APS - questions about Key / ASFS building swap

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So will it be a neighborhood school swap and prune planning units on the edges (hello Page Immersion School) or will RB corridor get another neighborhood school and boot immersion points west??

I think they need both to be neighborhood schools. No idea where to put immersion. Assuming it stays it’s cirrent size, the options are limited and all create other issues.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why don't families around Key and ASFS want to do immersion? Why not keep Key there and just apply in large numbers. The data show that the surrounding neighborhoods tend to have the most students at option schools anyway, right?

Because the principal was awful.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why don't families around Key and ASFS want to do immersion? Why not keep Key there and just apply in large numbers. The data show that the surrounding neighborhoods tend to have the most students at option schools anyway, right?

Because the principal was awful.

She retired. Problem solved.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Because the principal was awful.

She was actually terrific, overall, I thought. (I had two kids go through Key). She had been there a long time, however, and I think the school will benefit by an injection of new leadership next year.

And while I agree tha Immersion may not be everyone's cup of tea, I think calling it a "niche program" is a little too dismissive. The opportunity to learn a language as a young child is a unique opportunity that can never be replicated. I think that is why many families choose immersion. Its not good for some kids (which is why APS has never forced anyone to go through the immersion program), but I think it is very good for most kids.

[Anonymous]

We considered Key and liked the principal a lot and the concept of immersion. It wasn’t the right choice for our child, but it’s a great program and a great asset for APS.

[Anonymous]

I agree with making them both neighborhood schools and try to redraw the boundaries to something that makes sense. Where you move immersion to, I don't know....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I agree with making them both neighborhood schools and try to redraw the boundaries to something that makes sense. Where you move immersion to, I don't know....

It would be great to turn ASFS and Key into neighborhood schools, we live a block away from ASFS and are bused to Taylor. My family has been crossing Kirkwood for years with no problems, and kids on the other side of Kirkwood could easily be walkers if you simply added a crossing guard to Kirkwood, and kids walked up the back stairs or used 13th street to Lynnbrook. Move Spanish Immersion to ATS, and move the ATS program to one of the West county schools on top of each other.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I agree with making them both neighborhood schools and try to redraw the boundaries to something that makes sense. Where you move immersion to, I don't know....

It would be great to turn ASFS and Key into neighborhood schools, we live a block away from ASFS and are bused to Taylor. My family has been crossing Kirkwood for years with no problems, and kids on the other side of Kirkwood could easily be walkers if you simply added a crossing guard to Kirkwood, and kids walked up the back stairs or used 13th street to Lynnbrook. Move Spanish Immersion to ATS, and move the ATS program to one of the West county schools on top of each other.

Not happening. Moving the high status prestige ATS to such a non diverse, wealthy neighborhood will look very very bad (look already at the higher numbers from Ashlawn or McKinely b/c of proximity — essentially EVERY family in nottingham, tuckahoe, Reed will apply to ATS and it’s population center will shift there).

They don’t want to move Immersion there b/c it involves long commutes for the native Spanish speakering communities who may not come to the program, and would increase busing costs. And of course both immersions will be in West county so the east west divide breaks, and politically a north south divide would be VERY tricky (a north county immersion will likely be underpopulated vs an oversubscribed south county).

They at most will swap the schools and trickle of planning units to long branch, Taylor, Glebe.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I agree with making them both neighborhood schools and try to redraw the boundaries to something that makes sense. Where you move immersion to, I don't know....

It would be great to turn ASFS and Key into neighborhood schools, we live a block away from ASFS and are bused to Taylor. My family has been crossing Kirkwood for years with no problems, and kids on the other side of Kirkwood could easily be walkers if you simply added a crossing guard to Kirkwood, and kids walked up the back stairs or used 13th street to Lynnbrook. Move Spanish Immersion to ATS, and move the ATS program to one of the West county schools on top of each other.

Not happening. Moving the high status prestige ATS to such a non diverse, wealthy neighborhood will look very very bad (look already at the higher numbers from Ashlawn or McKinely b/c of proximity — essentially EVERY family in nottingham, tuckahoe, Reed will apply to ATS and it’s population center will shift there).

They don’t want to move Immersion there b/c it involves long commutes for the native Spanish speakering communities who may not come to the program, and would increase busing costs. And of course both immersions will be in West county so the east west divide breaks, and politically a north south divide would be VERY tricky (a north county immersion will likely be underpopulated vs an oversubscribed south county).

They at most will swap the schools and trickle of planning units to long branch, Taylor, Glebe.

They could do quotas by zone like they do for HB Woodlawn. They need to move some option seats up there!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I agree with making them both neighborhood schools and try to redraw the boundaries to something that makes sense. Where you move immersion to, I don't know....

It would be great to turn ASFS and Key into neighborhood schools, we live a block away from ASFS and are bused to Taylor. My family has been crossing Kirkwood for years with no problems, and kids on the other side of Kirkwood could easily be walkers if you simply added a crossing guard to Kirkwood, and kids walked up the back stairs or used 13th street to Lynnbrook. Move Spanish Immersion to ATS, and move the ATS program to one of the West county schools on top of each other.

Not happening. Moving the high status prestige ATS to such a non diverse, wealthy neighborhood will look very very bad (look already at the higher numbers from Ashlawn or McKinely b/c of proximity — essentially EVERY family in nottingham, tuckahoe, Reed will apply to ATS and it’s population center will shift there).

They don’t want to move Immersion there b/c it involves long commutes for the native Spanish speakering communities who may not come to the program, and would increase busing costs. And of course both immersions will be in West county so the east west divide breaks, and politically a north south divide would be VERY tricky (a north county immersion will likely be underpopulated vs an oversubscribed south county).

They at most will swap the schools and trickle of planning units to long branch, Taylor, Glebe.

If the schools are swapped, all of the native Spanish speakers will still need to be bused to ASFS building.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I agree with making them both neighborhood schools and try to redraw the boundaries to something that makes sense. Where you move immersion to, I don't know....

It would be great to turn ASFS and Key into neighborhood schools, we live a block away from ASFS and are bused to Taylor. My family has been crossing Kirkwood for years with no problems, and kids on the other side of Kirkwood could easily be walkers if you simply added a crossing guard to Kirkwood, and kids walked up the back stairs or used 13th street to Lynnbrook. Move Spanish Immersion to ATS, and move the ATS program to one of the West county schools on top of each other.

Not happening. Moving the high status prestige ATS to such a non diverse, wealthy neighborhood will look very very bad (look already at the higher numbers from Ashlawn or McKinely b/c of proximity — essentially EVERY family in nottingham, tuckahoe, Reed will apply to ATS and it’s population center will shift there).

They don’t want to move Immersion there b/c it involves long commutes for the native Spanish speakering communities who may not come to the program, and would increase busing costs. And of course both immersions will be in West county so the east west divide breaks, and politically a north south divide would be VERY tricky (a north county immersion will likely be underpopulated vs an oversubscribed south county).

They at most will swap the schools and trickle of planning units to long branch, Taylor, Glebe.

If the schools are swapped, all of the native Spanish speakers will still need to be bused to ASFS building.

True but much shorter bus ride and accessible location for families.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Because the principal was awful.

She was actually terrific, overall, I thought. (I had two kids go through Key). She had been there a long time, however, and I think the school will benefit by an injection of new leadership next year.

And while I agree tha Immersion may not be everyone's cup of tea, I think calling it a "niche program" is a little too dismissive. The opportunity to learn a language as a young child is a unique opportunity that can never be replicated. I think that is why many families choose immersion. Its not good for some kids (which is why APS has never forced anyone to go through the immersion program), but I think it is very good for most kids.

+1,000.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why don't families around Key and ASFS want to do immersion? Why not keep Key there and just apply in large numbers. The data show that the surrounding neighborhoods tend to have the most students at option schools anyway, right?

Because the principal was awful.

And the ASFS principal is a real peach.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why don't families around Key and ASFS want to do immersion? Why not keep Key there and just apply in large numbers. The data show that the surrounding neighborhoods tend to have the most students at option schools anyway, right?

Because the principal was awful.

And the ASFS principal is a real peach.

Well, no. Sometimes you have to pick your poison, and despite Ms "Actually" above, we thought the ASFS principal was better than Key's. And the principals at Jamestown and Taylor were better than either (this was awhile back).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why don't families around Key and ASFS want to do immersion? Why not keep Key there and just apply in large numbers. The data show that the surrounding neighborhoods tend to have the most students at option schools anyway, right?

Because the principal was awful.

And the ASFS principal is a real peach.

Well, no. Sometimes you have to pick your poison, and despite Ms "Actually" above, we thought the ASFS principal was better than Key's. And the principals at Jamestown and Taylor were better than either (this was awhile back).

Principals are important, of course, but you seem oddly focused on this one factor.