Who said there isn't a North-South divide?

[Anonymous]

So to recap, housing patterns are very segregated so schools are also very segregated. The only way to integrate all schools is extensive bussing, but no one wants their own kids to be required to bus to a school across the county because we all know it takes a long time to go short distances in this county. The only politically viable way to move in the direction of increased integration is moving option schools in the Reed process and drawing some zones across 50 where possible. Probably won’t happen though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

LOL! This is the best. Some Northies really don't understand how good they've got it. It's like mitt Romney making that 100k bet.

Do you really expect people to take you seriously when you use the word “northies?”

It’s also hard to take them seriously when you know they’re people who could afford to buy into better schools further out but would prefer to stay in South Arlington and have everyone else cortort around them to give their children “ideal” educations. The parents in South Arlington who really don’t have better options, with the kids who enter school barely speaking English and parents who can’t engage with the school because they’re working two jobs to afford their “affordable” housing, aren’t coming here to post in perfect English about how their high school might not have a pool. And when they express their views on what they want for their kids, it’s often not the same as what the UMC whites would prefer, so when the latter come on here claiming to advocate for the former, be very skeptical because they’re really just using the former as props for their own ends.

Of course if they all did that the schools in Arlington would be even more segregated, and the neighborhoods too. Plenty of reason to think that is not a great thing. I mean unless you have house further out you are trying to sell, I guess.

K
Totally, f those people for wanting the same thing as north Arlington people but not being so rich or having such wealthy parents.

The sense of entitlement is pretty breathtaking. The NA atttitide is "we got ours", immigrants are great, the rest of you, gtfo and move to Springfield, short commutes are for us and the cleaning lady. It's a wonder they vote for democrats. I don't envy their cognitive dissonance on that, there a little tea part in each one.

Nice deflection. No one said you had to move, it's just gross when UMC white people in South Arlington use their poor brown neighbors as props to advocate for what they want, calling racist anyone who disagrees with them because "Oh, the poor brown children," conveniently ignoring the fact that, when actually asked instead of presuming, those parents don't want the things the UMC white families are asking for in their name.

Ya know... I would have agreed with that... until
I went online and actually looked at Discovery elementary school.
Oh my! I promise you. If you took your cleaning lady on a tour of Discovery elementary school and asked her if she could have the choice between Discovery and Randolph, I promise you, she would love love love to have the opportunity to send her children there. Of course thats not what they are asked. North Arlington liberals like to ask the good familes of Barcroft Apartments questions like this:
Are you happy with your school?
Do you want to be ripped away from your community?
Do you want to be a minority in a school full of people who aren’t like you?
Are you scared that you might be deported if you leave your enclave?
Are you concerned wealthy students will treat your kids poorly?

Yeah. They aren’t putting up much of a fuss. They are APS’ favorite demographic. They don’t know what they don’t know.

Really, you think a parent who, for instance, doesn't have a car and has to rely on public transportation would rather send their kid to a school an hour by public transportation rather than the one within walking distance or less than 20 minutes by public bus? I'm sure they'd be falling all over themselves to do that every day for their kids who go to extended day, even more so if those kids currrently are watched after before/after school by a grandparent or other relative who is comfortable with a 15-minute walk but would be too anxious about an hour bus ride requiring two transfers.

NP. People make all sorts of logistical sacrifices to send their kids to TJ. So yes, of course, many s Arlington parents would happily do that for Discovery. Others wouldn’t. But the option should be there. Otherwise, there is, in effect a wall between the n and s. And the north, or at least some of it, is just fine with that.

“I want my kids to go to school in a neighborhood I don’t want to pay for so my kids can be with nice rich white kids instead of those poor brown ones.”

No, I don't want my kid to go to a school packed with rich white kids. I want them to go to an integrated school where they will encounter and learn from a variety of people.

That’s not Discovery.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So to recap, housing patterns are very segregated so schools are also very segregated. The only way to integrate all schools is extensive bussing, but no one wants their own kids to be required to bus to a school across the county because we all know it takes a long time to go short distances in this county. The only politically viable way to move in the direction of increased integration is moving option schools in the Reed process and drawing some zones across 50 where possible. Probably won’t happen though.

There actually was a lot of support building for the plan that would have moved immersion to Barcroft and Carlin Springs, kept ATS and Campbell where they are and drawn the Ashlawn boundary across 50 before the process was suspended.

[Anonymous]

I wonder if the poster(s) fawning over Discovery has actually talked to many families who go to Discovery. Yes, the building is new and has some nice playgrounds (when the kids aren't getting heat sick), but a lot of people really don't care for the internal design. The openness, glass, etc., makes it a very loud environment and creates a lot of visual distractions. We were rezoned there from Nottingham when it opened, and I really wish I could take my ADHD kid back to Nottingham because it was a much better physical environment for him.

[Anonymous]

What about more pooling of PTA money? Our school (Glebe) does a “no-fuss” fundraiser every year where families who are able to, are asked to contribute to a SA school instead of the Glebe PTA. Anyone who’s got the means (whether they have kids in school or not) can send a check, or box tops, or link your grocery card, to any other school. If your school doesn’t need your donation, pick a school and send it there.

[Anonymous]

Our N.A. elementary does a no-fuss fundraiser as well, but introduced it after having to cut other fundraisers because they couldn't find people willing to run them. The no-fuss fundraiser is pretty easy so someone volunteered to do that, but it's not generating new funds, its replacing lot funds.

[Anonymous]

NP. People make all sorts of logistical sacrifices to send their kids to TJ. So yes, of course, many s Arlington parents would happily do that for Discovery. Others wouldn’t. But the option should be there. Otherwise, there is, in effect a wall between the n and s. And the north, or at least some of it, is just fine with that.

People make those sacrifices because TJ has a very specialized program. Discovery is just a neighborhood school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

LOL! This is the best. Some Northies really don't understand how good they've got it. It's like mitt Romney making that 100k bet.

Do you really expect people to take you seriously when you use the word “northies?”

It’s also hard to take them seriously when you know they’re people who could afford to buy into better schools further out but would prefer to stay in South Arlington and have everyone else cortort around them to give their children “ideal” educations. The parents in South Arlington who really don’t have better options, with the kids who enter school barely speaking English and parents who can’t engage with the school because they’re working two jobs to afford their “affordable” housing, aren’t coming here to post in perfect English about how their high school might not have a pool. And when they express their views on what they want for their kids, it’s often not the same as what the UMC whites would prefer, so when the latter come on here claiming to advocate for the former, be very skeptical because they’re really just using the former as props for their own ends.

Of course if they all did that the schools in Arlington would be even more segregated, and the neighborhoods too. Plenty of reason to think that is not a great thing. I mean unless you have house further out you are trying to sell, I guess.

Totally, f those people for wanting the same thing as north Arlington people but not being so rich or having such wealthy parents.

The sense of entitlement is pretty breathtaking. The NA atttitide is "we got ours", immigrants are great, the rest of you, gtfo and move to Springfield, short commutes are for us and the cleaning lady. It's a wonder they vote for democrats. I don't envy their cognitive dissonance on that, there a little tea part in each one.

Nice deflection. No one said you had to move, it's just gross when UMC white people in South Arlington use their poor brown neighbors as props to advocate for what they want, calling racist anyone who disagrees with them because "Oh, the poor brown children," conveniently ignoring the fact that, when actually asked instead of presuming, those parents don't want the things the UMC white families are asking for in their name.

Ya know... I would have agreed with that... until
I went online and actually looked at Discovery elementary school.
Oh my! I promise you. If you took your cleaning lady on a tour of Discovery elementary school and asked her if she could have the choice between Discovery and Randolph, I promise you, she would love love love to have the opportunity to send her children there. Of course thats not what they are asked. North Arlington liberals like to ask the good familes of Barcroft Apartments questions like this:
Are you happy with your school?
Do you want to be ripped away from your community?
Do you want to be a minority in a school full of people who aren’t like you?
Are you scared that you might be deported if you leave your enclave?
Are you concerned wealthy students will treat your kids poorly?

Yeah. They aren’t putting up much of a fuss. They are APS’ favorite demographic. They don’t know what they don’t know.

Really, you think a parent who, for instance, doesn't have a car and has to rely on public transportation would rather send their kid to a school an hour by public transportation rather than the one within walking distance or less than 20 minutes by public bus? I'm sure they'd be falling all over themselves to do that every day for their kids who go to extended day, even more so if those kids currrently are watched after before/after school by a grandparent or other relative who is comfortable with a 15-minute walk but would be too anxious about an hour bus ride requiring two transfers.

NP. People make all sorts of logistical sacrifices to send their kids to TJ. So yes, of course, many s Arlington parents would happily do that for Discovery. Others wouldn’t. But the option should be there. Otherwise, there is, in effect a wall between the n and s. And the north, or at least some of it, is just fine with that.

“I want my kids to go to school in a neighborhood I don’t want to pay for so my kids can be with nice rich white kids instead of those poor brown ones.”

It’s a public school, not a neighborhood. And yes, if there are meaningful performance gaps, motivated parents will want what’s best for their children. It’s not about rich white kids. It’s about better performing schools.

BUt it is about that. Test scores basically measure family income. You can plot sol pass rates against farms percentage and its a direct correlation. It's well known how strongly associated these things are.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

LOL! This is the best. Some Northies really don't understand how good they've got it. It's like mitt Romney making that 100k bet.

Do you really expect people to take you seriously when you use the word “northies?”

It’s also hard to take them seriously when you know they’re people who could afford to buy into better schools further out but would prefer to stay in South Arlington and have everyone else cortort around them to give their children “ideal” educations. The parents in South Arlington who really don’t have better options, with the kids who enter school barely speaking English and parents who can’t engage with the school because they’re working two jobs to afford their “affordable” housing, aren’t coming here to post in perfect English about how their high school might not have a pool. And when they express their views on what they want for their kids, it’s often not the same as what the UMC whites would prefer, so when the latter come on here claiming to advocate for the former, be very skeptical because they’re really just using the former as props for their own ends.

Of course if they all did that the schools in Arlington would be even more segregated, and the neighborhoods too. Plenty of reason to think that is not a great thing. I mean unless you have house further out you are trying to sell, I guess.

K
Totally, f those people for wanting the same thing as north Arlington people but not being so rich or having such wealthy parents.

The sense of entitlement is pretty breathtaking. The NA atttitide is "we got ours", immigrants are great, the rest of you, gtfo and move to Springfield, short commutes are for us and the cleaning lady. It's a wonder they vote for democrats. I don't envy their cognitive dissonance on that, there a little tea part in each one.

Nice deflection. No one said you had to move, it's just gross when UMC white people in South Arlington use their poor brown neighbors as props to advocate for what they want, calling racist anyone who disagrees with them because "Oh, the poor brown children," conveniently ignoring the fact that, when actually asked instead of presuming, those parents don't want the things the UMC white families are asking for in their name.

Ya know... I would have agreed with that... until
I went online and actually looked at Discovery elementary school.
Oh my! I promise you. If you took your cleaning lady on a tour of Discovery elementary school and asked her if she could have the choice between Discovery and Randolph, I promise you, she would love love love to have the opportunity to send her children there. Of course thats not what they are asked. North Arlington liberals like to ask the good familes of Barcroft Apartments questions like this:
Are you happy with your school?
Do you want to be ripped away from your community?
Do you want to be a minority in a school full of people who aren’t like you?
Are you scared that you might be deported if you leave your enclave?
Are you concerned wealthy students will treat your kids poorly?

Yeah. They aren’t putting up much of a fuss. They are APS’ favorite demographic. They don’t know what they don’t know.

Really, you think a parent who, for instance, doesn't have a car and has to rely on public transportation would rather send their kid to a school an hour by public transportation rather than the one within walking distance or less than 20 minutes by public bus? I'm sure they'd be falling all over themselves to do that every day for their kids who go to extended day, even more so if those kids currrently are watched after before/after school by a grandparent or other relative who is comfortable with a 15-minute walk but would be too anxious about an hour bus ride requiring two transfers.

NP. People make all sorts of logistical sacrifices to send their kids to TJ. So yes, of course, many s Arlington parents would happily do that for Discovery. Others wouldn’t. But the option should be there. Otherwise, there is, in effect a wall between the n and s. And the north, or at least some of it, is just fine with that.

“I want my kids to go to school in a neighborhood I don’t want to pay for so my kids can be with nice rich white kids instead of those poor brown ones.”

No, I don't want my kid to go to a school packed with rich white kids. I want them to go to an integrated school where they will encounter and learn from a variety of people.

That’s not Discovery.

No duh. That's why I didn't say, "I want my kid to go to discovery." I want my kid to be challenged academically and have experience with a variety of people and backgrounds. My kid isn't some capital resource whose potential needs to be maximized in a hothouse atmosphere.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PP's above nailed it all right. It is a whole different world in S.A schools.

I challenge any N.A. parent who disagrees to come to a S.A. school and check out the activities and PTA expenses. We are at a title I S.A. school. We have a little money to spend, but not much. And, we spend money on things like coat drives and basics for some of the families. Rather than after school enrichment, kids are taking extra SOL preps. Those who don't need it don't get access to enrichment those days because the school won't do anything unless ALL kids can do it.

Our classrooms are filled with old furniture. Our yard is weeds. All of our equipment in the class is old. We don't do plays or independent projects. Things are really basic here.

What would you like to see happen? Bus some of the poor kids from your neighborhood to schools in the north? Force some of the kids in the north to come south? Move option programs around? Share PTA money? Give an opportunity to transfer your kids to Jamestown?

Serious question.

Moving option schools around is the most realistic option, and the best, IMHO. It's non-coercive. The idea is to create integrated, desirable schools as an alternative to the segregated schools ... besides the value of the particular instructional model (immersion, montessori, expeditionary learning, etc.) it would give NA kids exposure to the increasingly diverse future they will have to navigate as adults; and it would give SA student a view of what high performing schools and peers are actually like, not to mention the immense resource that is a critical mass of engaged parents. The key is to make it more attractive than a neighborhood school for a range of families.

I think APS wanted to do that, to the extent that was politically possible. Unfortunately, it seems like NA parents put the kibosh on that, at least for the time being. For whatever self-interested reason, moving around option schools was squashed a month ago. SA doesn't have that kind of mojo so it's no point denying it was a north Arlington thing. Will be interesting to see if it reemerges in a year or two or if it's just dead.

First, N.A. families did not "put the kibosh" on the location review, that was suspended because the staff didn't have the bandwidth to move that process through properly while also dealing with all of the revisions of the CIP. Odds are they're going to at least try to reopen it before Reed opens, they've made that very clear.

Second, moving around option schools is only helpful to a very limited portion of the population, and helps them at the expense of those left behind. We've seen that in spades in S.A. already, where UMC families disproportionately opt out of their neighborhood schools for option programs and neighborhood transfers, leaving their neighborhood schools with even higher FARMS and ESOL percentages. Even with moving the schools around and taking other steps to make them more accessible, there is every reason to believe this trend will continue, even if to a lesser degree.

Why didn't staff have the bandwidth? Because north Arlington parents were dumping binders of their own analysis on the admin, telling them they were wrong about moving this school or that one? Of course they put the kibosh on it.

Were you asleep through the entire CIP process? The staff was working crazy hours just to meet those deadlines, there literally were no hours left to do the location review. Sure, the community (not just N.A., some S.A. people were well in the mix too) didn’t help by pressing them to do a more thorough analysis, but they still could have done it if the CIP hadn’t blown up the way it did, courtesy of 22204.

22204 here. You’re welcome. And get used to it.

[Anonymous]

You people are so boring and predictable. You talk a good game about diversity when you think it’s a stepping stone to increasing your own real estate values, typically at someone else’s expense, and that’s about it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

LOL! This is the best. Some Northies really don't understand how good they've got it. It's like mitt Romney making that 100k bet.

Do you really expect people to take you seriously when you use the word “northies?”

It’s also hard to take them seriously when you know they’re people who could afford to buy into better schools further out but would prefer to stay in South Arlington and have everyone else cortort around them to give their children “ideal” educations. The parents in South Arlington who really don’t have better options, with the kids who enter school barely speaking English and parents who can’t engage with the school because they’re working two jobs to afford their “affordable” housing, aren’t coming here to post in perfect English about how their high school might not have a pool. And when they express their views on what they want for their kids, it’s often not the same as what the UMC whites would prefer, so when the latter come on here claiming to advocate for the former, be very skeptical because they’re really just using the former as props for their own ends.

Of course if they all did that the schools in Arlington would be even more segregated, and the neighborhoods too. Plenty of reason to think that is not a great thing. I mean unless you have house further out you are trying to sell, I guess.

K
Totally, f those people for wanting the same thing as north Arlington people but not being so rich or having such wealthy parents.

The sense of entitlement is pretty breathtaking. The NA atttitide is "we got ours", immigrants are great, the rest of you, gtfo and move to Springfield, short commutes are for us and the cleaning lady. It's a wonder they vote for democrats. I don't envy their cognitive dissonance on that, there a little tea part in each one.

Nice deflection. No one said you had to move, it's just gross when UMC white people in South Arlington use their poor brown neighbors as props to advocate for what they want, calling racist anyone who disagrees with them because "Oh, the poor brown children," conveniently ignoring the fact that, when actually asked instead of presuming, those parents don't want the things the UMC white families are asking for in their name.

Ya know... I would have agreed with that... until
I went online and actually looked at Discovery elementary school.
Oh my! I promise you. If you took your cleaning lady on a tour of Discovery elementary school and asked her if she could have the choice between Discovery and Randolph, I promise you, she would love love love to have the opportunity to send her children there. Of course thats not what they are asked. North Arlington liberals like to ask the good familes of Barcroft Apartments questions like this:
Are you happy with your school?
Do you want to be ripped away from your community?
Do you want to be a minority in a school full of people who aren’t like you?
Are you scared that you might be deported if you leave your enclave?
Are you concerned wealthy students will treat your kids poorly?

Yeah. They aren’t putting up much of a fuss. They are APS’ favorite demographic. They don’t know what they don’t know.

Really, you think a parent who, for instance, doesn't have a car and has to rely on public transportation would rather send their kid to a school an hour by public transportation rather than the one within walking distance or less than 20 minutes by public bus? I'm sure they'd be falling all over themselves to do that every day for their kids who go to extended day, even more so if those kids currrently are watched after before/after school by a grandparent or other relative who is comfortable with a 15-minute walk but would be too anxious about an hour bus ride requiring two transfers.

NP. People make all sorts of logistical sacrifices to send their kids to TJ. So yes, of course, many s Arlington parents would happily do that for Discovery. Others wouldn’t. But the option should be there. Otherwise, there is, in effect a wall between the n and s. And the north, or at least some of it, is just fine with that.

“I want my kids to go to school in a neighborhood I don’t want to pay for so my kids can be with nice rich white kids instead of those poor brown ones.”

No, I don't want my kid to go to a school packed with rich white kids. I want them to go to an integrated school where they will encounter and learn from a variety of people.

That’s not Discovery.

No duh. That's why I didn't say, "I want my kid to go to discovery." I want my kid to be challenged academically and have experience with a variety of people and backgrounds. My kid isn't some capital resource whose potential needs to be maximized in a hothouse atmosphere.

You are responding to a discussion of someone in south Arlington who wants their kid to be able to go to Discovery. That is the school they referenced repeatedly as wanting an opportunity to attend. Don't be obnoxious to people who assumed you intended to participate in the particular conversation you inserted yourself into.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PP's above nailed it all right. It is a whole different world in S.A schools.

I challenge any N.A. parent who disagrees to come to a S.A. school and check out the activities and PTA expenses. We are at a title I S.A. school. We have a little money to spend, but not much. And, we spend money on things like coat drives and basics for some of the families. Rather than after school enrichment, kids are taking extra SOL preps. Those who don't need it don't get access to enrichment those days because the school won't do anything unless ALL kids can do it.

Our classrooms are filled with old furniture. Our yard is weeds. All of our equipment in the class is old. We don't do plays or independent projects. Things are really basic here.

What would you like to see happen? Bus some of the poor kids from your neighborhood to schools in the north? Force some of the kids in the north to come south? Move option programs around? Share PTA money? Give an opportunity to transfer your kids to Jamestown?

Serious question.

Moving option schools around is the most realistic option, and the best, IMHO. It's non-coercive. The idea is to create integrated, desirable schools as an alternative to the segregated schools ... besides the value of the particular instructional model (immersion, montessori, expeditionary learning, etc.) it would give NA kids exposure to the increasingly diverse future they will have to navigate as adults; and it would give SA student a view of what high performing schools and peers are actually like, not to mention the immense resource that is a critical mass of engaged parents. The key is to make it more attractive than a neighborhood school for a range of families.

I think APS wanted to do that, to the extent that was politically possible. Unfortunately, it seems like NA parents put the kibosh on that, at least for the time being. For whatever self-interested reason, moving around option schools was squashed a month ago. SA doesn't have that kind of mojo so it's no point denying it was a north Arlington thing. Will be interesting to see if it reemerges in a year or two or if it's just dead.

First, N.A. families did not "put the kibosh" on the location review, that was suspended because the staff didn't have the bandwidth to move that process through properly while also dealing with all of the revisions of the CIP. Odds are they're going to at least try to reopen it before Reed opens, they've made that very clear.

Second, moving around option schools is only helpful to a very limited portion of the population, and helps them at the expense of those left behind. We've seen that in spades in S.A. already, where UMC families disproportionately opt out of their neighborhood schools for option programs and neighborhood transfers, leaving their neighborhood schools with even higher FARMS and ESOL percentages. Even with moving the schools around and taking other steps to make them more accessible, there is every reason to believe this trend will continue, even if to a lesser degree.

Why didn't staff have the bandwidth? Because north Arlington parents were dumping binders of their own analysis on the admin, telling them they were wrong about moving this school or that one? Of course they put the kibosh on it.

Were you asleep through the entire CIP process? The staff was working crazy hours just to meet those deadlines, there literally were no hours left to do the location review. Sure, the community (not just N.A., some S.A. people were well in the mix too) didn’t help by pressing them to do a more thorough analysis, but they still could have done it if the CIP hadn’t blown up the way it did, courtesy of 22204.

22204 here. You’re welcome. And get used to it.

You're targeting your bile at the wrong person, I'm not in a neighborhood that was hurt by that decision. Other less affluent communities were, though, so it's not a good look to be crowing about it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You people are so boring and predictable. You talk a good game about diversity when you think it’s a stepping stone to increasing your own real estate values, typically at someone else’s expense, and that’s about it.

I learned how to play that game from you. Don’t hate the player.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PP's above nailed it all right. It is a whole different world in S.A schools.

I challenge any N.A. parent who disagrees to come to a S.A. school and check out the activities and PTA expenses. We are at a title I S.A. school. We have a little money to spend, but not much. And, we spend money on things like coat drives and basics for some of the families. Rather than after school enrichment, kids are taking extra SOL preps. Those who don't need it don't get access to enrichment those days because the school won't do anything unless ALL kids can do it.

Our classrooms are filled with old furniture. Our yard is weeds. All of our equipment in the class is old. We don't do plays or independent projects. Things are really basic here.

What would you like to see happen? Bus some of the poor kids from your neighborhood to schools in the north? Force some of the kids in the north to come south? Move option programs around? Share PTA money? Give an opportunity to transfer your kids to Jamestown?

Serious question.

Moving option schools around is the most realistic option, and the best, IMHO. It's non-coercive. The idea is to create integrated, desirable schools as an alternative to the segregated schools ... besides the value of the particular instructional model (immersion, montessori, expeditionary learning, etc.) it would give NA kids exposure to the increasingly diverse future they will have to navigate as adults; and it would give SA student a view of what high performing schools and peers are actually like, not to mention the immense resource that is a critical mass of engaged parents. The key is to make it more attractive than a neighborhood school for a range of families.

I think APS wanted to do that, to the extent that was politically possible. Unfortunately, it seems like NA parents put the kibosh on that, at least for the time being. For whatever self-interested reason, moving around option schools was squashed a month ago. SA doesn't have that kind of mojo so it's no point denying it was a north Arlington thing. Will be interesting to see if it reemerges in a year or two or if it's just dead.

First, N.A. families did not "put the kibosh" on the location review, that was suspended because the staff didn't have the bandwidth to move that process through properly while also dealing with all of the revisions of the CIP. Odds are they're going to at least try to reopen it before Reed opens, they've made that very clear.

Second, moving around option schools is only helpful to a very limited portion of the population, and helps them at the expense of those left behind. We've seen that in spades in S.A. already, where UMC families disproportionately opt out of their neighborhood schools for option programs and neighborhood transfers, leaving their neighborhood schools with even higher FARMS and ESOL percentages. Even with moving the schools around and taking other steps to make them more accessible, there is every reason to believe this trend will continue, even if to a lesser degree.

Why didn't staff have the bandwidth? Because north Arlington parents were dumping binders of their own analysis on the admin, telling them they were wrong about moving this school or that one? Of course they put the kibosh on it.

Were you asleep through the entire CIP process? The staff was working crazy hours just to meet those deadlines, there literally were no hours left to do the location review. Sure, the community (not just N.A., some S.A. people were well in the mix too) didn’t help by pressing them to do a more thorough analysis, but they still could have done it if the CIP hadn’t blown up the way it did, courtesy of 22204.

22204 here. You’re welcome. And get used to it.

You're targeting your bile at the wrong person, I'm not in a neighborhood that was hurt by that decision. Other less affluent communities were, though, so it's not a good look to be crowing about it.

Oh, please. No “less affluent” neighborhood has been hurt.