APS and 4th High school

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Of course the $100M building has no plan for additional capacity. What a crock. Is every HB class max size? Every room utilized? Could they move Stratford somewhere else and rephrase that space?

Umm, this was very clearly and publicly planned and presented. No surprises. And the space on the bottom level was designed for Shriver program students specifically. They had to be relocated temporarily and there was a large uproar at the time. I’m sorry you are late to the party.

And HB fought hard NOT to move. That wasn't something they wanted.

FFS, they wanted to keep the largest footprint campus in North Arlington. Of course they didn’t want to more. But they are prima donna about not making the program larger; if they had communicated a willingness to help the community and plan for growth that would have fed back into the plans for the building.

They would gladly support more students - in a second, separate HB program.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't get why HBW has to stay 6-12 grade. We have more middle school capacity now that we've opened Hamm. Last I checked, Hamm and Williamsburg were under-enrolled, even pre-pandemic. If APS sent the HBW middle school kids back to their home schools and made HBW 9-12 instead, it would also give more kids a chance to rotate through the program because students would only stay for 4 years instead of 7 years. I've never understood why middle school has to be part of the HBW program.

Why? To continue the elitism expected by ATS parents in particular.
I haven't heard this suggestion before, and it's worth considering for sure. It would enable more students to access the HB program without making it "too big" per the "fears" of HB students and families.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't get why HBW has to stay 6-12 grade. We have more middle school capacity now that we've opened Hamm. Last I checked, Hamm and Williamsburg were under-enrolled, even pre-pandemic. If APS sent the HBW middle school kids back to their home schools and made HBW 9-12 instead, it would also give more kids a chance to rotate through the program because students would only stay for 4 years instead of 7 years. I've never understood why middle school has to be part of the HBW program.

That is a great idea. And with high student teacher ratios in classroom that also can increase the size of the program.

They could keep HBW MS program as a program tract within the middle schools or even just the one do the middle schools in HB MS — it would fill easily, just don’t guarantee admittance the HBW HS because of the size mismatch. That seems much more equitable rather than basically have those who apply in 6th get the special treatment for 7 years rather than potentially more participating for 3 or 4 years.

Bravo.

I agree it's a good idea; but I don't agree with the idea of making it a program within other middle schools. That's really not feasible. Part of the whole HB "thing" is the full school community. Just start the program at HS like AT.

[Anonymous]

All this talk about HB is like suggesting we put a bigger bandaid on this bleeding artery. Way to focus on the problem at hand.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:All this talk about HB is like suggesting we put a bigger bandaid on this bleeding artery. Way to focus on the problem at hand.

We could have an expanded high school only program at HB NEXT YEAR. That could easily accommodate 400 additional high school students; the addition at WL which cost $1Ms only accommodates 600 students.

This is such a much better use of capacity, it is my new favorite thing.

Don't worry, we've been ranting about a 4th high school for a decade, but its not forgotten.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Of course the $100M building has no plan for additional capacity. What a crock. Is every HB class max size? Every room utilized? Could they move Stratford somewhere else and rephrase that space?

Umm, this was very clearly and publicly planned and presented. No surprises. And the space on the bottom level was designed for Shriver program students specifically. They had to be relocated temporarily and there was a large uproar at the time. I’m sorry you are late to the party.

And HB fought hard NOT to move. That wasn't something they wanted.

FFS, they wanted to keep the largest footprint campus in North Arlington. Of course they didn’t want to more. But they are prima donna about not making the program larger; if they had communicated a willingness to help the community and plan for growth that would have fed back into the plans for the building.

They would gladly support more students - in a second, separate HB program.

OMG, are you HB parents all Gollums?

[Anonymous]

I think 4th high school should focus on arts and be in offcebuilding in Rosslyn. No sports so don’t need fields. With telework in future for gov will be empty space. Even use old FDIC space

[Anonymous]

Alexandria City parent jealous over here where we are stuck with one gigantic overcrowded high school and the inability to plan for more growth with zero plans for even a second high school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think 4th high school should focus on arts and be in offcebuilding in Rosslyn. No sports so don’t need fields. With telework in future for gov will be empty space. Even use old FDIC space

Arts??? For these programs to address capacity, they need to be able to attract students. ATech has failed to do that; HB does that it droves. Maybe a 2nd HBW would be worthwhile, but considering how nice The Heights building is, any 2nd HBW will be a second class program.

[Anonymous]

OMG you people and your H-B
it’s a stupid program whose outcomes are no more impressive then any other public high school in the nova area. Change it over to a regular high school and drop the middle school.

Don’t start with the it’s so special! My child has to have it! Please if your kid is that special and can’t tolerate a public school classroom send your kid to private school. And if you send your kid to H-B you better dig up that stupid faux I believe in equity and love and whatever other crap sign you have in your yard and don’t for the love of gods talk about equity. Just double up on N95 masks if you feel the need to talk about it come over you so they can act like a muzzle.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think 4th high school should focus on arts and be in offcebuilding in Rosslyn. No sports so don’t need fields. With telework in future for gov will be empty space. Even use old FDIC space

How about choose a program with strong demand? Make it a STEM magnet and centralize all of the advanced science and math offerings. TJ admissions are changing so Arlington can't rely on it as an option.

[Anonymous]

I’ve met 2 ATS legacy then HB grads and they are just ordinary. Not impressed. I am concerned about WL and WK being 4000 kids each. Shifts abs distance learning? Can’t APS do better or is this part of the downfall of APS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’ve met 2 ATS legacy then HB grads and they are just ordinary. Not impressed. I am concerned about WL and WK being 4000 kids each. Shifts abs distance learning? Can’t APS do better or is this part of the downfall of APS.

You’ve actually met two? You’re definitely prepared to opine on all of it then.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think 4th high school should focus on arts and be in offcebuilding in Rosslyn. No sports so don’t need fields. With telework in future for gov will be empty space. Even use old FDIC space

Arts??? For these programs to address capacity, they need to be able to attract students. ATech has failed to do that; HB does that it droves. Maybe a 2nd HBW would be worthwhile, but considering how nice The Heights building is, any 2nd HBW will be a second class program.

Again, AT has not failed to attract students. It admits a full class each year. The enrollment is intentionally capped - just like HB. There is a waitlist each year. Many more opt not to go than opt not to go when they get admitted to HB. But a major reason for that is the limited electives and students have no access to music classes or band. HB, on the other hand, does have various music classes and concert band.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OMG you people and your H-B
it’s a stupid program whose outcomes are no more impressive then any other public high school in the nova area. Change it over to a regular high school and drop the middle school.

NP. It's not about whether HB is special; it's about whether enough parents and students believe it is and believe it strongly enough that they will send their kids to the building in Rosslyn, thereby taking some pressure off the neighborhood high schools.

The HB parents love to complain about how their poor darlings don't have their own fields or whatever, but they aren't pulling their kids out. Eject the middle schoolers and stick more kids in The Heights building.