South Arlington elementary school boundary adjustments 2019

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

^^ + immersion

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

I like this idea a lot.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

I like this idea a lot.

I do, too. It's a "limited choice" model. Problem is the "neighborhood schools for all" contingent vehemently disagrees. And they currently have the power.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

This is essentially what the old "team" was -- only it was just applied to Key/ASFS/Taylor/Jamestown. Never understood if the team had been tried with that cluster with the intent of rolling it out beyond that and it never happened? Or there was some special reason just those schools got it?

[Anonymous]

That’s what has been advocated upthread essentially. Someone wa saying make Randolph/Barcroft a limited choice situation. One school is IB or some other program. The other school has a really intense high needs program similar to Carlin Springs. Parents in those boundaries can choose which school is right for their child.
Of course it’s been said over and over it’s a non starter, because north Arlington doesn’t like the team model anymore, and north Arlington only wants walkable schools.,
I mean that’s all true.
Why should we be discussing a separate situation south of 50? Sure our problems and needs are completely different, but essentially irrelevant. We couldn’t possibly have a different policy that was more beneficial for the elementary schools in south Arlington. That just couldn’t possibly happen. Everyone knows that the ship has sailed and if you are just now coming to this process because you have toddlers, well, f#ck you and your kids. You knew your schools sucked when you bought down in south Arlington.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

This is essentially what the old "team" was -- only it was just applied to Key/ASFS/Taylor/Jamestown. Never understood if the team had been tried with that cluster with the intent of rolling it out beyond that and it never happened? Or there was some special reason just those schools got it?

the problem with the every school is a choice school approach is that the only people who want that are UMC homeowners. But the idea highlights what's pretty much an unspoken reality: option schools are actually charter schools, and ensuring access to them for affluent south Arlington students is what makes he county singleminded focus on AH politically tenable. If APS screws that bargain up ....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

This is essentially what the old "team" was -- only it was just applied to Key/ASFS/Taylor/Jamestown. Never understood if the team had been tried with that cluster with the intent of rolling it out beyond that and it never happened? Or there was some special reason just those schools got it?

the problem with the every school is a choice school approach is that the only people who want that are UMC homeowners. But the idea highlights what's pretty much an unspoken reality: option schools are actually charter schools, and ensuring access to them for affluent south Arlington students is what makes he county singleminded focus on AH politically tenable. If APS screws that bargain up ....

I would want it to be countywide. By having every kid in a neighborhood school, it looks like segregation. You have schools with no low income kids and ones bursting with them. The resources seem to be concentrated in one part of the county, which doesn't benefit those same kids the affordable housing crowd wants to help, with hurting the middle income kids, who sound like they are lost in the shuffle.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

This is essentially what the old "team" was -- only it was just applied to Key/ASFS/Taylor/Jamestown. Never understood if the team had been tried with that cluster with the intent of rolling it out beyond that and it never happened? Or there was some special reason just those schools got it?

the problem with the every school is a choice school approach is that the only people who want that are UMC homeowners. But the idea highlights what's pretty much an unspoken reality: option schools are actually charter schools, and ensuring access to them for affluent south Arlington students is what makes he county singleminded focus on AH politically tenable. If APS screws that bargain up ....

Nothing. Nothing happens.
It’s not a big enough voting block. There are no enough middle class families in the south Arlington schools to matter to the ACDC. They also just made it harder for upscale townhome development, which might have actually made a significant impact. Couldn’t have that, so they made it next to impossible.

[Anonymous]

What about testing a few Charter Schools in South Arlington? What would it take for the SB to approve them?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What about testing a few Charter Schools in South Arlington? What would it take for the SB to approve them?

Never.going.to.happen.

It’s a hill all Arlington democrats will die on.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What about testing a few Charter Schools in South Arlington? What would it take for the SB to approve them?

Never.going.to.happen.

It’s a hill all Arlington democrats will die on.

Me included and I live here and have my kid in an option school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

This is essentially what the old "team" was -- only it was just applied to Key/ASFS/Taylor/Jamestown. Never understood if the team had been tried with that cluster with the intent of rolling it out beyond that and it never happened? Or there was some special reason just those schools got it?

the problem with the every school is a choice school approach is that the only people who want that are UMC homeowners. But the idea highlights what's pretty much an unspoken reality: option schools are actually charter schools, and ensuring access to them for affluent south Arlington students is what makes he county singleminded focus on AH politically tenable. If APS screws that bargain up ....

Nothing. Nothing happens.
It’s not a big enough voting block. There are no enough middle class families in the south Arlington schools to matter to the ACDC. They also just made it harder for upscale townhome development, which might have actually made a significant impact. Couldn’t have that, so they made it next to impossible.

How so? Ink my have so much bandwidth and missed hearing about this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What about testing a few Charter Schools in South Arlington? What would it take for the SB to approve them?

We have charter schools in south Arlington. That's what Campbell and Claremont are.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

This is essentially what the old "team" was -- only it was just applied to Key/ASFS/Taylor/Jamestown. Never understood if the team had been tried with that cluster with the intent of rolling it out beyond that and it never happened? Or there was some special reason just those schools got it?

the problem with the every school is a choice school approach is that the only people who want that are UMC homeowners. But the idea highlights what's pretty much an unspoken reality: option schools are actually charter schools, and ensuring access to them for affluent south Arlington students is what makes he county singleminded focus on AH politically tenable. If APS screws that bargain up ....

Nothing. Nothing happens.
It’s not a big enough voting block. There are no enough middle class families in the south Arlington schools to matter to the ACDC. They also just made it harder for upscale townhome development, which might have actually made a significant impact. Couldn’t have that, so they made it next to impossible.

How so? Ink my have so much bandwidth and missed hearing about this.

Meant to say "I only."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:That’s what has been advocated upthread essentially. Someone wa saying make Randolph/Barcroft a limited choice situation. One school is IB or some other program. The other school has a really intense high needs program similar to Carlin Springs. Parents in those boundaries can choose which school is right for their child.
Of course it’s been said over and over it’s a non starter, because north Arlington doesn’t like the team model anymore, and north Arlington only wants walkable schools.,
I mean that’s all true.
Why should we be discussing a separate situation south of 50? Sure our problems and needs are completely different, but essentially irrelevant. We couldn’t possibly have a different policy that was more beneficial for the elementary schools in south Arlington. That just couldn’t possibly happen. Everyone knows that the ship has sailed and if you are just now coming to this process because you have toddlers, well, f#ck you and your kids. You knew your schools sucked when you bought down in south Arlington.

I agree with you, and that’s the frustrating part. A) When was I supposed to come into this? And B) I bought in the Henry zone expecting that my kids would you know, actually be able to go there, but dare I express that because I’ll be deemed a horrible person who isn’t owed anything. At this point, I don’t care where my neighborhood ends up; I’d just like this to be planned with some forethought and the rationale explained. Right now, there aren’t answers, just excuses.