APS Sinking Ship

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:While it is troublesome that all of these changes are happening at Syphax, what makes the schools work are the leadership teams within the buildings. I am happy with the teams in my kids schools, and I don't think this will have that big of an impact.

Sure it will, but your kid might make it out in time. Stay as long as works, and when/if it stops working, sell your house to another sucker.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:While it is troublesome that all of these changes are happening at Syphax, what makes the schools work are the leadership teams within the buildings. I am happy with the teams in my kids schools, and I don't think this will have that big of an impact.

Some schools have good leadership teams. But some don't.

We do need good leadership up top. The good school teams won't be there forever and who do you think puts new teams in place? This will have an impact on everyone eventually.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Arlington will never be Alexandria ized. All Alexandria schools have high percentages of poverty. With the exception of buckingham, north Arlington will never have high or even moderate percentages of poor kids. South Arlington as a result will always be less expensive by far.

Are you joking? Look at the frl stats for south Arlington schools. Most at or above 50 percent, including Wakefield high school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Arlington will never be Alexandria ized. All Alexandria schools have high percentages of poverty. With the exception of buckingham, north Arlington will never have high or even moderate percentages of poor kids. South Arlington as a result will always be less expensive by far.

South Arlington sure will though. It’s always been NA‘s dumping ground.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have the same question about whether to stay in Arlington, But frankly I don't see many better options at the public level nearby. I value our quality of life (less traffic, shorter commute, most things nearby, close to DC, more time spent with family, walkable communities) too much to move to MoCo on FFX. We can't afford private, so we are just going to have to stick it out. There are some positives about APS even now, but yes, the situation is getting beyond worrisome.

Falls Church City or Vienna. Arlington is a slow motion train wreck.

Yeah, but NA is fine too. What are FCC and Vienna if not NA without SA? The real problem is that NA insists on imposing their moral vision on SA instead of letting it become like NA.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:That “nearby” area of ffx is an added 30 min now. In ten years it will be 55.
It gets worse every year. You all know it.

The best advice?
Try to find work elsewhere. Ffx is great if you don’t have to commute downtown.
Or better yet leave the area entirely. Find a lower col city and be happy.

Find a lower cost city, sure. Find one with a job market that a white collar professional won’t exhaust in two job changes or 12 years? Not so easy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Arlington will never be Alexandria ized. All Alexandria schools have high percentages of poverty. With the exception of buckingham, north Arlington will never have high or even moderate percentages of poor kids. South Arlington as a result will always be less expensive by far.

Are you joking? Look at the frl stats for south Arlington schools. Most at or above 50 percent, including Wakefield high school.

I think PP means that unlike Alexandria, not all schools in Arlington are high poverty. I think, but correct me if I am wrong, but almost all Alexandria schools have high poverty. So, people live there regardless of schools because they all struggle. Arlington, in contrast, only has poor schools in the south. South Arlington will always be cheaper than North Arlington because you can live in the community and chose to avoid high poverty schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have the same question about whether to stay in Arlington, But frankly I don't see many better options at the public level nearby. I value our quality of life (less traffic, shorter commute, most things nearby, close to DC, more time spent with family, walkable communities) too much to move to MoCo on FFX. We can't afford private, so we are just going to have to stick it out. There are some positives about APS even now, but yes, the situation is getting beyond worrisome.

"Credibility builders. “To tell the truth,” “To be honest,” “Truthfully,” “In all candor,” “Honestly,” “Frankly,” “I swear on my mother’s grave,” and “I swear to God.” Whenever you hear these words or phrases, a warning bell should ring in your brain."

From https://www.amanet.org/articles/detecting-lies-in-the-workplace/

Honestly, I think that site is full of shit.

It probably cuts a bit too close to home.

In any case, both FCCPS and FCPS have better public schools than APS and are nearby. If you're prepared to accept inferior schools for a shorter commute, own it.

in this area “nearby” can add 30 minutes to your commute

It’s worth it. Arlington just doesn’t know what do about its schools. The need to cater to the whims of rich northerners combined with a faux-seeming nod to affordable housing has left them in a terrible place. And no one has any answers.

We both work downtown so adding 30 minutes into really adding two hours a day to our families commuting to do. That is a high cost. And we can’t afford Falls Church city, Nour Mikkilineni. Yanna looks nice but that is a ridiculous commute for us. I guess we could move to Howard County or something and have one of us quit.

Huh?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have the same question about whether to stay in Arlington, But frankly I don't see many better options at the public level nearby. I value our quality of life (less traffic, shorter commute, most things nearby, close to DC, more time spent with family, walkable communities) too much to move to MoCo on FFX. We can't afford private, so we are just going to have to stick it out. There are some positives about APS even now, but yes, the situation is getting beyond worrisome.

"Credibility builders. “To tell the truth,” “To be honest,” “Truthfully,” “In all candor,” “Honestly,” “Frankly,” “I swear on my mother’s grave,” and “I swear to God.” Whenever you hear these words or phrases, a warning bell should ring in your brain."

From https://www.amanet.org/articles/detecting-lies-in-the-workplace/

Honestly, I think that site is full of shit.

It probably cuts a bit too close to home.

In any case, both FCCPS and FCPS have better public schools than APS and are nearby. If you're prepared to accept inferior schools for a shorter commute, own it.

in this area “nearby” can add 30 minutes to your commute

It’s worth it. Arlington just doesn’t know what do about its schools. The need to cater to the whims of rich northerners combined with a faux-seeming nod to affordable housing has left them in a terrible place. And no one has any answers.

We both work downtown so adding 30 minutes into really adding two hours a day to our families commuting to do. That is a high cost. And we can’t afford Falls Church city, Nour Mikkilineni. Yanna looks nice but that is a ridiculous commute for us. I guess we could move to Howard County or something and have one of us quit.

Huh?

, nor McLean. Vienna looks nice...

Siri was distracted by the beautiful day

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Arlington will never be Alexandria ized. All Alexandria schools have high percentages of poverty. With the exception of buckingham, north Arlington will never have high or even moderate percentages of poor kids. South Arlington as a result will always be less expensive by far.

Are you joking? Look at the frl stats for south Arlington schools. Most at or above 50 percent, including Wakefield high school.

I think PP means that unlike Alexandria, not all schools in Arlington are high poverty. I think, but correct me if I am wrong, but almost all Alexandria schools have high poverty. So, people live there regardless of schools because they all struggle. Arlington, in contrast, only has poor schools in the south. South Arlington will always be cheaper than North Arlington because you can live in the community and chose to avoid high poverty schools.

And my point was that people live in SA and pay 800k for small houses there despite the schools. The fact that we’re talking past each other only demonstrates the huge difference between North and South. Every year CB and APAH adds hundreds more high poverty families to the system, via units that will supply such students in perpetuity. That means the FRL rates can only ever go up—unless you think somehow several 40 story market rate condos are built that a middle class family would actually choose to live in. The disparity between north and south is getting worse, not better, and school statistics show it. Just wait for the boundary discussion of a 4th high school. It will make everything up to now pale in comparison, but will maybe finally cause a public discussion about the how much subsidized housing SA really needs or should have.

[Anonymous]

^ and by then it will be too late.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Arlington will never be Alexandria ized. All Alexandria schools have high percentages of poverty. With the exception of buckingham, north Arlington will never have high or even moderate percentages of poor kids. South Arlington as a result will always be less expensive by far.

Are you joking? Look at the frl stats for south Arlington schools. Most at or above 50 percent, including Wakefield high school.

I think PP means that unlike Alexandria, not all schools in Arlington are high poverty. I think, but correct me if I am wrong, but almost all Alexandria schools have high poverty. So, people live there regardless of schools because they all struggle. Arlington, in contrast, only has poor schools in the south. South Arlington will always be cheaper than North Arlington because you can live in the community and chose to avoid high poverty schools.

And my point was that people live in SA and pay 800k for small houses there despite the schools. The fact that we’re talking past each other only demonstrates the huge difference between North and South. Every year CB and APAH adds hundreds more high poverty families to the system, via units that will supply such students in perpetuity. That means the FRL rates can only ever go up—unless you think somehow several 40 story market rate condos are built that a middle class family would actually choose to live in. The disparity between north and south is getting worse, not better, and school statistics show it. Just wait for the boundary discussion of a 4th high school. It will make everything up to now pale in comparison, but will maybe finally cause a public discussion about the how much subsidized housing SA really needs or should have.

FRL rates in APS have been declining for years.

[Anonymous]

^ fake news
The rates are largely the same as they were in the 90’s. About a 1/3 of the students are poor.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Arlington will never be Alexandria ized. All Alexandria schools have high percentages of poverty. With the exception of buckingham, north Arlington will never have high or even moderate percentages of poor kids. South Arlington as a result will always be less expensive by far.

Are you joking? Look at the frl stats for south Arlington schools. Most at or above 50 percent, including Wakefield high school.

I think PP means that unlike Alexandria, not all schools in Arlington are high poverty. I think, but correct me if I am wrong, but almost all Alexandria schools have high poverty. So, people live there regardless of schools because they all struggle. Arlington, in contrast, only has poor schools in the south. South Arlington will always be cheaper than North Arlington because you can live in the community and chose to avoid high poverty schools.

And my point was that people live in SA and pay 800k for small houses there despite the schools. The fact that we’re talking past each other only demonstrates the huge difference between North and South. Every year CB and APAH adds hundreds more high poverty families to the system, via units that will supply such students in perpetuity. That means the FRL rates can only ever go up—unless you think somehow several 40 story market rate condos are built that a middle class family would actually choose to live in. The disparity between north and south is getting worse, not better, and school statistics show it. Just wait for the boundary discussion of a 4th high school. It will make everything up to now pale in comparison, but will maybe finally cause a public discussion about the how much subsidized housing SA really needs or should have.

FRL rates in APS have been declining for years.

They have been, but not across the board. Far-north schools have absolutely plummeted since 2000. Schools between Lee Highway and 50 have gone down but populations have also grown, muting the effect. South Arlington schools have been a mixed bag, with Henry and Abingdon declining by good amounts, but with others staying the same or rising. The net effect has been 1)more FRL kids in absolute numbers, and 2) heightened inequality across the system.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So how bad are things going to get? It’s clear all the rats are fleeing.

We have massive overcrowding, CB refuses to increase budget, and simply no new land to build

Further, our tale of two counties means we have $2M homes sending kids to private and more and more AH pouring high need and service students into public schools.

Our commute will suck but should we look at FCPS or MCPS. FCC is too expensive for us.

FCPS is awful. Please reconsider.

I’m considering setting up a housing swap program for affluent families in MoCo who think moving to NoVa will nab that highly coveted spot for their kid that MCPS fails to recognize as gifted enough for magnet. Would you be interested? I was thinking a two year commitment?