Feedback on Jefferson MS, Arlington and Apartments for Asian Family

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The issue with Jefferson MS is that, depending upon how the boundaries for the new APS middle school are drawn, Jefferson could end up a school without very many high achieving students and many students with special needs.

please explain. i find it offensive.

Special needs = more students needing remedial help and assistance learning English. Fact is overcrowding is expected at every MS and it could make Jefferson less attractive for parents who want a challenging environment for their kids and not a school whete the primary focus is getting kids up to basic competency levels. Sorry if you're offended, but it's a risk factor for that area until decisions are made to address the overcrowding.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
The issue with Jefferson MS is that, depending upon how the boundaries for the new APS middle school are drawn, Jefferson could end up a school without very many high achieving students and many students with special needs.

please explain. i find it offensive.

Special needs = more students needing remedial help and assistance learning English. Fact is overcrowding is expected at every MS and it could make Jefferson less attractive for parents who want a challenging environment for their kids and not a school whete the primary focus is getting kids up to basic competency levels. Sorry if you're offended, but it's a risk factor for that area until decisions are made to address the overcrowding.

You seem pretty out of touch. This is not the standard definition of "special needs." Look no further than the DCUM special needs thread to see that. "Special needs" refers to disabilities of various kinds. Being an ESL student is NOT a special need. Many ESL students are very bright, work hard, and quickly graduate ESL programs.

Also, just why do you think anyone in Arlington Co. would accept the type of situation you are describing? The county has already created "attendance islands" for Yorktown and W-L to ensure that those schools aren't too "white." Families in S. Arlington are already fed up with the preferential treatment that N. Arlington schools get. They will not stand for having their middle schools become a permanent second tier to the North side schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
The issue with Jefferson MS is that, depending upon how the boundaries for the new APS middle school are drawn, Jefferson could end up a school without very many high achieving students and many students with special needs.

please explain. i find it offensive.

Special needs = more students needing remedial help and assistance learning English. Fact is overcrowding is expected at every MS and it could make Jefferson less attractive for parents who want a challenging environment for their kids and not a school whete the primary focus is getting kids up to basic competency levels. Sorry if you're offended, but it's a risk factor for that area until decisions are made to address the overcrowding.

You seem pretty out of touch. This is not the standard definition of "special needs." Look no further than the DCUM special needs thread to see that. "Special needs" refers to disabilities of various kinds. Being an ESL student is NOT a special need. Many ESL students are very bright, work hard, and quickly graduate ESL programs.

Also, just why do you think anyone in Arlington Co. would accept the type of situation you are describing? The county has already created "attendance islands" for Yorktown and W-L to ensure that those schools aren't too "white." Families in S. Arlington are already fed up with the preferential treatment that N. Arlington schools get. They will not stand for having their middle schools become a permanent second tier to the North side schools.

APS has said there will be boundary changes whether the decision is to open a new middle school or add capacity to Williamsburg and Swanson. Based on the options I've seen and the fact that Gunston is also expected to be overcrowded, it seems likely Jefferson will end up a school that is more focused on SOLs and basic competency levels. It won't matter to APS because Jefferson is already considered second-tier, as you put it.

[Anonymous]

APS has said there will be boundary changes whether the decision is to open a new middle school or add capacity to Williamsburg and Swanson. Based on the options I've seen and the fact that Gunston is also expected to be overcrowded, it seems likely Jefferson will end up a school that is more focused on SOLs and basic competency levels. It won't matter to APS because Jefferson is already considered second-tier, as you put it.

You're fooling yourself if you think that there are any Arlington schools that are not "more focused" on the SOLs than others. If anything, the top performing schools have more to lose if their scores fall.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

APS has said there will be boundary changes whether the decision is to open a new middle school or add capacity to Williamsburg and Swanson. Based on the options I've seen and the fact that Gunston is also expected to be overcrowded, it seems likely Jefferson will end up a school that is more focused on SOLs and basic competency levels. It won't matter to APS because Jefferson is already considered second-tier, as you put it.

You're fooling yourself if you think that there are any Arlington schools that are not "more focused" on the SOLs than others. If anything, the top performing schools have more to lose if their scores fall.

That's not really the case, and you know it.

[Anonymous]

I think it's you that is in the dark.

[Anonymous]

http://www.apsva.us/cms/lib2/VA01000586/Centricity/Domain/110/Preliminary_Boundary_Concepts.pdf

[Anonymous]

What does a series of maps have to do with the fact that pretty much every school in APS is teaching to the test?

[Anonymous]

With the IB curriculum steadily gaining ground around the country, and the world, I'm having a hard time imaginging Arlington taking steps to water down the curriculum of an IB Middle Years Program by catering more to kids needing remedial work. I see them as doing more differentiation instead. I expect them to hire a Chinese teacher within two or three years. Anybody else thinking this way?

[Anonymous]

With the IB curriculum steadily gaining ground around the country, and the world, I'm having a hard time imaginging Arlington taking steps to water down the curriculum of an IB Middle Years Program by catering more to kids needing remedial work. I see them as doing more differentiation instead. I expect them to hire a Chinese teacher within two or three years. Anybody else thinking this way?

Yes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Arlington Heights and Alcova Heights neighborhoods are in a great location, between Route 50 and Columbia Pike (Arlington Heights on the east and Alcova Heights on the west). Super easy to get downtown and to north Arlington, already lots of new development along the Pike, and the potential streetcar (love it or hate it, it will increase neighboring property values). There is also the Penrose neighborhood, just east of Arlington Heights (bordered on the other side by Washington Blvd--quick access to 50 and 395) and Ft Myer. You should be able to find something for $700K in this area.

did you forget to tell her about HS?

No, it's Wakefield, one of three excellent comprehensive high schools in Arlington.

Not as good as McLean HS, ah snap.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:



Anonymous wrote:
The Arlington Heights and Alcova Heights neighborhoods are in a great location, between Route 50 and Columbia Pike (Arlington Heights on the east and Alcova Heights on the west). Super easy to get downtown and to north Arlington, already lots of new development along the Pike, and the potential streetcar (love it or hate it, it will increase neighboring property values). There is also the Penrose neighborhood, just east of Arlington Heights (bordered on the other side by Washington Blvd--quick access to 50 and 395) and Ft Myer. You should be able to find something for $700K in this area.

did you forget to tell her about HS?

No, it's Wakefield, one of three excellent comprehensive high schools in Arlington.

Not as good as McLean HS, ah snap.

LOL. Everyone in FFX knows there are at least 3 FFX high schools better than McLean.