ASFS vs Innovation

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have never heard anyone say Innovation isn't a good school, and I live near you. Can you share more about what you heard?

Heard some parents talking about it, TBH I don't know enough about the schools.

Take things with a grain of salt. People hate change. My kids are at Ashlawn and we have a new principal and the first year seems bumpy and I heard people say similar things to the poster above. Year 2 has been way better and I haven’t heard any complaints. Let the principal hit their stride! Also debating about “good” schools in N Arlington is comical. Each school has slightly different culture, but they are all pretty good.
I would worry less about your commute and more about which schools students will go to middle and high school at. I would put my kid in the elementary where they will continue to middle school with their peers. Where I live kids get split up into multiple middle or high schools at each transition.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Innovation is a newer school, established as a second neighborhood school for the Lyon Village/Courthouse area when APS redrew boundaries because ASFS was overcrowded (at that time, there were over 800 students for a school that has capacity to hold 550). A number of teachers from ASFS left to help start Innovation, which also included a number of ASFS families that had previously been zoned for ASFS. ASFS historically has been an exceptionally strong school -- nationally known. For example, former U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan sent his children there, when he served in his cabinet role. However, ASFS now has a new principal as of this 2023-24 school year, and she has been controversial, to put it mildly. Some say she is in over her head, has a clear political agenda, tries to enact change for the sake of change without a reasonable basis, and cares more about securing her next promotion than about the teachers or students she is charged with leading. While the teaching staff care about the students and are themselves strong, the educational quality has gone down, as teacher morale has plummeted, including the morale of many new teachers who joined the school this year, for lack of support. It has been sad to see this, but your family is probably better off, both in terms of educational quality and cultural environment at Innovation.

I’ve heard very disturbing things about behavior at innovation. Fights during recess without consequences, the administration condoning bullying, and drug use on school grounds in the 4th/5th grade. It’s possible that asfs could be there too in a few years, but at least right now that’s not the case. We live in that cutout, and we’re thinking of moving our kids because they were in the original cohort that started innovation. But I was concerned for my eldest since he was a fifth grade boy, and most of what I heard was disturbing from other fifth grade families there.

School quality wise, asfs still has a more active pta. The new principal seems to want to actively alienate parents by eliminating most opportunities to volunteer in the school, so again unclear how long the pta will stay as it is. Right now asfs is slightly better, but again who knows in the future.

I don't want to be naive, but drug use on the playground? Innovation is surrounded by streets with lots of people walking by all the time since it's just a block or so from
the Courthouse metro. Recess is in plain view of tons of people passing by. I don't that someone told you this, but if true, that's pretty bold/bad.

I heard of bullying/fights on the playground, and drug use was during extended day. The drug use part was told by a long term friend who I had known since preschool, which is why I found it so disturbing. She said that the administration was very dismissive when they brought it to them. Yorktown has pretty pervasive drug use (and is the same pyramid for innovation— the entire school other than 1 planning unit goes to yorktown).

Please share what drugs you think 10-11 yr olds are using. That is a pretty bold rumor to spread. As a parent of older elementary kids in N Arlington, I find it hard to believe.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Innovation is a newer school, established as a second neighborhood school for the Lyon Village/Courthouse area when APS redrew boundaries because ASFS was overcrowded (at that time, there were over 800 students for a school that has capacity to hold 550). A number of teachers from ASFS left to help start Innovation, which also included a number of ASFS families that had previously been zoned for ASFS. ASFS historically has been an exceptionally strong school -- nationally known. For example, former U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan sent his children there, when he served in his cabinet role. However, ASFS now has a new principal as of this 2023-24 school year, and she has been controversial, to put it mildly. Some say she is in over her head, has a clear political agenda, tries to enact change for the sake of change without a reasonable basis, and cares more about securing her next promotion than about the teachers or students she is charged with leading. While the teaching staff care about the students and are themselves strong, the educational quality has gone down, as teacher morale has plummeted, including the morale of many new teachers who joined the school this year, for lack of support. It has been sad to see this, but your family is probably better off, both in terms of educational quality and cultural environment at Innovation.

I’ve heard very disturbing things about behavior at innovation. Fights during recess without consequences, the administration condoning bullying, and drug use on school grounds in the 4th/5th grade. It’s possible that asfs could be there too in a few years, but at least right now that’s not the case. We live in that cutout, and we’re thinking of moving our kids because they were in the original cohort that started innovation. But I was concerned for my eldest since he was a fifth grade boy, and most of what I heard was disturbing from other fifth grade families there.

School quality wise, asfs still has a more active pta. The new principal seems to want to actively alienate parents by eliminating most opportunities to volunteer in the school, so again unclear how long the pta will stay as it is. Right now asfs is slightly better, but again who knows in the future.

I don't want to be naive, but drug use on the playground? Innovation is surrounded by streets with lots of people walking by all the time since it's just a block or so from
the Courthouse metro. Recess is in plain view of tons of people passing by. I don't that someone told you this, but if true, that's pretty bold/bad.

I heard of bullying/fights on the playground, and drug use was during extended day. The drug use part was told by a long term friend who I had known since preschool, which is why I found it so disturbing. She said that the administration was very dismissive when they brought it to them. Yorktown has pretty pervasive drug use (and is the same pyramid for innovation— the entire school other than 1 planning unit goes to yorktown).

No, the school splits between WL and Yorktown. I don't know the exact split, but multiple units go to WL.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Innovation is a newer school, established as a second neighborhood school for the Lyon Village/Courthouse area when APS redrew boundaries because ASFS was overcrowded (at that time, there were over 800 students for a school that has capacity to hold 550). A number of teachers from ASFS left to help start Innovation, which also included a number of ASFS families that had previously been zoned for ASFS. ASFS historically has been an exceptionally strong school -- nationally known. For example, former U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan sent his children there, when he served in his cabinet role. However, ASFS now has a new principal as of this 2023-24 school year, and she has been controversial, to put it mildly. Some say she is in over her head, has a clear political agenda, tries to enact change for the sake of change without a reasonable basis, and cares more about securing her next promotion than about the teachers or students she is charged with leading. While the teaching staff care about the students and are themselves strong, the educational quality has gone down, as teacher morale has plummeted, including the morale of many new teachers who joined the school this year, for lack of support. It has been sad to see this, but your family is probably better off, both in terms of educational quality and cultural environment at Innovation.

I’ve heard very disturbing things about behavior at innovation. Fights during recess without consequences, the administration condoning bullying, and drug use on school grounds in the 4th/5th grade. It’s possible that asfs could be there too in a few years, but at least right now that’s not the case. We live in that cutout, and we’re thinking of moving our kids because they were in the original cohort that started innovation. But I was concerned for my eldest since he was a fifth grade boy, and most of what I heard was disturbing from other fifth grade families there.

School quality wise, asfs still has a more active pta. The new principal seems to want to actively alienate parents by eliminating most opportunities to volunteer in the school, so again unclear how long the pta will stay as it is. Right now asfs is slightly better, but again who knows in the future.

I don't want to be naive, but drug use on the playground? Innovation is surrounded by streets with lots of people walking by all the time since it's just a block or so from
the Courthouse metro. Recess is in plain view of tons of people passing by. I don't that someone told you this, but if true, that's pretty bold/bad.

I heard of bullying/fights on the playground, and drug use was during extended day. The drug use part was told by a long term friend who I had known since preschool, which is why I found it so disturbing. She said that the administration was very dismissive when they brought it to them. Yorktown has pretty pervasive drug use (and is the same pyramid for innovation— the entire school other than 1 planning unit goes to yorktown).

I sincerely doubt there was drug use at extended day unless we are using a very loose definition of drugs - like a rogue caffeinated soda or something. I'm pretty sure something was lost in translation along the way.

Bullying and fights do happen, but I don't think they are any worse than any other school. In my experience they are dealt with appropriately. The only other credible accusation in this post (not in this thread) was a parent of a 2nd grader who said it was a bad school. There was at least one 1st grade and one 2nd grade teacher that didn't work out and are now gone. If her child happened to have those two in progression it would have been very frustrating.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Innovation is a newer school, established as a second neighborhood school for the Lyon Village/Courthouse area when APS redrew boundaries because ASFS was overcrowded (at that time, there were over 800 students for a school that has capacity to hold 550). A number of teachers from ASFS left to help start Innovation, which also included a number of ASFS families that had previously been zoned for ASFS. ASFS historically has been an exceptionally strong school -- nationally known. For example, former U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan sent his children there, when he served in his cabinet role. However, ASFS now has a new principal as of this 2023-24 school year, and she has been controversial, to put it mildly. Some say she is in over her head, has a clear political agenda, tries to enact change for the sake of change without a reasonable basis, and cares more about securing her next promotion than about the teachers or students she is charged with leading. While the teaching staff care about the students and are themselves strong, the educational quality has gone down, as teacher morale has plummeted, including the morale of many new teachers who joined the school this year, for lack of support. It has been sad to see this, but your family is probably better off, both in terms of educational quality and cultural environment at Innovation.

I’ve heard very disturbing things about behavior at innovation. Fights during recess without consequences, the administration condoning bullying, and drug use on school grounds in the 4th/5th grade. It’s possible that asfs could be there too in a few years, but at least right now that’s not the case. We live in that cutout, and we’re thinking of moving our kids because they were in the original cohort that started innovation. But I was concerned for my eldest since he was a fifth grade boy, and most of what I heard was disturbing from other fifth grade families there.

School quality wise, asfs still has a more active pta. The new principal seems to want to actively alienate parents by eliminating most opportunities to volunteer in the school, so again unclear how long the pta will stay as it is. Right now asfs is slightly better, but again who knows in the future.

I don't want to be naive, but drug use on the playground? Innovation is surrounded by streets with lots of people walking by all the time since it's just a block or so from
the Courthouse metro. Recess is in plain view of tons of people passing by. I don't that someone told you this, but if true, that's pretty bold/bad.

I heard of bullying/fights on the playground, and drug use was during extended day. The drug use part was told by a long term friend who I had known since preschool, which is why I found it so disturbing. She said that the administration was very dismissive when they brought it to them. Yorktown has pretty pervasive drug use (and is the same pyramid for innovation— the entire school other than 1 planning unit goes to yorktown).

Please share what drugs you think 10-11 yr olds are using. That is a pretty bold rumor to spread. As a parent of older elementary kids in N Arlington, I find it hard to believe.

+1. What kind of drugs?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Innovation is a newer school, established as a second neighborhood school for the Lyon Village/Courthouse area when APS redrew boundaries because ASFS was overcrowded (at that time, there were over 800 students for a school that has capacity to hold 550). A number of teachers from ASFS left to help start Innovation, which also included a number of ASFS families that had previously been zoned for ASFS. ASFS historically has been an exceptionally strong school -- nationally known. For example, former U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan sent his children there, when he served in his cabinet role. However, ASFS now has a new principal as of this 2023-24 school year, and she has been controversial, to put it mildly. Some say she is in over her head, has a clear political agenda, tries to enact change for the sake of change without a reasonable basis, and cares more about securing her next promotion than about the teachers or students she is charged with leading. While the teaching staff care about the students and are themselves strong, the educational quality has gone down, as teacher morale has plummeted, including the morale of many new teachers who joined the school this year, for lack of support. It has been sad to see this, but your family is probably better off, both in terms of educational quality and cultural environment at Innovation.

I’ve heard very disturbing things about behavior at innovation. Fights during recess without consequences, the administration condoning bullying, and drug use on school grounds in the 4th/5th grade. It’s possible that asfs could be there too in a few years, but at least right now that’s not the case. We live in that cutout, and we’re thinking of moving our kids because they were in the original cohort that started innovation. But I was concerned for my eldest since he was a fifth grade boy, and most of what I heard was disturbing from other fifth grade families there.

School quality wise, asfs still has a more active pta. The new principal seems to want to actively alienate parents by eliminating most opportunities to volunteer in the school, so again unclear how long the pta will stay as it is. Right now asfs is slightly better, but again who knows in the future.

I don't want to be naive, but drug use on the playground? Innovation is surrounded by streets with lots of people walking by all the time since it's just a block or so from
the Courthouse metro. Recess is in plain view of tons of people passing by. I don't that someone told you this, but if true, that's pretty bold/bad.

I heard of bullying/fights on the playground, and drug use was during extended day. The drug use part was told by a long term friend who I had known since preschool, which is why I found it so disturbing. She said that the administration was very dismissive when they brought it to them. Yorktown has pretty pervasive drug use (and is the same pyramid for innovation— the entire school other than 1 planning unit goes to yorktown).

Please share what drugs you think 10-11 yr olds are using. That is a pretty bold rumor to spread. As a parent of older elementary kids in N Arlington, I find it hard to believe.

+1. What kind of drugs?

+1

Older sibling smoking weed before picking up a kid?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Innovation is a newer school, established as a second neighborhood school for the Lyon Village/Courthouse area when APS redrew boundaries because ASFS was overcrowded (at that time, there were over 800 students for a school that has capacity to hold 550). A number of teachers from ASFS left to help start Innovation, which also included a number of ASFS families that had previously been zoned for ASFS. ASFS historically has been an exceptionally strong school -- nationally known. For example, former U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan sent his children there, when he served in his cabinet role. However, ASFS now has a new principal as of this 2023-24 school year, and she has been controversial, to put it mildly. Some say she is in over her head, has a clear political agenda, tries to enact change for the sake of change without a reasonable basis, and cares more about securing her next promotion than about the teachers or students she is charged with leading. While the teaching staff care about the students and are themselves strong, the educational quality has gone down, as teacher morale has plummeted, including the morale of many new teachers who joined the school this year, for lack of support. It has been sad to see this, but your family is probably better off, both in terms of educational quality and cultural environment at Innovation.

I’ve heard very disturbing things about behavior at innovation. Fights during recess without consequences, the administration condoning bullying, and drug use on school grounds in the 4th/5th grade. It’s possible that asfs could be there too in a few years, but at least right now that’s not the case. We live in that cutout, and we’re thinking of moving our kids because they were in the original cohort that started innovation. But I was concerned for my eldest since he was a fifth grade boy, and most of what I heard was disturbing from other fifth grade families there.

School quality wise, asfs still has a more active pta. The new principal seems to want to actively alienate parents by eliminating most opportunities to volunteer in the school, so again unclear how long the pta will stay as it is. Right now asfs is slightly better, but again who knows in the future.

I don't want to be naive, but drug use on the playground? Innovation is surrounded by streets with lots of people walking by all the time since it's just a block or so from
the Courthouse metro. Recess is in plain view of tons of people passing by. I don't that someone told you this, but if true, that's pretty bold/bad.

I heard of bullying/fights on the playground, and drug use was during extended day. The drug use part was told by a long term friend who I had known since preschool, which is why I found it so disturbing. She said that the administration was very dismissive when they brought it to them. Yorktown has pretty pervasive drug use (and is the same pyramid for innovation— the entire school other than 1 planning unit goes to yorktown).

Please share what drugs you think 10-11 yr olds are using. That is a pretty bold rumor to spread. As a parent of older elementary kids in N Arlington, I find it hard to believe.

+1. What kind of drugs?

+1

Older sibling smoking weed before picking up a kid?

My guess (if true)- taking gummies or other edibles from a parent's medicine cabinet???

[Anonymous]

There are very few 4th and 5th graders in extended day at Innovation. As a parent of a 3rd grader in extended day there, I just can’t believe this. My kid has been happy there for years and we’ve loved the administration and had some great teachers. It’s still APS and if you hate things about APS or you want to be in a less diverse school, then you won’t be fully satisfied.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There are very few 4th and 5th graders in extended day at Innovation. As a parent of a 3rd grader in extended day there, I just can’t believe this. My kid has been happy there for years and we’ve loved the administration and had some great teachers. It’s still APS and if you hate things about APS or you want to be in a less diverse school, then you won’t be fully satisfied.

+100 to this.
I feel like I am seeing how the fake news is generated through the internet.

-Another perfectly happy family from Innovation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are very few 4th and 5th graders in extended day at Innovation. As a parent of a 3rd grader in extended day there, I just can’t believe this. My kid has been happy there for years and we’ve loved the administration and had some great teachers. It’s still APS and if you hate things about APS or you want to be in a less diverse school, then you won’t be fully satisfied.

+100 to this.
I feel like I am seeing how the fake news is generated through the internet.

-Another perfectly happy family from Innovation.

+ 1000. (Kids aren't at Innovation but know multiple happy families there, and these are close enough friends that I would hear if they weren't!)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are very few 4th and 5th graders in extended day at Innovation. As a parent of a 3rd grader in extended day there, I just can’t believe this. My kid has been happy there for years and we’ve loved the administration and had some great teachers. It’s still APS and if you hate things about APS or you want to be in a less diverse school, then you won’t be fully satisfied.

+100 to this.
I feel like I am seeing how the fake news is generated through the internet.

-Another perfectly happy family from Innovation.

+ 1000. (Kids aren't at Innovation but know multiple happy families there, and these are close enough friends that I would hear if they weren't!)

+1

We know a few happy, engaged families.

[Anonymous]

Plenty of happy and engaged families at both. Plenty of those not happy or engaged at both also.