Arlington Traditional School

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:ATS doesn’t follow a different curriculum, and yes, they use iPads in the classroom.

One benefit of homework is that parents catch when their child isn’t grasping a concept, and can work on it at home. There’s no surprise at the end of the year that your child was struggling.

At the end of the day, it’s still a public school with large class sizes. If you can afford it, there are many private schools in the area that are far superior.

Also, ATS crossed the threshold this year to become a Title 1 (high poverty) school. Only time will tell if they can remain one of our higher performing elementary schools.

ATS didn’t cross some threshold. The demographics didn’t suddenly change. Arlington changed the way title 1 eligibility is calculated. That’s it.

Yes, agree.

I think its sort of unspoken that ATS has drawn from the under performing South Arlington schools and to a lesser extent from minority families in North Arlington uncomfortable with the mostly white elementary schools for which they are zoned. Most (white) families dominating the North Arlington zones prefer their neighborhood schools which are filled with the thing that ATS parents tout: involved parents who engage with the school.

Arlington is filled with super involved parents who engage with the school. That’s not the type engagement that ATS parents tout. ATS parents are engaged not with the school but specifically with academics. You won’t find hundreds of parents volunteering with the PTA. What you will find is hundreds of parents caring about what their kids are learning in class, helping them with their homework, and demanding that their kids have more challenging work.

Seriously? Get over yourself.

No the PP who i am responding to should get over him or herself. People keep making claims about ATS parents which simply aren’t true. ATS’ PTA keeps begging for volunteers. ATS parents are simply not that great in volunteering. They aren’t super engaged when it comes to organizing activities for the school (though there is a small dedicated group that does). They are engaged with making sure that their kids do their homework and care when their kid comes home with a lower grade.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:ATS doesn’t follow a different curriculum, and yes, they use iPads in the classroom.

One benefit of homework is that parents catch when their child isn’t grasping a concept, and can work on it at home. There’s no surprise at the end of the year that your child was struggling.

At the end of the day, it’s still a public school with large class sizes. If you can afford it, there are many private schools in the area that are far superior.

Also, ATS crossed the threshold this year to become a Title 1 (high poverty) school. Only time will tell if they can remain one of our higher performing elementary schools.

ATS didn’t cross some threshold. The demographics didn’t suddenly change. Arlington changed the way title 1 eligibility is calculated. That’s it.

Demographics HAVE changed due to increased focus on getting more VPI kids in the school.

Clearly you aren’t an ATS parent
Cuz u have no idea what’s going on. Actually there are less spots for VPI students now. Disappointing because they added a lot to diversity of school. This was the result of APS deciding that lottery was unfair because so many seats are taken by VPI students.

And yet… it’s Title 1.

You don’t get it do you? We are excited that it is a title 1 school. It means more resources for ATS kids. There is nothing wrong with being a title 1 school unless of course you are a person that hates poor people.

That may be true of current parents, but there are families who won't apply to ATS going forward because it's a Title 1 school and that is often equated with lower performance, attendance issues and behavior issues. Those may or may not be issues for ATS specifically, but being Title 1 isn't universally viewed as beneficial.

That’s great. That would just mean a slightly shorter waitlist. The immigrants who apply to ATS, rich or poor, are the type of people who care about behavior and rigorous education standards. Now if a bunch of dumb superficial parents are no longer going to apply because of the title 1 designation then so be it.

To add to this. ATS has two things that turns many parents away: homework and grades. The type of parents who apply to ATS will always be the type that want their kids to have homework and want their kids to have grades.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:ATS doesn’t follow a different curriculum, and yes, they use iPads in the classroom.

One benefit of homework is that parents catch when their child isn’t grasping a concept, and can work on it at home. There’s no surprise at the end of the year that your child was struggling.

At the end of the day, it’s still a public school with large class sizes. If you can afford it, there are many private schools in the area that are far superior.

Also, ATS crossed the threshold this year to become a Title 1 (high poverty) school. Only time will tell if they can remain one of our higher performing elementary schools.

ATS didn’t cross some threshold. The demographics didn’t suddenly change. Arlington changed the way title 1 eligibility is calculated. That’s it.

Demographics HAVE changed due to increased focus on getting more VPI kids in the school.

Clearly you aren’t an ATS parent
Cuz u have no idea what’s going on. Actually there are less spots for VPI students now. Disappointing because they added a lot to diversity of school. This was the result of APS deciding that lottery was unfair because so many seats are taken by VPI students.

And yet… it’s Title 1.

You don’t get it do you? We are excited that it is a title 1 school. It means more resources for ATS kids. There is nothing wrong with being a title 1 school unless of course you are a person that hates poor people.

That may be true of current parents, but there are families who won't apply to ATS going forward because it's a Title 1 school and that is often equated with lower performance, attendance issues and behavior issues. Those may or may not be issues for ATS specifically, but being Title 1 isn't universally viewed as beneficial.

That’s great. That would just mean a slightly shorter waitlist. The immigrants who apply to ATS, rich or poor, are the type of people who care about behavior and rigorous education standards. Now if a bunch of dumb superficial parents are no longer going to apply because of the title 1 designation then so be it.

To add to this. ATS has two things that turns many parents away: homework and grades. The type of parents who apply to ATS will always be the type that want their kids to have homework and want their kids to have grades.

We also are the type who don’t mind our kids being forced to do things they don’t want to do. ATS 4th and 5th graders have to be part of band or orchestra. It isn’t a choice. All students have to participate in a class play. It isn’t a choice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:ATS doesn’t follow a different curriculum, and yes, they use iPads in the classroom.

One benefit of homework is that parents catch when their child isn’t grasping a concept, and can work on it at home. There’s no surprise at the end of the year that your child was struggling.

At the end of the day, it’s still a public school with large class sizes. If you can afford it, there are many private schools in the area that are far superior.

Also, ATS crossed the threshold this year to become a Title 1 (high poverty) school. Only time will tell if they can remain one of our higher performing elementary schools.

ATS didn’t cross some threshold. The demographics didn’t suddenly change. Arlington changed the way title 1 eligibility is calculated. That’s it.

Demographics HAVE changed due to increased focus on getting more VPI kids in the school.

Clearly you aren’t an ATS parent
Cuz u have no idea what’s going on. Actually there are less spots for VPI students now. Disappointing because they added a lot to diversity of school. This was the result of APS deciding that lottery was unfair because so many seats are taken by VPI students.

And yet… it’s Title 1.

You don’t get it do you? We are excited that it is a title 1 school. It means more resources for ATS kids. There is nothing wrong with being a title 1 school unless of course you are a person that hates poor people.

That may be true of current parents, but there are families who won't apply to ATS going forward because it's a Title 1 school and that is often equated with lower performance, attendance issues and behavior issues. Those may or may not be issues for ATS specifically, but being Title 1 isn't universally viewed as beneficial.

That’s great. That would just mean a slightly shorter waitlist. The immigrants who apply to ATS, rich or poor, are the type of people who care about behavior and rigorous education standards. Now if a bunch of dumb superficial parents are no longer going to apply because of the title 1 designation then so be it.

Being Title 1 will impact the choice of some parents who are seeking the most rigorous APS education option. Those are parents that ATS wants, as they likely have high performing kids. If fewer of those kids attend, ATS test scores could dip which would then impact more high performing kids choosing to attend ATS. It could be a very negative feedback loop.

I don't think ATS is going to crumble overnight, but I don't think you should be quite so bullish either.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:ATS doesn’t follow a different curriculum, and yes, they use iPads in the classroom.

One benefit of homework is that parents catch when their child isn’t grasping a concept, and can work on it at home. There’s no surprise at the end of the year that your child was struggling.

At the end of the day, it’s still a public school with large class sizes. If you can afford it, there are many private schools in the area that are far superior.

Also, ATS crossed the threshold this year to become a Title 1 (high poverty) school. Only time will tell if they can remain one of our higher performing elementary schools.

ATS didn’t cross some threshold. The demographics didn’t suddenly change. Arlington changed the way title 1 eligibility is calculated. That’s it.

Yes, agree.

I think its sort of unspoken that ATS has drawn from the under performing South Arlington schools and to a lesser extent from minority families in North Arlington uncomfortable with the mostly white elementary schools for which they are zoned. Most (white) families dominating the North Arlington zones prefer their neighborhood schools which are filled with the thing that ATS parents tout: involved parents who engage with the school.

Arlington is filled with super involved parents who engage with the school. That’s not the type engagement that ATS parents tout. ATS parents are engaged not with the school but specifically with academics. You won’t find hundreds of parents volunteering with the PTA. What you will find is hundreds of parents caring about what their kids are learning in class, helping them with their homework, and demanding that their kids have more challenging work.

Seriously? Get over yourself.

No the PP who i am responding to should get over him or herself. People keep making claims about ATS parents which simply aren’t true. ATS’ PTA keeps begging for volunteers. ATS parents are simply not that great in volunteering. They aren’t super engaged when it comes to organizing activities for the school (though there is a small dedicated group that does). They are engaged with making sure that their kids do their homework and care when their kid comes home with a lower grade.

This same thing is true in neighborhood elementary schools. They are often begging for volunteers and there are maybe a half dozen in the grade doing most of the work. I've been at two elementaries and have friends with kids in others. If you really think at neighborhood schools none of the parents care about a kid's academics, that's not the case.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:ATS doesn’t follow a different curriculum, and yes, they use iPads in the classroom.

One benefit of homework is that parents catch when their child isn’t grasping a concept, and can work on it at home. There’s no surprise at the end of the year that your child was struggling.

At the end of the day, it’s still a public school with large class sizes. If you can afford it, there are many private schools in the area that are far superior.

Also, ATS crossed the threshold this year to become a Title 1 (high poverty) school. Only time will tell if they can remain one of our higher performing elementary schools.

ATS didn’t cross some threshold. The demographics didn’t suddenly change. Arlington changed the way title 1 eligibility is calculated. That’s it.

Yes, agree.

I think its sort of unspoken that ATS has drawn from the under performing South Arlington schools and to a lesser extent from minority families in North Arlington uncomfortable with the mostly white elementary schools for which they are zoned. Most (white) families dominating the North Arlington zones prefer their neighborhood schools which are filled with the thing that ATS parents tout: involved parents who engage with the school.

Arlington is filled with super involved parents who engage with the school. That’s not the type engagement that ATS parents tout. ATS parents are engaged not with the school but specifically with academics. You won’t find hundreds of parents volunteering with the PTA. What you will find is hundreds of parents caring about what their kids are learning in class, helping them with their homework, and demanding that their kids have more challenging work.

Seriously? Get over yourself.

No the PP who i am responding to should get over him or herself. People keep making claims about ATS parents which simply aren’t true. ATS’ PTA keeps begging for volunteers. ATS parents are simply not that great in volunteering. They aren’t super engaged when it comes to organizing activities for the school (though there is a small dedicated group that does). They are engaged with making sure that their kids do their homework and care when their kid comes home with a lower grade.

This same thing is true in neighborhood elementary schools. They are often begging for volunteers and there are maybe a half dozen in the grade doing most of the work. I've been at two elementaries and have friends with kids in others. If you really think at neighborhood schools none of the parents care about a kid's academics, that's not the case.

Where do I say that neighborhood school parents don’t care about academics? I am saying that ATS parents as a demographic care specifically about certain things with respect to academics that other parents and that’s what distinguishes the way they are engaged with the school. They care about homework. They care about grades. As a group, they wanted ATS to continue with the grading system even though the rest of APS schools abandoned it. They generally as a group want their kids to have homework and lots of it. Otherwise they wouldn’t be in the school. Otherwise they are not more engaged in the school than parents of neighboring Tuckahoe for example or let’s say Cardinal. Arguably they are actually less engaged. For example I dropped the my kids off and picked them up their first day of school. Nothing special was going on. It was like every other day. Then I went to with my kids to pick up their friend from Cardinal along with her parents (which ends after ATS ends). Cardinal parents put a lot of effort in making the first day of school special. We didn’t do that in ATS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:ATS doesn’t follow a different curriculum, and yes, they use iPads in the classroom.

One benefit of homework is that parents catch when their child isn’t grasping a concept, and can work on it at home. There’s no surprise at the end of the year that your child was struggling.

At the end of the day, it’s still a public school with large class sizes. If you can afford it, there are many private schools in the area that are far superior.

Also, ATS crossed the threshold this year to become a Title 1 (high poverty) school. Only time will tell if they can remain one of our higher performing elementary schools.

ATS didn’t cross some threshold. The demographics didn’t suddenly change. Arlington changed the way title 1 eligibility is calculated. That’s it.

Demographics HAVE changed due to increased focus on getting more VPI kids in the school.

Clearly you aren’t an ATS parent
Cuz u have no idea what’s going on. Actually there are less spots for VPI students now. Disappointing because they added a lot to diversity of school. This was the result of APS deciding that lottery was unfair because so many seats are taken by VPI students.

And yet… it’s Title 1.

You don’t get it do you? We are excited that it is a title 1 school. It means more resources for ATS kids. There is nothing wrong with being a title 1 school unless of course you are a person that hates poor people.

That may be true of current parents, but there are families who won't apply to ATS going forward because it's a Title 1 school and that is often equated with lower performance, attendance issues and behavior issues. Those may or may not be issues for ATS specifically, but being Title 1 isn't universally viewed as beneficial.

That’s great. That would just mean a slightly shorter waitlist. The immigrants who apply to ATS, rich or poor, are the type of people who care about behavior and rigorous education standards. Now if a bunch of dumb superficial parents are no longer going to apply because of the title 1 designation then so be it.

Being Title 1 will impact the choice of some parents who are seeking the most rigorous APS education option. Those are parents that ATS wants, as they likely have high performing kids. If fewer of those kids attend, ATS test scores could dip which would then impact more high performing kids choosing to attend ATS. It could be a very negative feedback loop.

I don't think ATS is going to crumble overnight, but I don't think you should be quite so bullish either.

The waiting list is super long. There are simply a lot of parents who care about academics that don’t care about title 1 designations. I have an immigrant background. I just want to put my kids in a school that gives homework, has grades, has a dress code, and updates me weekly about how my child is doing. Parents at ATS who come from low income backgrounds tend to have the same mentality as me. And when they find out from the weekly summary that their kid isn’t doing well for one reason or another they care about fixing that. Not only do they care about fixing that but ATS gives those kids additional support. For example my friends kids came from oakridge I believe. Both her kids were behind in math and reading. Without her even saying anything (she came in knowing they were behind and was hoping they would improve), a few weeks after them getting in, ATS decided they both need extra math and reading support and had them enrolled in some after school math and reading program. The parents keep up to date with how their kids are doing and when admin sees that certain kids are falling behind they are immediately offered extra support not just inside the classroom but after school as well.