Specifically on-topic contributors to the Drew boundary issue only please -

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Here's a suggestion: make Claremont a neighborhood school and move immersion into Drew. Makes the most sense. It's environmentally and economically responsible plus it doesn't increase traffic.

Let's focus on real world solutions, we know this is not on the table. They have foreclosed moving any other option schools. If they just tweak the current Abingdon/Barcroft/Fleet/Drew boundaries slightly, there is the possibility of better alignment, diversity, and even proximity. Not sure about efficiency because I haven't done those calculations yet.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wish I had a way of overlaying the demographics and the proximity maps on top of each other. I think they intentionally find the stupidest map they can create for demographics just to make people see how ridiculous boundaries would be if we consider diversity.

Someone who has a better visualization ability than I do: what would things look like if we concocted a mash-up of proximity and diversity?

You don't need a mapping program or spatial analysis to do this. Low income students are highly, highly concentrated in specific planning units. Basically, the Pike west of Glebe needs to be cracked across as many schools as possible so that SFH have a prayer of kinda balancing out AH at each school. Unfortunately it's a matter of busing apartment dwellers out because, I'm pretty sure, they vastly outnumber kids in SFH. It's a little different t than busing in the 70s and 80, because Nauck is largely a neighborhood of SFH and duplexes, then and now. We could have bused white kids in but that was a political no go, then as now too. Can't really bus kids into Randolph and Barcroft and Drew and carlin that aren't already zoned there, there just aren't enough.

There are more than 100 UMC kids in the Fairlington unit across 395. It is already a bused unit- so not a walk zone issue. Move it to drew making room for Columbia Forest at Abingdon. It would make a dramatic difference.

+1

In addition to moving the two Henry PUs? What does "dramatic difference" look like? 70%? 65% What's our goal?

It brings Drew to about 50% FARMS, and keeps Abingdon at 50% FARMS. I would leave Henry PU alone. It improves Alingment b/c then Drew feeds to Gunston and Jefferson and not also to Kenmore. It improves contiguity and I would think efficiency. Its a short straight shot from that part of Fairlington to Drew. In order to keep contiguity it does require moving 36091 to Drew as well, which is arguibly in the Abindgon walk zone. But this is a tiny planning unit of downtown Shirlington. APS says it has 7 students. I honestly don't see how it has any b/c I don't think there is any residential housing there. Either way 7 additional bused students is not going to make a financial difference to the bus system.
It means that Columbia Forest, which has historically been at Abingdon can continue to go there. It also has the advantage that those PUs have not then been touched so that if something happens in 2021 with Carlin Springs going option, etc- they can still be moved as needed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here's a suggestion: make Claremont a neighborhood school and move immersion into Drew. Makes the most sense. It's environmentally and economically responsible plus it doesn't increase traffic.

There's a lot of history regarding Drew's status a neighborhood vs choice school. It's been a choice school -- Montessori -- since 1971, when the county began busing all the AA kids out of Nauck. The Civic Assn is all old timers now but it's long been their mission to make a Drew a neighborhood school.

Well since immersion is a choice program can move into another facility. Columbia Forrest needs Claremont. Needs take priority over wants.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here's a suggestion: make Claremont a neighborhood school and move immersion into Drew. Makes the most sense. It's environmentally and economically responsible plus it doesn't increase traffic.

Let's focus on real world solutions, we know this is not on the table. They have foreclosed moving any other option schools. If they just tweak the current Abingdon/Barcroft/Fleet/Drew boundaries slightly, there is the possibility of better alignment, diversity, and even proximity. Not sure about efficiency because I haven't done those calculations yet.

I disagree. CF has been ferrying thier elementary school kids for over 30 years. Now we have e significant student population increase, It needs to be done. The SB makes tons of promises they don't keep. Why should this time be any different? CF needs to demand this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here's a suggestion: make Claremont a neighborhood school and move immersion into Drew. Makes the most sense. It's environmentally and economically responsible plus it doesn't increase traffic.

Let's focus on real world solutions, we know this is not on the table. They have foreclosed moving any other option schools. If they just tweak the current Abingdon/Barcroft/Fleet/Drew boundaries slightly, there is the possibility of better alignment, diversity, and even proximity. Not sure about efficiency because I haven't done those calculations yet.

That's not accurate. They tabled the discussion of it last spring, saying it could be revisited this fall. Now, if they're going to move it, they should be moving with this boundary change; but that's not the same as having foreclosed on any relocations of option programs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just so we have some understanding here, Randolph has been at around 70% for years.
There has been no meaningful change to that school’s demographics in that time.
So if you think you are accomplishing anything by starting Drew at around 70%, the only thing you are accomplishing is guaranteeing it remains an underperforming school for the next couple of decades.

Randolph is 92% fr/l in its boundary, but the actual school fr/l rate is in the 70s. If Drew were 70% fr/l in the boundary, what would its actual rate be? Can we guess?

Unclear, because APS doesn't report statistics, like farms, by sending school in their transfer reports.

Randolph is a bit unique because it's a major source of native speakers at claremont; if half the school is native speakers, transfers to claremont are almost a quarter of that. We can only assume that Randolph's actual rate is lower because it sent 160 students to option schools in 2016-17. About half to claremont, 25 to montessori, the other 60 or so were scattered to various schools. People generally assume that it's UMC optioning out of high poverty neighborhood schools, but the fact that randolphs resident zone is 92% farms and it's actual rate is 20 pts lower is an indication that it's probably disproportionally poor kids who are opting out. Obviously, the native speaker/claremont connection is a big factor for that school.

Drew's zone sent far fewer kids to option schools (100 vs 160) and about 50 to claremont. But, it's not clear those are native speakers, poor kids or both. Nauck has a Latino population but it could be just as easily UMC anglos, whose departure would make Drew's 83% resident rate rise, not fall.

This is making a strong argument for putting all immersion programs in south Arlington, and potentially creating a third. Everyone was losing their mind on prior threads re: making Barcroft or Carlin Springs immersion. Maybe they both need to be immersion.

Carlin Springs, for sure. Barcroft is physically impractical due to the physical constraints of the bus loop/lack of parking/tight fit nestled among residences. I've see their current two buses try to maneuver out of there during morning drop-off....no way 7 or 8 buses would work - and there is no parking for all the people who would be driving for events, etc. I don't believe we can support a third separate immersion program right now - unless all three are comfortably under-crowded, which would not be fair to the remaining neighborhood schools. But I do think the Key program should be moved to ATS. That's still close to a large Spanish-speaking population as well as more affluent north arlington families, and it is more "accessible" in regards to buses and parking.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here's a suggestion: make Claremont a neighborhood school and move immersion into Drew. Makes the most sense. It's environmentally and economically responsible plus it doesn't increase traffic.

Let's focus on real world solutions, we know this is not on the table. They have foreclosed moving any other option schools. If they just tweak the current Abingdon/Barcroft/Fleet/Drew boundaries slightly, there is the possibility of better alignment, diversity, and even proximity. Not sure about efficiency because I haven't done those calculations yet.

I disagree. CF has been ferrying thier elementary school kids for over 30 years. Now we have e significant student population increase, It needs to be done. The SB makes tons of promises they don't keep. Why should this time be any different? CF needs to demand this.

Look, I don't disagree with you, but the time to be demanding this was months ago. It's obvious and I have been saying this for months to anyone who'd listen, but you didn't go to office hours and pester the SB while the Henry parents did. And they have to make the decision within the next three months. It's too late for Immersion to be moved from Claremont, because they've already voted that Drew would be neighborhood and the only other spot it could move to (Carlin Springs) is not involved in this process.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here's a suggestion: make Claremont a neighborhood school and move immersion into Drew. Makes the most sense. It's environmentally and economically responsible plus it doesn't increase traffic.

Let's focus on real world solutions, we know this is not on the table. They have foreclosed moving any other option schools. If they just tweak the current Abingdon/Barcroft/Fleet/Drew boundaries slightly, there is the possibility of better alignment, diversity, and even proximity. Not sure about efficiency because I haven't done those calculations yet.

I disagree. CF has been ferrying thier elementary school kids for over 30 years. Now we have e significant student population increase, It needs to be done. The SB makes tons of promises they don't keep. Why should this time be any different? CF needs to demand this.

Look, I don't disagree with you, but the time to be demanding this was months ago. It's obvious and I have been saying this for months to anyone who'd listen, but you didn't go to office hours and pester the SB while the Henry parents did. And they have to make the decision within the next three months. It's too late for Immersion to be moved from Claremont, because they've already voted that Drew would be neighborhood and the only other spot it could move to (Carlin Springs) is not involved in this process.

I'm not convinced that Claremont should be neighborhood- but if you leave those units at Abingdon then there is still that possibility bc then they haven't been moved. Whereas if they move to Drew or Barcroft then won't be able to move them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here's a suggestion: make Claremont a neighborhood school and move immersion into Drew. Makes the most sense. It's environmentally and economically responsible plus it doesn't increase traffic.

Let's focus on real world solutions, we know this is not on the table. They have foreclosed moving any other option schools. If they just tweak the current Abingdon/Barcroft/Fleet/Drew boundaries slightly, there is the possibility of better alignment, diversity, and even proximity. Not sure about efficiency because I haven't done those calculations yet.

I disagree. CF has been ferrying thier elementary school kids for over 30 years. Now we have e significant student population increase, It needs to be done. The SB makes tons of promises they don't keep. Why should this time be any different? CF needs to demand this.

Look, I don't disagree with you, but the time to be demanding this was months ago. It's obvious and I have been saying this for months to anyone who'd listen, but you didn't go to office hours and pester the SB while the Henry parents did. And they have to make the decision within the next three months. It's too late for Immersion to be moved from Claremont, because they've already voted that Drew would be neighborhood and the only other spot it could move to (Carlin Springs) is not involved in this process.

I'm not convinced that Claremont should be neighborhood- but if you leave those units at Abingdon then there is still that possibility bc then they haven't been moved. Whereas if they move to Drew or Barcroft then won't be able to move them.

So then the question is: how do you fill Drew? If none of the Abingdon PUs move, who does?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here's a suggestion: make Claremont a neighborhood school and move immersion into Drew. Makes the most sense. It's environmentally and economically responsible plus it doesn't increase traffic.

Let's focus on real world solutions, we know this is not on the table. They have foreclosed moving any other option schools. If they just tweak the current Abingdon/Barcroft/Fleet/Drew boundaries slightly, there is the possibility of better alignment, diversity, and even proximity. Not sure about efficiency because I haven't done those calculations yet.

I disagree. CF has been ferrying thier elementary school kids for over 30 years. Now we have e significant student population increase, It needs to be done. The SB makes tons of promises they don't keep. Why should this time be any different? CF needs to demand this.

Look, I don't disagree with you, but the time to be demanding this was months ago. It's obvious and I have been saying this for months to anyone who'd listen, but you didn't go to office hours and pester the SB while the Henry parents did. And they have to make the decision within the next three months. It's too late for Immersion to be moved from Claremont, because they've already voted that Drew would be neighborhood and the only other spot it could move to (Carlin Springs) is not involved in this process.

I'm not convinced that Claremont should be neighborhood- but if you leave those units at Abingdon then there is still that possibility bc then they haven't been moved. Whereas if they move to Drew or Barcroft then won't be able to move them.

So then the question is: how do you fill Drew? If none of the Abingdon PUs move, who does?

don't move columbia forest- move Fairlington the other side of 395. its 1 mile to Abingdon, 1.5 miles to Drew. Bused either way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here's a suggestion: make Claremont a neighborhood school and move immersion into Drew. Makes the most sense. It's environmentally and economically responsible plus it doesn't increase traffic.

Let's focus on real world solutions, we know this is not on the table. They have foreclosed moving any other option schools. If they just tweak the current Abingdon/Barcroft/Fleet/Drew boundaries slightly, there is the possibility of better alignment, diversity, and even proximity. Not sure about efficiency because I haven't done those calculations yet.

I disagree. CF has been ferrying thier elementary school kids for over 30 years. Now we have e significant student population increase, It needs to be done. The SB makes tons of promises they don't keep. Why should this time be any different? CF needs to demand this.

Look, I don't disagree with you, but the time to be demanding this was months ago. It's obvious and I have been saying this for months to anyone who'd listen, but you didn't go to office hours and pester the SB while the Henry parents did. And they have to make the decision within the next three months. It's too late for Immersion to be moved from Claremont, because they've already voted that Drew would be neighborhood and the only other spot it could move to (Carlin Springs) is not involved in this process.

For 2020 Claremont switches to neighborhood. Claremont becoming a neighborhood school was first brought up in the SAWG by the reps and by the staff running the working group. CF was taken by surprise by this proposal. They didn't think they were going to be included until 2020, because schools much closer than Drew would be involved in 2020.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here's a suggestion: make Claremont a neighborhood school and move immersion into Drew. Makes the most sense. It's environmentally and economically responsible plus it doesn't increase traffic.

Let's focus on real world solutions, we know this is not on the table. They have foreclosed moving any other option schools. If they just tweak the current Abingdon/Barcroft/Fleet/Drew boundaries slightly, there is the possibility of better alignment, diversity, and even proximity. Not sure about efficiency because I haven't done those calculations yet.

I disagree. CF has been ferrying thier elementary school kids for over 30 years. Now we have e significant student population increase, It needs to be done. The SB makes tons of promises they don't keep. Why should this time be any different? CF needs to demand this.

Look, I don't disagree with you, but the time to be demanding this was months ago. It's obvious and I have been saying this for months to anyone who'd listen, but you didn't go to office hours and pester the SB while the Henry parents did. And they have to make the decision within the next three months. It's too late for Immersion to be moved from Claremont, because they've already voted that Drew would be neighborhood and the only other spot it could move to (Carlin Springs) is not involved in this process.

For 2020 Claremont switches to neighborhood. Claremont becoming a neighborhood school was first brought up in the SAWG by the reps and by the staff running the working group. CF was taken by surprise by this proposal. They didn't think they were going to be included until 2020, because schools much closer than Drew would be involved in 2020.

Okay, so clearly if CF moves now, this isn't going to happen.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here's a suggestion: make Claremont a neighborhood school and move immersion into Drew. Makes the most sense. It's environmentally and economically responsible plus it doesn't increase traffic.

Let's focus on real world solutions, we know this is not on the table. They have foreclosed moving any other option schools. If they just tweak the current Abingdon/Barcroft/Fleet/Drew boundaries slightly, there is the possibility of better alignment, diversity, and even proximity. Not sure about efficiency because I haven't done those calculations yet.

I disagree. CF has been ferrying thier elementary school kids for over 30 years. Now we have e significant student population increase, It needs to be done. The SB makes tons of promises they don't keep. Why should this time be any different? CF needs to demand this.

Look, I don't disagree with you, but the time to be demanding this was months ago. It's obvious and I have been saying this for months to anyone who'd listen, but you didn't go to office hours and pester the SB while the Henry parents did. And they have to make the decision within the next three months. It's too late for Immersion to be moved from Claremont, because they've already voted that Drew would be neighborhood and the only other spot it could move to (Carlin Springs) is not involved in this process.

For 2020 Claremont switches to neighborhood. Claremont becoming a neighborhood school was first brought up in the SAWG by the reps and by the staff running the working group. CF was taken by surprise by this proposal. They didn't think they were going to be included until 2020, because schools much closer than Drew would be involved in 2020.

Okay, so clearly if CF moves now, this isn't going to happen.

Although Drew will be a neighborhood school, it would behoove APS to do a much better job of marketing the "STEAM" curriculum and making sure it's not simply window dressing. Allow admin transfers up to 1/3 of the school, differentiate the school, give it an identity other than "poorest in the county." Worry less about trying to draw boundaries that include UMC housing and think more about making it attractive to UMC. It's true that you can draw boundaries around UMC homes but they are under no obligation to attend. They can transfer or move, and many will.

- Nauck resident

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here's a suggestion: make Claremont a neighborhood school and move immersion into Drew. Makes the most sense. It's environmentally and economically responsible plus it doesn't increase traffic.

Let's focus on real world solutions, we know this is not on the table. They have foreclosed moving any other option schools. If they just tweak the current Abingdon/Barcroft/Fleet/Drew boundaries slightly, there is the possibility of better alignment, diversity, and even proximity. Not sure about efficiency because I haven't done those calculations yet.

I disagree. CF has been ferrying thier elementary school kids for over 30 years. Now we have e significant student population increase, It needs to be done. The SB makes tons of promises they don't keep. Why should this time be any different? CF needs to demand this.

Look, I don't disagree with you, but the time to be demanding this was months ago. It's obvious and I have been saying this for months to anyone who'd listen, but you didn't go to office hours and pester the SB while the Henry parents did. And they have to make the decision within the next three months. It's too late for Immersion to be moved from Claremont, because they've already voted that Drew would be neighborhood and the only other spot it could move to (Carlin Springs) is not involved in this process.

For 2020 Claremont switches to neighborhood. Claremont becoming a neighborhood school was first brought up in the SAWG by the reps and by the staff running the working group. CF was taken by surprise by this proposal. They didn't think they were going to be included until 2020, because schools much closer than Drew would be involved in 2020.

Okay, so clearly if CF moves now, this isn't going to happen.

Although Drew will be a neighborhood school, it would behoove APS to do a much better job of marketing the "STEAM" curriculum and making sure it's not simply window dressing. Allow admin transfers up to 1/3 of the school, differentiate the school, give it an identity other than "poorest in the county." Worry less about trying to draw boundaries that include UMC housing and think more about making it attractive to UMC. It's true that you can draw boundaries around UMC homes but they are under no obligation to attend. They can transfer or move, and many will.

- Nauck resident

So basically, it needed to be an option school. Duh. So do all the neighborhood schools that cannot draw in enough UMC families with a boundary.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Here's a suggestion: make Claremont a neighborhood school and move immersion into Drew. Makes the most sense. It's environmentally and economically responsible plus it doesn't increase traffic.

Let's focus on real world solutions, we know this is not on the table. They have foreclosed moving any other option schools. If they just tweak the current Abingdon/Barcroft/Fleet/Drew boundaries slightly, there is the possibility of better alignment, diversity, and even proximity. Not sure about efficiency because I haven't done those calculations yet.

I disagree. CF has been ferrying thier elementary school kids for over 30 years. Now we have e significant student population increase, It needs to be done. The SB makes tons of promises they don't keep. Why should this time be any different? CF needs to demand this.

Look, I don't disagree with you, but the time to be demanding this was months ago. It's obvious and I have been saying this for months to anyone who'd listen, but you didn't go to office hours and pester the SB while the Henry parents did. And they have to make the decision within the next three months. It's too late for Immersion to be moved from Claremont, because they've already voted that Drew would be neighborhood and the only other spot it could move to (Carlin Springs) is not involved in this process.

For 2020 Claremont switches to neighborhood. Claremont becoming a neighborhood school was first brought up in the SAWG by the reps and by the staff running the working group. CF was taken by surprise by this proposal. They didn't think they were going to be included until 2020, because schools much closer than Drew would be involved in 2020.

Okay, so clearly if CF moves now, this isn't going to happen.

Although Drew will be a neighborhood school, it would behoove APS to do a much better job of marketing the "STEAM" curriculum and making sure it's not simply window dressing. Allow admin transfers up to 1/3 of the school, differentiate the school, give it an identity other than "poorest in the county." Worry less about trying to draw boundaries that include UMC housing and think more about making it attractive to UMC. It's true that you can draw boundaries around UMC homes but they are under no obligation to attend. They can transfer or move, and many will.

- Nauck resident

So basically, it needed to be an option school. Duh. So do all the neighborhood schools that cannot draw in enough UMC families with a boundary.

So basically, no, not at all. Go duh someone else, you're late to the party. Drew was an option school for 50 years and won't ever be one again. And if this spring was any indication, the smart money is that no school is likely to change from option to neighborhood or vice versa. There's a giant thread on key right now. We just see if executive fist works there, because a public process sure as sh1t won't. It'll have to be by executive order from here on out.

The point with Drew is you can lead an UMC horse to water but you can't make them drink. All this puzzling over how to reduce the resident farms rate is important, but ultimately will matter far less than UMC parents' impression of the school. Drew needs to develop a no-nonsense, high expectations atmosphere, and the science curriculum is a good start. The most important thing is UMC buy-in, which is what will actually reduce the farms rate, not statistical tables and musical chairs. convincing potential parents that a school where 3/4 of the classroom is very poor doesn't mean a classroom where kids are constantly disruptive and acting out a stressful home life to the detriment of other students is job #1.