Arlington Traditional School

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:ATS doesn’t follow a different curriculum, and yes, they use iPads in the classroom.

One benefit of homework is that parents catch when their child isn’t grasping a concept, and can work on it at home. There’s no surprise at the end of the year that your child was struggling.

At the end of the day, it’s still a public school with large class sizes. If you can afford it, there are many private schools in the area that are far superior.

Also, ATS crossed the threshold this year to become a Title 1 (high poverty) school. Only time will tell if they can remain one of our higher performing elementary schools.

ATS didn’t cross some threshold. The demographics didn’t suddenly change. Arlington changed the way title 1 eligibility is calculated. That’s it.

Yes, agree.

I think its sort of unspoken that ATS has drawn from the under performing South Arlington schools and to a lesser extent from minority families in North Arlington uncomfortable with the mostly white elementary schools for which they are zoned. Most (white) families dominating the North Arlington zones prefer their neighborhood schools which are filled with the thing that ATS parents tout: involved parents who engage with the school.

APS changed how eligibility is calculated? Please explain.

I’m talking about the fact of families who choose to enter the lottery and/or choose to take a ATS slot.

Nope. You said APS changed the threshold for Title 1 eligibility. Please explain the new process.

We aren’t the same person. I’m the PP who said APS changed the way it calculates how title 1 eligibility is calculated. I don’t know the answer to your question. I am repeating what is in ATS’s faqs regarding title 1 status that was sent to all parents as well as what APS admin said in one of the school board meetings. You want to find out how exactly it changed? Pick the phone up at call Syphax.

Hint: It didn’t change. VPI increased poverty in the school. That’s it.

Also number of VPI students went down it seems

2022-2023: 46 students
2023-2024: 42 students
2024-2025: 31 students

That's really interesting. Did they open more VPI spots at neighborhood schools?

Another reason that it's Title 1 is that when a kid gets into ATS, no matter how, their siblings, younger and older, get preference. So when my child got in, and it was a 5-K-classroom cohort, there were only about 30 seats for non siblings. So while VPI went down, I doubt it impacted T1 status much. ANyway, the VPI students are so cute.

I’m not sure but I think the principal announced last year that there will be slightly less spots for VPI students. Not sure why. My understanding is that there are all these complaints that ATS lottery is unfair because so many spots are already taken by VPI students and then so many spots are gone due to sibling preference. This doesn’t explain the drop from last year though. One thing I did hear in last school board meeting is there are less students in general entering kindergarten in Arlington public schools. Not sure if this is due to flight to private schools or people leaving the area all together.

Birth rates are down. True everywhere but people are not moving to Arlington to start a family.

The shifting dynamic in North Arlington to private schools is unfortunate and we will see what the long term impacts may be. The birth rate thing doesn’t explain why they are so off right now; that is privates — families living in Arlington who don’t believe the public system is the best choice for their children.

It isn’t just North Arlington. Plenty of South Arlington families opting for private school, too. (We are one of them.)

I know many APS parents say, “Good riddance!” to private school families, but you’re right — there are negative impacts to the public schools.

The growing discontent with public schools in general is part of a nationwide trend. Hence the recent proliferation of small private schools (for all types of learners) and now specialized sports academies. To APS' credit, phonics is back, gifted classes are returning to middle schools, the high schools are still plenty challenging, extracurriculars are phenomenal. It would be a shame for entire neighborhoods to go private in Arlington, as the close-knit community feeling would diminish. I'm not too keen on the vibe of neighborhoods like Spring Valley--while beautiful, it's not a community where kids and their parents walk to school.

I am seeing a lot of improvement at APS as well. There are three weak spots that need addressing:

- writing: we still need to focus more on writing. The problem as I understand it is that teachers simply don’t have the bandwidth to offer detailed feedback on papers. This seems to be less of an issue in elementary school and more of an issue in high school and middle school. Teachers need more time and more support.
- iPad reliance: To me this is problematic in upper elementary especially where students are asked to write on tiny iPad screens (when keyboard comes up they can only see very little of their screens). If we can switch to paper that would be better
-AI: AI is great as a tool but it can prevent students from learning basic skills. I’m not sure what the solution was but I find it interesting that in college, some professors have a reverse classroom. You watch the lectures at home and then class time is focused on discussion and writing.

Oh and then math. I just think entire math curriculum at APS sucks. It’s not just an APS problem but a country wide issue.

[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:ATS doesn’t follow a different curriculum, and yes, they use iPads in the classroom.

One benefit of homework is that parents catch when their child isn’t grasping a concept, and can work on it at home. There’s no surprise at the end of the year that your child was struggling.

At the end of the day, it’s still a public school with large class sizes. If you can afford it, there are many private schools in the area that are far superior.

Also, ATS crossed the threshold this year to become a Title 1 (high poverty) school. Only time will tell if they can remain one of our higher performing elementary schools.

ATS didn’t cross some threshold. The demographics didn’t suddenly change. Arlington changed the way title 1 eligibility is calculated. That’s it.

Yes, agree.

I think its sort of unspoken that ATS has drawn from the under performing South Arlington schools and to a lesser extent from minority families in North Arlington uncomfortable with the mostly white elementary schools for which they are zoned. Most (white) families dominating the North Arlington zones prefer their neighborhood schools which are filled with the thing that ATS parents tout: involved parents who engage with the school.

APS changed how eligibility is calculated? Please explain.

I’m talking about the fact of families who choose to enter the lottery and/or choose to take a ATS slot.

Nope. You said APS changed the threshold for Title 1 eligibility. Please explain the new process.

We aren’t the same person. I’m the PP who said APS changed the way it calculates how title 1 eligibility is calculated. I don’t know the answer to your question. I am repeating what is in ATS’s faqs regarding title 1 status that was sent to all parents as well as what APS admin said in one of the school board meetings. You want to find out how exactly it changed? Pick the phone up at call Syphax.

Hint: It didn’t change. VPI increased poverty in the school. That’s it.

Also number of VPI students went down it seems

2022-2023: 46 students
2023-2024: 42 students
2024-2025: 31 students

That's really interesting. Did they open more VPI spots at neighborhood schools?

Another reason that it's Title 1 is that when a kid gets into ATS, no matter how, their siblings, younger and older, get preference. So when my child got in, and it was a 5-K-classroom cohort, there were only about 30 seats for non siblings. So while VPI went down, I doubt it impacted T1 status much. ANyway, the VPI students are so cute.

I’m not sure but I think the principal announced last year that there will be slightly less spots for VPI students. Not sure why. My understanding is that there are all these complaints that ATS lottery is unfair because so many spots are already taken by VPI students and then so many spots are gone due to sibling preference. This doesn’t explain the drop from last year though. One thing I did hear in last school board meeting is there are less students in general entering kindergarten in Arlington public schools. Not sure if this is due to flight to private schools or people leaving the area all together.

Birth rates are down. True everywhere but people are not moving to Arlington to start a family.

The shifting dynamic in North Arlington to private schools is unfortunate and we will see what the long term impacts may be. The birth rate thing doesn’t explain why they are so off right now; that is privates — families living in Arlington who don’t believe the public system is the best choice for their children.

It isn’t just North Arlington. Plenty of South Arlington families opting for private school, too. (We are one of them.)

I know many APS parents say, “Good riddance!” to private school families, but you’re right — there are negative impacts to the public schools.

The growing discontent with public schools in general is part of a nationwide trend. Hence the recent proliferation of small private schools (for all types of learners) and now specialized sports academies. To APS' credit, phonics is back, gifted classes are returning to middle schools, the high schools are still plenty challenging, extracurriculars are phenomenal. It would be a shame for entire neighborhoods to go private in Arlington, as the close-knit community feeling would diminish. I'm not too keen on the vibe of neighborhoods like Spring Valley--while beautiful, it's not a community where kids and their parents walk to school.

I am seeing a lot of improvement at APS as well. There are three weak spots that need addressing:

- writing: we still need to focus more on writing. The problem as I understand it is that teachers simply don’t have the bandwidth to offer detailed feedback on papers. This seems to be less of an issue in elementary school and more of an issue in high school and middle school. Teachers need more time and more support.
- iPad reliance: To me this is problematic in upper elementary especially where students are asked to write on tiny iPad screens (when keyboard comes up they can only see very little of their screens). If we can switch to paper that would be better
-AI: AI is great as a tool but it can prevent students from learning basic skills. I’m not sure what the solution was but I find it interesting that in college, some professors have a reverse classroom. You watch the lectures at home and then class time is focused on discussion and writing.

Oh and then math. I just think entire math curriculum at APS sucks. It’s not just an APS problem but a country wide issue.

I totally agree. The APS math curriculum is basically non-existent. They need to invest in a rigorous curriculum that isn't entirely app based. I wish they'd find something rigorous and evidence-based with a logical progression.

[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:ATS doesn’t follow a different curriculum, and yes, they use iPads in the classroom.

One benefit of homework is that parents catch when their child isn’t grasping a concept, and can work on it at home. There’s no surprise at the end of the year that your child was struggling.

At the end of the day, it’s still a public school with large class sizes. If you can afford it, there are many private schools in the area that are far superior.

Also, ATS crossed the threshold this year to become a Title 1 (high poverty) school. Only time will tell if they can remain one of our higher performing elementary schools.

ATS didn’t cross some threshold. The demographics didn’t suddenly change. Arlington changed the way title 1 eligibility is calculated. That’s it.

Yes, agree.

I think its sort of unspoken that ATS has drawn from the under performing South Arlington schools and to a lesser extent from minority families in North Arlington uncomfortable with the mostly white elementary schools for which they are zoned. Most (white) families dominating the North Arlington zones prefer their neighborhood schools which are filled with the thing that ATS parents tout: involved parents who engage with the school.

APS changed how eligibility is calculated? Please explain.

I’m talking about the fact of families who choose to enter the lottery and/or choose to take a ATS slot.

Nope. You said APS changed the threshold for Title 1 eligibility. Please explain the new process.

We aren’t the same person. I’m the PP who said APS changed the way it calculates how title 1 eligibility is calculated. I don’t know the answer to your question. I am repeating what is in ATS’s faqs regarding title 1 status that was sent to all parents as well as what APS admin said in one of the school board meetings. You want to find out how exactly it changed? Pick the phone up at call Syphax.

Hint: It didn’t change. VPI increased poverty in the school. That’s it.

Also number of VPI students went down it seems

2022-2023: 46 students
2023-2024: 42 students
2024-2025: 31 students

That's really interesting. Did they open more VPI spots at neighborhood schools?

Another reason that it's Title 1 is that when a kid gets into ATS, no matter how, their siblings, younger and older, get preference. So when my child got in, and it was a 5-K-classroom cohort, there were only about 30 seats for non siblings. So while VPI went down, I doubt it impacted T1 status much. ANyway, the VPI students are so cute.

I’m not sure but I think the principal announced last year that there will be slightly less spots for VPI students. Not sure why. My understanding is that there are all these complaints that ATS lottery is unfair because so many spots are already taken by VPI students and then so many spots are gone due to sibling preference. This doesn’t explain the drop from last year though. One thing I did hear in last school board meeting is there are less students in general entering kindergarten in Arlington public schools. Not sure if this is due to flight to private schools or people leaving the area all together.

Birth rates are down. True everywhere but people are not moving to Arlington to start a family.

The shifting dynamic in North Arlington to private schools is unfortunate and we will see what the long term impacts may be. The birth rate thing doesn’t explain why they are so off right now; that is privates — families living in Arlington who don’t believe the public system is the best choice for their children.

It isn’t just North Arlington. Plenty of South Arlington families opting for private school, too. (We are one of them.)

I know many APS parents say, “Good riddance!” to private school families, but you’re right — there are negative impacts to the public schools.

The growing discontent with public schools in general is part of a nationwide trend. Hence the recent proliferation of small private schools (for all types of learners) and now specialized sports academies. To APS' credit, phonics is back, gifted classes are returning to middle schools, the high schools are still plenty challenging, extracurriculars are phenomenal. It would be a shame for entire neighborhoods to go private in Arlington, as the close-knit community feeling would diminish. I'm not too keen on the vibe of neighborhoods like Spring Valley--while beautiful, it's not a community where kids and their parents walk to school.

I am seeing a lot of improvement at APS as well. There are three weak spots that need addressing:

- writing: we still need to focus more on writing. The problem as I understand it is that teachers simply don’t have the bandwidth to offer detailed feedback on papers. This seems to be less of an issue in elementary school and more of an issue in high school and middle school. Teachers need more time and more support.
- iPad reliance: To me this is problematic in upper elementary especially where students are asked to write on tiny iPad screens (when keyboard comes up they can only see very little of their screens). If we can switch to paper that would be better
-AI: AI is great as a tool but it can prevent students from learning basic skills. I’m not sure what the solution was but I find it interesting that in college, some professors have a reverse classroom. You watch the lectures at home and then class time is focused on discussion and writing.

Oh and then math. I just think entire math curriculum at APS sucks. It’s not just an APS problem but a country wide issue.

I totally agree. The APS math curriculum is basically non-existent. They need to invest in a rigorous curriculum that isn't entirely app based. I wish they'd find something rigorous and evidence-based with a logical progression.

My kids go to ATS and ATS doesn’t use the math program that APS purchased, Envision or something like that. They rely on worksheets and apps. Based on what you said, this seems like it’s an APS wide issue. Why did APS purchase envision in the first place if no school is using it? And can we just get something better than a hodge podge of apps?

[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:ATS doesn’t follow a different curriculum, and yes, they use iPads in the classroom.

One benefit of homework is that parents catch when their child isn’t grasping a concept, and can work on it at home. There’s no surprise at the end of the year that your child was struggling.

At the end of the day, it’s still a public school with large class sizes. If you can afford it, there are many private schools in the area that are far superior.

Also, ATS crossed the threshold this year to become a Title 1 (high poverty) school. Only time will tell if they can remain one of our higher performing elementary schools.

ATS didn’t cross some threshold. The demographics didn’t suddenly change. Arlington changed the way title 1 eligibility is calculated. That’s it.

Yes, agree.

I think its sort of unspoken that ATS has drawn from the under performing South Arlington schools and to a lesser extent from minority families in North Arlington uncomfortable with the mostly white elementary schools for which they are zoned. Most (white) families dominating the North Arlington zones prefer their neighborhood schools which are filled with the thing that ATS parents tout: involved parents who engage with the school.

APS changed how eligibility is calculated? Please explain.

I’m talking about the fact of families who choose to enter the lottery and/or choose to take a ATS slot.

Nope. You said APS changed the threshold for Title 1 eligibility. Please explain the new process.

We aren’t the same person. I’m the PP who said APS changed the way it calculates how title 1 eligibility is calculated. I don’t know the answer to your question. I am repeating what is in ATS’s faqs regarding title 1 status that was sent to all parents as well as what APS admin said in one of the school board meetings. You want to find out how exactly it changed? Pick the phone up at call Syphax.

Hint: It didn’t change. VPI increased poverty in the school. That’s it.

Also number of VPI students went down it seems

2022-2023: 46 students
2023-2024: 42 students
2024-2025: 31 students

That's really interesting. Did they open more VPI spots at neighborhood schools?

Another reason that it's Title 1 is that when a kid gets into ATS, no matter how, their siblings, younger and older, get preference. So when my child got in, and it was a 5-K-classroom cohort, there were only about 30 seats for non siblings. So while VPI went down, I doubt it impacted T1 status much. ANyway, the VPI students are so cute.

I’m not sure but I think the principal announced last year that there will be slightly less spots for VPI students. Not sure why. My understanding is that there are all these complaints that ATS lottery is unfair because so many spots are already taken by VPI students and then so many spots are gone due to sibling preference. This doesn’t explain the drop from last year though. One thing I did hear in last school board meeting is there are less students in general entering kindergarten in Arlington public schools. Not sure if this is due to flight to private schools or people leaving the area all together.

Birth rates are down. True everywhere but people are not moving to Arlington to start a family.

The shifting dynamic in North Arlington to private schools is unfortunate and we will see what the long term impacts may be. The birth rate thing doesn’t explain why they are so off right now; that is privates — families living in Arlington who don’t believe the public system is the best choice for their children.

It isn’t just North Arlington. Plenty of South Arlington families opting for private school, too. (We are one of them.)

I know many APS parents say, “Good riddance!” to private school families, but you’re right — there are negative impacts to the public schools.

The growing discontent with public schools in general is part of a nationwide trend. Hence the recent proliferation of small private schools (for all types of learners) and now specialized sports academies. To APS' credit, phonics is back, gifted classes are returning to middle schools, the high schools are still plenty challenging, extracurriculars are phenomenal. It would be a shame for entire neighborhoods to go private in Arlington, as the close-knit community feeling would diminish. I'm not too keen on the vibe of neighborhoods like Spring Valley--while beautiful, it's not a community where kids and their parents walk to school.

I am seeing a lot of improvement at APS as well. There are three weak spots that need addressing:

- writing: we still need to focus more on writing. The problem as I understand it is that teachers simply don’t have the bandwidth to offer detailed feedback on papers. This seems to be less of an issue in elementary school and more of an issue in high school and middle school. Teachers need more time and more support.
- iPad reliance: To me this is problematic in upper elementary especially where students are asked to write on tiny iPad screens (when keyboard comes up they can only see very little of their screens). If we can switch to paper that would be better
-AI: AI is great as a tool but it can prevent students from learning basic skills. I’m not sure what the solution was but I find it interesting that in college, some professors have a reverse classroom. You watch the lectures at home and then class time is focused on discussion and writing.

Oh and then math. I just think entire math curriculum at APS sucks. It’s not just an APS problem but a country wide issue.

I totally agree. The APS math curriculum is basically non-existent. They need to invest in a rigorous curriculum that isn't entirely app based. I wish they'd find something rigorous and evidence-based with a logical progression.

My kids go to ATS and ATS doesn’t use the math program that APS purchased, Envision or something like that. They rely on worksheets and apps. Based on what you said, this seems like it’s an APS wide issue. Why did APS purchase envision in the first place if no school is using it? And can we just get something better than a hodge podge of apps?

Worksheets are how students get enough practice to really memorize content.

Doing it on paper engages more parts of the brain and helps memorization more than typing it into a computer.

[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:

Anonymous wrote:ATS doesn’t follow a different curriculum, and yes, they use iPads in the classroom.

One benefit of homework is that parents catch when their child isn’t grasping a concept, and can work on it at home. There’s no surprise at the end of the year that your child was struggling.

At the end of the day, it’s still a public school with large class sizes. If you can afford it, there are many private schools in the area that are far superior.

Also, ATS crossed the threshold this year to become a Title 1 (high poverty) school. Only time will tell if they can remain one of our higher performing elementary schools.

ATS didn’t cross some threshold. The demographics didn’t suddenly change. Arlington changed the way title 1 eligibility is calculated. That’s it.

Yes, agree.

I think its sort of unspoken that ATS has drawn from the under performing South Arlington schools and to a lesser extent from minority families in North Arlington uncomfortable with the mostly white elementary schools for which they are zoned. Most (white) families dominating the North Arlington zones prefer their neighborhood schools which are filled with the thing that ATS parents tout: involved parents who engage with the school.

APS changed how eligibility is calculated? Please explain.

I’m talking about the fact of families who choose to enter the lottery and/or choose to take a ATS slot.

Nope. You said APS changed the threshold for Title 1 eligibility. Please explain the new process.

We aren’t the same person. I’m the PP who said APS changed the way it calculates how title 1 eligibility is calculated. I don’t know the answer to your question. I am repeating what is in ATS’s faqs regarding title 1 status that was sent to all parents as well as what APS admin said in one of the school board meetings. You want to find out how exactly it changed? Pick the phone up at call Syphax.

Hint: It didn’t change. VPI increased poverty in the school. That’s it.

Also number of VPI students went down it seems

2022-2023: 46 students
2023-2024: 42 students
2024-2025: 31 students

That's really interesting. Did they open more VPI spots at neighborhood schools?

Another reason that it's Title 1 is that when a kid gets into ATS, no matter how, their siblings, younger and older, get preference. So when my child got in, and it was a 5-K-classroom cohort, there were only about 30 seats for non siblings. So while VPI went down, I doubt it impacted T1 status much. ANyway, the VPI students are so cute.

I’m not sure but I think the principal announced last year that there will be slightly less spots for VPI students. Not sure why. My understanding is that there are all these complaints that ATS lottery is unfair because so many spots are already taken by VPI students and then so many spots are gone due to sibling preference. This doesn’t explain the drop from last year though. One thing I did hear in last school board meeting is there are less students in general entering kindergarten in Arlington public schools. Not sure if this is due to flight to private schools or people leaving the area all together.

Birth rates are down. True everywhere but people are not moving to Arlington to start a family.

The shifting dynamic in North Arlington to private schools is unfortunate and we will see what the long term impacts may be. The birth rate thing doesn’t explain why they are so off right now; that is privates — families living in Arlington who don’t believe the public system is the best choice for their children.

It isn’t just North Arlington. Plenty of South Arlington families opting for private school, too. (We are one of them.)

I know many APS parents say, “Good riddance!” to private school families, but you’re right — there are negative impacts to the public schools.

The growing discontent with public schools in general is part of a nationwide trend. Hence the recent proliferation of small private schools (for all types of learners) and now specialized sports academies. To APS' credit, phonics is back, gifted classes are returning to middle schools, the high schools are still plenty challenging, extracurriculars are phenomenal. It would be a shame for entire neighborhoods to go private in Arlington, as the close-knit community feeling would diminish. I'm not too keen on the vibe of neighborhoods like Spring Valley--while beautiful, it's not a community where kids and their parents walk to school.

I am seeing a lot of improvement at APS as well. There are three weak spots that need addressing:

- writing: we still need to focus more on writing. The problem as I understand it is that teachers simply don’t have the bandwidth to offer detailed feedback on papers. This seems to be less of an issue in elementary school and more of an issue in high school and middle school. Teachers need more time and more support.
- iPad reliance: To me this is problematic in upper elementary especially where students are asked to write on tiny iPad screens (when keyboard comes up they can only see very little of their screens). If we can switch to paper that would be better
-AI: AI is great as a tool but it can prevent students from learning basic skills. I’m not sure what the solution was but I find it interesting that in college, some professors have a reverse classroom. You watch the lectures at home and then class time is focused on discussion and writing.

Oh and then math. I just think entire math curriculum at APS sucks. It’s not just an APS problem but a country wide issue.

I totally agree. The APS math curriculum is basically non-existent. They need to invest in a rigorous curriculum that isn't entirely app based. I wish they'd find something rigorous and evidence-based with a logical progression.

My kids go to ATS and ATS doesn’t use the math program that APS purchased, Envision or something like that. They rely on worksheets and apps. Based on what you said, this seems like it’s an APS wide issue. Why did APS purchase envision in the first place if no school is using it? And can we just get something better than a hodge podge of apps?

Worksheets are how students get enough practice to really memorize content.

Doing it on paper engages more parts of the brain and helps memorization more than typing it into a computer.

I’m not anti worksheet. I’m wondering why APS purchased a curriculum that no one uses and whether there are better options out there than teachers just relying on worksheets and apps.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think seats open up in 3rd or 4th grade, meaning that the max number of seats in the classroom expands so they let in 3-6 kids.

No. The number of seats is always the same. There is no grade it suddenly expands. But a few students move over the years, and there are also military families who don’t stay the entire 6 years.

That's not true. Choice schools have to max out their seats per class and the number of max seats per class at APS is higher over time in ES. I know because my kid got into APS in 4th b/c of class size increases.

See page 2 of this document for details.
https://www.apsva.us/wp-content/uploads/sites/57/2025/01/Class-Size-Report-SY-24.25.pdf

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:ATS doesn’t follow a different curriculum, and yes, they use iPads in the classroom.

One benefit of homework is that parents catch when their child isn’t grasping a concept, and can work on it at home. There’s no surprise at the end of the year that your child was struggling.

At the end of the day, it’s still a public school with large class sizes. If you can afford it, there are many private schools in the area that are far superior.

Also, ATS crossed the threshold this year to become a Title 1 (high poverty) school. Only time will tell if they can remain one of our higher performing elementary schools.

ATS didn’t cross some threshold. The demographics didn’t suddenly change. Arlington changed the way title 1 eligibility is calculated. That’s it.

Yes, agree.

I think its sort of unspoken that ATS has drawn from the under performing South Arlington schools and to a lesser extent from minority families in North Arlington uncomfortable with the mostly white elementary schools for which they are zoned. Most (white) families dominating the North Arlington zones prefer their neighborhood schools which are filled with the thing that ATS parents tout: involved parents who engage with the school.

APS changed how eligibility is calculated? Please explain.

I’m talking about the fact of families who choose to enter the lottery and/or choose to take a ATS slot.

Nope. You said APS changed the threshold for Title 1 eligibility. Please explain the new process.

We aren’t the same person. I’m the PP who said APS changed the way it calculates how title 1 eligibility is calculated. I don’t know the answer to your question. I am repeating what is in ATS’s faqs regarding title 1 status that was sent to all parents as well as what APS admin said in one of the school board meetings. You want to find out how exactly it changed? Pick the phone up at call Syphax.

Hint: It didn’t change. VPI increased poverty in the school. That’s it.

Also number of VPI students went down it seems

2022-2023: 46 students
2023-2024: 42 students
2024-2025: 31 students

Here is link for those of you who are interested: https://schoolquality.virginia.gov/schools/arlington-traditional

It doesn’t go before 2022 but would love to see the figures for the years prior.

Those numbers don’t include siblings who were admitted due to preference.

Let me help you out. If a kid gets into VPI and they have two older siblings, those kids get preference and so the total number of lower income kids goes up. That's why, even if VPI spots stay the same or go down, that probably won't impact T1 status as much as might be assumed.

[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:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:ATS doesn’t follow a different curriculum, and yes, they use iPads in the classroom.

One benefit of homework is that parents catch when their child isn’t grasping a concept, and can work on it at home. There’s no surprise at the end of the year that your child was struggling.

At the end of the day, it’s still a public school with large class sizes. If you can afford it, there are many private schools in the area that are far superior.

Also, ATS crossed the threshold this year to become a Title 1 (high poverty) school. Only time will tell if they can remain one of our higher performing elementary schools.

ATS didn’t cross some threshold. The demographics didn’t suddenly change. Arlington changed the way title 1 eligibility is calculated. That’s it.

Yes, agree.

I think its sort of unspoken that ATS has drawn from the under performing South Arlington schools and to a lesser extent from minority families in North Arlington uncomfortable with the mostly white elementary schools for which they are zoned. Most (white) families dominating the North Arlington zones prefer their neighborhood schools which are filled with the thing that ATS parents tout: involved parents who engage with the school.

APS changed how eligibility is calculated? Please explain.

I’m talking about the fact of families who choose to enter the lottery and/or choose to take a ATS slot.

Nope. You said APS changed the threshold for Title 1 eligibility. Please explain the new process.

We aren’t the same person. I’m the PP who said APS changed the way it calculates how title 1 eligibility is calculated. I don’t know the answer to your question. I am repeating what is in ATS’s faqs regarding title 1 status that was sent to all parents as well as what APS admin said in one of the school board meetings. You want to find out how exactly it changed? Pick the phone up at call Syphax.

Hint: It didn’t change. VPI increased poverty in the school. That’s it.

Also number of VPI students went down it seems

2022-2023: 46 students
2023-2024: 42 students
2024-2025: 31 students

That's really interesting. Did they open more VPI spots at neighborhood schools?

Another reason that it's Title 1 is that when a kid gets into ATS, no matter how, their siblings, younger and older, get preference. So when my child got in, and it was a 5-K-classroom cohort, there were only about 30 seats for non siblings. So while VPI went down, I doubt it impacted T1 status much. ANyway, the VPI students are so cute.

I’m not sure but I think the principal announced last year that there will be slightly less spots for VPI students. Not sure why. My understanding is that there are all these complaints that ATS lottery is unfair because so many spots are already taken by VPI students and then so many spots are gone due to sibling preference. This doesn’t explain the drop from last year though. One thing I did hear in last school board meeting is there are less students in general entering kindergarten in Arlington public schools. Not sure if this is due to flight to private schools or people leaving the area all together.

Birth rates are down. True everywhere but people are not moving to Arlington to start a family.

The shifting dynamic in North Arlington to private schools is unfortunate and we will see what the long term impacts may be. The birth rate thing doesn’t explain why they are so off right now; that is privates — families living in Arlington who don’t believe the public system is the best choice for their children.

It isn’t just North Arlington. Plenty of South Arlington families opting for private school, too. (We are one of them.)

I know many APS parents say, “Good riddance!” to private school families, but you’re right — there are negative impacts to the public schools.

The growing discontent with public schools in general is part of a nationwide trend. Hence the recent proliferation of small private schools (for all types of learners) and now specialized sports academies. To APS' credit, phonics is back, gifted classes are returning to middle schools, the high schools are still plenty challenging, extracurriculars are phenomenal. It would be a shame for entire neighborhoods to go private in Arlington, as the close-knit community feeling would diminish. I'm not too keen on the vibe of neighborhoods like Spring Valley--while beautiful, it's not a community where kids and their parents walk to school.

I am seeing a lot of improvement at APS as well. There are three weak spots that need addressing:

- writing: we still need to focus more on writing. The problem as I understand it is that teachers simply don’t have the bandwidth to offer detailed feedback on papers. This seems to be less of an issue in elementary school and more of an issue in high school and middle school. Teachers need more time and more support.
- iPad reliance: To me this is problematic in upper elementary especially where students are asked to write on tiny iPad screens (when keyboard comes up they can only see very little of their screens). If we can switch to paper that would be better
-AI: AI is great as a tool but it can prevent students from learning basic skills. I’m not sure what the solution was but I find it interesting that in college, some professors have a reverse classroom. You watch the lectures at home and then class time is focused on discussion and writing.

Oh and then math. I just think entire math curriculum at APS sucks. It’s not just an APS problem but a country wide issue.

I totally agree. The APS math curriculum is basically non-existent. They need to invest in a rigorous curriculum that isn't entirely app based. I wish they'd find something rigorous and evidence-based with a logical progression.

My kids go to ATS and ATS doesn’t use the math program that APS purchased, Envision or something like that. They rely on worksheets and apps. Based on what you said, this seems like it’s an APS wide issue. Why did APS purchase envision in the first place if no school is using it? And can we just get something better than a hodge podge of apps?

Worksheets are how students get enough practice to really memorize content.

Doing it on paper engages more parts of the brain and helps memorization more than typing it into a computer.

I’m not anti worksheet. I’m wondering why APS purchased a curriculum that no one uses and whether there are better options out there than teachers just relying on worksheets and apps.

No idea why or how APS decides anything.

"Math in Focus" is popular math curriculum. It is marketed as a kind Singapore Math, but colleagues from Singapore assure me it is not the same. It is actually used by some local private schools.

If I were in charge, I would pick an actual Singapore Math curriculum.

YMMV.

[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:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:ATS doesn’t follow a different curriculum, and yes, they use iPads in the classroom.

One benefit of homework is that parents catch when their child isn’t grasping a concept, and can work on it at home. There’s no surprise at the end of the year that your child was struggling.

At the end of the day, it’s still a public school with large class sizes. If you can afford it, there are many private schools in the area that are far superior.

Also, ATS crossed the threshold this year to become a Title 1 (high poverty) school. Only time will tell if they can remain one of our higher performing elementary schools.

ATS didn’t cross some threshold. The demographics didn’t suddenly change. Arlington changed the way title 1 eligibility is calculated. That’s it.

Yes, agree.

I think its sort of unspoken that ATS has drawn from the under performing South Arlington schools and to a lesser extent from minority families in North Arlington uncomfortable with the mostly white elementary schools for which they are zoned. Most (white) families dominating the North Arlington zones prefer their neighborhood schools which are filled with the thing that ATS parents tout: involved parents who engage with the school.

APS changed how eligibility is calculated? Please explain.

I’m talking about the fact of families who choose to enter the lottery and/or choose to take a ATS slot.

Nope. You said APS changed the threshold for Title 1 eligibility. Please explain the new process.

We aren’t the same person. I’m the PP who said APS changed the way it calculates how title 1 eligibility is calculated. I don’t know the answer to your question. I am repeating what is in ATS’s faqs regarding title 1 status that was sent to all parents as well as what APS admin said in one of the school board meetings. You want to find out how exactly it changed? Pick the phone up at call Syphax.

Hint: It didn’t change. VPI increased poverty in the school. That’s it.

Also number of VPI students went down it seems

2022-2023: 46 students
2023-2024: 42 students
2024-2025: 31 students

That's really interesting. Did they open more VPI spots at neighborhood schools?

Another reason that it's Title 1 is that when a kid gets into ATS, no matter how, their siblings, younger and older, get preference. So when my child got in, and it was a 5-K-classroom cohort, there were only about 30 seats for non siblings. So while VPI went down, I doubt it impacted T1 status much. ANyway, the VPI students are so cute.

I’m not sure but I think the principal announced last year that there will be slightly less spots for VPI students. Not sure why. My understanding is that there are all these complaints that ATS lottery is unfair because so many spots are already taken by VPI students and then so many spots are gone due to sibling preference. This doesn’t explain the drop from last year though. One thing I did hear in last school board meeting is there are less students in general entering kindergarten in Arlington public schools. Not sure if this is due to flight to private schools or people leaving the area all together.

Birth rates are down. True everywhere but people are not moving to Arlington to start a family.

The shifting dynamic in North Arlington to private schools is unfortunate and we will see what the long term impacts may be. The birth rate thing doesn’t explain why they are so off right now; that is privates — families living in Arlington who don’t believe the public system is the best choice for their children.

It isn’t just North Arlington. Plenty of South Arlington families opting for private school, too. (We are one of them.)

I know many APS parents say, “Good riddance!” to private school families, but you’re right — there are negative impacts to the public schools.

The growing discontent with public schools in general is part of a nationwide trend. Hence the recent proliferation of small private schools (for all types of learners) and now specialized sports academies. To APS' credit, phonics is back, gifted classes are returning to middle schools, the high schools are still plenty challenging, extracurriculars are phenomenal. It would be a shame for entire neighborhoods to go private in Arlington, as the close-knit community feeling would diminish. I'm not too keen on the vibe of neighborhoods like Spring Valley--while beautiful, it's not a community where kids and their parents walk to school.

I am seeing a lot of improvement at APS as well. There are three weak spots that need addressing:

- writing: we still need to focus more on writing. The problem as I understand it is that teachers simply don’t have the bandwidth to offer detailed feedback on papers. This seems to be less of an issue in elementary school and more of an issue in high school and middle school. Teachers need more time and more support.
- iPad reliance: To me this is problematic in upper elementary especially where students are asked to write on tiny iPad screens (when keyboard comes up they can only see very little of their screens). If we can switch to paper that would be better
-AI: AI is great as a tool but it can prevent students from learning basic skills. I’m not sure what the solution was but I find it interesting that in college, some professors have a reverse classroom. You watch the lectures at home and then class time is focused on discussion and writing.

Oh and then math. I just think entire math curriculum at APS sucks. It’s not just an APS problem but a country wide issue.

I totally agree. The APS math curriculum is basically non-existent. They need to invest in a rigorous curriculum that isn't entirely app based. I wish they'd find something rigorous and evidence-based with a logical progression.

My kids go to ATS and ATS doesn’t use the math program that APS purchased, Envision or something like that. They rely on worksheets and apps. Based on what you said, this seems like it’s an APS wide issue. Why did APS purchase envision in the first place if no school is using it? And can we just get something better than a hodge podge of apps?

Worksheets are how students get enough practice to really memorize content.

Doing it on paper engages more parts of the brain and helps memorization more than typing it into a computer.

I’m not anti worksheet. I’m wondering why APS purchased a curriculum that no one uses and whether there are better options out there than teachers just relying on worksheets and apps.

No idea why or how APS decides anything.

"Math in Focus" is popular math curriculum. It is marketed as a kind Singapore Math, but colleagues from Singapore assure me it is not the same. It is actually used by some local private schools.

If I were in charge, I would pick an actual Singapore Math curriculum.

YMMV.

One issue is the inflated Syphax admin staffing. One example surrounds “curriculum” admin employees. Their job is to assess and purchase the curriculum used by APS. You’d be shocked that if you hire an admin to constantly analyze curriculum you get lots of recommendations about this and that curriculum and the best of everything new. So APS CONSTANTLY changes which 7th grade math and which 5th reading and which 3rd grade spelling curriculum they are using. Teachers who like and know how a certain curriculum works get no say. They are told by Syphax and are constantly having to learn new curriculum to teach new curriculum. It’s insane, wasteful of good teachers knowledge, wasteful of taxpayer dollars (constantly purchasing new textbooks and curriculum). How about we decide what actually works and stick with for, I don’t know, years unless and until a large consensus of teachers tells admin it isn’t working. We could literally have one person do this job.

[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:ATS doesn’t follow a different curriculum, and yes, they use iPads in the classroom.

One benefit of homework is that parents catch when their child isn’t grasping a concept, and can work on it at home. There’s no surprise at the end of the year that your child was struggling.

At the end of the day, it’s still a public school with large class sizes. If you can afford it, there are many private schools in the area that are far superior.

Also, ATS crossed the threshold this year to become a Title 1 (high poverty) school. Only time will tell if they can remain one of our higher performing elementary schools.

ATS didn’t cross some threshold. The demographics didn’t suddenly change. Arlington changed the way title 1 eligibility is calculated. That’s it.

Yes, agree.

I think its sort of unspoken that ATS has drawn from the under performing South Arlington schools and to a lesser extent from minority families in North Arlington uncomfortable with the mostly white elementary schools for which they are zoned. Most (white) families dominating the North Arlington zones prefer their neighborhood schools which are filled with the thing that ATS parents tout: involved parents who engage with the school.

APS changed how eligibility is calculated? Please explain.

I’m talking about the fact of families who choose to enter the lottery and/or choose to take a ATS slot.

Nope. You said APS changed the threshold for Title 1 eligibility. Please explain the new process.

We aren’t the same person. I’m the PP who said APS changed the way it calculates how title 1 eligibility is calculated. I don’t know the answer to your question. I am repeating what is in ATS’s faqs regarding title 1 status that was sent to all parents as well as what APS admin said in one of the school board meetings. You want to find out how exactly it changed? Pick the phone up at call Syphax.

Hint: It didn’t change. VPI increased poverty in the school. That’s it.

Also number of VPI students went down it seems

2022-2023: 46 students
2023-2024: 42 students
2024-2025: 31 students

That's really interesting. Did they open more VPI spots at neighborhood schools?

Another reason that it's Title 1 is that when a kid gets into ATS, no matter how, their siblings, younger and older, get preference. So when my child got in, and it was a 5-K-classroom cohort, there were only about 30 seats for non siblings. So while VPI went down, I doubt it impacted T1 status much. ANyway, the VPI students are so cute.

I’m not sure but I think the principal announced last year that there will be slightly less spots for VPI students. Not sure why. My understanding is that there are all these complaints that ATS lottery is unfair because so many spots are already taken by VPI students and then so many spots are gone due to sibling preference. This doesn’t explain the drop from last year though. One thing I did hear in last school board meeting is there are less students in general entering kindergarten in Arlington public schools. Not sure if this is due to flight to private schools or people leaving the area all together.

Birth rates are down. True everywhere but people are not moving to Arlington to start a family.

The shifting dynamic in North Arlington to private schools is unfortunate and we will see what the long term impacts may be. The birth rate thing doesn’t explain why they are so off right now; that is privates — families living in Arlington who don’t believe the public system is the best choice for their children.

It isn’t just North Arlington. Plenty of South Arlington families opting for private school, too. (We are one of them.)

I know many APS parents say, “Good riddance!” to private school families, but you’re right — there are negative impacts to the public schools.

The growing discontent with public schools in general is part of a nationwide trend. Hence the recent proliferation of small private schools (for all types of learners) and now specialized sports academies. To APS' credit, phonics is back, gifted classes are returning to middle schools, the high schools are still plenty challenging, extracurriculars are phenomenal. It would be a shame for entire neighborhoods to go private in Arlington, as the close-knit community feeling would diminish. I'm not too keen on the vibe of neighborhoods like Spring Valley--while beautiful, it's not a community where kids and their parents walk to school.

I am seeing a lot of improvement at APS as well. There are three weak spots that need addressing:

- writing: we still need to focus more on writing. The problem as I understand it is that teachers simply don’t have the bandwidth to offer detailed feedback on papers. This seems to be less of an issue in elementary school and more of an issue in high school and middle school. Teachers need more time and more support.
- iPad reliance: To me this is problematic in upper elementary especially where students are asked to write on tiny iPad screens (when keyboard comes up they can only see very little of their screens). If we can switch to paper that would be better
-AI: AI is great as a tool but it can prevent students from learning basic skills. I’m not sure what the solution was but I find it interesting that in college, some professors have a reverse classroom. You watch the lectures at home and then class time is focused on discussion and writing.

Oh and then math. I just think entire math curriculum at APS sucks. It’s not just an APS problem but a country wide issue.

I totally agree. The APS math curriculum is basically non-existent. They need to invest in a rigorous curriculum that isn't entirely app based. I wish they'd find something rigorous and evidence-based with a logical progression.

No amount of funding or changes to the curriculum will help this. Unfortunately, in many cases, if the kid isn't good at math, it's an early parenting problem. I've seen too many kids who learn number sense and basic arithmetic way too late. It's not that hard to teach kids these basic things at a pretty early age at home for them to not struggle at elementary math. Waiting and expecting a teacher to do that job is too late and they've probably already fallen behind by then.

[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:ATS doesn’t follow a different curriculum, and yes, they use iPads in the classroom.

One benefit of homework is that parents catch when their child isn’t grasping a concept, and can work on it at home. There’s no surprise at the end of the year that your child was struggling.

At the end of the day, it’s still a public school with large class sizes. If you can afford it, there are many private schools in the area that are far superior.

Also, ATS crossed the threshold this year to become a Title 1 (high poverty) school. Only time will tell if they can remain one of our higher performing elementary schools.

ATS didn’t cross some threshold. The demographics didn’t suddenly change. Arlington changed the way title 1 eligibility is calculated. That’s it.

Yes, agree.

I think its sort of unspoken that ATS has drawn from the under performing South Arlington schools and to a lesser extent from minority families in North Arlington uncomfortable with the mostly white elementary schools for which they are zoned. Most (white) families dominating the North Arlington zones prefer their neighborhood schools which are filled with the thing that ATS parents tout: involved parents who engage with the school.

APS changed how eligibility is calculated? Please explain.

I’m talking about the fact of families who choose to enter the lottery and/or choose to take a ATS slot.

Nope. You said APS changed the threshold for Title 1 eligibility. Please explain the new process.

We aren’t the same person. I’m the PP who said APS changed the way it calculates how title 1 eligibility is calculated. I don’t know the answer to your question. I am repeating what is in ATS’s faqs regarding title 1 status that was sent to all parents as well as what APS admin said in one of the school board meetings. You want to find out how exactly it changed? Pick the phone up at call Syphax.

Hint: It didn’t change. VPI increased poverty in the school. That’s it.

Also number of VPI students went down it seems

2022-2023: 46 students
2023-2024: 42 students
2024-2025: 31 students

That's really interesting. Did they open more VPI spots at neighborhood schools?

Another reason that it's Title 1 is that when a kid gets into ATS, no matter how, their siblings, younger and older, get preference. So when my child got in, and it was a 5-K-classroom cohort, there were only about 30 seats for non siblings. So while VPI went down, I doubt it impacted T1 status much. ANyway, the VPI students are so cute.

I’m not sure but I think the principal announced last year that there will be slightly less spots for VPI students. Not sure why. My understanding is that there are all these complaints that ATS lottery is unfair because so many spots are already taken by VPI students and then so many spots are gone due to sibling preference. This doesn’t explain the drop from last year though. One thing I did hear in last school board meeting is there are less students in general entering kindergarten in Arlington public schools. Not sure if this is due to flight to private schools or people leaving the area all together.

Birth rates are down. True everywhere but people are not moving to Arlington to start a family.

The shifting dynamic in North Arlington to private schools is unfortunate and we will see what the long term impacts may be. The birth rate thing doesn’t explain why they are so off right now; that is privates — families living in Arlington who don’t believe the public system is the best choice for their children.

It isn’t just North Arlington. Plenty of South Arlington families opting for private school, too. (We are one of them.)

I know many APS parents say, “Good riddance!” to private school families, but you’re right — there are negative impacts to the public schools.

The growing discontent with public schools in general is part of a nationwide trend. Hence the recent proliferation of small private schools (for all types of learners) and now specialized sports academies. To APS' credit, phonics is back, gifted classes are returning to middle schools, the high schools are still plenty challenging, extracurriculars are phenomenal. It would be a shame for entire neighborhoods to go private in Arlington, as the close-knit community feeling would diminish. I'm not too keen on the vibe of neighborhoods like Spring Valley--while beautiful, it's not a community where kids and their parents walk to school.

I am seeing a lot of improvement at APS as well. There are three weak spots that need addressing:

- writing: we still need to focus more on writing. The problem as I understand it is that teachers simply don’t have the bandwidth to offer detailed feedback on papers. This seems to be less of an issue in elementary school and more of an issue in high school and middle school. Teachers need more time and more support.
- iPad reliance: To me this is problematic in upper elementary especially where students are asked to write on tiny iPad screens (when keyboard comes up they can only see very little of their screens). If we can switch to paper that would be better
-AI: AI is great as a tool but it can prevent students from learning basic skills. I’m not sure what the solution was but I find it interesting that in college, some professors have a reverse classroom. You watch the lectures at home and then class time is focused on discussion and writing.

Oh and then math. I just think entire math curriculum at APS sucks. It’s not just an APS problem but a country wide issue.

I totally agree. The APS math curriculum is basically non-existent. They need to invest in a rigorous curriculum that isn't entirely app based. I wish they'd find something rigorous and evidence-based with a logical progression.

No amount of funding or changes to the curriculum will help this. Unfortunately, in many cases, if the kid isn't good at math, it's an early parenting problem. I've seen too many kids who learn number sense and basic arithmetic way too late. It's not that hard to teach kids these basic things at a pretty early age at home for them to not struggle at elementary math. Waiting and expecting a teacher to do that job is too late and they've probably already fallen behind by then.

I mostly disagree with this but there are some valid points. It is not fundamentally a parenting problem.

The marh instruction does need to start early - in the case of APS basic numbers and math needs to start at K - and needs to build a solid foundation.

It would help K a great deal to borrow one small thing from Montessori - the use of number rods in K so the child can visualize the numbers 1-10. Thise might be marked wood number rods of different lengths or Unifix Cubes.

[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:ATS doesn’t follow a different curriculum, and yes, they use iPads in the classroom.

One benefit of homework is that parents catch when their child isn’t grasping a concept, and can work on it at home. There’s no surprise at the end of the year that your child was struggling.

At the end of the day, it’s still a public school with large class sizes. If you can afford it, there are many private schools in the area that are far superior.

Also, ATS crossed the threshold this year to become a Title 1 (high poverty) school. Only time will tell if they can remain one of our higher performing elementary schools.

ATS didn’t cross some threshold. The demographics didn’t suddenly change. Arlington changed the way title 1 eligibility is calculated. That’s it.

Yes, agree.

I think its sort of unspoken that ATS has drawn from the under performing South Arlington schools and to a lesser extent from minority families in North Arlington uncomfortable with the mostly white elementary schools for which they are zoned. Most (white) families dominating the North Arlington zones prefer their neighborhood schools which are filled with the thing that ATS parents tout: involved parents who engage with the school.

APS changed how eligibility is calculated? Please explain.

I’m talking about the fact of families who choose to enter the lottery and/or choose to take a ATS slot.

Nope. You said APS changed the threshold for Title 1 eligibility. Please explain the new process.

We aren’t the same person. I’m the PP who said APS changed the way it calculates how title 1 eligibility is calculated. I don’t know the answer to your question. I am repeating what is in ATS’s faqs regarding title 1 status that was sent to all parents as well as what APS admin said in one of the school board meetings. You want to find out how exactly it changed? Pick the phone up at call Syphax.

Hint: It didn’t change. VPI increased poverty in the school. That’s it.

Also number of VPI students went down it seems

2022-2023: 46 students
2023-2024: 42 students
2024-2025: 31 students

That's really interesting. Did they open more VPI spots at neighborhood schools?

Another reason that it's Title 1 is that when a kid gets into ATS, no matter how, their siblings, younger and older, get preference. So when my child got in, and it was a 5-K-classroom cohort, there were only about 30 seats for non siblings. So while VPI went down, I doubt it impacted T1 status much. ANyway, the VPI students are so cute.

I’m not sure but I think the principal announced last year that there will be slightly less spots for VPI students. Not sure why. My understanding is that there are all these complaints that ATS lottery is unfair because so many spots are already taken by VPI students and then so many spots are gone due to sibling preference. This doesn’t explain the drop from last year though. One thing I did hear in last school board meeting is there are less students in general entering kindergarten in Arlington public schools. Not sure if this is due to flight to private schools or people leaving the area all together.

Birth rates are down. True everywhere but people are not moving to Arlington to start a family.

The shifting dynamic in North Arlington to private schools is unfortunate and we will see what the long term impacts may be. The birth rate thing doesn’t explain why they are so off right now; that is privates — families living in Arlington who don’t believe the public system is the best choice for their children.

It isn’t just North Arlington. Plenty of South Arlington families opting for private school, too. (We are one of them.)

I know many APS parents say, “Good riddance!” to private school families, but you’re right — there are negative impacts to the public schools.

The growing discontent with public schools in general is part of a nationwide trend. Hence the recent proliferation of small private schools (for all types of learners) and now specialized sports academies. To APS' credit, phonics is back, gifted classes are returning to middle schools, the high schools are still plenty challenging, extracurriculars are phenomenal. It would be a shame for entire neighborhoods to go private in Arlington, as the close-knit community feeling would diminish. I'm not too keen on the vibe of neighborhoods like Spring Valley--while beautiful, it's not a community where kids and their parents walk to school.

I am seeing a lot of improvement at APS as well. There are three weak spots that need addressing:

- writing: we still need to focus more on writing. The problem as I understand it is that teachers simply don’t have the bandwidth to offer detailed feedback on papers. This seems to be less of an issue in elementary school and more of an issue in high school and middle school. Teachers need more time and more support.
- iPad reliance: To me this is problematic in upper elementary especially where students are asked to write on tiny iPad screens (when keyboard comes up they can only see very little of their screens). If we can switch to paper that would be better
-AI: AI is great as a tool but it can prevent students from learning basic skills. I’m not sure what the solution was but I find it interesting that in college, some professors have a reverse classroom. You watch the lectures at home and then class time is focused on discussion and writing.

Oh and then math. I just think entire math curriculum at APS sucks. It’s not just an APS problem but a country wide issue.

I totally agree. The APS math curriculum is basically non-existent. They need to invest in a rigorous curriculum that isn't entirely app based. I wish they'd find something rigorous and evidence-based with a logical progression.

No amount of funding or changes to the curriculum will help this. Unfortunately, in many cases, if the kid isn't good at math, it's an early parenting problem. I've seen too many kids who learn number sense and basic arithmetic way too late. It's not that hard to teach kids these basic things at a pretty early age at home for them to not struggle at elementary math. Waiting and expecting a teacher to do that job is too late and they've probably already fallen behind by then.

I completely disagree that this is somehow the main issue. I have a kid in middle school with excellent number sense and math ability and I hate the lack of a math curriculum. There's too much directing kids to YouTube videos, random websites, and apps to learn math. IXL problems aren't assigned in any particular order so math doesn't build. Basic concepts are entirely skipped by the teacher so i end up teaching them at home. It’s basically a random free for all. My kid is still learning because she's good at math and supported at home, but that's in spite of the nonexistent APS curriculum. It’s not how math should be taught.

--STEM PhD

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Anonymous wrote:ATS doesn’t follow a different curriculum, and yes, they use iPads in the classroom.

One benefit of homework is that parents catch when their child isn’t grasping a concept, and can work on it at home. There’s no surprise at the end of the year that your child was struggling.

At the end of the day, it’s still a public school with large class sizes. If you can afford it, there are many private schools in the area that are far superior.

Also, ATS crossed the threshold this year to become a Title 1 (high poverty) school. Only time will tell if they can remain one of our higher performing elementary schools.

ATS didn’t cross some threshold. The demographics didn’t suddenly change. Arlington changed the way title 1 eligibility is calculated. That’s it.

Yes, agree.

I think its sort of unspoken that ATS has drawn from the under performing South Arlington schools and to a lesser extent from minority families in North Arlington uncomfortable with the mostly white elementary schools for which they are zoned. Most (white) families dominating the North Arlington zones prefer their neighborhood schools which are filled with the thing that ATS parents tout: involved parents who engage with the school.

APS changed how eligibility is calculated? Please explain.

I’m talking about the fact of families who choose to enter the lottery and/or choose to take a ATS slot.

Nope. You said APS changed the threshold for Title 1 eligibility. Please explain the new process.

We aren’t the same person. I’m the PP who said APS changed the way it calculates how title 1 eligibility is calculated. I don’t know the answer to your question. I am repeating what is in ATS’s faqs regarding title 1 status that was sent to all parents as well as what APS admin said in one of the school board meetings. You want to find out how exactly it changed? Pick the phone up at call Syphax.

Hint: It didn’t change. VPI increased poverty in the school. That’s it.

Also number of VPI students went down it seems

2022-2023: 46 students
2023-2024: 42 students
2024-2025: 31 students

That's really interesting. Did they open more VPI spots at neighborhood schools?

Another reason that it's Title 1 is that when a kid gets into ATS, no matter how, their siblings, younger and older, get preference. So when my child got in, and it was a 5-K-classroom cohort, there were only about 30 seats for non siblings. So while VPI went down, I doubt it impacted T1 status much. ANyway, the VPI students are so cute.

I’m not sure but I think the principal announced last year that there will be slightly less spots for VPI students. Not sure why. My understanding is that there are all these complaints that ATS lottery is unfair because so many spots are already taken by VPI students and then so many spots are gone due to sibling preference. This doesn’t explain the drop from last year though. One thing I did hear in last school board meeting is there are less students in general entering kindergarten in Arlington public schools. Not sure if this is due to flight to private schools or people leaving the area all together.

Birth rates are down. True everywhere but people are not moving to Arlington to start a family.

The shifting dynamic in North Arlington to private schools is unfortunate and we will see what the long term impacts may be. The birth rate thing doesn’t explain why they are so off right now; that is privates — families living in Arlington who don’t believe the public system is the best choice for their children.

It isn’t just North Arlington. Plenty of South Arlington families opting for private school, too. (We are one of them.)

I know many APS parents say, “Good riddance!” to private school families, but you’re right — there are negative impacts to the public schools.

The growing discontent with public schools in general is part of a nationwide trend. Hence the recent proliferation of small private schools (for all types of learners) and now specialized sports academies. To APS' credit, phonics is back, gifted classes are returning to middle schools, the high schools are still plenty challenging, extracurriculars are phenomenal. It would be a shame for entire neighborhoods to go private in Arlington, as the close-knit community feeling would diminish. I'm not too keen on the vibe of neighborhoods like Spring Valley--while beautiful, it's not a community where kids and their parents walk to school.

I am seeing a lot of improvement at APS as well. There are three weak spots that need addressing:

- writing: we still need to focus more on writing. The problem as I understand it is that teachers simply don’t have the bandwidth to offer detailed feedback on papers. This seems to be less of an issue in elementary school and more of an issue in high school and middle school. Teachers need more time and more support.
- iPad reliance: To me this is problematic in upper elementary especially where students are asked to write on tiny iPad screens (when keyboard comes up they can only see very little of their screens). If we can switch to paper that would be better
-AI: AI is great as a tool but it can prevent students from learning basic skills. I’m not sure what the solution was but I find it interesting that in college, some professors have a reverse classroom. You watch the lectures at home and then class time is focused on discussion and writing.

Oh and then math. I just think entire math curriculum at APS sucks. It’s not just an APS problem but a country wide issue.

I totally agree. The APS math curriculum is basically non-existent. They need to invest in a rigorous curriculum that isn't entirely app based. I wish they'd find something rigorous and evidence-based with a logical progression.

My kids go to ATS and ATS doesn’t use the math program that APS purchased, Envision or something like that. They rely on worksheets and apps. Based on what you said, this seems like it’s an APS wide issue. Why did APS purchase envision in the first place if no school is using it? And can we just get something better than a hodge podge of apps?

Worksheets are how students get enough practice to really memorize content.

Doing it on paper engages more parts of the brain and helps memorization more than typing it into a computer.

I’m not anti worksheet. I’m wondering why APS purchased a curriculum that no one uses and whether there are better options out there than teachers just relying on worksheets and apps.

No idea why or how APS decides anything.

"Math in Focus" is popular math curriculum. It is marketed as a kind Singapore Math, but colleagues from Singapore assure me it is not the same. It is actually used by some local private schools.

If I were in charge, I would pick an actual Singapore Math curriculum.

YMMV.

One issue is the inflated Syphax admin staffing. One example surrounds “curriculum” admin employees. Their job is to assess and purchase the curriculum used by APS. You’d be shocked that if you hire an admin to constantly analyze curriculum you get lots of recommendations about this and that curriculum and the best of everything new. So APS CONSTANTLY changes which 7th grade math and which 5th reading and which 3rd grade spelling curriculum they are using. Teachers who like and know how a certain curriculum works get no say. They are told by Syphax and are constantly having to learn new curriculum to teach new curriculum. It’s insane, wasteful of good teachers knowledge, wasteful of taxpayer dollars (constantly purchasing new textbooks and curriculum). How about we decide what actually works and stick with for, I don’t know, years unless and until a large consensus of teachers tells admin it isn’t working. We could literally have one person do this job.

I don't think this is true. We had no phonics and Lucy Calkins when my kids started in APS and that *had* to change becausethe prior model sucked and wasnt working. APS added a phonics curriculum (95Phonics) and CKLA. I'm not aware of other changes to language arts curriculum.

For math, my kids have been bringing home unused Envision workbooks for at least 4 years. I'm not aware of any other APS math curriculum. As far as I can tell, APS doesn't use a math curriculum. Teachers just look for free options on the internet or on teachers paying teachers, and then in upper grades they assign IXL problems. In elementary, Dreambox is used to keep kids quiet after they finish their work. That's what we've got. It’s shameful.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:One issue is the inflated Syphax admin staffing. One example surrounds “curriculum” admin employees. Their job is to assess and purchase the curriculum used by APS. You’d be shocked that if you hire an admin to constantly analyze curriculum you get lots of recommendations about this and that curriculum and the best of everything new. So APS CONSTANTLY changes which 7th grade math and which 5th reading and which 3rd grade spelling curriculum they are using. Teachers who like and know how a certain curriculum works get no say. They are told by Syphax and are constantly having to learn new curriculum to teach new curriculum. It’s insane, wasteful of good teachers knowledge, wasteful of taxpayer dollars (constantly purchasing new textbooks and curriculum). How about we decide what actually works and stick with for, I don’t know, years unless and until a large consensus of teachers tells admin it isn’t working. We could literally have one person do this job.

The results would be better and it would be lower cost to cut central office staff as outlined above.

For any new curriculum, one cannot even evaluate degree of success/failure in less than about 5 years (approximately). It takes that long to bring a cohort of students from grade 1-5 so one has enough data and can make a valid analysis.

This fundamentally is a leadership problem. If the Superintendent hires people whose job is to evaluate curricula, they will keep changing the curricula in order to keep having a job.

[Anonymous]

ATS parent here. The math curriculum in all of APS sucks. Sure at ATS students do better at SOLs but the bar is really low. ATS’s math curriculum is random and makes no sense.