APS: Wow, the SB meeting was a DOOZY

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes, all of us in south Arlington be ballin' in our pimped out mansions...
You Mona's are clueless.
Well, I guess not totally clueless. I can tell people are getting really nervous about all of this diversity talk. Maybe you thought it was just going to go away, but nope. Now that we've dumped Lander, it's only going to intensify. Maybe you guys should start looking at McLean? I hear it's very nice.

Actually O'Grady has strong support in North Arlington too (as did McMahon). It was only a small group of Tuckahoe and Taylor parents who backed Lander in North Arlington. If you watch the School Board video from the other night, it was Talento who expressed the most opposition to integration in Arlington. She- and others in the Latino community- want to maintain "majority minority" schools because they feel that best supports their community. Many people don't realize that one reason Kenmore is not further along in being turned into a 4th high school is because Emma Sanchez (former SB chair) was insistent that Kenmore remain the "Latino" middle school in Arlington.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So let's summarize

Hispanics are fine with their situation
Whites in Northern Arlington are fine with their situation

The only people that seem to be complaining are non rich whites who bought in South Arlington which is the area with the most diversity which is what people in southern Arlington want.....

Am I missing something.....

or are they just jealous of North Arlington

North Arlingtonian here (22207). I support diverse schools in Arlington. I also personally think the costs (logistical, political) of significantly diversifying YHS at this time are likely prohibitive. I don't think that should stop the county from doing a better job with zoning and boundary-drawing in order to diversify other schools. (If it matters, my kids go to W-L.)

If you are in 22207, they should be in YHS. We no longer have the room for transfers at W-L.

?? We live 4 blocks from W-L and are squarely in the W-L attendance zone. My kids are not transfers. Thanks for playing!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, all of us in south Arlington be ballin' in our pimped out mansions...
You Mona's are clueless.
Well, I guess not totally clueless. I can tell people are getting really nervous about all of this diversity talk. Maybe you thought it was just going to go away, but nope. Now that we've dumped Lander, it's only going to intensify. Maybe you guys should start looking at McLean? I hear it's very nice.

Actually O'Grady has strong support in North Arlington too (as did McMahon). It was only a small group of Tuckahoe and Taylor parents who backed Lander in North Arlington. If you watch the School Board video from the other night, it was Talento who expressed the most opposition to integration in Arlington. She- and others in the Latino community- want to maintain "majority minority" schools because they feel that best supports their community. Many people don't realize that one reason Kenmore is not further along in being turned into a 4th high school is because Emma Sanchez (former SB chair) was insistent that Kenmore remain the "Latino" middle school in Arlington.

Communities that can't afford Arlington have no business making those sorts of demands. It's beyond insane that we are accommodating that crap. You want a majority poor school? Move to Manassas.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:...Many people don't realize that one reason Kenmore is not further along in being turned into a 4th high school is because Emma Sanchez (former SB chair) was insistent that Kenmore remain the "Latino" middle school in Arlington.

link or you're irresponsibly spreading baseless false information

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't know where this idea came that people in S Arlington and just living here gaming the system purposely only buying a "inexpensive" house and still getting good schools.

I mean don't get my wrong, I really like S. Arlington and am happy to be living here BUT I did not have money for N. Arlington or any place that close in place with "good schools" But you are right, obviously so I am not rich enough my kids should just take what they can get and I should shut up about it.

Ditto. We have a big family, so even if we stretched for N Arlington it would tough to live in a 1200 sq ft fixer-upper with one bathroom. And the "stretch" part means we wouldn't have the budget to do what so many DCUM posters do: "pop the top, build an addition and add a couple bedrooms!"

And the way the SB has completely switched the choice schools enrollment plan actually makes it more equitable across the entire county: certain neighborhoods and attendance zones, including some in N Arlington, that didn't have a shot at choice schools will now be on more equal footing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Heard a rumor through a pretty "in the know" source that APS was originally categorized as "red" (51% or more) in the CAP report. APS and the School Board got an advanced copy and negotiated some finer data points with CAP to put us at 50% so we appear in "orange" instead of red on that graph. I believe that is why Reid ruffled Nancy's feathers when he brought up the CAP report in his comments the other night (even though it had not been released yet). Nancy is hoping nobody will find out about it-- because CAP is probably the most liberal think tank in DC.

Wow. That sounds pretty sketchy.

Has anyone submitted a FOIA request about this?

I'm so tired of the SB's behind-the-scenes work (like changing the siblings policy for secondary schools after NVD's fit at the working session, adding the hybrid HS option after all of the gallery walks). It's just so frustrating that they wave at public accountability and then seem to be so shady behind closed doors.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Heard a rumor through a pretty "in the know" source that APS was originally categorized as "red" (51% or more) in the CAP report. APS and the School Board got an advanced copy and negotiated some finer data points with CAP to put us at 50% so we appear in "orange" instead of red on that graph. I believe that is why Reid ruffled Nancy's feathers when he brought up the CAP report in his comments the other night (even though it had not been released yet). Nancy is hoping nobody will find out about it-- because CAP is probably the most liberal think tank in DC.

Wow. That sounds pretty sketchy.

Has anyone submitted a FOIA request about this?

I'm so tired of the SB's behind-the-scenes work (like changing the siblings policy for secondary schools after NVD's fit at the working session, adding the hybrid HS option after all of the gallery walks). It's just so frustrating that they wave at public accountability and then seem to be so shady behind closed doors.

I'm not the above poster, but I had heard that when part of Buckingham was sold off and converted to high end town homes, Walter Tejada was "promised" Columbia Pike for "his people"
So, maybe it's the same person spreading these rumors, but I somehow doubt it. I think these sorts of things have been going down for a about 20+ years.

[Anonymous]

I believe it. Several years ago I was told by NVD and a local Latino leader that several S Arl elementaries would be expanded to make room for all the Latino families that would be moving moving into affordable housing.their words. Not mine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I believe it. Several years ago I was told by NVD and a local Latino leader that several S Arl elementaries would be expanded to make room for all the Latino families that would be moving moving into affordable housing.their words. Not mine.

Ok, here is the thing:
As a County; if you are swimming in money, then invite in the less fortunate to live "affordable", get free childcare, services, translators, and plenty of 20K per kid seats in schools. (But distribute them better; if you get that kind of support, you can't also dictate your environment)

However, then you don't get to whine about how you can't afford to build additions to schools, or "we don't have money for underground parking", can't build a 4th High School, etc.

It really does sound as if Arlington cannot afford all this affordable housing, or the needed infrastructure to go with it.
And they really cannot expect the taxpayer to foot the bill, fit their absurd plans.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I believe it. Several years ago I was told by NVD and a local Latino leader that several S Arl elementaries would be expanded to make room for all the Latino families that would be moving moving into affordable housing.their words. Not mine.

That explains Abingdon and why Randolph has been relinquished as a choice school. They can't expand Randolph, because of the topography around it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I believe it. Several years ago I was told by NVD and a local Latino leader that several S Arl elementaries would be expanded to make room for all the Latino families that would be moving moving into affordable housing.their words. Not mine.

That explains Abingdon and why Randolph has been relinquished as a choice school. They can't expand Randolph, because of the topography around it.

Is there a place to see what the plans are for choice schools in the future? I know where to find the policy on transfers and applying, but what schools will be offered. I get confused after reading stuff here. And anxious. And borderline litigious...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Heard a rumor through a pretty "in the know" source that APS was originally categorized as "red" (51% or more) in the CAP report. APS and the School Board got an advanced copy and negotiated some finer data points with CAP to put us at 50% so we appear in "orange" instead of red on that graph. I believe that is why Reid ruffled Nancy's feathers when he brought up the CAP report in his comments the other night (even though it had not been released yet). Nancy is hoping nobody will find out about it-- because CAP is probably the most liberal think tank in DC.

Wow. That sounds pretty sketchy.

Has anyone submitted a FOIA request about this?

I'm so tired of the SB's behind-the-scenes work (like changing the siblings policy for secondary schools after NVD's fit at the working session, adding the hybrid HS option after all of the gallery walks). It's just so frustrating that they wave at public accountability and then seem to be so shady behind closed doors.

um- this doesn't require a FOIA request, and it wasn't behind closed doors. It was stated in the open school board meeting last week.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I believe it. Several years ago I was told by NVD and a local Latino leader that several S Arl elementaries would be expanded to make room for all the Latino families that would be moving moving into affordable housing.their words. Not mine.

That explains Abingdon and why Randolph has been relinquished as a choice school. They can't expand Randolph, because of the topography around it.

When did they say that Randolph had been relinquished as a choice school? Several years ago there were plans to potentially add on to Randolph and Barcroft (and yes, Randolph could be expanded--they had a potential design) but that was if the school at TJ was not approved (an alternate plan for those seats). When the school at TJ was approved the plans to expand Barcroft and Randolph were dropped. Not sure if that is what the PP referenced NVD and another leader were discussing or not.

And guess what--Abingdon was at capacity and needed to be expanded. I get this feeling that a lot of people who know nothing about S. Arlington and the overcrowding and school districts are making these comments. I very much agreed with Reid's ammendment and want socioeconomic diversity but these conspiracy theories seem silly.

[Anonymous]

Randolph and Reed are going to be choice IB schools. Get off your high horse.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Randolph and Reed are going to be choice IB schools. Get off your high horse.

PP who just posted. I agree-- I also think they are both going to be choice schools. Maybe I misunderstood what "relinquished as a choce school" meant. I thought the poster meant it would no longer be considered as one.