APS Middle School Boundary Changes

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:All of this is kind of making the Fairfax pyramid model look pretty good. (At least, my understanding of the Fairfax pyramid model…)

They have split feeders too. That’s more reason why FCPS is undergoing a boundary change.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why do the break up the kids from Middle school going to high school? Elementary kids in one school should all funnel to the same middle school and then should all funnel from middle to high school together. There are 6 middle schools and 2 middle schools should fully funnel to each of the 3 high schools, correct?

Unless you've looked at the Abingdon zone and fixed it, no other zone gets as jerked around in each transition.

Ashlawn parents would like a word

Is Ashlawn split into 3 middle schools?

DP, and wholeheartedly agree that the Abingdon feeder pattern to middle schools (and even to high schools) is the worst in APS. Abingdon goes to three middle schools. Abingdon-Kenmore and Abingdon-TJ are both particularly problematic, as Abingdon-Kenmore splits to two high schools, and I think Abingdon-TJ also splits to two. So, there are significant disruptions in the ES-MS transition, and again in the MS-HS transition.

If there is a more disruptive pattern in APS, I don't know about it. It's a great idea that PP had to send all ES students to the same middle school. I think Abingdon families would just like to see their kids going to only two.

A simple solution like sending all kids at an elementary school to one middle school hasn’t been overlooked, it just doesn’t work across the board in Arlington.

Yup. It really can’t work even at the middle school level, if we assign two middle schools to each high school. Unless the community is willing to give up certain benefits like walkability/proximity to schools.

When Arlington Tech is complete, that would likely be that last time for APS to pursue some kind of once-in-a-generation, large scale boundary change at all school levels. But they punted on doing that after the W-L addition. So they may decide not to do it again.

It's just not that big a deal that kids aren't in the same cohort from K-12. I even think it's good to have splits and new social combinations. It mixes up the social dynamics and encourages kids to make new friends. Arlington also isn't that big a place so kids who are close can't still stay friends outside of school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why do the break up the kids from Middle school going to high school? Elementary kids in one school should all funnel to the same middle school and then should all funnel from middle to high school together. There are 6 middle schools and 2 middle schools should fully funnel to each of the 3 high schools, correct?

Unless you've looked at the Abingdon zone and fixed it, no other zone gets as jerked around in each transition.

Ashlawn parents would like a word

Is Ashlawn split into 3 middle schools?

DP, and wholeheartedly agree that the Abingdon feeder pattern to middle schools (and even to high schools) is the worst in APS. Abingdon goes to three middle schools. Abingdon-Kenmore and Abingdon-TJ are both particularly problematic, as Abingdon-Kenmore splits to two high schools, and I think Abingdon-TJ also splits to two. So, there are significant disruptions in the ES-MS transition, and again in the MS-HS transition.

If there is a more disruptive pattern in APS, I don't know about it. It's a great idea that PP had to send all ES students to the same middle school. I think Abingdon families would just like to see their kids going to only two.

A simple solution like sending all kids at an elementary school to one middle school hasn’t been overlooked, it just doesn’t work across the board in Arlington.

Yup. It really can’t work even at the middle school level, if we assign two middle schools to each high school. Unless the community is willing to give up certain benefits like walkability/proximity to schools.

When Arlington Tech is complete, that would likely be that last time for APS to pursue some kind of once-in-a-generation, large scale boundary change at all school levels. But they punted on doing that after the W-L addition. So they may decide not to do it again.

Arlington tech is a lottery, how does that affect school boundaries at all?

All I know is that was the plan. Arlington Tech will be the size of a moderately sized high school. 1,600 students I think? How that affects the high school enrollment is anyone’s guess.

But as a lottery school, how it affects each schools enrollment is difficult to predict, and thus adjusting boundaries to a constantly changing distribution is foolish.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why do the break up the kids from Middle school going to high school? Elementary kids in one school should all funnel to the same middle school and then should all funnel from middle to high school together. There are 6 middle schools and 2 middle schools should fully funnel to each of the 3 high schools, correct?

Unless you've looked at the Abingdon zone and fixed it, no other zone gets as jerked around in each transition.

Ashlawn parents would like a word

Is Ashlawn split into 3 middle schools?

DP, and wholeheartedly agree that the Abingdon feeder pattern to middle schools (and even to high schools) is the worst in APS. Abingdon goes to three middle schools. Abingdon-Kenmore and Abingdon-TJ are both particularly problematic, as Abingdon-Kenmore splits to two high schools, and I think Abingdon-TJ also splits to two. So, there are significant disruptions in the ES-MS transition, and again in the MS-HS transition.

If there is a more disruptive pattern in APS, I don't know about it. It's a great idea that PP had to send all ES students to the same middle school. I think Abingdon families would just like to see their kids going to only two.

A simple solution like sending all kids at an elementary school to one middle school hasn’t been overlooked, it just doesn’t work across the board in Arlington.

Yup. It really can’t work even at the middle school level, if we assign two middle schools to each high school. Unless the community is willing to give up certain benefits like walkability/proximity to schools.

When Arlington Tech is complete, that would likely be that last time for APS to pursue some kind of once-in-a-generation, large scale boundary change at all school levels. But they punted on doing that after the W-L addition. So they may decide not to do it again.

It's just not that big a deal that kids aren't in the same cohort from K-12. I even think it's good to have splits and new social combinations. It mixes up the social dynamics and encourages kids to make new friends. Arlington also isn't that big a place so kids who are close can't still stay friends outside of school.

They just need to build enough school seats to allow transfers for those that are really impacted by a split — but instead of a 4th comprehensive they are gambling on AT — which will have trouble filling i guarantee. The advantage of HB is that’s is small, AT neither has the the TJHS rigor nor the intimacy and personal touch of HBW. Heck, it doesn’t even have its own campus! Getting to 1600 will take a long time, and the other schools will be way over capacity.

Only hope is the global demographic cliff of no more babies; that is what they are counting on I suspect.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why do the break up the kids from Middle school going to high school? Elementary kids in one school should all funnel to the same middle school and then should all funnel from middle to high school together. There are 6 middle schools and 2 middle schools should fully funnel to each of the 3 high schools, correct?

Unless you've looked at the Abingdon zone and fixed it, no other zone gets as jerked around in each transition.

Ashlawn parents would like a word

Is Ashlawn split into 3 middle schools?

DP, and wholeheartedly agree that the Abingdon feeder pattern to middle schools (and even to high schools) is the worst in APS. Abingdon goes to three middle schools. Abingdon-Kenmore and Abingdon-TJ are both particularly problematic, as Abingdon-Kenmore splits to two high schools, and I think Abingdon-TJ also splits to two. So, there are significant disruptions in the ES-MS transition, and again in the MS-HS transition.

If there is a more disruptive pattern in APS, I don't know about it. It's a great idea that PP had to send all ES students to the same middle school. I think Abingdon families would just like to see their kids going to only two.

A simple solution like sending all kids at an elementary school to one middle school hasn’t been overlooked, it just doesn’t work across the board in Arlington.

Yup. It really can’t work even at the middle school level, if we assign two middle schools to each high school. Unless the community is willing to give up certain benefits like walkability/proximity to schools.

When Arlington Tech is complete, that would likely be that last time for APS to pursue some kind of once-in-a-generation, large scale boundary change at all school levels. But they punted on doing that after the W-L addition. So they may decide not to do it again.

It's just not that big a deal that kids aren't in the same cohort from K-12. I even think it's good to have splits and new social combinations. It mixes up the social dynamics and encourages kids to make new friends. Arlington also isn't that big a place so kids who are close can't still stay friends outside of school.

They just need to build enough school seats to allow transfers for those that are really impacted by a split — but instead of a 4th comprehensive they are gambling on AT — which will have trouble filling i guarantee. The advantage of HB is that’s is small, AT neither has the the TJHS rigor nor the intimacy and personal touch of HBW. Heck, it doesn’t even have its own campus! Getting to 1600 will take a long time, and the other schools will be way over capacity.

Only hope is the global demographic cliff of no more babies; that is what they are counting on I suspect.

Arlington Tech will be part of the new and gleaming Grace Hopper Center. Arguably the biggest part of it, along with the students bused in for technical class electives from other APS schools and the City of Falls Church schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why do the break up the kids from Middle school going to high school? Elementary kids in one school should all funnel to the same middle school and then should all funnel from middle to high school together. There are 6 middle schools and 2 middle schools should fully funnel to each of the 3 high schools, correct?

Unless you've looked at the Abingdon zone and fixed it, no other zone gets as jerked around in each transition.

Ashlawn parents would like a word

Is Ashlawn split into 3 middle schools?

DP, and wholeheartedly agree that the Abingdon feeder pattern to middle schools (and even to high schools) is the worst in APS. Abingdon goes to three middle schools. Abingdon-Kenmore and Abingdon-TJ are both particularly problematic, as Abingdon-Kenmore splits to two high schools, and I think Abingdon-TJ also splits to two. So, there are significant disruptions in the ES-MS transition, and again in the MS-HS transition.

If there is a more disruptive pattern in APS, I don't know about it. It's a great idea that PP had to send all ES students to the same middle school. I think Abingdon families would just like to see their kids going to only two.

A simple solution like sending all kids at an elementary school to one middle school hasn’t been overlooked, it just doesn’t work across the board in Arlington.

Yup. It really can’t work even at the middle school level, if we assign two middle schools to each high school. Unless the community is willing to give up certain benefits like walkability/proximity to schools.

When Arlington Tech is complete, that would likely be that last time for APS to pursue some kind of once-in-a-generation, large scale boundary change at all school levels. But they punted on doing that after the W-L addition. So they may decide not to do it again.

It's just not that big a deal that kids aren't in the same cohort from K-12. I even think it's good to have splits and new social combinations. It mixes up the social dynamics and encourages kids to make new friends. Arlington also isn't that big a place so kids who are close can't still stay friends outside of school.

They just need to build enough school seats to allow transfers for those that are really impacted by a split — but instead of a 4th comprehensive they are gambling on AT — which will have trouble filling i guarantee. The advantage of HB is that’s is small, AT neither has the the TJHS rigor nor the intimacy and personal touch of HBW. Heck, it doesn’t even have its own campus! Getting to 1600 will take a long time, and the other schools will be way over capacity.

Only hope is the global demographic cliff of no more babies; that is what they are counting on I suspect.

Arlington Tech will be part of the new and gleaming Grace Hopper Center. Arguably the biggest part of it, along with the students bused in for technical class electives from other APS schools and the City of Falls Church schools.

Maybe but the 100-200 career center students take a lot of space by nature of their courses.

And it’s still a large high school 4x the size of HBW

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why do the break up the kids from Middle school going to high school? Elementary kids in one school should all funnel to the same middle school and then should all funnel from middle to high school together. There are 6 middle schools and 2 middle schools should fully funnel to each of the 3 high schools, correct?

Unless you've looked at the Abingdon zone and fixed it, no other zone gets as jerked around in each transition.

Ashlawn parents would like a word

Is Ashlawn split into 3 middle schools?

DP, and wholeheartedly agree that the Abingdon feeder pattern to middle schools (and even to high schools) is the worst in APS. Abingdon goes to three middle schools. Abingdon-Kenmore and Abingdon-TJ are both particularly problematic, as Abingdon-Kenmore splits to two high schools, and I think Abingdon-TJ also splits to two. So, there are significant disruptions in the ES-MS transition, and again in the MS-HS transition.

If there is a more disruptive pattern in APS, I don't know about it. It's a great idea that PP had to send all ES students to the same middle school. I think Abingdon families would just like to see their kids going to only two.

A simple solution like sending all kids at an elementary school to one middle school hasn’t been overlooked, it just doesn’t work across the board in Arlington.

Yup. It really can’t work even at the middle school level, if we assign two middle schools to each high school. Unless the community is willing to give up certain benefits like walkability/proximity to schools.

When Arlington Tech is complete, that would likely be that last time for APS to pursue some kind of once-in-a-generation, large scale boundary change at all school levels. But they punted on doing that after the W-L addition. So they may decide not to do it again.

Maybe APS can put all of the elementary option school students in one location, like Kenmore, plus the middle school immersion and middle school Montessori. Then they could more easily keep other elem groups together for middle school. So if you opted into lottery for elementary, you get shunted over to there. Or even just the kids from the elems that have the highest rate of transfers. That would include Abingdon, but it would keep more of them together.