APS: I can't keep up! (ASFS)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am vindictive enough to relish the idea of ASFS becoming a neighborhood school for its actual neighborhood and all the striver parents who raised funds for the science lab having to bid it farewell.

And we're in Key/ASFS. There are some nice/normal ASFS parents, but there are also quiet a few who need to be hosed down.

We are pretty close to ASFS and Taylor (live in Cherrydale), and I've heard some of the parents at ASFS particularly on the PTA are mean. We have developed some nice relationship with other Taylor families, so hope we get to remain there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wish I could get a clearer picture of ASFS. On one hand, you have people saying it's just a neighborhood school (not for it's own neighborhood - ha!) that has one extra hour of science. It's really no different that any other school.

On the other hand, you have people who talk about how it's special & award winning and that the science lab makes it "better" than other schools.

Aren't a lot of Arl. elementary schools award winning? Mine is. I don't have kids going there, but I wish I could understand this situation a little better.

I don't get the history on the science lab there. I hear it was something that parents did extensive fundraising to put in. However, parent fundraising is not supposed to be for things that are integral to instruction or will create an ongoing obligation for the district. Which it sounds like this lab is both. The reason for those rules is to limit inequity due to wealth across the district. Is that a new rule? Or just completely ignored in this case?

I am a parent whose children continuously attended ASFS from year 4 of its existence to its 20th anniversary. The science lab, known as investigation station, was there at least when the school was 3 years old and we toured it for the first time. In anticipation of the 20th anniversary, some parents unilaterally decided and pretty much dragged the PTA along, with the blessing of the administration, to update/upgrade the lab. They raised serious money. Over the years and through the auctions, the PTA also raised other money that has been invested in the school and grounds for science-related activities but the remodeled investigation station went way above and beyond the other projects. Basically, over time, the "ruling elite" at the school grew substantially wealthier and more emphasis was placed on raising large amounts of money and making the school more "special and award winning."

[Anonymous]

I wish these striving ASFS parents would put some attention towards Arlington Tech instead. Regardless of where the School Board builds the 1300 seats, Arlington Tech is still planned to grow to 800 students and APS needs to make some major renovations to the Career Center to accommodate the program. Murphy & the SB don't seem to know what they are doing. Quality science instruction at the high school level is so much more important than at the elementary school level. I think these ASFS parents are barking up the wrong tree.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wish I could get a clearer picture of ASFS. On one hand, you have people saying it's just a neighborhood school (not for it's own neighborhood - ha!) that has one extra hour of science. It's really no different that any other school.

On the other hand, you have people who talk about how it's special & award winning and that the science lab makes it "better" than other schools.

Aren't a lot of Arl. elementary schools award winning? Mine is. I don't have kids going there, but I wish I could understand this situation a little better.

I don't get the history on the science lab there. I hear it was something that parents did extensive fundraising to put in. However, parent fundraising is not supposed to be for things that are integral to instruction or will create an ongoing obligation for the district. Which it sounds like this lab is both. The reason for those rules is to limit inequity due to wealth across the district. Is that a new rule? Or just completely ignored in this case?

ASFS has benefitted tremendously from private donations given to the school by well heeled individuals. If you doubt this, take a look at the EdBacker site where $177K was raised, just for the ASFS Science Lab.

https://edbacker.com/c/asfs-science-lab

Want to take a guess how many APS elementary schools have a science lab this well funded? Including ASFS, the answer is one.

People who believe ASFS is special are correct from one perspective: it has only been available to a select few neighborhoods and it has a tremendous wealth of privately-funded science resources, unlike any other APS elementary school.

For anyone that thinks we should "share this great model" that is ASFS, I agree. Going forward, let's pool all of the private science donations and spread them across all of the elementary schools. We could call it the "ASFS Endowment" and benefactors could get plaques over at the Ed Center.

Oh and one last thing, there was no interest in sharing this great resource with all of APS, until the recent proposal to dissolve the Team, which would mean no more Jamestown and Taylor benefactors would get to attend the school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wish I could get a clearer picture of ASFS. On one hand, you have people saying it's just a neighborhood school (not for it's own neighborhood - ha!) that has one extra hour of science. It's really no different that any other school.

On the other hand, you have people who talk about how it's special & award winning and that the science lab makes it "better" than other schools.

Aren't a lot of Arl. elementary schools award winning? Mine is. I don't have kids going there, but I wish I could understand this situation a little better.

I don't get the history on the science lab there. I hear it was something that parents did extensive fundraising to put in. However, parent fundraising is not supposed to be for things that are integral to instruction or will create an ongoing obligation for the district. Which it sounds like this lab is both. The reason for those rules is to limit inequity due to wealth across the district. Is that a new rule? Or just completely ignored in this case?

ASFS has benefitted tremendously from private donations given to the school by well heeled individuals. If you doubt this, take a look at the EdBacker site where $177K was raised, just for the ASFS Science Lab.

https://edbacker.com/c/asfs-science-lab

Want to take a guess how many APS elementary schools have a science lab this well funded? Including ASFS, the answer is one.

People who believe ASFS is special are correct from one perspective: it has only been available to a select few neighborhoods and it has a tremendous wealth of privately-funded science resources, unlike any other APS elementary school.

For anyone that thinks we should "share this great model" that is ASFS, I agree. Going forward, let's pool all of the private science donations and spread them across all of the elementary schools. We could call it the "ASFS Endowment" and benefactors could get plaques over at the Ed Center.

Oh and one last thing, there was no interest in sharing this great resource with all of APS, until the recent proposal to dissolve the Team, which would mean no more Jamestown and Taylor benefactors would get to attend the school.

And we can't forget that there is a petition to sign, if you'd like to help save the Team (and ignore the other 19 APS elementary schools):

https://www.change.org/p/arlington-county-school-board-create-smart-school-solutions-for-arlington-public-schools-enrollment-transfer-policies

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wish I could get a clearer picture of ASFS. On one hand, you have people saying it's just a neighborhood school (not for it's own neighborhood - ha!) that has one extra hour of science. It's really no different that any other school.

On the other hand, you have people who talk about how it's special & award winning and that the science lab makes it "better" than other schools.

Aren't a lot of Arl. elementary schools award winning? Mine is. I don't have kids going there, but I wish I could understand this situation a little better.

I don't get the history on the science lab there. I hear it was something that parents did extensive fundraising to put in. However, parent fundraising is not supposed to be for things that are integral to instruction or will create an ongoing obligation for the district. Which it sounds like this lab is both. The reason for those rules is to limit inequity due to wealth across the district. Is that a new rule? Or just completely ignored in this case?

ASFS has benefitted tremendously from private donations given to the school by well heeled individuals. If you doubt this, take a look at the EdBacker site where $177K was raised, just for the ASFS Science Lab.

https://edbacker.com/c/asfs-science-lab

Want to take a guess how many APS elementary schools have a science lab this well funded? Including ASFS, the answer is one.

People who believe ASFS is special are correct from one perspective: it has only been available to a select few neighborhoods and it has a tremendous wealth of privately-funded science resources, unlike any other APS elementary school.

For anyone that thinks we should "share this great model" that is ASFS, I agree. Going forward, let's pool all of the private science donations and spread them across all of the elementary schools. We could call it the "ASFS Endowment" and benefactors could get plaques over at the Ed Center.

Oh and one last thing, there was no interest in sharing this great resource with all of APS, until the recent proposal to dissolve the Team, which would mean no more Jamestown and Taylor benefactors would get to attend the school.

And we can't forget that there is a petition to sign, if you'd like to help save the Team (and ignore the other 19 APS elementary schools):

https://www.change.org/p/arlington-county-school-board-create-smart-school-solutions-for-arlington-public-schools-enrollment-transfer-policies

What does the team have to do with the other 19 ESs? How does its existence affect them? I'm not pushing to keep the team, but I don't understand your point.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wish I could get a clearer picture of ASFS. On one hand, you have people saying it's just a neighborhood school (not for it's own neighborhood - ha!) that has one extra hour of science. It's really no different that any other school.

On the other hand, you have people who talk about how it's special & award winning and that the science lab makes it "better" than other schools.

Aren't a lot of Arl. elementary schools award winning? Mine is. I don't have kids going there, but I wish I could understand this situation a little better.

I don't get the history on the science lab there. I hear it was something that parents did extensive fundraising to put in. However, parent fundraising is not supposed to be for things that are integral to instruction or will create an ongoing obligation for the district. Which it sounds like this lab is both. The reason for those rules is to limit inequity due to wealth across the district. Is that a new rule? Or just completely ignored in this case?

ASFS has benefitted tremendously from private donations given to the school by well heeled individuals. If you doubt this, take a look at the EdBacker site where $177K was raised, just for the ASFS Science Lab.

https://edbacker.com/c/asfs-science-lab

Want to take a guess how many APS elementary schools have a science lab this well funded? Including ASFS, the answer is one.

People who believe ASFS is special are correct from one perspective: it has only been available to a select few neighborhoods and it has a tremendous wealth of privately-funded science resources, unlike any other APS elementary school.

For anyone that thinks we should "share this great model" that is ASFS, I agree. Going forward, let's pool all of the private science donations and spread them across all of the elementary schools. We could call it the "ASFS Endowment" and benefactors could get plaques over at the Ed Center.

Oh and one last thing, there was no interest in sharing this great resource with all of APS, until the recent proposal to dissolve the Team, which would mean no more Jamestown and Taylor benefactors would get to attend the school.

And we can't forget that there is a petition to sign, if you'd like to help save the Team (and ignore the other 19 APS elementary schools):

https://www.change.org/p/arlington-county-school-board-create-smart-school-solutions-for-arlington-public-schools-enrollment-transfer-policies

What does the team have to do with the other 19 ESs? How does its existence affect them? I'm not pushing to keep the team, but I don't understand your point.

Having a "choice" school that's only allowed to be a choice for a couple other (incidentally, quite wealthy) ES's affects the other 19 schools because it creates a situation that is inherently inequitable. Especially when the parents at that school are allowed to privately fundraiser to upgrade the facilities at that that private choice school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wish I could get a clearer picture of ASFS. On one hand, you have people saying it's just a neighborhood school (not for it's own neighborhood - ha!) that has one extra hour of science. It's really no different that any other school.

On the other hand, you have people who talk about how it's special & award winning and that the science lab makes it "better" than other schools.

Aren't a lot of Arl. elementary schools award winning? Mine is. I don't have kids going there, but I wish I could understand this situation a little better.

I don't get the history on the science lab there. I hear it was something that parents did extensive fundraising to put in. However, parent fundraising is not supposed to be for things that are integral to instruction or will create an ongoing obligation for the district. Which it sounds like this lab is both. The reason for those rules is to limit inequity due to wealth across the district. Is that a new rule? Or just completely ignored in this case?

ASFS has benefitted tremendously from private donations given to the school by well heeled individuals. If you doubt this, take a look at the EdBacker site where $177K was raised, just for the ASFS Science Lab.

https://edbacker.com/c/asfs-science-lab

Want to take a guess how many APS elementary schools have a science lab this well funded? Including ASFS, the answer is one.

People who believe ASFS is special are correct from one perspective: it has only been available to a select few neighborhoods and it has a tremendous wealth of privately-funded science resources, unlike any other APS elementary school.

For anyone that thinks we should "share this great model" that is ASFS, I agree. Going forward, let's pool all of the private science donations and spread them across all of the elementary schools. We could call it the "ASFS Endowment" and benefactors could get plaques over at the Ed Center.

Oh and one last thing, there was no interest in sharing this great resource with all of APS, until the recent proposal to dissolve the Team, which would mean no more Jamestown and Taylor benefactors would get to attend the school.

And we can't forget that there is a petition to sign, if you'd like to help save the Team (and ignore the other 19 APS elementary schools):

https://www.change.org/p/arlington-county-school-board-create-smart-school-solutions-for-arlington-public-schools-enrollment-transfer-policies

What does the team have to do with the other 19 ESs? How does its existence affect them? I'm not pushing to keep the team, but I don't understand your point.

Having a "choice" school that's only allowed to be a choice for a couple other (incidentally, quite wealthy) ES's affects the other 19 schools because it creates a situation that is inherently inequitable. Especially when the parents at that school are allowed to privately fundraiser to upgrade the facilities at that that private choice school.

Fundraising at ASFS has nothing to do with this. Yes, the fundraising for investigation station at ASFS was over the top but every other Arlington ES has the possibility of doing the same, especially considering many of the ASFS donations came from outside the school, even if in reality this would be much more difficult for some of the schools.

The team concept no longer functions as planned and with each passing year it functions less and less as more families live in the Key zone and opt for ASFS instead, leaving very few seats available for Jamestown and Taylor students. So if boundaries for ES need to redrawn for overcrowding or other reasons, such as access to immersion, and the team no longer functions, getting rid of the team should be part of the solution.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Rezoning is going to happen. With Reed coming online in three years, there will absolutely have to be a wholesale rezoning, even if it has some choice component to it. Personally, I can see a shift in units clockwise across north Arlington -- McKinley, Reed, Tuckahoe, Nottingham, Glebe, Discovery, Jamestown, Taylor, ASFS, and maybe even Long Branch and Ashlawn around the edges. Yes, ASFS will absorb some Taylor units when it becomes a neighborhood school, but nothing that says those Rosslyn units couldn't also be bussed to Taylor as easily as to Science Focus. ASFS would lose some diversity, but not all. And Taylor, who has some of the most vocal and pearl-clutching parents around, would gain some much needed diversity.

http://www.apsva.us/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/ES_PU_2016.pdf

Is Reed supposed to open in 2019 or 2020? (Or later?) My kid starts K in 2020 and we're also looking to move before then, so I'm wondering when this massive redistricting will take place (currently zoned Taylor but hoping to get into immersion).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wish I could get a clearer picture of ASFS. On one hand, you have people saying it's just a neighborhood school (not for it's own neighborhood - ha!) that has one extra hour of science. It's really no different that any other school.

On the other hand, you have people who talk about how it's special & award winning and that the science lab makes it "better" than other schools.

Aren't a lot of Arl. elementary schools award winning? Mine is. I don't have kids going there, but I wish I could understand this situation a little better.

I don't get the history on the science lab there. I hear it was something that parents did extensive fundraising to put in. However, parent fundraising is not supposed to be for things that are integral to instruction or will create an ongoing obligation for the district. Which it sounds like this lab is both. The reason for those rules is to limit inequity due to wealth across the district. Is that a new rule? Or just completely ignored in this case?

ASFS has benefitted tremendously from private donations given to the school by well heeled individuals. If you doubt this, take a look at the EdBacker site where $177K was raised, just for the ASFS Science Lab.

https://edbacker.com/c/asfs-science-lab

Want to take a guess how many APS elementary schools have a science lab this well funded? Including ASFS, the answer is one.

People who believe ASFS is special are correct from one perspective: it has only been available to a select few neighborhoods and it has a tremendous wealth of privately-funded science resources, unlike any other APS elementary school.

For anyone that thinks we should "share this great model" that is ASFS, I agree. Going forward, let's pool all of the private science donations and spread them across all of the elementary schools. We could call it the "ASFS Endowment" and benefactors could get plaques over at the Ed Center.

Oh and one last thing, there was no interest in sharing this great resource with all of APS, until the recent proposal to dissolve the Team, which would mean no more Jamestown and Taylor benefactors would get to attend the school.

And we can't forget that there is a petition to sign, if you'd like to help save the Team (and ignore the other 19 APS elementary schools):

https://www.change.org/p/arlington-county-school-board-create-smart-school-solutions-for-arlington-public-schools-enrollment-transfer-policies

What does the team have to do with the other 19 ESs? How does its existence affect them? I'm not pushing to keep the team, but I don't understand your point.

The revisions to the Admissions and Transfer policy will have an effect on all elementary schools, not just the four in the petition. If the policy changes are not made, or delayed, it will impact a lot more than the small scope listed as "our schools" in the petition.

The statement in the petition "...it will measurably make our schools worse off, exacerbate crowding, and provide no quantifiable improvement to the most important issue – the instruction of our students" is patently false if you consider all 23 elementary schools.

The Team isn't inherently bad, but it is no longer sustainable, given our enrollment numbers. Same thing for the Claremont Cluster and other outdated sections of the policy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Dumb question- Is this whole thing being triggered by not enough kids having access to immersion?

I've heard Lander say that...but is that true? Did Key and Claremont have long waiting lists?

Key never had a waiting list until last year it got a small one. Total blowed smoke.

[Anonymous]

That EdBacker site just made me throw up a little in my mouth. We've got one school that's allowed to take in donations up to $25K and others that can't even get their playgrounds made safe by APS. Disgusting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Dumb question- Is this whole thing being triggered by not enough kids having access to immersion?

I've heard Lander say that...but is that true? Did Key and Claremont have long waiting lists?

Key never had a waiting list until last year it got a small one. Total blowed smoke.

Not true. But the reason the waiting lists were not larger was because the policy GUARANTEED admission to the ASFS/Key boundary and preference to Jamestown and Taylor boundaries.

[Anonymous]

Can't decide between Key and ASFS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wish I could get a clearer picture of ASFS. On one hand, you have people saying it's just a neighborhood school (not for it's own neighborhood - ha!) that has one extra hour of science. It's really no different that any other school.

On the other hand, you have people who talk about how it's special & award winning and that the science lab makes it "better" than other schools.

Aren't a lot of Arl. elementary schools award winning? Mine is. I don't have kids going there, but I wish I could understand this situation a little better.

I don't get the history on the science lab there. I hear it was something that parents did extensive fundraising to put in. However, parent fundraising is not supposed to be for things that are integral to instruction or will create an ongoing obligation for the district. Which it sounds like this lab is both. The reason for those rules is to limit inequity due to wealth across the district. Is that a new rule? Or just completely ignored in this case?

ASFS has benefitted tremendously from private donations given to the school by well heeled individuals. If you doubt this, take a look at the EdBacker site where $177K was raised, just for the ASFS Science Lab.

https://edbacker.com/c/asfs-science-lab

Want to take a guess how many APS elementary schools have a science lab this well funded? Including ASFS, the answer is one.

People who believe ASFS is special are correct from one perspective: it has only been available to a select few neighborhoods and it has a tremendous wealth of privately-funded science resources, unlike any other APS elementary school.

For anyone that thinks we should "share this great model" that is ASFS, I agree. Going forward, let's pool all of the private science donations and spread them across all of the elementary schools. We could call it the "ASFS Endowment" and benefactors could get plaques over at the Ed Center.

Oh and one last thing, there was no interest in sharing this great resource with all of APS, until the recent proposal to dissolve the Team, which would mean no more Jamestown and Taylor benefactors would get to attend the school.

And we can't forget that there is a petition to sign, if you'd like to help save the Team (and ignore the other 19 APS elementary schools):

https://www.change.org/p/arlington-county-school-board-create-smart-school-solutions-for-arlington-public-schools-enrollment-transfer-policies

What does the team have to do with the other 19 ESs? How does its existence affect them? I'm not pushing to keep the team, but I don't understand your point.

Having a "choice" school that's only allowed to be a choice for a couple other (incidentally, quite wealthy) ES's affects the other 19 schools because it creates a situation that is inherently inequitable. Especially when the parents at that school are allowed to privately fundraiser to upgrade the facilities at that that private choice school.

Fundraising at ASFS has nothing to do with this. Yes, the fundraising for investigation station at ASFS was over the top but every other Arlington ES has the possibility of doing the same, especially considering many of the ASFS donations came from outside the school, even if in reality this would be much more difficult for some of the schools.

The team concept no longer functions as planned and with each passing year it functions less and less as more families live in the Key zone and opt for ASFS instead, leaving very few seats available for Jamestown and Taylor students. So if boundaries for ES need to redrawn for overcrowding or other reasons, such as access to immersion, and the team no longer functions, getting rid of the team should be part of the solution.

Thankfully, you refuted your statement that "every other Arlington ES has the possibility of doing the same" with the realization that "in reality this would be much more difficult for some of the schools".

Schools that have FARMS numbers of 70-80% do not have any possibility of doing the same. We all know that.

Regarding fundraising, it is relevant here, if you consider that a good number of the benefactors to ASFS come from the Jamestown and Taylor zones and these same people do not want to lose access to the school they helped fund. Thus, they are looking to block the policy that would, in part, dissolve the Team, despite the benefits that the policy changes would bring to the larger system.