McLean vs. Arlington Schools

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I think people are grilling you so hard because you are being so vague. You haven't said what meeting you went to or whether you are just a parent or are in some position of authority. You have said numerous times that this proposal is being circulated in the community, but no one at Haycock has seen it. It doesn't affect me either way, but I can agree that your posts seem more political than helpful.

Good to know - thanks. Then I'm done with this thread topic.

You seemed like you wanted to be important with your inside knowledge, then just told people enough to get them interested. It's not helpful to come here and get people upset, yet not be able to share enough information to be helpful. What makes it worse is that the information you presented is incorrect and apparently it is information FCPS is using to make decisions about people's children, yet it sounds like the parents will not have a chance to weigh in and you have not really given anyone enough information to find the appropriate people to get the information corrected.

Our base school was one of the ones identified as having LLIV, when it does not. My AAP child has younger siblings, so even if the AAP child might be grandfathered, the other sibs would not, assuming they end up in AAP (which wouldn't be a shock). If a future AAP child of mine can't go to Haycock, that's fine, but I worry about the clusterfuck when FCPS figures out that our school does not have LLIV and they've apparently planned on LLIV for those kids. Sure, I'd love my kids to all go to Haycock, but I understand FCPS might have other ideas. Send them where FCPS is going to send them, but I'd like to have input and awareness of the process of the decision to send my kids to a different school. And it is like sending them to a different school as older sib goes to Haycock and they kind of assume they'd probably go there, too -- which may or may not be true because they may not qualify, but in their little minds, school means base school or Haycock. If that needs to change, fine, but let me get them prepared for that.

[Anonymous]

in their little minds, school means base school or Haycock. If that needs to change, fine, but let me get them prepared for that.

"Schools are so crowded that we don't know where you'll end up going. Nothing's been decided or announced yet."

There. Prepared.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

in their little minds, school means base school or Haycock. If that needs to change, fine, but let me get them prepared for that.

"Schools are so crowded that we don't know where you'll end up going. Nothing's been decided or announced yet."

There. Prepared.

Easy to say when it's not your child. Let me guess, a Haycock base school parent.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
What can I do to ensure that my kids are not pushed out of their school?

Send your children to private school and never move.

Or accept that the place you children go IS "their school." Might that mean that they will at some point attend a different school than they do now? Yes. One move in seven years is not going to break them. If you want to address school crowding, that means changes, not just for other people, but for you, too.

+1. People in Arlington have to be ready to accept redistricting at the elementary, middle and high school levels over the next 5-10 years. There's really no alternative.

but not in FCPS right??

There's some redistricting in FCPS almost every year. Next one up involves Fairfax HS and Lanier MS.

If the issue relates to McLean and Arlington, it seems likely that the odds of being redistricted in Arlington in the coming years, particularly at the middle and high school levels, are greater than in McLean.

No one is talking about redistricting for HS in Arlington.

However, the ES redistricting conversation for the new Williamsburg ES (opening in 2015) begins in the fist week of October.

That said, the demographics of that school are going to closely resemble the ones from which students are pulled, so I'm not sure it's going to raise that much of a fuss.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:New Facebook page for parents upset with the changes in the ACPS transportation policies:

http://www.facebook.com/APSBusing

Yeah. The APS parents are pissed. It's been a rocky start to the year.

Yes, many APS parents are unhappy with the Superintendent, a product of the Fairfax school system. Arlington parents are concerned that he is bringing the bureaucratic, top-down model from Fairfax to Arlington.

Sounds like APS thought he'd raise student performance to Fairfax levels and just got saddled with a bully instead:

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/answer-sheet/educational-leadership/the-mess-in-arlington-schools.html

Oh well. He's yours now.

You realize that 18-month old article you posted doesn't ratify your bullshit statement, right?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

in their little minds, school means base school or Haycock. If that needs to change, fine, but let me get them prepared for that.

"Schools are so crowded that we don't know where you'll end up going. Nothing's been decided or announced yet."

There. Prepared.

Easy to say when it's not your child. Let me guess, a Haycock base school parent.

Nope, North Arlington. We've got trailers, my kids had questions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

My kids are at an AAP center, so that's already two schools in 4 years. If they are pushed out of Haycock, it would be a third school in 5 years. Personally, I don't care about the crowding. My kids are happy and thriving. They've done three years in trailers, and sure, there are more kids in the cafeteria and hallways than at other schools, but it doesn't affect their learning at all. it actually may have enriched their learning, because with more kids and more teachers, there can be more differentiation.

Haycock being at 175% capacity is actually a positive enriching aspect of the school. Brilliant

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

There's some redistricting in FCPS almost every year. Next one up involves Fairfax HS and Lanier MS.

If the issue relates to McLean and Arlington, it seems likely that the odds of being redistricted in Arlington in the coming years, particularly at the middle and high school levels, are greater than in McLean.

No one is talking about redistricting for HS in Arlington.

However, the ES redistricting conversation for the new Williamsburg ES (opening in 2015) begins in the fist week of October.

That said, the demographics of that school are going to closely resemble the ones from which students are pulled, so I'm not sure it's going to raise that much of a fuss.

That must be why the Arlington rags publish all the maps that highlight that W-L is seriously overcrowded while Wakefield is under enrolled. Which also puts into play what happens to the Yorktown island that now sits in the middle of the W-L district.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

You realize that 18-month old article you posted doesn't ratify your bullshit statement, right?

My goodness. Aren't we petulant?

If APS was so great, it could have promoted internally. Instead, it reached out and hired someone who'd spent years at FCPS. If Murphy was "too Fairfax" for APS, you could have sacked him. Instead, you just extended his contract for three more years. You really need to decide whether you like the guy or not, but either way he's not on our payroll any longer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Send them where FCPS is going to send them, but I'd like to have input and awareness of the process of the decision to send my kids to a different school.

You may want it, but no one has input on Center assignments. FCPS handles it. You don't like the Center assignment? Then keep your kid at your neighborhood school. Simple enough.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Send them where FCPS is going to send them, but I'd like to have input and awareness of the process of the decision to send my kids to a different school.

You may want it, but no one has input on Center assignments. FCPS handles it. You don't like the Center assignment? Then keep your kid at your neighborhood school. Simple enough.

Why is it that the mystery poster has input? She said they are reaching out to the community. I would think the affected base schools would be part of the community. Otherwise, who is?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

You realize that 18-month old article you posted doesn't ratify your bullshit statement, right?

My goodness. Aren't we petulant?

Just trying to make myself understood to you, kiddo.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Send them where FCPS is going to send them, but I'd like to have input and awareness of the process of the decision to send my kids to a different school.

You may want it, but no one has input on Center assignments. FCPS handles it. You don't like the Center assignment? Then keep your kid at your neighborhood school. Simple enough.

Why is it that the mystery poster has input? She said they are reaching out to the community. I would think the affected base schools would be part of the community. Otherwise, who is?

Internal FCPS committees

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
You keep saying "Circulated."
Circulated where and among whom

The task force recommendations were reviewed at the Advanced Academic Programs Advisory Committee (AAPC) meeting on Tuesday night. Carol Horn did a presentation on the recommendations and had the committee members provide written feedback.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Advanced Academic Programs Advisory Committee (AAPC)

Sorry. The correct abbreviation is AAPAC.