Louise Archer AAP closed to new rising 4th graders???

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:13:37 Yes, that's the issue. Either bus all the AAP kids or none of them. Wow, the Louise Archer parents sure seem entitled. Why they think it's ok that a 3rd grader from Vienna come to their school, but not a fourth grader is beyond me.

Louise Archer parents have nothing to do with it. The school is grossly overcrowded and is not accepting any new children at those higher grades because those classes are already full from kids who came in earlier. The only new class going into LA next year will be the 3rd grade class and those AAP students will be referred from fewer base schools so the numbers will be lower. It may seem unfair, but the county is trying to do the best they can given the unwieldy mess AAP has become.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:+1
What is really frustrating is that no one was informed to get any input or comment prior to this decision, especially the principals of the affected schools. One principal told a parent she was blindsided with this news. Even the AAP teacher at that school did not know.

How is it possible they can change school assignments without School Board approval? What happened here is that Westbriar and Stenwood parents raised a stink to grandfather their kids at LA. The School Board assented and then, they shafted the kids who are part of Madison pyramid who either moved to the area post 3rd grade or applied post 3rd grade. It is disgraceful how they are treating these kids--go get your own ride to school, we'll provide to everyone else but you.

This policy went into place last fall after the school year began. Three schools closed to new students and reputed newly eligible students to other centers. I think everyone assumed that policy would be lifted now that the rising third grade class comes from fewer base schools. I wonder if newly eligible 4th and 5tj graders from Haycock and Humters Woods are being rerouted as well for next year.

[Anonymous]

Yes, are the Chesterbrook, Timber Lane, and Franklin Sherman kids still being told that they have to go to another center besides Haycock without transportation?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:After a few phone calls today I confirmed with both Louise Archer and the AAP central office that they are not accepting any 4th graders even if they have a sibling who is going there and even if they are from one of the schools that is still sending 3rd graders there (ie Vienna Elementary). Those older kids are given the option of Colvin Run with the parent providing transportation. Apparently the Cluster 2 office makes this decision and is the one we need to appeal to.

Vienna El. to Colvin Run?? That's crazy, there is not even a Local Level IV option for that school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:13:37 Yes, that's the issue. Either bus all the AAP kids or none of them. Wow, the Louise Archer parents sure seem entitled. Why they think it's ok that a 3rd grader from Vienna come to their school, but not a fourth grader is beyond me.

Louise Archer parents have nothing to do with it. The school is grossly overcrowded and is not accepting any new children at those higher grades because those classes are already full from kids who came in earlier. The only new class going into LA next year will be the 3rd grade class and those AAP students will be referred from fewer base schools so the numbers will be lower. It may seem unfair, but the county is trying to do the best they can given the unwieldy mess AAP has become.

Thank you to the person who responded above. This is not about "entitled parents" and tossing that kind of thing around just lets the discussion sink into the name-calling that is far too common on DCUM AAP discussions.

LA is our school. It's been a great AAP program for us but the school is physically far, far too full. There is no art room; the old art room is a classroom and looks like it will be forever. Someone posted earlier about how there is a trailer sitting right on the blacktop, crowding the playground. Classes are full to bursting. This is an issue of sheer physical facilities -- LA cannot handle more kids, AAP or not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Thank you to the person who responded above. This is not about "entitled parents" and tossing that kind of thing around just lets the discussion sink into the name-calling that is far too common on DCUM AAP discussions.

LA is our school. It's been a great AAP program for us but the school is physically far, far too full. There is no art room; the old art room is a classroom and looks like it will be forever. Someone posted earlier about how there is a trailer sitting right on the blacktop, crowding the playground. Classes are full to bursting. This is an issue of sheer physical facilities -- LA cannot handle more kids, AAP or not.

I don't think anyone would disagree that the school is crowded. What's odd is that they are allowing 3rd graders to enter the Center and not 4th, 5th, or 6th graders, even though it is their assigned Center. And that this was not discussed during the grandfathering discussions last winter. It would be helpful to know how many kids this involves. If it's a handful of kids I can't imagine that will make a huge difference to LA's numbers, as there are likely to be a similar number of 4th, 5th, or 6th graders from the Center who move away or decide to return to their base schools.

[Anonymous]

It's also odd that they decided to grandfather the soon to be 4th, 5th, and 6th graders, but then decide not to provide bussing for kids at other schools feeding to Louise Archer to another center. If it was so crowded, why grandfather these children? And why not provide bussing to another center?

[Anonymous]

How many kids can this possibly be? At our child's AAP center, only a few new kids join per grade. It seems odd that they wouldn't just let them into LA.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How many kids can this possibly be? At our child's AAP center, only a few new kids join per grade. It seems odd that they wouldn't just let them into LA.

If the class sizes are at their max, it would mean adding another class and teacher. There is NO space for that. They are at the tipping point. Sort of like the difference between really horrible traffic and gridlock.

[Anonymous]

Are class sizes really at their max? I think the max is 35 or something. Last year, my child had 32.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are class sizes really at their max? I think the max is 35 or something. Last year, my child had 32.

32 is the max

[Anonymous]

It says there are 424 AAP students at Louise Archer in grades 3-6. That's on average 26-27 students per class. On dashboard it says the average class size for grades 3-6 is 20 students. There was even a post at the beginning of the school year complaining about some of the overcrowding at LLIV schools like Wolftrap, but Haycock and Louise Archer it was realized had significantly smaller class sizes.

[Anonymous]

Dashboard also projects enrollment this fall will be 58 students less and Louise Archer will be open to transfers.
http://www.fcps.edu/fts/dashboard/enrollment/esenroll.html

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:After a few phone calls today I confirmed with both Louise Archer and the AAP central office that they are not accepting any 4th graders even if they have a sibling who is going there and even if they are from one of the schools that is still sending 3rd graders there (ie Vienna Elementary). Those older kids are given the option of Colvin Run with the parent providing transportation. Apparently the Cluster 2 office makes this decision and is the one we need to appeal to.

Vienna El. to Colvin Run?? That's crazy, there is not even a Local Level IV option for that school.

That's no crazier than Stenwood or even Westbriar to Louise Archer and yet people did it for years. Again, no room!

[Anonymous]

Huh? The Stenwood parents complained that Lemon Road was too far when in fact Louise Archer was probably just as far or farther. And they had transportation to the school and will have it to Westbriar as well. I don't see the comparison.