How is HB still allowed to exist given the overcrowding?!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The problem here is not HB. The problem is a failure of the school board and county board to adequately plan for growth among young families in Arlington between 2000 and the present. HB is a convenient target, but neither the cause nor the solution to the overcrowding problems.

This cannot be said too often. Closing HB tomorrow would not solve any problems. That's because the problem is not money per se, the problem is a lack of political will to acquire the space needed to build another comprehensive high school.

Focusing on HB dilutes attention from the real issue.

Your implication that there is just one "real issue" is questionable, especially because it seems to rely on a belief that the schools need to get everything before any other government service gets anything.

It's not a question of political will to do what you have decided is the solution. There is only so much land and money in Arlington, and schools are not the only need. Certainly, building schools that will satisfies the demands of the whiner parents is not only not an "only" need, but actually a want.

There is no political will to tell the entitled of Arlington that they don't get to have everything they want, and that we need to set priorities and learn to compromise.

It no longer serves a 'special purpose'. Students are no longer applying for 'the concept/model'. You don't know how annoyed I was to sit through the orientation and hearing parents all around me saying their kid will have a problem with the 'self-guided/openness' at HB yet they would still accept a spot if offered. I have a kid that fits the classic model---I haven't ever had to sit him down or tell him to do his HW. He is extremely self-guided. He is also very active in trying to make change and be involved in school issues.

It sucks that now it's just a school for everyone trying to avoid over-crowding.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The problem here is not HB. The problem is a failure of the school board and county board to adequately plan for growth among young families in Arlington between 2000 and the present. HB is a convenient target, but neither the cause nor the solution to the overcrowding problems.

HB is not the only problem, but the SB's willingness to let it stay small is symptomatic of the inability to adopt realistic solutions to current and future problems.

The SB isn't alone in that. The Taylor parents who whined their way into the HB/Stratford building made things worse. There's plenty of blame to go around, and the bad decisions' being set in stone with the claim that a decision has been made and will not be revisited, no matter how bad the decision and how much new information has come to light since it was made, are pretty much a guarantee that nothing is going to get fixed.

I'm just hoping my kids graduate before the roof caves in.

If a decision were made to double the size of HB, WHERE WOULD THE SCHOOL GO?

Again, this is not about HB. It is about a lack of will to acquire and designate space for a 4th high school.

When you argue that HB needs to take more students, what you are saying is that we need a 4th comprehensive high school. Dramatically increasing the size of HB will effectively kill that program.

But now, instead of fighting one fight (4th high school!), you are fighting two (4th high school! and Save HB!). By doing this you needlessly burn political capital and you make enemies among people who could have been allies. School board members get lobbied hard from both sides. It looks like constituents disagree wildly, so the SB has trouble figuring out where consensus lies.

Forget about HB. Focus on the end game. Getting rid of HB doesn't get you what we need. We could kill HB tomorrow, and we still don't have what we need.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The problem here is not HB. The problem is a failure of the school board and county board to adequately plan for growth among young families in Arlington between 2000 and the present. HB is a convenient target, but neither the cause nor the solution to the overcrowding problems.

This cannot be said too often. Closing HB tomorrow would not solve any problems. That's because the problem is not money per se, the problem is a lack of political will to acquire the space needed to build another comprehensive high school.

Focusing on HB dilutes attention from the real issue.

Your implication that there is just one "real issue" is questionable, especially because it seems to rely on a belief that the schools need to get everything before any other government service gets anything.

It's not a question of political will to do what you have decided is the solution. There is only so much land and money in Arlington, and schools are not the only need. Certainly, building schools that will satisfies the demands of the whiner parents is not only not an "only" need, but actually a want.

There is no political will to tell the entitled of Arlington that they don't get to have everything they want, and that we need to set priorities and learn to compromise.

It no longer serves a 'special purpose'. Students are no longer applying for 'the concept/model'. You don't know how annoyed I was to sit through the orientation and hearing parents all around me saying their kid will have a problem with the 'self-guided/openness' at HB yet they would still accept a spot if offered. I have a kid that fits the classic model---I haven't ever had to sit him down or tell him to do his HW. He is extremely self-guided. He is also very active in trying to make change and be involved in school issues.

It sucks that now it's just a school for everyone trying to avoid over-crowding.

I don't agree that your kid is a "classic" for HB. His innate qualities will serve him well at any Arlington high school. I don't see that type of kid as the classic HB type at all. I think the HB model has the most value for the smart underachiever. JMO.

(Again, I feel the need to keep saying my kids don't go to HB.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The problem here is not HB. The problem is a failure of the school board and county board to adequately plan for growth among young families in Arlington between 2000 and the present. HB is a convenient target, but neither the cause nor the solution to the overcrowding problems.

This cannot be said too often. Closing HB tomorrow would not solve any problems. That's because the problem is not money per se, the problem is a lack of political will to acquire the space needed to build another comprehensive high school.

Focusing on HB dilutes attention from the real issue.

Your implication that there is just one "real issue" is questionable, especially because it seems to rely on a belief that the schools need to get everything before any other government service gets anything.

It's not a question of political will to do what you have decided is the solution. There is only so much land and money in Arlington, and schools are not the only need. Certainly, building schools that will satisfies the demands of the whiner parents is not only not an "only" need, but actually a want.

There is no political will to tell the entitled of Arlington that they don't get to have everything they want, and that we need to set priorities and learn to compromise.

It no longer serves a 'special purpose'. Students are no longer applying for 'the concept/model'. You don't know how annoyed I was to sit through the orientation and hearing parents all around me saying their kid will have a problem with the 'self-guided/openness' at HB yet they would still accept a spot if offered. I have a kid that fits the classic model---I haven't ever had to sit him down or tell him to do his HW. He is extremely self-guided. He is also very active in trying to make change and be involved in school issues.

It sucks that now it's just a school for everyone trying to avoid over-crowding.

I don't agree that your kid is a "classic" for HB. His innate qualities will serve him well at any Arlington high school. I don't see that type of kid as the classic HB type at all. I think the HB model has the most value for the smart underachiever. JMO.

(Again, I feel the need to keep saying my kids don't go to HB.)

Agree with this. I have a friend who teaches at HB. She always tells parents that HB isn't designed for kids who are self-guided. It is designed to help kids *become* self-guided.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
If a decision were made to double the size of HB, WHERE WOULD THE SCHOOL GO?

Again, this is not about HB. It is about a lack of will to acquire and designate space for a 4th high school.

When you argue that HB needs to take more students, what you are saying is that we need a 4th comprehensive high school. Dramatically increasing the size of HB will effectively kill that program.

But now, instead of fighting one fight (4th high school!), you are fighting two (4th high school! and Save HB!). By doing this you needlessly burn political capital and you make enemies among people who could have been allies. School board members get lobbied hard from both sides. It looks like constituents disagree wildly, so the SB has trouble figuring out where consensus lies.

Forget about HB. Focus on the end game. Getting rid of HB doesn't get you what we need. We could kill HB tomorrow, and we still don't have what we need.

The problem people who aren't willing to accept facts, and those people are on the SB and throughout the community. We need leadership that will say "This is the number of seats we need and this it the money and space we have for them." That leads to, among other choices, building the largest possible building on the Wilson site. If putting something bigger on the ATS site means ATS would rather give up than expand (regardless of whether it "can't" or "won't"), then ATS is gone.

This is not about offing HB out of spite. This is just being practical. HB says it can't get bigger, but we need a bigger school on that space.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The problem here is not HB. The problem is a failure of the school board and county board to adequately plan for growth among young families in Arlington between 2000 and the present. HB is a convenient target, but neither the cause nor the solution to the overcrowding problems.

HB is not the only problem, but the SB's willingness to let it stay small is symptomatic of the inability to adopt realistic solutions to current and future problems.

The SB isn't alone in that. The Taylor parents who whined their way into the HB/Stratford building made things worse. There's plenty of blame to go around, and the bad decisions' being set in stone with the claim that a decision has been made and will not be revisited, no matter how bad the decision and how much new information has come to light since it was made, are pretty much a guarantee that nothing is going to get fixed.

I'm just hoping my kids graduate before the roof caves in.

If a decision were made to double the size of HB, WHERE WOULD THE SCHOOL GO?

Again, this is not about HB. It is about a lack of will to acquire and designate space for a 4th high school.

When you argue that HB needs to take more students, what you are saying is that we need a 4th comprehensive high school. Dramatically increasing the size of HB will effectively kill that program.

But now, instead of fighting one fight (4th high school!), you are fighting two (4th high school! and Save HB!). By doing this you needlessly burn political capital and you make enemies among people who could have been allies. School board members get lobbied hard from both sides. It looks like constituents disagree wildly, so the SB has trouble figuring out where consensus lies.

Forget about HB. Focus on the end game. Getting rid of HB doesn't get you what we need. We could kill HB tomorrow, and we still don't have what we need.

See, I disagree. I'm willing to take on the Save HB! crowd too. I don't like the program precisely because "dramatically increasing the size of HB will effectively kill that program." It is a program that is by nature exclusive (it is awesome because it excludes many people who want to be there). I don't want to pay for this! The unfairness of this is as big an issue for me as a 4th HS. Maybe you could consider not fighting those of us who feel this program is unfair. Burns your political capital.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The problem here is not HB. The problem is a failure of the school board and county board to adequately plan for growth among young families in Arlington between 2000 and the present. HB is a convenient target, but neither the cause nor the solution to the overcrowding problems.

This cannot be said too often. Closing HB tomorrow would not solve any problems. That's because the problem is not money per se, the problem is a lack of political will to acquire the space needed to build another comprehensive high school.

Focusing on HB dilutes attention from the real issue.

Your implication that there is just one "real issue" is questionable, especially because it seems to rely on a belief that the schools need to get everything before any other government service gets anything.

It's not a question of political will to do what you have decided is the solution. There is only so much land and money in Arlington, and schools are not the only need. Certainly, building schools that will satisfies the demands of the whiner parents is not only not an "only" need, but actually a want.

There is no political will to tell the entitled of Arlington that they don't get to have everything they want, and that we need to set priorities and learn to compromise.

It no longer serves a 'special purpose'. Students are no longer applying for 'the concept/model'. You don't know how annoyed I was to sit through the orientation and hearing parents all around me saying their kid will have a problem with the 'self-guided/openness' at HB yet they would still accept a spot if offered. I have a kid that fits the classic model---I haven't ever had to sit him down or tell him to do his HW. He is extremely self-guided. He is also very active in trying to make change and be involved in school issues.

It sucks that now it's just a school for everyone trying to avoid over-crowding.

I don't agree that your kid is a "classic" for HB. His innate qualities will serve him well at any Arlington high school. I don't see that type of kid as the classic HB type at all. I think the HB model has the most value for the smart underachiever. JMO.

(Again, I feel the need to keep saying my kids don't go to HB.)

I think smaller schools in general are better for the "smart underachiever." I have one of those who I can see really floundering at W-L so he will be at Arlington Tech next year. He's not particularly a tech-focused kid (although he did like the AV/TV studio stuff) but I feel the regardless of the specific details of the program, smaller is better for him. I'm willing to take a chance on a program that is still figuring out what it is to get that smaller environment.

[Anonymous]

And of course you want us to "forget about HB." You want to continue in your private school bubble. But it's hard to forget about it when you're paying for other people's kids to go there!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:And of course you want us to "forget about HB." You want to continue in your private school bubble. But it's hard to forget about it when you're paying for other people's kids to go there!

My DC1 goes to W-L, and my DC2 is #25 on our school's HB waitlist. So no private school bubble for me. But thanks for your concern!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The problem here is not HB. The problem is a failure of the school board and county board to adequately plan for growth among young families in Arlington between 2000 and the present. HB is a convenient target, but neither the cause nor the solution to the overcrowding problems.

HB is not the only problem, but the SB's willingness to let it stay small is symptomatic of the inability to adopt realistic solutions to current and future problems.

The SB isn't alone in that. The Taylor parents who whined their way into the HB/Stratford building made things worse. There's plenty of blame to go around, and the bad decisions' being set in stone with the claim that a decision has been made and will not be revisited, no matter how bad the decision and how much new information has come to light since it was made, are pretty much a guarantee that nothing is going to get fixed.

I'm just hoping my kids graduate before the roof caves in.

If a decision were made to double the size of HB, WHERE WOULD THE SCHOOL GO?

Again, this is not about HB. It is about a lack of will to acquire and designate space for a 4th high school.

When you argue that HB needs to take more students, what you are saying is that we need a 4th comprehensive high school. Dramatically increasing the size of HB will effectively kill that program.

But now, instead of fighting one fight (4th high school!), you are fighting two (4th high school! and Save HB!). By doing this you needlessly burn political capital and you make enemies among people who could have been allies. School board members get lobbied hard from both sides. It looks like constituents disagree wildly, so the SB has trouble figuring out where consensus lies.

Forget about HB. Focus on the end game. Getting rid of HB doesn't get you what we need. We could kill HB tomorrow, and we still don't have what we need.

THIS!!!!!!! Let's focus. I have been guilty of hating on HB, for its public/private-like qualities, for the misuse of this schools as a selective/elite program, but if we had a fourth comprehensive HS, then HB could go back to being the program it was intended to be: an alternative HS. And the families whose kids need a school like HB could have that program, and we could have equitable experiences for all the rest of our kids, who will thrive and do well in traditional HS settings. I really don't like the school board's plan to build more small specialized programs, like Arl Tech and whatever they want to put at the Ed Center. Are there really two thousand students who'd be better served in a highly specialized tech program or language/arts program rather than having access to a reasonably-sized comprehensive HS? I doubt it.

Also, there is no point spending time whining about HB. That ship sailed, and there is nothing that is going to stop that school from being built at Wilson. It's done and over. Let it go and look forward to how we can best plan for the rest of the students who will not be admitted to HB. Say the serenity prayer if you must. And then vote in the upcoming elections. There are challengers to an incumbent school board member and there's a vacancy on the county board. Don't just complain. Educate yourself about the candidates and then VOTE. Last time there was a caucus, I was the only person of child-bearing years there. You want someone to listen to you? Then you need to make your voice heard by voting. No excuses.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The problem here is not HB. The problem is a failure of the school board and county board to adequately plan for growth among young families in Arlington between 2000 and the present. HB is a convenient target, but neither the cause nor the solution to the overcrowding problems.

HB is not the only problem, but the SB's willingness to let it stay small is symptomatic of the inability to adopt realistic solutions to current and future problems.

The SB isn't alone in that. The Taylor parents who whined their way into the HB/Stratford building made things worse. There's plenty of blame to go around, and the bad decisions' being set in stone with the claim that a decision has been made and will not be revisited, no matter how bad the decision and how much new information has come to light since it was made, are pretty much a guarantee that nothing is going to get fixed.

I'm just hoping my kids graduate before the roof caves in.

If a decision were made to double the size of HB, WHERE WOULD THE SCHOOL GO?

Again, this is not about HB. It is about a lack of will to acquire and designate space for a 4th high school.

When you argue that HB needs to take more students, what you are saying is that we need a 4th comprehensive high school. Dramatically increasing the size of HB will effectively kill that program.

But now, instead of fighting one fight (4th high school!), you are fighting two (4th high school! and Save HB!). By doing this you needlessly burn political capital and you make enemies among people who could have been allies. School board members get lobbied hard from both sides. It looks like constituents disagree wildly, so the SB has trouble figuring out where consensus lies.

Forget about HB. Focus on the end game. Getting rid of HB doesn't get you what we need. We could kill HB tomorrow, and we still don't have what we need.

Exactly!! Let's focus on the solution (4th comprehensive HS) to the problem (overcrowding).

If the only reason why you don't like H-B is because your kid isn't there then it is just sour grapes. Take a step back and look at the big picture for ALL of the kids in the county. We need another HS. We don't need to tear apart a successful program - it does NOT accomplish anything at all. Except make you feel better because your kid did not get in.

(No kids at HB)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

If the only reason why you don't like H-B is because your kid isn't there then it is just sour grapes. Take a step back and look at the big picture for ALL of the kids in the county. We need another HS. We don't need to tear apart a successful program - it does NOT accomplish anything at all. Except make you feel better because your kid did not get in.

(No kids at HB)

True, but that's not the only reason people are objecting to HB. The pie-in-the-sky fourth comprehensive HS isn't going to happen -- thanks, Nance! Way to look out for your donors! -- so what do you suggest?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The problem here is not HB. The problem is a failure of the school board and county board to adequately plan for growth among young families in Arlington between 2000 and the present. HB is a convenient target, but neither the cause nor the solution to the overcrowding problems.

HB is not the only problem, but the SB's willingness to let it stay small is symptomatic of the inability to adopt realistic solutions to current and future problems.

The SB isn't alone in that. The Taylor parents who whined their way into the HB/Stratford building made things worse. There's plenty of blame to go around, and the bad decisions' being set in stone with the claim that a decision has been made and will not be revisited, no matter how bad the decision and how much new information has come to light since it was made, are pretty much a guarantee that nothing is going to get fixed.

I'm just hoping my kids graduate before the roof caves in.

If a decision were made to double the size of HB, WHERE WOULD THE SCHOOL GO?

Again, this is not about HB. It is about a lack of will to acquire and designate space for a 4th high school.

When you argue that HB needs to take more students, what you are saying is that we need a 4th comprehensive high school. Dramatically increasing the size of HB will effectively kill that program.

But now, instead of fighting one fight (4th high school!), you are fighting two (4th high school! and Save HB!). By doing this you needlessly burn political capital and you make enemies among people who could have been allies. School board members get lobbied hard from both sides. It looks like constituents disagree wildly, so the SB has trouble figuring out where consensus lies.

Forget about HB. Focus on the end game. Getting rid of HB doesn't get you what we need. We could kill HB tomorrow, and we still don't have what we need.

Exactly!! Let's focus on the solution (4th comprehensive HS) to the problem (overcrowding).

If the only reason why you don't like H-B is because your kid isn't there then it is just sour grapes. Take a step back and look at the big picture for ALL of the kids in the county. We need another HS. We don't need to tear apart a successful program - it does NOT accomplish anything at all. Except make you feel better because your kid did not get in.

(No kids at HB)

I'm confused by the complaints about being shut-out of HB along with the demand that we need a 4th comprehensive school. Are people wanting to be at HB only because the comprehensive schools are overcrowded or do they want to be at HB because it is smaller than a comprehensive school (even if that school wasn't overcrowded)? I think that needs to be better understood. If the long waitlist for HB is because people want that specific program and small school then it would suggest that having more smaller programs would be the better option -- replicate what HB offers so more can have it. That sure seems to be the message the school board is taking from it by adding Arlington Tech (800 seats) and now a 1300-seat HS with some TBD focus.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The problem here is not HB. The problem is a failure of the school board and county board to adequately plan for growth among young families in Arlington between 2000 and the present. HB is a convenient target, but neither the cause nor the solution to the overcrowding problems.

HB is not the only problem, but the SB's willingness to let it stay small is symptomatic of the inability to adopt realistic solutions to current and future problems.

The SB isn't alone in that. The Taylor parents who whined their way into the HB/Stratford building made things worse. There's plenty of blame to go around, and the bad decisions' being set in stone with the claim that a decision has been made and will not be revisited, no matter how bad the decision and how much new information has come to light since it was made, are pretty much a guarantee that nothing is going to get fixed.

I'm just hoping my kids graduate before the roof caves in.

If a decision were made to double the size of HB, WHERE WOULD THE SCHOOL GO?

Again, this is not about HB. It is about a lack of will to acquire and designate space for a 4th high school.

When you argue that HB needs to take more students, what you are saying is that we need a 4th comprehensive high school. Dramatically increasing the size of HB will effectively kill that program.

But now, instead of fighting one fight (4th high school!), you are fighting two (4th high school! and Save HB!). By doing this you needlessly burn political capital and you make enemies among people who could have been allies. School board members get lobbied hard from both sides. It looks like constituents disagree wildly, so the SB has trouble figuring out where consensus lies.

Forget about HB. Focus on the end game. Getting rid of HB doesn't get you what we need. We could kill HB tomorrow, and we still don't have what we need.

See, I disagree. I'm willing to take on the Save HB! crowd too. I don't like the program precisely because "dramatically increasing the size of HB will effectively kill that program." It is a program that is by nature exclusive (it is awesome because it excludes many people who want to be there). I don't want to pay for this! The unfairness of this is as big an issue for me as a 4th HS. Maybe you could consider not fighting those of us who feel this program is unfair. Burns your political capital.

Seriously, bean-counting is such an unpleasant personality trait. The material benefit you/your kids would gain from the shuttering of HB is almost immeasurably small, surely you realize that?

(my kids are at W-L)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The problem here is not HB. The problem is a failure of the school board and county board to adequately plan for growth among young families in Arlington between 2000 and the present. HB is a convenient target, but neither the cause nor the solution to the overcrowding problems.

HB is not the only problem, but the SB's willingness to let it stay small is symptomatic of the inability to adopt realistic solutions to current and future problems.

The SB isn't alone in that. The Taylor parents who whined their way into the HB/Stratford building made things worse. There's plenty of blame to go around, and the bad decisions' being set in stone with the claim that a decision has been made and will not be revisited, no matter how bad the decision and how much new information has come to light since it was made, are pretty much a guarantee that nothing is going to get fixed.

I'm just hoping my kids graduate before the roof caves in.

If a decision were made to double the size of HB, WHERE WOULD THE SCHOOL GO?

Again, this is not about HB. It is about a lack of will to acquire and designate space for a 4th high school.

When you argue that HB needs to take more students, what you are saying is that we need a 4th comprehensive high school. Dramatically increasing the size of HB will effectively kill that program.

But now, instead of fighting one fight (4th high school!), you are fighting two (4th high school! and Save HB!). By doing this you needlessly burn political capital and you make enemies among people who could have been allies. School board members get lobbied hard from both sides. It looks like constituents disagree wildly, so the SB has trouble figuring out where consensus lies.

Forget about HB. Focus on the end game. Getting rid of HB doesn't get you what we need. We could kill HB tomorrow, and we still don't have what we need.

Exactly!! Let's focus on the solution (4th comprehensive HS) to the problem (overcrowding).

If the only reason why you don't like H-B is because your kid isn't there then it is just sour grapes. Take a step back and look at the big picture for ALL of the kids in the county. We need another HS. We don't need to tear apart a successful program - it does NOT accomplish anything at all. Except make you feel better because your kid did not get in.

(No kids at HB)

I'm confused by the complaints about being shut-out of HB along with the demand that we need a 4th comprehensive school. Are people wanting to be at HB only because the comprehensive schools are overcrowded or do they want to be at HB because it is smaller than a comprehensive school (even if that school wasn't overcrowded)? I think that needs to be better understood. If the long waitlist for HB is because people want that specific program and small school then it would suggest that having more smaller programs would be the better option -- replicate what HB offers so more can have it. That sure seems to be the message the school board is taking from it by adding Arlington Tech (800 seats) and now a 1300-seat HS with some TBD focus.

Agree that this is an interesting question.

OTOH, I don't believe the school board decided on a 1300 TBD high school because they see some great demand for a specialty school. I think they decided on a 1300 TBD high school because they have a building they think they can cram 1300 kids into. Unfortunately, the building happens to be on W-L's campus. Can you imagine what the response would be if they said, "We are solving our crowding problems by converting the admin building into classroom space for W-L. W-L will now have space for 4000 students." They know no one likes that idea, so they float the special program idea instead. But the upshot is the same--almost 4000 students using W-L's gym, auditorium, library, and athletic fields.