Powerful Letter to the Arlington County School Board about Diversity

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Oh absolutely there are people who want integrated schools. Hopefully we've reached a critical mass on that. It was amazing watching Nancy Van Doren on the news tonight. She seems like a nice well meaning person, but she is so deeply detached. She and Landers are not capable of having an honest conversation about what are admittedly uncomfortable issues. They just aren't able to do it.
We need different leadership, but citizens need to show up to the caucuses for that.

The caucus system needs to go away because Arlington Democrats aren't looking for anyone who will criticize its past picks, and that needs to happen.

Nailed it.

[Anonymous]

We need to fight for a 4th comprehensive high school. That is the only solution to redrawing the boundaries to more equitably balance SES, not to mention the fact that we are going to be horribly overcrowded at *all three* comprehensive high schools by the time the current APS kindergarten class starts 9th grade. Remember-- by APS's own projections, we are going to be 2,775 high school seats short in 2026. They are claiming to close that gap through Arlington Tech (800 students) and the Ed Center renovation (1,300 students). Assuming (best case scenario), they hit those enrollment numbers at Tech and the Ed Center, we're still short by 500+ high school seats. And despite the fact that we are spending $100M on a new building for HB, we are not increasing the size of that program-- they get to stay at ~600 students. Choice programs are not the answer to diversity and they are not the answer to overcrowding-- so why are we going there at all?

The School Board is opposed to building a 4th comprehensive high school-- they are just too cowardly to come out and say it publicly yet. However, if you visit during office hours (which I have) they will tell you one on one that it is not going to happen. The only one who is not opposed is Reid Goldstein, but he can't win against the other four. Van Doren, Lander, and Kannien are all in favor of building more "choice" programs, and Talento is in favor of flex scheduling (i.e., going to HS in shifts). And Murphy is also opposed to building a 4th high school-- he thinks the "future" of high school education is internships and on-line learning-- he has been all over the County preaching that message to civic and community groups so it is no secret. Parents need to make a huge stink in the "visioning" process that APS is launching in January-- if not, the School Board will say they have a mandate to do whatever they want because parents don't care. Kenmore is large enough to be turned into a comprehensive HS if the JFAC gives the VHC land to APS to make a new MS. Or we can put the money from the Ed Center renovation towards a major remodel of the Career Center complex to turn that into a 4th east side comprehensive HS w/field space at Long Bridge- it doesn't have to just be Arlington Tech. There are options but they aren't the easy ones to implement, and the members running the County Board and the School Board don't have young kids and have other priorities (e.g., affordable housing, transportation). Remember, there is not a single School Board member with a child currently in ES or MS, and there is only one County Board member with a child in ES. They just don't understand what the overcrowding means from an educational perspective because they aren't experiencing it personally in their own families.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We need to fight for a 4th comprehensive high school. That is the only solution to redrawing the boundaries to more equitably balance SES, not to mention the fact that we are going to be horribly overcrowded at *all three* comprehensive high schools by the time the current APS kindergarten class starts 9th grade. Remember-- by APS's own projections, we are going to be 2,775 high school seats short in 2026. They are claiming to close that gap through Arlington Tech (800 students) and the Ed Center renovation (1,300 students). Assuming (best case scenario), they hit those enrollment numbers at Tech and the Ed Center, we're still short by 500+ high school seats. And despite the fact that we are spending $100M on a new building for HB, we are not increasing the size of that program-- they get to stay at ~600 students. Choice programs are not the answer to diversity and they are not the answer to overcrowding-- so why are we going there at all?

The School Board is opposed to building a 4th comprehensive high school-- they are just too cowardly to come out and say it publicly yet. However, if you visit during office hours (which I have) they will tell you one on one that it is not going to happen. The only one who is not opposed is Reid Goldstein, but he can't win against the other four. Van Doren, Lander, and Kannien are all in favor of building more "choice" programs, and Talento is in favor of flex scheduling (i.e., going to HS in shifts). And Murphy is also opposed to building a 4th high school-- he thinks the "future" of high school education is internships and on-line learning-- he has been all over the County preaching that message to civic and community groups so it is no secret. Parents need to make a huge stink in the "visioning" process that APS is launching in January-- if not, the School Board will say they have a mandate to do whatever they want because parents don't care. Kenmore is large enough to be turned into a comprehensive HS if the JFAC gives the VHC land to APS to make a new MS. Or we can put the money from the Ed Center renovation towards a major remodel of the Career Center complex to turn that into a 4th east side comprehensive HS w/field space at Long Bridge- it doesn't have to just be Arlington Tech. There are options but they aren't the easy ones to implement, and the members running the County Board and the School Board don't have young kids and have other priorities (e.g., affordable housing, transportation). Remember, there is not a single School Board member with a child currently in ES or MS, and there is only one County Board member with a child in ES. They just don't understand what the overcrowding means from an educational perspective because they aren't experiencing it personally in their own families.

This is all great information. Thank you for posting. I have thought before that Kenmore would be a great location for a 4th high school because you could pull from N and S Arlington to achieve diversity there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Matthew was on the news this afternoon!
Great job.
If you haven't taken the time to sign the petition, please do so. We've got some great momentum going.
Let's keep it up!

Or, if you object to diversity, do come to meetings and say that publicly.

What have you done to promote diversity besides post to anonymous chat boards?

Dp- I've written both the school board and county board. My children attend south Arlington schools. I have a truly diverse group of friends. My children have a truly diverse group of friends. This board is anonymous, but I am happily living in the light. I feel proud to be public with my views. We live our ideals.

So, what's the problem then? If you're so happy, what are you complaining about? You have what you want. It's so strange, because you're here, singing the virtues of this diversity, and yet ... you seem to think that it's such a burden that it needs to be imposed on places where you don't live.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Matthew was on the news this afternoon!
Great job.
If you haven't taken the time to sign the petition, please do so. We've got some great momentum going.
Let's keep it up!

Or, if you object to diversity, do come to meetings and say that publicly.

What have you done to promote diversity besides post to anonymous chat boards?

Dp- I've written both the school board and county board. My children attend south Arlington schools. I have a truly diverse group of friends. My children have a truly diverse group of friends. This board is anonymous, but I am happily living in the light. I feel proud to be public with my views. We live our ideals.

So, what's the problem then? If you're so happy, what are you complaining about? You have what you want. It's so strange, because you're here, singing the virtues of this diversity, and yet ... you seem to think that it's such a burden that it needs to be imposed on places where you don't live.

Are there no things in your life that you feel could be better? Are there no issues that affect the population more broadly that you are concerned about? There's nothing you care about even though it might not affect you personally?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We need to fight for a 4th comprehensive high school. That is the only solution to redrawing the boundaries to more equitably balance SES, not to mention the fact that we are going to be horribly overcrowded at *all three* comprehensive high schools by the time the current APS kindergarten class starts 9th grade. Remember-- by APS's own projections, we are going to be 2,775 high school seats short in 2026. They are claiming to close that gap through Arlington Tech (800 students) and the Ed Center renovation (1,300 students). Assuming (best case scenario), they hit those enrollment numbers at Tech and the Ed Center, we're still short by 500+ high school seats. And despite the fact that we are spending $100M on a new building for HB, we are not increasing the size of that program-- they get to stay at ~600 students. Choice programs are not the answer to diversity and they are not the answer to overcrowding-- so why are we going there at all?

The School Board is opposed to building a 4th comprehensive high school-- they are just too cowardly to come out and say it publicly yet. However, if you visit during office hours (which I have) they will tell you one on one that it is not going to happen. The only one who is not opposed is Reid Goldstein, but he can't win against the other four. Van Doren, Lander, and Kannien are all in favor of building more "choice" programs, and Talento is in favor of flex scheduling (i.e., going to HS in shifts). And Murphy is also opposed to building a 4th high school-- he thinks the "future" of high school education is internships and on-line learning-- he has been all over the County preaching that message to civic and community groups so it is no secret. Parents need to make a huge stink in the "visioning" process that APS is launching in January-- if not, the School Board will say they have a mandate to do whatever they want because parents don't care. Kenmore is large enough to be turned into a comprehensive HS if the JFAC gives the VHC land to APS to make a new MS. Or we can put the money from the Ed Center renovation towards a major remodel of the Career Center complex to turn that into a 4th east side comprehensive HS w/field space at Long Bridge- it doesn't have to just be Arlington Tech. There are options but they aren't the easy ones to implement, and the members running the County Board and the School Board don't have young kids and have other priorities (e.g., affordable housing, transportation). Remember, there is not a single School Board member with a child currently in ES or MS, and there is only one County Board member with a child in ES. They just don't understand what the overcrowding means from an educational perspective because they aren't experiencing it personally in their own families.

OMG, is there no way to oust this woman before she starts? What a disastrous idea.

Here's what I know for sure: Moving to flex scheduling or education focused on internships and on-line learning will only widen the divide between the haves and have nots. Do you think the children of the wealthy will be sending their children to school from 2 to 8 pm? Do you think the children of the wealthy will be spending a large portion of their school hours in on-line learning? No, they absolutely will not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Matthew was on the news this afternoon!
Great job.
If you haven't taken the time to sign the petition, please do so. We've got some great momentum going.
Let's keep it up!

Or, if you object to diversity, do come to meetings and say that publicly.

False dichotomy. You are not against diversity if you don't want to lose the right to send your kids to neighborhood schools or see them bused to another part of the county when they should be able to attend a school closer to home.

Sorry. We are a tiny county. You didn't get a school promised to you when you signed the deed to your house. The only thing that should be happening is equal quality and opportunities for all APS students.
They need to draw lines vertically. It's the only way to get a mix.

They can do that once they build a high school that's actually in the eastern part of the county. Until then, put a lid on it.

No need. It's golf courses and cemetery. The three current schools can be redrawn very nicely.

Yep, vertical boundaries and bussin are the only thing that is going to create equity. And if people don't want busing, then they better W-L and Wakefield parents should ban together and push hard that all three schools have equal FARMs rates even if that means that Yorktown gets and island again.

It drives me nuts when people start whining about busing and the horror of their kid having to make a 20/30 minute commute to school. Some of these kids no doubt commute much longer for extra curricular activities and it somehow isn't harming them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We need to fight for a 4th comprehensive high school. That is the only solution to redrawing the boundaries to more equitably balance SES, not to mention the fact that we are going to be horribly overcrowded at *all three* comprehensive high schools by the time the current APS kindergarten class starts 9th grade. Remember-- by APS's own projections, we are going to be 2,775 high school seats short in 2026. They are claiming to close that gap through Arlington Tech (800 students) and the Ed Center renovation (1,300 students). Assuming (best case scenario), they hit those enrollment numbers at Tech and the Ed Center, we're still short by 500+ high school seats. And despite the fact that we are spending $100M on a new building for HB, we are not increasing the size of that program-- they get to stay at ~600 students. Choice programs are not the answer to diversity and they are not the answer to overcrowding-- so why are we going there at all?

The School Board is opposed to building a 4th comprehensive high school-- they are just too cowardly to come out and say it publicly yet. However, if you visit during office hours (which I have) they will tell you one on one that it is not going to happen. The only one who is not opposed is Reid Goldstein, but he can't win against the other four. Van Doren, Lander, and Kannien are all in favor of building more "choice" programs, and Talento is in favor of flex scheduling (i.e., going to HS in shifts). And Murphy is also opposed to building a 4th high school-- he thinks the "future" of high school education is internships and on-line learning-- he has been all over the County preaching that message to civic and community groups so it is no secret. Parents need to make a huge stink in the "visioning" process that APS is launching in January-- if not, the School Board will say they have a mandate to do whatever they want because parents don't care. Kenmore is large enough to be turned into a comprehensive HS if the JFAC gives the VHC land to APS to make a new MS. Or we can put the money from the Ed Center renovation towards a major remodel of the Career Center complex to turn that into a 4th east side comprehensive HS w/field space at Long Bridge- it doesn't have to just be Arlington Tech. There are options but they aren't the easy ones to implement, and the members running the County Board and the School Board don't have young kids and have other priorities (e.g., affordable housing, transportation). Remember, there is not a single School Board member with a child currently in ES or MS, and there is only one County Board member with a child in ES. They just don't understand what the overcrowding means from an educational perspective because they aren't experiencing it personally in their own families.

OMG, is there no way to oust this woman before she starts? What a disastrous idea.

Here's what I know for sure: Moving to flex scheduling or education focused on internships and on-line learning will only widen the divide between the haves and have nots. Do you think the children of the wealthy will be sending their children to school from 2 to 8 pm? Do you think the children of the wealthy will be spending a large portion of their school hours in on-line learning? No, they absolutely will not.

I'm the PP here. In Talento's defense, she is new and hasn't heard all perspectives yet. My impression is that she is widely influenced by the views of Emma V-S, who is her mentor. And Emma-- and to some extent Nancy V-D and Barbara K-- think that some families want flexibility so that their kids can get a job on the side and contribute to the family income. If you are the type to meet with School Board members, I would try to talk to Talento before she gets cemented too far into her views. But unfortunately, I have heard her say that she is opposed to a 4th comprehensive high school so it is probably an uphill battle.

IMO, all this push to get iPads into the elementary schools is just going to be used to further advance the push for on-line learning to solve capacity problems. Just wait-- in 5 years (if Murphy is still here), we'll be hearing things like: "This generation of students has been using iPads since Kindergarten-- they love on-line learning! Why spend the money on bricks and mortar high schools???" Please, please, please speak out once the visioning process gets kicked off-- and not just signing petitions or sending form letters. Please make the time to go to your PTA meetings and meet with School Board members in person when they come making the rounds. There is a School Board member assigned as the liaison to every single school in the County.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And Emma-- and to some extent Nancy V-D and Barbara K-- think that some families want flexibility so that their kids can get a job on the side and contribute to the family income. If you are the type to meet with School Board members, I would try to talk to Talento before she gets cemented too far into her views.

I don't think it's unreasonable to think that some families do want that. But how many, and how what sorts of schedules would these jobs entail? A few kids leaving school a period or two early or arriving a period or two late doesn't put much of a dent in school crowding.

[Anonymous]

Do you think the children of the wealthy will be sending their children to school from 2 to 8 pm?

I think the SLEEP people in Fairfax County would love it!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Do you think the children of the wealthy will be sending their children to school from 2 to 8 pm?

I think the SLEEP people in Fairfax County would love it!

:lol

Except then what about sports? Although considering the shortage of field space in Arlington, maybe someone is going to suggest giving up sports programs entirely.

[Anonymous]

Ugh. I hate myself for going here...

But we are spending millions to provide housing for families that can't afford to live here, and now we have school board members championing shift scheduling to accommodate those families. Those families need additional income, so their kids work, because they can't afford to live here...

So we are getting shift schedules to accommodate these families, that can't afford to live here...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ugh. I hate myself for going here...

But we are spending millions to provide housing for families that can't afford to live here, and now we have school board members championing shift scheduling to accommodate those families. Those families need additional income, so their kids work, because they can't afford to live here...

So we are getting shift schedules to accommodate these families, that can't afford to live here...

That is so cruel.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ugh. I hate myself for going here...

But we are spending millions to provide housing for families that can't afford to live here, and now we have school board members championing shift scheduling to accommodate those families. Those families need additional income, so their kids work, because they can't afford to live here...

So we are getting shift schedules to accommodate these families, that can't afford to live here...

That is so cruel.

Which part?
The part where the SB sets up a second shift for their second class citizens?
I mean, that's where this is heading. Seems like the SB thinks they got the thumbs up! Poor, uneducated, ( mostly illegal) families will just kiss the sb's feet. Their just grateful to be here and have a spot.

Upper middle class families know how to game the system and will be enjoying their traditional day with some elbow room and no trailers.
So, can we lobby great schools to separate our ratings? I'd rather list my house only referencing the "day" scores. To whom should we contact for that?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Matthew was on the news this afternoon!
Great job.
If you haven't taken the time to sign the petition, please do so. We've got some great momentum going.
Let's keep it up!

Or, if you object to diversity, do come to meetings and say that publicly.

False dichotomy. You are not against diversity if you don't want to lose the right to send your kids to neighborhood schools or see them bused to another part of the county when they should be able to attend a school closer to home.

Sorry. We are a tiny county. You didn't get a school promised to you when you signed the deed to your house. The only thing that should be happening is equal quality and opportunities for all APS students.
They need to draw lines vertically. It's the only way to get a mix.

They can do that once they build a high school that's actually in the eastern part of the county. Until then, put a lid on it.

No need. It's golf courses and cemetery. The three current schools can be redrawn very nicely.

Yep, vertical boundaries and bussin are the only thing that is going to create equity. And if people don't want busing, then they better W-L and Wakefield parents should ban together and push hard that all three schools have equal FARMs rates even if that means that Yorktown gets and island again.

It drives me nuts when people start whining about busing and the horror of their kid having to make a 20/30 minute commute to school. Some of these kids no doubt commute much longer for extra curricular activities and it somehow isn't harming them.

Reid Goldstein said at a SB meeting that he was not persuaded by the need for "contiguity" and that he had no issue with islands. I think islands are the obvious solution. There are plenty of neighborhoods in Arlington where kids are already riding a bus to school. Bus them a couple miles more to another school.