APS DHMS walk zone nuclear option

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I haven't read the whole thing.

The obvious solution is the one proposed in 2015 - put Dorothy Hamm MS at Rosslyn and move HBW back to their old home on Vacation Lane. Then kids who live near Vacation Lane can be bused to Williamsburg like they were in the good old days, or they can be be bused to the fancy new building in Rosslyn.

They built out the Heights specifically for the Shriver program and now you just want to undo that? No. That's entirely inequitable.

Signed,

parent of a student with a disability

Shriver Program is independent of the HB program and can stay. It does NOT have to be forever associated with HBW. That was used as an excuse for HB to keep the program and building small. [/quote

Well maybe Shriver HS students don't want to be in a middle school and want things to stay as is.

But it's not like the rest of you care about the disabled kids in Shriver.

My kid was at HBW back in the day when the DR folk set their sights on HB's building. I sat through many meetings alongside the parents of the Stratford program students. The Stratford parents were adamant that they wanted to stay on Vacation Lane and they did not want their kids in Rosslyn under any circumstances. Eight years on with Shriver, you have a different view, and oppose what the Stratford parents fought to keep. I guess people just get used to what they know.

You make it sound like some kind of coup.

The county announced they would build a new middle school, and said it would 1100 student warehouse in Rosslyn — meanwhile the largest plot of land for ANY middle school site was at Stratford for 700 seats. Those were the circumstances that drove DR to “sight” on that particular APS building and plot.

Look at you justifying kicking two programs out of their building and now you don't like result and want to undo it and want the place you rejected. Just no. We're done with you.

I hope the school board stays strong.

I had to laugh at a keep Dorothy Hamm walkable sign that I saw in someone's front lawn. That house was in the bus eligible zone for DH and an equal distance from DHMS and WMS.

Because Taylor wants to stay together dum dum. And, there is no one in DHMS' walk zone that is "equal distance from DHMS and WMS." No one.

Try N.26th St. Practically in the middle.

Nope. 1) It is not equidistant. 2). Kids would have to cross Old Domonion and Williamsburg to walk the 2.2 miles to Williamsburg. 3) as the crow flies, thru Zachary Taylor, which most kids do, it’s way shorter.

And the Taylor families who they are moving often preferred to Taylor to the JES situation and like being at DHMS. And their kids all want to stay together. And they like that their children walk. Finally, APS stupidly gave them this option like three years ago and are now trying to change it. It’s not rocket science why the families are going to fight it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Oh look. We should have done a Rosslyn MS after all.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Oh look. We should have done a Rosslyn MS after all.

+1

Just like APS wanted, too. But, no, APS doesn't know what it's doing and only pushes stupid, unreasonable, unjustifiable solutions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Oh look. We should have done a Rosslyn MS after all.

+1

+1

Shouldn’t have caved to Taylor parents.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I haven't read the whole thing.

The obvious solution is the one proposed in 2015 - put Dorothy Hamm MS at Rosslyn and move HBW back to their old home on Vacation Lane. Then kids who live near Vacation Lane can be bused to Williamsburg like they were in the good old days, or they can be be bused to the fancy new building in Rosslyn.

They built out the Heights specifically for the Shriver program and now you just want to undo that? No. That's entirely inequitable.

Signed,

parent of a student with a disability

Shriver Program is independent of the HB program and can stay. It does NOT have to be forever associated with HBW. That was used as an excuse for HB to keep the program and building small. [/quote

Well maybe Shriver HS students don't want to be in a middle school and want things to stay as is.

But it's not like the rest of you care about the disabled kids in Shriver.

My kid was at HBW back in the day when the DR folk set their sights on HB's building. I sat through many meetings alongside the parents of the Stratford program students. The Stratford parents were adamant that they wanted to stay on Vacation Lane and they did not want their kids in Rosslyn under any circumstances. Eight years on with Shriver, you have a different view, and oppose what the Stratford parents fought to keep. I guess people just get used to what they know.

You make it sound like some kind of coup.

The county announced they would build a new middle school, and said it would 1100 student warehouse in Rosslyn — meanwhile the largest plot of land for ANY middle school site was at Stratford for 700 seats. Those were the circumstances that drove DR to “sight” on that particular APS building and plot.

Look at you justifying kicking two programs out of their building and now you don't like result and want to undo it and want the place you rejected. Just no. We're done with you.

I hope the school board stays strong.

I had to laugh at a keep Dorothy Hamm walkable sign that I saw in someone's front lawn. That house was in the bus eligible zone for DH and an equal distance from DHMS and WMS.

Because Taylor wants to stay together dum dum. And, there is no one in DHMS' walk zone that is "equal distance from DHMS and WMS." No one.

Try N.26th St. Practically in the middle.

Nope. 1) It is not equidistant. 2). Kids would have to cross Old Domonion and Williamsburg to walk the 2.2 miles to Williamsburg. 3) as the crow flies, thru Zachary Taylor, which most kids do, it’s way shorter.

And the Taylor families who they are moving often preferred to Taylor to the JES situation and like being at DHMS. And their kids all want to stay together. And they like that their children walk. Finally, APS stupidly gave them this option like three years ago and are now trying to change it. It’s not rocket science why the families are going to fight it.

Are you a student?

I don't know what the JES situation means.

The Taylor kids aren't going to stay together forever - aren't they split between Yorktown and Washington Liberty for high school? Wasn't the decision about Hamm made in 2014/2015, not "like" three years ago. I recall that because I attended many meetings at the time.

If the Yorktown bound ones go to Williamsburg, they'll have the advantage of knowing more people when they get to high school.

I went to a high school where only 4 kids from my prior school were in my grade. I sat with one of them on my first day of high school, and had new friends after that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I haven't read the whole thing.

The obvious solution is the one proposed in 2015 - put Dorothy Hamm MS at Rosslyn and move HBW back to their old home on Vacation Lane. Then kids who live near Vacation Lane can be bused to Williamsburg like they were in the good old days, or they can be be bused to the fancy new building in Rosslyn.

They built out the Heights specifically for the Shriver program and now you just want to undo that? No. That's entirely inequitable.

Signed,

parent of a student with a disability

Shriver Program is independent of the HB program and can stay. It does NOT have to be forever associated with HBW. That was used as an excuse for HB to keep the program and building small. [/quote

Well maybe Shriver HS students don't want to be in a middle school and want things to stay as is.

But it's not like the rest of you care about the disabled kids in Shriver.

My kid was at HBW back in the day when the DR folk set their sights on HB's building. I sat through many meetings alongside the parents of the Stratford program students. The Stratford parents were adamant that they wanted to stay on Vacation Lane and they did not want their kids in Rosslyn under any circumstances. Eight years on with Shriver, you have a different view, and oppose what the Stratford parents fought to keep. I guess people just get used to what they know.

You make it sound like some kind of coup.

The county announced they would build a new middle school, and said it would 1100 student warehouse in Rosslyn — meanwhile the largest plot of land for ANY middle school site was at Stratford for 700 seats. Those were the circumstances that drove DR to “sight” on that particular APS building and plot.

Look at you justifying kicking two programs out of their building and now you don't like result and want to undo it and want the place you rejected. Just no. We're done with you.

I hope the school board stays strong.

I had to laugh at a keep Dorothy Hamm walkable sign that I saw in someone's front lawn. That house was in the bus eligible zone for DH and an equal distance from DHMS and WMS.

Because Taylor wants to stay together dum dum. And, there is no one in DHMS' walk zone that is "equal distance from DHMS and WMS." No one.

Try N.26th St. Practically in the middle.

Nope. 1) It is not equidistant. 2). Kids would have to cross Old Domonion and Williamsburg to walk the 2.2 miles to Williamsburg. 3) as the crow flies, thru Zachary Taylor, which most kids do, it’s way shorter.

And the Taylor families who they are moving often preferred to Taylor to the JES situation and like being at DHMS. And their kids all want to stay together. And they like that their children walk. Finally, APS stupidly gave them this option like three years ago and are now trying to change it. It’s not rocket science why the families are going to fight it.

Are you a student?

I don't know what the JES situation means.

The Taylor kids aren't going to stay together forever - aren't they split between Yorktown and Washington Liberty for high school? Wasn't the decision about Hamm made in 2014/2015, not "like" three years ago. I recall that because I attended many meetings at the time.

If the Yorktown bound ones go to Williamsburg, they'll have the advantage of knowing more people when they get to high school.

I went to a high school where only 4 kids from my prior school were in my grade. I sat with one of them on my first day of high school, and had new friends after that.

Yep. 3rd grader. Jamestown Elementary School. And, like everywhere, it’s got its pluses and minuses. Some people are turned off by it. Not all, for sure, and it’s a wonderful environment for most I suspect. But it’s got some baggage being the whitest ES in Arlington plus a community which stays together through high school plus the whole country club thing many have going on.

I am sure you and your one friend had a nice first day, but I don’t care. Keeping your ES cohorts together for as long as possible has many benefits, which is why the Ashlawn families and the Taylor families …. And every other ES cohort fights to stay together … and why APS has an explicit preference for doing so.

Clearly it’s not the end all and be all or every ES would get the Jamestown treatment. It’s one factor. And it’s one reason Taylor parents are likely to fight this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I haven't read the whole thing.

The obvious solution is the one proposed in 2015 - put Dorothy Hamm MS at Rosslyn and move HBW back to their old home on Vacation Lane. Then kids who live near Vacation Lane can be bused to Williamsburg like they were in the good old days, or they can be be bused to the fancy new building in Rosslyn.

They built out the Heights specifically for the Shriver program and now you just want to undo that? No. That's entirely inequitable.

Signed,

parent of a student with a disability

Shriver Program is independent of the HB program and can stay. It does NOT have to be forever associated with HBW. That was used as an excuse for HB to keep the program and building small.

Well maybe Shriver HS students don't want to be in a middle school and want things to stay as is.

But it's not like the rest of you care about the disabled kids in Shriver.

My kid was at HBW back in the day when the DR folk set their sights on HB's building. I sat through many meetings alongside the parents of the Stratford program students. The Stratford parents were adamant that they wanted to stay on Vacation Lane and they did not want their kids in Rosslyn under any circumstances. Eight years on with Shriver, you have a different view, and oppose what the Stratford parents fought to keep. I guess people just get used to what they know.

You make it sound like some kind of coup.

The county announced they would build a new middle school, and said it would 1100 student warehouse in Rosslyn — meanwhile the largest plot of land for ANY middle school site was at Stratford for 700 seats. Those were the circumstances that drove DR to “sight” on that particular APS building and plot.

Look at you justifying kicking two programs out of their building and now you don't like result and want to undo it and want the place you rejected. Just no. We're done with you.

I hope the school board stays strong.

I had to laugh at a keep Dorothy Hamm walkable sign that I saw in someone's front lawn. That house was in the bus eligible zone for DH and an equal distance from DHMS and WMS.

Parents can and should advocate for what they think is best in the school system. We are a Discovery family but I haven’t noticed any obnoxious behavior from Taylor parents. The signs are respectful enough. This isn’t a Nottingham situation where the screeching was immediate and aggressive.

So Nottingham isn't allowed to campaign to keep their school from CLOSING but Taylor is perfectly justified to lobby against a small boundary change? Nice.

PS - the signs are a nice touch Taylor!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I haven't read the whole thing.

The obvious solution is the one proposed in 2015 - put Dorothy Hamm MS at Rosslyn and move HBW back to their old home on Vacation Lane. Then kids who live near Vacation Lane can be bused to Williamsburg like they were in the good old days, or they can be be bused to the fancy new building in Rosslyn.

They built out the Heights specifically for the Shriver program and now you just want to undo that? No. That's entirely inequitable.

Signed,

parent of a student with a disability

Shriver Program is independent of the HB program and can stay. It does NOT have to be forever associated with HBW. That was used as an excuse for HB to keep the program and building small.

Well maybe Shriver HS students don't want to be in a middle school and want things to stay as is.

But it's not like the rest of you care about the disabled kids in Shriver.

My kid was at HBW back in the day when the DR folk set their sights on HB's building. I sat through many meetings alongside the parents of the Stratford program students. The Stratford parents were adamant that they wanted to stay on Vacation Lane and they did not want their kids in Rosslyn under any circumstances. Eight years on with Shriver, you have a different view, and oppose what the Stratford parents fought to keep. I guess people just get used to what they know.

You make it sound like some kind of coup.

The county announced they would build a new middle school, and said it would 1100 student warehouse in Rosslyn — meanwhile the largest plot of land for ANY middle school site was at Stratford for 700 seats. Those were the circumstances that drove DR to “sight” on that particular APS building and plot.

Look at you justifying kicking two programs out of their building and now you don't like result and want to undo it and want the place you rejected. Just no. We're done with you.

I hope the school board stays strong.

I had to laugh at a keep Dorothy Hamm walkable sign that I saw in someone's front lawn. That house was in the bus eligible zone for DH and an equal distance from DHMS and WMS.

Parents can and should advocate for what they think is best in the school system. We are a Discovery family but I haven’t noticed any obnoxious behavior from Taylor parents. The signs are respectful enough. This isn’t a Nottingham situation where the screeching was immediate and aggressive.

So Nottingham isn't allowed to campaign to keep their school from CLOSING but Taylor is perfectly justified to lobby against a small boundary change? Nice.

PS - the signs are a nice touch Taylor!

Taylor parent here. Fully support you NES! 100% agree that anyone whose school is being closed should be allowed to lobby without being called names.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I haven't read the whole thing.

The obvious solution is the one proposed in 2015 - put Dorothy Hamm MS at Rosslyn and move HBW back to their old home on Vacation Lane. Then kids who live near Vacation Lane can be bused to Williamsburg like they were in the good old days, or they can be be bused to the fancy new building in Rosslyn.

They built out the Heights specifically for the Shriver program and now you just want to undo that? No. That's entirely inequitable.

Signed,

parent of a student with a disability

Shriver Program is independent of the HB program and can stay. It does NOT have to be forever associated with HBW. That was used as an excuse for HB to keep the program and building small. [/quote

Well maybe Shriver HS students don't want to be in a middle school and want things to stay as is.

But it's not like the rest of you care about the disabled kids in Shriver.

My kid was at HBW back in the day when the DR folk set their sights on HB's building. I sat through many meetings alongside the parents of the Stratford program students. The Stratford parents were adamant that they wanted to stay on Vacation Lane and they did not want their kids in Rosslyn under any circumstances. Eight years on with Shriver, you have a different view, and oppose what the Stratford parents fought to keep. I guess people just get used to what they know.

You make it sound like some kind of coup.

The county announced they would build a new middle school, and said it would 1100 student warehouse in Rosslyn — meanwhile the largest plot of land for ANY middle school site was at Stratford for 700 seats. Those were the circumstances that drove DR to “sight” on that particular APS building and plot.

Look at you justifying kicking two programs out of their building and now you don't like result and want to undo it and want the place you rejected. Just no. We're done with you.

I hope the school board stays strong.

I had to laugh at a keep Dorothy Hamm walkable sign that I saw in someone's front lawn. That house was in the bus eligible zone for DH and an equal distance from DHMS and WMS.

Because Taylor wants to stay together dum dum. And, there is no one in DHMS' walk zone that is "equal distance from DHMS and WMS." No one.

Try N.26th St. Practically in the middle.

I just looked at the farthest west part of n 26th St in the Taylor/Hamm zone. Driving, it’s 1.2 miles to Hamm. It’s 2.0 miles to Williamsburg.

But that’s the very closest houses to Williamsburg. 2 miles away. The farthest houses? The ones just north of Rosslyn that are the eastern leg of Taylor/Hamm? Those kids are 5 miles from Williamsburg. Are they walkable to Hamm? Of course not. But that would be the longest bus ride in all of APS for a neighborhood middle school. By far. I can’t find a current middle school bus ride that is over 3 miles long.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I haven't read the whole thing.

The obvious solution is the one proposed in 2015 - put Dorothy Hamm MS at Rosslyn and move HBW back to their old home on Vacation Lane. Then kids who live near Vacation Lane can be bused to Williamsburg like they were in the good old days, or they can be be bused to the fancy new building in Rosslyn.

Not so obvious. After building/renovations, neither school building is appropriate for the population of the other.

+1

The other poster has no idea what they are talking about. That ship sailed when they designed each building for each program. DH peeps will just have to suck it up and be bused oh what 1.5 miles to WMS.

Donaldson Run families several years ago: Don't send our snowflakes to Rosslyn. Make HB and Stratford programs take that yucky urban plot in Rosslyn.

DR families now: You mean there were downsides to us getting exactly what we asked for? Oh wait...

The rest of Arlington: You made your bed, lie in it

I didn't even live in DR when the decisions for Hamm were being made. I have no idea what happened in that process. My oldest was a toddler then, I'm guessing. She will now be impacted by this rezoning. The people you are yelling at? They're no longer here. You can't hurt them. But thanks for being so bitter towards those of us who played no role in that.

The issue is the Taylor PTA over the years has a history of being demanding - demanding they should be given HBW's building on Vacation Lane, demanding their kids shouldn't be put on a bus, demanding this that and the other. Long timers just roll our eyes when we hear about the Taylor PTA again.

Oh here we go with the APS staff. Go back to trolling the Nottingham PTA on that thread. Soo old. We know, you hate the N Arlington PTA moms.

I’m definitely not APS staff and I agree with the PP. Some parent groups are worse than others.

So right now it’s Taylor and Nottingham though right? Those are the bad ones. The ones that are impacted this crazy round. Tell me about the PTAs in North Arlington you are think behaved so well during their impacted round?

To be honest, I was surprised that the whole Key School to ATS to McKinley to Cardinal plan worked. That was crazier and far more complex than the proposal to put a percentage of Hamm kids on a bus to go to Williamsburg MS, just like their older neighbors did a decade ago. Fairfax parents don't seem to squawk as much about rezoning.

Wow. How quickly you all forget McKinley mom.

[Anonymous]

Or… we could just put immersion at Williamsburg. They’re going to follow the program no matter what they say about long bus rides.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Oh look. We should have done a Rosslyn MS after all.

+1

Why do people keep talking about a Rosslyn middle school? How would have helped this situation? Truly don’t understand the point.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Oh look. We should have done a Rosslyn MS after all.

+1

Why do people keep talking about a Rosslyn middle school? How would have helped this situation? Truly don’t understand the point.

Not sure because the kids who live near Hamm would have been bused there, so I am not sure how that would have been better for them than busing to WMS. Some ppl just like to complain. And also they don't get it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Oh look. We should have done a Rosslyn MS after all.

+1

Why do people keep talking about a Rosslyn middle school? How would have helped this situation? Truly don’t understand the point.

Not sure because the kids who live near Hamm would have been bused there, so I am not sure how that would have been better for them than busing to WMS. Some ppl just like to complain. And also they don't get it.

The PP who say we should have built at Rosslyn are NOT current Hamm/Taylor parents, that was clear from other parts of the post.

I just don’t see why anyone is lamenting that option, unless they mean abolish HBW so that middle schools would have more capacity (1100 sear Hamm, 1100 seat Heights), but no Taylor/Hamm parent would consider that? So really confused who is advocating for Rosslyn?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Oh look. We should have done a Rosslyn MS after all.

+1

Why do people keep talking about a Rosslyn middle school? How would have helped this situation? Truly don’t understand the point.

Not sure because the kids who live near Hamm would have been bused there, so I am not sure how that would have been better for them than busing to WMS. Some ppl just like to complain. And also they don't get it.

The PP who say we should have built at Rosslyn are NOT current Hamm/Taylor parents, that was clear from other parts of the post.

I just don’t see why anyone is lamenting that option, unless they mean abolish HBW so that middle schools would have more capacity (1100 sear Hamm, 1100 seat Heights), but no Taylor/Hamm parent would consider that? So really confused who is advocating for Rosslyn?

One take away I have from the Rosslyn point is that APS staff planners are really terrible. How could they locate a “neighborhood” MS so far away from the needed seats? That is, they justified spending millions on building DHMS as a neighborhood school and just in a heartbeat APS is now saying, woops, we don’t need those seats there.

Same argument re: Cardinal/closing Nottingham.

Bottom line for me is they are wholly incompetent and so parents should fight for what they want. This is not a do what’s best for the system when it’s comes to your own children/family. And that’s Ok.