Grace Hopper Center Updates

[Anonymous]

From an email to Arlington Tech parents. No idea how this impacts those in W&L, Wakefield, and Yorktown who come to AT for classes.

If you are interested in AT, 250 seats for freshmen will be offered over the next four years. Good luck in thel lottery!

Updates on Grace Hopper Center

Dear Families,

The progress on the Grace Hopper Center (GHC) building continues to go well, and we are on track to move into the new facility this August.

This evening, the updated Proposed Changes to APS Non-Traditional Secondary Programs within the Grace Hopper Center will be presented as an information item at the School Board meeting. These proposed changes will return as an action item on February 19.

Below are the key points specific to Arlington Tech:

There will be no changes to Arlington Tech programming.

The only change is a planned increase in enrollment to 1,000 students over the next four years. Beginning next school year, we will welcome 250 ninth-grade students annually.

Arlington Tech students will continue to have full access to Career and Technical Education (CTE) courses as outlined in the Program of Studies for the Arlington Career Center and the future Grace Hopper Center.

Dual enrollment opportunities will expand. Students will continue to have access to all dual-enrollment courses offered at ACC (GHC), as well as the full range of opportunities available through NOVA. This will not change with the move to GHC.

Access to degrees and certifications are not changing in the GHC plan. The negotiation of offerings through NOVA happens through our partnership with NOVA and their dual enrollment office. We remain committed to finding ways to make degrees and certifications accessible to interested Arlington Tech students.

Additionally, central office leadership will present information to the School Board tonight regarding changes to other ACC programs. These include the transition from the English Learner Institute to the Multilingual Pathway Program, as well as the Academy program joining the Langston program at GHC.

Thank you for your continued support and advocacy. We are incredibly excited about the move to the Grace Hopper Center, and most importantly, our students are eager to learn in a brand-new, state-of-the-art innovation center.

[Anonymous]

Why is APS hobbling AT out the gate by colocating with students with absentees issues, criminal records, drug use and court mandated treatment, and students up to the age of 21?

My 7th grade DD is a nerdy science loving kid, but this mixed environment makes it a non starter for us.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why is APS hobbling AT out the gate by colocating with students with absentees issues, criminal records, drug use and court mandated treatment, and students up to the age of 21?

My 7th grade DD is a nerdy science loving kid, but this mixed environment makes it a non starter for us.

And why put students who were struggling in a large school back into a large school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why is APS hobbling AT out the gate by colocating with students with absentees issues, criminal records, drug use and court mandated treatment, and students up to the age of 21?

My 7th grade DD is a nerdy science loving kid, but this mixed environment makes it a non starter for us.

And why put students who were struggling in a large school back into a large school?

Langston has been successful for decades as a small school. Some graduates have actually gone on to UVA and other top colleges. They benefited from the program's small community of learners, comprised of students who did not fit in at the larger high schools, or who aged out due to health or other issues.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why is APS hobbling AT out the gate by colocating with students with absentees issues, criminal records, drug use and court mandated treatment, and students up to the age of 21?

My 7th grade DD is a nerdy science loving kid, but this mixed environment makes it a non starter for us.

And why put students who were struggling in a large school back into a large school?

Langston has been successful for decades as a small school. Some graduates have actually gone on to UVA and other top colleges. They benefited from the program's small community of learners, comprised of students who did not fit in at the larger high schools, or who aged out due to health or other issues.

i
Exactly. This move has the potential to undo a lot of their hard work. The county is saying this is about increasing access to CTE but I don’t believe it. I think it’s budget motivated or something else

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why is APS hobbling AT out the gate by colocating with students with absentees issues, criminal records, drug use and court mandated treatment, and students up to the age of 21?

My 7th grade DD is a nerdy science loving kid, but this mixed environment makes it a non starter for us.

HB has been colocated with an English Language Learner program with students up to age 21 for many years, meaning you have 11 year olds in the same building as 20 year olds. Seems to work out ok.

[Anonymous]

How big are the classes at Langston?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why is APS hobbling AT out the gate by colocating with students with absentees issues, criminal records, drug use and court mandated treatment, and students up to the age of 21?

My 7th grade DD is a nerdy science loving kid, but this mixed environment makes it a non starter for us.

HB has been colocated with an English Language Learner program with students up to age 21 for many years, meaning you have 11 year olds in the same building as 20 year olds. Seems to work out ok.

The Langston program serve students with mental health and other challenges who have not been thriving in a traditional program. It is a very small school with around 90 students.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why is APS hobbling AT out the gate by colocating with students with absentees issues, criminal records, drug use and court mandated treatment, and students up to the age of 21?

My 7th grade DD is a nerdy science loving kid, but this mixed environment makes it a non starter for us.

HB has been colocated with an English Language Learner program with students up to age 21 for many years, meaning you have 11 year olds in the same building as 20 year olds. Seems to work out ok.

The Langston program serve students with mental health and other challenges who have not been thriving in a traditional program. It is a very small school with around 90 students.

I wonder if Langston's community was asked about it. How. much you wanna bet that Arlington will turn that space into yet another old folks place or recreation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why is APS hobbling AT out the gate by colocating with students with absentees issues, criminal records, drug use and court mandated treatment, and students up to the age of 21?

My 7th grade DD is a nerdy science loving kid, but this mixed environment makes it a non starter for us.

HB has been colocated with an English Language Learner program with students up to age 21 for many years, meaning you have 11 year olds in the same building as 20 year olds. Seems to work out ok.

The Langston program serve students with mental health and other challenges who have not been thriving in a traditional program. It is a very small school with around 90 students.

I wonder if Langston's community was asked about it. How. much you wanna bet that Arlington will turn that space into yet another old folks place or recreation.

APS steadfastly promised no school buildings will be mothballed like back in the 1908s. I think it will be a new elementary holding facility while Taylor and other schools are remodeled.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why is APS hobbling AT out the gate by colocating with students with absentees issues, criminal records, drug use and court mandated treatment, and students up to the age of 21?

My 7th grade DD is a nerdy science loving kid, but this mixed environment makes it a non starter for us.

APS makes bad, short-sighted decisions frequently, because they see “space!” somewhere, and they can’t even think or plan two years ahead. Send input APS Engage, and to the school board!
FWIW, many parents currently co-located or with the criminal record kids at Langston Blvd do not want to move. They say that the small environment is essential for their kids, and the kids located there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why is APS hobbling AT out the gate by colocating with students with absentees issues, criminal records, drug use and court mandated treatment, and students up to the age of 21?

My 7th grade DD is a nerdy science loving kid, but this mixed environment makes it a non starter for us.

And why put students who were struggling in a large school back into a large school?

Langston has been successful for decades as a small school. Some graduates have actually gone on to UVA and other top colleges. They benefited from the program's small community of learners, comprised of students who did not fit in at the larger high schools, or who aged out due to health or other issues.

Hopefully you are all sending this feedback to the School Board! This has been successful in the past.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why is APS hobbling AT out the gate by colocating with students with absentees issues, criminal records, drug use and court mandated treatment, and students up to the age of 21?

My 7th grade DD is a nerdy science loving kid, but this mixed environment makes it a non starter for us.

HB has been colocated with an English Language Learner program with students up to age 21 for many years, meaning you have 11 year olds in the same building as 20 year olds. Seems to work out ok.

HBW benefits from the 100 students per grade cohort. AT will be about 400 per grade. And delayed because of language is way different than delay time from juvie or having dropped out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why is APS hobbling AT out the gate by colocating with students with absentees issues, criminal records, drug use and court mandated treatment, and students up to the age of 21?

My 7th grade DD is a nerdy science loving kid, but this mixed environment makes it a non starter for us.

HB has been colocated with an English Language Learner program with students up to age 21 for many years, meaning you have 11 year olds in the same building as 20 year olds. Seems to work out ok.

HBW benefits from the 100 students per grade cohort. AT will be about 400 per grade. And delayed because of language is way different than delay time from juvie or having dropped out.

Some Langston kids also aged out due to health problems resulting in being held back a year or two. Others just didn't fit in well
in a large high school setting, i.e., with a large population. So it's not all behavioral problems. But behavior concerns are why Langston and similar programs in Fairfax County are located away from schools with a large population. Also some the students are older (early 20s). Every district has a small program like this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why is APS hobbling AT out the gate by colocating with students with absentees issues, criminal records, drug use and court mandated treatment, and students up to the age of 21?

My 7th grade DD is a nerdy science loving kid, but this mixed environment makes it a non starter for us.

HB has been colocated with an English Language Learner program with students up to age 21 for many years, meaning you have 11 year olds in the same building as 20 year olds. Seems to work out ok.

Always heard about Stratford program. What ELL program is colocated at the Heights?