Why does APS even have option schools?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I agree. Option schools were a good idea in the days when the schools were underpopulated. But that's long passed. No need for immersion (the Hispanic kids can learn English), HB, ASFS, Drew and ATS.

Uh, you must not keep up. Science Focus isn't an option school. And Montessori isn't going to be at Drew any longer.

Whatever. ASFS is a "team" school and once upon a time kids from Taylor, Jamestown and I think one other could freely transfer in. So, it may not be a county-wide option school but it definitely was an "option" school for some.

But not any more. No transfers, no team schools.

That seems to be a temporary thing -- http://aps-legacy.materiell.com/site/Default.aspx-PageID=3011.html

But in reality, they should do away with them all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ha. arlington would be more integrated without options. They pull middle class kids out of s arl neighborhoods.
Options help segregate Arlington right now.

This is what I am seeing. The weathier kids try to get out of lower performing schools. I don't know anyone from my neighborhood who goes to an option school.

Can't we work to dissolve the option schools vs. moving them around for no apparent reason?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I agree. Option schools were a good idea in the days when the schools were underpopulated. But that's long passed. No need for immersion (the Hispanic kids can learn English), HB, ASFS, Drew and ATS.

I know right? This is 'Merica. Folks should speak 'Merican.

[Anonymous]

And what do you think is going to happen when the S. Arl elementary boundaries are redrawn? People who get moved away from established “good” schools (Henry/Fleet, H-B) will just escape to the option schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I agree. Option schools were a good idea in the days when the schools were underpopulated. But that's long passed. No need for immersion (the Hispanic kids can learn English), HB, ASFS, Drew and ATS.

Its actually just as much for the English speakers to learn Spanish as the other way around. Also, learning a language at a young age through an immersion-type system is one of the best ways to learn a language, and can have other educational benefits outside of simply learning a language (much like learning music helps the brain in other areas). Many people want this option for their kids. Others like the educational model of some of the other option schools. Still others, like you apparently, value proximity over specific educational models. Its one of the nice features of APS, giving many kids good choices about how their educational paths will run. Why do you want to eliminate certain choices? Why is the neighborhood model inherently superior to the choice model? The county is tiny compared to most places. I don't think geography needs to trump all other considerations (no pun intended).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You must have a lot of free time to kill if this is how you're choosing to spend it.

No, a lot of my free time has been spent worrying about my kids' school being turned into an option school, and I'm wondering why we even have them. They don't seem necessary.

They are not necessary, but they have value. Regardless of whether you agree with the latter, though, the school board is not even remotely considering getting rid of option schools while they are considering moving some, so if your school is potentially on the chopping block you might be better served to put your energy into that rather than the existential question of why option programs.

[Anonymous]

Language immersion certainly has value. And Key is pretty diverse socioeconomically & ethnically. We are zoned for Taylor & send our kid to Key. We certainly aren’t trying to “escape bad neighborhood schools.” I know many families zoned for Taylor and other “good” schools who value having their kids learn another language and choose immersion.
In general, more choices are better, not worse.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ha. arlington would be more integrated without options. They pull middle class kids out of s arl neighborhoods.
Options help segregate Arlington right now.

That’s probably right, to an extent. I’d have all neighborhood schools and maybe one immersion option. That’s it. Enough with this nonsense.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I agree. Option schools were a good idea in the days when the schools were underpopulated. But that's long passed. No need for immersion (the Hispanic kids can learn English), HB, ASFS, Drew and ATS.

I know right? This is 'Merica. Folks should speak 'Merican.

The poster said English. Not sure what you mean.

[Anonymous]

APS uses options schools to imply it’s on the cutting edge of education when our experience was that they couldn’t handle basic facilities planning.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ha. arlington would be more integrated without options. They pull middle class kids out of s arl neighborhoods.
Options help segregate Arlington right now.

That’s probably right, to an extent. I’d have all neighborhood schools and maybe one immersion option. That’s it. Enough with this nonsense.

Well, when you and four other like minded individuals get elected to the School Board, you can unveil your cutting edge plan. Until then, GO SAT DOWN.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why can't they just turn ATS into a neighborhood and get rid of all of the other option schools? We don't need them.

Racial and economic segregation. People don't like to hear that, but it's the truth. The Montessori program began when African American students in Nauck were bussed to other elementaries under court ordered desegregation in the 1970s, leaving their neighborhood school, Drew, underpopulated. (An option to bus white children in to Drew was nixed.) Likewise, immersion at Key began in the 1980s to attract Anglo/mc/UMC to a school with a large population of recent immigrants. Today, a lot of parents choose option schools because they are economically and racially integrated. So, not to be dismissive of instructional models and their merits, but you can't talk about optic schools then or now without race and class looming large.

[Anonymous]

If APS/SB want to rely on a successful Arlington Tech program as a way to not build a fourth HS, they must support option schools. So it's unlikely they'd do anything to them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Language immersion certainly has value. And Key is pretty diverse socioeconomically & ethnically. We are zoned for Taylor & send our kid to Key. We certainly aren’t trying to “escape bad neighborhood schools.” I know many families zoned for Taylor and other “good” schools who value having their kids learn another language and choose immersion.
In general, more choices are better, not worse.

I agree. Unfortunately, APS is no longer in a position to try to provide added value to the education of a small subset of students.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why can't they just turn ATS into a neighborhood and get rid of all of the other option schools? We don't need them.

Racial and economic segregation. People don't like to hear that, but it's the truth. The Montessori program began when African American students in Nauck were bussed to other elementaries under court ordered desegregation in the 1970s, leaving their neighborhood school, Drew, underpopulated. (An option to bus white children in to Drew was nixed.) Likewise, immersion at Key began in the 1980s to attract Anglo/mc/UMC to a school with a large population of recent immigrants. Today, a lot of parents choose option schools because they are economically and racially integrated. So, not to be dismissive of instructional models and their merits, but you can't talk about optic schools then or now without race and class looming large.

I think this is true. Arlington is still fairly segregated- the option schools are the least segregated. Many North Arlington minority families choose option schools to avoid being the token minorities in their neighborhood schools. Many South Arlington caucasian families choose option schools to avoid being their neighborhood schools.