APS middle school boundary process

[Anonymous]

To the first person on this page creating a magnet for Kenmore doesn’t increase quality of education and it uses a lot of money. plus theirs no such thing as going to the school you please the county chooses what school you to so why would you need a magnet program if there’s a guaranteed student population

[Anonymous]

The diversity plan is a weak solution that doesn’t work and I think the county knows that but the county does not want to look racist

[Anonymous]

If the county does not go with the diversity plan it would be considered racist I think the county knows it’s a bad plan but it might do anyway because they do not want to look racist.
I hope the Arlington board does not give in to social pressure to not be “racist” even though denying the diversity plan is not racist

[Anonymous]

To Everyone who is saying anyone who disagrees with the diversity plan is a racist bigot just stop there are many reasons to oppose the diversity plan to see why look at the first couple of comments directly above mine

[Anonymous]

Unless the county changes what’s going on inside of the school and not about who’s going there Arlington’s education system will never get better but moving kids around might make it worse because the teachers in south Arlington schools are used to non English speaking kids and know how to teach them while not taking away the class teachers in North Arlington schools are not used to it not able to do the for mentioned things.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No time to read the whole thread but is the gist that moving some areas to the new Stratford middle school could turn both Kenmore and Jefferson into super-high poverty schools? What about Gunston?

Gunston is between 38-40% fr/l in each scenario, so it's higher than present (33%). I hadn't realized that it's going up at Gunston, too, in every single scenario. What stood out to me was the capacity, while going down, is still over in most scenarios. In 4/5 scenarios Gunston remains above 110% capacity. Only scenario H (demographics blended w/proximity has Gunston below, at 109%). I plan to suggest via Engage that perhaps they could move the MS Spanish Immersion program to Kenmore, which looks to be between 97%-105% capacity in each scenario, and is more centrally located if they're only going to have one MS immersion program for the county.

I like having the Spanish Immersion program at Gunston, but would have no problem if it moved to Kenmore for better geographical balance. I don't think splitting the program into two middle schools is a good idea. There's already a drop-off in participation at the higher grade levels, and that would need to be strengthened before APS considers adding another middle school option like Williamsburg.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As it is at my sons school have the time they don’t have enough bus drivers so they double up in one bus and it takes 50 minutes to get home from a school two miles away but the diversity plan would more than double the amount of kids riding the bus

No it doesn't. Look at the percentages.

[Anonymous]

First, the person who was posting just after midnight might have been a little tipsy. It's obviously the same person over and over again.

Second, the bus situation is very bad right now. Some schools have 7 or 8 buses and the ES kids are still waiting for their bus at school at 4:30 b/c it's so late coming from the earlier runs. We need to have as many kids walking as possible.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No time to read the whole thread but is the gist that moving some areas to the new Stratford middle school could turn both Kenmore and Jefferson into super-high poverty schools? What about Gunston?

Gunston is between 38-40% fr/l in each scenario, so it's higher than present (33%). I hadn't realized that it's going up at Gunston, too, in every single scenario. What stood out to me was the capacity, while going down, is still over in most scenarios. In 4/5 scenarios Gunston remains above 110% capacity. Only scenario H (demographics blended w/proximity has Gunston below, at 109%). I plan to suggest via Engage that perhaps they could move the MS Spanish Immersion program to Kenmore, which looks to be between 97%-105% capacity in each scenario, and is more centrally located if they're only going to have one MS immersion program for the county.

I like having the Spanish Immersion program at Gunston, but would have no problem if it moved to Kenmore for better geographical balance. I don't think splitting the program into two middle schools is a good idea. There's already a drop-off in participation at the higher grade levels, and that would need to be strengthened before APS considers adding another middle school option like Williamsburg.

I think they've pretty much decided to keep it at one for now. My suggestion really has to do with space utilization and better access for more families. If part of the drop-off in participation is from Key families who think Gunston is too far, maybe moving it to a more central location would help, plus it frees up space at Gunston.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:First, the person who was posting just after midnight might have been a little tipsy. It's obviously the same person over and over again.

Second, the bus situation is very bad right now. Some schools have 7 or 8 buses and the ES kids are still waiting for their bus at school at 4:30 b/c it's so late coming from the earlier runs. We need to have as many kids walking as possible.

Agree, generally. That's why those who say that we can't be serious about diversity unless we argue for an all-choice model (like Cambridge, MA) are being facetious. They know, for financial and logistical reasons alone, this will not happen. Not now. It would certainly have to be a longer process, involve many more community conversations, and would involve every level, not just middle school. It certainly can't happen within the constraints (the time frame and scope) that the School Board has set forward. So our choices are to: do nothing while the demographics of our community continue to change and disparity grows, to slowly undo previous boundaries that promoted diversity in the name of proximity (like the HS decision), or to proactively use socioeconomic diversity to inform boundary decisions at each step, balancing the desires of the community to both promote diversity and to maintain proximity. Since the two desires are often at odds, given our history, it's a tough balancing act for sure.

[Anonymous]

It’s a mess, the Board has been irresponsible and it’s coming home to roost. Reality is from a middle class perspective people are still moving into S Arlington and staying because cost of housing and commute times continue to rise. Enough to combat the poverty and illegal immigration? Who knows. Thankfully these proposals are just a starting point. Truthfully I don’t want my middle class down to earth child going to school with all wealthy children. I don’t want to be a parent exposed to the desperate parents that sacrificed so much to live in N Arlington and are so stressed out because they are so worried about keeping up with the Jones and haven’t had a dinner out or a vacation in years because they are so house poor. Some of the posts on this thread are disgusting.

[Anonymous]

Is Arlington the kind of place where people want to actively try and undo the legacy of legalized racism that still, two generations later, is visible in where people choose to live and consequently what our "neighborhood schools" look like? Or are we OK with being part of the pattern of increasing racial/socioeconomic segregation being seen in our country, and everything that goes along with it?

That's the question everyone should be asking themselves.

If you think paying an extra $300K to live in 22207 over 22204 doesn't send a message to your kids about what your values really are, you might need to look in the mirror a little harder. Even if they don't pick up on it as kids, they will figure it out as adults, and will likely pattern their lives the same way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is Arlington the kind of place where people want to actively try and undo the legacy of legalized racism that still, two generations later, is visible in where people choose to live and consequently what our "neighborhood schools" look like? Or are we OK with being part of the pattern of increasing racial/socioeconomic segregation being seen in our country, and everything that goes along with it?

That's the question everyone should be asking themselves.

If you think paying an extra $300K to live in 22207 over 22204 doesn't send a message to your kids about what your values really are, you might need to look in the mirror a little harder. Even if they don't pick up on it as kids, they will figure it out as adults, and will likely pattern their lives the same way.

One way of addressing this would be to locate affordable housing in 22207.

[Anonymous]

Why don't we just be done with it and just have the government assign where we all live rather than the market?

This is why a lot of folks view many liberals as communists.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why don't we just be done with it and just have the government assign where we all live rather than the market?

This is why a lot of folks view many liberals as communists.

HUD, under Obama, was taking profound steps to integrate communities by rigorously scrutinizing communities’ affordable housing plans. That is, communities shouldn’t be allowed to put all affordable housing in one place. A recent lawsuit successfully challenged zoning laws in wealthy Garden City, NY. Until we get a handle on better integration, we will be a morally flawed society.