Question on APE (or other APS related groups)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, get involved in your school. Volunteer, PTA.

The online parent groups don’t do much except complain.

This.
AEM and Smart Restart are more on the conservative side in terms of accepting risk for COVID, APE is more of the mindset that COVID is endemic at this point and shouldn't disrupt education further. I kind of lean towards the APE side in terms of COVID -- I don't care either way towards masks, everyone in my family wears them when out of the house, but we still do indoor sports and I let my kids play woodwind instruments because everyone in my family is vaccinated and boosted. I kind of am pro-voucher since I think it would have forced schools to stay open last year, and I think competition in anything is generally a good thing.
I'm a member of all three sites, but just use them as a way to stay informed.

That doesn’t make any sense. At all.

Is this how APE is going to pivot to supporting vouchers?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Honestly I wish all these groups would direct energy to the elephant in the room problem:!the desperate need for a 4th comprehensive high school. If you are new to APS, that is what you should be paying attention to.

APS tried that but it was scuttled by the parents whose kids would actually attend. What alternative proposal do you have for a fourth comprehensive high school?

No they planned a half-baked school, in “central arl” without pool or football field. So 2nd class school compared to other 3. They have NEVER put forth a full comprehensive school, and the Kenmore site is the place to do it.

A third school on the same site using that same tiny driveway? You’re joking, right?

They talked about access from Fairfax side. What is your alternative? 5000 student WL and Wakefield?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Honestly I wish all these groups would direct energy to the elephant in the room problem:!the desperate need for a 4th comprehensive high school. If you are new to APS, that is what you should be paying attention to.

APS tried that but it was scuttled by the parents whose kids would actually attend. What alternative proposal do you have for a fourth comprehensive high school?

No they planned a half-baked school, in “central arl” without pool or football field. So 2nd class school compared to other 3. They have NEVER put forth a full comprehensive school, and the Kenmore site is the place to do it.

+1
BINGO!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a member of all three groups, AEM, APE and Smart Restart. I agree with bits of each, but all of none. I want schools open but with strong evidence-based safety measures. That aligns with no one.

I don't think teacher or principals should be allowed or expected to come up with their own Covid safety policies. Long ago APS should have hired a respected consultant with the appropriate background to make fact based recommendations. Instead, APS puts half baked measures in place, then lets teachers be scared silly by Smart Restart that APS's plans are insufficient, and then tries to close because people have no confidence that APS will keep teachers or students safe. It's ridiculous.

I also think all of the above was so distracting last year that APS dropped the ball on actually teaching students. It's like the administration (both central and my kids' principals) don't actually care if kids are on grade level or learning. Many teachers did their best. Some took cues from APS administrators that they didn't need to really teach last year because we were in a pandemic and we could just catch kids up later. It's a mixed bag and people's opinion of APS varies wildly on whether your kid won the teacher lotto and/or adapted well to online learning.

AEM is a Facebook group. A core group of 50 constant posters, many of whom are pretty ideologically extreme (and from Smart Restart - see below). There's a ton of lurkers though on that site.

APE is a lobbying organization with 1,000 members. They were like President Biden and U.S Secretary Cardona and wanted schools open last school year. Now they lobby on other education issues too.

Smart Restart is around 10 to 20 people (very affluent and white), and pushes COVID Zero policies that no serious scientist thinks is possible and only hurt underprivileged kids the most. They're for masks forever and were for shutting down sports in January (only 1 of 133 school districts in VA to do so), with non-masking breaks when cases hit a minute level only to snap back as soon as soon as they go back to any small amount. They often act as a front for the teachers union (one of their leaders is also the leader of the teachers union). If you want your kindergartner in masks until they graduate high school, this is your organization.

OP, grain of salt needed reading PP above.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m new to APS and just kind of joined every education group I could to get up to speed on WTF is going on with the district. (Best district in the area? Failing district going downhill? It’s so hard to tell based on who you talk to!)

If you are part of APE, in particular— do you align with some of the more strident conservative voices? I’m in favor of keeping kids in schools. I think a meaningful equity strategy can’t be predicated on changing grading practices. I want textbooks. I agree, in principle, with many of the things they have pushed for publicly— but their online presence makes me VERY uncomfortable. I can’t tell if a couple people post ridiculous things and no one else engages with them bc it’s not worth it, or because everyone agrees.

I don’t really feel at home on AEM, though, either. It feels like there’s a lot of history or other tensions percolating that I don’t have historical context on — and where, for example, questioning the approach to the APS equity proposal wouldn’t be welcomed. But maybe I’m wrong on that.

Is there a middle ground somewhere? Is that the Smart Restart group? Or just like… the school PTA? I need like the remedial education breakdown of the social dynamics of these groups. I’m clearly terrible at parsing it myself.

OP, sounds like you are parsing pretty well.
AEM used to be a more useful forum for asking questions and getting answers about anything school related. Over the past few years, it has entrenched itself as an echo chamber of self-righteous,most politically-correct voices who are very quick -- very, very quick -- to accuse, chastise, belittle, and mock anyone who offers a different point of view or is interpreted as taking a different view even when they aren't. They are not keen on nuance and like to make every opposing viewpoint a matter of racism, classism, white privilege. It is highly unfortunate because it used to be a good place for getting answers to questions (now it seems just a place to post articles and statements on "issues"), to discuss, and to learn. There are still the occasional "hey does anybody know how I..." questions that are useful. But you have to be extremely careful how you word anything and hope to avoid unwarranted accusations and belligerent responses. You are absolutely right about questioning APS' equity policies - or anything about any teacher - on that forum. Do so at risk of your own peril (being pegged as a racist or Trumper or anti-teacher or privileged if your name makes you white).

We've been in APS for 12 years. We have experienced a notable decline in the quality of education overall. There are still some outstanding teachers; but overall APS' leadership has decided to adopt an incorrect view and approach toward "equity" which instead lowers expectations of students and favors the least common denominator, rather than maintaining highest standards and expectations and motivating all students to the top. Leadership's allowance of school-by-school decision-making and resulting inconsistencies across schools; new initiative after new initiative poorly implemented with utter lack of guidance and without proper training of teachers and staff; haphazard implementation of 1:1 digital device program that lacked any forethought whatsoever about how the devices would actually be used in instruction - even after 7 years since implementation; and a school board that lacks any substance or willingness to actually lead; failure to properly plan and prepare for growth and unwillingness to push the County Board to effectively provide sufficient facilities....all these things (and more) have contributed to the rapid decline we've seen. We have been very unimpressed, rather disappointed, with certain subject area curricula - notably English (general and intensified levels with very limited quantity of reading and writing) and some elective classes in which the substance seems weak and/or irrelevant to the topic or very much not what one would have expected such a class to consist of. This is mainly at the high school level. Even though middle school could have done more in the writing department, I think what my kids had to do there was more substantial than what they've been doing in high school so far.

I don't follow or belong to either APE or Smart Restart. My impression is that the animosity from AEM toward APE in particular is probably improperly over-generalized. I've seen some of their newsletters and reports on school board meetings and see them (as a group) following a wide range of issues and concerns closely and reporting fairly thoroughly on them. You can take what you want from what they say. Unlike others here and on AEM, I've never picked up on the individual names and determined their affiliations with respective groups. I just know there are a-holes on both ends of the spectrum who spew rudeness toward the other side and it has inhibited a lot of reasonable, moderate folks from participating and many have stopped contributing or even following.

My personal advice would be: be active in your own kids' activities and talk with their teachers, participate in the PTA, follow issues only to the level it doesn't stress you out unnecessarily because ultimately it won't matter. Ignorance is bliss. If you're not satisfied with what you're seeing, work with your individual teachers and school admin. If your kids just aren't getting what they need, private or move or supplement at home. That's the Arlington Way.

[Anonymous]

Most folks in APE seem to be moderate Dems and independents (pre-Trump Republicans) who choose to ignore the few loud-mouthed conservatives.

Agree with a PP that the APE FB page is more informative than AEM - which is a toxic cesspool. And Smart Restart has some passionate folks, but weirdly secretive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a member of all three groups, AEM, APE and Smart Restart. I agree with bits of each, but all of none. I want schools open but with strong evidence-based safety measures. That aligns with no one.

I don't think teacher or principals should be allowed or expected to come up with their own Covid safety policies. Long ago APS should have hired a respected consultant with the appropriate background to make fact based recommendations. Instead, APS puts half baked measures in place, then lets teachers be scared silly by Smart Restart that APS's plans are insufficient, and then tries to close because people have no confidence that APS will keep teachers or students safe. It's ridiculous.

I also think all of the above was so distracting last year that APS dropped the ball on actually teaching students. It's like the administration (both central and my kids' principals) don't actually care if kids are on grade level or learning. Many teachers did their best. Some took cues from APS administrators that they didn't need to really teach last year because we were in a pandemic and we could just catch kids up later. It's a mixed bag and people's opinion of APS varies wildly on whether your kid won the teacher lotto and/or adapted well to online learning.

AEM is a Facebook group. A core group of 50 constant posters, many of whom are pretty ideologically extreme (and from Smart Restart - see below). There's a ton of lurkers though on that site.

APE is a lobbying organization with 1,000 members. They were like President Biden and U.S Secretary Cardona and wanted schools open last school year. Now they lobby on other education issues too.

Smart Restart is around 10 to 20 people (very affluent and white), and pushes COVID Zero policies that no serious scientist thinks is possible and only hurt underprivileged kids the most. They're for masks forever and were for shutting down sports in January (only 1 of 133 school districts in VA to do so), with non-masking breaks when cases hit a minute level only to snap back as soon as soon as they go back to any small amount. They often act as a front for the teachers union (one of their leaders is also the leader of the teachers union). If you want your kindergartner in masks until they graduate high school, this is your organization.

OP, grain of salt needed reading PP above.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Honestly I wish all these groups would direct energy to the elephant in the room problem:!the desperate need for a 4th comprehensive high school. If you are new to APS, that is what you should be paying attention to.

APS tried that but it was scuttled by the parents whose kids would actually attend. What alternative proposal do you have for a fourth comprehensive high school?

No they planned a half-baked school, in “central arl” without pool or football field. So 2nd class school compared to other 3. They have NEVER put forth a full comprehensive school, and the Kenmore site is the place to do it.

A third school on the same site using that same tiny driveway? You’re joking, right?

They talked about access from Fairfax side. What is your alternative? 5000 student WL and Wakefield?

Fairfax refused to allow access from the Fairfax side, which is what scuttled the plan the first time.

[Anonymous]

As a person who studies disinformation campaign and dark money tactics - APE's board members are Republican. There is likely some dark money funding them. The goal is to slowly radicalize moderates within Arlington to more extreme right wing views on schools over the course of years. They are very very good at that job.

They have identified an issue - open schools - that impacts everyone in Arlington and presented themselves as an organic group developing out of that desire. This is not accurate. But people who want schools open and just heard about them on facebook or whatever don't realize its part of a political strategy or the money and structure behind its development.

Right now they are building a presence and presenting themselves as "moderate" to build good faith. Thats why they produce a monthly newsletter and encourage members to share the newsletters all over parent groups every month with a "look at all this useful info." What they are also doing is identifying wedge issues that can be utilized later to radicalize. And developing a reputation for being well researched and neutral so that they can benefit off that reputation later when they start to push narratives more heavily. They do alot of asserting that the "research says..." Much of that research they link to is right wing education consultant and think tanks. But they create a narrative that their view is backed up by science - which people in Arlington love to hear.

The goal is to build enough distrust and animosity towards the public schools that more and more people will decamp for private and demand choice schools or vouchers. Arlington's a great target for that because its a very rich population with money to go private, that also complains alot about its publics. Lots of gaps for exploitation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

As a person who studies disinformation campaign and dark money tactics - APE's board members are Republican. There is likely some dark money funding them. The goal is to slowly radicalize moderates within Arlington to more extreme right wing views on schools over the course of years. They are very very good at that job.

They have identified an issue - open schools - that impacts everyone in Arlington and presented themselves as an organic group developing out of that desire. This is not accurate. But people who want schools open and just heard about them on facebook or whatever don't realize its part of a political strategy or the money and structure behind its development.

Right now they are building a presence and presenting themselves as "moderate" to build good faith. Thats why they produce a monthly newsletter and encourage members to share the newsletters all over parent groups every month with a "look at all this useful info." What they are also doing is identifying wedge issues that can be utilized later to radicalize. And developing a reputation for being well researched and neutral so that they can benefit off that reputation later when they start to push narratives more heavily. They do alot of asserting that the "research says..." Much of that research they link to is right wing education consultant and think tanks. But they create a narrative that their view is backed up by science - which people in Arlington love to hear.

The goal is to build enough distrust and animosity towards the public schools that more and more people will decamp for private and demand choice schools or vouchers. Arlington's a great target for that because its a very rich population with money to go private, that also complains alot about its publics. Lots of gaps for exploitation.

Yup. So disgusting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

As a person who studies disinformation campaign and dark money tactics - APE's board members are Republican. There is likely some dark money funding them. The goal is to slowly radicalize moderates within Arlington to more extreme right wing views on schools over the course of years. They are very very good at that job.

They have identified an issue - open schools - that impacts everyone in Arlington and presented themselves as an organic group developing out of that desire. This is not accurate. But people who want schools open and just heard about them on facebook or whatever don't realize its part of a political strategy or the money and structure behind its development.

Right now they are building a presence and presenting themselves as "moderate" to build good faith. Thats why they produce a monthly newsletter and encourage members to share the newsletters all over parent groups every month with a "look at all this useful info." What they are also doing is identifying wedge issues that can be utilized later to radicalize. And developing a reputation for being well researched and neutral so that they can benefit off that reputation later when they start to push narratives more heavily. They do alot of asserting that the "research says..." Much of that research they link to is right wing education consultant and think tanks. But they create a narrative that their view is backed up by science - which people in Arlington love to hear.

The goal is to build enough distrust and animosity towards the public schools that more and more people will decamp for private and demand choice schools or vouchers. Arlington's a great target for that because its a very rich population with money to go private, that also complains alot about its publics. Lots of gaps for exploitation.

Yup. So disgusting.

Oh, please. I’m dem and never voted for R in my life. I want open schools though. It’s almost like you are saying we are a bunch of redneck rubes who are on our way to being brainwashed. This is not how you get people to listen to you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:


As a person who studies disinformation campaign and dark money tactics - APE's board members are Republican. There is likely some dark money funding them. The goal is to slowly radicalize moderates within Arlington to more extreme right wing views on schools over the course of years. They are very very good at that job.

They have identified an issue - open schools - that impacts everyone in Arlington and presented themselves as an organic group developing out of that desire. This is not accurate. But people who want schools open and just heard about them on facebook or whatever don't realize its part of a political strategy or the money and structure behind its development.

Right now they are building a presence and presenting themselves as "moderate" to build good faith. Thats why they produce a monthly newsletter and encourage members to share the newsletters all over parent groups every month with a "look at all this useful info." What they are also doing is identifying wedge issues that can be utilized later to radicalize. And developing a reputation for being well researched and neutral so that they can benefit off that reputation later when they start to push narratives more heavily. They do alot of asserting that the "research says..." Much of that research they link to is right wing education consultant and think tanks. But they create a narrative that their view is backed up by science - which people in Arlington love to hear.

The goal is to build enough distrust and animosity towards the public schools that more and more people will decamp for private and demand choice schools or vouchers. Arlington's a great target for that because its a very rich population with money to go private, that also complains alot about its publics. Lots of gaps for exploitation.


Yup. So disgusting.


Oh, please. I’m dem and never voted for R in my life. I want open schools though. It’s almost like you are saying we are a bunch of redneck rubes who are on our way to being brainwashed. This is not how you get people to listen to you.

You don't have to be "dumb" or a "redneck" to be manipulated by a sophisticated political campaign. And the fact that those are the terms you used (not me) and that you think you are too smart to fall pre to dis-information says more about you than about me.

You can want open schools, I think most people do. APE started with open schools and now its openly advocating for all kinds of niche topics that have nothing to do with open schools. That will continue and APE will be here trying to influence far after COVID is a distance memory.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

As a person who studies disinformation campaign and dark money tactics - APE's board members are Republican. There is likely some dark money funding them. The goal is to slowly radicalize moderates within Arlington to more extreme right wing views on schools over the course of years. They are very very good at that job.

They have identified an issue - open schools - that impacts everyone in Arlington and presented themselves as an organic group developing out of that desire. This is not accurate. But people who want schools open and just heard about them on facebook or whatever don't realize its part of a political strategy or the money and structure behind its development.

Right now they are building a presence and presenting themselves as "moderate" to build good faith. Thats why they produce a monthly newsletter and encourage members to share the newsletters all over parent groups every month with a "look at all this useful info." What they are also doing is identifying wedge issues that can be utilized later to radicalize. And developing a reputation for being well researched and neutral so that they can benefit off that reputation later when they start to push narratives more heavily. They do alot of asserting that the "research says..." Much of that research they link to is right wing education consultant and think tanks. But they create a narrative that their view is backed up by science - which people in Arlington love to hear.

The goal is to build enough distrust and animosity towards the public schools that more and more people will decamp for private and demand choice schools or vouchers. Arlington's a great target for that because its a very rich population with money to go private, that also complains alot about its publics. Lots of gaps for exploitation.

Yup. So disgusting.

Oh, please. I’m dem and never voted for R in my life. I want open schools though. It’s almost like you are saying we are a bunch of redneck rubes who are on our way to being brainwashed. This is not how you get people to listen to you.

No one said that. Is that how you feel though about your participation in APE?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

As a person who studies disinformation campaign and dark money tactics - APE's board members are Republican. There is likely some dark money funding them. The goal is to slowly radicalize moderates within Arlington to more extreme right wing views on schools over the course of years. They are very very good at that job.

They have identified an issue - open schools - that impacts everyone in Arlington and presented themselves as an organic group developing out of that desire. This is not accurate. But people who want schools open and just heard about them on facebook or whatever don't realize its part of a political strategy or the money and structure behind its development.

Right now they are building a presence and presenting themselves as "moderate" to build good faith. Thats why they produce a monthly newsletter and encourage members to share the newsletters all over parent groups every month with a "look at all this useful info." What they are also doing is identifying wedge issues that can be utilized later to radicalize. And developing a reputation for being well researched and neutral so that they can benefit off that reputation later when they start to push narratives more heavily. They do alot of asserting that the "research says..." Much of that research they link to is right wing education consultant and think tanks. But they create a narrative that their view is backed up by science - which people in Arlington love to hear.

The goal is to build enough distrust and animosity towards the public schools that more and more people will decamp for private and demand choice schools or vouchers. Arlington's a great target for that because its a very rich population with money to go private, that also complains alot about its publics. Lots of gaps for exploitation.

Wow. How sinister. At least they are providing a good deal of pretty reliable information and detail in the absence of any from APS or other politically-inclined groups. I'm happy to continue using that information when I see it and agree with the group's position when I agree with it, as well as disagree when our perspectives diverge. I'm pretty confident I'm intelligent enough to be able to see when they're going too far.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:


As a person who studies disinformation campaign and dark money tactics - APE's board members are Republican. There is likely some dark money funding them. The goal is to slowly radicalize moderates within Arlington to more extreme right wing views on schools over the course of years. They are very very good at that job.

They have identified an issue - open schools - that impacts everyone in Arlington and presented themselves as an organic group developing out of that desire. This is not accurate. But people who want schools open and just heard about them on facebook or whatever don't realize its part of a political strategy or the money and structure behind its development.

Right now they are building a presence and presenting themselves as "moderate" to build good faith. Thats why they produce a monthly newsletter and encourage members to share the newsletters all over parent groups every month with a "look at all this useful info." What they are also doing is identifying wedge issues that can be utilized later to radicalize. And developing a reputation for being well researched and neutral so that they can benefit off that reputation later when they start to push narratives more heavily. They do alot of asserting that the "research says..." Much of that research they link to is right wing education consultant and think tanks. But they create a narrative that their view is backed up by science - which people in Arlington love to hear.

The goal is to build enough distrust and animosity towards the public schools that more and more people will decamp for private and demand choice schools or vouchers. Arlington's a great target for that because its a very rich population with money to go private, that also complains alot about its publics. Lots of gaps for exploitation.


Yup. So disgusting.


Oh, please. I’m dem and never voted for R in my life. I want open schools though. It’s almost like you are saying we are a bunch of redneck rubes who are on our way to being brainwashed. This is not how you get people to listen to you.

You don't have to be "dumb" or a "redneck" to be manipulated by a sophisticated political campaign. And the fact that those are the terms you used (not me) and that you think you are too smart to fall pre to dis-information says more about you than about me.

You can want open schools, I think most people do. APE started with open schools and now its openly advocating for all kinds of niche topics that have nothing to do with open schools. That will continue and APE will be here trying to influence far after COVID is a distance memory.

I'm not part of APE and don't follow APE (or Smart Restart, for that matter); but what's so bad about expanding your advocacy issues after forming around advocacy for one issue? Lots of groups start and grow that way. Doesn't mean their whole purpose in forming was to brainwash people in the long term. Their name is Arlington Parents for Education, not Arlington Parents for Open Schools. Unlike Smart Restart, which seems to be very specifically and narrowly focused on one issue, which also seems rather moot now that schools have "re-started." Kinda late for a "smart" restart. Maybe they should change their name so they can still advocate for what they want.