AEM post/discussion re racism and choice schools

[Anonymous]

I think AEM teacher is setting himself for a school board run once he retires, like Paul. There’s no reason to speak at every school board meeting otherwise. He’s just run out of topics, so let’s just “suggest” that option schools end?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think AEM teacher is setting himself for a school board run once he retires, like Paul. There’s no reason to speak at every school board meeting otherwise. He’s just run out of topics, so let’s just “suggest” that option schools end?

Interesting theory

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:He named his link to the data "[his name] is probably wrong." I took it as a conversation starter, and it did seem to start a conversation.

Is he responding to comments?

No, which I find so annoying. If he’s going to be posting this stuff then he should at least explain and defend his view. I don’t understand that other person who keeps posting and defending him and trying to say “what I think he means is xyz…”

I chose an option school to avoid my neighborhood school and it’s not because I’m racist. I’m not white. It’s because my neighborhood score has low academic standards, behavioral issues, etc. If my neighborhood school had the same demographics but had a curriculum and expectations more like ATS I would not have left!

Back when we had to make this decision a decade ago our “neighborhood school” wasn’t being used by any of our neighbors, so there was no reason for us to consider it. We would have had to walk our kid to school (not something we wanted to do daily, taking 20 mins out of each morning before a commute), and kid wouldn’t have known anyone. Also, it was overcrowded and had abysmal scores. Literally nothing could’ve compelled us to send DC there. If there hadn’t been a public alternative we would’ve moved or gone private like the families who didn’t get into an option school by lottery.

Nobody wants their kid to be a lonely only, to have a birthday party nobody shows up to, to be teased for being “rich” or white, all things we had heard happened to the one family who did use the neighborhood school (a couple years ahead of us). They eventually moved to the Tuckahoe zone. Let’s talk about that. Okay?

[Anonymous]

The option schools (other than immersion which I strongly support) are terrible for APS. It is a brain drain of the neighborhood schools (mostly South Arlington. The problem with the post is that the author is one of those people that sees everything through a race lens even when it’s not the major driver (if at all) for people opting out of neighborhood schools.

Option schools are diverse but it is full of families who take initiative in their kids education. Their scores are better and they have more homework, structure, dress codes, etc. those are things my family values. All these families leaving their neighborhood schools to opt in to a more “traditional” or Montessori education are hurting the neighborhood. This is because the biggest indicator of success is a child’s peers. We should end the option programs and replicate what works (ATS) across APS. If you want a special Montessori curriculum for your kids, go private or start lobbying for school choice because that’s what’s you want.

(Side bar on immersion: these are the best environments for kids learning English and/or Spanish. As we get more EL students these programs are even more important. Ideally any kid not speaking English fluently would be in immersion that is 50-50 English/spanish).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The option schools (other than immersion which I strongly support) are terrible for APS. It is a brain drain of the neighborhood schools (mostly South Arlington. The problem with the post is that the author is one of those people that sees everything through a race lens even when it’s not the major driver (if at all) for people opting out of neighborhood schools.

Option schools are diverse but it is full of families who take initiative in their kids education. Their scores are better and they have more homework, structure, dress codes, etc. those are things my family values. All these families leaving their neighborhood schools to opt in to a more “traditional” or Montessori education are hurting the neighborhood. This is because the biggest indicator of success is a child’s peers. We should end the option programs and replicate what works (ATS) across APS. If you want a special Montessori curriculum for your kids, go private or start lobbying for school choice because that’s what’s you want.

(Side bar on immersion: these are the best environments for kids learning English and/or Spanish. As we get more EL students these programs are even more important. Ideally any kid not speaking English fluently would be in immersion that is 50-50 English/spanish).

Immersion still contributes to brain drain, why does it get a pass?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The option schools (other than immersion which I strongly support) are terrible for APS. It is a brain drain of the neighborhood schools (mostly South Arlington. The problem with the post is that the author is one of those people that sees everything through a race lens even when it’s not the major driver (if at all) for people opting out of neighborhood schools.

Option schools are diverse but it is full of families who take initiative in their kids education. Their scores are better and they have more homework, structure, dress codes, etc. those are things my family values. All these families leaving their neighborhood schools to opt in to a more “traditional” or Montessori education are hurting the neighborhood. This is because the biggest indicator of success is a child’s peers. We should end the option programs and replicate what works (ATS) across APS. If you want a special Montessori curriculum for your kids, go private or start lobbying for school choice because that’s what’s you want.

(Side bar on immersion: these are the best environments for kids learning English and/or Spanish. As we get more EL students these programs are even more important. Ideally any kid not speaking English fluently would be in immersion that is 50-50 English/spanish).

Immersion still contributes to brain drain, why does it get a pass?

Because it’s a better learning environment for ELs. I do not believe ELs should be mainstreamed (controversial, I know).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:He named his link to the data "[his name] is probably wrong." I took it as a conversation starter, and it did seem to start a conversation.

Is he responding to comments?

No, which I find so annoying. If he’s going to be posting this stuff then he should at least explain and defend his view. I don’t understand that other person who keeps posting and defending him and trying to say “what I think he means is xyz…”

I chose an option school to avoid my neighborhood school and it’s not because I’m racist. I’m not white. It’s because my neighborhood score has low academic standards, behavioral issues, etc. If my neighborhood school had the same demographics but had a curriculum and expectations more like ATS I would not have left!

Back when we had to make this decision a decade ago our “neighborhood school” wasn’t being used by any of our neighbors, so there was no reason for us to consider it. We would have had to walk our kid to school (not something we wanted to do daily, taking 20 mins out of each morning before a commute), and kid wouldn’t have known anyone. Also, it was overcrowded and had abysmal scores. Literally nothing could’ve compelled us to send DC there. If there hadn’t been a public alternative we would’ve moved or gone private like the families who didn’t get into an option school by lottery.

Nobody wants their kid to be a lonely only, to have a birthday party nobody shows up to, to be teased for being “rich” or white, all things we had heard happened to the one family who did use the neighborhood school (a couple years ahead of us). They eventually moved to the Tuckahoe zone. Let’s talk about that. Okay?

Gosh, I wish you would post this on AEM. This is what people need to hear. This.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The option schools (other than immersion which I strongly support) are terrible for APS. It is a brain drain of the neighborhood schools (mostly South Arlington. The problem with the post is that the author is one of those people that sees everything through a race lens even when it’s not the major driver (if at all) for people opting out of neighborhood schools.

Option schools are diverse but it is full of families who take initiative in their kids education. Their scores are better and they have more homework, structure, dress codes, etc. those are things my family values. All these families leaving their neighborhood schools to opt in to a more “traditional” or Montessori education are hurting the neighborhood. This is because the biggest indicator of success is a child’s peers. We should end the option programs and replicate what works (ATS) across APS. If you want a special Montessori curriculum for your kids, go private or start lobbying for school choice because that’s what’s you want.

(Side bar on immersion: these are the best environments for kids learning English and/or Spanish. As we get more EL students these programs are even more important. Ideally any kid not speaking English fluently would be in immersion that is 50-50 English/spanish).

Ahh so you are one of those who only see value in the program you personally like and want to slash the rest. Pass.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The option schools (other than immersion which I strongly support) are terrible for APS. It is a brain drain of the neighborhood schools (mostly South Arlington. The problem with the post is that the author is one of those people that sees everything through a race lens even when it’s not the major driver (if at all) for people opting out of neighborhood schools.

Option schools are diverse but it is full of families who take initiative in their kids education. Their scores are better and they have more homework, structure, dress codes, etc. those are things my family values. All these families leaving their neighborhood schools to opt in to a more “traditional” or Montessori education are hurting the neighborhood. This is because the biggest indicator of success is a child’s peers. We should end the option programs and replicate what works (ATS) across APS. If you want a special Montessori curriculum for your kids, go private or start lobbying for school choice because that’s what’s you want.

(Side bar on immersion: these are the best environments for kids learning English and/or Spanish. As we get more EL students these programs are even more important. Ideally any kid not speaking English fluently would be in immersion that is 50-50 English/spanish).

Immersion still contributes to brain drain, why does it get a pass?

It didn’t used to. Immersion was originally created for neighborhood schools that served a largely Hispanic and poorer demographic as way to draw back the wealthier demographic into those schools. The immersion program itself (then guaranteed for all zoned neighborhood kids) worked too successfully, which is why APS made them fully independent option schools and moved them out of the neighborhood schools.

Within the past decade APS has been moving option programs out of neighborhood schools both to grow the option programs themselves and to give the neighborhood schools back to their diverse communities. So option schools no longer serve to keep wealthier families in poorer schools, the original intent. Do note that some families may find that now abandoned goal of attracting wealthier families patronizing, and that neighborhood schools should succeed on their own merits.

We have yet to see if wealthier families will continue to support their diverse zoned schools. Many more families do now go private reflecting a broader trend away from diverse schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The option schools (other than immersion which I strongly support) are terrible for APS. It is a brain drain of the neighborhood schools (mostly South Arlington. The problem with the post is that the author is one of those people that sees everything through a race lens even when it’s not the major driver (if at all) for people opting out of neighborhood schools.

Option schools are diverse but it is full of families who take initiative in their kids education. Their scores are better and they have more homework, structure, dress codes, etc. those are things my family values. All these families leaving their neighborhood schools to opt in to a more “traditional” or Montessori education are hurting the neighborhood. This is because the biggest indicator of success is a child’s peers. We should end the option programs and replicate what works (ATS) across APS. If you want a special Montessori curriculum for your kids, go private or start lobbying for school choice because that’s what’s you want.

(Side bar on immersion: these are the best environments for kids learning English and/or Spanish. As we get more EL students these programs are even more important. Ideally any kid not speaking English fluently would be in immersion that is 50-50 English/spanish).

Ahh so you are one of those who only see value in the program you personally like and want to slash the rest. Pass.

+1 I’ve seen a lot of kids flounder in immersion and eventually transfer back to home schools quite behind. It’s not without its drawbacks. Still, I don’t think it should be eliminated

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think AEM teacher is setting himself for a school board run once he retires, like Paul. There’s no reason to speak at every school board meeting otherwise. He’s just run out of topics, so let’s just “suggest” that option schools end?

Well that's not going to a popular position anyways, and then he has the gall to make it after pushing so hard for VLP for his OWN kid? Rules for me but not for thee? No thanks.

Also, people are going to do what's best for their own kids, always, and I don't fault them for that. Don't call other parents racist or unethical for doing it.

[Anonymous]

Not PP, but I agree. Families definitely opt IN to immersion. No one’s choosing immersion (especially now that they’re doing 80/20) just to avoid their neighborhood school.

Other option schools seem more likely to attract families who want to opt OUT of their neighborhood schools.

JF needs to understand correlation does not equal causation. Perhaps families aren’t trying to avoid diversity (racial and/or economic) but are horrified by low test scores. Of course, school performance is linked to economic status (not always race. Look at some majaority white schools in Kentucky that happen to be very low income). But is it fair to say Arlington families want to get away from black/brown kids? No, it’s not.

And JF wasn’t advocating for VLP to exist during Covid only. He wanted to fund the program in perpetuity. Despite having Virtual Virginia already available. So, spare me, dude.

[Anonymous]

It’s a popular position for the ACDC types who love to talk about diversity and equity but don’t live those values irl.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:He named his link to the data "[his name] is probably wrong." I took it as a conversation starter, and it did seem to start a conversation.

Is he responding to comments?

No, which I find so annoying. If he’s going to be posting this stuff then he should at least explain and defend his view. I don’t understand that other person who keeps posting and defending him and trying to say “what I think he means is xyz…”

I chose an option school to avoid my neighborhood school and it’s not because I’m racist. I’m not white. It’s because my neighborhood score has low academic standards, behavioral issues, etc. If my neighborhood school had the same demographics but had a curriculum and expectations more like ATS I would not have left!

Back when we had to make this decision a decade ago our “neighborhood school” wasn’t being used by any of our neighbors, so there was no reason for us to consider it. We would have had to walk our kid to school (not something we wanted to do daily, taking 20 mins out of each morning before a commute), and kid wouldn’t have known anyone. Also, it was overcrowded and had abysmal scores. Literally nothing could’ve compelled us to send DC there. If there hadn’t been a public alternative we would’ve moved or gone private like the families who didn’t get into an option school by lottery.

Nobody wants their kid to be a lonely only, to have a birthday party nobody shows up to, to be teased for being “rich” or white, all things we had heard happened to the one family who did use the neighborhood school (a couple years ahead of us). They eventually moved to the Tuckahoe zone. Let’s talk about that. Okay?

Gosh, I wish you would post this on AEM. This is what people need to hear. This.

AEM is an echo chamber. If you don’t have their opinion you get attacked.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think AEM teacher is setting himself for a school board run once he retires, like Paul. There’s no reason to speak at every school board meeting otherwise. He’s just run out of topics, so let’s just “suggest” that option schools end?

Well that's not going to a popular position anyways, and then he has the gall to make it after pushing so hard for VLP for his OWN kid? Rules for me but not for thee? No thanks.

Also, people are going to do what's best for their own kids, always, and I don't fault them for that. Don't call other parents racist or unethical for doing it.

It’s a popular position for the ACDC types who love to talk about diversity and equity but don’t live those values irl.

Forgot the quote. I’m new to DCUM!