Who said there isn't a North-South divide?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So whats the solution -- should we move to an all lottery model? You rank your top 4 choices and you get what you get?

Eliminate all choice school options in SA. Make everyone go to their neighborhood school.

No, we've got enough equity to move, and plenty of income to afford private, as do all of our neighbors. Force is not likely to help. People who wouldn't send their kids to the neighborhood schools by choice won't go to the neighborhood schools by force. Some that are better integrated and trending in the right direction with test scores might stand a chance, but the ones that have only one SFH neighborhood and then hundreds of units of AH within the walk zone, where over 70% of the students within the physical zone are living below the poverty line, won't ever change unless the neighborhoods themselves change or the boundaries change significantly. The vast majority of UMC professionals will not accept sending their kids to schools without adequate capital, both financial and social. Do I like that this is the truth? No. But it is the truth. It's a fantasy to believe differently. I think most people living in SA want truly diverse schools, and that is why the option schools are so popular. Until they perceive high poverty schools as being just as able to address the needs and abilities of their more affluent children, they will find alternatives. They will because they can. Simple as that.

Thank you for a thoughtful response. Here's the thing: there aren't enough votes in SA to ever make the county go for the lottery model. It's a non-starter. If SA wants to fix this problem, they will likely need to fix it themselves within their confines. You won't convince the overwhelming majority of voters to give up what they've got.

Different poster, here. I've considered that point before, its an interesting suggestion. I think it has some merit, especially if everyone's kids will go to the same high school (Wakefield) anyway. But, south Arlington has internal divisions and while some schools are very poor others hardly are at all.50% of all SA elementary students are low income. Spread evenly, that would make every school a title 1 school. Henry is not now, Fleet will be even less poverty when it opens, and Oakridge will be even lower, once Drew's boundaries are redrawn. Not sure about HB, if it gets students from east of 395 it could be fairly middle income on balance as well. Parents at those schools don't want a title 1 school, they want the one they've got. Hence all the anxiety in those neighborhoods currwntly zoned for Henry that will probably be rezoned to Drew.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So whats the solution -- should we move to an all lottery model? You rank your top 4 choices and you get what you get?

Eliminate all choice school options in SA. Make everyone go to their neighborhood school.

No, we've got enough equity to move, and plenty of income to afford private, as do all of our neighbors. Force is not likely to help. People who wouldn't send their kids to the neighborhood schools by choice won't go to the neighborhood schools by force. Some that are better integrated and trending in the right direction with test scores might stand a chance, but the ones that have only one SFH neighborhood and then hundreds of units of AH within the walk zone, where over 70% of the students within the physical zone are living below the poverty line, won't ever change unless the neighborhoods themselves change or the boundaries change significantly. The vast majority of UMC professionals will not accept sending their kids to schools without adequate capital, both financial and social. Do I like that this is the truth? No. But it is the truth. It's a fantasy to believe differently. I think most people living in SA want truly diverse schools, and that is why the option schools are so popular. Until they perceive high poverty schools as being just as able to address the needs and abilities of their more affluent children, they will find alternatives. They will because they can. Simple as that.

Thank you for a thoughtful response. Here's the thing: there aren't enough votes in SA to ever make the county go for the lottery model. It's a non-starter. If SA wants to fix this problem, they will likely need to fix it themselves within their confines. You won't convince the overwhelming majority of voters to give up what they've got.

Dp- I think that’s true enough for now. The 1,000’s of condos and apts green lit for the blue line corridor will make a difference, but all of our kids will have come and gone by then.
It would take a completely different make up of the county board. We’d have to ( as a county) say we aren’t lending for AH anymore. I don’t see that happening soon. We’d have to rethink zoning in a huge way- can’t see it. Although the old guard is disappearing, and I hear much less enthusiasm from my Arlington friends and neighbors about how we spend our money.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So whats the solution -- should we move to an all lottery model? You rank your top 4 choices and you get what you get?

Eliminate all choice school options in SA. Make everyone go to their neighborhood school.

No, we've got enough equity to move, and plenty of income to afford private, as do all of our neighbors. Force is not likely to help. People who wouldn't send their kids to the neighborhood schools by choice won't go to the neighborhood schools by force. Some that are better integrated and trending in the right direction with test scores might stand a chance, but the ones that have only one SFH neighborhood and then hundreds of units of AH within the walk zone, where over 70% of the students within the physical zone are living below the poverty line, won't ever change unless the neighborhoods themselves change or the boundaries change significantly. The vast majority of UMC professionals will not accept sending their kids to schools without adequate capital, both financial and social. Do I like that this is the truth? No. But it is the truth. It's a fantasy to believe differently. I think most people living in SA want truly diverse schools, and that is why the option schools are so popular. Until they perceive high poverty schools as being just as able to address the needs and abilities of their more affluent children, they will find alternatives. They will because they can. Simple as that.

Thank you for a thoughtful response. Here's the thing: there aren't enough votes in SA to ever make the county go for the lottery model. It's a non-starter. If SA wants to fix this problem, they will likely need to fix it themselves within their confines. You won't convince the overwhelming majority of voters to give up what they've got.

I also don't advocate for an all-lottery model. I think the thoughtful placement of option schools, coupled with admissions policies aimed at maintaining diversity where it exists and encouraging it where it does not, and option programs that appeal to a wide variety of parents, in combination with neighborhood schools, is pragmatic solution. It's integration, through strategy and choice. Nobody is forced anywhere, everyone has an assigned school, even if it's not the one across the street. It's not perfect, but I think its better than doing nothing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So whats the solution -- should we move to an all lottery model? You rank your top 4 choices and you get what you get?

Eliminate all choice school options in SA. Make everyone go to their neighborhood school.

No, we've got enough equity to move, and plenty of income to afford private, as do all of our neighbors. Force is not likely to help. People who wouldn't send their kids to the neighborhood schools by choice won't go to the neighborhood schools by force. Some that are better integrated and trending in the right direction with test scores might stand a chance, but the ones that have only one SFH neighborhood and then hundreds of units of AH within the walk zone, where over 70% of the students within the physical zone are living below the poverty line, won't ever change unless the neighborhoods themselves change or the boundaries change significantly. The vast majority of UMC professionals will not accept sending their kids to schools without adequate capital, both financial and social. Do I like that this is the truth? No. But it is the truth. It's a fantasy to believe differently. I think most people living in SA want truly diverse schools, and that is why the option schools are so popular. Until they perceive high poverty schools as being just as able to address the needs and abilities of their more affluent children, they will find alternatives. They will because they can. Simple as that.

Thank you for a thoughtful response. Here's the thing: there aren't enough votes in SA to ever make the county go for the lottery model. It's a non-starter. If SA wants to fix this problem, they will likely need to fix it themselves within their confines. You won't convince the overwhelming majority of voters to give up what they've got.

I also don't advocate for an all-lottery model. I think the thoughtful placement of option schools, coupled with admissions policies aimed at maintaining diversity where it exists and encouraging it where it does not, and option programs that appeal to a wide variety of parents, in combination with neighborhood schools, is pragmatic solution. It's integration, through strategy and choice. Nobody is forced anywhere, everyone has an assigned school, even if it's not the one across the street. It's not perfect, but I think its better than doing nothing.

I agree with this. I just wish I had some faith that APS would prioritize integration at all. When they’ve had the option to make a better choice for the entire community, they’ve really blown it. Busing across the county? No. Looking at boundaries in a strategic way? Yes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So whats the solution -- should we move to an all lottery model? You rank your top 4 choices and you get what you get?

Eliminate all choice school options in SA. Make everyone go to their neighborhood school.

No, we've got enough equity to move, and plenty of income to afford private, as do all of our neighbors. Force is not likely to help. People who wouldn't send their kids to the neighborhood schools by choice won't go to the neighborhood schools by force. Some that are better integrated and trending in the right direction with test scores might stand a chance, but the ones that have only one SFH neighborhood and then hundreds of units of AH within the walk zone, where over 70% of the students within the physical zone are living below the poverty line, won't ever change unless the neighborhoods themselves change or the boundaries change significantly. The vast majority of UMC professionals will not accept sending their kids to schools without adequate capital, both financial and social. Do I like that this is the truth? No. But it is the truth. It's a fantasy to believe differently. I think most people living in SA want truly diverse schools, and that is why the option schools are so popular. Until they perceive high poverty schools as being just as able to address the needs and abilities of their more affluent children, they will find alternatives. They will because they can. Simple as that.

Agreed. People aren’t understanding that a school like Randolph would not be significantly impacted if every UMC kid suddenly enrolled next year. Maybe it drops from 77 % low income to 69%. That’s not going to be acceptable to most educated parents. As well it shouldn’t.

Then perhaps they shouldn't have bought houses there in the first place.

Or, perhaps they should have moved there, and should advocate for an integrated school that isn't just an SOL cram facility. A high poverty school is a problem, period. We shouldn't, as a county, accept them whether our kids are zoned for them or not. They are not good for anyone, especially poor kids.

If they moved there and then advocated for things to reduce the FARMS rate (e.g., no more AH in the area, relocating option programs to break up poverty clusters), I would respect that. But when you buy in a 70% FARMS school hoping you'll back-door into a "good" school via the option lottery or neighborhood transfer, don't throw a temper tantrum about the unfairness when it doesn't pan out and then demand that the county give you additional options for getting out of your own neighborhood. I have zero sympathy for that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So whats the solution -- should we move to an all lottery model? You rank your top 4 choices and you get what you get?

Eliminate all choice school options in SA. Make everyone go to their neighborhood school.

No, we've got enough equity to move, and plenty of income to afford private, as do all of our neighbors. Force is not likely to help. People who wouldn't send their kids to the neighborhood schools by choice won't go to the neighborhood schools by force. Some that are better integrated and trending in the right direction with test scores might stand a chance, but the ones that have only one SFH neighborhood and then hundreds of units of AH within the walk zone, where over 70% of the students within the physical zone are living below the poverty line, won't ever change unless the neighborhoods themselves change or the boundaries change significantly. The vast majority of UMC professionals will not accept sending their kids to schools without adequate capital, both financial and social. Do I like that this is the truth? No. But it is the truth. It's a fantasy to believe differently. I think most people living in SA want truly diverse schools, and that is why the option schools are so popular. Until they perceive high poverty schools as being just as able to address the needs and abilities of their more affluent children, they will find alternatives. They will because they can. Simple as that.

Thank you for a thoughtful response. Here's the thing: there aren't enough votes in SA to ever make the county go for the lottery model. It's a non-starter. If SA wants to fix this problem, they will likely need to fix it themselves within their confines. You won't convince the overwhelming majority of voters to give up what they've got.

I also don't advocate for an all-lottery model. I think the thoughtful placement of option schools, coupled with admissions policies aimed at maintaining diversity where it exists and encouraging it where it does not, and option programs that appeal to a wide variety of parents, in combination with neighborhood schools, is pragmatic solution. It's integration, through strategy and choice. Nobody is forced anywhere, everyone has an assigned school, even if it's not the one across the street. It's not perfect, but I think its better than doing nothing.

I agree with this. I just wish I had some faith that APS would prioritize integration at all. When they’ve had the option to make a better choice for the entire community, they’ve really blown it. Busing across the county? No. Looking at boundaries in a strategic way? Yes.

What kind of strategic boundaries are you envisioning that would solve this problem? People keep tossing this out as the obvious solution, and yet no one ever seems to detail where those boundaries would be. Sure, you can stretch the Ashlawn boundary across 50 (and I support that), but that only addresses a small part of the problem.

[Anonymous]

^^ plenty of people bought 10 years ago, when choice options were advertised with the houses, then didn’t have kids till later for whatever reason. In my south Arlington neighborhood no one sent their kids to the school. There were plenty of kids, but it was never considered an option. My realtor gave me information on APS choice schools. This was back in ‘07.
Now I think parents moving in are more likely to consider the school, but then they start realizing it isn’t mathematically possible to tip the scales for the school. They have to accept there is currently no way to address it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So whats the solution -- should we move to an all lottery model? You rank your top 4 choices and you get what you get?

Eliminate all choice school options in SA. Make everyone go to their neighborhood school.

No, we've got enough equity to move, and plenty of income to afford private, as do all of our neighbors. Force is not likely to help. People who wouldn't send their kids to the neighborhood schools by choice won't go to the neighborhood schools by force. Some that are better integrated and trending in the right direction with test scores might stand a chance, but the ones that have only one SFH neighborhood and then hundreds of units of AH within the walk zone, where over 70% of the students within the physical zone are living below the poverty line, won't ever change unless the neighborhoods themselves change or the boundaries change significantly. The vast majority of UMC professionals will not accept sending their kids to schools without adequate capital, both financial and social. Do I like that this is the truth? No. But it is the truth. It's a fantasy to believe differently. I think most people living in SA want truly diverse schools, and that is why the option schools are so popular. Until they perceive high poverty schools as being just as able to address the needs and abilities of their more affluent children, they will find alternatives. They will because they can. Simple as that.

Thank you for a thoughtful response. Here's the thing: there aren't enough votes in SA to ever make the county go for the lottery model. It's a non-starter. If SA wants to fix this problem, they will likely need to fix it themselves within their confines. You won't convince the overwhelming majority of voters to give up what they've got.

I also don't advocate for an all-lottery model. I think the thoughtful placement of option schools, coupled with admissions policies aimed at maintaining diversity where it exists and encouraging it where it does not, and option programs that appeal to a wide variety of parents, in combination with neighborhood schools, is pragmatic solution. It's integration, through strategy and choice. Nobody is forced anywhere, everyone has an assigned school, even if it's not the one across the street. It's not perfect, but I think its better than doing nothing.

I agree with this. I just wish I had some faith that APS would prioritize integration at all. When they’ve had the option to make a better choice for the entire community, they’ve really blown it. Busing across the county? No. Looking at boundaries in a strategic way? Yes.

What kind of strategic boundaries are you envisioning that would solve this problem? People keep tossing this out as the obvious solution, and yet no one ever seems to detail where those boundaries would be. Sure, you can stretch the Ashlawn boundary across 50 (and I support that), but that only addresses a small part of the problem.

Arlington forest is the most recent and obvious example of not doing the right thing.
I personally agreed with breaking up the poverty clusters and placing choice schools at Barcroft or Randolph. I know people think it’s terrible to have poor kids walk, but I think an integrated classroom is a big enough benefit.

[Anonymous]

^correction poor kids take a bus.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So whats the solution -- should we move to an all lottery model? You rank your top 4 choices and you get what you get?

Eliminate all choice school options in SA. Make everyone go to their neighborhood school.

No, we've got enough equity to move, and plenty of income to afford private, as do all of our neighbors. Force is not likely to help. People who wouldn't send their kids to the neighborhood schools by choice won't go to the neighborhood schools by force. Some that are better integrated and trending in the right direction with test scores might stand a chance, but the ones that have only one SFH neighborhood and then hundreds of units of AH within the walk zone, where over 70% of the students within the physical zone are living below the poverty line, won't ever change unless the neighborhoods themselves change or the boundaries change significantly. The vast majority of UMC professionals will not accept sending their kids to schools without adequate capital, both financial and social. Do I like that this is the truth? No. But it is the truth. It's a fantasy to believe differently. I think most people living in SA want truly diverse schools, and that is why the option schools are so popular. Until they perceive high poverty schools as being just as able to address the needs and abilities of their more affluent children, they will find alternatives. They will because they can. Simple as that.

Agreed. People aren’t understanding that a school like Randolph would not be significantly impacted if every UMC kid suddenly enrolled next year. Maybe it drops from 77 % low income to 69%. That’s not going to be acceptable to most educated parents. As well it shouldn’t.

Last year, 29% of Randolph's APS-enrolled neighborhood base transferred out of the school. According to DCUM, UMC families transfer out of Randolph in droves, so it's fair to assume that a substantial number of those students were UMC. If the UMC students made up even 50% of the transferring students and all of those students (regardless of SES) went back to Randolph, the FARMS rate for last year would have dropped from 74% to 68%. If the UMC % were 75%, though, rate would drop to 61%. Obviously that's not a full solution to the problem, but a 13 percentage point reduction isn't trivial either.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So whats the solution -- should we move to an all lottery model? You rank your top 4 choices and you get what you get?

Eliminate all choice school options in SA. Make everyone go to their neighborhood school.

No, we've got enough equity to move, and plenty of income to afford private, as do all of our neighbors. Force is not likely to help. People who wouldn't send their kids to the neighborhood schools by choice won't go to the neighborhood schools by force. Some that are better integrated and trending in the right direction with test scores might stand a chance, but the ones that have only one SFH neighborhood and then hundreds of units of AH within the walk zone, where over 70% of the students within the physical zone are living below the poverty line, won't ever change unless the neighborhoods themselves change or the boundaries change significantly. The vast majority of UMC professionals will not accept sending their kids to schools without adequate capital, both financial and social. Do I like that this is the truth? No. But it is the truth. It's a fantasy to believe differently. I think most people living in SA want truly diverse schools, and that is why the option schools are so popular. Until they perceive high poverty schools as being just as able to address the needs and abilities of their more affluent children, they will find alternatives. They will because they can. Simple as that.

Agreed. People aren’t understanding that a school like Randolph would not be significantly impacted if every UMC kid suddenly enrolled next year. Maybe it drops from 77 % low income to 69%. That’s not going to be acceptable to most educated parents. As well it shouldn’t.

Last year, 29% of Randolph's APS-enrolled neighborhood base transferred out of the school. According to DCUM, UMC families transfer out of Randolph in droves, so it's fair to assume that a substantial number of those students were UMC. If the UMC students made up even 50% of the transferring students and all of those students (regardless of SES) went back to Randolph, the FARMS rate for last year would have dropped from 74% to 68%. If the UMC % were 75%, though, rate would drop to 61%. Obviously that's not a full solution to the problem, but a 13 percentage point reduction isn't trivial either.

It would be good to know the make up. 61% though... and that’s the BEST it will ever be. Hard to convince parents with that. Add another 10 units of sfh’s? That would help.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So whats the solution -- should we move to an all lottery model? You rank your top 4 choices and you get what you get?

Eliminate all choice school options in SA. Make everyone go to their neighborhood school.

No, we've got enough equity to move, and plenty of income to afford private, as do all of our neighbors. Force is not likely to help. People who wouldn't send their kids to the neighborhood schools by choice won't go to the neighborhood schools by force. Some that are better integrated and trending in the right direction with test scores might stand a chance, but the ones that have only one SFH neighborhood and then hundreds of units of AH within the walk zone, where over 70% of the students within the physical zone are living below the poverty line, won't ever change unless the neighborhoods themselves change or the boundaries change significantly. The vast majority of UMC professionals will not accept sending their kids to schools without adequate capital, both financial and social. Do I like that this is the truth? No. But it is the truth. It's a fantasy to believe differently. I think most people living in SA want truly diverse schools, and that is why the option schools are so popular. Until they perceive high poverty schools as being just as able to address the needs and abilities of their more affluent children, they will find alternatives. They will because they can. Simple as that.

Thank you for a thoughtful response. Here's the thing: there aren't enough votes in SA to ever make the county go for the lottery model. It's a non-starter. If SA wants to fix this problem, they will likely need to fix it themselves within their confines. You won't convince the overwhelming majority of voters to give up what they've got.

I also don't advocate for an all-lottery model. I think the thoughtful placement of option schools, coupled with admissions policies aimed at maintaining diversity where it exists and encouraging it where it does not, and option programs that appeal to a wide variety of parents, in combination with neighborhood schools, is pragmatic solution. It's integration, through strategy and choice. Nobody is forced anywhere, everyone has an assigned school, even if it's not the one across the street. It's not perfect, but I think its better than doing nothing.

I agree with this. I just wish I had some faith that APS would prioritize integration at all. When they’ve had the option to make a better choice for the entire community, they’ve really blown it. Busing across the county? No. Looking at boundaries in a strategic way? Yes.

What kind of strategic boundaries are you envisioning that would solve this problem? People keep tossing this out as the obvious solution, and yet no one ever seems to detail where those boundaries would be. Sure, you can stretch the Ashlawn boundary across 50 (and I support that), but that only addresses a small part of the problem.

Arlington forest is the most recent and obvious example of not doing the right thing.
I personally agreed with breaking up the poverty clusters and placing choice schools at Barcroft or Randolph. I know people think it’s terrible to have poor kids walk, but I think an integrated classroom is a big enough benefit.

I'm not asking about past decisions on high school zones, I'm talking about the upcoming process of redrawing elementary zones, which are substantially smaller and more numerous than high school zones and thus have different challenges. If you got to draw the boundaries this fall, what "strategic" choices would you make to break up poverty?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So whats the solution -- should we move to an all lottery model? You rank your top 4 choices and you get what you get?

Eliminate all choice school options in SA. Make everyone go to their neighborhood school.

No, we've got enough equity to move, and plenty of income to afford private, as do all of our neighbors. Force is not likely to help. People who wouldn't send their kids to the neighborhood schools by choice won't go to the neighborhood schools by force. Some that are better integrated and trending in the right direction with test scores might stand a chance, but the ones that have only one SFH neighborhood and then hundreds of units of AH within the walk zone, where over 70% of the students within the physical zone are living below the poverty line, won't ever change unless the neighborhoods themselves change or the boundaries change significantly. The vast majority of UMC professionals will not accept sending their kids to schools without adequate capital, both financial and social. Do I like that this is the truth? No. But it is the truth. It's a fantasy to believe differently. I think most people living in SA want truly diverse schools, and that is why the option schools are so popular. Until they perceive high poverty schools as being just as able to address the needs and abilities of their more affluent children, they will find alternatives. They will because they can. Simple as that.

Agreed. People aren’t understanding that a school like Randolph would not be significantly impacted if every UMC kid suddenly enrolled next year. Maybe it drops from 77 % low income to 69%. That’s not going to be acceptable to most educated parents. As well it shouldn’t.

Then perhaps they shouldn't have bought houses there in the first place.

Or, perhaps they should have moved there, and should advocate for an integrated school that isn't just an SOL cram facility. A high poverty school is a problem, period. We shouldn't, as a county, accept them whether our kids are zoned for them or not. They are not good for anyone, especially poor kids.

If they moved there and then advocated for things to reduce the FARMS rate (e.g., no more AH in the area, relocating option programs to break up poverty clusters), I would respect that. But when you buy in a 70% FARMS school hoping you'll back-door into a "good" school via the option lottery or neighborhood transfer, don't throw a temper tantrum about the unfairness when it doesn't pan out and then demand that the county give you additional options for getting out of your own neighborhood. I have zero sympathy for that.

But having the UMC moving to high poverty neighborhoods/school zones and advocating for better boundaries or more choices is how integration happens, and is the only way. No one else will advocate for such arrangements. Certainly not NA parents.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So whats the solution -- should we move to an all lottery model? You rank your top 4 choices and you get what you get?

Eliminate all choice school options in SA. Make everyone go to their neighborhood school.

No, we've got enough equity to move, and plenty of income to afford private, as do all of our neighbors. Force is not likely to help. People who wouldn't send their kids to the neighborhood schools by choice won't go to the neighborhood schools by force. Some that are better integrated and trending in the right direction with test scores might stand a chance, but the ones that have only one SFH neighborhood and then hundreds of units of AH within the walk zone, where over 70% of the students within the physical zone are living below the poverty line, won't ever change unless the neighborhoods themselves change or the boundaries change significantly. The vast majority of UMC professionals will not accept sending their kids to schools without adequate capital, both financial and social. Do I like that this is the truth? No. But it is the truth. It's a fantasy to believe differently. I think most people living in SA want truly diverse schools, and that is why the option schools are so popular. Until they perceive high poverty schools as being just as able to address the needs and abilities of their more affluent children, they will find alternatives. They will because they can. Simple as that.

Thank you for a thoughtful response. Here's the thing: there aren't enough votes in SA to ever make the county go for the lottery model. It's a non-starter. If SA wants to fix this problem, they will likely need to fix it themselves within their confines. You won't convince the overwhelming majority of voters to give up what they've got.

Dp- I think that’s true enough for now. The 1,000’s of condos and apts green lit for the blue line corridor will make a difference, but all of our kids will have come and gone by then.
It would take a completely different make up of the county board. We’d have to ( as a county) say we aren’t lending for AH anymore. I don’t see that happening soon. We’d have to rethink zoning in a huge way- can’t see it. Although the old guard is disappearing, and I hear much less enthusiasm from my Arlington friends and neighbors about how we spend our money.

That reckoning is coming. The more families stay in Arlington, the more the issue will be highlighted. Back in the 1980s, county leaders promoted AH as a way to keep the county young and vibrant. You can read old post articles about how they suggested we'd be this soulless, childless wasteland inhabited by Clark griswold's yuppie neighbors in Christmas vacation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So whats the solution -- should we move to an all lottery model? You rank your top 4 choices and you get what you get?

Eliminate all choice school options in SA. Make everyone go to their neighborhood school.

No, we've got enough equity to move, and plenty of income to afford private, as do all of our neighbors. Force is not likely to help. People who wouldn't send their kids to the neighborhood schools by choice won't go to the neighborhood schools by force. Some that are better integrated and trending in the right direction with test scores might stand a chance, but the ones that have only one SFH neighborhood and then hundreds of units of AH within the walk zone, where over 70% of the students within the physical zone are living below the poverty line, won't ever change unless the neighborhoods themselves change or the boundaries change significantly. The vast majority of UMC professionals will not accept sending their kids to schools without adequate capital, both financial and social. Do I like that this is the truth? No. But it is the truth. It's a fantasy to believe differently. I think most people living in SA want truly diverse schools, and that is why the option schools are so popular. Until they perceive high poverty schools as being just as able to address the needs and abilities of their more affluent children, they will find alternatives. They will because they can. Simple as that.

Thank you for a thoughtful response. Here's the thing: there aren't enough votes in SA to ever make the county go for the lottery model. It's a non-starter. If SA wants to fix this problem, they will likely need to fix it themselves within their confines. You won't convince the overwhelming majority of voters to give up what they've got.

I also don't advocate for an all-lottery model. I think the thoughtful placement of option schools, coupled with admissions policies aimed at maintaining diversity where it exists and encouraging it where it does not, and option programs that appeal to a wide variety of parents, in combination with neighborhood schools, is pragmatic solution. It's integration, through strategy and choice. Nobody is forced anywhere, everyone has an assigned school, even if it's not the one across the street. It's not perfect, but I think its better than doing nothing.

I agree with this. I just wish I had some faith that APS would prioritize integration at all. When they’ve had the option to make a better choice for the entire community, they’ve really blown it. Busing across the county? No. Looking at boundaries in a strategic way? Yes.

What kind of strategic boundaries are you envisioning that would solve this problem? People keep tossing this out as the obvious solution, and yet no one ever seems to detail where those boundaries would be. Sure, you can stretch the Ashlawn boundary across 50 (and I support that), but that only addresses a small part of the problem.

Arlington forest is the most recent and obvious example of not doing the right thing.
I personally agreed with breaking up the poverty clusters and placing choice schools at Barcroft or Randolph. I know people think it’s terrible to have poor kids walk, but I think an integrated classroom is a big enough benefit.

I'm not asking about past decisions on high school zones, I'm talking about the upcoming process of redrawing elementary zones, which are substantially smaller and more numerous than high school zones and thus have different challenges. If you got to draw the boundaries this fall, what "strategic" choices would you make to break up poverty?

I literally just wrote that I would eliminate at least 1 neighborhood school from one of the most concentrated pockets. That’s a start. I look forward to working with an online boundary tool this fall. It will be interesting to see the numbers.