Arlington Zoning Changes Likely

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Huh? ASFS isn't that highly sought-after. No more than any of the other North Arlington schools.

ASFS is perfectly fine, but it's just a STEM school. There's not particularly unique or special about it, and it's not like people are clamoring to get in.

ASFS may not actually BE better than other Arlington (or NArl) schools, but you wouldn't know it to hear a lot of parents talk. There is clamoring. Justifiable clamoring? No. But it's there.

PS And there aren't degrees of uniqueness.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Huh? ASFS isn't that highly sought-after. No more than any of the other North Arlington schools.

ASFS is perfectly fine, but it's just a STEM school. There's not particularly unique or special about it, and it's not like people are clamoring to get in.

ASFS may not actually BE better than other Arlington (or NArl) schools, but you wouldn't know it to hear a lot of parents talk. There is clamoring. Justifiable clamoring? No. But it's there.

PS And there aren't degrees of uniqueness.

There is a fanaticism about that school. Families often move from western Lyon Village zoned to Taylor to the eastern part (on the other side of Highland St.) zoned to ASF/Key.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Did anyone attend the Wednesday session?

there're about 10, 15 parents when it started...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Huh? ASFS isn't that highly sought-after. No more than any of the other North Arlington schools.

ASFS is perfectly fine, but it's just a STEM school. There's not particularly unique or special about it, and it's not like people are clamoring to get in.

ASFS may not actually BE better than other Arlington (or NArl) schools, but you wouldn't know it to hear a lot of parents talk. There is clamoring. Justifiable clamoring? No. But it's there.

PS And there aren't degrees of uniqueness.

There is a fanaticism about that school. Families often move from western Lyon Village zoned to Taylor to the eastern part (on the other side of Highland St.) zoned to ASF/Key.

Just as rampant are these urban myths. I live in LV and do not know anyone that moved from Taylor to ASFS/Key zone. They may have moved because they outgrew their house, etc.-but I don't know of a single family that moved due to the school assignments. I think everyone is in agreement that both Taylor and ASFS are comparable and excellent schools. I would have been very happy at either!!

[Anonymous]

I don't know of any families that moved because they wanted to switch from Taylor to ASFS, but I know people who picked their houses because it would put them in Taylor/Key, and they were very specific that they didn't want a North Arlington school or Key. They wanted ASFS. And I know people at other North Arlington schools who are hacked off that they can't get into ASFS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't know of any families that moved because they wanted to switch from Taylor to ASFS, but I know people who picked their houses because it would put them in Taylor/Key, and they were very specific that they didn't want a North Arlington school or Key. They wanted ASFS. And I know people at other North Arlington schools who are hacked off that they can't get into ASFS.

I think you meant to say families moved to the neighborhood because of ASFS and they didn't want the other N Arlington options.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't know of any families that moved because they wanted to switch from Taylor to ASFS, but I know people who picked their houses because it would put them in Taylor/Key, and they were very specific that they didn't want a North Arlington school or Key. They wanted ASFS. And I know people at other North Arlington schools who are hacked off that they can't get into ASFS.

I think you meant to say families moved to the neighborhood because of ASFS and they didn't want the other N Arlington options.

Yeah. I did.

[Anonymous]

Are there folks out there who care if their kids go to Nottingham (or Jamestown or Tuckahoe) vs. the new school at Williamsburg? We're equidistant between the two and my daughter won't start kindergarten until 2014 so we may be affected. I might be in the minority, but I don't really care that much. We're perfectly happy with the idea of Nottingham, but I also think it might be fun to be in a totally new school. I assume that the Arlington school system is good, so a new school will be good.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are there folks out there who care if their kids go to Nottingham (or Jamestown or Tuckahoe) vs. the new school at Williamsburg? We're equidistant between the two and my daughter won't start kindergarten until 2014 so we may be affected. I might be in the minority, but I don't really care that much. We're perfectly happy with the idea of Nottingham, but I also think it might be fun to be in a totally new school. I assume that the Arlington school system is good, so a new school will be good.

I think mainly parents with siblings are concerned about them being split up. I don't think anyone is concerned over quality. I have a first grader and one starting K next Fall. I want them at the same school. There was question about whether younger sibs would be grandfathered--that is the concern for many.

I also think a new school would be fantastic. Fresh, clean and sparkling. The staff will be great so I wouldn't be worried.

[Anonymous]

We will be moving soon within N. Arlington. We would gladly send our child to the new school if we end up in that area. Hate to move her from her current school, but I think the new school will be a winner.

[Anonymous]

If we live in the W-L district, what are the odds that we'll get rezoned to Wakefield? We are in the Bluemont area if that makes a difference.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If we live in the W-L district, what are the odds that we'll get rezoned to Wakefield? We are in the Bluemont area if that makes a difference.

If high school boundary rezoning happens in the future I think the So Arlington neighborhoods that go to W-L will go back to Wakefield. But we'd all just be guessing. It is useless to speculate on high school boundaries now.

And the Bluemont neighborhood is huge. Doesn't it go up to Washington Blvd. near Swanson? Most of the neighborhood is is about equidistant to Yorktown and W-L and very far from Wakefield.

[Anonymous]

Does anyone know whether there are plans to change Key from Spanish immersion to a "regular" neighborhood elementary school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone know whether there are plans to change Key from Spanish immersion to a "regular" neighborhood elementary school?

My take is the majority of the school is spanish-speaking parents/kids. I know it is billed as immersion--but the reality is it is a good fit for kids learning English as a second language. I don't think county will ever change it to regular elementary. They like offering the choices.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone know whether there are plans to change Key from Spanish immersion to a "regular" neighborhood elementary school?

My take is the majority of the school is spanish-speaking parents/kids. I know it is billed as immersion--but the reality is it is a good fit for kids learning English as a second language. I don't think county will ever change it to regular elementary. They like offering the choices.

I can't imagine them doing away with the Key immersion program. I thin it was one of the earliest elementary immersion programs and has been very successful and sought-after by parents from both English and Spanish speaking background. I suppose they could consider moving the program to another location but I don't think they would ever eliminate it. I haven't heard any talk about this idea.