APS Closing Nottingham

[Anonymous]

This will be the end of option schools.

You think Nottingham parents are snobby? You haven't met the Discovery parents. They will not support this. A coalition of Nottingham, Discovery, and Jamestown parents are going to come for ATS - a school which really has no business even existing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:First they overcrowded Glebe
And I did not speak out
Because I didn't have kids there and so eff that.
Then they repurposed McKinley
And I did not speak out
and in fact was a little grateful over it because better them than us.
Then they came for Nottingham
And there was no one left
To speak out for me
and in fact for some reason people don't seem to like me that much and they're starting to get on my nerves

Lololol perfect.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Is there another elementary school that has had 3 pedestrian deaths within 2 blocks of tbe school in the last decade? Nottingham isn’t set up for the kind of traffic influx they would need. It can’t even handle the current traffic, where most people walk.

If it’s so dangerous for pedestrians maybe it makes sense to bus kids in and use it as swing space rather than have so many walkers.

If there was space for the buses needed to move 450-600 kids, I might agree with you. There is not in fact space for that amount of buses. Also this ignores that there will still be a significant added influx of cars due to extended day drop offs/pickups.

There is nothing more menacing than a series of distracted drivers racing the clock and treating your neighborhood like their highway/parking lot. The Tuckahoe neighborhood goes through this every few years with McConnell, and that is a well established school community. We’d be reinventing the wheel every year with the Airbnb approach APS has planned for Nottingham.

This is a bit more of a “sacrifice” to this community than which blue ribbon school we attend, and again, not one word about it in the APS analysis.

The biggest eye roll isn’t big enough. Lots of neighborhoods already have the traffic of which you speak. FFS, there are 3 schools within a few blocks of each other on Carlin Springs Rd all with the same start (during morning rush) and end times. If APS doesn’t give an eff about that, why should they fall over dead because a few buses will be “invading” your neighborhood. Also, it’s really galling that you liken your neighbors’ kids to a plague of locusts. Deal with it! Arlington is dense, crowded, full of traffic. Welcome!

Interesting choice of words. What’s a few dead rich white people, am I right?

WUT? APS staff is rich white people? “THEY” is APS staff, not Nottingham parents.

I am referring to the choice of words “drop dead”, which is exactly what happened to several individuals within sight of Nottingham due to design problems with that road.

But Carlin Springs, an arterial that intersects with other arterials, is busy, so us “rich white people” should just deal with a dangerous influx of cars on a deadly road not built to handle it. Do I got that right? Just want to understand the depth of the sacrifice we supposedly have no choice to make up here for the convenience of APS planning staff.

Yeah, ok. You "got" it. You got it right that the existing safety and school conditions for other people (poorer people) don't matter and they should all just keep sucking it up because that's how it already is, so no "sacrifice" for them. And they don't need or want the convenience of nearby walkable schools that are under-enrolled. They get what they pay for and you Nottingham people get what you deserve. The old saying does imply that the higher you climb, the harder your fall. So, looking at it from your perspective, I can understand how the proposal is a true hardship and excessive sacrifice for you.

I think all neighborhoods should have well funded, well supported neighborhood schools. Has your neighborhood pushed for safe local schools, or have you sought to preserve the bailout of the option school?

Did you consider making any sacrifices whatsoever when you bought your home? I have a very hard time believing that the vast majority of people who are paying market prices for homes and rentals in Arlington are poor. The averages just don’t bear that out. You’re trying to claim poverty against people that are probably pretty similarly situated to you. The people buying the $2.5m new builds are not interested in Nottingham or public schools and have no dog in this fight.

As for the affordable neighborhoods, it was my understanding that the people who live there also preferred neighborhood schools when surveyed, but their better off neighbors in million dollar SFHs wanted gerrymandered boundaries and option schools as a backup in case things got too poor for their liking.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No one cares if Nottingham pta moms leave Arlington. Seriously. No one.

I believe this is true. The problem is when all the north Arlington pta moms leave and you are stuck in Alexandria public schools. Good luck!

Yeah. Sending Nottingham kids to Tuckahoe and Discovery isn’t going to turn APS into Alexandria. Get over yourself.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No one cares if Nottingham pta moms leave Arlington. Seriously. No one.

I believe this is true. The problem is when all the north Arlington pta moms leave and you are stuck in Alexandria public schools. Good luck!

I agree - no one cares. PTA work is invisible, underappreciated, mocked, and judged. But when no one is available to raise money, plan events, attend school board meetings, organize support for the teachers, and build spirit, identity, and community, then you will wonder what happened.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is ridiculous. They should shut down one of freaking option school, like ATS, send those kids back to their home schools, where they will easily be absorbed, and make it the swing space. Why would they destroy a well-established school with a large percentage of walkers in order to bus in 600 children? (How many busses is that anyway, like 20? That driveway can barely accommodate the two busses it currently has).

Not to mention, with this move, APS has basically created a portal for wealthy Nottingham families - taking invested and involved parents out of APS and straight into private. All those SAHMs who have the time and energy to lead the PTAs are not going to invest that time when they know their kids are going to get kicked out of their home school after third grade.

ATS should not exist. It does not teach any specialized skills (like an immersion or vocational or fine arts school). The entirety of its purpose is to make accommodations for families who do not want to make the investment in their own home school and community.

I can't really speak for the entirety of the APS schools community outside of NES; but I think the rest of us just might be better off without y'all. So you have no sympathy coming from me. Your PTA was royally screwed up a few years back. Hopefully you've straightened yourselves out by now. But quite frankly, your money and resources and "time and energy" have done absolutely NOTHING to benefit my kids' schools. All that disappearing wouldn't change anything for the rest of us except giving us more space to use at the NES building and grounds. So, thank you in advance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Y'all are all playing right into APS's hands. Fight amongst yourselves when the real issue is the bizarre decision-making.

APS is at capacity! So close down a school? For what what problem are we trying to solve? What renovations are absolutely needed that will take longer than a few months that can't be broken down into summer-long chunks? For how long? No partial school closures while renovating - it's all or nothing? These are BASIC questions that have no answers in the pre-CIP. This level of mismanagement and lack of rigor would get me fired at my job. Who cares about the N vs S nonsense.

I have zero confidence in APS projected enrollments and assessments of where growth/space is needed. They say that they expect 1000 less elementary school seats needed. Does anyone believe them? What about the 1000 kids who left for private schools? They have earned zero confidence from me in their numbers, since the justification for all these boundary moves every year is that THEY ARE WRONG IN THEIR PREDICTIONS. And yet we just let them recycle the same old over and over and over again. Isn’t anyone going to hold them accountable for these terrible predictions at some point and ask for outside assessments? They are so bad at it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This will be the end of option schools.

You think Nottingham parents are snobby? You haven't met the Discovery parents. They will not support this. A coalition of Nottingham, Discovery, and Jamestown parents are going to come for ATS - a school which really has no business even existing.

I sincerely doubt Discovery and Jamestown parents are going to form this group with you. I would love to watch the clash of the Great White North Supermoms and the Option School Zealots but I just don’t think it’s a realistic possibility.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This will be the end of option schools.

You think Nottingham parents are snobby? You haven't met the Discovery parents. They will not support this. A coalition of Nottingham, Discovery, and Jamestown parents are going to come for ATS - a school which really has no business even existing.

I sincerely doubt Discovery and Jamestown parents are going to form this group with you. I would love to watch the clash of the Great White North Supermoms and the Option School Zealots but I just don’t think it’s a realistic possibility.

Do you think Discovery parents want to absorb 200 Nottingham kids? They do not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is ridiculous. They should shut down one of freaking option school, like ATS, send those kids back to their home schools, where they will easily be absorbed, and make it the swing space. Why would they destroy a well-established school with a large percentage of walkers in order to bus in 600 children? (How many busses is that anyway, like 20? That driveway can barely accommodate the two busses it currently has).

Not to mention, with this move, APS has basically created a portal for wealthy Nottingham families - taking invested and involved parents out of APS and straight into private. All those SAHMs who have the time and energy to lead the PTAs are not going to invest that time when they know their kids are going to get kicked out of their home school after third grade.

ATS should not exist. It does not teach any specialized skills (like an immersion or vocational or fine arts school). The entirety of its purpose is to make accommodations for families who do not want to make the investment in their own home school and community.

I can't really speak for the entirety of the APS schools community outside of NES; but I think the rest of us just might be better off without y'all. So you have no sympathy coming from me. Your PTA was royally screwed up a few years back. Hopefully you've straightened yourselves out by now. But quite frankly, your money and resources and "time and energy" have done absolutely NOTHING to benefit my kids' schools. All that disappearing wouldn't change anything for the rest of us except giving us more space to use at the NES building and grounds. So, thank you in advance.

I had a feeling all this vileness was just a childish vendetta to punish people who aren’t even around anymore, but thanks for confirming. I’m glad you’ll be enjoying the grounds. After vouchers get pushed through, APS won’t be able to afford it anymore, but enjoy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This will be the end of option schools.

You think Nottingham parents are snobby? You haven't met the Discovery parents. They will not support this. A coalition of Nottingham, Discovery, and Jamestown parents are going to come for ATS - a school which really has no business even existing.

I sincerely doubt Discovery and Jamestown parents are going to form this group with you. I would love to watch the clash of the Great White North Supermoms and the Option School Zealots but I just don’t think it’s a realistic possibility.

Do you think Discovery parents want to absorb 200 Nottingham kids? They do not.

Did you learn nothing from the school moves process? It’s going to be one of those schools unless you can convince them to go with Tuckahoe or Taylor instead.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Is there another elementary school that has had 3 pedestrian deaths within 2 blocks of tbe school in the last decade? Nottingham isn’t set up for the kind of traffic influx they would need. It can’t even handle the current traffic, where most people walk.

If it’s so dangerous for pedestrians maybe it makes sense to bus kids in and use it as swing space rather than have so many walkers.

If there was space for the buses needed to move 450-600 kids, I might agree with you. There is not in fact space for that amount of buses. Also this ignores that there will still be a significant added influx of cars due to extended day drop offs/pickups.

There is nothing more menacing than a series of distracted drivers racing the clock and treating your neighborhood like their highway/parking lot. The Tuckahoe neighborhood goes through this every few years with McConnell, and that is a well established school community. We’d be reinventing the wheel every year with the Airbnb approach APS has planned for Nottingham.

This is a bit more of a “sacrifice” to this community than which blue ribbon school we attend, and again, not one word about it in the APS analysis.

Look, I've seen Nottingham's property. You have more space than you know what to do with up there. Why don't you take a look at just about any other school in the system and see how they manage buses and cars and how most of the County lives, and how half of it lives every day year round.

If you want to plot it out where you’d put the buses go right ahead. Figure you’d need 8-10, twice per day, and probably 200 new car trips excluding teachers. I don’t even think the option schools have that level of burden but I could be wrong.

But I get it, we’re all supposed to accept this half baked proposal on faith and get on with the suffering because it suits your idea of economic justice. Tell me - what’s the going rate on a new build in 22204 or 22206 these days?

Yeah, there is that possibility that you could be wrong.

This has nothing to do with "economic justice."

New builds in 22204? A larger range than 22207, I'm betting, because our new builds are everything from CAFs to SFHs. Whatcha got up there?
From May 2022 - May 2023, sales in my south neighborhood for homes built between 1932 and 2014 ranged from $640K to $1.37M. I don't know what the new builds are going for yet because I haven't seen the published asking/purchase prices. I don't know about 22206. Frankly, I don't care in regards to this conversation. It's irrelevant. This is about managing a school SYSTEM; not about managing the neighborhood schools you presume to have bought the inalienable rights to.

I suppose $1-2M is appropriate for 65 -80% FRL schools, though, huh.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No one cares if Nottingham pta moms leave Arlington. Seriously. No one.

I believe this is true. The problem is when all the north Arlington pta moms leave and you are stuck in Alexandria public schools. Good luck!

Gee, I never thought of it that way. After all, it's the north Arlington PTA moms that determine the quality of my south arlington schools. If they leave, surely our teachers and involved south Arlington parents will leave, too.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Is there another elementary school that has had 3 pedestrian deaths within 2 blocks of tbe school in the last decade? Nottingham isn’t set up for the kind of traffic influx they would need. It can’t even handle the current traffic, where most people walk.

If it’s so dangerous for pedestrians maybe it makes sense to bus kids in and use it as swing space rather than have so many walkers.

If there was space for the buses needed to move 450-600 kids, I might agree with you. There is not in fact space for that amount of buses. Also this ignores that there will still be a significant added influx of cars due to extended day drop offs/pickups.

There is nothing more menacing than a series of distracted drivers racing the clock and treating your neighborhood like their highway/parking lot. The Tuckahoe neighborhood goes through this every few years with McConnell, and that is a well established school community. We’d be reinventing the wheel every year with the Airbnb approach APS has planned for Nottingham.

This is a bit more of a “sacrifice” to this community than which blue ribbon school we attend, and again, not one word about it in the APS analysis.

The biggest eye roll isn’t big enough. Lots of neighborhoods already have the traffic of which you speak. FFS, there are 3 schools within a few blocks of each other on Carlin Springs Rd all with the same start (during morning rush) and end times. If APS doesn’t give an eff about that, why should they fall over dead because a few buses will be “invading” your neighborhood. Also, it’s really galling that you liken your neighbors’ kids to a plague of locusts. Deal with it! Arlington is dense, crowded, full of traffic. Welcome!

Interesting choice of words. What’s a few dead rich white people, am I right?

WUT? APS staff is rich white people? “THEY” is APS staff, not Nottingham parents.

I am referring to the choice of words “drop dead”, which is exactly what happened to several individuals within sight of Nottingham due to design problems with that road.

But Carlin Springs, an arterial that intersects with other arterials, is busy, so us “rich white people” should just deal with a dangerous influx of cars on a deadly road not built to handle it. Do I got that right? Just want to understand the depth of the sacrifice we supposedly have no choice to make up here for the convenience of APS planning staff.

Have you seen the road in and out of Cardinal? Just checking.

Tiny violins is right.

Are you referring to State Route 27, Washington Boulevard? Yes, I travel that arterial road often - on foot, by car, and even occasionally by bus.

The main bus/car access to Cardinal is from McKinley Rd, which is a small road with SFH homes directly across from the access point. The other vehicle access point to the school is in the back through a narrow residential street as well. It's quite tight and there is a a lot of traffic and competing things in that area including a heavily used public library. There have been many concerns about all the kids walking to school in that area and the influx of cars and pedestrians, which understandably you are not aware of since you are concerned about Nottingham.

It is a very heavily trafficked area and imagine it has been that way for a long time with the shopping center, library, etc. I’m surprised there was so many concerns about traffic given the community’s desire for a neighborhood school serving Westover.

But I think we can all agree it’s one thing to suffer increased traffic for something that improves your neighborhood versus something that is more convenient for people undergoing temporary challenges at soon-to-be-renovated schools in other parts of the county.

Sounds like this is what it’s really about. “Other” kids coming into your neighborhood. As soon as people brought up the possibility of it being Southie kids. Really, SMH.

No, it's not about that, and that doesn't even make sense. Their kids will attend Tuckahoe or Discovery - other wealthy, non-diverse N. Arlington Elementary schools.

But which kids will be taking over Nottingham? Kids that don’t belong there, by right? That’s the point.

We don't even know which school is taking over Nottingham - it could be Taylor kids. Dial down your racism boogie man.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No one cares if Nottingham pta moms leave Arlington. Seriously. No one.

I believe this is true. The problem is when all the north Arlington pta moms leave and you are stuck in Alexandria public schools. Good luck!

Gee, I never thought of it that way. After all, it's the north Arlington PTA moms that determine the quality of my south arlington schools. If they leave, surely our teachers and involved south Arlington parents will leave, too.

Hahhhaha. So cute that you think that your south Arlington school is unaffected by the exodus of the privileged kids in north Arlington. I mean, tons of folks are heading to Arlington send their kids to wakefield.