South Arlington and North Arlington Schools
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Anonymous
| It's hard for some people to know that they couldn't even afford a shit shack in south Arlington. Enjoy the next bubble! We won't notice it. |
Anonymous
Probably because you'll hit your head so hard when it bursts. |
Anonymous
Enjoy your toll roads sweetheart |
Anonymous
Not even close. You must have inhaled too much exhaust from 66 and 395. |
Anonymous
| Hard truth: if you're not ok with your public option, you move or go private. Join the club. In this area, there's a reason people over-extend for mortgages on small old houses or cram a family of four into two bedroom apartment despite having a six-figure salary. There are no bargains and we're all taking a hit of some sort to get our kids into schools we're happy with. Some suck up a crappy commute. Some suck up an overpriced house or apartment. But none of us get to just assume that our otherwise awesome location that is affordable and offers easy access to DC will have the same desirable schools as the much higher priced counterparts nearby. Yes I know arlington is one county, but so is montgomery county and I dare you to tell me the schools in Germantown measure up to the schools in Bethesda. It's not fair, but it's an old story that plays itself out in this region every day. South Arlington has been getting the short end of the stick for years now and while I'm sympathetic that it's getting worse, you'd have to have your head buried in the sand to have expected any different. |
Anonymous
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You know, I agree when it is market forces doing the job. But what has happened to south arlington is manipulation via county policy and politicians. It is social engineering by deliberately making one area of the county poor. If all the cheap apartments are in one area, that makes sense. But when the county requires you to keep the rent too low or makes sweetheart deals to fund committed affordable housing, that is where the problem comes in.
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Anonymous
And in all of the other counties in the region, do you think Arlington is the first to disproportionately burden the less politically influential and less affluent part? There is a reason other areas have concentrated high density high poverty strips. Not saying it's right, but it doesn't strike me as unique. |
Anonymous
Np here- no one on the south side is saying its unique. That doesn't mean they need to just eat shit about the whole thing. We are literally sitting at the precipice in this county. What happens over the next few years will reverberate for yeas to come. The above poster is right- market forces would ( and are ) gentrifying this area. The area around ballston wasn't so different from the neighborhoods we are talking about, not 15 years ago. A very small, vocal, and parasitic contingent has sort of run roughshod. There is a meeting tonight of people discussing this very thing at Arlington cinema and draft house. The experts talking all have a hand in this till. No thanks. Yes, we can move or go private... Of course. But why wouldn't you fight to improve your community? That's totally weak to just roll over. All because Alexandria hasn't been successful doesn't mean we can't be. And for what I've read - Fairfax is looking none too good these days. Pay to play? No thanks. |
Anonymous
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I don't think anyone expects a student to have exactly the same experience in a lower SES school as in a higher SES school. But the school district should be doing all it can to provide the same level of attention to all its schools and all its students, and instead APS seems intent on gratifying North Arlington residents at the expense of SArl.
(An acquaintance once sent her kid to a Title 1 school because she wanted the better student-teacher ratio and then complained that the poor kids were taking up most of the teachers' time. SMH.) |
Anonymous
I guess you could call it weak. I'm just trying to remember the last time I witnessed a group of parents or a community or a county successfully lobby for better schools in their community. There's never enough money to make everyone happy making it easy for leaders to tune out the naysayers of whatever plan is before them. FWIW, I agree that housing policy and school policy are inherently related, and leaders who try to distance themselves from that reality are hard to take seriously. But it seems to me that's the position they're taking publicly and if they're hell-bent on pushing through the affordable housing plan in its current form, I suspect it is a long battle to altogether change the tide even if some concessions are made along the way. Given the established trend in S. Arlington of increased density and little sign of that going away, I think a reality check is useful if you have concerns about how that high density impacts your schools. I personally would rather enjoy time with my kids and family than fight this kind of battle, so for some I don't think moving or going private is "weak," but rather a choice of how one is going to spend their time. Life is short. I really do wish you luck in having your voice heard. |
Anonymous
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I guess you could call it weak. I'm just trying to remember the last time I witnessed a group of parents or a community or a county successfully lobby for better schools in their community. There's never enough money to make everyone happy making it easy for leaders to tune out the naysayers of whatever plan is before them. FWIW, I agree that housing policy and school policy are inherently related, and leaders who try to distance themselves from that reality are hard to take seriously. But it seems to me that's the position they're taking publicly and if they're hell-bent on pushing through the affordable housing plan in its current form, I suspect it is a long battle to altogether change the tide even if some concessions are made along the way. Given the established trend in S. Arlington of increased density and little sign of that going away, I think a reality check is useful if you have concerns about how that high density impacts your schools. I personally would rather enjoy time with my kids and family than fight this kind of battle, so for some I don't think moving or going private is "weak," but rather a choice of how one is going to spend their time. Life is short. I really do wish you luck in having your voice heard.
+1 for a family with no energy to fight. We moved. If you can't beat 'em; join 'em. Now I enjoy time with my children and peace of mind that their schools are not being sacrificed on the altar of affordable housing. But we took a financial hit. Smaller house, more money. The choice in Arlington is private school, expensive home in great public school, or overwhelmed, mediocre, excessively poor schools. You will pay one way or the other. |
Anonymous
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I don't think the people moving or choosing private are weak. I didn't word that well. Parents should make the best choices for their kids- without a doubt.
I think shrugging and saying that's how it's going to be and not speaking up isn't the right path personally. Fwiw- right now- this isn't really about money for the county. I honestly think that is why the CB is so unwilling to be honest about the problems they are creating. We are at almost 20,000 a head in this little county. I think the feeling is, "'we throw so much money at education, we don't don't need to worry about housing policy" . You are right it's very hard to take a politician seriously who won't acknowledge reality about this. Pp is right about wanting to spend more Time with their kids and not at civic meets etc... I totally understand that. Of course with the most recent study about DC having the nation's worst traffic and metro being kinda of a mess- I'm able to spend much more time with my family by living in south Arlington than say Springfield. Also worth noting that people are getting worked up because this isn't a done deal. Better to speak up before than after the damage is done. My guess of what will come of all of this? Choice school options will increase at the elementary level for these neighborhoods. These neighborhood schools were always underperforming, it's just that now parents actually have to consider sending their child there. Give them another option again and this all goes away for the board. |
Anonymous
| Why would you live in south Arlington if you had a way out? There are much better areas in upcoming neighborhoods near metro developments that aren't the dumping ground of county's undesirable programs |
Anonymous
Where are you thinking? |
Anonymous
| And, also, the damage has been done for anyone with children right now. If you are a single or young couple who hopes to change the trend in S. Arlington in 10-20 years for your unborn child, you might have a shot. But there is no time to reverse the impact on today's kids in many of these neighborhoods. |