I was curious about the transfer stats for Barcroft and, as I suspected, the transfer numbers are going down since the elimination of the year-round calendar. The 2019/20 school year shows 306 transfers. Each year since has fewer, with 225 for the most recent available year, 2022/23. That’s still a lot, but I think the numbers will continue to decline as currently enrolled children age out.
Yeah, I’m getting tired of it. I’m always, whenever it comes up, advocating for higher pay for teachers and treating teachers well… and they are right about the administrative bloat etc. but I’m getting tired of the fact that this is the only complaint, always more, more, more pay for us etc. This county has a lot of challenges.
The option schools are all very high FRL, so his post is nonsense. Most of the schools in this county are super high FRL and it’s more and more every year.
There are only a few schools with no free lunch kids at all (well less than 20) and that could be so easily diversified by putting 3 VPI classes at each of those schools and guaranteed spots to continue there, if they wish. Absolutely they would.
Anonymous wrote:* I meant Spanish learners, aka the White/Asian kids.
Why would Spanish learners not include Black children?
Not the PP, but I don’t think that comment is thought through, I think there are no Asian kids opting into Immersion at all, or very few. Zero interest.
Anonymous wrote:Not the OP, but one of the main commenters on that post absolutely hates MSPA (no judgement from me either way). But the background is interesting: their home was rezoned away from Fleet to Drew when MPSA moved into Henry. There’s lots of animosity still about that and also with the Career Center not becoming a neighborhood school, which would have benefited that family, but rather a choice school open to all regardless of boundaries. Interestingly, their child was allowed a transfer to Fleet and never attended Drew even after the reasoning. But that poster is really angry because other parents also attend schools that aren’t their assigned one. So, anyway, some of us didn’t forget about that.
Boundaries are the problem. Our neighborhoods are segregated base on our racial past (redlining, etc.), and so neighborhood schools are also segregated.
Forcing everyone to attend their assigned schools will not solve the problem in any meaningful way, and it will also remove choices from all those who can’t make “checkbook” choices like wealthy families can, to live in certain neighborhoods or to pay for private schools.
It’s not a solvable problem, so it’s better to just worry about yourself. If you’re a white (or even non-white) family of means really not comfortable with the neighborhood school for whatever reason, you’re not going to send your kids to the school even if they take away option schools. You’re going to go private or move to a different zone.
Actually, it is. Ranked choice admissions countywide.
What if everyone’s rankings are similar? Who gets left out?
But like… who is going to Drew? Do you really see it becoming more diverse? (I’m not implying it’s a bad school, just that low test scores mean very few people aren’t going to have it at the bottom…)
But people would be assigned there anyway. Eventually, it will develop the student body needed to not scare so many away. Randolph isn't going to be high on many peoples' list, either, except the bArcroft Apt families who are happy to walk to the nearest school with their entire homogenous community. Not any different than Nottingham in that regard.
Yeah, well, “everyone gets a school near the top of their list” is a farce then. Forcing families into Drew/Randolph/wherever would only result in more families going private.
I never said everyone gets a school near the top of their list. NEvertheless, in the Cambridge MA model, the vast majority of people get their #1 or #2 choice. That means the rest do not. But this model isn't only based on the preferences parents list. It includes male/female ratios, geographic proximity, and economic status.
I woud love to know more about this. Is Cambridge MA as unbalanced as Arlington? Are there schools there as different as Jamestown and Carlin Springs? Nottingham and Drew? Or are the schools there more or less equally desirable>
Not sure who would opt into Drew and Randolph other than the poor kids already there.
I remember someone in the AEM thread asking if anyone had administratively transferred to CS or Randolph, and a few people replied. I can’t find that comment anymore, but when threads get too long, often comments disappear in Facebook.
I think it’s a valid point. A lot of people commented in AEM that they go to option schools because of the diversity. Nah. The diversity is an excuse to make you feel good. You did it for the outcomes for your own kids. Own it.
My kids go to a choice school more diverse than our neighborhood school. The diversity was a bonus to us, but it wasn't the driving factor in transferring. Two things can be true at the same time.
So true. Most people I know are happy to have more diversity in their children’s schools, as long as school performance is top-notch.
People want quality instruction and good outcomes. Period.
I think the point was if diversity was the only factor, you’d have no problems administratively transferring your kid to Carlin Springs. It’s not the only consideration though. There’s a reason why options programs exist. All children should be in an environment with the best learning outcomes. Including those at Drew and Carlin springs.
It’s not the parent’s fault though that structural racism exists. If we had stronger APS and County leadership, maybe we can start addressing the issue. JF’s post was self serving though.
Of course diversity isn’t the only factor! Honestly, I think for most people it’s just a nice little add on when it exists.
Good test scores? Great!
Good test scores AND diversity? Super!
Bad test scores and (insert whatever you want)? That’s a tough sell.
And I don’t blame people for it!
Want actual change? Stop building affordable housing south of 50 and shift it up north. That will actually move the needle.
DP. I don’t think that OP is disagreeing with you. You owned your decision to send your children to option schools. They’re just commenting that high FARM schools should be great schools too. But that’s a school board and county leadership problem. Stop blaming parents for their own institutional inaction and neglect.
All of our schools can be good — I agree. Create opt-in programs (ATS style) within each school. This is a PARENTING problem, too! Get family buy in. Just because something is harder for you than a millionaire on the other side of the county doesn’t mean you can’t do it.
Fifty books over the summer is less than a book per day after all.
Expect more from your kids and let their teachers have high expectations, too. If that’s too hard, well then, stop whining.
Not all poor people are disengaged or don't "buy in" to their kids' education. Not all people who don't "buy in" are minorities or poor. Many minority communities value education more than some white folks and are far more invested and engaged. It isn't about "buy in." When you have high concentrations of underprivileged kids starting behind and add in high proportions of those students learning English, you are not going to get the same test scores everyone at ATS is expected to achieve. Period.
Not once did I mention race in all of this. ATS has proven kids of all races and income level can be high achievers.
I’m sure there are many, many black and Hispanic children on the ATS waitlist. It isn’t just white families that believe in the program. So why not create an opt-in version at EVERY school. You get the benefits of staying in your neighborhood school while having access to higher expectations (if you desire it).
ATS has successful outcomes for kids of all socioeconomic levels and races b/c all those kids have one thing in common- parents who are invested in their kids education. Everyone there had to opt in. Its not the 'education model' its the invested parents. In general lower socioeconomic status is just a proxy for less involved parents, there certainly are parents of lower socioeconomic status who are invested in their kids education. If you created an "ats" in every school, all you would be doing is further segregating the involved parents from the less involved parents.
I have many friends in south arlington who tried their neighborhood school for a year- they had rose colored glasses- "I'm going to be an involved parent," etc. For a variety of different reasons, it didn't work. Some of them lotteried their children into an option school. Some of them went private. Some of them homeschooled. I don't know what the answer is- Of course the option schools are contributing to the economic segregation in Arlington. Would getting rid of the option schools reduce that economic segregation??? maybe? maybe more families would go private or move?? maybe some combination??? FWIW, my family was in immersion and pulled out after a couple of years b/c it was not a good fit. We returned to our North Arlington neighborhood school. The immersion school had a vastly more involved parent community then the north arlington neighborhood school, even though the neighborhood school was 'richer.' Option schools do attract a more involved parent.
If you separate the kids with involved parents from the general population (by having them opt in), it would demonstrate how a child can succeed regardless of race or income level. Perhaps more families would opt in over time.
"Involved parents" = those who are stay at home moms/work from home
Sucks to have three jobs, a couple of preschool kids at home, and unreliable transportation.
All students at ATS have stay at home mothers?
Keep digging for excuses!
No I don't. I've observed all of the "involved" parents at my schools all work from home or are "ladies that lunch". You know, the people who have time to take on all of that volunteer work. Also, not every parent at ATS is "involved".
Involved enough to enter their child into the lottery and make sure the homework gets done. Involved enough to back the school up when it comes to discipline.
One doesn’t have to volunteer in the classroom to be involved.
That's true for every APS option school. But none of them have the results ATS has.
People are talking about different kinds of parent involvement. Not every parent has time to be on the PTA or room parent. But most parents want more information on what their kids are learning in school and if they are struggling. Every ATS parent has access to that every single week. It's hit or miss at other schools.
ATS parents have bought into strict rules regarding behavior. No excuses for your kid being a turd.
ATS parent. Not sure what these "strict" rules for behavior are. Our kids don't even tuck their shirts in anymore.
Right, but are kids permitted to stay if they throw a chair at a teacher? Don’t turn in their homework? Constantly disrupt the class?
I don’t think ATS is super strict, but behavior in some of our other schools is SO low. And teachers can’t do anything about it because admin doesn’t back them up.
Nothing like a kid kicking desks in the background but mom/dad make excuses for it.
This is a huge admin problem! Is this at a 70% FRL school or one of the opposites?
I think this could happen at any school, but how the parents may respond (or not) is what may differ.
Anonymous wrote:I didn't comment in that thread, but I've looked at these data before and there is a very strong relationship between school poverty level and the % of families who opt out. The reality is that APS is happy to have a bunch of schools that are 40% or more free and reduced lunch, and the families zoned for those schools apply for option schools at a much higher rate.
Does that make them racist? I don't think so. Data show when a school goes above 40% or more FARMS outcomes suffer. The real issue is that Arlington is all about concentrating poverty and doesn't really care how it affects schools.
I don't really what the point JF is trying to make, that wasn't clear to me. Does he want to kill option programs? Or is he just pointing out that parents behave in this way? I know his wife teaches at a low income school and he thinks people are dumb to avoid it because it's a good school.
APS has basically said they are not going to consider this in any boundary decisions, and they pretty much always make the FARMS disparities worse in every single boundary decision. I can't see options schools going away, personally.
But I do think it's ridiculous that Arlington has such huge disparities.
People who paid more for the same/older/smaller house in a north Arlington zip code also "opted out" of the south Arlington schools, but with money, so they don't get called out on it by people like the AEM poster.
True! Not sure what his intention was with that post.
Anonymous wrote:Not the OP, but one of the main commenters on that post absolutely hates MSPA (no judgement from me either way). But the background is interesting: their home was rezoned away from Fleet to Drew when MPSA moved into Henry. There’s lots of animosity still about that and also with the Career Center not becoming a neighborhood school, which would have benefited that family, but rather a choice school open to all regardless of boundaries. Interestingly, their child was allowed a transfer to Fleet and never attended Drew even after the reasoning. But that poster is really angry because other parents also attend schools that aren’t their assigned one. So, anyway, some of us didn’t forget about that.
Boundaries are the problem. Our neighborhoods are segregated base on our racial past (redlining, etc.), and so neighborhood schools are also segregated.
Forcing everyone to attend their assigned schools will not solve the problem in any meaningful way, and it will also remove choices from all those who can’t make “checkbook” choices like wealthy families can, to live in certain neighborhoods or to pay for private schools.
It’s not a solvable problem, so it’s better to just worry about yourself. If you’re a white (or even non-white) family of means really not comfortable with the neighborhood school for whatever reason, you’re not going to send your kids to the school even if they take away option schools. You’re going to go private or move to a different zone.
Actually, it is. Ranked choice admissions countywide.
What if everyone’s rankings are similar? Who gets left out?
But like… who is going to Drew? Do you really see it becoming more diverse? (I’m not implying it’s a bad school, just that low test scores mean very few people aren’t going to have it at the bottom…)
But people would be assigned there anyway. Eventually, it will develop the student body needed to not scare so many away. Randolph isn't going to be high on many peoples' list, either, except the bArcroft Apt families who are happy to walk to the nearest school with their entire homogenous community. Not any different than Nottingham in that regard.
Yeah, well, “everyone gets a school near the top of their list” is a farce then. Forcing families into Drew/Randolph/wherever would only result in more families going private.
I never said everyone gets a school near the top of their list. NEvertheless, in the Cambridge MA model, the vast majority of people get their #1 or #2 choice. That means the rest do not. But this model isn't only based on the preferences parents list. It includes male/female ratios, geographic proximity, and economic status.
I woud love to know more about this. Is Cambridge MA as unbalanced as Arlington? Are there schools there as different as Jamestown and Carlin Springs? Nottingham and Drew? Or are the schools there more or less equally desirable>
Not sure who would opt into Drew and Randolph other than the poor kids already there.
I remember someone in the AEM thread asking if anyone had administratively transferred to CS or Randolph, and a few people replied. I can’t find that comment anymore, but when threads get too long, often comments disappear in Facebook.
I think it’s a valid point. A lot of people commented in AEM that they go to option schools because of the diversity. Nah. The diversity is an excuse to make you feel good. You did it for the outcomes for your own kids. Own it.
My kids go to a choice school more diverse than our neighborhood school. The diversity was a bonus to us, but it wasn't the driving factor in transferring. Two things can be true at the same time.
So true. Most people I know are happy to have more diversity in their children’s schools, as long as school performance is top-notch.
People want quality instruction and good outcomes. Period.
I think the point was if diversity was the only factor, you’d have no problems administratively transferring your kid to Carlin Springs. It’s not the only consideration though. There’s a reason why options programs exist. All children should be in an environment with the best learning outcomes. Including those at Drew and Carlin springs.
It’s not the parent’s fault though that structural racism exists. If we had stronger APS and County leadership, maybe we can start addressing the issue. JF’s post was self serving though.
Of course diversity isn’t the only factor! Honestly, I think for most people it’s just a nice little add on when it exists.
Good test scores? Great!
Good test scores AND diversity? Super!
Bad test scores and (insert whatever you want)? That’s a tough sell.
And I don’t blame people for it!
Want actual change? Stop building affordable housing south of 50 and shift it up north. That will actually move the needle.
DP. I don’t think that OP is disagreeing with you. You owned your decision to send your children to option schools. They’re just commenting that high FARM schools should be great schools too. But that’s a school board and county leadership problem. Stop blaming parents for their own institutional inaction and neglect.
All of our schools can be good — I agree. Create opt-in programs (ATS style) within each school. This is a PARENTING problem, too! Get family buy in. Just because something is harder for you than a millionaire on the other side of the county doesn’t mean you can’t do it.
Fifty books over the summer is less than a book per day after all.
Expect more from your kids and let their teachers have high expectations, too. If that’s too hard, well then, stop whining.
Not all poor people are disengaged or don't "buy in" to their kids' education. Not all people who don't "buy in" are minorities or poor. Many minority communities value education more than some white folks and are far more invested and engaged. It isn't about "buy in." When you have high concentrations of underprivileged kids starting behind and add in high proportions of those students learning English, you are not going to get the same test scores everyone at ATS is expected to achieve. Period.
Not once did I mention race in all of this. ATS has proven kids of all races and income level can be high achievers.
I’m sure there are many, many black and Hispanic children on the ATS waitlist. It isn’t just white families that believe in the program. So why not create an opt-in version at EVERY school. You get the benefits of staying in your neighborhood school while having access to higher expectations (if you desire it).
ATS has successful outcomes for kids of all socioeconomic levels and races b/c all those kids have one thing in common- parents who are invested in their kids education. Everyone there had to opt in. Its not the 'education model' its the invested parents. In general lower socioeconomic status is just a proxy for less involved parents, there certainly are parents of lower socioeconomic status who are invested in their kids education. If you created an "ats" in every school, all you would be doing is further segregating the involved parents from the less involved parents.
I have many friends in south arlington who tried their neighborhood school for a year- they had rose colored glasses- "I'm going to be an involved parent," etc. For a variety of different reasons, it didn't work. Some of them lotteried their children into an option school. Some of them went private. Some of them homeschooled. I don't know what the answer is- Of course the option schools are contributing to the economic segregation in Arlington. Would getting rid of the option schools reduce that economic segregation??? maybe? maybe more families would go private or move?? maybe some combination??? FWIW, my family was in immersion and pulled out after a couple of years b/c it was not a good fit. We returned to our North Arlington neighborhood school. The immersion school had a vastly more involved parent community then the north arlington neighborhood school, even though the neighborhood school was 'richer.' Option schools do attract a more involved parent.
If you separate the kids with involved parents from the general population (by having them opt in), it would demonstrate how a child can succeed regardless of race or income level. Perhaps more families would opt in over time.
"Involved parents" = those who are stay at home moms/work from home
Sucks to have three jobs, a couple of preschool kids at home, and unreliable transportation.
All students at ATS have stay at home mothers?
Keep digging for excuses!
No I don't. I've observed all of the "involved" parents at my schools all work from home or are "ladies that lunch". You know, the people who have time to take on all of that volunteer work. Also, not every parent at ATS is "involved".
Involved enough to enter their child into the lottery and make sure the homework gets done. Involved enough to back the school up when it comes to discipline.
One doesn’t have to volunteer in the classroom to be involved.
That's true for every APS option school. But none of them have the results ATS has.
People are talking about different kinds of parent involvement. Not every parent has time to be on the PTA or room parent. But most parents want more information on what their kids are learning in school and if they are struggling. Every ATS parent has access to that every single week. It's hit or miss at other schools.
ATS parents have bought into strict rules regarding behavior. No excuses for your kid being a turd.
ATS parent. Not sure what these "strict" rules for behavior are. Our kids don't even tuck their shirts in anymore.
Right, but are kids permitted to stay if they throw a chair at a teacher? Don’t turn in their homework? Constantly disrupt the class?
I don’t think ATS is super strict, but behavior in some of our other schools is SO low. And teachers can’t do anything about it because admin doesn’t back them up.
Nothing like a kid kicking desks in the background but mom/dad make excuses for it.
This is a huge admin problem! Is this at a 70% FRL school or one of the opposites?
I think this could happen at any school, but how the parents may respond (or not) is what may differ.
While there may be some Karen types up north, the real problematic behavior — including severe chronic absenteeism — is concentrated in or high FRL schools.
Getting your kid to school, making them do their homework, teaching them to not be disrespectful to their teachers… these are PARENTING problems.
Anonymous wrote:Fine but don’t whine about segregation then if not willing to do what it takes to actually desegregate like boundary changes with busing to opposite side of county or ranked choice.
So we should bus black and brown kids from our overcrowded schools in the south to our undercrowded schools in the north?
Well, do you want "community" or do you want desegregation?
Anonymous wrote:Did y'all see the teacher's post on AEM accusing Arlington parents of being unethical for putting their kids in choice schools to avoid race/poverty?
Wow, just wow. Are there others who didn't feel comfortable speaking up on there but have some thoughts?
I wouldn't say unethical but I would say hypocritical.
It particularly drives me nuts when liberals do this song and dance about how the school is just the best fit or it's a neighborhood school, or whatever nonsense they spew. Just be honest - you are not going to expose your kids to the behavior issues and poor academics in a high FARMS rate school. This is in no way shocking and this whole discussion has played out here on DCUM several years ago bc some guy in MD wrote a book about how he thought he was all woke and progressive until it came time to send their child to school. Spoiler alert: he didn't pick the neighborhood high FARMS rate school.
Remove option schools and parents will choose private school or move for better public schools. It will not change anything about the demographics of poor performing schools.
Anonymous wrote:My takeaway is that if you have enough money to buy a house in the wealthiest zip codes, you never have to worry about being called racist.
You think so? I think it's more that you isolate yourself so much that you don't hear the people who call you racist because they aren't your fellow "flee from the south arlington schools" people. If you were to be a fly in south Arlington conversations, you would hear the racist accusations toward those wealthiest zip coders.
Anonymous wrote:* I meant Spanish learners, aka the White/Asian kids.
Why would Spanish learners not include Black children?
Not the PP, but I don’t think that comment is thought through, I think there are no Asian kids opting into Immersion at all, or very few. Zero interest.
I'm the PP. Only a handful of Black kids transferred to Key and Claremont last year. Probably no interest. I don't know why otherwise. There are more Asian kids. Mostly White and Hispanic kids. Some biracial kids (White/Asian).
I don't understand this thread. My daughter was zoned for a North Arlington school, and we lotteried into Campbell, which is far more diverse and a Title I school. Many of her friends at Campbell were zoned for diverse South Arlington schools, but they lotteried from one diverse, high FARMS school into a different diverse, high FARMS school.
Anonymous wrote:I don't understand this thread. My daughter was zoned for a North Arlington school, and we lotteried into Campbell, which is far more diverse and a Title I school. Many of her friends at Campbell were zoned for diverse South Arlington schools, but they lotteried from one diverse, high FARMS school into a different diverse, high FARMS school.
The person who started it on AEM is addicted to attention
Anonymous wrote:Not the OP, but one of the main commenters on that post absolutely hates MSPA (no judgement from me either way). But the background is interesting: their home was rezoned away from Fleet to Drew when MPSA moved into Henry. There’s lots of animosity still about that and also with the Career Center not becoming a neighborhood school, which would have benefited that family, but rather a choice school open to all regardless of boundaries. Interestingly, their child was allowed a transfer to Fleet and never attended Drew even after the reasoning. But that poster is really angry because other parents also attend schools that aren’t their assigned one. So, anyway, some of us didn’t forget about that.
Boundaries are the problem. Our neighborhoods are segregated base on our racial past (redlining, etc.), and so neighborhood schools are also segregated.
Forcing everyone to attend their assigned schools will not solve the problem in any meaningful way, and it will also remove choices from all those who can’t make “checkbook” choices like wealthy families can, to live in certain neighborhoods or to pay for private schools.
It’s not a solvable problem, so it’s better to just worry about yourself. If you’re a white (or even non-white) family of means really not comfortable with the neighborhood school for whatever reason, you’re not going to send your kids to the school even if they take away option schools. You’re going to go private or move to a different zone.
Actually, it is. Ranked choice admissions countywide.
What if everyone’s rankings are similar? Who gets left out?
But like… who is going to Drew? Do you really see it becoming more diverse? (I’m not implying it’s a bad school, just that low test scores mean very few people aren’t going to have it at the bottom…)
But people would be assigned there anyway. Eventually, it will develop the student body needed to not scare so many away. Randolph isn't going to be high on many peoples' list, either, except the bArcroft Apt families who are happy to walk to the nearest school with their entire homogenous community. Not any different than Nottingham in that regard.
Yeah, well, “everyone gets a school near the top of their list” is a farce then. Forcing families into Drew/Randolph/wherever would only result in more families going private.
I never said everyone gets a school near the top of their list. NEvertheless, in the Cambridge MA model, the vast majority of people get their #1 or #2 choice. That means the rest do not. But this model isn't only based on the preferences parents list. It includes male/female ratios, geographic proximity, and economic status.
I woud love to know more about this. Is Cambridge MA as unbalanced as Arlington? Are there schools there as different as Jamestown and Carlin Springs? Nottingham and Drew? Or are the schools there more or less equally desirable>
Not sure who would opt into Drew and Randolph other than the poor kids already there.
I remember someone in the AEM thread asking if anyone had administratively transferred to CS or Randolph, and a few people replied. I can’t find that comment anymore, but when threads get too long, often comments disappear in Facebook.
I think it’s a valid point. A lot of people commented in AEM that they go to option schools because of the diversity. Nah. The diversity is an excuse to make you feel good. You did it for the outcomes for your own kids. Own it.
My kids go to a choice school more diverse than our neighborhood school. The diversity was a bonus to us, but it wasn't the driving factor in transferring. Two things can be true at the same time.
So true. Most people I know are happy to have more diversity in their children’s schools, as long as school performance is top-notch.
People want quality instruction and good outcomes. Period.
I think the point was if diversity was the only factor, you’d have no problems administratively transferring your kid to Carlin Springs. It’s not the only consideration though. There’s a reason why options programs exist. All children should be in an environment with the best learning outcomes. Including those at Drew and Carlin springs.
It’s not the parent’s fault though that structural racism exists. If we had stronger APS and County leadership, maybe we can start addressing the issue. JF’s post was self serving though.
Of course diversity isn’t the only factor! Honestly, I think for most people it’s just a nice little add on when it exists.
Good test scores? Great!
Good test scores AND diversity? Super!
Bad test scores and (insert whatever you want)? That’s a tough sell.
And I don’t blame people for it!
Want actual change? Stop building affordable housing south of 50 and shift it up north. That will actually move the needle.
DP. I don’t think that OP is disagreeing with you. You owned your decision to send your children to option schools. They’re just commenting that high FARM schools should be great schools too. But that’s a school board and county leadership problem. Stop blaming parents for their own institutional inaction and neglect.
All of our schools can be good — I agree. Create opt-in programs (ATS style) within each school. This is a PARENTING problem, too! Get family buy in. Just because something is harder for you than a millionaire on the other side of the county doesn’t mean you can’t do it.
Fifty books over the summer is less than a book per day after all.
Expect more from your kids and let their teachers have high expectations, too. If that’s too hard, well then, stop whining.
Not all poor people are disengaged or don't "buy in" to their kids' education. Not all people who don't "buy in" are minorities or poor. Many minority communities value education more than some white folks and are far more invested and engaged. It isn't about "buy in." When you have high concentrations of underprivileged kids starting behind and add in high proportions of those students learning English, you are not going to get the same test scores everyone at ATS is expected to achieve. Period.
Not once did I mention race in all of this. ATS has proven kids of all races and income level can be high achievers.
I’m sure there are many, many black and Hispanic children on the ATS waitlist. It isn’t just white families that believe in the program. So why not create an opt-in version at EVERY school. You get the benefits of staying in your neighborhood school while having access to higher expectations (if you desire it).
ATS has successful outcomes for kids of all socioeconomic levels and races b/c all those kids have one thing in common- parents who are invested in their kids education. Everyone there had to opt in. Its not the 'education model' its the invested parents. In general lower socioeconomic status is just a proxy for less involved parents, there certainly are parents of lower socioeconomic status who are invested in their kids education. If you created an "ats" in every school, all you would be doing is further segregating the involved parents from the less involved parents.
I have many friends in south arlington who tried their neighborhood school for a year- they had rose colored glasses- "I'm going to be an involved parent," etc. For a variety of different reasons, it didn't work. Some of them lotteried their children into an option school. Some of them went private. Some of them homeschooled. I don't know what the answer is- Of course the option schools are contributing to the economic segregation in Arlington. Would getting rid of the option schools reduce that economic segregation??? maybe? maybe more families would go private or move?? maybe some combination??? FWIW, my family was in immersion and pulled out after a couple of years b/c it was not a good fit. We returned to our North Arlington neighborhood school. The immersion school had a vastly more involved parent community then the north arlington neighborhood school, even though the neighborhood school was 'richer.' Option schools do attract a more involved parent.
If you separate the kids with involved parents from the general population (by having them opt in), it would demonstrate how a child can succeed regardless of race or income level. Perhaps more families would opt in over time.
"Involved parents" = those who are stay at home moms/work from home
Sucks to have three jobs, a couple of preschool kids at home, and unreliable transportation.
And unreliable or changing housing. A lot of you are missing how often low-income families change their housing situations and therefore how often the kids change schools. Option schools or programs like ATS, Montessori, etc are off the table because parents don't stay with one school (possibly one school system) long enough to learn about/plan for/enroll their kids in these programs. They move and enroll in the neighborhood school, wash, rinse, repeat.
Many south Arlington schools serve large populations of students whose families rent and a large proportion of the student population turns over every year. That is reflected in test scores--teachers and admins are starting from scratch each fall in terms of figuring out how to put together classes, assess disabilities, etc. If you have mostly the same kids for 5-6 years you can work with them over time to get them what they need; not so much when 1/3-1/2 are new each year.
Its not that the parents want to do this or do that. Circumstances drive what it is possible to do.
That’s actually a great argument for expanding access to options schools. Kids who are bouncing around South Arlington could stay in the same school regardless of their address, with transportation. I’ve worked at multiple South Arlington schools and many of the kids are not leaving the county but just going to a different South Arlington school
Ranked choice baby. No more neighborhood schools.
Thats not a way to build community.
Good news! Arlington one of the smallest counties in the US.
And if your kids play any sports or do activities they'll meet plenty of kids from your neighborhood or beyond
Are you calling Sally the mom of the kid on your sports team who lives 15 minutes across the county when you’re in a bind before school?
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