APS Closing Nottingham

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here's a useful thread from back in the day: https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/593495.page

Nottingham protested getting extra planning units and was then the most under-capacity school in the entire county in Fall of 2016, while McKinley was over capacity by about 50 kids (based on what the renovated school could contain, even though it was still undergoing renovations and dealing with trailers).

Also this one: https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/547393.page

I used to be a McKinley parent and I posted this comment in that second thread:

I'm a current McKinley parent and I guess I don't really think this is a big deal, and that the parents are having a harder time with it than the kids will.

My child LOVED having gym in the trailer, and all the echoey sounds you could make with your voice in there.

The school dealt with space issues this year by making some specials classes "roaming" classes, so for example the kids might have Spanish or Art or Music in their own classrooms instead of going to a room dedicated to that subject. It would not be an ideal long term plan, but for a year or two I don't see any negative effects on my child or his education.

My kid has never had class all year in a trailer, but my understanding is that the kids actually quite like the trailers. It seems to build class unity and make you feel like you are your own special community, plus you can do whatever you want to the walls. Again, I wouldn't want trailers as the long term plan (which is why they are doing this renovation/addition to the school in the first place), but as a temporary thing, it's fine.

I appreciate that in general McKinley is not full of spoiled people who are constantly asking for special treatment and privileges and not taking "more than our share." When something is important -- like when Tuckahoe wanted to move two of its planning groups over so they could keep their neighborhood together even though that would have put McKinley at 110% capacity AFTER THE NEW ADDITION WAS ADDED -- we will talk reasonably to APS and get them to change their mind. In this case we are talking about a three month delay of the main new construction, so three months of a trailer fleet. I just don't think that's a big deal. And if a new child was coming to the school over from Glebe or Tuckahoe, they might find the whole thing fun and again, sort of community building. "Look we're all getting through this together." If they waited to come until the following year, they would have missed out on that.

I don't think the parking is that big of a deal because there is quite a lot of street parking.

I just think all this complaining is very much a spoiled North Arlington mindset -- "MY CHILD SHALL NOT BE INCONVENIENCED BY TRAILERS" -- when you are coming from schools that already have fleets of trailers in their fields. Maybe you just don't want to leave your home schools, and that's fair. I wouldn't want to either, probably. But we're all in this together, and we can get through it as a community.

The new school is going to be really, really beautiful.

I also defended Nottingham in that thread.

Ha ha, joke’s on me. I have since lost all positive vibes towards Nottingham parents. It seems to be an area that looks out only for its own rather than caring for the community at large, and I am tired of it. So much of this they have absolutely done to themselves, even though they blame literally everyone BUT themselves. They refused to take more kids. They got upset over Covid and fled to private. They passed the buck about being turned into an option school — that shoe just didn’t fit their dainty little foot either. And every time APS asked them to eat poop for the community, not only did they not eat the poop, they found another community to target to eat the poop and lobbied hard to give the steaming poop to that community instead, it was just such a much better fit for them.

So Nottingham, welcome to your swing space shit sandwich. Nobody else is going to eat it for you. Bon appetit.

You ok? Do you need a hug? Man, you sound… unhinged.

[Anonymous]

PP sounds fine. No need to be a b.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Since this issue just doesn’t seem to go away, the reason the schools are viewed differently is because the approaches the PTAs took. Nottingham tried to get elected officials involved as a show of power. They also said they couldn’t possibly handle any more kids and they had their turn and someone else should have it.

The McKinley, PTA, to the dismay of some people, refused to say they didn’t want the planning units, and the students should go to Nottingham. The Mckinley PTA would only say something to the effect of balance of the enrollment. They wanted Aps to look at the area more holistically and not leave any school overcrowded. They didn’t point a finger at Nottingham and that is why history views the two schools differently.

Also, APS knew about the projection errors before they made the boundary change. There were some heavily involved parents from Madison Manor, who pointed it out to the planners before the vote even went through. Aps knew what it was doing.

"History" views it this way? Oh that has to be the funniest thing on DCUM today. Thank you for this, really. This completely articulates your self- aggrandizing view.

Pretty sure "history" doesn't care that your elementary school was a few kids over capacity.

This is why people don’t really care about the Nottingham issue. It’s only a big deal for the people involved.

I'm in N. Arlington, and I don't care.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:PP sounds fine. No need to be a b.

They dug up a post from years ago and then went on a rant filled with misinformation and kindergarten level insults.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:PP sounds fine. No need to be a b.

Agreed. Also, I didn’t see any misinformation. The recap of boundary changes and the option school was right on.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PP sounds fine. No need to be a b.

They dug up a post from years ago and then went on a rant filled with misinformation and kindergarten level insults.

PP is discussing the topic. You just threw out insults. If you have nothing to contribute then sit down.

[Anonymous]

So, if Nottingham had just been the one turned into an option, would there even be an issue? Would McKinley be the one closing now? Or are there enough kids in the McKinley/Cardinal zones and adjacent zones to keep both schools open as neighborhood schools? Just curious if anyone has thought about it. Did APS make the wrong decision then, caving to pressure? Or would we be in this scenario either way?

[Anonymous]

Also did a search and these old threads brought back memories. So many schools were overcrowded back then. Pre-covid/APE days.

https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/837799.page
https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/712347.page
https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/745998.page


With birth rates declining all over it seems like overcrowding may be a short-term problem.
https://www.apsva.us/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/APS-Fall-2022-10-Year-Enrollment-Projections.pdf

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So, if Nottingham had just been the one turned into an option, would there even be an issue? Would McKinley be the one closing now? Or are there enough kids in the McKinley/Cardinal zones and adjacent zones to keep both schools open as neighborhood schools? Just curious if anyone has thought about it. Did APS make the wrong decision then, caving to pressure? Or would we be in this scenario either way?

Looking at the map, ATS is in a more central location. Keeping that there as long-term option School makes sense.

There are just so many schools along that western border. It does make sense to use Nottingham for something else. Temporary since it’s less central and small.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Also did a search and these old threads brought back memories. So many schools were overcrowded back then. Pre-covid/APE days.

https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/837799.page
https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/712347.page
https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/745998.page


With birth rates declining all over it seems like overcrowding may be a short-term problem.
https://www.apsva.us/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/APS-Fall-2022-10-Year-Enrollment-Projections.pdf

Was there ever a time when APS Planning got it right? Seems like this PTA vs PTA antagonism serves them well because it’s a distraction from the total sh*tshow they unleash every few years. If you’re still hating Nottingham 10 years later, instead of them, they win.

People who are saying “suck it up” when there are so many questions left to be answered- you’re part of the problem! APS are public servants spending the taxpayer dime. With their record, it’s fair to ask questions. This isn’t an autocracy even if you don’t like the people asking. In the parlance of the juvenile posters on here- get over it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here's a useful thread from back in the day: https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/593495.page

Nottingham protested getting extra planning units and was then the most under-capacity school in the entire county in Fall of 2016, while McKinley was over capacity by about 50 kids (based on what the renovated school could contain, even though it was still undergoing renovations and dealing with trailers).

Also this one: https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/547393.page

I used to be a McKinley parent and I posted this comment in that second thread:

I'm a current McKinley parent and I guess I don't really think this is a big deal, and that the parents are having a harder time with it than the kids will.

My child LOVED having gym in the trailer, and all the echoey sounds you could make with your voice in there.

The school dealt with space issues this year by making some specials classes "roaming" classes, so for example the kids might have Spanish or Art or Music in their own classrooms instead of going to a room dedicated to that subject. It would not be an ideal long term plan, but for a year or two I don't see any negative effects on my child or his education.

My kid has never had class all year in a trailer, but my understanding is that the kids actually quite like the trailers. It seems to build class unity and make you feel like you are your own special community, plus you can do whatever you want to the walls. Again, I wouldn't want trailers as the long term plan (which is why they are doing this renovation/addition to the school in the first place), but as a temporary thing, it's fine.

I appreciate that in general McKinley is not full of spoiled people who are constantly asking for special treatment and privileges and not taking "more than our share." When something is important -- like when Tuckahoe wanted to move two of its planning groups over so they could keep their neighborhood together even though that would have put McKinley at 110% capacity AFTER THE NEW ADDITION WAS ADDED -- we will talk reasonably to APS and get them to change their mind. In this case we are talking about a three month delay of the main new construction, so three months of a trailer fleet. I just don't think that's a big deal. And if a new child was coming to the school over from Glebe or Tuckahoe, they might find the whole thing fun and again, sort of community building. "Look we're all getting through this together." If they waited to come until the following year, they would have missed out on that.

I don't think the parking is that big of a deal because there is quite a lot of street parking.

I just think all this complaining is very much a spoiled North Arlington mindset -- "MY CHILD SHALL NOT BE INCONVENIENCED BY TRAILERS" -- when you are coming from schools that already have fleets of trailers in their fields. Maybe you just don't want to leave your home schools, and that's fair. I wouldn't want to either, probably. But we're all in this together, and we can get through it as a community.

The new school is going to be really, really beautiful.

I also defended Nottingham in that thread.

Ha ha, joke’s on me. I have since lost all positive vibes towards Nottingham parents. It seems to be an area that looks out only for its own rather than caring for the community at large, and I am tired of it. So much of this they have absolutely done to themselves, even though they blame literally everyone BUT themselves. They refused to take more kids. They got upset over Covid and fled to private. They passed the buck about being turned into an option school — that shoe just didn’t fit their dainty little foot either. And every time APS asked them to eat poop for the community, not only did they not eat the poop, they found another community to target to eat the poop and lobbied hard to give the steaming poop to that community instead, it was just such a much better fit for them.

So Nottingham, welcome to your swing space shit sandwich. Nobody else is going to eat it for you. Bon appetit.

You sound a little delusional and maybe jealous? I don’t know. Wouldn’t say this in public though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here's a useful thread from back in the day: https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/593495.page

Nottingham protested getting extra planning units and was then the most under-capacity school in the entire county in Fall of 2016, while McKinley was over capacity by about 50 kids (based on what the renovated school could contain, even though it was still undergoing renovations and dealing with trailers).

Also this one: https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/547393.page

I used to be a McKinley parent and I posted this comment in that second thread:

I'm a current McKinley parent and I guess I don't really think this is a big deal, and that the parents are having a harder time with it than the kids will.

My child LOVED having gym in the trailer, and all the echoey sounds you could make with your voice in there.

The school dealt with space issues this year by making some specials classes "roaming" classes, so for example the kids might have Spanish or Art or Music in their own classrooms instead of going to a room dedicated to that subject. It would not be an ideal long term plan, but for a year or two I don't see any negative effects on my child or his education.

My kid has never had class all year in a trailer, but my understanding is that the kids actually quite like the trailers. It seems to build class unity and make you feel like you are your own special community, plus you can do whatever you want to the walls. Again, I wouldn't want trailers as the long term plan (which is why they are doing this renovation/addition to the school in the first place), but as a temporary thing, it's fine.

I appreciate that in general McKinley is not full of spoiled people who are constantly asking for special treatment and privileges and not taking "more than our share." When something is important -- like when Tuckahoe wanted to move two of its planning groups over so they could keep their neighborhood together even though that would have put McKinley at 110% capacity AFTER THE NEW ADDITION WAS ADDED -- we will talk reasonably to APS and get them to change their mind. In this case we are talking about a three month delay of the main new construction, so three months of a trailer fleet. I just don't think that's a big deal. And if a new child was coming to the school over from Glebe or Tuckahoe, they might find the whole thing fun and again, sort of community building. "Look we're all getting through this together." If they waited to come until the following year, they would have missed out on that.

I don't think the parking is that big of a deal because there is quite a lot of street parking.

I just think all this complaining is very much a spoiled North Arlington mindset -- "MY CHILD SHALL NOT BE INCONVENIENCED BY TRAILERS" -- when you are coming from schools that already have fleets of trailers in their fields. Maybe you just don't want to leave your home schools, and that's fair. I wouldn't want to either, probably. But we're all in this together, and we can get through it as a community.

The new school is going to be really, really beautiful.

I also defended Nottingham in that thread.

Ha ha, joke’s on me. I have since lost all positive vibes towards Nottingham parents. It seems to be an area that looks out only for its own rather than caring for the community at large, and I am tired of it. So much of this they have absolutely done to themselves, even though they blame literally everyone BUT themselves. They refused to take more kids. They got upset over Covid and fled to private. They passed the buck about being turned into an option school — that shoe just didn’t fit their dainty little foot either. And every time APS asked them to eat poop for the community, not only did they not eat the poop, they found another community to target to eat the poop and lobbied hard to give the steaming poop to that community instead, it was just such a much better fit for them.

So Nottingham, welcome to your swing space shit sandwich. Nobody else is going to eat it for you. Bon appetit.

You sound a little delusional and maybe jealous? I don’t know. Wouldn’t say this in public though.

Careful the anti-Nottingham contingent gonna pounce on you for being off topic! Ha.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Also did a search and these old threads brought back memories. So many schools were overcrowded back then. Pre-covid/APE days.

https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/837799.page
https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/712347.page
https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/745998.page


With birth rates declining all over it seems like overcrowding may be a short-term problem.
https://www.apsva.us/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/APS-Fall-2022-10-Year-Enrollment-Projections.pdf

Was there ever a time when APS Planning got it right? Seems like this PTA vs PTA antagonism serves them well because it’s a distraction from the total sh*tshow they unleash every few years. If you’re still hating Nottingham 10 years later, instead of them, they win.

People who are saying “suck it up” when there are so many questions left to be answered- you’re part of the problem! APS are public servants spending the taxpayer dime. With their record, it’s fair to ask questions. This isn’t an autocracy even if you don’t like the people asking. In the parlance of the juvenile posters on here- get over it.

Yes, this - there are too many unanswered questions in this proposal and that’s what Nottingham parents are doing right now: asking questions. Just because you don’t like the people asking questions, doesn’t mean they can’t ask the questions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Also did a search and these old threads brought back memories. So many schools were overcrowded back then. Pre-covid/APE days.

https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/837799.page
https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/712347.page
https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/745998.page


With birth rates declining all over it seems like overcrowding may be a short-term problem.
https://www.apsva.us/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/APS-Fall-2022-10-Year-Enrollment-Projections.pdf

Was there ever a time when APS Planning got it right? Seems like this PTA vs PTA antagonism serves them well because it’s a distraction from the total sh*tshow they unleash every few years. If you’re still hating Nottingham 10 years later, instead of them, they win.

People who are saying “suck it up” when there are so many questions left to be answered- you’re part of the problem! APS are public servants spending the taxpayer dime. With their record, it’s fair to ask questions. This isn’t an autocracy even if you don’t like the people asking. In the parlance of the juvenile posters on here- get over it.

“They win”? It’s not a game. We are a community trying to find the best solutions given limited resources. It hurts our community when parents choose to attack others.

As I said earlier, asking questions is good. Be engaged, just don’t be a jerk to others. (which is why McCrazy, APE, etc were so despised)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Also did a search and these old threads brought back memories. So many schools were overcrowded back then. Pre-covid/APE days.

https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/837799.page
https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/712347.page
https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/745998.page


With birth rates declining all over it seems like overcrowding may be a short-term problem.
https://www.apsva.us/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/APS-Fall-2022-10-Year-Enrollment-Projections.pdf

All I see on there is McKinley complaining about, well, everything. This post summed it up well-

"Yes. You can't have a school so overcrowded, complain about and then complain when APS does something to fix it. Not a good plan, McKinley."