Which APS elementary schools should close?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:MPSA begging for a new building when they would have done anything, even accept a substandard building to get out of Drew, is rich

I thought Drew didn't want MPSA in their building, it made more sense to move a county-wide program to a more central Arlington location, and APS wanted to fill Drew with S Arlington kids from nearby overcrowded schools. Or am I misremembering the reasons for moving MPSA?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:MPSA begging for a new building when they would have done anything, even accept a substandard building to get out of Drew, is rich

I thought Drew didn't want MPSA in their building, it made more sense to move a county-wide program to a more central Arlington location, and APS wanted to fill Drew with S Arlington kids from nearby overcrowded schools. Or am I misremembering the reasons for moving MPSA?

You're not wrong. The move was sparked by desperate need for seats in SA and Montessori needed to leave Drew.
Still, during the process of determining where now Fleet should be built, Montessori pushed to leave Drew and insisted they would "take anything" - they didn't care, just "anything" that gave them their own space. I distinctly remember MO saying that more than once. Montessori knew there was no way they were going to get the new school that was going to be built in SA; so they were "happy" to "Take anything" and move out of Drew. That was merely step one on the road to their custom-built new facility and vision for preK-12 program.

Despite Montessori's immediate complaints about the Patrick Henry building once they moved into it, they were probably glad it was in such bad shape because it would support their advocacy for the next step: a brand new building of their own.

All this current jabber about how MPSA is a south arlington school and must stay in SA? BS. They were pushing hard to get the renovated Ed Center space - that's not in south Arlington. Now they suddenly have to stay south of 50.

Don't expect them to be done asking for more once they're in the renovated CC building.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:MPSA begging for a new building when they would have done anything, even accept a substandard building to get out of Drew, is rich

I thought Drew didn't want MPSA in their building, it made more sense to move a county-wide program to a more central Arlington location, and APS wanted to fill Drew with S Arlington kids from nearby overcrowded schools. Or am I misremembering the reasons for moving MPSA?

You're not wrong. The move was sparked by desperate need for seats in SA and Montessori needed to leave Drew.
Still, during the process of determining where now Fleet should be built, Montessori pushed to leave Drew and insisted they would "take anything" - they didn't care, just "anything" that gave them their own space. I distinctly remember MO saying that more than once. Montessori knew there was no way they were going to get the new school that was going to be built in SA; so they were "happy" to "Take anything" and move out of Drew. That was merely step one on the road to their custom-built new facility and vision for preK-12 program.

Despite Montessori's immediate complaints about the Patrick Henry building once they moved into it, they were probably glad it was in such bad shape because it would support their advocacy for the next step: a brand new building of their own.

All this current jabber about how MPSA is a south arlington school and must stay in SA? BS. They were pushing hard to get the renovated Ed Center space - that's not in south Arlington. Now they suddenly have to stay south of 50.

Don't expect them to be done asking for more once they're in the renovated CC building.

Yep. I remember them advocating for anything. Even asking to move to north Arlington. But the career center get closer to their long term goal as long as taxpayers are willing to foot the bill

[Anonymous]

Can anyone explain the point of Montessori? What is it other than mixing age groups? Yes I have googled but it’s all just buzzwords.

[Anonymous]

You all sound nuts. It sounds like you believe MPSA has some grand secret scheme to take over the world.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Can anyone explain the point of Montessori? What is it other than mixing age groups? Yes I have googled but it’s all just buzzwords.

I suggest googling again. This isn’t hard to figure out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You all sound nuts. It sounds like you believe MPSA has some grand secret scheme to take over the world.

No but they’ve been successfully advocating for years for their program. They even have their own non-profit.

[Anonymous]

There are only so many highly rated elementary schools in Arlington and you guys begrudge them or advocate for them to be closed? 100% agree, you guys are nuts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There are only so many highly rated elementary schools in Arlington and you guys begrudge them or advocate for them to be closed? 100% agree, you guys are nuts.

The most highly rated school is ATS. And they actually serve low-income kids. They should be expanded before MPSA is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are only so many highly rated elementary schools in Arlington and you guys begrudge them or advocate for them to be closed? 100% agree, you guys are nuts.

The most highly rated school is ATS. And they actually serve low-income kids. They should be expanded before MPSA is.

Maybe there should be some type of vote to gauge parent interest in turning neighborhood schools into the ATS model aka what we grew up with them. It seems like this would solve A LOT of problems.

[Anonymous]

I think another building swap with ATS in the new CC space and Montessori moving to the old McKinley building should be under consideration. ATS is a far more popular and successful program than MPSA.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think another building swap with ATS in the new CC space and Montessori moving to the old McKinley building should be under consideration. ATS is a far more popular and successful program than MPSA.

+1 but ATS parents don’t have their own PAC.

[Anonymous]

The fact that AMAC even exists is utter lunacy. Why the superintendent and school board even gives them a voice I don’t even know. For one whole school.

[Anonymous]

I got it! Move MPSA to the current ATS site. Then MS at Williamsburg. If there’s even community interest of a HS program (I can’t imagine there would be), maybe Yorktown may be a good choice as enrollment goes down as projections predict. I think they are the only HS without an options program.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are only so many highly rated elementary schools in Arlington and you guys begrudge them or advocate for them to be closed? 100% agree, you guys are nuts.

The most highly rated school is ATS. And they actually serve low-income kids. They should be expanded before MPSA is.

I would be happy to send my kid to Drew if it was at ATS caliber.