ASFS/Key Swap Off . . .

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How do we get rid of 60-80% FRL neighborhood schools? I think most folks would love to do this if you know how. Bussing children all over the county is not an option, however.

And that's the problem. Folks are all for solving the problem - without using any solutions to solve the problem.
We ALREADY bus children all over the County for option programs - and probably more inefficiently than busing them for neighborhood schools would be because of the ridiculous bus pick-ups for very small #s of children from some areas opting into programs.

So, you eliminate high FRL schools in various ways:
1) you can do it in one fell swoop by changing to an all-choice system (Cambridge model); or
2) with various other tools - note the plurality there, toolSSS - including busing children who are being bused to their neighborhood school now to a different assigned neighborhood school; eliminating geographical preferences for options schools was one piece the Board actually implemented; locate option schools in/near areas of concentrated low-income families so that they are more easily accessible and families more likely to apply; stop fighting weirdly-shaped boundaries and drop the idiotic "contiguity" principle; and push the County to stop adding CAF's in areas of schools that already have a high FRL% and push them TO build CAFs in areas with schools with low FRL%s.

The implication here is that you're either for all tools under #2 or you don't REALLY want to solve the problem. BS. Reasonable minds can disagree on which of these are acceptable/desirable and/or to what degree to address the issue. We might also have disagreements about what the goal is (i.e., what distribution of FRL is considered success... every school identical? Every school within +/- 20% of each other? 80% of schools within +/- 20% of each other with possibly a few outliers in certain geographies due to distributions?). It's perfectly reasonable to be concerned and legitimately desiring to solve the problem and still not see a massive increase in bussing as an acceptable approach to doing so... there are other toolsssss and options, just disagreeing with one approach doesn't mean you violate purity test of wanting to successfully solve the issue.

I don't believe I ever suggested you have to agree with every suggestion. And I don't believe it would actually be a "massive increase in bussing" - unless, possibly, if you go with the Cambridge model or you are making every school 30% FRL. Our current busing is not particularly efficient. And if you push the housing tool, over (a long time) you create more balanced economic diversity in various parts of the County which will require less busing for the basis of diversity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Back to swap. So it’s really completely scrubbed — we are buying a home in Cherrydale and are wondering when they will decide the new boundaries for the ASFS site vs still entertaining swap.

The slide makes it unclear if this is final decision for path forward?

There is no official decision. At this point they have signaled that they really want to move immersion to a site that is TBD, but might still be ASFS if they can’t find somewhere else. I suppose immersion not moving at all is still possible as well, but unlikely. Boundaries would change when Reed opens either way in 2021.

So they didn’t specify when they had to decide by, and even if ASFS is rezoned in 2021 process they could still be swap?

They said they need to decide by Dec 2019 so they can incorporate the changes into the new zoning process.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
I don't believe I ever suggested you have to agree with every suggestion. And I don't believe it would actually be a "massive increase in bussing" - unless, possibly, if you go with the Cambridge model or you are making every school 30% FRL. Our current busing is not particularly efficient. And if you push the housing tool, over (a long time) you create more balanced economic diversity in various parts of the County which will require less busing for the basis of diversity.

The "note the plurality there, toolSSS" seemed to imply an all-of-the-above approach... another poster explicitly reinforced that with the 'this isn't a salad bar' comment. Apologies if I misunderstood. Agree that the housing tool is really the most important one long-term and carries a multitude of positives (not just schools) without the corresponding downsides of other approaches. For example, as the Lee Highway corridor develops I'd love to see affordable housing be well integrated into the planning.

To other poster, yes, I think optional busing via Cambridge model or what not is one thing, whereas forced busing is another and I would not support it.

Sorry for inadvertently participating in a hijacking this thread topic, I didn't realize, and will shut up now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Back to swap. So it’s really completely scrubbed — we are buying a home in Cherrydale and are wondering when they will decide the new boundaries for the ASFS site vs still entertaining swap.

The slide makes it unclear if this is final decision for path forward?

There is no official decision. At this point they have signaled that they really want to move immersion to a site that is TBD, but might still be ASFS if they can’t find somewhere else. I suppose immersion not moving at all is still possible as well, but unlikely. Boundaries would change when Reed opens either way in 2021.

So they didn’t specify when they had to decide by, and even if ASFS is rezoned in 2021 process they could still be swap?

They said they need to decide by Dec 2019 so they can incorporate the changes into the new zoning process.

There’s just no way to know what is going to happen with these two schools or the current boundaries in the area. If both become neighborhood schools, the boundaries will totally change, because they’ll be spreading kids to an entire new school for the area. That said, I really wouldn’t sweat it. In Cherrydale, you’re probably going to end up at Taylor or ASFS (in whatever future form), and whatever it is will be a solid elementary school.

We might not all get our favorite artisanal characteristics (immersion, or a science lab, or just the perfect amount of “diversity”), but it’ll be fine.

-current key/asfs zone parent

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Back to swap. So it’s really completely scrubbed — we are buying a home in Cherrydale and are wondering when they will decide the new boundaries for the ASFS site vs still entertaining swap.

The slide makes it unclear if this is final decision for path forward?

If you are dead set on asfs, I would wait to buy. There won’t be any clarity until Dec of this year.
As earlier pps pointed out, immersion is likely to be relocated, so that will be either to asfs, or somewhere else in the county. Even if it’s to somewhere else and asfs stays put, a lot of the more senior faculty has/is rumored to be leaving. So the school could be completely different since it won’t have the neighborhoods currently zoned to it and a lot of the staff that pushes the “science focus”. It will likely be less diverse than the current asfs, look more like taylor than current asfs. Who knows if the new pta will be supportive of maintaining the “science focus”. Both asfs and the new school at key will be unknowns. The chance of either of them being a bad school is low though, kind of like reed won’t likely be a bad school.

Who you say that about not being a “bad” school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Back to swap. So it’s really completely scrubbed — we are buying a home in Cherrydale and are wondering when they will decide the new boundaries for the ASFS site vs still entertaining swap.

The slide makes it unclear if this is final decision for path forward?

There is no official decision. At this point they have signaled that they really want to move immersion to a site that is TBD, but might still be ASFS if they can’t find somewhere else. I suppose immersion not moving at all is still possible as well, but unlikely. Boundaries would change when Reed opens either way in 2021.

So they didn’t specify when they had to decide by, and even if ASFS is rezoned in 2021 process they could still be swap?

They said they need to decide by Dec 2019 so they can incorporate the changes into the new zoning process.

There’s just no way to know what is going to happen with these two schools or the current boundaries in the area. If both become neighborhood schools, the boundaries will totally change, because they’ll be spreading kids to an entire new school for the area. That said, I really wouldn’t sweat it. In Cherrydale, you’re probably going to end up at Taylor or ASFS (in whatever future form), and whatever it is will be a solid elementary school.

We might not all get our favorite artisanal characteristics (immersion, or a science lab, or just the perfect amount of “diversity”), but it’ll be fine.

-current key/asfs zone parent

Weird to refer to immersion and diversity as “arisanal.”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:With the dire enrollment forecast, it's time to invade the rec centers (Dawson Terrace and Madison I'm looking at you) and convert to schools. Surely the old people can be accommodated somewhere else that doesn't have the requirements/restraints that a school does.

Immersion to a renovated Madison...maybe. Another neighborhood school for out of touch rich people in the northern white land? No.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:With the dire enrollment forecast, it's time to invade the rec centers (Dawson Terrace and Madison I'm looking at you) and convert to schools. Surely the old people can be accommodated somewhere else that doesn't have the requirements/restraints that a school does.

Immersion to a renovated Madison...maybe. Another neighborhood school for out of touch rich people in the northern white land? No.

Immersion is having trouble attracting native Spanish speakers to the location on Key. There's no way it would work at Madison. Honestly, there's no need for a neighborhood school up there either. That's not where the extra kids are.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Back to swap. So it’s really completely scrubbed — we are buying a home in Cherrydale and are wondering when they will decide the new boundaries for the ASFS site vs still entertaining swap.

The slide makes it unclear if this is final decision for path forward?

If you are dead set on asfs, I would wait to buy. There won’t be any clarity until Dec of this year.
As earlier pps pointed out, immersion is likely to be relocated, so that will be either to asfs, or somewhere else in the county. Even if it’s to somewhere else and asfs stays put, a lot of the more senior faculty has/is rumored to be leaving. So the school could be completely different since it won’t have the neighborhoods currently zoned to it and a lot of the staff that pushes the “science focus”. It will likely be less diverse than the current asfs, look more like taylor than current asfs. Who knows if the new pta will be supportive of maintaining the “science focus”. Both asfs and the new school at key will be unknowns. The chance of either of them being a bad school is low though, kind of like reed won’t likely be a bad school.

Who you say that about not being a “bad” school?

I wouldn't pay much attention to this rumor. The principal at ASFS has committed to staying on and the staff that was rumored to be leaving were only doing so when the swap was going to happen. Given that it looks like ASFS will stay put and Key will open into a new neighborhood school, ASFS should remain largely unchanged as far as the faculty, curriculum, etc. If you have to buy before they decide the final boundaries, your best bet is to look at the planning units in ASFS' current walk zone. If you look in the current ASFS/Key attendance zone, there is a good chance you will end up at the new Key or Long Branch.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:With the dire enrollment forecast, it's time to invade the rec centers (Dawson Terrace and Madison I'm looking at you) and convert to schools. Surely the old people can be accommodated somewhere else that doesn't have the requirements/restraints that a school does.

Immersion to a renovated Madison...maybe. Another neighborhood school for out of touch rich people in the northern white land? No.

Funny you say that. Most north Arlington haters scream at the idea of more option schools there because they aren’t convenient to the south.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:With the dire enrollment forecast, it's time to invade the rec centers (Dawson Terrace and Madison I'm looking at you) and convert to schools. Surely the old people can be accommodated somewhere else that doesn't have the requirements/restraints that a school does.

Immersion to a renovated Madison...maybe. Another neighborhood school for out of touch rich people in the northern white land? No.

Funny you say that. Most north Arlington haters scream at the idea of more option schools there because they aren’t convenient to the south.

Well, the point is that at east then it would be open to all as an option school, and not just a neighborhood. But it’s not happening either way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:With the dire enrollment forecast, it's time to invade the rec centers (Dawson Terrace and Madison I'm looking at you) and convert to schools. Surely the old people can be accommodated somewhere else that doesn't have the requirements/restraints that a school does.

Immersion to a renovated Madison...maybe. Another neighborhood school for out of touch rich people in the northern white land? No.

Immersion is having trouble attracting native Spanish speakers to the location on Key. There's no way it would work at Madison. Honestly, there's no need for a neighborhood school up there either. That's not where the extra kids are.

Why not put ATS up there at Madison Center? That would be a great way to help open up more seats where they are needed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:With the dire enrollment forecast, it's time to invade the rec centers (Dawson Terrace and Madison I'm looking at you) and convert to schools. Surely the old people can be accommodated somewhere else that doesn't have the requirements/restraints that a school does.

Immersion to a renovated Madison...maybe. Another neighborhood school for out of touch rich people in the northern white land? No.

Immersion is having trouble attracting native Spanish speakers to the location on Key. There's no way it would work at Madison. Honestly, there's no need for a neighborhood school up there either. That's not where the extra kids are.

Why not put ATS up there at Madison Center? That would be a great way to help open up more seats where they are needed.

Then what do you do with ATS?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:With the dire enrollment forecast, it's time to invade the rec centers (Dawson Terrace and Madison I'm looking at you) and convert to schools. Surely the old people can be accommodated somewhere else that doesn't have the requirements/restraints that a school does.

Immersion to a renovated Madison...maybe. Another neighborhood school for out of touch rich people in the northern white land? No.

Immersion is having trouble attracting native Spanish speakers to the location on Key. There's no way it would work at Madison. Honestly, there's no need for a neighborhood school up there either. That's not where the extra kids are.

Why not put ATS up there at Madison Center? That would be a great way to help open up more seats where they are needed.

Then what do you do with ATS?

Spanish immersion...perfect fit. Or turn Barrett into immersion and ATS building goes neighborhood.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
I don't believe I ever suggested you have to agree with every suggestion. And I don't believe it would actually be a "massive increase in bussing" - unless, possibly, if you go with the Cambridge model or you are making every school 30% FRL. Our current busing is not particularly efficient. And if you push the housing tool, over (a long time) you create more balanced economic diversity in various parts of the County which will require less busing for the basis of diversity.

The "note the plurality there, toolSSS" seemed to imply an all-of-the-above approach... another poster explicitly reinforced that with the 'this isn't a salad bar' comment. Apologies if I misunderstood. Agree that the housing tool is really the most important one long-term and carries a multitude of positives (not just schools) without the corresponding downsides of other approaches. For example, as the Lee Highway corridor develops I'd love to see affordable housing be well integrated into the planning.

To other poster, yes, I think optional busing via Cambridge model or what not is one thing, whereas forced busing is another and I would not support it.

Sorry for inadvertently participating in a hijacking this thread topic, I didn't realize, and will shut up now.

We're never going to an Arlington mill, berkeley, or Gilliam place on lee highway. The economics don't work, because the land is too expensive and the surrounding community would be in an uproar. That is why you can't focus on one solution. There is no silver bullet.