APS: Think the "no move" campaign is going to work?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The county should reclaim community centers. Better to have smaller, well-distributed elementary schools than places for seniors to do yoga.

Build them a fancy community center at Quincy and take back the community centers.

Let us know how you feel about that 20 or 30 years from now.

+1. The answer can't be "screw everyone but parents of school-age kids," because the county simply won't go along with that and it undermines the credibility of school advocates.

When I've taken a class at the community center I often have to drive across the county. It's easier for me and my class once a week than a family with multiple children who go daily.

What's wrong with a centrally-located community center? They scale better than elementary schools do.

How do you think that would work for elderly people who really shouldn't drive anymore but want to stay engaged, yet can't get to that centrally-located community center without riding buses for an hour each way and transferring twice?

They can continue to use the many low-cost/free transportation options that the county offers for senior citizens. Cheaper and safer than owning/driving a car.
https://aging-disability.arlingtonva.us/resources/transportation/
https://www.arlingtontransit.com/riding-art/how-to-ride/how-to-ride-for-senior-citizens/senior-center-adult-transportation-scat/

Those options are pretty limited. It's basically either reduced cost mass transit (assuming it runs near your home), or a reduced-cost shuttle service where you have to know a week in advance exactly what time you'll want to go to the community center to exercise.

Let’s be clear, public education is a core government function. Providing extracurricular programming for bored seniors isn’t.

Let's be clear, IPads, Small Class Sizes, Swimming, Montessori, Immersion, Pre-K FLES...are not core government functions.

Those are all aspects of public education that Arlingtonians value and are willing to pay for.

The county wants a fairly desirable school system. Not “the best” or they’d be putting even more money into it.

Only 22% of Arlington households have minor children. 20% of Arlington citizens are 55+. I wouldn't be so confident in your assumption that "Arlingtonians" have any kind of consensus about what resources we should be putting into schools, and at the expense of which other groups' interests.

Good points. Again, minor children are entitled to a free, public education. 55+, are not entitled to a community center. See the big, huge, wonderful space that could have been a county-wide, accessible choice school next to barrett? It's us, providing free entertainment to the 55+ers with over a mil in home equity.

And those students are getting an education, even if we don’t build another elementary school, so what people are “entitled” to isn’t all that relevant.

Like, physically where are they going to get that education without another elementary school? I’m pretty sure the Virginia highlands cc is going to be an elemntary school within 10 years. Once the boomer bulge shuffles off to Sunrise, the portion of the population that won’t get more social security and Medicare benefits that they paid for, and will have to work into their 70s to get anything at all, will do what’s right, build another school and think about the generations to come instead of just their own wants.

How did a thread about option school moves devolve into boomer insults?

Never change, dcum.

PP is very ignorant and doesn’t understand that senior citizens aren’t the other users of community centers.

Uh, yes, seniors do use community centers. Quite a bit.

The post was meant to say “only,” not “other.” Do you have a substantive point, or are you just being pedantic?

Stop with the snark when it was your error. Couldn't you just state, "I'm sorry, I meant to say "only" not "other."?

[Anonymous]

To be fair, I think this spirited debate regarding community centers is far more entertaining than this thread just being a live reaction feed to what Key advocates are posting on AEM.

And DP, but yeah, the poster fixated on community centers merely being havens for selfish senior citizens taking yoga classes is just strange. I live close to Barcroft and Arlington Mill CCs and both are well-used by so many people in the community, for so many different reasons. So many kids and non-senior adults use them, the kids are same ones simultaneously receiving their public education entitlement.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:To be fair, I think this spirited debate regarding community centers is far more entertaining than this thread just being a live reaction feed to what Key advocates are posting on AEM.

And DP, but yeah, the poster fixated on community centers merely being havens for selfish senior citizens taking yoga classes is just strange. I live close to Barcroft and Arlington Mill CCs and both are well-used by so many people in the community, for so many different reasons. So many kids and non-senior adults use them, the kids are same ones simultaneously receiving their public education entitlement.

1. There are multiple people posting about community centers. I was the one who originally brought it up and haven't posted about them recently. Please don't conflate posters.

2. I never said to get rid of community centers. Just that it's a shame we can't use the land for some of those for schools (since they were originally built as schools - in good school locations) and have fewer, more centralized community centers. Sounds like the county would like to do that do, but alas money and land are not unlimited.

FWIW, I'm sure my family and I use community centers more than the average Arlingtonian and I'm OK having fewer and having to drive a little farther for gymnastics or music class. I actually don't think I've ever even taken a class at the center closest to me. It's so small that it doesn't offer much variety.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:To be fair, I think this spirited debate regarding community centers is far more entertaining than this thread just being a live reaction feed to what Key advocates are posting on AEM.

And DP, but yeah, the poster fixated on community centers merely being havens for selfish senior citizens taking yoga classes is just strange. I live close to Barcroft and Arlington Mill CCs and both are well-used by so many people in the community, for so many different reasons. So many kids and non-senior adults use them, the kids are same ones simultaneously receiving their public education entitlement.

I think the community centers may be used differently in other parts of the county. I live in Pentagon City and I think that the community center here is only used for senior programs and voting. It's basically just a big room with a kitchen in a one story building shared with the library. I am definitely not disagreeing with you, just pointing out that Arlington's community center designation seems to encompass everything from glorified conference rooms to really nice facilities like Barcroft.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To be fair, I think this spirited debate regarding community centers is far more entertaining than this thread just being a live reaction feed to what Key advocates are posting on AEM.

And DP, but yeah, the poster fixated on community centers merely being havens for selfish senior citizens taking yoga classes is just strange. I live close to Barcroft and Arlington Mill CCs and both are well-used by so many people in the community, for so many different reasons. So many kids and non-senior adults use them, the kids are same ones simultaneously receiving their public education entitlement.

I think the community centers may be used differently in other parts of the county. I live in Pentagon City and I think that the community center here is only used for senior programs and voting. It's basically just a big room with a kitchen in a one story building shared with the library. I am definitely not disagreeing with you, just pointing out that Arlington's community center designation seems to encompass everything from glorified conference rooms to really nice facilities like Barcroft.

Is that Aurora Hills? Looks like it's only open for 55+ programs 3 days a week from 10am-3pm. Doesn't sound like a well-utilized county resource.
https://parks.arlingtonva.us/locations/aurora-hills-community-center/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To be fair, I think this spirited debate regarding community centers is far more entertaining than this thread just being a live reaction feed to what Key advocates are posting on AEM.

And DP, but yeah, the poster fixated on community centers merely being havens for selfish senior citizens taking yoga classes is just strange. I live close to Barcroft and Arlington Mill CCs and both are well-used by so many people in the community, for so many different reasons. So many kids and non-senior adults use them, the kids are same ones simultaneously receiving their public education entitlement.

I think the community centers may be used differently in other parts of the county. I live in Pentagon City and I think that the community center here is only used for senior programs and voting. It's basically just a big room with a kitchen in a one story building shared with the library. I am definitely not disagreeing with you, just pointing out that Arlington's community center designation seems to encompass everything from glorified conference rooms to really nice facilities like Barcroft.

Is that Aurora Hills? Looks like it's only open for 55+ programs 3 days a week from 10am-3pm. Doesn't sound like a well-utilized county resource.
https://parks.arlingtonva.us/locations/aurora-hills-community-center/

The community center at Aurora Hills is connected to the library and is a very small part of VA Highlands Park. Any school project at VA Highlands is going to face stiff community resistance. I would guess they try to site a school over the baseball fields and take on the sportsball lobby. The Library/Community center is tucked in a corner between the fire station and private property, so I think it would stay.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The county should reclaim community centers. Better to have smaller, well-distributed elementary schools than places for seniors to do yoga.

Build them a fancy community center at Quincy and take back the community centers.

Let us know how you feel about that 20 or 30 years from now.

+1. The answer can't be "screw everyone but parents of school-age kids," because the county simply won't go along with that and it undermines the credibility of school advocates.

When I've taken a class at the community center I often have to drive across the county. It's easier for me and my class once a week than a family with multiple children who go daily.

What's wrong with a centrally-located community center? They scale better than elementary schools do.

How do you think that would work for elderly people who really shouldn't drive anymore but want to stay engaged, yet can't get to that centrally-located community center without riding buses for an hour each way and transferring twice?

They can continue to use the many low-cost/free transportation options that the county offers for senior citizens. Cheaper and safer than owning/driving a car.
https://aging-disability.arlingtonva.us/resources/transportation/
https://www.arlingtontransit.com/riding-art/how-to-ride/how-to-ride-for-senior-citizens/senior-center-adult-transportation-scat/

Those options are pretty limited. It's basically either reduced cost mass transit (assuming it runs near your home), or a reduced-cost shuttle service where you have to know a week in advance exactly what time you'll want to go to the community center to exercise.

Let’s be clear, public education is a core government function. Providing extracurricular programming for bored seniors isn’t.

Let's be clear, IPads, Small Class Sizes, Swimming, Montessori, Immersion, Pre-K FLES...are not core government functions.

Those are all aspects of public education that Arlingtonians value and are willing to pay for.

The county wants a fairly desirable school system. Not “the best” or they’d be putting even more money into it.

Only 22% of Arlington households have minor children. 20% of Arlington citizens are 55+. I wouldn't be so confident in your assumption that "Arlingtonians" have any kind of consensus about what resources we should be putting into schools, and at the expense of which other groups' interests.

Good points. Again, minor children are entitled to a free, public education. 55+, are not entitled to a community center. See the big, huge, wonderful space that could have been a county-wide, accessible choice school next to barrett? It's us, providing free entertainment to the 55+ers with over a mil in home equity.

And those students are getting an education, even if we don’t build another elementary school, so what people are “entitled” to isn’t all that relevant.

Like, physically where are they going to get that education without another elementary school? I’m pretty sure the Virginia highlands cc is going to be an elemntary school within 10 years. Once the boomer bulge shuffles off to Sunrise, the portion of the population that won’t get more social security and Medicare benefits that they paid for, and will have to work into their 70s to get anything at all, will do what’s right, build another school and think about the generations to come instead of just their own wants.

How did a thread about option school moves devolve into boomer insults?

Never change, dcum.

PP is very ignorant and doesn’t understand that senior citizens aren’t the other users of community centers.

Uh, yes, seniors do use community centers. Quite a bit.

The post was meant to say “only,” not “other.” Do you have a substantive point, or are you just being pedantic?

Stop with the snark when it was your error. Couldn't you just state, "I'm sorry, I meant to say "only" not "other."?

[Anonymous]

Learn how to edit replies. No one needs the whole thread quoted.

[Anonymous]

There is plenty of room to add an extension to Escuela de Key at its current site.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There is plenty of room to add an extension to Escuela de Key at its current site.

hahahhahaha. tehehehehe. This is a ridiculous idea based on absolutely nothing. I love how the Keep Key on Key advocates insist that APS has to come up with irrefutable data to show that moving is a good idea, but find it appropriate to toss out ridiculous statements such as this one with no data or even grounding in reality to back it up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

The community center at Aurora Hills is connected to the library and is a very small part of VA Highlands Park. Any school project at VA Highlands is going to face stiff community resistance. I would guess they try to site a school over the baseball fields and take on the sportsball lobby. The Library/Community center is tucked in a corner between the fire station and private property, so I think it would stay.

+1 Look what happened at TJ. The reason Fleet was squeezed into the tiny space they have is because of the huge outcry from the non-parent community about any encroachment on the huge parcel of land that is the park next to TJ.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is plenty of room to add an extension to Escuela de Key at its current site.

hahahhahaha. tehehehehe. This is a ridiculous idea based on absolutely nothing. I love how the Keep Key on Key advocates insist that APS has to come up with irrefutable data to show that moving is a good idea, but find it appropriate to toss out ridiculous statements such as this one with no data or even grounding in reality to back it up.

+1 Have to roll my eyes at the people on AEM who insist if APS just has the data to justify the move or could make a compelling argument then they will be fine with it. No, they won't. APS has the data and a pretty compelling argument IMO, they just don't want to accept it and there is nothing more they could be told that would satisfy them. They just don't want to move, full stop, doesn't matter the reasons.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

The community center at Aurora Hills is connected to the library and is a very small part of VA Highlands Park. Any school project at VA Highlands is going to face stiff community resistance. I would guess they try to site a school over the baseball fields and take on the sportsball lobby. The Library/Community center is tucked in a corner between the fire station and private property, so I think it would stay.

+1 Look what happened at TJ. The reason Fleet was squeezed into the tiny space they have is because of the huge outcry from the non-parent community about any encroachment on the huge parcel of land that is the park next to TJ.

And we ended up with an efficient use of space. Two schools, community center, sports center, theater, fields, etc. Very well utilized.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is plenty of room to add an extension to Escuela de Key at its current site.

hahahhahaha. tehehehehe. This is a ridiculous idea based on absolutely nothing. I love how the Keep Key on Key advocates insist that APS has to come up with irrefutable data to show that moving is a good idea, but find it appropriate to toss out ridiculous statements such as this one with no data or even grounding in reality to back it up.

+1 Have to roll my eyes at the people on AEM who insist if APS just has the data to justify the move or could make a compelling argument then they will be fine with it. No, they won't. APS has the data and a pretty compelling argument IMO, they just don't want to accept it and there is nothing more they could be told that would satisfy them. They just don't want to move, full stop, doesn't matter the reasons.

2 weeks until the community meeting and 3 weeks until the vote. Why don't we just change the name of the ATS building to "Key" and then the program can move with Key?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Late buses are offered at Title I schools. Or at least it was offered at our Title I school. Which is funny because it was a majority walker school. But our non Title I elementary that is minority walkers doesn’t offer it.

I thought they stopped offering the late buses at elementary schools like 8-10 years ago. Campbell is an option school, title I, higher FRL and doesn't offer one anymore.

I know they used to at one point and then stopped but this year I think they started up again at some schools at least. The forms and flyers I see for enrichment programs do have information about late buses at two of the title one schools I get information on.