Holding APS Leadership, Staff and School Board Accountable for the Boundary Mess

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think my SA neighborhood is lovely.

When we bought our house in 2005, we put in offers on several houses in north and south Arlington before finally getting a contract accepted. That it was in the Nottingham zone doesn’t mean we wouldn’t have happily taken one of the south Arlington houses we lost before it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think my SA neighborhood is lovely.

Enjoy it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think my SA neighborhood is lovely.

When we bought our house in 2005, we put in offers on several houses in north and south Arlington before finally getting a contract accepted. That it was in the Nottingham zone doesn’t mean we wouldn’t have happily taken one of the south Arlington houses we lost before it.

You can always move.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think my SA neighborhood is lovely.

Enjoy it.

Thanks!! I do

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think my SA neighborhood is lovely.

When we bought our house in 2005, we put in offers on several houses in north and south Arlington before finally getting a contract accepted. That it was in the Nottingham zone doesn’t mean we wouldn’t have happily taken one of the south Arlington houses we lost before it.

You can always move.

No thanks, we’ll stay here. This is our home, our kids’ home, and I’m not going to take us away from it just to satisfy your sense of justice. I’m comfortable with how we got here and that it wasn’t an attempt to avoid lower-income families.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You guys
If umc parents would just send their kids to schools
Like Randolph, we wouldn’t have 70%+ farms schools...
We’d have 64% farms schools!
Hooray! What a great solution!

#shiphassailed
#tankedbyAH

It might actually work if we allowed tracking....oh, but that's racist.

Indeed. much MUCH less racist to run screaming from majority ELL/poor schools.

"No no, that's not it. We moved to country club hills because it's pretty there and we like trees! Also, our commute into DC is 20 minutes instead of the 25 that it would be from South Arlington. That extra five minutes was the deal breaker!"

It’s funny to me that there are so many posts across various threads that imply that: A. all people who live in north Arlington weighed the pros and cons of living there vs. south Arlington, and B. made a morally suspect choice in choosing the north.

Why? Only a moron wouldn't wonder why the same house costs twice as much in NA. No one buys a house in either place with the intention of raising children without being aware of these differences. It's only morally suspect when NA parents tell SA parents to send their children to a segregated neighborhood schools they themselves wouldn't touch with a ten foot pole.

It's not much to wonder about. You can generally get larger/nicer houses in neighborhoods that are more attractive overall (more houses that have been improved, landscaped, etc., because people have the money for it) that have higher-ranked schools and are near higher-end retail. If you're not terribly familiar with the region when you buy and aren't digging too far into the underlying dynamics of the area, it's not hard to understand people making the decision to buy in NA rather than SA with a genuine ignorance of the segregation that exists.

Honestly, you can count on one hand the number of South Arlington neighborhoods that are, or will ever be, visually appealing. It’s no surprise that’s where the majority of low-income housing and low-performing schools is located.

Well, when south Arlington gets stuck with all the industrial complexes and sewage treatment plant, what would you expect it to look like? And NA doesn't want the Buck property to be for bus storage or anything like that (which would help with the transportation efficiency that they claim is so critical and cling to in order to insist upon walkability to their schools).

[Anonymous]

I lived in S. Arl. and moved to N.Arl. My kids were in the schools. I moved when I realized that there was a policy effort on the part of the Arlington County government and elites to concentrate poverty in my kids' school. I sought for my kids to attend a school that had a mix of children from different incomes and backgrounds. My kids were not the majority income or racial group at their school. That was a great experience. But the poverty rate increased year after year, and the academic quality was mediocre. I was told point blank by activists that my school was a place they were planning to concentrate even more affordable housing. I didn't sign up for that. I could afford to live elsewhere.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just have to say how I love that this post started out about how to hold the Staff and School Board accountable and devolved into a post blaming NA parents for the woes of the SA boundary process. A process NA had zero to do with.

NA bashing is getting so old, and clearly isn't getting SA anywhere.

I wouldn't say NA had NOTHING to do with it. It's the attitudes and perceptions that drove people to NA to avoid the "problem" and thereby exacerbated the situation. And NA pushback against APAH-like projects in THEIR neighborhoods, exacerbating the saturation of low-income housing in SA neighborhoods.

Kind of reaching here but I admire the effort to still blame NA!

OK, then. What has NA done to HELP?

What were we supposed to do?

Don't fight "weird" boundaries.
Don't insist on "contiguity" and no "islands" and "alignment"
Advocate for 30% seat set-asides for ED in all choice programs.
Push the CB and APAH and their colleagues for family unit CAFs north of Ballston, not just senior and studio CAFs.
Hard core push for a lot of multi-family CAFs along Lee Highway.
Strongly support geographical distribution and speak out loudly against more CAFs along Columbia Pike, especially the West End - neighborhoods where the neighborhood school FRL rates are already 50% and above.
Lobby the CB on housing; but acknowledge there are things a school system can do to mitigate impacts of existing housing and support those things regardless of how many buses it requires: Cambridge models for admissions, for example.
Start pushing some candidates from north Arlington who will push these things both on SB and CB.
Stop going along with the SB line that all Arlington schools are great and start insisting that they be EQUALLY great - and that that requires economically diverse student bodies.
Insist that APS and the community provide those wraparound services and programs they have at Carlin Springs to justify segregation at ALL schools so ALL students in need of them can get them easily regardless of where they live.
Stop calling SA parents who do these things racist, NIMBY, or just stupid or for not knowing what they were buying into or naive that they thought they could make a difference.
Stop telling SA parents who do these things to "just move" or "choice out."
Drew will have a lot of empty space next year - get a slew of NA families to transfer their kids into Drew.
STOP the CB from pushing MORE affordable housing in the new "Opportunity Zones" that are probably meant more for economic development; but APAH et al already have their sights on.
STOP the CB from using the Amazon "agreement" to focus all the AH in Crystal City, Pentagon City, "AND COLUMBIA PIKE." Oakridge could sustain more; but FAMILY sized AH (your Arington Mills, Columbia Hills-es, and Gilliam Places) need to go NORTH - perfect opportunity to distribute AH in Arlington and start creating it on Lee Hwy.

And remember, the question was what North Arlington could do/should have done - not what some individuals in north arlington could do. NORTH ARLINGTON needs to be a voice for all these things.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think my SA neighborhood is lovely.

When we bought our house in 2005, we put in offers on several houses in north and south Arlington before finally getting a contract accepted. That it was in the Nottingham zone doesn’t mean we wouldn’t have happily taken one of the south Arlington houses we lost before it.

You can always move.

No thanks, we’ll stay here. This is our home, our kids’ home, and I’m not going to take us away from it just to satisfy your sense of justice. I’m comfortable with how we got here and that it wasn’t an attempt to avoid lower-income families.

You would've sold the SA house and moved to NA anyway.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Omg. Just go to the neighborhood school. They are pretty damn good in Arlington, even the schools loaded with FARMS. The teachers are well trained, staff believes in smart practices, and they give an actual shit.

Spoken like a true NA parent, whose UMC kid has a large peer group, is challenged in school, and not paired off with the one or two other English speakers to read in the corner while everyone else crams for the SOLs

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I lived in S. Arl. and moved to N.Arl. My kids were in the schools. I moved when I realized that there was a policy effort on the part of the Arlington County government and elites to concentrate poverty in my kids' school. I sought for my kids to attend a school that had a mix of children from different incomes and backgrounds. My kids were not the majority income or racial group at their school. That was a great experience. But the poverty rate increased year after year, and the academic quality was mediocre. I was told point blank by activists that my school was a place they were planning to concentrate even more affordable housing. I didn't sign up for that. I could afford to live elsewhere.

Which activists?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just have to say how I love that this post started out about how to hold the Staff and School Board accountable and devolved into a post blaming NA parents for the woes of the SA boundary process. A process NA had zero to do with.

NA bashing is getting so old, and clearly isn't getting SA anywhere.

I wouldn't say NA had NOTHING to do with it. It's the attitudes and perceptions that drove people to NA to avoid the "problem" and thereby exacerbated the situation. And NA pushback against APAH-like projects in THEIR neighborhoods, exacerbating the saturation of low-income housing in SA neighborhoods.

Kind of reaching here but I admire the effort to still blame NA!

OK, then. What has NA done to HELP?

What were we supposed to do?

Don't fight "weird" boundaries.
Don't insist on "contiguity" and no "islands" and "alignment"
Advocate for 30% seat set-asides for ED in all choice programs.
Push the CB and APAH and their colleagues for family unit CAFs north of Ballston, not just senior and studio CAFs.
Hard core push for a lot of multi-family CAFs along Lee Highway.
Strongly support geographical distribution and speak out loudly against more CAFs along Columbia Pike, especially the West End - neighborhoods where the neighborhood school FRL rates are already 50% and above.
Lobby the CB on housing; but acknowledge there are things a school system can do to mitigate impacts of existing housing and support those things regardless of how many buses it requires: Cambridge models for admissions, for example.
Start pushing some candidates from north Arlington who will push these things both on SB and CB.
Stop going along with the SB line that all Arlington schools are great and start insisting that they be EQUALLY great - and that that requires economically diverse student bodies.
Insist that APS and the community provide those wraparound services and programs they have at Carlin Springs to justify segregation at ALL schools so ALL students in need of them can get them easily regardless of where they live.
Stop calling SA parents who do these things racist, NIMBY, or just stupid or for not knowing what they were buying into or naive that they thought they could make a difference.
Stop telling SA parents who do these things to "just move" or "choice out."
Drew will have a lot of empty space next year - get a slew of NA families to transfer their kids into Drew.
STOP the CB from pushing MORE affordable housing in the new "Opportunity Zones" that are probably meant more for economic development; but APAH et al already have their sights on.
STOP the CB from using the Amazon "agreement" to focus all the AH in Crystal City, Pentagon City, "AND COLUMBIA PIKE." Oakridge could sustain more; but FAMILY sized AH (your Arington Mills, Columbia Hills-es, and Gilliam Places) need to go NORTH - perfect opportunity to distribute AH in Arlington and start creating it on Lee Hwy.

And remember, the question was what North Arlington could do/should have done - not what some individuals in north arlington could do. NORTH ARLINGTON needs to be a voice for all these things.

I love you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just have to say how I love that this post started out about how to hold the Staff and School Board accountable and devolved into a post blaming NA parents for the woes of the SA boundary process. A process NA had zero to do with.

NA bashing is getting so old, and clearly isn't getting SA anywhere.

I wouldn't say NA had NOTHING to do with it. It's the attitudes and perceptions that drove people to NA to avoid the "problem" and thereby exacerbated the situation. And NA pushback against APAH-like projects in THEIR neighborhoods, exacerbating the saturation of low-income housing in SA neighborhoods.

Kind of reaching here but I admire the effort to still blame NA!

OK, then. What has NA done to HELP?

What were we supposed to do?

Don't fight "weird" boundaries.
Don't insist on "contiguity" and no "islands" and "alignment"
Advocate for 30% seat set-asides for ED in all choice programs.
Push the CB and APAH and their colleagues for family unit CAFs north of Ballston, not just senior and studio CAFs.
Hard core push for a lot of multi-family CAFs along Lee Highway.
Strongly support geographical distribution and speak out loudly against more CAFs along Columbia Pike, especially the West End - neighborhoods where the neighborhood school FRL rates are already 50% and above.
Lobby the CB on housing; but acknowledge there are things a school system can do to mitigate impacts of existing housing and support those things regardless of how many buses it requires: Cambridge models for admissions, for example.
Start pushing some candidates from north Arlington who will push these things both on SB and CB.
Stop going along with the SB line that all Arlington schools are great and start insisting that they be EQUALLY great - and that that requires economically diverse student bodies.
Insist that APS and the community provide those wraparound services and programs they have at Carlin Springs to justify segregation at ALL schools so ALL students in need of them can get them easily regardless of where they live.
Stop calling SA parents who do these things racist, NIMBY, or just stupid or for not knowing what they were buying into or naive that they thought they could make a difference.
Stop telling SA parents who do these things to "just move" or "choice out."
Drew will have a lot of empty space next year - get a slew of NA families to transfer their kids into Drew.
STOP the CB from pushing MORE affordable housing in the new "Opportunity Zones" that are probably meant more for economic development; but APAH et al already have their sights on.
STOP the CB from using the Amazon "agreement" to focus all the AH in Crystal City, Pentagon City, "AND COLUMBIA PIKE." Oakridge could sustain more; but FAMILY sized AH (your Arington Mills, Columbia Hills-es, and Gilliam Places) need to go NORTH - perfect opportunity to distribute AH in Arlington and start creating it on Lee Hwy.

And remember, the question was what North Arlington could do/should have done - not what some individuals in north arlington could do. NORTH ARLINGTON needs to be a voice for all these things.

This list sounds like it was written by someone who only started paying attention this fall and is repeating talking points they’ve heard without checking if they were factually accurate or logical.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just have to say how I love that this post started out about how to hold the Staff and School Board accountable and devolved into a post blaming NA parents for the woes of the SA boundary process. A process NA had zero to do with.

NA bashing is getting so old, and clearly isn't getting SA anywhere.

I wouldn't say NA had NOTHING to do with it. It's the attitudes and perceptions that drove people to NA to avoid the "problem" and thereby exacerbated the situation. And NA pushback against APAH-like projects in THEIR neighborhoods, exacerbating the saturation of low-income housing in SA neighborhoods.

Kind of reaching here but I admire the effort to still blame NA!

OK, then. What has NA done to HELP?

What were we supposed to do?

Don't fight "weird" boundaries.
Don't insist on "contiguity" and no "islands" and "alignment"
Advocate for 30% seat set-asides for ED in all choice programs.
Push the CB and APAH and their colleagues for family unit CAFs north of Ballston, not just senior and studio CAFs.
Hard core push for a lot of multi-family CAFs along Lee Highway.
Strongly support geographical distribution and speak out loudly against more CAFs along Columbia Pike, especially the West End - neighborhoods where the neighborhood school FRL rates are already 50% and above.
Lobby the CB on housing; but acknowledge there are things a school system can do to mitigate impacts of existing housing and support those things regardless of how many buses it requires: Cambridge models for admissions, for example.
Start pushing some candidates from north Arlington who will push these things both on SB and CB.
Stop going along with the SB line that all Arlington schools are great and start insisting that they be EQUALLY great - and that that requires economically diverse student bodies.
Insist that APS and the community provide those wraparound services and programs they have at Carlin Springs to justify segregation at ALL schools so ALL students in need of them can get them easily regardless of where they live.
Stop calling SA parents who do these things racist, NIMBY, or just stupid or for not knowing what they were buying into or naive that they thought they could make a difference.
Stop telling SA parents who do these things to "just move" or "choice out."
Drew will have a lot of empty space next year - get a slew of NA families to transfer their kids into Drew.
STOP the CB from pushing MORE affordable housing in the new "Opportunity Zones" that are probably meant more for economic development; but APAH et al already have their sights on.
STOP the CB from using the Amazon "agreement" to focus all the AH in Crystal City, Pentagon City, "AND COLUMBIA PIKE." Oakridge could sustain more; but FAMILY sized AH (your Arington Mills, Columbia Hills-es, and Gilliam Places) need to go NORTH - perfect opportunity to distribute AH in Arlington and start creating it on Lee Hwy.

And remember, the question was what North Arlington could do/should have done - not what some individuals in north arlington could do. NORTH ARLINGTON needs to be a voice for all these things.

This list sounds like it was written by someone who only started paying attention this fall and is repeating talking points they’ve heard without checking if they were factually accurate or logical.

This sounds like a NA homeowner trying to close off discussion. PP must've hit a nerve.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just have to say how I love that this post started out about how to hold the Staff and School Board accountable and devolved into a post blaming NA parents for the woes of the SA boundary process. A process NA had zero to do with.

NA bashing is getting so old, and clearly isn't getting SA anywhere.

I wouldn't say NA had NOTHING to do with it. It's the attitudes and perceptions that drove people to NA to avoid the "problem" and thereby exacerbated the situation. And NA pushback against APAH-like projects in THEIR neighborhoods, exacerbating the saturation of low-income housing in SA neighborhoods.

Kind of reaching here but I admire the effort to still blame NA!

OK, then. What has NA done to HELP?

What were we supposed to do?

Don't fight "weird" boundaries.
Don't insist on "contiguity" and no "islands" and "alignment"
Advocate for 30% seat set-asides for ED in all choice programs.
Push the CB and APAH and their colleagues for family unit CAFs north of Ballston, not just senior and studio CAFs.
Hard core push for a lot of multi-family CAFs along Lee Highway.
Strongly support geographical distribution and speak out loudly against more CAFs along Columbia Pike, especially the West End - neighborhoods where the neighborhood school FRL rates are already 50% and above.
Lobby the CB on housing; but acknowledge there are things a school system can do to mitigate impacts of existing housing and support those things regardless of how many buses it requires: Cambridge models for admissions, for example.
Start pushing some candidates from north Arlington who will push these things both on SB and CB.
Stop going along with the SB line that all Arlington schools are great and start insisting that they be EQUALLY great - and that that requires economically diverse student bodies.
Insist that APS and the community provide those wraparound services and programs they have at Carlin Springs to justify segregation at ALL schools so ALL students in need of them can get them easily regardless of where they live.
Stop calling SA parents who do these things racist, NIMBY, or just stupid or for not knowing what they were buying into or naive that they thought they could make a difference.
Stop telling SA parents who do these things to "just move" or "choice out."
Drew will have a lot of empty space next year - get a slew of NA families to transfer their kids into Drew.
STOP the CB from pushing MORE affordable housing in the new "Opportunity Zones" that are probably meant more for economic development; but APAH et al already have their sights on.
STOP the CB from using the Amazon "agreement" to focus all the AH in Crystal City, Pentagon City, "AND COLUMBIA PIKE." Oakridge could sustain more; but FAMILY sized AH (your Arington Mills, Columbia Hills-es, and Gilliam Places) need to go NORTH - perfect opportunity to distribute AH in Arlington and start creating it on Lee Hwy.

And remember, the question was what North Arlington could do/should have done - not what some individuals in north arlington could do. NORTH ARLINGTON needs to be a voice for all these things.

This list sounds like it was written by someone who only started paying attention this fall and is repeating talking points they’ve heard without checking if they were factually accurate or logical.

You couldn't be more wrong. So I won't bother to ask what you allege to be "factually" inaccurate - because you will likely be quite wrong again.