Tuckahoe by the numbers - how can it stay a neighborhood school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:One thing to consider as we debate moving option schools is that all of the option schools also have VPI programs, and students currently in those VPI classes have the option of continuing at those schools when they enter kindergarten rather than transferring to their neighborhood school (except for Drew, because it's Montessori and VPI isn't). If you move one of those option schools to an elementary school that isn't currently outfitted for a preschool program, you'd either have to discontinue that school's preschool program or do a major renovation to accommodate a preschool program. Neither Tuckahoe nor Nottingham currently has a preschool program. I know Nottingham doesn't have enough classrooms with their own bathrooms to accommodate a preschool program in addition to kindergarten and first grade classes (all of which are supposed to have bathrooms in the classrooms), does Tuckahoe?

Moving ATS further north to a location that couldn't accommodate the VPI program would potentially kill its diversity numbers and make it a school for the white UMC of North Arlington only.

Before anyone jumps on me for just trying to deflect from Tuckahoe, let me say that up to now I've been pretty vocal in this discussion and others about Tuckahoe being a viable option school. The preschool thing literally just occurred to me, but I think it's an important consideration if we're sincere about wanting to create/maintain opportunities for lower-income students in Arlington.

Come on now, I'm sure some of the white UMC of South Arlington will be willing to make the trip as well.

Seriously though, would automatic transfers work? Outreach and low income quotas in the ATS K Program? Can you have low income quotas in a choice program? I don't even know if that's legal.

That wouldn't work because it defeats one of goals of the VPI program, which is to allow those children an opportunity to get accustomed to their school environment before kindergarten so that the transition to kindergarten is less challenging for them. If you make them change schools, they have to get used to a new school with a new layout, different personnel, different rules/routines, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:what position exactly are they pushing? the only thing you've included here is a list of suggested considerations? isn't that what APS asked for in the survey? why is that advocacy against anyone's interests?

If you read the whole discussion before jumping in to criticize people, you would have seen the letter sent by the PTA to the SB advocating for Tuckahoe to remain a neighborhood school (which necessarily would come at the expense of other interests). There is a whole page on the Tuckahoe website under the PTA link with similar advocacy.

How can the CCPTA advocate for all of the PTAs in Arlington? If the Tuckahoe PTA is gaming the system should the rest of the Arlington county PTAs advise the SB to move an option school balancing enrollment? Especially in drastically overcrowded parts of APS. How else can the CCPTA provide advice to the SB?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:what position exactly are they pushing? the only thing you've included here is a list of suggested considerations? isn't that what APS asked for in the survey? why is that advocacy against anyone's interests?

If you read the whole discussion before jumping in to criticize people, you would have seen the letter sent by the PTA to the SB advocating for Tuckahoe to remain a neighborhood school (which necessarily would come at the expense of other interests). There is a whole page on the Tuckahoe website under the PTA link with similar advocacy.

How can the CCPTA advocate for all of the PTAs in Arlington? If the Tuckahoe PTA is gaming the system should the rest of the Arlington county PTAs advise the SB to move an option school balancing enrollment? Especially in drastically overcrowded parts of APS. How else can the CCPTA provide advice to the SB?

I haven't seen the CCPTA weigh in on this issue at all, but please share if I've missed something. The kinds of things I've seen them advocate for are increased funding for the school system as a whole, clearer statements of student rights, making sure students are given full recess time and ensuring that all students have the requisite internet access to complete homework assignments. I haven't seen them get involved in issues where the interests of different parts of the community are at odds with each other. I know they get updates from the SB on the boundary issue, but that's not the same thing as advocating for a particular solution.

[Anonymous]

Isn’t the CCPTA run by Tuckahoe parents?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Isn’t the CCPTA run by Tuckahoe parents?

No, it is not run by Tuckahoe parents. Two board members currently have kids at Tuckahoe, but neither of them will still have kids at Tuckahoe when this goes into effect, so they don't have a personal investment in whether Tuckahoe remains a neighborhood school. The rest of the board comes from a variety of schools/neighborhoods.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:One thing to consider as we debate moving option schools is that all of the option schools also have VPI programs, and students currently in those VPI classes have the option of continuing at those schools when they enter kindergarten rather than transferring to their neighborhood school (except for Drew, because it's Montessori and VPI isn't). If you move one of those option schools to an elementary school that isn't currently outfitted for a preschool program, you'd either have to discontinue that school's preschool program or do a major renovation to accommodate a preschool program. Neither Tuckahoe nor Nottingham currently has a preschool program. I know Nottingham doesn't have enough classrooms with their own bathrooms to accommodate a preschool program in addition to kindergarten and first grade classes (all of which are supposed to have bathrooms in the classrooms), does Tuckahoe?

Moving ATS further north to a location that couldn't accommodate the VPI program would potentially kill its diversity numbers and make it a school for the white UMC of North Arlington only.

Tuckahoe does currently have a preschool program

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Before anyone jumps on me for just trying to deflect from Tuckahoe, let me say that up to now I've been pretty vocal in this discussion and others about Tuckahoe being a viable option school. The preschool thing literally just occurred to me, but I think it's an important consideration if we're sincere about wanting to create/maintain opportunities for lower-income students in Arlington.

The county doesn't seem to have an issue with having preschools without bathrooms in the classroom. I don't think Madison has them...do the other preschool locations?

The standards are different for public and private preschool programs.

The preschools at community centers are public. Maybe APS has different standards...or maybe a classroom or two of first graders could sacrifice.

Madison isn't a preschool, it's a co-operative playgroup. Same with Lee and Fairlington.

Kind of a moot point since Tuckahoe has a preschool

https://parks.arlingtonva.us/programs/tots/creative-preschool-program/

Preschoolers Programs are offered at 5 convenient Arlington locations

Carlin Hall Center
Gunston Community Center
Lubber Run Community Center (through June 2018)
Madison Community Center
Fairlington Community Center
Langston-Brown Community Center (after June 2018

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Before anyone jumps on me for just trying to deflect from Tuckahoe, let me say that up to now I've been pretty vocal in this discussion and others about Tuckahoe being a viable option school. The preschool thing literally just occurred to me, but I think it's an important consideration if we're sincere about wanting to create/maintain opportunities for lower-income students in Arlington.

The county doesn't seem to have an issue with having preschools without bathrooms in the classroom. I don't think Madison has them...do the other preschool locations?

The standards are different for public and private preschool programs.

The preschools at community centers are public. Maybe APS has different standards...or maybe a classroom or two of first graders could sacrifice.

Madison isn't a preschool, it's a co-operative playgroup. Same with Lee and Fairlington.

Kind of a moot point since Tuckahoe has a preschool

https://parks.arlingtonva.us/programs/tots/creative-preschool-program/

Preschoolers Programs are offered at 5 convenient Arlington locations

Carlin Hall Center
Gunston Community Center
Lubber Run Community Center (through June 2018)
Madison Community Center
Fairlington Community Center
Langston-Brown Community Center (after June 2018

Those are co-op recreational programs run through the Department of Parks & Recreation. They are not actually schools and are not run by APS. The public pre-K programs run by APS are subject to different regulations and guidelines.

[Anonymous]

Ummm.. and they are also not located at Tuckahoe

[Anonymous]

Tuckahoe has a special Ed preschool classroom.

[Anonymous]

My kindergartener at key is in a windowless classroom with no bathroom. Having bathroom s in the classroom door prek and k and 1st might be a best practice, but it is not a rqmt.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kindergartener at key is in a windowless classroom with no bathroom. Having bathroom s in the classroom door prek and k and 1st might be a best practice, but it is not a rqmt.

Time for Tuckahoe families to Check Your Privilege.

[Anonymous]

So what option can fit at Tuckahoe? Is it ATS? Are they dialing ATS seat expansion back? Or is this step one towards ending some of these choice schools finally?are they going to scale down immersion programs?

[Anonymous]

Why on earth would they scale immersion back?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So what option can fit at Tuckahoe? Is it ATS? Are they dialing ATS seat expansion back? Or is this step one towards ending some of these choice schools finally?are they going to scale down immersion programs?

This is all speculation. The sb has said that they will consider switching option and neighborhood schools, but that’s as far as it’s gotten. Looking at the option and neighborhood schools in the north, including the eventual Reed school, people are mentally moving programs around to put neighborhood schools where they are needed and option schools where there are seats and the fewest walkers.