the Key/ASFS building switch...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm curious if anyone read the memo from Lisa Stengle to the School Board dated Aug 13th seeking the board approval for this switch and laying out the rationale, as well as answers to school board questions.
https://www.apsva.us/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/08-13-18-FLA-SB-Input-on-ESB-Proposal.pdf
https://www.apsva.us/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/08-13-18-FLA-SB-Input-on-ESB-Proposal.pdf
If found it fascinating. A few takeaways;
1. Even though there was no formal school board vote on this- it appears this is being done with their approval.
2. The number of spanish speaking walkers currently attending Key is incredibly small- there are 40 walkers to Key, of which 13 are hispanic (not necessarily spanish dominant- but hispanic.)
3. The staff is partially motivated by diversity considerations- if they draw a walkzone around ASFS, it will be almost all non-FARMS, and will have to kick out the far eastern planning units which are FARMS dominant- either busing them past Key and ASFS to Taylor or Long Branch.

You seem to have confused drawing a boundary with drawing a walk zone - a boundary includes much more than a walk zone and you absolutely have diversity to draw upon for that boundary in the Ballston and VA Sq area even though people don’t want to hear that. This was not factored in and comparative analysis was never done between the swap and actually drawing a boundary

Read the analysis in the memo op linked. They looked at the asfs walk zone, but then also at the contiguous planning units that would likely have moved from Ashlawn and Taylor. That would have included the kids from ballston/va square currently going to Ashlawn. The farms rate was 0-6% versus the far eastern parts of Rosslyn. They have numbers in there to back this up. The farms rate of asfs where it is with a logical boundary is incredibly low (I think they said 6% and does not include north of 85% of the existing student population. The farms rate of asfs and key swapping is 23% and 40% respectively and allows for everyone at the school to continue to attend.
I’m not sure why we keep having the same arguments over and over on this board. It looks like aps made a rational decision given their available constraints. We beat them up about not making smart decisions, then when they try to make one, we swarm and beat them up about it being too much change. No solution is perfect. This at least provides more neighborhood seats.

[Anonymous]

The optics are awful.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The optics are awful.

No, they’re really not.

[Anonymous]

I don’t think APS or the board was hearing complaints from anyone in the former Key/ASFS neighborhood zone about having a choice between two great schools. Apparently, board staff believed families who chose Key were making Immersion elitist because you could “buy into the zone”, but maybe they really meant white families couldn’t buy into the zone in the way that they want to, meaning they don’t want to live in one of the many apartment buildings on Rte 50. Families in the former zone chose ASFS over Key for many different reasons, some of them racist and some of them not. Unfortunately, families in the former zone have only ASFS to go to now, which is a good school, but not all families want a science based education for their children. It’s depressing, but it really shouldn’t be a surprise for anyone old enough to be a parent that the people with the money get heard, and in the former neighborhood zone the people with the money are overwhelmingly white.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I only skimmed it, but my initial reaction is that if you support the swap, I don't think there's much in there that's a surprise. If you are against the swap, I don't think there's anything in there that will convince you otherwise.

There should be for those who are listening to the Key folks who are trying to use their (small) Latino/ED families who currently walk to Key as justification for not moving. The convenience they seek is for THEM, the wealthy non-Latino families who want to be close to their current school and/or Metro. Moving Immersion to ASFS will not make it any less inaccessible for the majority of Latino/ED families who live in Arlington, because those families don't live along the Orange Line anyway. And yes, not swapping would result in yet another very wealthy, very white neighborhood school at ASFS. By swapping, they can get two somewhat diverse schools: one that is ethnically/linguistically/economically diverse by design, and one that is diverse because it pulls from a neighborhood that is itself more diverse than most of North Arlington (with the exception of Buckingham).

Blah, blah, blah. This benefits the rich Lyon Vilage people who want a walkable non immersion school. Live right, vote left.

I don’t understand. Lyon Village has been going to ASFS For years, maybe decades. I never heard anyone express any interest in the Key location until they turned ASFS into a neighborhood school, and the walk zone boundaries were going to kick out a lot of the current student body.

Some of Lyon Village was zoned Key/ASFS. They could choose. Very few chose Key. I find that strange.

Why is it strange? Not everyone wants to have to fire up google translate to simply read their kids homework? If the parents speak spanish, I'm sure it's fine, but its hard enough being a parent without adding this challenge. I feel for the parents who immigrate here without knowing the language, this would be just a taste of what they go through.

[Anonymous]

Yes, firing up Google translate is so hard. I have to rub two sticks together as fast as I can to translate elementary school “homework”. Go learn something about what dual language immersion is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes, firing up Google translate is so hard. I have to rub two sticks together as fast as I can to translate elementary school “homework”. Go learn something about what dual language immersion is.

Duel immersion is a great program for those who want to put in the effort. However, it’s an optional choice and neighborhood school needs take precedence. It will continue to be a great program at a different location.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I only skimmed it, but my initial reaction is that if you support the swap, I don't think there's much in there that's a surprise. If you are against the swap, I don't think there's anything in there that will convince you otherwise.

There should be for those who are listening to the Key folks who are trying to use their (small) Latino/ED families who currently walk to Key as justification for not moving. The convenience they seek is for THEM, the wealthy non-Latino families who want to be close to their current school and/or Metro. Moving Immersion to ASFS will not make it any less inaccessible for the majority of Latino/ED families who live in Arlington, because those families don't live along the Orange Line anyway. And yes, not swapping would result in yet another very wealthy, very white neighborhood school at ASFS. By swapping, they can get two somewhat diverse schools: one that is ethnically/linguistically/economically diverse by design, and one that is diverse because it pulls from a neighborhood that is itself more diverse than most of North Arlington (with the exception of Buckingham).

Blah, blah, blah. This benefits the rich Lyon Vilage people who want a walkable non immersion school. Live right, vote left.

I don’t understand. Lyon Village has been going to ASFS For years, maybe decades. I never heard anyone express any interest in the Key location until they turned ASFS into a neighborhood school, and the walk zone boundaries were going to kick out a lot of the current student body.

Some of Lyon Village was zoned Key/ASFS. They could choose. Very few chose Key. I find that strange.

Why is it strange? Not everyone wants to have to fire up google translate to simply read their kids homework? If the parents speak spanish, I'm sure it's fine, but its hard enough being a parent without adding this challenge. I feel for the parents who immigrate here without knowing the language, this would be just a taste of what they go through.

Call me old fashioned, but I think a real liberal living ina lily white wealthy enclave would have embraced immersion.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don’t think APS or the board was hearing complaints from anyone in the former Key/ASFS neighborhood zone about having a choice between two great schools. Apparently, board staff believed families who chose Key were making Immersion elitist because you could “buy into the zone”, but maybe they really meant white families couldn’t buy into the zone in the way that they want to, meaning they don’t want to live in one of the many apartment buildings on Rte 50. Families in the former zone chose ASFS over Key for many different reasons, some of them racist and some of them not. Unfortunately, families in the former zone have only ASFS to go to now, which is a good school, but not all families want a science based education for their children. It’s depressing, but it really shouldn’t be a surprise for anyone old enough to be a parent that the people with the money get heard, and in the former neighborhood zone the people with the money are overwhelmingly white.

That’s true. ASFS played the long game and won.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes, firing up Google translate is so hard. I have to rub two sticks together as fast as I can to translate elementary school “homework”. Go learn something about what dual language immersion is.

Look, you are not helping your cause here. I am a supporter of Immersion. In fact, had we gotten in, we likely would have sent our kid there. But it's not for everyone and it should always be a choice, not forced, and not a "right" either. Everyone should have the same chance to get in, or not. APS did the right thing by abolishing the neighborhood preferrence. And they're doing the right thing, for most, by swapping schools. If you're truly worried about making sure Hispanic ELL or ED students continue to have equitable access to Immersion, then you would support the changes to admission policies, and instead of demanding to "keep Key on Key," you would have spoken out months ago about moving Immersion closer to either Buckingham or the Western Pike. But that's not what you did, because that's not what your focus is either. Stop trying to use people to justify your selfish agenda.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, firing up Google translate is so hard. I have to rub two sticks together as fast as I can to translate elementary school “homework”. Go learn something about what dual language immersion is.

Look, you are not helping your cause here. I am a supporter of Immersion. In fact, had we gotten in, we likely would have sent our kid there. But it's not for everyone and it should always be a choice, not forced, and not a "right" either. Everyone should have the same chance to get in, or not. APS did the right thing by abolishing the neighborhood preferrence. And they're doing the right thing, for most, by swapping schools. If you're truly worried about making sure Hispanic ELL or ED students continue to have equitable access to Immersion, then you would support the changes to admission policies, and instead of demanding to "keep Key on Key," you would have spoken out months ago about moving Immersion closer to either Buckingham or the Western Pike. But that's not what you did, because that's not what your focus is either. Stop trying to use people to justify your selfish agenda.

DP. What’s your agenda, other than attacking other people’s motives, about which you know nothing?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I only skimmed it, but my initial reaction is that if you support the swap, I don't think there's much in there that's a surprise. If you are against the swap, I don't think there's anything in there that will convince you otherwise.

There should be for those who are listening to the Key folks who are trying to use their (small) Latino/ED families who currently walk to Key as justification for not moving. The convenience they seek is for THEM, the wealthy non-Latino families who want to be close to their current school and/or Metro. Moving Immersion to ASFS will not make it any less inaccessible for the majority of Latino/ED families who live in Arlington, because those families don't live along the Orange Line anyway. And yes, not swapping would result in yet another very wealthy, very white neighborhood school at ASFS. By swapping, they can get two somewhat diverse schools: one that is ethnically/linguistically/economically diverse by design, and one that is diverse because it pulls from a neighborhood that is itself more diverse than most of North Arlington (with the exception of Buckingham).

Blah, blah, blah. This benefits the rich Lyon Vilage people who want a walkable non immersion school. Live right, vote left.

I don’t understand. Lyon Village has been going to ASFS For years, maybe decades. I never heard anyone express any interest in the Key location until they turned ASFS into a neighborhood school, and the walk zone boundaries were going to kick out a lot of the current student body.

Some of Lyon Village was zoned Key/ASFS. They could choose. Very few chose Key. I find that strange.

Why is it strange? Not everyone wants to have to fire up google translate to simply read their kids homework? If the parents speak spanish, I'm sure it's fine, but its hard enough being a parent without adding this challenge. I feel for the parents who immigrate here without knowing the language, this would be just a taste of what they go through.

Call me old fashioned, but I think a real liberal living ina lily white wealthy enclave would have embraced immersion.

What do you know about “real liberals”?

[Anonymous]

It’s debateable that it will remain a good program when it will have to decrease enrollment, put more kids in trailers, and be less accessible to parents. Location and facilities still matter to parents who are choosing a school, not to APS, but to parents at least. I don’t really think it’s debatable about which location is better, which is why the wealthy parents lobbied so hard to take the Key location. I guess the prospect of putting your kid on a bus hurts, and look at all those Hispanic kids going to the nice school across from your expensive house. At least people in charge still listen to upset white women with cash.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I only skimmed it, but my initial reaction is that if you support the swap, I don't think there's much in there that's a surprise. If you are against the swap, I don't think there's anything in there that will convince you otherwise.

There should be for those who are listening to the Key folks who are trying to use their (small) Latino/ED families who currently walk to Key as justification for not moving. The convenience they seek is for THEM, the wealthy non-Latino families who want to be close to their current school and/or Metro. Moving Immersion to ASFS will not make it any less inaccessible for the majority of Latino/ED families who live in Arlington, because those families don't live along the Orange Line anyway. And yes, not swapping would result in yet another very wealthy, very white neighborhood school at ASFS. By swapping, they can get two somewhat diverse schools: one that is ethnically/linguistically/economically diverse by design, and one that is diverse because it pulls from a neighborhood that is itself more diverse than most of North Arlington (with the exception of Buckingham).

Blah, blah, blah. This benefits the rich Lyon Vilage people who want a walkable non immersion school. Live right, vote left.

I don’t understand. Lyon Village has been going to ASFS For years, maybe decades. I never heard anyone express any interest in the Key location until they turned ASFS into a neighborhood school, and the walk zone boundaries were going to kick out a lot of the current student body.

Some of Lyon Village was zoned Key/ASFS. They could choose. Very few chose Key. I find that strange.

Why is it strange? Not everyone wants to have to fire up google translate to simply read their kids homework? If the parents speak spanish, I'm sure it's fine, but its hard enough being a parent without adding this challenge. I feel for the parents who immigrate here without knowing the language, this would be just a taste of what they go through.

Call me old fashioned, but I think a real liberal living ina lily white wealthy enclave would have embraced immersion.

What do you know about “real liberals”?

I am one.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I only skimmed it, but my initial reaction is that if you support the swap, I don't think there's much in there that's a surprise. If you are against the swap, I don't think there's anything in there that will convince you otherwise.

There should be for those who are listening to the Key folks who are trying to use their (small) Latino/ED families who currently walk to Key as justification for not moving. The convenience they seek is for THEM, the wealthy non-Latino families who want to be close to their current school and/or Metro. Moving Immersion to ASFS will not make it any less inaccessible for the majority of Latino/ED families who live in Arlington, because those families don't live along the Orange Line anyway. And yes, not swapping would result in yet another very wealthy, very white neighborhood school at ASFS. By swapping, they can get two somewhat diverse schools: one that is ethnically/linguistically/economically diverse by design, and one that is diverse because it pulls from a neighborhood that is itself more diverse than most of North Arlington (with the exception of Buckingham).

Blah, blah, blah. This benefits the rich Lyon Vilage people who want a walkable non immersion school. Live right, vote left.

I don’t understand. Lyon Village has been going to ASFS For years, maybe decades. I never heard anyone express any interest in the Key location until they turned ASFS into a neighborhood school, and the walk zone boundaries were going to kick out a lot of the current student body.

Some of Lyon Village was zoned Key/ASFS. They could choose. Very few chose Key. I find that strange.

Why is it strange? Not everyone wants to have to fire up google translate to simply read their kids homework? If the parents speak spanish, I'm sure it's fine, but its hard enough being a parent without adding this challenge. I feel for the parents who immigrate here without knowing the language, this would be just a taste of what they go through.

Call me old fashioned, but I think a real liberal living ina lily white wealthy enclave would have embraced immersion.

What do you know about “real liberals”?

I am one.

Sure...

Why do you think one educational program is the best fit for all kids?