South Arlington elementary school boundary adjustments 2019

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don’t know where I will move, probably north Arlington. I just won’t have as nice a place as I have now.

...
"And yes, I could not afford the house I wanted in north arlington otherwise I would have moved there because of the schools.

I am curious what house and yard features are more important than your child's education. We are going through the same choices right now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:South Arlington parent here - PP is right. It is really only the UMC south arlington parents like me that are complaining. And yes, I could not afford the house I wanted in north arlington otherwise I would have moved there because of the schools. I care deeply about the education of the lower income kids because my family was there once, but they are doing the best they can. I think the scores and research show that those schools with the right demographic balance give them a better shot at academic success, but considering the circumstances these kids are coming from where everything in the American dream seems so unattainable, they are doing pretty darn good.

My kid and others like him are doing fine. That isn't the question, are they doing as well as they could be in north arlington? My kid is probably doing better where he is because he has ADHD and the title I school he goes to has a lot of resources to help him that would not be available north of 50. There is nothing cut-throat in his school, the teacher challenges him based on his level, and frankly the poorer kids are not the ones with behavior issues generally.

So, the next question is whether his "experience" is the same or as good as it would be north of 50. As far as being completely colorblind, that is a good thing. However, he does not have a pretty school, it is run down. Yards are a mess because there is no PTA paying for gardening. After school enrichment is much more limited than other schools. Fewer perks in the classroom and fancy festivals and things that I see at other schools. He doesn't know the difference. I do.

I am more concerned about the behaviors he will see in middle school. I will likely move by then because that is when the worst poverty-based behaviors tend to emerge.

Which school is this? We are at Hoffman Boston and feel the same...

[Anonymous]

PP here. I really don’t want to go into details because it will out me on this board, but I had a plan that would allow my kid to not attend the local school. The school he was going to, not our neighborhood school, was not a good fit and I had to change his school. So, at the time of purchase, it wasn’t as big an issue. And, I really didn’t appreciate the differences in the schools. I was always taught that it doesn’t matter where you go to school, it will all be ok. I didn’t go to a great school and my parents did a lot of education at home. Middle school seemed far away, now it is close.

[Anonymous]

DP poster here. I chose S Arlington because of the commute to work and the idea that it seems to only be getting nicer. I didn't count on the entrenched affordable housing though. I just assumed that the schools would be getting better. And some are. It's just not as even.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DP poster here. I chose S Arlington because of the commute to work and the idea that it seems to only be getting nicer. I didn't count on the entrenched affordable housing though. I just assumed that the schools would be getting better. And some are. It's just not as even.

Yes, I've been here for 16 years and it took me awhile to understand the politics of affordable housing, and its disparate impact on north and south Arlington. It's an article of faith for wealthy north Arlington dems; its how they can sleep at night. I'm a liberal and I believe in integrated communities not just as a nice idea but as something that broadly produces better outcomes for all. I think north of 50 it's not a tangible, and if it was, we'd see more affordable housing there and a boundary process that valued diversity. It's laughable what was spent on HB and the new high schools only to be told that we must live with school segregation because busing students around the smallest county in America costs too much.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:PP here. I really don’t want to go into details because it will out me on this board, but I had a plan that would allow my kid to not attend the local school. The school he was going to, not our neighborhood school, was not a good fit and I had to change his school. So, at the time of purchase, it wasn’t as big an issue. And, I really didn’t appreciate the differences in the schools. I was always taught that it doesn’t matter where you go to school, it will all be ok. I didn’t go to a great school and my parents did a lot of education at home. Middle school seemed far away, now it is close.

Thanks for sharing. Which middle schools are best to avoid? I am surprised so many people are trying to stay out of Williamsburg.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:South Arlington parent here - PP is right. It is really only the UMC south arlington parents like me that are complaining. And yes, I could not afford the house I wanted in north arlington otherwise I would have moved there because of the schools. I care deeply about the education of the lower income kids because my family was there once, but they are doing the best they can. I think the scores and research show that those schools with the right demographic balance give them a better shot at academic success, but considering the circumstances these kids are coming from where everything in the American dream seems so unattainable, they are doing pretty darn good.

My kid and others like him are doing fine. That isn't the question, are they doing as well as they could be in north arlington? My kid is probably doing better where he is because he has ADHD and the title I school he goes to has a lot of resources to help him that would not be available north of 50. There is nothing cut-throat in his school, the teacher challenges him based on his level, and frankly the poorer kids are not the ones with behavior issues generally.

So, the next question is whether his "experience" is the same or as good as it would be north of 50. As far as being completely colorblind, that is a good thing. However, he does not have a pretty school, it is run down. Yards are a mess because there is no PTA paying for gardening. After school enrichment is much more limited than other schools. Fewer perks in the classroom and fancy festivals and things that I see at other schools. He doesn't know the difference. I do.

I am more concerned about the behaviors he will see in middle school. I will likely move by then because that is when the worst poverty-based behaviors tend to emerge.

What are these poverty-based behaviors? Drug abuse? Drinking? Skipping school? Sex? Because I don't think you're going to escape these by moving to North Arlington. Don't you read ArlNow? Also, while you may get some better "experiences" like festivals at the ES level, I don't think what you're looking for exists in terms of manicured grounds. Have you seen the school yards? With the exception of the recently built or renovated schools, they all look run down. If your kid plays sports surely you've noticed. I don't know what you mean by "classroom perks." Field trips? Only the poorest schools lack in field trips as far as I can tell. As for after school enrichment, I do think wealthier ES have a leg up here, but the after school offerings at the MS level are equally poor. The wealthier HS have more clubs, though, because they are based on student interest.

[Anonymous]

This thread is so f... depressing. We too chose S Arlington for the combination of commute, down to earth vibe, convenience. After living here 8 years there has been some gentrification but the County Board, School Boatd, and the N Arlington folks seem he’ll bent on screwing S Arlington.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t know where I will move, probably north Arlington. I just won’t have as nice a place as I have now.

...
"And yes, I could not afford the house I wanted in north arlington otherwise I would have moved there because of the schools.

I am curious what house and yard features are more important than your child's education. We are going through the same choices right now.

Unless you are at one of the poorest schools, I have a hard time believing actual education is being affected. In a handful of schools, I think it's possible that there's a lot of focus on test prep. I wouldn't want that for my kids, but again, I don't think this a problem across the board.

Do the schools look like a country club? No. Does your kid get to take a charter bus to a field trip out of state? Maybe not. But is your kid falling behind educationally? Also no. The kids who are affected by segregation are not the children of parents posting over here. You can take your kid to the Baltimore Aquarium any time you like, and I bet you already have. It's the kids whose families can't do that who are getting less and for whom the "experience" can't be replicated outside of school hours.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:South Arlington parent here - PP is right. It is really only the UMC south arlington parents like me that are complaining. And yes, I could not afford the house I wanted in north arlington otherwise I would have moved there because of the schools. I care deeply about the education of the lower income kids because my family was there once, but they are doing the best they can. I think the scores and research show that those schools with the right demographic balance give them a better shot at academic success, but considering the circumstances these kids are coming from where everything in the American dream seems so unattainable, they are doing pretty darn good.

My kid and others like him are doing fine. That isn't the question, are they doing as well as they could be in north arlington? My kid is probably doing better where he is because he has ADHD and the title I school he goes to has a lot of resources to help him that would not be available north of 50. There is nothing cut-throat in his school, the teacher challenges him based on his level, and frankly the poorer kids are not the ones with behavior issues generally.

So, the next question is whether his "experience" is the same or as good as it would be north of 50. As far as being completely colorblind, that is a good thing. However, he does not have a pretty school, it is run down. Yards are a mess because there is no PTA paying for gardening. After school enrichment is much more limited than other schools. Fewer perks in the classroom and fancy festivals and things that I see at other schools. He doesn't know the difference. I do.

I am more concerned about the behaviors he will see in middle school. I will likely move by then because that is when the worst poverty-based behaviors tend to emerge.

What are these poverty-based behaviors? Drug abuse? Drinking? Skipping school? Sex? Because I don't think you're going to escape these by moving to North Arlington. Don't you read ArlNow? Also, while you may get some better "experiences" like festivals at the ES level, I don't think what you're looking for exists in terms of manicured grounds. Have you seen the school yards? With the exception of the recently built or renovated schools, they all look run down. If your kid plays sports surely you've noticed. I don't know what you mean by "classroom perks." Field trips? Only the poorest schools lack in field trips as far as I can tell. As for after school enrichment, I do think wealthier ES have a leg up here, but the after school offerings at the MS level are equally poor. The wealthier HS have more clubs, though, because they are based on student interest.

My kids are at TJ which has a much higher poverty level than Williamsburg but I sure hear a lot more about drug/drinking issues at Williamsburg.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:South Arlington parent here - PP is right. It is really only the UMC south arlington parents like me that are complaining. And yes, I could not afford the house I wanted in north arlington otherwise I would have moved there because of the schools. I care deeply about the education of the lower income kids because my family was there once, but they are doing the best they can. I think the scores and research show that those schools with the right demographic balance give them a better shot at academic success, but considering the circumstances these kids are coming from where everything in the American dream seems so unattainable, they are doing pretty darn good.

My kid and others like him are doing fine. That isn't the question, are they doing as well as they could be in north arlington? My kid is probably doing better where he is because he has ADHD and the title I school he goes to has a lot of resources to help him that would not be available north of 50. There is nothing cut-throat in his school, the teacher challenges him based on his level, and frankly the poorer kids are not the ones with behavior issues generally.

So, the next question is whether his "experience" is the same or as good as it would be north of 50. As far as being completely colorblind, that is a good thing. However, he does not have a pretty school, it is run down. Yards are a mess because there is no PTA paying for gardening. After school enrichment is much more limited than other schools. Fewer perks in the classroom and fancy festivals and things that I see at other schools. He doesn't know the difference. I do.

I am more concerned about the behaviors he will see in middle school. I will likely move by then because that is when the worst poverty-based behaviors tend to emerge.

What are these poverty-based behaviors? Drug abuse? Drinking? Skipping school? Sex? Because I don't think you're going to escape these by moving to North Arlington. Don't you read ArlNow? Also, while you may get some better "experiences" like festivals at the ES level, I don't think what you're looking for exists in terms of manicured grounds. Have you seen the school yards? With the exception of the recently built or renovated schools, they all look run down. If your kid plays sports surely you've noticed. I don't know what you mean by "classroom perks." Field trips? Only the poorest schools lack in field trips as far as I can tell. As for after school enrichment, I do think wealthier ES have a leg up here, but the after school offerings at the MS level are equally poor. The wealthier HS have more clubs, though, because they are based on student interest.

I agree. My child is also in a title 1 elementary school, but younger. We are very happy and are supplementing with enrichment outside of school (although the school offers some options). I actually know many upper middle class, education people in my part of S. Arlington with kids at TJ and Kenmore. Many of those parents opted not to send their kids to the local elementary school I'm not sure which middle school you're afraid of. Bad behaviors intensify in general in middle school. It's important to keep your child engaged in activities and find good peer groups at school and elsewhere (activities, religious organizations, scouts, teams, arts groups). Of course my kids are younger now, so maybe I am naive. But I see plenty of happy families at S. Arlington middle schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t know where I will move, probably north Arlington. I just won’t have as nice a place as I have now.

...
"And yes, I could not afford the house I wanted in north arlington otherwise I would have moved there because of the schools.

I am curious what house and yard features are more important than your child's education. We are going through the same choices right now.

Unless you are at one of the poorest schools, I have a hard time believing actual education is being affected. In a handful of schools, I think it's possible that there's a lot of focus on test prep. I wouldn't want that for my kids, but again, I don't think this a problem across the board.

Do the schools look like a country club? No. Does your kid get to take a charter bus to a field trip out of state? Maybe not. But is your kid falling behind educationally? Also no. The kids who are affected by segregation are not the children of parents posting over here. You can take your kid to the Baltimore Aquarium any time you like, and I bet you already have. It's the kids whose families can't do that who are getting less and for whom the "experience" can't be replicated outside of school hours.

That's the thing, they're all increasingly poorest. Oakridge and fleet and possibly Abingdon are probably going to have farms rates under 40 percent when the dust clears, so great for them. They're going to donate their poorest to the other south Arlington elementaries. The sky's the limit for barcroft, Randolph, Carlin springs and the new drew, which are all going to clock in at about 70% farms or more. I'm not unsympathetic to these children, and they need a lot of help academically and otherwise. You can easily see this in test scores; poor kids always do a lot worse. My concern is that when the student body is that disadvantaged, there's not many resources to direct to kids performing at or above grade level, and their relative advantage leads to comments like, they'll be fine which basically means, they can be ignored. Not my kid.

[Anonymous]

I am UMC and in S. Arlington. We also could not afford to move to N. Arlington. I have nothing but positive things to say about our S. Arlington school. It is an option school and doesn't have Title I status but is 41% economically disadvantaged.

We are very happy, but there is an active PTA. There are lots of enrichment activities and it seems like there is a festival or party every week. We have nice grounds gardening wise IMO but that is because we have an active parent group that took over all of that. I am sure the PTA gives them a budget but they also supply a lot of the gardening plants and equipment themselves. I don't know what he could get at other schools that he is not getting at his school in terms of "extras" School events are well attended by people from every economic class (from what I can tell) but it is immersion so the school makes an active effort to make things comfortable for ESL families.

As far as education, he is only in K and he seems ahead academically but he is older, went to high quality preschools/daycare, and comes from a family of teachers so I think he came pretty prepared. As far as I can tell the school is meeting his needs that way since they have individual breakout groups on ability.

From what he tells me there are no behavioral issues in the class that are outside the realm of normal kid behavior, but again he is in K.

Anyway, I am not really sure what a school in N. Arlington could get him that he is not getting already, but I recognize we are at an option school so things are somewhat different.

[Anonymous]

Drew supporters tell me, an UMC family about to be zoned from Henry/Fleet to Drew, potentially why I shouldn’t freak out? Convince me that this school will not just survive but excel?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DP poster here. I chose S Arlington because of the commute to work and the idea that it seems to only be getting nicer. I didn't count on the entrenched affordable housing though. I just assumed that the schools would be getting better. And some are. It's just not as even.

Yes, I've been here for 16 years and it took me awhile to understand the politics of affordable housing, and its disparate impact on north and south Arlington. It's an article of faith for wealthy north Arlington dems; its how they can sleep at night. I'm a liberal and I believe in integrated communities not just as a nice idea but as something that broadly produces better outcomes for all. I think north of 50 it's not a tangible, and if it was, we'd see more affordable housing there and a boundary process that valued diversity. It's laughable what was spent on HB and the new high schools only to be told that we must live with school segregation because busing students around the smallest county in America costs too much.

The thing about busing is that no one wants their kids on the bus to the other side of the county. The county is small in miles but heavy in traffic. If you were told that your planning unit was going to be bused to Jamestown, would you be happy about that?