pattern of siblings "winning lottery"at HB Woodlawn

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I agree. I don’t think people would be as angry about HB if there wasn’t such a horrible overcrowding problem in all the other arlington public schools. My kids have had over 30 kids in some of their HS classes. It’s hard not to get irritated when you hear that HB classes have 10 students. Feels like our tax dollars are paying for the privilege of a handful of students to attend a public private school which in addition lacks any diversity.

Plenty of Arlington schools that are way less diverse than HB. It is countywide and open to everyone, not just the wealthy families that can afford to buy in 22207. The “equity” argument is BS when we have a school system with as much segregation as APS. There has been space in certain schools—continues to be space in certain schools—and people choose more crowded ones. The preference is clear and it is not “equity” and it is not “less crowded” or we wouldn’t have had to expand so much in north Arlington instead of other options. Why did HB move in the first place?

[Anonymous]

HB moved for Hamm to be able to take that campus. That's the only reason. HB did not want to move but as an option program I guess there was more flexibility for them to move. They don't have sports (other than ultimate) so they don't need the facilities of a comprehensive high school and don't need to be located for walkers to attend. Plus the smaller size allows it to have a smaller building.

Actually at the elementary level the most crowded schools are not in N Arlington but along the central part of the county.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:HB moved for Hamm to be able to take that campus. That's the only reason. HB did not want to move but as an option program I guess there was more flexibility for them to move. They don't have sports (other than ultimate) so they don't need the facilities of a comprehensive high school and don't need to be located for walkers to attend. Plus the smaller size allows it to have a smaller building.

Actually at the elementary level the most crowded schools are not in N Arlington but along the central part of the county.

Yes, H-B was replaced by Dorothy Hamm Middle School, which has an even higher percentage of white students. So spare me the "equity concerns," if we cared about that the new middle school would have been put in Rosslyn, not Vacation Lane.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:HB moved for Hamm to be able to take that campus. That's the only reason. HB did not want to move but as an option program I guess there was more flexibility for them to move. They don't have sports (other than ultimate) so they don't need the facilities of a comprehensive high school and don't need to be located for walkers to attend. Plus the smaller size allows it to have a smaller building.

Actually at the elementary level the most crowded schools are not in N Arlington but along the central part of the county.

Yes, H-B was replaced by Dorothy Hamm Middle School, which has an even higher percentage of white students. So spare me the "equity concerns," if we cared about that the new middle school would have been put in Rosslyn, not Vacation Lane.

?? I would have loved a middle school in Rosslyn because I live there, but all of Rosslyn is zoned for Hamm. The school demographics would have been the same -- it might have been able to pull from south arlington (hoffman boston, maybe or parts of current fleet), but I doubt it since those areas are much closer to other schools though.

They should have built an elementary school there. There are lots and lots of little kids who live in apartments. Most people decide to move when their kids get to middle school because having two kids live in a single room becomes considerably less fun when they become closer to teenagers.

[Anonymous]

I think its funny that this comes up every few years. I remember when there was a long discussion before about it right here twice before. Arlingtoners can't you see that people just want a more exclusive school and will use any means to get their kids into things like Arlington traditional and then HB just to have it? Can't you figure out how to limit a magnet school to a one choice option for K-12 for each child?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It may not cost more per student, but it is grossly unfair to provide this small-sized model to some students and not to others. Everyone would want this model if they could get it, so why should only the lucky few get this? I say toss it out until everyone can have access.

This makes no sense. If you want it because it's a good program and desirable, then create more of these types of program so more kids can access them.

I actually can’t create more schools like it. My kid didn’t lottery in, and despite all my wishful thinking, a second HB didn’t appear. All these defenders of HB wouldnt be doing that if their kid wasn’t the golden ticket holder. Applying the Rawls veil of ignorance, I say shut this down until it isn’t so unfair.

If you really thought it was so unfair, why did your kid apply to lottery in? Hypocrite.

Not a hypocrite. If it exists, I want it for my kid. I still think it shouldn’t exist. Meanwhile, parents of HBers be like “This is totally fair and equitable but I never want to send my kid back to Overcrowded High.”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
I agree. I don’t think people would be as angry about HB if there wasn’t such a horrible overcrowding problem in all the other arlington public schools. My kids have had over 30 kids in some of their HS classes. It’s hard not to get irritated when you hear that HB classes have 10 students. Feels like our tax dollars are paying for the privilege of a handful of students to attend a public private school which in addition lacks any diversity.


Plenty of Arlington schools that are way less diverse than HB. It is countywide and open to everyone, not just the wealthy families that can afford to buy in 22207. The “equity” argument is BS when we have a school system with as much segregation as APS. There has been space in certain schools—continues to be space in certain schools—and people choose more crowded ones. The preference is clear and it is not “equity” and it is not “less crowded” or we wouldn’t have had to expand so much in north Arlington instead of other options. Why did HB move in the first place?



Actually ... I'm not sure about "plenty of Arlington schools that are way less diverse than HB."

White: HB (59%) Y (65%) WL (44%) W (25%)

Hispanic: HB (18%) W (43%) WL (31%) Y (16%)

Black/African American: HB (5%) W (20%) WL (8%) Y (5%)

This is off the APS website. Arlington Public Schools - Civil Rights Statistics By School - 9/30/2020

Yes, I understand that the diversity question is dictated by zip code. But wouldn't it be great if the 'white people" weren't the largest group benefitting educationally once again. Especially, when you have a program that is open to everyone. HB really has to look at this issue especially since it's open to everyone. Why do they have the same diversity numbers as the richest whitest neighborhood in the county.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:
I agree. I don’t think people would be as angry about HB if there wasn’t such a horrible overcrowding problem in all the other arlington public schools. My kids have had over 30 kids in some of their HS classes. It’s hard not to get irritated when you hear that HB classes have 10 students. Feels like our tax dollars are paying for the privilege of a handful of students to attend a public private school which in addition lacks any diversity.


Plenty of Arlington schools that are way less diverse than HB. It is countywide and open to everyone, not just the wealthy families that can afford to buy in 22207. The “equity” argument is BS when we have a school system with as much segregation as APS. There has been space in certain schools—continues to be space in certain schools—and people choose more crowded ones. The preference is clear and it is not “equity” and it is not “less crowded” or we wouldn’t have had to expand so much in north Arlington instead of other options. Why did HB move in the first place?



Actually ... I'm not sure about "plenty of Arlington schools that are way less diverse than HB."

White: HB (59%) Y (65%) WL (44%) W (25%)

Hispanic: HB (18%) W (43%) WL (31%) Y (16%)

Black/African American: HB (5%) W (20%) WL (8%) Y (5%)

This is off the APS website. Arlington Public Schools - Civil Rights Statistics By School - 9/30/2020

Yes, I understand that the diversity question is dictated by zip code. But wouldn't it be great if the 'white people" weren't the largest group benefitting educationally once again. Especially, when you have a program that is open to everyone. HB really has to look at this issue especially since it's open to everyone. Why do they have the same diversity numbers as the richest whitest neighborhood in the county.

They used to favor racial minorities in admissions, but that was declared unconstitutional. So the students created present system where they would accept a certain number from each elementary school regardless of race. It results in a less diverse class than the prior method, but it’s better than if they just had a county-wide lottery. They know the lack of diversity is a problem and I’m sure they would love to hear ideas on how to improve.

[Anonymous]

I posted what you are responding to. (sorry new to this platform. I've not figured out how to highlight the text you are responding to yet. )

Thanks that was helpful.

[Anonymous]

Note that PP left out the "Multiple" category where HB has higher numbers than any other of the high schools (9.1% compared to Wakefield's 4.6, WL's 6.8, and Yorktown's 7.5), as well as the Asian category where HB ties with WL for highest percentages of 9.7. But yeah, 58% white -- while lower than Yorktown -- is higher than 2 other comprehensive high schools. (It IS is less white than 9 out of the 24 elementary schools that feed into it, and note that some of THOSE schools are significantly more white than HB: 72%, 73%, 79% etc.)

I have always been impressed by ATS's high participation numbers from minority groups, but some portion of this is because VPI preschool feeds directly into ATS and traditionally has higher than average minority participation rates -- in this way there is a minority leadin to ATS as a choice school and they benefit from those participation numbers. Wish HB could do something similar but there is no equivalent lead in for middle school (is there?). In some ways the lack of transportation and sports and "leave all your friends behind" issues may he hurting low-income and/or minority participation, but I don't know.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Note that PP left out the "Multiple" category where HB has higher numbers than any other of the high schools (9.1% compared to Wakefield's 4.6, WL's 6.8, and Yorktown's 7.5), as well as the Asian category where HB ties with WL for highest percentages of 9.7. But yeah, 58% white -- while lower than Yorktown -- is higher than 2 other comprehensive high schools. (It IS is less white than 9 out of the 24 elementary schools that feed into it, and note that some of THOSE schools are significantly more white than HB: 72%, 73%, 79% etc.)

I have always been impressed by ATS's high participation numbers from minority groups, but some portion of this is because VPI preschool feeds directly into ATS and traditionally has higher than average minority participation rates -- in this way there is a minority leadin to ATS as a choice school and they benefit from those participation numbers. Wish HB could do something similar but there is no equivalent lead in for middle school (is there?). In some ways the lack of transportation and sports and "leave all your friends behind" issues may he hurting low-income and/or minority participation, but I don't know.

You’re probably right about sports. For some lower income kids, sports are their best way of paying for college. It would have also been good to build the school in south Arlington.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Note that PP left out the "Multiple" category where HB has higher numbers than any other of the high schools (9.1% compared to Wakefield's 4.6, WL's 6.8, and Yorktown's 7.5), as well as the Asian category where HB ties with WL for highest percentages of 9.7. But yeah, 58% white -- while lower than Yorktown -- is higher than 2 other comprehensive high schools. (It IS is less white than 9 out of the 24 elementary schools that feed into it, and note that some of THOSE schools are significantly more white than HB: 72%, 73%, 79% etc.)

I have always been impressed by ATS's high participation numbers from minority groups, but some portion of this is because VPI preschool feeds directly into ATS and traditionally has higher than average minority participation rates -- in this way there is a minority leadin to ATS as a choice school and they benefit from those participation numbers. Wish HB could do something similar but there is no equivalent lead in for middle school (is there?). In some ways the lack of transportation and sports and "leave all your friends behind" issues may he hurting low-income and/or minority participation, but I don't know.

You’re probably right about sports. For some lower income kids, sports are their best way of paying for college. It would have also been good to build the school in south Arlington.

Late to the game, are you? There was no option to move HB anywhere but Rosslyn. There was no place in south Arlington. HB had to move somewhere and the only logical spot was Rosslyn. HB does without playing fields and true outdoor space. I don't think an ES would have been a good choice at that location and, if I recall, most SB meetings had citizens balking at putting an ES there. Precisely because there would be no outdoor space. AND being in a busy business corridor.

Agree with your statement that it would be nice for HB to figure out how to get kids from a minority 'lead in' like ATS.

As a parent with one kid at HB and another at WL, HB is the best fit for my kid. The main issue with HB is that, despite the moniker 'hippie high', there are still a lot of type A parents and kids that apply, get in and end up diluting what once was the true HB was of the past.

[Anonymous]

Yes, sorry I left out Asians because there was a 2% variation between the high and the low representation across the HSs and a 4% difference between the high and low for Multiples. Sorry my bad, I didn’t think that that small of a difference was worth raising. But you are right better to be completely transparent.

Stupid question but when they say multiples are they talking about twins and triplets??

[Anonymous]

What? No! Multiple means a racial combo plate, like black and asian or white and Native American. APS says:

Starting in 2010-11, the U.S. Department of Education required that school districts change the collection and reporting of student race and ethnicity information. Schools now ask families to designate two pieces of information: (1) their student’s ethnicity as Hispanic or non-Hispanic, and (2) race as one or more of the following categories: American Indian/Alaskan Native, Asian, Black/African American, Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, and White. Students whose ethnicity is Hispanic are reported as Hispanic. Students whose ethnicity is non-Hispanic are reported as the race designated. If more than once race is indicated, a student’s race is reported as “Multiple”.

[Anonymous]

Lol thanks. And thank you for not ignorance shaming me. Oddly, I have multiples and I am a Multiple.