APS: New High School forum tonight 7-9 pm at Yorktown

[Anonymous]

I will definitely sign a petition. I just sent an email to the SB members.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you have posted here and are concerned about what the School Board will decide for the new high school, please come tonight! If we don't get more people to come out, they will build the 4,000 seat W-L. Don't fall for their bait and switch tactics - "first we build 1300 and then we'll give you a fourth comprehensive high school later". If they don't build 1300 seats at Kenmore, we will never have bonding capacity nor the land to build a fourth comprehensive.

If you can't come tonight, please email:

[e-mail]

Dear Members of the School Board:

I am a voter in Arlington and I strongly favor building more high school seats that gives the easiest path to a fourth comprehensive high school. Please wait to build at the Ed Center until a future time when we need to expand all high schools. Our community does not like the idea of 4,000 students at the same campus - regardless of what kind of instructional program it is. A 4,000 seat high school creates serious inequities in the county. Please vote to build at Kenmore with a co-located high school and middle school on the large 32-acre site. This plan is the only plan that establishes a solid pathway to a fourth comprehensive high school. The traffic in all of Arlington is poor; however, Carlin Springs can be workable. It would be better to have spread-out start times with high school, middle and elementary all starting at different times. The Ed Center site would create an absolute nightmare with 4,000 kids all starting at the same time.

Thank you

I cannot find any information on this forum is actually taking place tonight???

It is tonight (Tues 4/25) at the Yorktown HS cafeteria, 7-9pm.

Any link anywhere

[Anonymous]

Link:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeZtFlZcvn--hPsvZcQI6dyw5A99BtaqfM2CrTWu_tQ3KbLCQ/viewform?c=0&w=1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So glad you are working on a petition. THANK you so much!

+1

Another +1

THE PETITION IS NOW LIVE (I think!)

https://www.change.org/p/aps-school-board-build-aps-new-high-school-seats-at-kenmore?recruiter=712535660&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=share_email_responsive

Could someone please create a separate post here promoting the petition? And also please share on AEM and elsewhere to get the word around. I need to get back to other things. Thanks and I hope this helps.

[Anonymous]

Does anyone have suggestions for how to best convey your support for a 4th high school without speaking at this meeting? I've attended a few forums on capacity before, namely one about a month ago at Discovery and a candidate forum about the Reed School. I have preschool aged kids and have found that most questions asked are pointed and pertain to very specific issues (like boundaries in a particular neighborhood, traffic on specific streets, etc). It was all interesting and important I know, but my concerns are more general - like will my kids have the opportunity to attend all of their classes in an actual school building. Will extracurricular activities and shared facilities be expanded proportional to the student population. Will my children be expected to obtain internships to make up for the lack of capacity.

I don't have questions about specific proposed academic programs because, honestly, my kids are 4 and 2 and it's a little difficult to envision what type of program may be appropriate for them in 10-12 years. I don't have any comments on how current overcrowding and policies have affected my kids, because they're not in school yet. I'm just uncomfortable with staying in a system where specialized programs are being developed to create "seats" that are limited in scope, or with the idea that we'll need to win some sort of lottery to get into the right program for our kids.

I'm just not sure what my attendance does to convey support one way or the other.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone have suggestions for how to best convey your support for a 4th high school without speaking at this meeting? I've attended a few forums on capacity before, namely one about a month ago at Discovery and a candidate forum about the Reed School. I have preschool aged kids and have found that most questions asked are pointed and pertain to very specific issues (like boundaries in a particular neighborhood, traffic on specific streets, etc). It was all interesting and important I know, but my concerns are more general - like will my kids have the opportunity to attend all of their classes in an actual school building. Will extracurricular activities and shared facilities be expanded proportional to the student population. Will my children be expected to obtain internships to make up for the lack of capacity.

I don't have questions about specific proposed academic programs because, honestly, my kids are 4 and 2 and it's a little difficult to envision what type of program may be appropriate for them in 10-12 years. I don't have any comments on how current overcrowding and policies have affected my kids, because they're not in school yet. I'm just uncomfortable with staying in a system where specialized programs are being developed to create "seats" that are limited in scope, or with the idea that we'll need to win some sort of lottery to get into the right program for our kids.

I'm just not sure what my attendance does to convey support one way or the other.

Right here. This is what you have to say, and what they need to hear. Come and say that. Send an email to all the Board members, especially Barbara, Reid, and frankly Lander since enough pressure between now and the caucus could help him sway his vote.

They need to know parents like you are paying attention.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone have suggestions for how to best convey your support for a 4th high school without speaking at this meeting? I've attended a few forums on capacity before, namely one about a month ago at Discovery and a candidate forum about the Reed School. I have preschool aged kids and have found that most questions asked are pointed and pertain to very specific issues (like boundaries in a particular neighborhood, traffic on specific streets, etc). It was all interesting and important I know, but my concerns are more general - like will my kids have the opportunity to attend all of their classes in an actual school building. Will extracurricular activities and shared facilities be expanded proportional to the student population. Will my children be expected to obtain internships to make up for the lack of capacity.

Given their ages, no. School districts don't build for peak enrollment, and APS won't have the bonding capacity to stay ahead of peak enrollment anyway.

But it is important to tell the school board that (if this is the case), your top priority is for all students, including your kids, to attend 13 years of school in reasonably sized APS classes during a standard school day and standard school year. That you have no objection to allowing students to earn credit for internships, etc, but that programs need to be designed to meet the needs of students, not to accommodate shortcomings (don't use that word, they'll get defensive) in APS planning.

Maybe write a column/letter to the editor for ArlNow? I think the school board looks for ways to pretend something isn't an issue that most people care about, just a few parents of current students.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone have suggestions for how to best convey your support for a 4th high school without speaking at this meeting? I've attended a few forums on capacity before, namely one about a month ago at Discovery and a candidate forum about the Reed School. I have preschool aged kids and have found that most questions asked are pointed and pertain to very specific issues (like boundaries in a particular neighborhood, traffic on specific streets, etc). It was all interesting and important I know, but my concerns are more general - like will my kids have the opportunity to attend all of their classes in an actual school building. Will extracurricular activities and shared facilities be expanded proportional to the student population. Will my children be expected to obtain internships to make up for the lack of capacity.

I don't have questions about specific proposed academic programs because, honestly, my kids are 4 and 2 and it's a little difficult to envision what type of program may be appropriate for them in 10-12 years. I don't have any comments on how current overcrowding and policies have affected my kids, because they're not in school yet. I'm just uncomfortable with staying in a system where specialized programs are being developed to create "seats" that are limited in scope, or with the idea that we'll need to win some sort of lottery to get into the right program for our kids.

I'm just not sure what my attendance does to convey support one way or the other.

Right here. This is what you have to say, and what they need to hear. Come and say that. Send an email to all the Board members, especially Barbara, Reid, and frankly Lander since enough pressure between now and the caucus could help him sway his vote.

They need to know parents like you are paying attention.

I'm in your situation, too with kids too little to know which program would be best for them. Maybe this is wishful thinking, but I think it makes me almost better equipped to advocate for kids as a whole, as I'm completely behind a veil of ignorance, of sorts. I'm working to advocate for what I think is the best school for your average run-of-the-mill kid, which in my opinion is a high-quality neighborhood school with fewer than 4k kids!

[Anonymous]

Parents of young children need to speak up. Your kids will be much more affected that those with students already in HS.

[Anonymous]

Sorry, I will NOT SIGN that petition.

No one should be complaining about 4k students at WL when the kenmore option would do the same thing to one of the poorest neighborhoods in town.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sorry, I will NOT SIGN that petition.

No one should be complaining about 4k students at WL when the kenmore option would do the same thing to one of the poorest neighborhoods in town.

How does Kenmore become a 4000 seat high school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sorry, I will NOT SIGN that petition.

No one should be complaining about 4k students at WL when the kenmore option would do the same thing to one of the poorest neighborhoods in town.

I think your information is incorrect. In the short run, it would put 1,300 HS seats co-located with the MS. The goal is to move the MS, and build out the HS there. The result is 4 comprehensive high schools each with 2-3K students. Huge redistricting, which could re-balance a lot of the economic equality at least among three schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sorry, I will NOT SIGN that petition.

No one should be complaining about 4k students at WL when the kenmore option would do the same thing to one of the poorest neighborhoods in town.

How does Kenmore become a 4000 seat high school?

They are confusing 4000 students spanning elementary middle and high school in close proximity to 4000 high school students on a single and smaller campus

Pretty sure those elementary kids won't be competing for varsity sport spots unlike at WL.

[Anonymous]

It wouldn't be 4000 even counting middle and elementary school students. I think someone earlier said 2800.

No one wants any 4000 seat schools. This is to start the process of getting a 4th equal high school with hopefully all of the same amenities and a diverse population (hopefully redistricting could accomplish this at the high school level county wide).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sorry, I will NOT SIGN that petition.

No one should be complaining about 4k students at WL when the kenmore option would do the same thing to one of the poorest neighborhoods in town.

Having a walkable school would add to a community where parents may not be able to participate in evening activities because they don't have a car. We would be giving them a small high school in the near-term and a fabulous middle school on the VHC campus.