ASFS Boundary Change -- Any insight

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Slightly OT, but can someone explain the origin of the team concept (Taylor, Jamestown, ASFS etc.) that is now being dismantled? What was it supposed to accomplish?

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, when the team was created, APS was not overcrowded. So when ASFS (and Key?) opened, the thought was that students within the four schools' boundaries could attend any of the schools as a way to populate ASFS and Key. Once all the team students were accommodated, any student from anywhere in Arlington could attend ASFS or Key. And it was thought that Key boundary students would also enroll at Taylor or Jamestown if they did not want Spanish immersion. But as it turned out, the Key students who didn't want immersion pretty much all enrolled in ASFS instead, and as ASFS's reputation grew and as the student population increased, it just became much more difficult for a Taylor or Jamestown student to "win" the lottery to attend ASFS. So essentially, the team concept no longer functioned as envisioned.

Thank you! That makes sense. It now just looks like the richest of the rich giving themselves more options/flexibility, so it's good to hear that wasn't the genesis of it.

Np. Choice between Key or ASFS because you can't compel someone to choose immersion. No idea how the others schools got added into the mix.

15:19 again. Here is one reason the other schools were added to the mix:

Before ASFS moved into its building roughly 22 years ago, ATS briefly occupied it. But before then, the building housed Page Elementary School for many years and was the ES for Cherrydale, parts of Lyon Village and I don't know what other neighborhoods. I also don't know exactly when or why Page closed as an ES (maybe the 4 school team concept was already in the works?) but as a consequence, all of of the Page boundary lost their neighborhood ES and most were then shifted to Taylor.

Another consequence of Page closing as a neighborhood ES was that Taylor reached capacity and became overcrowded - not by today's APS standards, but nevertheless, it became a concern because it had to absorb many of the former Page boundary students. Meanwhile, Jamestown was also at capacity (obviously this was before Discovery was built). So when the team was created, Taylor and Jamestown were included as a way to help relieve capacity pressures at those two schools.

While it is true that at the time the team was created, Key was given automatic admission to ASFS due to the immersion issue, the school planners thought that many Key boundary families would also choose Taylor or Jamestown if they did not want a science focus either but rather just a "normal" ES. That didn't happen.

So when ASFS's boundaries are redrawn and some Taylor planning units near it are shifted to ASFS, really part of what the SB will be doing is returning those planning units to their former neighborhood elementary school. Kind of like with Stratford becoming a neighborhood middle school again.

Anyone have Page boundary map? Probably some ideas how things may shake out.

Also, we never heard we could attend Taylor or Jamestown while living in Key? When we started several years ago they were both at capacity and we understood would not take transfers. Were we mistaken? Did the team concept allow it b/c we were avoiding immersion?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Slightly OT, but can someone explain the origin of the team concept (Taylor, Jamestown, ASFS etc.) that is now being dismantled? What was it supposed to accomplish?

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, when the team was created, APS was not overcrowded. So when ASFS (and Key?) opened, the thought was that students within the four schools' boundaries could attend any of the schools as a way to populate ASFS and Key. Once all the team students were accommodated, any student from anywhere in Arlington could attend ASFS or Key. And it was thought that Key boundary students would also enroll at Taylor or Jamestown if they did not want Spanish immersion. But as it turned out, the Key students who didn't want immersion pretty much all enrolled in ASFS instead, and as ASFS's reputation grew and as the student population increased, it just became much more difficult for a Taylor or Jamestown student to "win" the lottery to attend ASFS. So essentially, the team concept no longer functioned as envisioned.

Thank you! That makes sense. It now just looks like the richest of the rich giving themselves more options/flexibility, so it's good to hear that wasn't the genesis of it.

Np. Choice between Key or ASFS because you can't compel someone to choose immersion. No idea how the others schools got added into the mix.

15:19 again. Here is one reason the other schools were added to the mix:

Before ASFS moved into its building roughly 22 years ago, ATS briefly occupied it. But before then, the building housed Page Elementary School for many years and was the ES for Cherrydale, parts of Lyon Village and I don't know what other neighborhoods. I also don't know exactly when or why Page closed as an ES (maybe the 4 school team concept was already in the works?) but as a consequence, all of of the Page boundary lost their neighborhood ES and most were then shifted to Taylor.

Another consequence of Page closing as a neighborhood ES was that Taylor reached capacity and became overcrowded - not by today's APS standards, but nevertheless, it became a concern because it had to absorb many of the former Page boundary students. Meanwhile, Jamestown was also at capacity (obviously this was before Discovery was built). So when the team was created, Taylor and Jamestown were included as a way to help relieve capacity pressures at those two schools.

While it is true that at the time the team was created, Key was given automatic admission to ASFS due to the immersion issue, the school planners thought that many Key boundary families would also choose Taylor or Jamestown if they did not want a science focus either but rather just a "normal" ES. That didn't happen.

So when ASFS's boundaries are redrawn and some Taylor planning units near it are shifted to ASFS, really part of what the SB will be doing is returning those planning units to their former neighborhood elementary school. Kind of like with Stratford becoming a neighborhood middle school again.

Anyone have Page boundary map? Probably some ideas how things may shake out.

Also, we never heard we could attend Taylor or Jamestown while living in Key? When we started several years ago they were both at capacity and we understood would not take transfers. Were we mistaken? Did the team concept allow it b/c we were avoiding immersion?

Was Page around in 1985?
https://catalog.loc.gov/vwebv/search?searchCode=LCCN&searchArg=90680876&searchType=1&permalink=y

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Also, we never heard we could attend Taylor or Jamestown while living in Key? When we started several years ago they were both at capacity and we understood would not take transfers. Were we mistaken? Did the team concept allow it b/c we were avoiding immersion?

Told by whom? How did you reach your understanding? Schools at capacity won't take out-of-team transfers, but I would think you could transfer to Taylor because then someone from Taylor could transfer to ASFS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Also, we never heard we could attend Taylor or Jamestown while living in Key? When we started several years ago they were both at capacity and we understood would not take transfers. Were we mistaken? Did the team concept allow it b/c we were avoiding immersion?

Told by whom? How did you reach your understanding? Schools at capacity won't take out-of-team transfers, but I would think you could transfer to Taylor because then someone from Taylor could transfer to ASFS.

We're in the Key neighborhood and sent our kid (in HS now) to Key. Back then, we were told Taylor or Jamestown were options because of the team concept. It was only later, when they ended up at capacity, that that was not an option (or maybe only with someone correspondingly transferring to ASFS from Taylor or Jamestown?).

Although it's moot for us now (but I've thought about it since we're named guardians of kids who I don't think would thrive at ASFS), I'm not terribly thrilled to have our school change to ASFS only, as we weren't interested for the same reason posted above (didn't care for the drilling atmosphere or what I'd heard about favoritism towards some big donor/volunteer parents and their kids, and our kid was and is far more interested in math, reading, and social studies than science). But I understand why they're making Key a lottery school since Claremont has so many kids who can't get in and they need to fix that problem, and making Key our only neighborhood school wouldn't work for parents who don't want immersion.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Honestly curious what turned you off there? It's not like ATS with a very strict discipline; it's basically a normal school with a lab and habitat? I doubt you went to a PTA meeting or got embroiled in any of the gifted designation controversy (as every school has its drama and you only know it when there). So what did you see on your tour that was a problem?

I'm probably not going to explain it well, but it seemed so joyless, such a grind. Everything was filtered through science (which makes sense in terms of the name, but not in terms of elementary education), and it made me wonder what reception there was for kids who were more enthusiastic about other topics. The principal was touting how advanced the math was (it wasn't, particularly, at least back then and for my kid), and the expressed focus on quantified academic achievement wasn't what we wanted for our five year old, who was going to do fine academically anyway.

But yeah, the school with the laid-back principal and the crappy G&T person was Super White (TM Benjamin Moore). Luckily MS and HS were less so.

I can see that, the school is pretty no-nonsense since it must work hard to ensure the diverse student body all succeed -- which they do a very good job at.

A school of all UMC kids definitely will allow a lot more slack in academics since they will have so much enrichment at home (like your kid apparently was in math).

I guess this was a long time ago, if they are already in high school?

Sorry to break it to you, but ASFS is far more like Jamestown and Taylor in terms of SES than the majority of the other APS elementary schools. Reality doesn't align with the popular narrative for ASFS. Visit the lab and you'll see. #TrueThat

Don't let facts get in the way of your attempt to tear down an elementary school. What is wrong with you? It's just a school. You know, trying their best to teach kids. What's with the hate?

https://www.apsva.us/statistics/free-and-reduced-price-meals/

Free & Reduced-Price Meals:
Jamestown 2.20%
Taylor 4.17%
ASFS 20.48%

You forgot to add in the other elementary schools in your list. Only 4 more would go above ASFS in smaller FARMS numbers. The other 16 would be below ASFS, with CS being over 79%. And the average is over 30%.

#BrokenNarrative

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:ATS should be moved to Randolph or Barcroft. If north Arlington parents really believe in the program, they can drive a little further, to a less privileged neighborhood.
the current ATS campus can turn back to a neighborhood school.

That makes sense.

This would help provide seats where they are needed. In one thread (maybe it was this one), someone commented on how weird McK & Ashlawn's boundaries are. ATS is that reason. If it were converted to neighborhood, it would relieve pressure at McK, Ashlawn, Glebe, Taylor & probably Barrett.

This makes NO SENSE. Do you know anything about Randolph or Barcroft?

Randolph is the only APS elementary school where the entire boundary is walkable and it has 73% FRL. If you put ATS there, you have now put 450+ more kids on a bus in a community that is at high risk.

Barcroft is the only APS elementary school that has a modified school year calendar and it has 59% FRL. If you put ATS there, you lose the modified school year calendar and you again displace 450+ kids at high risk.

Even worse, this suggestion does not put "seats where they are needed". It may put seats where they are needed in NA. But it makes things far worse in SA where seats are needed by transferring 450+ available seats to NA and not thinking of the consequences and looking at the bigger picture.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:ATS should be moved to Randolph or Barcroft. If north Arlington parents really believe in the program, they can drive a little further, to a less privileged neighborhood.
the current ATS campus can turn back to a neighborhood school.

That makes sense.

This would help provide seats where they are needed. In one thread (maybe it was this one), someone commented on how weird McK & Ashlawn's boundaries are. ATS is that reason. If it were converted to neighborhood, it would relieve pressure at McK, Ashlawn, Glebe, Taylor & probably Barrett.

This makes NO SENSE. Do you know anything about Randolph or Barcroft?

Randolph is the only APS elementary school where the entire boundary is walkable and it has 73% FRL. If you put ATS there, you have now put 450+ more kids on a bus in a community that is at high risk.

Barcroft is the only APS elementary school that has a modified school year calendar and it has 59% FRL. If you put ATS there, you lose the modified school year calendar and you again displace 450+ kids at high risk.

Even worse, this suggestion does not put "seats where they are needed". It may put seats where they are needed in NA. But it makes things far worse in SA where seats are needed by transferring 450+ available seats to NA and not thinking of the consequences and looking at the bigger picture.

Not PP but how does riding a bus affect kids at "high risk?" I'm not in favor moving ATS per se, but the kids at "high risk" would be better served going to schools where the majority of their cohorts aren't similarly at "high risk," no? There is little parental involvement in the school as is. Not sure what big downside there is for those specific students if they are zoned to another nearby school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:ATS should be moved to Randolph or Barcroft. If north Arlington parents really believe in the program, they can drive a little further, to a less privileged neighborhood.
the current ATS campus can turn back to a neighborhood school.

That makes sense.

This would help provide seats where they are needed. In one thread (maybe it was this one), someone commented on how weird McK & Ashlawn's boundaries are. ATS is that reason. If it were converted to neighborhood, it would relieve pressure at McK, Ashlawn, Glebe, Taylor & probably Barrett.

This makes NO SENSE. Do you know anything about Randolph or Barcroft?

Randolph is the only APS elementary school where the entire boundary is walkable and it has 73% FRL. If you put ATS there, you have now put 450+ more kids on a bus in a community that is at high risk.

Barcroft is the only APS elementary school that has a modified school year calendar and it has 59% FRL. If you put ATS there, you lose the modified school year calendar and you again displace 450+ kids at high risk.

Even worse, this suggestion does not put "seats where they are needed". It may put seats where they are needed in NA. But it makes things far worse in SA where seats are needed by transferring 450+ available seats to NA and not thinking of the consequences and looking at the bigger picture.

I suggested this and I live in SA. I do know that area and I do know what I'm talking about
1) Barcroft is about to go to a traditional calendar. This will likely be the last year with the year round schedule.
2) Randolph is about to become a choice school anyway.
3) those "high risk" populations need to be broken up. I know it's really great that they are all tucked away, and kept together and away your family, but it's actually not what's best for their education. They need to be integrated and exposed to more high achieving kids.
Making Randolph IB will likely happen, but it wouldn't be bad to put ATS there. It might pursuade some of the middle class families to give it a chance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:ATS should be moved to Randolph or Barcroft. If north Arlington parents really believe in the program, they can drive a little further, to a less privileged neighborhood.
the current ATS campus can turn back to a neighborhood school.

That makes sense.

This would help provide seats where they are needed. In one thread (maybe it was this one), someone commented on how weird McK & Ashlawn's boundaries are. ATS is that reason. If it were converted to neighborhood, it would relieve pressure at McK, Ashlawn, Glebe, Taylor & probably Barrett.

This makes NO SENSE. Do you know anything about Randolph or Barcroft?

Randolph is the only APS elementary school where the entire boundary is walkable and it has 73% FRL. If you put ATS there, you have now put 450+ more kids on a bus in a community that is at high risk.

Barcroft is the only APS elementary school that has a modified school year calendar and it has 59% FRL. If you put ATS there, you lose the modified school year calendar and you again displace 450+ kids at high risk.

Even worse, this suggestion does not put "seats where they are needed". It may put seats where they are needed in NA. But it makes things far worse in SA where seats are needed by transferring 450+ available seats to NA and not thinking of the consequences and looking at the bigger picture.

I suggested this and I live in SA. I do know that area and I do know what I'm talking about
1) Barcroft is about to go to a traditional calendar. This will likely be the last year with the year round schedule.
2) Randolph is about to become a choice school anyway.
3) those "high risk" populations need to be broken up. I know it's really great that they are all tucked away, and kept together and away your family, but it's actually not what's best for their education. They need to be integrated and exposed to more high achieving kids.
Making Randolph IB will likely happen, but it wouldn't be bad to put ATS there. It might pursuade some of the middle class families to give it a chance.

Randolph already is IB. It just isn't choice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:ATS should be moved to Randolph or Barcroft. If north Arlington parents really believe in the program, they can drive a little further, to a less privileged neighborhood.
the current ATS campus can turn back to a neighborhood school.

That makes sense.

This would help provide seats where they are needed. In one thread (maybe it was this one), someone commented on how weird McK & Ashlawn's boundaries are. ATS is that reason. If it were converted to neighborhood, it would relieve pressure at McK, Ashlawn, Glebe, Taylor & probably Barrett.

This makes NO SENSE. Do you know anything about Randolph or Barcroft?

Randolph is the only APS elementary school where the entire boundary is walkable and it has 73% FRL. If you put ATS there, you have now put 450+ more kids on a bus in a community that is at high risk.

Barcroft is the only APS elementary school that has a modified school year calendar and it has 59% FRL. If you put ATS there, you lose the modified school year calendar and you again displace 450+ kids at high risk.

Even worse, this suggestion does not put "seats where they are needed". It may put seats where they are needed in NA. But it makes things far worse in SA where seats are needed by transferring 450+ available seats to NA and not thinking of the consequences and looking at the bigger picture.

I suggested this and I live in SA. I do know that area and I do know what I'm talking about
1) Barcroft is about to go to a traditional calendar. This will likely be the last year with the year round schedule.
2) Randolph is about to become a choice school anyway.
3) those "high risk" populations need to be broken up. I know it's really great that they are all tucked away, and kept together and away your family, but it's actually not what's best for their education. They need to be integrated and exposed to more high achieving kids.
Making Randolph IB will likely happen, but it wouldn't be bad to put ATS there. It might pursuade some of the middle class families to give it a chance.

Randolph already is IB. It just isn't choice.

Yes - being choice is the important part.

[Anonymous]

Last I heard, Randolph becoming a choice school was about 5 years out. Has that changed, has a decision been made?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:ATS should be moved to Randolph or Barcroft. If north Arlington parents really believe in the program, they can drive a little further, to a less privileged neighborhood.
the current ATS campus can turn back to a neighborhood school.

That makes sense.

This would help provide seats where they are needed. In one thread (maybe it was this one), someone commented on how weird McK & Ashlawn's boundaries are. ATS is that reason. If it were converted to neighborhood, it would relieve pressure at McK, Ashlawn, Glebe, Taylor & probably Barrett.

This makes NO SENSE. Do you know anything about Randolph or Barcroft?

Randolph is the only APS elementary school where the entire boundary is walkable and it has 73% FRL. If you put ATS there, you have now put 450+ more kids on a bus in a community that is at high risk.

Barcroft is the only APS elementary school that has a modified school year calendar and it has 59% FRL. If you put ATS there, you lose the modified school year calendar and you again displace 450+ kids at high risk.

Even worse, this suggestion does not put "seats where they are needed". It may put seats where they are needed in NA. But it makes things far worse in SA where seats are needed by transferring 450+ available seats to NA and not thinking of the consequences and looking at the bigger picture.

I suggested this and I live in SA. I do know that area and I do know what I'm talking about
1) Barcroft is about to go to a traditional calendar. This will likely be the last year with the year round schedule.
2) Randolph is about to become a choice school anyway.
3) those "high risk" populations need to be broken up. I know it's really great that they are all tucked away, and kept together and away your family, but it's actually not what's best for their education. They need to be integrated and exposed to more high achieving kids.
Making Randolph IB will likely happen, but it wouldn't be bad to put ATS there. It might persuade some of the middle class families to give it a chance.

I do not appreciate your micro-aggression that you know what is better for minority students.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:ATS should be moved to Randolph or Barcroft. If north Arlington parents really believe in the program, they can drive a little further, to a less privileged neighborhood.
the current ATS campus can turn back to a neighborhood school.

That makes sense.

This would help provide seats where they are needed. In one thread (maybe it was this one), someone commented on how weird McK & Ashlawn's boundaries are. ATS is that reason. If it were converted to neighborhood, it would relieve pressure at McK, Ashlawn, Glebe, Taylor & probably Barrett.

This makes NO SENSE. Do you know anything about Randolph or Barcroft?

Randolph is the only APS elementary school where the entire boundary is walkable and it has 73% FRL. If you put ATS there, you have now put 450+ more kids on a bus in a community that is at high risk.

Barcroft is the only APS elementary school that has a modified school year calendar and it has 59% FRL. If you put ATS there, you lose the modified school year calendar and you again displace 450+ kids at high risk.

Even worse, this suggestion does not put "seats where they are needed". It may put seats where they are needed in NA. But it makes things far worse in SA where seats are needed by transferring 450+ available seats to NA and not thinking of the consequences and looking at the bigger picture.

I suggested this and I live in SA. I do know that area and I do know what I'm talking about
1) Barcroft is about to go to a traditional calendar. This will likely be the last year with the year round schedule.
2) Randolph is about to become a choice school anyway.
3) those "high risk" populations need to be broken up. I know it's really great that they are all tucked away, and kept together and away your family, but it's actually not what's best for their education. They need to be integrated and exposed to more high achieving kids.
Making Randolph IB will likely happen, but it wouldn't be bad to put ATS there. It might persuade some of the middle class families to give it a chance.

I do not appreciate your micro-aggression that you know what is better for minority students.

Don't get it twisted now. I'm being straight up, in your face aggressive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Last I heard, Randolph becoming a choice school was about 5 years out. Has that changed, has a decision been made?

No decision has publicly been made. However, all the ES boundaries in South Arlington will be redrawn next year to account for the Henry population moving to the new TJ ES and montessori moving out of Drew to the old Henry building. If there is a longer-term desire for Randolph to be a choice school it would make sense to implement that as part of this boundary change, rather than redistrict the school and then take it away a few years later. So, I would expect it to happen effective Fall 2019.

[Anonymous]

Can someone coherently explain what it is that has some ASFS parents so concerned? I don't understand the petitions.