LAST APS meeting on new high school and countywide rezoning (4/4, 7 pm Yorktown)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Choice schools, beyond exacerbating overcrowding, also worsens socio-economic segregation (except the Immersion schools). HB is second least diverse and second fewest FARMS. It is white flight in stealth.

White flight in stealth?

There are more North Arlington kids from the W-L and YHS zones than South Arlington kids from Wakefield transferring into HB. At least get the facts straight. This is not a case of "white flight." It's highly motivated, educated, and wealthy parents looking for a private school for free. The end. At least ATS is more diverse than almost all other North Arlington schools, both racially and economically.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think the pp misunderstood the WL guy. My kids won't be at that school, but I do think a 4,000 student school is a very bad idea. Even if APS increases IB and adds other programs,, WL will still be their home school. Thanks means 4,000 kids FS for 1 sports team, 1 school play, 1 debate team, etc. it will be hurt the students and this dumb 9th grade academy is just a way to make parents this their kid is getting a special deal when they are really just getting cheated out of a regular HS experience.

Maybe your kids aren't the right ages for when this wave of kids hits hs but others do realize that this isn't based on the current hs boundaries right? Earlier slides mention that if it is an additional 1300 seat school they would draw equally among the 3 hs zones with the kids returning back to their neighborhood school for sports-like hb does now. Or if they turned it into a 9th grade academy it would not be limited to just wl zoned 9th graders.

Sorry. Fixed above text. Typing on phone.

9th Grade academy for W-L students only, per senior staff at the meetings. So these 1300 seats will make W-L a mega school if the 9th grade academy option is selected, and they won't help the other two schools with overcrowding in the future. But don't worry, we won't need buildings at all by then. Kids are just going to do everything online. Why spend all the money that could be devoted to other causes on schools? Right?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I attended the last meeting at Yorktown. Still smh at half the stuff I heard. One guy literally yelled out, "I don't care about any of this! The only thing that matters is that my daughter doesn't have to go to Washington-Lee with 4,000 kids!!" Another lady says, with a straight face, "You cannot open up Key to the entire county! We go to Science Focus, and we NEED that school to relieve our overcrowding! Have you seen what's happening at Taylor and SFS? We have to have 3 neighborhood schools!!"

"We have to have 3 neighborhood schools." Basically, I don't care about immersion. I don't really care about any of the children at Key. They only exist to relieve overcrowding at my kid's school. And the W-L guy? Basically told us if thousands of other kids in the county have to get stuffed into trailers and closets for his daughter to experience a pristine high school experience ...well, it is what it is.

Is anyone paying attention to the demographic trends? We live in Arlington. Outside of Discovery and maybe a couple others, every school is on track to be overcrowded. We all chose to live in a geographically small, fairly urban suburb that's continuing to grow. There won't be anywhere to ship all these "other" kids so "your" school is untouched by these facts.

Well, but this lady indirectly hit the nail on the head; the current policy serves only to self-segregate non-English speaking Hispanics out of the more "precious schools" close by, so that they have less freshly immigrated Hispanic kids. She said it, and that's exactly what it is right now.
The county has got to mix up the demographics at each school, and the proposal is a step in the right direction.

Huh? Currently, kids in the Key/ASFS boundary zone can choose either school. They aren't forced to go to Key at all. The only restriction is that after 1st grade only bilingual kids can transfer to Key. Everyone at Key is choosing to be at Key.

Self segregation in that sense meaning that a large number of Hispanic families are, of course, happily, choosing Key, and thus, less of them are going to ASF, and less of them are ending up at the other nearby elementaries (via Hispanics choosing Key over their neighborhood).

So if they are happy they will still likely try to go to Key? Maybe some won't get in if demand increases? I'm not understanding why this is an issue. They are at a school they love and are doing well. What's the problem?

FWIW, ASFS has ~20% FARMS if I'm remembering correctly. It's not as "elite" as other schools - if that's how you're measuring it.

Here is the link to FARMS stats --> https://www.apsva.us/statistics/free-and-reduced-price-meals/

ASFS is around 20%. 7 schools have less FARMS than ASFS. Out of 23 schools, 11 schools have a third or more of their population with FARMS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Choice schools are often the only way middle class families in south Arlington have any shot at attending a diverse school. But yes, let's all shout white flight at them. Good job!

How are the neighborhood schools in S Arlington not diverse?

Really? A school that is almost entirely immigrant and poor isn't diverse.

They would be more "diverse" if white/affluent people stopped sending their kids to Choice schools and invested in Neighborhood schools. If APS ended Choice, we would likely see a huge turnaround at some of the schools that have struggled.

Keep dreaming buttercup, or read a map sometime. The struggling elementaries of south Arlington have 1000's of units of low income housing zoned to them. There is no way to achieve any sort of parity, there simply aren't enough sfh's and even if there were, it's statistically improbable that each home would have elementary aged kids.

Sorry, Buttercup. Get your facts straight. From the 2015/16 transfer report. 346 kids transferred out of Carlin Springs (population around 500). 168 out of Randolph (school is just over 400). The majority of kids who transfer are not "economically disadvantaged" according to the report. Hundreds of kids not transferring out would make a huge difference.

Here is a link to the data.
https://www.apsva.us/statistics/pupil-transfer-report/

So Randolph currently has 400 ( poor) kids and would have an additional 168 ( wealthier) kids, and you think that would be a good balance? Get the F out here. That is literally why parents aren't bothering.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I attended the last meeting at Yorktown. Still smh at half the stuff I heard. One guy literally yelled out, "I don't care about any of this! The only thing that matters is that my daughter doesn't have to go to Washington-Lee with 4,000 kids!!" Another lady says, with a straight face, "You cannot open up Key to the entire county! We go to Science Focus, and we NEED that school to relieve our overcrowding! Have you seen what's happening at Taylor and SFS? We have to have 3 neighborhood schools!!"

"We have to have 3 neighborhood schools." Basically, I don't care about immersion. I don't really care about any of the children at Key. They only exist to relieve overcrowding at my kid's school. And the W-L guy? Basically told us if thousands of other kids in the county have to get stuffed into trailers and closets for his daughter to experience a pristine high school experience ...well, it is what it is.

Is anyone paying attention to the demographic trends? We live in Arlington. Outside of Discovery and maybe a couple others, every school is on track to be overcrowded. We all chose to live in a geographically small, fairly urban suburb that's continuing to grow. There won't be anywhere to ship all these "other" kids so "your" school is untouched by these facts.

Well, but this lady indirectly hit the nail on the head; the current policy serves only to self-segregate non-English speaking Hispanics out of the more "precious schools" close by, so that they have less freshly immigrated Hispanic kids. She said it, and that's exactly what it is right now.
The county has got to mix up the demographics at each school, and the proposal is a step in the right direction.

Huh? Currently, kids in the Key/ASFS boundary zone can choose either school. They aren't forced to go to Key at all. The only restriction is that after 1st grade only bilingual kids can transfer to Key. Everyone at Key is choosing to be at Key.

Self segregation in that sense meaning that a large number of Hispanic families are, of course, happily, choosing Key, and thus, less of them are going to ASF, and less of them are ending up at the other nearby elementaries (via Hispanics choosing Key over their neighborhood).

So if they are happy they will still likely try to go to Key? Maybe some won't get in if demand increases? I'm not understanding why this is an issue. They are at a school they love and are doing well. What's the problem?

FWIW, ASFS has ~20% FARMS if I'm remembering correctly. It's not as "elite" as other schools - if that's how you're measuring it.

Here is the link to FARMS stats --> https://www.apsva.us/statistics/free-and-reduced-price-meals/

ASFS is around 20%. 7 schools have less FARMS than ASFS. Out of 23 schools, 11 schools have a third or more of their population with FARMS.

Almost half of APS elementary schools hit the 30% FARMS threshold?! Why, oh why, are we using county resources to build MORE affordable housing? Our schools are dealing with capacity issues AND demographic (read ESOL/FARMs) challenges, both of which AH exacerbates. Seriously, WTF is wrong with our county board?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think the pp misunderstood the WL guy. My kids won't be at that school, but I do think a 4,000 student school is a very bad idea. Even if APS increases IB and adds other programs,, WL will still be their home school. Thanks means 4,000 kids FS for 1 sports team, 1 school play, 1 debate team, etc. it will be hurt the students and this dumb 9th grade academy is just a way to make parents this their kid is getting a special deal when they are really just getting cheated out of a regular HS experience.

Maybe your kids aren't the right ages for when this wave of kids hits hs but others do realize that this isn't based on the current hs boundaries right? Earlier slides mention that if it is an additional 1300 seat school they would draw equally among the 3 hs zones with the kids returning back to their neighborhood school for sports-like hb does now. Or if they turned it into a 9th grade academy it would not be limited to just wl zoned 9th graders.

Sorry. Fixed above text. Typing on phone.

9th Grade academy for W-L students only, per senior staff at the meetings. So these 1300 seats will make W-L a mega school if the 9th grade academy option is selected, and they won't help the other two schools with overcrowding in the future. But don't worry, we won't need buildings at all by then. Kids are just going to do everything online. Why spend all the money that could be devoted to other causes on schools? Right?

Yeah they day that but are you sure that the amount of freshman would double only for those currently inbound for wl. I highly doubt that is the case. Rembe how they fucked up the numbers more than once for the hs boundary in January and now it looks like yorktown will be way overcrowded even with moving the least amount of students out of WL starting this fall? To create a 9th grade academy they will most likely need to do something similar to the last fiasco.

[Anonymous]

nothing wrong with county board, really, they act this way because 80% of their constituents don't use public schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Choice schools are often the only way middle class families in south Arlington have any shot at attending a diverse school. But yes, let's all shout white flight at them. Good job!

How are the neighborhood schools in S Arlington not diverse?

Really? A school that is almost entirely immigrant and poor isn't diverse.

They would be more "diverse" if white/affluent people stopped sending their kids to Choice schools and invested in Neighborhood schools. If APS ended Choice, we would likely see a huge turnaround at some of the schools that have struggled.

No, this is often said, but simply not true.
There are not that many affluent kids, compared to the masses of poor/recent immigrant kids, even if nobody would choice out, and nobody would go to private. As has been said many times before, it is housing policy that shapes the schools.
Arlington simply cannot afford all that affordable housing, and density, apparently, if they can't provide the seats, and the quality.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I attended the last meeting at Yorktown. Still smh at half the stuff I heard. One guy literally yelled out, "I don't care about any of this! The only thing that matters is that my daughter doesn't have to go to Washington-Lee with 4,000 kids!!" Another lady says, with a straight face, "You cannot open up Key to the entire county! We go to Science Focus, and we NEED that school to relieve our overcrowding! Have you seen what's happening at Taylor and SFS? We have to have 3 neighborhood schools!!"

"We have to have 3 neighborhood schools." Basically, I don't care about immersion. I don't really care about any of the children at Key. They only exist to relieve overcrowding at my kid's school. And the W-L guy? Basically told us if thousands of other kids in the county have to get stuffed into trailers and closets for his daughter to experience a pristine high school experience ...well, it is what it is.

Is anyone paying attention to the demographic trends? We live in Arlington. Outside of Discovery and maybe a couple others, every school is on track to be overcrowded. We all chose to live in a geographically small, fairly urban suburb that's continuing to grow. There won't be anywhere to ship all these "other" kids so "your" school is untouched by these facts.

Well, but this lady indirectly hit the nail on the head; the current policy serves only to self-segregate non-English speaking Hispanics out of the more "precious schools" close by, so that they have less freshly immigrated Hispanic kids. She said it, and that's exactly what it is right now.
The county has got to mix up the demographics at each school, and the proposal is a step in the right direction.

Huh? Currently, kids in the Key/ASFS boundary zone can choose either school. They aren't forced to go to Key at all. The only restriction is that after 1st grade only bilingual kids can transfer to Key. Everyone at Key is choosing to be at Key.

Self segregation in that sense meaning that a large number of Hispanic families are, of course, happily, choosing Key, and thus, less of them are going to ASF, and less of them are ending up at the other nearby elementaries (via Hispanics choosing Key over their neighborhood).

So if they are happy they will still likely try to go to Key? Maybe some won't get in if demand increases? I'm not understanding why this is an issue. They are at a school they love and are doing well. What's the problem?

FWIW, ASFS has ~20% FARMS if I'm remembering correctly. It's not as "elite" as other schools - if that's how you're measuring it.

Here is the link to FARMS stats --> https://www.apsva.us/statistics/free-and-reduced-price-meals/

ASFS is around 20%. 7 schools have less FARMS than ASFS. Out of 23 schools, 11 schools have a third or more of their population with FARMS.

Ok...and? It's closer to the county FARMS average (30%) than many other schools. I would hardly call it "precious".

And what's the issue with Hispanic kids going to Key, liking it, and doing well there?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Choice schools are often the only way middle class families in south Arlington have any shot at attending a diverse school. But yes, let's all shout white flight at them. Good job!

How are the neighborhood schools in S Arlington not diverse?

Really? A school that is almost entirely immigrant and poor isn't diverse.

They would be more "diverse" if white/affluent people stopped sending their kids to Choice schools and invested in Neighborhood schools. If APS ended Choice, we would likely see a huge turnaround at some of the schools that have struggled.

That would be such a huge step backward. Many people come to APS for the choices. If those are gone - along with all of the interesting, highly-rated programs - what is left? Just more reasons to move elsewhere. Terrible idea.

[Anonymous]

Please give people with kids a reason to move out of APS!

[Anonymous]

I'll put up with APS before I deal with a longer commute.

[Anonymous]

Please give people with kids a reason to move out of APS!

Um, I think they're already doing that.

[Anonymous]

I'll put up with APS before I deal with a longer commute.

Nothing like putting your kids first....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I'll put up with APS before I deal with a longer commute.

Nothing like putting your kids first....

- give me a break. The schools are still great.

And to the poster who said 'most people move to Arlington because there are choice schools'. I don't believe that is a very high percentage. I moved to Arlington because, at the time, the infrastructure was really great. Arlington takes care of all of its people pretty well. Plus, it's a smaller county. FFX is HUGE and Loudoun is still experiencing growing pains. If Arl folks are worried about rezoning, check out the frequency they rezone in Loudoun. Count your lucky stars you live in Arlington.