Nancy Van Doren just went off the deep end

[Anonymous]

I have an only child in 3rd grade. She has three friends with older siblings in HB. That is at least half of the slots right there. I would guess that all the slots could be filled by siblings. So, I do I have a one in 120 chance of getting the remaining spot?

[Anonymous]

I have strongly supported HB thus far, even though my 6th grader did not get in. I think that it is a huge asset to Arlington, and I support it staying the size that it is rather than watering it down by a large expansion. If the school board tries to pull a sibling preference policy into play, however, you better believe there will be hell to pay and you will see people like me, who otherwise would have gone to bat for HB, leading the way.

Want sibling preference? Fine. But the program needs to be expanded to accommodate them in addition to the full complement of kids who get in through the existing lottery system. You can't have your cake and eat it too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have strongly supported HB thus far, even though my 6th grader did not get in. I think that it is a huge asset to Arlington, and I support it staying the size that it is rather than watering it down by a large expansion. If the school board tries to pull a sibling preference policy into play, however, you better believe there will be hell to pay and you will see people like me, who otherwise would have gone to bat for HB, leading the way.

Want sibling preference? Fine. But the program needs to be expanded to accommodate them in addition to the full complement of kids who get in through the existing lottery system. You can't have your cake and eat it too.

If the program can expand that much without ruining it, then why do only certain families get access to those spots? It totally prejudices against families with only children, or whose oldest has yet to get in, or is new to the school system, or any other of a host of reasons that they don't already have kids at the school. If HB can absorb more kids, then it should absorb more kids from across the system with no special set asides. HB itself is already a special set aside.

[Anonymous]

If there is so much demand and it can't be scaled, how about HB2 - in the Ed Center?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have strongly supported HB thus far, even though my 6th grader did not get in. I think that it is a huge asset to Arlington, and I support it staying the size that it is rather than watering it down by a large expansion. If the school board tries to pull a sibling preference policy into play, however, you better believe there will be hell to pay and you will see people like me, who otherwise would have gone to bat for HB, leading the way.

Want sibling preference? Fine. But the program needs to be expanded to accommodate them in addition to the full complement of kids who get in through the existing lottery system. You can't have your cake and eat it too.

If the program can expand that much without ruining it, then why do only certain families get access to those spots? It totally prejudices against families with only children, or whose oldest has yet to get in, or is new to the school system, or any other of a host of reasons that they don't already have kids at the school. If HB can absorb more kids, then it should absorb more kids from across the system with no special set asides. HB itself is already a special set aside.

Completely agree. If it can be expanded to accommodate siblings then it can be expanded, period. If it is so important that a family's children go to the same school then they should send them to their zoned school. I can see compromising on ES since there is so much more family involvement but no sibling preference (including no preference for twins, get over it, Nancy) in MS-HS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have strongly supported HB thus far, even though my 6th grader did not get in. I think that it is a huge asset to Arlington, and I support it staying the size that it is rather than watering it down by a large expansion. If the school board tries to pull a sibling preference policy into play, however, you better believe there will be hell to pay and you will see people like me, who otherwise would have gone to bat for HB, leading the way.

Want sibling preference? Fine. But the program needs to be expanded to accommodate them in addition to the full complement of kids who get in through the existing lottery system. You can't have your cake and eat it too.

If the program can expand that much without ruining it, then why do only certain families get access to those spots? It totally prejudices against families with only children, or whose oldest has yet to get in, or is new to the school system, or any other of a host of reasons that they don't already have kids at the school. If HB can absorb more kids, then it should absorb more kids from across the system with no special set asides. HB itself is already a special set aside.

This! As a parent of an only, the twin admission already drives me crazy. If the school can add a student to accommodate a twin, why can't they add the seat to accommodate the next student on the waitlist? This is taking the golden ticket thing way too far.

It's time to go find the email addresses for the school board members. I understand it's more effective to write to each one n their own b/c the group email is seriously delayed.

[Anonymous]

[e-mail]
[e-mail]
[e-mail]
[e-mail]
[e-mail]
[e-mail]

and include the general Engage! email as well: [e-mail]

[Anonymous]

This becomes even more ludicrous when you consider the fact that choice schools seem to be the board's answer to overcrowding. To the extent the programs are at all successful, getting a seat would be next to impossible for kids like mine, who are still toddler and preschool-aged.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It looks like she's getting her way. The new proposal gives sibling preference at ALL levels. So, if your school gets 4 HB slots and enough kids have older siblings in the school already, tough luck. People with only children need not apply.

What new proposal? Where can I find it?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It looks like she's getting her way. The new proposal gives sibling preference at ALL levels. So, if your school gets 4 HB slots and enough kids have older siblings in the school already, tough luck. People with only children need not apply.

So what happens if you have 4 slots and there are more than 4 kids with a sibling preference? Do they all get in? Again we get back to the issue that if they can get bigger for siblings then they should just be bigger.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It looks like she's getting her way. The new proposal gives sibling preference at ALL levels. So, if your school gets 4 HB slots and enough kids have older siblings in the school already, tough luck. People with only children need not apply.

So what happens if you have 4 slots and there are more than 4 kids with a sibling preference? Do they all get in? Again we get back to the issue that if they can get bigger for siblings then they should just be bigger.

And kids w/o older siblings in the school don't even get a chance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It looks like she's getting her way. The new proposal gives sibling preference at ALL levels. So, if your school gets 4 HB slots and enough kids have older siblings in the school already, tough luck. People with only children need not apply.

What new proposal? Where can I find it?

http://www.boarddocs.com/vsba/arlington/Board.nsf/files/AMEN8S5EB8B6/$file/School%20Board%20Revisions%20to%20SB%20Policy%2025-2%202%20-%20markup.pdf

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It looks like she's getting her way. The new proposal gives sibling preference at ALL levels. So, if your school gets 4 HB slots and enough kids have older siblings in the school already, tough luck. People with only children need not apply.

What new proposal? Where can I find it?

https://www.apsva.us/transfer-policy-revisions/

Check the presentations and the revision markup. They posted it sometime on Tuesday, but didn't advertise it. The only reason I know is b/c an AEM member brought it up. Of course, it's too late to sign up online to speak about it, but I guess you can just show up and signup there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It looks like she's getting her way. The new proposal gives sibling preference at ALL levels. So, if your school gets 4 HB slots and enough kids have older siblings in the school already, tough luck. People with only children need not apply.

What new proposal? Where can I find it?

http://www.boarddocs.com/vsba/arlington/Board.nsf/files/AMEN8S5EB8B6/$file/School%20Board%20Revisions%20to%20SB%20Policy%2025-2%202%20-%20markup.pdf

Thank you. I shouldn't be shocked but I'm shocked.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If there is so much demand and it can't be scaled, how about HB2 - in the Ed Center?

This is really the question I have. If HB is popular, a lot of kids are being denied each year, why doesn't the County create a second program, styled on this success?