South Arlington elementary school boundary adjustments 2019

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Card was great, but they didn’t move the ball much. The AH lobby and their supporters were bigger and they won. No one has heard from Card, which is too bad, but they couldn’t make change because so few people were willing to agree with them and actually do something.

And how would an option move barcroft? What would happen to the local kids who walk there? Send them to Randolph? Where would they fit into Randolph, there is no room. Aps would need an addition.

As I understand it Randolph is due for a renovation.

We are talking about shifting populations. It’s really not that hard to see how it works. Barcroft is under capacity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Card was great, but they didn’t move the ball much. The AH lobby and their supporters were bigger and they won. No one has heard from Card, which is too bad, but they couldn’t make change because so few people were willing to agree with them and actually do something.

And how would an option move barcroft? What would happen to the local kids who walk there? Send them to Randolph? Where would they fit into Randolph, there is no room. Aps would need an addition.

Why would you hear from card? The AHMP has established and passed. They made some progress. There is nothing else to discuss.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Card was great, but they didn’t move the ball much. The AH lobby and their supporters were bigger and they won. No one has heard from Card, which is too bad, but they couldn’t make change because so few people were willing to agree with them and actually do something.

And how would an option move barcroft? What would happen to the local kids who walk there? Send them to Randolph? Where would they fit into Randolph, there is no room. Aps would need an addition.

Why would you hear from card? The AHMP has established and passed. They made some progress. There is nothing else to discuss.

CARD was very effective and instrumental in getting geographic distribution of AH into the AHMP. Without CARD, the whole AHMP would have gone unnoticed by the broader community and the AH industry and advocates would have created a guiding document that continued to push as much AH as possible where it already is. The AH industry and advocates still won by the CB's refusal to impose a moratorium on new CAFs in areas already saturated with AH above a certain %age.

CARD did continue its advocacy - hard - in education policy. The poster earlier who says the SB has been responding to the community and what the majority of the community stated it wants is apparently not aware of a petition that garnered over 360 signatures (before Matthew Herrity's on-line campaign) of individuals from all over the County advocating for the high school boundary revision option that was most favorable for socioeconomic diversity. CARD also proposed other policies for the transfers and admissions policies, some of which were actually adopted. The SB has not been responding to the majority - it has responded to its individual members biases and fears and concerns about where the votes are - and the LOUDEST, most FORCEFUL and THREATENING voices.

CARD did a lot; but ultimately more people need to step-up rather than expect the same handful of people will continue to do everything forever.

[Anonymous]

I am newer to Arlington. What is/was CARD? I can’t find them online.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Card was great, but they didn’t move the ball much. The AH lobby and their supporters were bigger and they won. No one has heard from Card, which is too bad, but they couldn’t make change because so few people were willing to agree with them and actually do something.

And how would an option move barcroft? What would happen to the local kids who walk there? Send them to Randolph? Where would they fit into Randolph, there is no room. Aps would need an addition.

As I understand it Randolph is due for a renovation.

We are talking about shifting populations. It’s really not that hard to see how it works. Barcroft is under capacity.

The board just approved major spending on new HVAC (and maybe a new roof not sure) for Randolph over the next two years. That is pretty wasteful if they are then just going to rip it up again. Before the new school at TJ was approved they looked at building additions onto both Randolph and Barcroft. Basic designs were ready. In neither case was it going to be enough to effectively double the school (nor should it be). This effort at redistrcting is not about adding seats. This is just not going to happen. They are redistricting for 2 years from now. You have obviously not been following the process.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Card was great, but they didn’t move the ball much. The AH lobby and their supporters were bigger and they won. No one has heard from Card, which is too bad, but they couldn’t make change because so few people were willing to agree with them and actually do something.

And how would an option move barcroft? What would happen to the local kids who walk there? Send them to Randolph? Where would they fit into Randolph, there is no room. Aps would need an addition.

Why would you hear from card? The AHMP has established and passed. They made some progress. There is nothing else to discuss.

CARD was very effective and instrumental in getting geographic distribution of AH into the AHMP. Without CARD, the whole AHMP would have gone unnoticed by the broader community and the AH industry and advocates would have created a guiding document that continued to push as much AH as possible where it already is. The AH industry and advocates still won by the CB's refusal to impose a moratorium on new CAFs in areas already saturated with AH above a certain %age.

CARD did continue its advocacy - hard - in education policy. The poster earlier who says the SB has been responding to the community and what the majority of the community stated it wants is apparently not aware of a petition that garnered over 360 signatures (before Matthew Herrity's on-line campaign) of individuals from all over the County advocating for the high school boundary revision option that was most favorable for socioeconomic diversity. CARD also proposed other policies for the transfers and admissions policies, some of which were actually adopted. The SB has not been responding to the majority - it has responded to its individual members biases and fears and concerns about where the votes are - and the LOUDEST, most FORCEFUL and THREATENING voices.

CARD did a lot; but ultimately more people need to step-up rather than expect the same handful of people will continue to do everything forever.

I am the PP. That petition may have had 360 signatures, but during the MS boundary process I had a staff member tell me that they received over 800 responses that being able to walk to school was the number one priority. Is that reflective of all of Arlington? Of course not, but that's the feedback they got. I don't think this should be a community decision alone. I mean, there are plenty of things in our not-too-distant past that the community supported that were wrong and thankfully have been reversed. I think this is one of those things that someday in the future we'll look back on in a similar way. I am annoyed that people are just now waking up to this and thinking there's something to be done. There might have been. And there may yet be. Perhaps they are serious about moving around PU's that aren't in any walk zones to address diversity concerns. But in no scenario is anyone turning Randolph, the most walkable school in the county, into an option school and then busing all those kids out to a slightly under capacity Barcroft or any other school. They aren't going to do that; it's the exact opposite of their stated goals, goals that they have come to based on the OVERWHELMING response they heard from the community, supposedly, so why keep talking about it as if it's being considered? It's not. Work within the reality of the situation. It's a waste of time to revisit what has already been hashed out.

[Anonymous]

Bussing ALL THE WAY TO BARCROFT?
Get a grip. It’s right next door.
It’s not a great idea to discourage community members from engagement because they have new ideas.
It’s not too late.
This is literally the time to be writing SB members.
The goals you’ve mentioned were about north Arlington priorities. It’s more than ok for south Arlington to have their say.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't know why we're still talking about the sibling preference things; it isn't going anywhere. If we're bending over backwards for the convenience of UMC parents in north Arlington who need to walk their kids to school every day because anything less is an unthinkable tragedy, then we sure as heck can give the same consideration to the lower income working families who can't entertain the idea of an option program unless all their ES aged kids can go together on a bus or be walked at the same time.

Equity doesn't mean everyone is treated the same. It means you remove barriers, not put them up. If we have option programs, then we make policies that ensure they are accessible to all families, and we give sibling preference at the ES level because APS won't even let kids get off the bus and walk a block home without a parent until 4th grade.

It's not the same at the secondary level, when kids are able and allowed to walk unaccompanied, which is why there's no sibling preference at that level.

Exactly. You don't go to the trouble to build and staff option schools and then create policies that amount to: "We don't care. It's up to you to make it work." Especially when you're talking about children who are 5, 6, 7-years old. On another note, it still seems unbelievable that in a county so strapped for available land and space they'd open a new building in an area so saturated with schools there aren't enough kids to fill them. Meanwhile, Oakridge happens.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Bussing ALL THE WAY TO BARCROFT?
Get a grip. It’s right next door.
It’s not a great idea to discourage community members from engagement because they have new ideas.
It’s not too late.
This is literally the time to be writing SB members.
The goals you’ve mentioned were about north Arlington priorities. It’s more than ok for south Arlington to have their say.

Okay, knock yourself out arguing that the 400 or so odd kids who can and do walk to Randolph should instead be bused to Barcroft, which is only 5% under capacity. I'm sure the SB will magically come up with the money for these new bus routes AND a addition that will double the size of Barcroft, all by 2022. All because you don't want to be rezoned to a neighborhood school at Randolph. Okay, I am sure you'll be successful.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am newer to Arlington. What is/was CARD? I can’t find them online.

"Coalition of Arlingtonians for Responsible Development."
I don't believe the organization as an organization is still operating, as the main leaders have become involved in other roles and others didn't step-up to take their places.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Card was great, but they didn’t move the ball much. The AH lobby and their supporters were bigger and they won. No one has heard from Card, which is too bad, but they couldn’t make change because so few people were willing to agree with them and actually do something.

And how would an option move barcroft? What would happen to the local kids who walk there? Send them to Randolph? Where would they fit into Randolph, there is no room. Aps would need an addition.

Why would you hear from card? The AHMP has established and passed. They made some progress. There is nothing else to discuss.

CARD was very effective and instrumental in getting geographic distribution of AH into the AHMP. Without CARD, the whole AHMP would have gone unnoticed by the broader community and the AH industry and advocates would have created a guiding document that continued to push as much AH as possible where it already is. The AH industry and advocates still won by the CB's refusal to impose a moratorium on new CAFs in areas already saturated with AH above a certain %age.

CARD did continue its advocacy - hard - in education policy. The poster earlier who says the SB has been responding to the community and what the majority of the community stated it wants is apparently not aware of a petition that garnered over 360 signatures (before Matthew Herrity's on-line campaign) of individuals from all over the County advocating for the high school boundary revision option that was most favorable for socioeconomic diversity. CARD also proposed other policies for the transfers and admissions policies, some of which were actually adopted. The SB has not been responding to the majority - it has responded to its individual members biases and fears and concerns about where the votes are - and the LOUDEST, most FORCEFUL and THREATENING voices.

CARD did a lot; but ultimately more people need to step-up rather than expect the same handful of people will continue to do everything forever.

I am the PP. That petition may have had 360 signatures, but during the MS boundary process I had a staff member tell me that they received over 800 responses that being able to walk to school was the number one priority. Is that reflective of all of Arlington? Of course not, but that's the feedback they got. I don't think this should be a community decision alone. I mean, there are plenty of things in our not-too-distant past that the community supported that were wrong and thankfully have been reversed. I think this is one of those things that someday in the future we'll look back on in a similar way. I am annoyed that people are just now waking up to this and thinking there's something to be done. There might have been. And there may yet be. Perhaps they are serious about moving around PU's that aren't in any walk zones to address diversity concerns. But in no scenario is anyone turning Randolph, the most walkable school in the county, into an option school and then busing all those kids out to a slightly under capacity Barcroft or any other school. They aren't going to do that; it's the exact opposite of their stated goals, goals that they have come to based on the OVERWHELMING response they heard from the community, supposedly, so why keep talking about it as if it's being considered? It's not. Work within the reality of the situation. It's a waste of time to revisit what has already been hashed out.

Yes - and then Matthew Herrity's petition garnered over 1500. And then all those students went and spoke at the school board meeting. And then the SB continued to dismiss both the adults and the students advocating for greater equity and more balanced diversity, and dismissing the decades of research demonstrating the positive impacts of socioeconomic diversity in education because "this is Arlington, we're different." And then the Board makes staff tinker with options staff devised that actually takes into consideration a balance of multiple factors such as proximity, efficiency, and demographics, and completely washes out the considerations other than proximity --- because a handful of planning units insist upon going to the school they want to go to rather than considering their part in the whole system and the impacts on other (way more numerous) kids and families.

And, a number of those 800 respondees were organized groups from the same areas. The petition signers - not so much. Regardless, reasonable compromises would be good decision-making and leadership. Walkabilitly being rated higher by straight number of comments does not mean other factors were highly important. If Diversity had been rated the highest by that standard, do you really believe APS would be shaking up its boundaries and implementing forward-thinking, courageous policies to accommodate? Not a chance.

Absolutely agree Randolph will not become a countywide choice school - it is literally filled with actual walkers, and since this administration has absolutely no interest in "breaking up communities" or putting the academic needs of all students at the forefront of decisions, and rationalizes that grouping like kids is more effective, Randolph will never become a countywide school.

Part of the reason the SW is such a challenge in this regard is precisely because of the density and how close schools really are to each other. Randolph, Barcroft, Henry -- all about 1.5 miles from each other - maybe slightly more. Not considering the traffic on specific roads which invokes bus transportion, Randolph walkers could be Barcroft walkers and vice versa. Barcroft bus riders who live less than one mile from the school would be Henry walkers (by distance - Glebe would probably make them still get on a bus). And then Long Branch is literally a few blocks across Rte 50 from Henry.

[Anonymous]

Has anyone discussed "flipping the script?" Why not have a few anchor schools and make the majority of the elementary schools choice? That way the people who really don't want to travel can stay, but the rest can move around? Then you'd be able to mix up the income levels more. Just an idea.

[Anonymous]

Great, have hundreds of elementary school kids cross Columbia Pike to get to Barcroft. That would be a total mess. If kids are not allowed to cross over rt 50 without a bridge, they would have to do the same for Columbia Pike. Fewer lanes, but crazy weaving traffic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Has anyone discussed "flipping the script?" Why not have a few anchor schools and make the majority of the elementary schools choice? That way the people who really don't want to travel can stay, but the rest can move around? Then you'd be able to mix up the income levels more. Just an idea.

I like this. Plus, it would allow more parents to choose what educational focus they want their kids to have. Seems like a perfect fit for such a small and densely populated county.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Has anyone discussed "flipping the script?" Why not have a few anchor schools and make the majority of the elementary schools choice? That way the people who really don't want to travel can stay, but the rest can move around? Then you'd be able to mix up the income levels more. Just an idea.

I like this. Plus, it would allow more parents to choose what educational focus they want their kids to have. Seems like a perfect fit for such a small and densely populated county.

It has been suggested to have four or five elementary clusters -- a traditional school like ATS, a Montessori school, a science/STEM-focused school, and maybe something like an outdoor or an arts-focused school. People in the cluster could choose between them. They could draw boundaries for the cluster to be somewhat diverse, and busing wouldn't have to be cross-county.