Specifically on-topic contributors to the Drew boundary issue only please -

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are literally six public schools closer to Columbia Forest than Drew Model School: Abingdon, Barcroft, Campbell, Carlin Springs, Claremont & Randolph. (For that matter, according to Google Maps, even Henry is closer at 2.2 miles away vice 2.5 miles to Drew Model![i]) So tell me why Columbia Forest kids should go to Drew, while neighborhood kids 7/10th a mile away will not?

Campbell and Claremont aren’t neighborhood schools. You could have had a decent argument there but instead you tanked your credibility by including them.

I know they aren't neighborhood schools - I know exactly which schools are lottery schools and which aren't. But why should my kids be denied the ability to attend any of seven schools closer to them geographically? Give us a choice....

First, proximity doesn't give you priority for choice schools, nor should it. That's a lousy argument. Second, how did we get from six to seven? What's the seventh school?

Henry. The 7th school is Henry. It's in my original post above.

And Henry will also be an option school to which you shouldn’t have priority unless you also support ATS becoming a North Arlington-only option (because proximity).

Look, I think the Drew borders are garbage, but making garbage arguments in response isn’t helpful. It just mkes it easier for the staff to dismiss you.

o

While I always appreciate feedback, I would point out that I haven’t called your opinions or arguments “garbage” and would appreciate it if you did the same. I fundamentally object to the way the options schools take up otherwise good space for neighborhood schools. My suggestion to the school board is to move Claremont to Drew. I don’t believe the options schools are spread out evenly. I have many issues with the proposal.

At any rate, thanks again for your feedback and for the opportunity to clarify my thoughts on the matter.

[Anonymous]

True, and I’m not even saying some of those planning units shouldn’t have to leave Henry. But Henry did agree to move and it agreed under a promise. That’s all. Things have changed and I get it. Henry isn’t “special.” But also Henry isn’t racist. If you’ve been there, if you knew the people, you would know how untrue and offensive that is. That’s all. It bothers me a lot that people are acting like it is. I also think it’s unfair to assume the desire to keep Henry’s most diverse planning units reeks of white privilege. Henry wants the 50 percent FARM to keep diversity. Drew wants them to reduce it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No posts were deleted. That poster or posters are spewing falsehoods.

I think some people may not realize Facebook has made it easier to see what comments people have liked in a group as well as what they’ve actually posted. If you’ “like” a comment by someone else that they don’t want their kid moved to Drew because the parents there don’t have as many resources as the parents at Henry/Fleet, I’m going to assume you feel the same way.

Sorry-but I just went through all 84 posts and no post says anything about the parents at drew having fewer resources than henry/fleet parents. Not one.

It was a different thread, the call for civility on boundaries.

Sigh. Again went through all the posts in that thread and again there’s nothing of what you say. In fact, the author was speaking about a PTA meeting at OAKRIDGE. SOme people at that meeting were disparaging thE rezoning to Hoffman-Boston. I know this doesn’t fit your hate Henry narrative, but I’m getting tired of having to correct all your untruths.

There was more than one meeting at more than one school discussed. But like I said, I’m talking about who liked the comments, not just who said them. If you “like” a comment, I will assume you agree with it.

The second meeting the poster added was the school board meeting last Thursday night. A military mom from LONG BRIDGE spoke and didn’t want to be rezoned from LONG BRIDGE. The poster felt that his school (Hoffman Boston) was disrespected by that.

Again, please stop making things up. You are not winning hearts and minds this way. How about you focus on the wonderful things at DREW. I can help you because my son went there (and yes on the graded side):
-Drew has some of the most caring and dedicated APS teachers. I could text one teacher at 10 pm for help and she always helped me. This group of teachers also does the SOL video that’s been in the news the last few years.
-the music program is AMAZING. They consistently win choral competitions . Go look at all the trophies in the office. The kids will bring tears to your eyes when they sing.
-beautiful rooftop peace garden and LOTS of play areas for kids

Really, the only problem drew had when my son was there was lack of leadership. One principal was arrested for DUI, another quit after a year, etc. with the new principal I have no doubt that drew will go the way of Hoffman Boston.

But really, please stop your hate campaign.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think unless you also live in Columbia Heights and see how we are being used as pawns by both sides it is hard to understand why a lot of us are frustrated. Besides the other talking points Henry, understandably, wants to keep our PUs because we provide a lot of their diversity. Yet we are needed by Drew to provide a different type of diversity.

Btw, the worst thing I saw anyone say on those two AEM threads is “Don’t use my children as your social engineering experiment.” Would I have said it, no. That poster definitely shouldn’t have been so defensive but this is a tough situation for all of us who will potentially be moved (not just Henry parents).

I agree that the neighborhood is the victim of a crappy push-pull and I’m sorry for that. It sucks the way neighborhoods are pitted against one another. It’s obvious that Drew advocates want your neighborhood because it’s oretty much the only realistic solution (and kind of a half solution at that). I’ve seen the “keep our diversity” point too, though it’s actually incorrect based on the numbers. Columbia Heights is about 1/3 fr/l by the Staff’s numbers, i.e., the same as Henry’s overall numbers. CH doesn’t add to or subtract from Henry’s diversity.

I live in Nauck and there are many of us who want CH yes for your diversity (in the other sense), but also because we’d like to build a community at Drew and have it include the areas closer to us than Columbia Forest, who we also consider neighbors. We don’t think you’re racist. I doubt anyone could truthfully say they wouldn’t consider doing the same as you all if roles were reversed. Not sure if this makes you feel any better, but do understand that lots of us see this lousy situation for what it is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think unless you also live in Columbia Heights and see how we are being used as pawns by both sides it is hard to understand why a lot of us are frustrated. Besides the other talking points Henry, understandably, wants to keep our PUs because we provide a lot of their diversity. Yet we are needed by Drew to provide a different type of diversity.

Btw, the worst thing I saw anyone say on those two AEM threads is “Don’t use my children as your social engineering experiment.” Would I have said it, no. That poster definitely shouldn’t have been so defensive but this is a tough situation for all of us who will potentially be moved (not just Henry parents).

I agree that the neighborhood is the victim of a crappy push-pull and I’m sorry for that. It sucks the way neighborhoods are pitted against one another. It’s obvious that Drew advocates want your neighborhood because it’s oretty much the only realistic solution (and kind of a half solution at that). I’ve seen the “keep our diversity” point too, though it’s actually incorrect based on the numbers. Columbia Heights is about 1/3 fr/l by the Staff’s numbers, i.e., the same as Henry’s overall numbers. CH doesn’t add to or subtract from Henry’s diversity.

I live in Nauck and there are many of us who want CH yes for your diversity (in the other sense), but also because we’d like to build a community at Drew and have it include the areas closer to us than Columbia Forest, who we also consider neighbors. We don’t think you’re racist. I doubt anyone could truthfully say they wouldn’t consider doing the same as you all if roles were reversed. Not sure if this makes you feel any better, but do understand that lots of us see this lousy situation for what it is.

Thank you for your reasonable and kind post. I’m sorry to say that I haven’t quite heard the same community-oriented sentiment from your neighbors. Hopefully that will change depending on how things play out.

I think we all agre this is the time for APS to “sell” Drew and get the new community really invested in and excited about it. I hope that isn’t a missed opportunity regardless of who is zoned there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Fine let Drew be significantly under enrolled. And give them tons of money. Tax the hell out of 22207 etc.
Let everyone keep crowding into the same few schools. Fine.

Well, isn't it the case that APS essentially built a new school for the Patrick Henry parents who had crowded their old school by avoiding neighborhing ones? There was no change to the Patrick Henry boundary. They simply gave Patrick Henry a brand new, bigger building. How is that equitable? The wraparound services described above to the poorest schools would cost a lot less than building Fleet did.

Sorry, how is buying a house within an established boundary - as you pointed out, it did not change - “crowding” a school and avoiding neighborhood schools? Henry isn’t an option school where anyone is avoiding another school. People like the school and want to live within its boundaries. A lesson for APS to consider when refocusing on Drew and other high FARMs schools.

I mean, I get it, you all despise Henry parents but let’s not be ridiculous here with our commentary. It’s not always about avoiding another school.

Sure it is avoiding another school, but let's be clear, there's no such thing as an "established" boundary; they have changed numerous times over the year and need to in order to accommodate uneven growth of the kind we're talking about. Here's a thought experiment: should Henry's boundary never change? What if the large apartment building on glebe, behind the 7-11, was doubled in density, and that crazy telephone switching building behind the draft house became a 500 unit affordable housing tower? Would the Henry boundary remain the same then? Or would it be okay to send AH kids to neighboring schools that were at or below capacity?,

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No posts were deleted. That poster or posters are spewing falsehoods.

I think some people may not realize Facebook has made it easier to see what comments people have liked in a group as well as what they’ve actually posted. If you’ “like” a comment by someone else that they don’t want their kid moved to Drew because the parents there don’t have as many resources as the parents at Henry/Fleet, I’m going to assume you feel the same way.

Sorry-but I just went through all 84 posts and no post says anything about the parents at drew having fewer resources than henry/fleet parents. Not one.

It was a different thread, the call for civility on boundaries.

Sigh. Again went through all the posts in that thread and again there’s nothing of what you say. In fact, the author was speaking about a PTA meeting at OAKRIDGE. SOme people at that meeting were disparaging thE rezoning to Hoffman-Boston. I know this doesn’t fit your hate Henry narrative, but I’m getting tired of having to correct all your untruths.

There was more than one meeting at more than one school discussed. But like I said, I’m talking about who liked the comments, not just who said them. If you “like” a comment, I will assume you agree with it.

The second meeting the poster added was the school board meeting last Thursday night. A military mom from LONG BRIDGE spoke and didn’t want to be rezoned from LONG BRIDGE. The poster felt that his school (Hoffman Boston) was disrespected by that.

Again, please stop making things up. You are not winning hearts and minds this way. How about you focus on the wonderful things at DREW. I can help you because my son went there (and yes on the graded side):
-Drew has some of the most caring and dedicated APS teachers. I could text one teacher at 10 pm for help and she always helped me. This group of teachers also does the SOL video that’s been in the news the last few years.
-the music program is AMAZING. They consistently win choral competitions . Go look at all the trophies in the office. The kids will bring tears to your eyes when they sing.
-beautiful rooftop peace garden and LOTS of play areas for kids

Really, the only problem drew had when my son was there was lack of leadership. One principal was arrested for DUI, another quit after a year, etc. with the new principal I have no doubt that drew will go the way of Hoffman Boston.

But really, please stop your hate campaign.

It was a different thread entirely, older than that one.

[Anonymous]

The School Board makes all sorts of promises. They are not to be believed. I remember years ago told Barcroft that they were not going to put on an addition and then turned around over the summer and tried to do exactly that. That's actually what lead to Fleet being built to begin with. The School Board had to answer for the way it tried to pull a fast one on the Hispanic community at Barcroft and Randolph--no community input, no translation. Sort of like what they are doing to Drew. First, they cut your school in half, so virtually no one has a stake in who attends, and then they will justify ignoring you because you can't wage an Arlington Forest type T shirt battle with both hands tied behind your back.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ugh, I think it's entirely fair for people to have mixed feelings and strong emotions about all of this.

I know people don't believe this, but the Henry community decided not to fight the move to Fleet due in large part to APS' promise that it would keep the Henry boundaries. Everyone knew by giving up its central location the south of the Pike sections were more likely to get cut off, and no one wanted that to happen. The assumption was that the people wanting to get into the new school would be the people N of 50 and the northern part of Alcova Heights, both assumed to be richer, whiter neighborhoods.

Henry was a Title 1 school not too long ago. It's a wonderful diverse community. People wanted to keep that. That's what the keep Henry together stuff is about.

You can hate on it all you want, but that's the truth. No one said, "Let's screw over Drew." That was never the intention.

Personally, I was dismayed to see the proposal for Drew. But I also feel badly for the Henry families that might get bumped when it moves to Fleet, because they love their school, and want to stay there. And I'm tired of people assuming all the Henry families who feel this way are racist.

Here's the thing: numerous people have pointed out that this area S of the Pike isn't providing Henry with economic diversity any longer. There are 3 PUs that border the Drew boundary that have fewer than 10 students on fr/l, and there are only 39 students on fr/l in the other two combined. Maybe this neighborhood once provided your diversity, but it doesn't any longer. Meanwhile, these PUs would provide Drew with a contiguous and more proximate boundary that incorporated more SFHs and the families with resources who live there. The Columbia Forest PUs have many more students on fr/l than the ones from the Henry adjacent PUs, they are much further away, and it's really debatable whether the current proposal even displays a contiguous boundary.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think unless you also live in Columbia Heights and see how we are being used as pawns by both sides it is hard to understand why a lot of us are frustrated. Besides the other talking points Henry, understandably, wants to keep our PUs because we provide a lot of their diversity. Yet we are needed by Drew to provide a different type of diversity.

Btw, the worst thing I saw anyone say on those two AEM threads is “Don’t use my children as your social engineering experiment.” Would I have said it, no. That poster definitely shouldn’t have been so defensive but this is a tough situation for all of us who will potentially be moved (not just Henry parents).

I agree that the neighborhood is the victim of a crappy push-pull and I’m sorry for that. It sucks the way neighborhoods are pitted against one another. It’s obvious that Drew advocates want your neighborhood because it’s oretty much the only realistic solution (and kind of a half solution at that). I’ve seen the “keep our diversity” point too, though it’s actually incorrect based on the numbers. Columbia Heights is about 1/3 fr/l by the Staff’s numbers, i.e., the same as Henry’s overall numbers. CH doesn’t add to or subtract from Henry’s diversity.

I live in Nauck and there are many of us who want CH yes for your diversity (in the other sense), but also because we’d like to build a community at Drew and have it include the areas closer to us than Columbia Forest, who we also consider neighbors. We don’t think you’re racist. I doubt anyone could truthfully say they wouldn’t consider doing the same as you all if roles were reversed. Not sure if this makes you feel any better, but do understand that lots of us see this lousy situation for what it is.

+!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The School Board makes all sorts of promises. They are not to be believed. I remember years ago told Barcroft that they were not going to put on an addition and then turned around over the summer and tried to do exactly that. That's actually what lead to Fleet being built to begin with. The School Board had to answer for the way it tried to pull a fast one on the Hispanic community at Barcroft and Randolph--no community input, no translation. Sort of like what they are doing to Drew. First, they cut your school in half, so virtually no one has a stake in who attends, and then they will justify ignoring you because you can't wage an Arlington Forest type T shirt battle with both hands tied behind your back.

This. I have, in writing, a promise from a SB member that if our option school became neighborhood, all current students would be allowed to stay. Patently untrue, as it is against policy. SB members need to stop writing checks they can't cash. Especially when they make those promises behind the backs of other SB members, and may no longer be in office when their promises come due.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The School Board makes all sorts of promises. They are not to be believed. I remember years ago told Barcroft that they were not going to put on an addition and then turned around over the summer and tried to do exactly that. That's actually what lead to Fleet being built to begin with. The School Board had to answer for the way it tried to pull a fast one on the Hispanic community at Barcroft and Randolph--no community input, no translation. Sort of like what they are doing to Drew. First, they cut your school in half, so virtually no one has a stake in who attends, and then they will justify ignoring you because you can't wage an Arlington Forest type T shirt battle with both hands tied behind your back.

This. I have, in writing, a promise from a SB member that if our option school became neighborhood, all current students would be allowed to stay. Patently untrue, as it is against policy. SB members need to stop writing checks they can't cash. Especially when they make those promises behind the backs of other SB members, and may no longer be in office when their promises come due.

Which school board member promised this about which option school, and when did they say it?

[Anonymous]

What option school has become neighborhood?

Montessori is moving with its students.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ugh, I think it's entirely fair for people to have mixed feelings and strong emotions about all of this.

I know people don't believe this, but the Henry community decided not to fight the move to Fleet due in large part to APS' promise that it would keep the Henry boundaries. Everyone knew by giving up its central location the south of the Pike sections were more likely to get cut off, and no one wanted that to happen. The assumption was that the people wanting to get into the new school would be the people N of 50 and the northern part of Alcova Heights, both assumed to be richer, whiter neighborhoods.

Henry was a Title 1 school not too long ago. It's a wonderful diverse community. People wanted to keep that. That's what the keep Henry together stuff is about.

You can hate on it all you want, but that's the truth. No one said, "Let's screw over Drew." That was never the intention.

Personally, I was dismayed to see the proposal for Drew. But I also feel badly for the Henry families that might get bumped when it moves to Fleet, because they love their school, and want to stay there. And I'm tired of people assuming all the Henry families who feel this way are racist.

Here's the thing: numerous people have pointed out that this area S of the Pike isn't providing Henry with economic diversity any longer. There are 3 PUs that border the Drew boundary that have fewer than 10 students on fr/l, and there are only 39 students on fr/l in the other two combined. Maybe this neighborhood once provided your diversity, but it doesn't any longer. Meanwhile, these PUs would provide Drew with a contiguous and more proximate boundary that incorporated more SFHs and the families with resources who live there. The Columbia Forest PUs have many more students on fr/l than the ones from the Henry adjacent PUs, they are much further away, and it's really debatable whether the current proposal even displays a contiguous

Which PUs specifically are you referencing? In my PU, FRL is fully 65% of the 2019-20 student tally (15/23). I know it is at least one of the ones you cite, but what are the others?

[Anonymous]

The Henry PUs S of the Pike are 46120 (55 students/12 fr/l), 46011 (19/1-9), 46130 (21/1-9), 46133 (25/1-9), 46131 (28/1-9), and 46132 (23/15). 15 out of 23 is diverse. But if they don't send your 23, they will send the 23 in the Columbia Forest PU 37071, where 23 outl of 23 students is on fr/l. See the difference?