The demise of McKinley ES (APS)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How many trailers does McK have now?

I think just one, but hopefully someone else can confirm.

FWIW, I don't think APS's capacity utilization percentages are consistent building to building.

They say Nottingham is at 95% but the school has had Spanish on a cart for years and now has the entire 5th grade in trailers.

At the same time, McKinley is "over" capacity but has just one trailer. A few years ago, during the last boundary change, APS was counting a Reed preschool class as part of McKinley's capacity numbers, even though that class wasn't even in the building (and still is not). Obviously this throws things off and makes a school look more crowded than it really is.

They really need to standardize how they calculate building capacity before they dig into boundaries. Don't count classes that are not in the building. Standardize whether you expect FLES to have its own classrooms or not, same with Art on a cart.

Otherwise, we're comparing apples to oranges.

I think everyone needs to understand that trailers aren’t going away, and Spanish or Art on a cart? If your school does it now, probably will continue even after all this. They count those spaces that have been repurposed as permanent space now. So, even schools that aren’t at capacity or aren’t projected to be, might “feel” crowded because of trailers and interior renovations/reconfigurations that won’t be undone.

Yeah, but that wasn't my point. Point is that we have to count consistently school to school. Can't have one ES with dedicated FLES classrooms and others with FLES on a cart. Schools have to be using the spaces consistently in order to compare capacity utilization.

FWIW, I don't think any schools should have dedicated FLES classrooms. OTOH, I don't think Art belongs on a cart.

Do any schools have FLES classrooms now?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How many trailers does McK have now?

I think just one, but hopefully someone else can confirm.

FWIW, I don't think APS's capacity utilization percentages are consistent building to building.

They say Nottingham is at 95% but the school has had Spanish on a cart for years and now has the entire 5th grade in trailers.

At the same time, McKinley is "over" capacity but has just one trailer. A few years ago, during the last boundary change, APS was counting a Reed preschool class as part of McKinley's capacity numbers, even though that class wasn't even in the building (and still is not). Obviously this throws things off and makes a school look more crowded than it really is.

They really need to standardize how they calculate building capacity before they dig into boundaries. Don't count classes that are not in the building. Standardize whether you expect FLES to have its own classrooms or not, same with Art on a cart.

Otherwise, we're comparing apples to oranges.

I think everyone needs to understand that trailers aren’t going away, and Spanish or Art on a cart? If your school does it now, probably will continue even after all this. They count those spaces that have been repurposed as permanent space now. So, even schools that aren’t at capacity or aren’t projected to be, might “feel” crowded because of trailers and interior renovations/reconfigurations that won’t be undone.

Yeah, but that wasn't my point. Point is that we have to count consistently school to school. Can't have one ES with dedicated FLES classrooms and others with FLES on a cart. Schools have to be using the spaces consistently in order to compare capacity utilization.

FWIW, I don't think any schools should have dedicated FLES classrooms. OTOH, I don't think Art belongs on a cart.

Do any schools have FLES classrooms now?

Yes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How many trailers does McK have now?

I think just one, but hopefully someone else can confirm.

FWIW, I don't think APS's capacity utilization percentages are consistent building to building.

They say Nottingham is at 95% but the school has had Spanish on a cart for years and now has the entire 5th grade in trailers.

At the same time, McKinley is "over" capacity but has just one trailer. A few years ago, during the last boundary change, APS was counting a Reed preschool class as part of McKinley's capacity numbers, even though that class wasn't even in the building (and still is not). Obviously this throws things off and makes a school look more crowded than it really is.

They really need to standardize how they calculate building capacity before they dig into boundaries. Don't count classes that are not in the building. Standardize whether you expect FLES to have its own classrooms or not, same with Art on a cart.

Otherwise, we're comparing apples to oranges.

I think everyone needs to understand that trailers aren’t going away, and Spanish or Art on a cart? If your school does it now, probably will continue even after all this. They count those spaces that have been repurposed as permanent space now. So, even schools that aren’t at capacity or aren’t projected to be, might “feel” crowded because of trailers and interior renovations/reconfigurations that won’t be undone.

Yeah, but that wasn't my point. Point is that we have to count consistently school to school. Can't have one ES with dedicated FLES classrooms and others with FLES on a cart. Schools have to be using the spaces consistently in order to compare capacity utilization.

FWIW, I don't think any schools should have dedicated FLES classrooms. OTOH, I don't think Art belongs on a cart.

Do any schools have FLES classrooms now?

Yes.

I teach at an APS school that isn't over capacity and FLES has never had their own classroom here. They've always pushed in.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How many trailers does McK have now?

I think just one, but hopefully someone else can confirm.

FWIW, I don't think APS's capacity utilization percentages are consistent building to building.

They say Nottingham is at 95% but the school has had Spanish on a cart for years and now has the entire 5th grade in trailers.

At the same time, McKinley is "over" capacity but has just one trailer. A few years ago, during the last boundary change, APS was counting a Reed preschool class as part of McKinley's capacity numbers, even though that class wasn't even in the building (and still is not). Obviously this throws things off and makes a school look more crowded than it really is.

They really need to standardize how they calculate building capacity before they dig into boundaries. Don't count classes that are not in the building. Standardize whether you expect FLES to have its own classrooms or not, same with Art on a cart.

Otherwise, we're comparing apples to oranges.

I think everyone needs to understand that trailers aren’t going away, and Spanish or Art on a cart? If your school does it now, probably will continue even after all this. They count those spaces that have been repurposed as permanent space now. So, even schools that aren’t at capacity or aren’t projected to be, might “feel” crowded because of trailers and interior renovations/reconfigurations that won’t be undone.

Yeah, but that wasn't my point. Point is that we have to count consistently school to school. Can't have one ES with dedicated FLES classrooms and others with FLES on a cart. Schools have to be using the spaces consistently in order to compare capacity utilization.

FWIW, I don't think any schools should have dedicated FLES classrooms. OTOH, I don't think Art belongs on a cart.

Do any schools have FLES classrooms now?

Yes.

Is it common? Seems like an easy way to gain a classroom.

[Anonymous]

I read the McKinley letter, it’s pretty clear they didn’t do their math. They suggest the data would show that after Reed opens the bulk of the excess seats in Zone 1 would be located over Jamestown, Discovery, Nottingham and Tuckahoe, but if you run the numbers based on APS’s published projections, it’s clear the bulk of the excess will be over McKinley, Reed and Glebe.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How many trailers does McK have now?

I think just one, but hopefully someone else can confirm.

FWIW, I don't think APS's capacity utilization percentages are consistent building to building.

They say Nottingham is at 95% but the school has had Spanish on a cart for years and now has the entire 5th grade in trailers.

At the same time, McKinley is "over" capacity but has just one trailer. A few years ago, during the last boundary change, APS was counting a Reed preschool class as part of McKinley's capacity numbers, even though that class wasn't even in the building (and still is not). Obviously this throws things off and makes a school look more crowded than it really is.

They really need to standardize how they calculate building capacity before they dig into boundaries. Don't count classes that are not in the building. Standardize whether you expect FLES to have its own classrooms or not, same with Art on a cart.

Otherwise, we're comparing apples to oranges.

I think everyone needs to understand that trailers aren’t going away, and Spanish or Art on a cart? If your school does it now, probably will continue even after all this. They count those spaces that have been repurposed as permanent space now. So, even schools that aren’t at capacity or aren’t projected to be, might “feel” crowded because of trailers and interior renovations/reconfigurations that won’t be undone.

Yeah, but that wasn't my point. Point is that we have to count consistently school to school. Can't have one ES with dedicated FLES classrooms and others with FLES on a cart. Schools have to be using the spaces consistently in order to compare capacity utilization.

FWIW, I don't think any schools should have dedicated FLES classrooms. OTOH, I don't think Art belongs on a cart.

Do any schools have FLES classrooms now?

Yes.

Is it common? Seems like an easy way to gain a classroom.

I don’t know if it’s common, I’d imagine it depends on space. My kids have been at an over capacity school where fles didn’t have a dedicated classroom, and a school (currently) where it does have a classroom.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I read the McKinley letter, it’s pretty clear they didn’t do their math. They suggest the data would show that after Reed opens the bulk of the excess seats in Zone 1 would be located over Jamestown, Discovery, Nottingham and Tuckahoe, but if you run the numbers based on APS’s published projections, it’s clear the bulk of the excess will be over McKinley, Reed and Glebe.

Can McK bus in students from Columbia Pike? That might work.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I read the McKinley letter, it’s pretty clear they didn’t do their math. They suggest the data would show that after Reed opens the bulk of the excess seats in Zone 1 would be located over Jamestown, Discovery, Nottingham and Tuckahoe, but if you run the numbers based on APS’s published projections, it’s clear the bulk of the excess will be over McKinley, Reed and Glebe.

What McKinley Letter? Can you post?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I read the McKinley letter, it’s pretty clear they didn’t do their math. They suggest the data would show that after Reed opens the bulk of the excess seats in Zone 1 would be located over Jamestown, Discovery, Nottingham and Tuckahoe, but if you run the numbers based on APS’s published projections, it’s clear the bulk of the excess will be over McKinley, Reed and Glebe.

What McKinley Letter? Can you post?

It’s publicly available on the McKinley PTA website, mckinleypta.org

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I read the McKinley letter, it’s pretty clear they didn’t do their math. They suggest the data would show that after Reed opens the bulk of the excess seats in Zone 1 would be located over Jamestown, Discovery, Nottingham and Tuckahoe, but if you run the numbers based on APS’s published projections, it’s clear the bulk of the excess will be over McKinley, Reed and Glebe.

What McKinley Letter? Can you post?

It’s publicly available on the McKinley PTA website, mckinleypta.org

Staff specifically said meetings would be community wide so everyone could participate. They want to end meeting with individual school groups. But from that letter it looks like they are meeting with McKinley PTA. That discussion should take place in a public forum. This is where we get last minute surprise proposals that were worked out behind the scenes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think the very active McKinley PTA/volunteer Moms are most upset by this proposal, creating much of this resistance and upset. They will be losing their cliques and have to start over at a new school. Don't get me wrong, I love 'em and all the hard work and effort they put in on behalf of our school and students but at some point, they will have to give up the fight. The only resolution is either our school closes or another nearby NA school is eliminated... a lose-lose proposition if school parents start battling it out.

I'd be satisfied with my kids moving to Ashlawn but only if APS does not jam-pack that school to over capacity (I am not optimistic) and they would do fine as long as a few friends moved too. I myself will be thrilled as long as CB does not follow us to Ashlawn!

Amen!! Kind of glad we'll be going to Ashlawn.

[Anonymous]

I agree. Staff can do a meeting at McKinley but it should be open to the public. No back room deals this time by the SB or staff. Open dialogue.

[Anonymous]

And it should be advertised on Engage. All meetings.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I agree. Staff can do a meeting at McKinley but it should be open to the public. No back room deals this time by the SB or staff. Open dialogue.

There was NO APS STAFF at McK PTA meeting. Just PTA presenting in depth look at proposal and parents asking questions. A few parents were more emotional and spoke about the numbers but the rest of us just sat there to listen and learn.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think the very active McKinley PTA/volunteer Moms are most upset by this proposal, creating much of this resistance and upset. They will be losing their cliques and have to start over at a new school. Don't get me wrong, I love 'em and all the hard work and effort they put in on behalf of our school and students but at some point, they will have to give up the fight. The only resolution is either our school closes or another nearby NA school is eliminated... a lose-lose proposition if school parents start battling it out.

I'd be satisfied with my kids moving to Ashlawn but only if APS does not jam-pack that school to over capacity (I am not optimistic) and they would do fine as long as a few friends moved too. I myself will be thrilled as long as CB does not follow us to Ashlawn!

Amen!! Kind of glad we'll be going to Ashlawn.

Yes, the "silver lining" to my cloud!