South Arlington and North Arlington Schools

[Anonymous]

23:05 NO ONE is talking about shutting kids out or pushing them out of Arlington. They are talking about building the NEW housing in other neighborhoods beyond Columbia Pike so that there is a better distribution of income across Arlington. I, for one, which there were more than 2% free and reduced lunch kids in my school. Not 80%, mind you, but how about 15 or 20? This "Don't Kick Out the Poor People" mentality is ridiculous. No one is advocating for that. But, that's how VOICE gets their traction and disingenuously changes the debate and tries to silence dissent by starting a class/race war. It's disgusting.

[Anonymous]

The lesson I'm learning here (and have heard elsewhere from my North Arlington neighbors) is that North Arlington is all for being progressive and compassionate as long as it gets everything it wants first.

[Anonymous]

No, a huge part of the problem is the old timers and misplaced altruism of the Pike communities. They are selling everyone short. If they were vocal and opposed to the increased concentration of poverty in their neighborhoods, it could be stopped. Just look at the 22204 listserve. Douglas Park, Penrose, Barcroft residents--can't get enough affordable housing. The loudest voices still want it and call everyone else racists. S. Arlington is getting what S. Arlington wants. Don't blame the N. for this one.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No, a huge part of the problem is the old timers and misplaced altruism of the Pike communities. They are selling everyone short. If they were vocal and opposed to the increased concentration of poverty in their neighborhoods, it could be stopped. Just look at the 22204 listserve. Douglas Park, Penrose, Barcroft residents--can't get enough affordable housing. The loudest voices still want it and call everyone else racists. S. Arlington is getting what S. Arlington wants. Don't blame the N. for this one.

I'm on that listserve. It's seriously like three dudes ( I'm uncertain if they have kids in the schools - I know one of them doesn't ). They are self righteous and sanctimonious. More and more people have written posts in disagreement, but many more don't want to enter into it there.
I would say the majority of my south Arlington neighbor's don't want additional 100% AH built near them, or they are completely oblivious to what is going on.
Yes, there is a very loud minority in south Arlington that is getting what it wants. They have serious traction, as they have been at this for years. I really hope CARD continues on and grows stronger.

As for n. Arl being progressive as long as they get what they want first.
Honestly.... Good for them. They are the ones footing the bill. The SFH tax payers of south Arlington need to follow suit.
Helping others is the right thing to do, just not at the expense of your child's education and property values. Property values go down .... Then how does anything get paid for? You have to have more paying in then taking out. Also, there is no end to the amount of people who would like to live in Arlington. Nova is a big region. We can't solve housing issues for the entire metro region.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No, a huge part of the problem is the old timers and misplaced altruism of the Pike communities. They are selling everyone short. If they were vocal and opposed to the increased concentration of poverty in their neighborhoods, it could be stopped. Just look at the 22204 listserve. Douglas Park, Penrose, Barcroft residents--can't get enough affordable housing. The loudest voices still want it and call everyone else racists. S. Arlington is getting what S. Arlington wants. Don't blame the N. for this one.

I'm on that listserve. It's seriously like three dudes ( I'm uncertain if they have kids in the schools - I know one of them doesn't ). They are self righteous and sanctimonious. More and more people have written posts in disagreement, but many more don't want to enter into it there.
I would say the majority of my south Arlington neighbor's don't want additional 100% AH built near them, or they are completely oblivious to what is going on.
Yes, there is a very loud minority in south Arlington that is getting what it wants. They have serious traction, as they have been at this for years. I really hope CARD continues on and grows stronger.

As for n. Arl being progressive as long as they get what they want first.
Honestly.... Good for them. They are the ones footing the bill. The SFH tax payers of south Arlington need to follow suit.
Helping others is the right thing to do, just not at the expense of your child's education and property values. Property values go down .... Then how does anything get paid for? You have to have more paying in then taking out. Also, there is no end to the amount of people who would like to live in Arlington. Nova is a big region. We can't solve housing issues for the entire metro region.

True. There are a only few, but loud voices... they are the same that a N. Arl poster was talking about: 65-75 year olds who don't want any changes to their neighborhoods. They are just louder in the South, and have other forces (like Voice) agreeing with them.
The thing is, none of these guys are paying any real estate taxes to Arlington!

Not wanting to start a fight, but if these kids are already in the DC region or are predictably going to be here, they need someplace to live, don't they? I have kids in Arlington schools and the overcrowding and poverty concentration concern me, but at a fundamental human level I find it very hard to just slam the door shut and say there's no room for anyone else. How is it any different than Europe squabbling over whether to allow refugees across their borders? Nobody really has enough room, do they? Schools matter, but so does basic human dignity, right?

I do appreciate your general sentiment, however, how is it different to the Syrian refugee crisis you ask? Come ON! Those are people fleeing an active, atrocious war zone, and utterly bombed out cities! They have NOTHING left where they lived, there are just ruins, and have had many of their friends and family murdered and tortured, while their regime AND ISIS are terrorizing them... and they are paying tens of thousands of dollars to be placed in a leaderless rubber dinghy, knowing full well it might be their death. You are not seriously comparing these people to American resident cab drivers or construction workers that are making tens of thousands of dollars a year, that Arlington wants to subsidize housing for and bring into this small county?
Then I'd rather have Arlington directly bring in and pay for housing of actual rescued Syrian refugee families, yes, right here into Arlington.
If you want to make comparisons: I think I recently read that the United States (!) has just brought in about 1000 Syrians since the war started. Arlington wants to take in how many thousands according to this master plan?

[Anonymous]

^^^ they want to add 15,000 units?
I believe that is the number.
Let's say they all have a family of 4...

[Anonymous]

Here's an update on where the county board candidates stand on some important issues...
Like putting affordable housing on our scarce parkland.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/dc-politics/housing-parks-tax-questions-await-arlington-county-board-candidates/2015/09/28/78099e56-664b-11e5-9223-70cb36460919_story.html

[Anonymous]

Thank you for posting this update! I really appreciate this thread!!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Here's an update on where the county board candidates stand on some important issues...
Like putting affordable housing on our scarce parkland.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/dc-politics/housing-parks-tax-questions-await-arlington-county-board-candidates/2015/09/28/78099e56-664b-11e5-9223-70cb36460919_story.html

Hmmm. I know people in this thread said they will vote for Dorsey (and yes, he has kids in the school system - at ATS though, a school that will remain untouched from any overcrowding issues - and also, his kids are hence NOT at a school that deals with large low SES challenges like many schools in Arlington), but I can't really see why you'd think he would be any different than the current board members?
(Pushing affordable housing without fixing the schools and overcrowding first, and possibly public land for public good?)
I can't see where he said otherwise?

Here is an excerpt from the WaPo article above:

Dorsey didn’t reject the support, but he quickly issued a statement noting that he wants Cristol elected with him. Dorsey told a reporter Monday night that he and McMenamin are “dramatically different in terms of world view and perspective.”

And this was his reply to concerned neighbors that heard affordable housing is supposed to go on top of their "beloved park" (Arlington forest):

After the moderator repeated and sharpened the question, Dorsey said affordable housing should not be added “at this site. But we have growing needs in this county and I don’t want to pander to you".

[Anonymous]

Oh, what he said was troubling. I think what Cristol said was worse.

[Anonymous]

What about Clement? I know it has been posted before that people "don't trust her" and that she might change with the wind?
Was that based on anything concrete?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Oh, what he said was troubling. I think what Cristol said was worse.

But he really wants her to be elected with him... doesn't that mean, that he basically agrees with her on most things?!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What about Clement? I know it has been posted before that people "don't trust her" and that she might change with the wind?
Was that based on anything concrete?

Well, I don't like Clement because of her emphasis on reducing the per pupil school budget. I totally understand we can't just have out of control spending, but I'm concerned that Clement would want to nitpick spending, particularly any new construction project, in a manner that will hold up solutions to the capacity problems. APS is already years behind on finding seats for kids who are in the system NOW.

She also wants to reduce spending by increasing class sizes, and I am not a fan.


http://audreyclement.com/2014/03/30/arlington-public-schools-the-elephant-in-the-room/

(these 2 are from when she ran for school board last year)

http://www.insidenova.com/news/arlington/arlington-school-board-contenders-look-for-budget-cutting-options/article_46d7665c-55f2-11e4-969c-ff6fd4ddadf3.html

http://www.insidenova.com/news/arlington/candidate-goes-on-offensive-over-arlington-school-spending/article_9eeffb94-337c-11e4-984d-001a4bcf887a.html

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What about Clement? I know it has been posted before that people "don't trust her" and that she might change with the wind?
Was that based on anything concrete?

Here's the thing. I don't think she has the juice to get elected. I feel like she might have done better her last go around, but she runs almost every cycle. It's like a house that has been in the market too long. No one is buying, simply because no one is buying. Plus - she's spoken at board meetings in the past and I haven't found her to be very persuasive.

If someone else has more info on Clement - I know she met with card last week. I couldn't go. If anyone has some more specific thoughts to share it would be appreciated.


So then it comes down to this-

Are the two typical " Arlington Way" democrats being elected or will there be a bit more shake up? One of them is definitely getting a seat. The question is if Mike McMeniman can squeeze in there. You can vote for Clement, but I think it would possibly be a wasted vote and would likely serve to get the established party candidate ( Cristol) on to the board. I'm not crazy about what Dorsey said, but he seems to be more pragmatic in general. I have no faith in Cristol to put schools first. I actually think she will push the board left. I'm a dem, but I want more moderation at the county level.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Oh, what he said was troubling. I think what Cristol said was worse.

But he really wants her to be elected with him... doesn't that mean, that he basically agrees with her on most things?!

He has to say that. They both have to keep ACDC support behind them.