APS Elementary Location Working Group 4/12

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:Hopefully the school board won’t cave to the ASF parents. Key has been in its current building forever, and it’s location has helped the program flourish. It is also a large and growing program, and it would be nearly impossible to find another location where it would fit. ASF suffers overcrowding like all APS schools, but they shouldn’t be allowed to just pick and choose their building and all others be damned.

Seems like the most vocal people at ASFS don’t want to move at all. Many people would be fine either way (stay or move). But ASFS certainly isn’t PUSHING for a swap. What on earth gave you that idea?

Um, quite a lot of the people at ASFS who would be in the walk zone for Key or think they would be in the attendance zone for Key want a swap. A swap put them at Key with all of the science equipment the PTA apparently has bought over the years. So, yes, a majority (really, overwhelming majority) want a swap. If they both become a neighborhood school, the science stuff stays where it is and they are in the Key building without it.

So for their own selfish benefit...

Look, I live on the southern side of Rosslyn and just want to have my neighborhood school reasonably close to my house. They can leave the science lab for all I care.

All of us want that. Not all of us are going to get it.

It just seems selfish that there is a vocal group of people at ASFS who want this swap to happen on the premise that they may get to take the science stuff with them. I don't think the staff at ASFS are in favor of moving, so it's like parents against the school, yet they still want the staff to teach their kids?

That's not true. All staff/teachers I've talked to have been supportive. Some of them have been teaching this community for 20+ years, so they really see it as staying with the group of kids that they currently teach. If they redraw boundaries around ASFS, the overwhelming majority of the school will no longer be zoned for it. That's sad. Because then the overwhelming majority of Taylor will have to be rezoned to make room for the Key kids, and then those kids will have to go to other schools too.

Why are the staff/teachers supportive of a move? What benefit is it to them if they change buildings?

Also, "that's sad" is an emotion and emotions aren't a part of the calculation.

As far as I know, unless ASFS teachers stay with their cohorts from Kindergarten on, each year kids change teachers. So why would it matter if teachers wanted to stay with a group of kids? Just so they can high five them in the hallway?

Essentially you are sending an entire student body to another untested school for no real reason. Parents fight boundary changes all the time even when it makes sense. This is abolishing a school community for no reason

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hopefully the school board won’t cave to the ASF parents. Key has been in its current building forever, and it’s location has helped the program flourish. It is also a large and growing program, and it would be nearly impossible to find another location where it would fit. ASF suffers overcrowding like all APS schools, but they shouldn’t be allowed to just pick and choose their building and all others be damned.

Seems like the most vocal people at ASFS don’t want to move at all. Many people would be fine either way (stay or move). But ASFS certainly isn’t PUSHING for a swap. What on earth gave you that idea?

Um, quite a lot of the people at ASFS who would be in the walk zone for Key or think they would be in the attendance zone for Key want a swap. A swap put them at Key with all of the science equipment the PTA apparently has bought over the years. So, yes, a majority (really, overwhelming majority) want a swap. If they both become a neighborhood school, the science stuff stays where it is and they are in the Key building without it.

So for their own selfish benefit...

Look, I live on the southern side of Rosslyn and just want to have my neighborhood school reasonably close to my house. They can leave the science lab for all I care.

All of us want that. Not all of us are going to get it.

It just seems selfish that there is a vocal group of people at ASFS who want this swap to happen on the premise that they may get to take the science stuff with them. I don't think the staff at ASFS are in favor of moving, so it's like parents against the school, yet they still want the staff to teach their kids?

That's not true. All staff/teachers I've talked to have been supportive. Some of them have been teaching this community for 20+ years, so they really see it as staying with the group of kids that they currently teach. If they redraw boundaries around ASFS, the overwhelming majority of the school will no longer be zoned for it. That's sad. Because then the overwhelming majority of Taylor will have to be rezoned to make room for the Key kids, and then those kids will have to go to other schools too.

Why are the staff/teachers supportive of a move? What benefit is it to them if they change buildings?

Also, "that's sad" is an emotion and emotions aren't a part of the calculation.

As far as I know, unless ASFS teachers stay with their cohorts from Kindergarten on, each year kids change teachers. So why would it matter if teachers wanted to stay with a group of kids? Just so they can high five them in the hallway?

So here are raw numbers.
The MAJORITY of ASFS (500+/650) are from the key zone because that was the mainstream curriculum option— it was their neighborhood school. There are 200 transfers into asfs that are mostly from Taylor (the majority of which are not within any form of its walk zone, these kids are being bused in), which is why the school is over capacity. Taylor is only 103% at capacity, whereas asfs is 125%. If the transfers were sent home, the school would be at or under capacity. There are 10 buses to the school.
The majority of kids at the key school are not from the key zone. Only 1/3 to 1/2 of the school lives in the key zone, and even less of that within the walk zone. There are 12 buses to the school.
If you make a boundary around asfs, in order to connect it to the existing key boundary so you have some existing kids still at the school, you have to rezone 300+ kids from Taylor. Someone can check my math, but that’s over half of Taylor. Since the asfs walk zone is small, there will still be 8 buses to the school. And there will still be 12 buses going to key because it’s population won’t change.
If you make key into a neighborhood school, and move an option program to asfs, you have 10 buses going to asfs and significantly fewer buses going to key (I think something like 2-3). It is much more efficient. And you get to preserve the existing key, asfs, and Taylor communities.

[Anonymous]

"Essentially you are abolishing an entire school for no good reason." Welcome to the world of the NW Quadrant. It is outrageous to abolish any neighborhood school for this half baked effort.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hopefully the school board won’t cave to the ASF parents. Key has been in its current building forever, and it’s location has helped the program flourish. It is also a large and growing program, and it would be nearly impossible to find another location where it would fit. ASF suffers overcrowding like all APS schools, but they shouldn’t be allowed to just pick and choose their building and all others be damned.

Seems like the most vocal people at ASFS don’t want to move at all. Many people would be fine either way (stay or move). But ASFS certainly isn’t PUSHING for a swap. What on earth gave you that idea?

Um, quite a lot of the people at ASFS who would be in the walk zone for Key or think they would be in the attendance zone for Key want a swap. A swap put them at Key with all of the science equipment the PTA apparently has bought over the years. So, yes, a majority (really, overwhelming majority) want a swap. If they both become a neighborhood school, the science stuff stays where it is and they are in the Key building without it.

So for their own selfish benefit...

Look, I live on the southern side of Rosslyn and just want to have my neighborhood school reasonably close to my house. They can leave the science lab for all I care.

All of us want that. Not all of us are going to get it.

It just seems selfish that there is a vocal group of people at ASFS who want this swap to happen on the premise that they may get to take the science stuff with them. I don't think the staff at ASFS are in favor of moving, so it's like parents against the school, yet they still want the staff to teach their kids?

That's not true. All staff/teachers I've talked to have been supportive. Some of them have been teaching this community for 20+ years, so they really see it as staying with the group of kids that they currently teach. If they redraw boundaries around ASFS, the overwhelming majority of the school will no longer be zoned for it. That's sad. Because then the overwhelming majority of Taylor will have to be rezoned to make room for the Key kids, and then those kids will have to go to other schools too.

Why are the staff/teachers supportive of a move? What benefit is it to them if they change buildings?

Also, "that's sad" is an emotion and emotions aren't a part of the calculation.

As far as I know, unless ASFS teachers stay with their cohorts from Kindergarten on, each year kids change teachers. So why would it matter if teachers wanted to stay with a group of kids? Just so they can high five them in the hallway?

So here are raw numbers.
The MAJORITY of ASFS (500+/650) are from the key zone because that was the mainstream curriculum option— it was their neighborhood school. There are 200 transfers into asfs that are mostly from Taylor (the majority of which are not within any form of its walk zone, these kids are being bused in), which is why the school is over capacity. Taylor is only 103% at capacity, whereas asfs is 125%. If the transfers were sent home, the school would be at or under capacity. There are 10 buses to the school.
The majority of kids at the key school are not from the key zone. Only 1/3 to 1/2 of the school lives in the key zone, and even less of that within the walk zone. There are 12 buses to the school.
If you make a boundary around asfs, in order to connect it to the existing key boundary so you have some existing kids still at the school, you have to rezone 300+ kids from Taylor. Someone can check my math, but that’s over half of Taylor. Since the asfs walk zone is small, there will still be 8 buses to the school. And there will still be 12 buses going to key because it’s population won’t change.
If you make key into a neighborhood school, and move an option program to asfs, you have 10 buses going to asfs and significantly fewer buses going to key (I think something like 2-3). It is much more efficient. And you get to preserve the existing key, asfs, and Taylor communities.

Makes sense. And that’s why the move will happen, I think.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:"Essentially you are abolishing an entire school for no good reason." Welcome to the world of the NW Quadrant. It is outrageous to abolish any neighborhood school for this half baked effort.

All around horrible and won’t happen.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hopefully the school board won’t cave to the ASF parents. Key has been in its current building forever, and it’s location has helped the program flourish. It is also a large and growing program, and it would be nearly impossible to find another location where it would fit. ASF suffers overcrowding like all APS schools, but they shouldn’t be allowed to just pick and choose their building and all others be damned.

Seems like the most vocal people at ASFS don’t want to move at all. Many people would be fine either way (stay or move). But ASFS certainly isn’t PUSHING for a swap. What on earth gave you that idea?

Um, quite a lot of the people at ASFS who would be in the walk zone for Key or think they would be in the attendance zone for Key want a swap. A swap put them at Key with all of the science equipment the PTA apparently has bought over the years. So, yes, a majority (really, overwhelming majority) want a swap. If they both become a neighborhood school, the science stuff stays where it is and they are in the Key building without it.

So for their own selfish benefit...

Look, I live on the southern side of Rosslyn and just want to have my neighborhood school reasonably close to my house. They can leave the science lab for all I care.

All of us want that. Not all of us are going to get it.

It just seems selfish that there is a vocal group of people at ASFS who want this swap to happen on the premise that they may get to take the science stuff with them. I don't think the staff at ASFS are in favor of moving, so it's like parents against the school, yet they still want the staff to teach their kids?

That's not true. All staff/teachers I've talked to have been supportive. Some of them have been teaching this community for 20+ years, so they really see it as staying with the group of kids that they currently teach. If they redraw boundaries around ASFS, the overwhelming majority of the school will no longer be zoned for it. That's sad. Because then the overwhelming majority of Taylor will have to be rezoned to make room for the Key kids, and then those kids will have to go to other schools too.

Why are the staff/teachers supportive of a move? What benefit is it to them if they change buildings?

Also, "that's sad" is an emotion and emotions aren't a part of the calculation.

As far as I know, unless ASFS teachers stay with their cohorts from Kindergarten on, each year kids change teachers. So why would it matter if teachers wanted to stay with a group of kids? Just so they can high five them in the hallway?

So here are raw numbers.
The MAJORITY of ASFS (500+/650) are from the key zone because that was the mainstream curriculum option— it was their neighborhood school. There are 200 transfers into asfs that are mostly from Taylor (the majority of which are not within any form of its walk zone, these kids are being bused in), which is why the school is over capacity. Taylor is only 103% at capacity, whereas asfs is 125%. If the transfers were sent home, the school would be at or under capacity. There are 10 buses to the school.
The majority of kids at the key school are not from the key zone. Only 1/3 to 1/2 of the school lives in the key zone, and even less of that within the walk zone. There are 12 buses to the school.
If you make a boundary around asfs, in order to connect it to the existing key boundary so you have some existing kids still at the school, you have to rezone 300+ kids from Taylor. Someone can check my math, but that’s over half of Taylor. Since the asfs walk zone is small, there will still be 8 buses to the school. And there will still be 12 buses going to key because it’s population won’t change.
If you make key into a neighborhood school, and move an option program to asfs, you have 10 buses going to asfs and significantly fewer buses going to key (I think something like 2-3). It is much more efficient. And you get to preserve the existing key, asfs, and Taylor communities.

Makes sense. And that’s why the move will happen, I think.

He just ignores the 300 additional kids sent to Taylor? Where are they going?

[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:Hopefully the school board won’t cave to the ASF parents. Key has been in its current building forever, and it’s location has helped the program flourish. It is also a large and growing program, and it would be nearly impossible to find another location where it would fit. ASF suffers overcrowding like all APS schools, but they shouldn’t be allowed to just pick and choose their building and all others be damned.

Seems like the most vocal people at ASFS don’t want to move at all. Many people would be fine either way (stay or move). But ASFS certainly isn’t PUSHING for a swap. What on earth gave you that idea?

Um, quite a lot of the people at ASFS who would be in the walk zone for Key or think they would be in the attendance zone for Key want a swap. A swap put them at Key with all of the science equipment the PTA apparently has bought over the years. So, yes, a majority (really, overwhelming majority) want a swap. If they both become a neighborhood school, the science stuff stays where it is and they are in the Key building without it.

So for their own selfish benefit...

Look, I live on the southern side of Rosslyn and just want to have my neighborhood school reasonably close to my house. They can leave the science lab for all I care.

All of us want that. Not all of us are going to get it.

It just seems selfish that there is a vocal group of people at ASFS who want this swap to happen on the premise that they may get to take the science stuff with them. I don't think the staff at ASFS are in favor of moving, so it's like parents against the school, yet they still want the staff to teach their kids?

That's not true. All staff/teachers I've talked to have been supportive. Some of them have been teaching this community for 20+ years, so they really see it as staying with the group of kids that they currently teach. If they redraw boundaries around ASFS, the overwhelming majority of the school will no longer be zoned for it. That's sad. Because then the overwhelming majority of Taylor will have to be rezoned to make room for the Key kids, and then those kids will have to go to other schools too.

Why are the staff/teachers supportive of a move? What benefit is it to them if they change buildings?

Also, "that's sad" is an emotion and emotions aren't a part of the calculation.

As far as I know, unless ASFS teachers stay with their cohorts from Kindergarten on, each year kids change teachers. So why would it matter if teachers wanted to stay with a group of kids? Just so they can high five them in the hallway?

So here are raw numbers.
The MAJORITY of ASFS (500+/650) are from the key zone because that was the mainstream curriculum option— it was their neighborhood school. There are 200 transfers into asfs that are mostly from Taylor (the majority of which are not within any form of its walk zone, these kids are being bused in), which is why the school is over capacity. Taylor is only 103% at capacity, whereas asfs is 125%. If the transfers were sent home, the school would be at or under capacity. There are 10 buses to the school.
The majority of kids at the key school are not from the key zone. Only 1/3 to 1/2 of the school lives in the key zone, and even less of that within the walk zone. There are 12 buses to the school.
If you make a boundary around asfs, in order to connect it to the existing key boundary so you have some existing kids still at the school, you have to rezone 300+ kids from Taylor. Someone can check my math, but that’s over half of Taylor. Since the asfs walk zone is small, there will still be 8 buses to the school. And there will still be 12 buses going to key because it’s population won’t change.
If you make key into a neighborhood school, and move an option program to asfs, you have 10 buses going to asfs and significantly fewer buses going to key (I think something like 2-3). It is much more efficient. And you get to preserve the existing key, asfs, and Taylor communities.

Makes sense. And that’s why the move will happen, I think.

He just ignores the 300 additional kids sent to Taylor? Where are they going?

Never mind. My apologies for misreading.

[Anonymous]

Hope you all watched today's SB meeting where all but one non agenda item public speaker was about ESPI. The speakers spoke towards keeping Henry at Fleet, keeping Nottingham where it is, keeping Key where it is, and keeping ASFS where it is. No one wants a move (or a swap).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I can understand the loss of curriculum, but aren't all schools in APS supposed to have some aspect of STEM or STEAM to them? To switch school sites, does not seem worth it as it doesn't solve any problems in number of seats. It just makes it easier for ASFS parents to stay ASFS.

Which is why immersion needs to move west.

No, because there is already a W immersion. If the have to move its going to be a swap and they'll have to pay to move all the things like the lab equipment and art.

That does nothing for the seats problem. Key to ATS, ATS to whatever sacrificial lamb we come up with in the west. Ashlawn is looking pretty good.

You guys, they aren't doing a three school swap to take the only E option school further west. Especially not if they have to do that 3-step process for all the C schools in the SW. How do you not understand this? It will be a one-for-one swap between Key and ASFS, if they move anyone at all. But they still need a fifth site because Montessori is getting moved off the Career Center site.

It's been pretty clear that the staff want to 1.) turn Key into a neighborhood school and 2.) get an option school in the west when Reed opens. At no point did they talk about even geographical distribution of option schools as a goal. It's not practical because there isn't an even geographical distribution of elementary school buildings to choose from.

They didn't talk about geographical distribution because it's baked into process already, at least for immersion. They can't both be in the west, unless they make the split N/S, and that's not going to happen.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hope you all watched today's SB meeting where all but one non agenda item public speaker was about ESPI. The speakers spoke towards keeping Henry at Fleet, keeping Nottingham where it is, keeping Key where it is, and keeping ASFS where it is. No one wants a move (or a swap).

No one wants to move but they have now delayed the decision until the fall. When people see the maps, people are going to see that they like boundaries that make sense. So all the schools not being moved are going to have a stake when they see what not moving schools does to their boundaries.

[Anonymous]

The case for not moving Key is compelling. First, asfs doesn’t have the capacity. Second, there’s no public transportation reasonably close to asfs. There's really nothing else to say.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hope you all watched today's SB meeting where all but one non agenda item public speaker was about ESPI. The speakers spoke towards keeping Henry at Fleet, keeping Nottingham where it is, keeping Key where it is, and keeping ASFS where it is. No one wants a move (or a swap).

Came into it toward the end, did the Board address the issue at all during the meeting or was it just citizen comments?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:"Essentially you are abolishing an entire school for no good reason." Welcome to the world of the NW Quadrant. It is outrageous to abolish any neighborhood school for this half baked effort.

Lol. Like the nw doesn't run the show in this county. Get some perspective you poor put upon 1%er.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hope you all watched today's SB meeting where all but one non agenda item public speaker was about ESPI. The speakers spoke towards keeping Henry at Fleet, keeping Nottingham where it is, keeping Key where it is, and keeping ASFS where it is. No one wants a move (or a swap).

Came into it toward the end, did the Board address the issue at all during the meeting or was it just citizen comments?

NVD went over the upcoming times to engage on the issue, and the planned meetings, etc. I was glad b/c at least our PTA was representing that there was not going to be any public engagement.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hope you all watched today's SB meeting where all but one non agenda item public speaker was about ESPI. The speakers spoke towards keeping Henry at Fleet, keeping Nottingham where it is, keeping Key where it is, and keeping ASFS where it is. No one wants a move (or a swap).

Came into it toward the end, did the Board address the issue at all during the meeting or was it just citizen comments?

Just citizen comment, but they did say it was great to see everyone so motivated and that there are lots of opportunities for everyone to speak directly at future events with staff.