ATS, Campbell and other APS lotteries

[Anonymous]

Is the ATS Lottery by grade? If I applied for 1st grade, is there a first grade lottery numbering separately from Kindergarten and is the drawing separated by grade? Is there an option to apply for two grades (Kindergarten and 1st grade at the same time) to increase my chances? (DC is eligible for both grades)

[Anonymous]

ATS parent here - yes, the drawing is separated by grade. For example, if you submit an application for kindergarten this year, your kid will stay on the waitlist for K this year and when space opens up next year in first grade, you'll be on that list, and so on. The list stays through 5th grade, though very few people take slots in the upper grades. I know of one 5th grade transfer since we've been there. (I can't see uprooting your kid for one year, no matter how great the school.)

You can only submit one application. And your odds are better submitting for kindergarten. Kindergarten slots are determined by: Total # of slots minus VPI preschoolers re-enrolling minus siblings of current ATS students enrolling = # of open slots for the year. Some years have 4 classes so your odds are better; some years only have 3. (I suspect we'll soon move to 4 classes for every grade.)

Not very many kids leave each year, so realistically you're only looking at 5 or so slots that open up for the grades after kindergarten. There were slightly more open slots going into 3rd grade this year (our year) because two families of multiples moved out of county, opening up 5 3rd grade slots between them.

They are considering making the waitlist start over every year, which would benefit those who are new to the county, but would disadvantage those who entered the lottery in kindergarten and are still waiting. It would suck to be #5 on the waitlist after kindergarten and then get sent to the bottom of the list again for 1st.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Only 20 or so slots ever available at Campbell. If you don't like that, complaint to APS. The reason there are so few slots is because the majority of the slots are given to the VPI kids who have guaranteed admission. There is a huge VPI class there to ensure it remains a Title I school.

YOU NEED TO CHANGE THIS APS. VPI should not be concentrated like that.

Is it 2/3 VPI?

You're leaving out sibling preference. That takes out a large chunk of "available" spaces. Not all VPI students decide to enroll for K, so no 2/3 of the available spaces are not going just to VPI students. Campbell PTA supports VPI students being allowed to automatically enroll in K. And we don't mind being Title 1.

+1 exactly. There are people who actually support not having the poor brown kids overrun by white middle class Arlington.

[Anonymous]

The issue isn't about being "overrun" by "white middle class Arlington." Right now the school is overrun by poorer kids of any color. I am "brown" and so is my kid, but we do not qualify for VPI. Campbell isn't diverse, it is 60% kids that qualify for free and reduced lunch. That is poor and while the school "embraces" its demographics and calls it diversity, other elementary schools such as Barcroft have similar demographics but are not labeled a school "not overrun by while middle class Arlington."


If Campbell is to remain a choice school, it must grant access to the school to the entire attendance zone, not just from VPI. That worked when the school was underpopulated, it does not now. Instead, the school's policy creates just another title I school in the southwestern part of the county and perpetuates segregation. The demographics should be balanced out similar to ATS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The issue isn't about being "overrun" by "white middle class Arlington." Right now the school is overrun by poorer kids of any color. I am "brown" and so is my kid, but we do not qualify for VPI. Campbell isn't diverse, it is 60% kids that qualify for free and reduced lunch. That is poor and while the school "embraces" its demographics and calls it diversity, other elementary schools such as Barcroft have similar demographics but are not labeled a school "not overrun by while middle class Arlington."


If Campbell is to remain a choice school, it must grant access to the school to the entire attendance zone, not just from VPI. That worked when the school was underpopulated, it does not now. Instead, the school's policy creates just another title I school in the southwestern part of the county and perpetuates segregation. The demographics should be balanced out similar to ATS.

Shut up already and just move to North Arlington if you want a whiter school, Becky. Lord knows you have plenty to choose from.

Campbell isn't overrun by anyone. We are who we are, and that's just fine by most of us. THE KIDS AT CAMPBELL ARE DOING VERY WELL, in all demographic subgroups. Campbell is open to countywide lottery. Nobody is getting any unfair advantage in the lottery.

[Anonymous]

Can we cool it with the “white” savior complex in south Arlington? It would benefit everyone’s kids if the school’s were better integrated. I realize that might hurt some adult’s sense of self, but the kids really should be the priority.

[Anonymous]

I am tired of being told because I am MC in ScArlington thist I must be a white savior and social justice warrior or I am racist. No o dm just a mom trying to find the best school for my kid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am tired of being told because I am MC in ScArlington thist I must be a white savior and social justice warrior or I am racist. No o dm just a mom trying to find the best school for my kid.

So am I, and I’m tired of being told to shut up or move. I’m not happy with majority poor schools. It’s terrible policy..

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am tired of being told because I am MC in ScArlington thist I must be a white savior and social justice warrior or I am racist. No o dm just a mom trying to find the best school for my kid.

So am I, and I’m tired of being told to shut up or move. I’m not happy with majority poor schools. It’s terrible policy..

It isn't racist to not want your kids to go to school with the poors.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am tired of being told because I am MC in ScArlington thist I must be a white savior and social justice warrior or I am racist. No o dm just a mom trying to find the best school for my kid.

So am I, and I’m tired of being told to shut up or move. I’m not happy with majority poor schools. It’s terrible policy..

It isn't racist to not want your kids to go to school with the poors.

You're a disgusting person.

[Anonymous]

Geez, any other Campbell parents out there? This last poster's "we are who we are" attitude will certainly keep folks away. Maybe that is the plan to keep their little school to themselves. I hope the school board moves them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Geez, any other Campbell parents out there? This last poster's "we are who we are" attitude will certainly keep folks away. Maybe that is the plan to keep their little school to themselves. I hope the school board moves them.

Dude, you came on here and maligned the kids who currently attend. If the VPI kids don't go to Campbell, chances are they'll go to another Title 1 school. In fact, it might be even less diverse than Campbell and be like 70-90% kids who receive fr/l. How is that better for them? It's not like APS is going to bus the VPI kids to a school that isn't high poverty, because there are only a few of those in S Arlington, and just like N Arlington, the VPI kids' families can't afford to live in those neighborhoods. If they aren't at Campbell, they're at their neighborhood school, which is most certainly higher poverty than Campbell. So if you believe socioeconomic segregation is a negative, then you have to admit that wanting the VPI kids out wouldn't be better for the VPI kids.

I don't know how you expected to be received. These are real children, and I'd assume actual Campbell parents to bristle at others talking about their kids or their kids' friends in such a coarse and uncaring way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Geez, any other Campbell parents out there? This last poster's "we are who we are" attitude will certainly keep folks away. Maybe that is the plan to keep their little school to themselves. I hope the school board moves them.

Dude, you came on here and maligned the kids who currently attend. If the VPI kids don't go to Campbell, chances are they'll go to another Title 1 school. In fact, it might be even less diverse than Campbell and be like 70-90% kids who receive fr/l. How is that better for them? It's not like APS is going to bus the VPI kids to a school that isn't high poverty, because there are only a few of those in S Arlington, and just like N Arlington, the VPI kids' families can't afford to live in those neighborhoods. If they aren't at Campbell, they're at their neighborhood school, which is most certainly higher poverty than Campbell. So if you believe socioeconomic segregation is a negative, then you have to admit that wanting the VPI kids out wouldn't be better for the VPI kids.

I don't know how you expected to be received. These are real children, and I'd assume actual Campbell parents to bristle at others talking about their kids or their kids' friends in such a coarse and uncaring way.

Dude. This started with people talking about future policy. No one said anything about kicking kids out of school. You immediately got defensive, preachy, and shrill. These are uncomfortable conversations, but they need to be had. We can’t all start yelling about how we’ve been micro aggressed every time someone wants to discuss some very real policy concerns.

[Anonymous]

Dude, this is 21:51, I didn't malign anyone and that was my first post on this thread. My kid isn't applying to any schools for 2 years but I am reading this thread to learn.

Your attitude is helping me make that decision. You are incredibly defensive and instead of providing reasoned argument you start insulting people and frankly your school. Based on your description of "your" school, it is place to send left over poor kids who have no other place to go but even poorer schools. You make them sound like a charity case, and you, the WEALTHY WHITE parent are doing them a favor by sending your WEALTHY WHITE kid there so they are not surrounded by even more poor kids. No one is insulting poorer kids but you. There is nothing wrong with being poor, it is what it is. No one is trashing kids at the school, you are.

I am not making my mind up completely about Campbell because surely there are decent parents at that school and from what I read I like the instructional focus. But, this threat is not good for Campbell.