected in enrollment numbers, but I think it's sensible for the board to respond to the demand for more options. The complexity of anticipating the numbers shouldn't be a reason to dumb down the academic opportunities available in the county.

[Anonymous]

I think what Nancy and other members miss is that there is no metric for determining how many people try to lottery to ATS and/or HB because they want that particular philosophy, or because it's a way out of a crowded situation into a smaller, protected school. Those waiting lists to me aren't a clear indicator without additional evaluation of what drove a family to try the lottery.

[Anonymous]

They have no idea what the demand for an IB Middle School would be. They are introducing a new choice option without even telling us the results of their survey--asking people whether they prefer choice or neighbohood schools. They can't predict enrollment in middle and high schools as it is. More choice options is not the answer. Neighborhood seats are the answer. I'm all for choice options for elementary. We've already gone there, so OK. But please don't bring that chaos to middle school. Please.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:



I worry about the new, different options presented because additional options and transfers will further complicate projections and school counts. The SB can't manage the system in place today so I can forsee an even bigger hot mess in the future! They need to do the basics well (balance school enrollment) first and then slowly add back choices. By the time my McKinley student is ready to attend Swanson MS, the SB will have added multi-story classroom trailers.
----------
I agree 100%

Yes!!

[Anonymous]

I agree with some points above. The county cannot manage school situation we have. They do not know why folks are choose to apply to the lottery schools (because their neighborhood school is in trailors? they agree with the philosophy? they love that their kid will be on a long bus ride?) They need to understand this first. Their survey was written horribly - and may not tell them the answer to this problem. The SB cannot manage what they have now - additional option schools make it even harder.

[Anonymous]

White people in S. Arlington like more choice schools. These families bought a house with the same square footage for a lower price than N. Arl families - and they can transfer out of their neighborhood school. AND they can still claim they care about diversity. Genius.

[Anonymous]

^^so true. Who are the benefactors of the option schools?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:White people in S. Arlington like more choice schools. These families bought a house with the same square footage for a lower price than N. Arl families - and they can transfer out of their neighborhood school. AND they can still claim they care about diversity. Genius.

This is where facts come into play-- here are the schools listed in order of how many students transferred out:
1. Key leads with 525 students transferring out. North Arlington School- this is kids districted to Key who don't want immersion.
2. Abingdon is next at 402- Most of these are to Claremont. Claremont is in the Abingdon district. I'm guessing a large number of these are closer to Claremont.
3. Carlin Springs is next with 346 students transferring out. Most of these are to Campbell. Campbell is in the Carlin Springs district- I'm guessing a large number of these are closer to Campbell.
4. Barcroft with 261 out. They go all over. This is avoiding a year round school.
5. Taylor is next with 250. Mostly to ASFS. ASFS is in the Taylor district.
6. Oakridge is next at 172. Mostly to Claremont. Oakridge has guaranteed admission to Claremont. Oakridge is in South Arlington- but's it a pretty expensive area.

The prevailing reason for transferring appears to be to go to a school that is actually closer than your neighborhood school- not escaping the neighborhood school.



http://www.apsva.us/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Transfer-Report-2015-16.pdf

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:White people in S. Arlington like more choice schools. These families bought a house with the same square footage for a lower price than N. Arl families - and they can transfer out of their neighborhood school. AND they can still claim they care about diversity. Genius.

My family is white. We bought a small house in S. Arlington (for less than a condo in N. Arlington) because it was all we could afford and because we value diversity. My kids do go to our neighborhood, not highly-rated school. I don't want a change. However, numerous studies show that the only thing that helps improve achievement for many challenged groups of kids is socioeconomic diversity. I personally don't care about great schools ratings. However I think if there was a way to try to mix up schools a little bit (much how ATS is more diverse than most of N. Arlington) we should go for it. In this case people will be able to stay at a neighborhood school or try for another school which is also close to their house (or try for another school not close to their house if t hey are interested in the academic program). I think it's better and simpler than the current choice system and makes a lot of sense. I would much prefer the proposed system than some kind of forced busing all over the county (which would be more effective in promoting diversity but would force groups of people into schools far from their homes against their will).