APS: Think the "no move" campaign is going to work?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maybe a dumb question but will MS boundaries be revised too? We are in the Ashlawn tail and my older child will be in 6th for 21-22.

They should adjust middle s hook boundaries, but they haven’t committed yet.

They just rezoned middle school for Hamm opening this year. They’ll look at them again in a few years, probably for moves before the 2024-25 school year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am APS staffer and was at the hearing last night to support some colleagues. I have to say that I am utterly shocked and disappointed in how the Key community reacted when someone dissed the planning staff. They were doing that silent knocking thing and waiving their signs every single time. That community is vile and I hope that the School Board moves them out of spite. I am also ashamed that a Key teacher is leading this charge. She needs to go!

If their goal is to erode general support for options programs in Arlington County... it's working.

Option parent here who supports the moves. Not all of us agree with what Key is doing. I'm appalled.

I hope you’ve written a letter of support. If the board decides to screw neighborhood school kids in favor of screaming option parents, it’s going to jeopardize any future option initiatives. People are already pissed off enough about HB.

Claremont folks should be advocating for the moves if they want to preserve support for Immersion. Key is making Immersion look terrible.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maybe a dumb question but will MS boundaries be revised too? We are in the Ashlawn tail and my older child will be in 6th for 21-22.

They should adjust middle s hook boundaries, but they haven’t committed yet.

They just rezoned middle school for Hamm opening this year. They’ll look at them again in a few years, probably for moves before the 2024-25 school year.

That will result in a MESS if they don’t adjust for 2022. The new boundaries are going to result in small pockets of kids who will go to a different middle school than their peers at their new elementary school. Think how awful it would be for your planning units to get moved to a new ES and then your planning unit is the only one zoned to a different middle school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maybe a dumb question but will MS boundaries be revised too? We are in the Ashlawn tail and my older child will be in 6th for 21-22.

They should adjust middle s hook boundaries, but they haven’t committed yet.

They just rezoned middle school for Hamm opening this year. They’ll look at them again in a few years, probably for moves before the 2024-25 school year.

That will result in a MESS if they don’t adjust for 2022. The new boundaries are going to result in small pockets of kids who will go to a different middle school than their peers at their new elementary school. Think how awful it would be for your planning units to get moved to a new ES and then your planning unit is the only one zoned to a different middle school.

When they draw the boundaries in the fall, one of the considerations will be how the elementary boundaries align with middle schools boundaries, to avoid just what you described. That’s how they always do it, it’s built in as one of the six guiding factors.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maybe a dumb question but will MS boundaries be revised too? We are in the Ashlawn tail and my older child will be in 6th for 21-22.

They should adjust middle s hook boundaries, but they haven’t committed yet.

They just rezoned middle school for Hamm opening this year. They’ll look at them again in a few years, probably for moves before the 2024-25 school year.

That will result in a MESS if they don’t adjust for 2022. The new boundaries are going to result in small pockets of kids who will go to a different middle school than their peers at their new elementary school. Think how awful it would be for your planning units to get moved to a new ES and then your planning unit is the only one zoned to a different middle school.

When they draw the boundaries in the fall, one of the considerations will be how the elementary boundaries align with middle schools boundaries, to avoid just what you described. That’s how they always do it, it’s built in as one of the six guiding factors.

They’ve already said they have to adjust MS boundaries. They didn’t account for the Montessori and Immersion MS programs at Gunston and they didn’t move enough planning units from Swanson to Hamm. I think they don’t want to wait 5 years to correct this mistake.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maybe a dumb question but will MS boundaries be revised too? We are in the Ashlawn tail and my older child will be in 6th for 21-22.

They should adjust middle s hook boundaries, but they haven’t committed yet.

They just rezoned middle school for Hamm opening this year. They’ll look at them again in a few years, probably for moves before the 2024-25 school year.

That will result in a MESS if they don’t adjust for 2022. The new boundaries are going to result in small pockets of kids who will go to a different middle school than their peers at their new elementary school. Think how awful it would be for your planning units to get moved to a new ES and then your planning unit is the only one zoned to a different middle school.

When they draw the boundaries in the fall, one of the considerations will be how the elementary boundaries align with middle schools boundaries, to avoid just what you described. That’s how they always do it, it’s built in as one of the six guiding factors.

Have you been through this before? It sounds like you have not. Yes alignment is supposed to be a factor but in reality it often is not prioritized and there are many examples of small pockets that are not aligned.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are plenty of arguments out there both for and against the moves, but saying that the PTAs of the schools NOT slated to move support the moves is silly. Of course they’re fine with it because they dodged the bullet. Wasn’t Nottingham originally supposed to be the neighborhood school that would be converted to an option school? I seem to recall a lot of opposition from Nottingham when the staff floated that idea!

It’s either Reed or McKinley and I don’t remember the save McKinley crowd offering up Reed... and the lottery only option schools don’t get to complain about location.

Reed was taken off the table by APS staff earlier citing bus parking challenges and walkability. There was no appealing their decision.

No, it was taken off the table when the board promised it would be a neighborhood school under pressure from the County board (especially John Vihstadt who should have kept out of it).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am APS staffer and was at the hearing last night to support some colleagues. I have to say that I am utterly shocked and disappointed in how the Key community reacted when someone dissed the planning staff. They were doing that silent knocking thing and waiving their signs every single time. That community is vile and I hope that the School Board moves them out of spite. I am also ashamed that a Key teacher is leading this charge. She needs to go!

If their goal is to erode general support for options programs in Arlington County... it's working.

Option parent here who supports the moves. Not all of us agree with what Key is doing. I'm appalled.

I hope you’ve written a letter of support. If the board decides to screw neighborhood school kids in favor of screaming option parents, it’s going to jeopardize any future option initiatives. People are already pissed off enough about HB.

Of course I did. I'm personally pissed at the Key folks who don't seem to get this reality.

I'm not sure what you mean about being pissed about HB. About what? HB was in a really old building and didn't want to move. But then when it became clear that HB needed to move to make way for a neighborhood school, HB accepted the move, and worked with staff on the new building. What is there to be pissed about? Would you rather HB had dug in like the Key folks are doing now?

People are pissed about the ridiculous amount of money spent (thereby limiting bonding capacity available for other needed school building projects)on an extravagantly designed school for what is essentially a private school for the lucky few able to attend and escape overcrowding. Long gone are the days when HB appealed to and served a certain type of student, which theoretically is its purpose.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maybe a dumb question but will MS boundaries be revised too? We are in the Ashlawn tail and my older child will be in 6th for 21-22.

They should adjust middle s hook boundaries, but they haven’t committed yet.

They just rezoned middle school for Hamm opening this year. They’ll look at them again in a few years, probably for moves before the 2024-25 school year.

That will result in a MESS if they don’t adjust for 2022. The new boundaries are going to result in small pockets of kids who will go to a different middle school than their peers at their new elementary school. Think how awful it would be for your planning units to get moved to a new ES and then your planning unit is the only one zoned to a different middle school.

When they draw the boundaries in the fall, one of the considerations will be how the elementary boundaries align with middle schools boundaries, to avoid just what you described. That’s how they always do it, it’s built in as one of the six guiding factors.

Have you been through this before? It sounds like you have not. Yes alignment is supposed to be a factor but in reality it often is not prioritized and there are many examples of small pockets that are not aligned.

Np, and yes I have been through it. They will likely wait to readjust boundaries to see what happens with immersion (if the program is shrinking for a year because of key moving, this would make readjusting boundaries at middle school less pressing).
Alignment is one of the things that they do try hard to maintain. There was only one pocket of parents that didn’t get their way last middle school boundary go around. It will be easy to see what they are thinking of for future middle school boundaries off of what they propose for elementary school.
Or maybe I’m giving aps staff too much credit...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am APS staffer and was at the hearing last night to support some colleagues. I have to say that I am utterly shocked and disappointed in how the Key community reacted when someone dissed the planning staff. They were doing that silent knocking thing and waiving their signs every single time. That community is vile and I hope that the School Board moves them out of spite. I am also ashamed that a Key teacher is leading this charge. She needs to go!

If their goal is to erode general support for options programs in Arlington County... it's working.

Option parent here who supports the moves. Not all of us agree with what Key is doing. I'm appalled.

I hope you’ve written a letter of support. If the board decides to screw neighborhood school kids in favor of screaming option parents, it’s going to jeopardize any future option initiatives. People are already pissed off enough about HB.

Of course I did. I'm personally pissed at the Key folks who don't seem to get this reality.

I'm not sure what you mean about being pissed about HB. About what? HB was in a really old building and didn't want to move. But then when it became clear that HB needed to move to make way for a neighborhood school, HB accepted the move, and worked with staff on the new building. What is there to be pissed about? Would you rather HB had dug in like the Key folks are doing now?

People are pissed about the ridiculous amount of money spent (thereby limiting bonding capacity available for other needed school building projects)on an extravagantly designed school for what is essentially a private school for the lucky few able to attend and escape overcrowding. Long gone are the days when HB appealed to and served a certain type of student, which theoretically is its purpose.

Which has nothing to do with the elementary option location decision, but do go on being utterly self-absorbed.

-DP

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am APS staffer and was at the hearing last night to support some colleagues. I have to say that I am utterly shocked and disappointed in how the Key community reacted when someone dissed the planning staff. They were doing that silent knocking thing and waiving their signs every single time. That community is vile and I hope that the School Board moves them out of spite. I am also ashamed that a Key teacher is leading this charge. She needs to go!

If their goal is to erode general support for options programs in Arlington County... it's working.

Option parent here who supports the moves. Not all of us agree with what Key is doing. I'm appalled.

I hope you’ve written a letter of support. If the board decides to screw neighborhood school kids in favor of screaming option parents, it’s going to jeopardize any future option initiatives. People are already pissed off enough about HB.

Of course I did. I'm personally pissed at the Key folks who don't seem to get this reality.

I'm not sure what you mean about being pissed about HB. About what? HB was in a really old building and didn't want to move. But then when it became clear that HB needed to move to make way for a neighborhood school, HB accepted the move, and worked with staff on the new building. What is there to be pissed about? Would you rather HB had dug in like the Key folks are doing now?

People are pissed about the ridiculous amount of money spent (thereby limiting bonding capacity available for other needed school building projects)on an extravagantly designed school for what is essentially a private school for the lucky few able to attend and escape overcrowding. Long gone are the days when HB appealed to and served a certain type of student, which theoretically is its purpose.

Which has nothing to do with the elementary option location decision, but do go on being utterly self-absorbed.

-DP

Which has everything to do with the Elem option locations because the high cost and limited size of HB affects our county wide bond capacity to help the other 98% of students who are not going to HB.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am APS staffer and was at the hearing last night to support some colleagues. I have to say that I am utterly shocked and disappointed in how the Key community reacted when someone dissed the planning staff. They were doing that silent knocking thing and waiving their signs every single time. That community is vile and I hope that the School Board moves them out of spite. I am also ashamed that a Key teacher is leading this charge. She needs to go!

If their goal is to erode general support for options programs in Arlington County... it's working.

Option parent here who supports the moves. Not all of us agree with what Key is doing. I'm appalled.

I hope you’ve written a letter of support. If the board decides to screw neighborhood school kids in favor of screaming option parents, it’s going to jeopardize any future option initiatives. People are already pissed off enough about HB.

Of course I did. I'm personally pissed at the Key folks who don't seem to get this reality.

I'm not sure what you mean about being pissed about HB. About what? HB was in a really old building and didn't want to move. But then when it became clear that HB needed to move to make way for a neighborhood school, HB accepted the move, and worked with staff on the new building. What is there to be pissed about? Would you rather HB had dug in like the Key folks are doing now?

People are pissed about the ridiculous amount of money spent (thereby limiting bonding capacity available for other needed school building projects)on an extravagantly designed school for what is essentially a private school for the lucky few able to attend and escape overcrowding. Long gone are the days when HB appealed to and served a certain type of student, which theoretically is its purpose.

Which has nothing to do with the elementary option location decision, but do go on being utterly self-absorbed.

-DP

Which has everything to do with the Elem option locations because the high cost and limited size of HB affects our county wide bond capacity to help the other 98% of students who are not going to HB.

None of which can change now, so there’s no variable there to consider in elementary planning. It’s over, move on.

And no, I’m not an HB parent. We didn’t even enter our current 5th grader in the lottery.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maybe a dumb question but will MS boundaries be revised too? We are in the Ashlawn tail and my older child will be in 6th for 21-22.

They should adjust middle s hook boundaries, but they haven’t committed yet.

They just rezoned middle school for Hamm opening this year. They’ll look at them again in a few years, probably for moves before the 2024-25 school year.

That will result in a MESS if they don’t adjust for 2022. The new boundaries are going to result in small pockets of kids who will go to a different middle school than their peers at their new elementary school. Think how awful it would be for your planning units to get moved to a new ES and then your planning unit is the only one zoned to a different middle school.

Ashlawn currently goes to Swanson and Kenmore. Then Swanson goes to W-L and Yorktown. Some kids in Boulevard Manor go from Kenmore to Yorktown currently and I imagine it’s a bit of a culture shock in addition to having their friends mixed up every few years. So yeah, it would suck, but it’s already happening all over the county.

[Anonymous]

Yeah, my kids are at Ashlawn and zoned for Swanson. But since we’re in the ‘tail’, if the ES for my younger child switches to Glebe or ASFS or something, wondering if the MS for older DC would change too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yeah, my kids are at Ashlawn and zoned for Swanson. But since we’re in the ‘tail’, if the ES for my younger child switches to Glebe or ASFS or something, wondering if the MS for older DC would change too.

I would assume if the “tail” gets moved to ASFS then that would feed to Hamm so your older kid would switch from Swanson to Hamm depending on what they choose to do w grandfathering.