Louise Archer AAP closed to new rising 4th graders???

[Anonymous]

How long has Louise Archer not accepted 4th, 5th, and 6th grade transfers? I only heard about them not being accepted last year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think the frustration lies in that even though last year the school was declared closed to transfers, it was incorrectly assumed that policy would change with the creation of the new center. That policy never changed, but people expected it to.

Because LA grandfathered so many kids, they didn't really accomplish much immediate relief except the rising third graders from Stenwood, WestBriar and Freedom Hill. They did provide long tern relief as each class gets older and a new grade is started at the WestBriar center, but that effect takes time to appreciate.

I feel badly for those who assumed their children would be sent to LA if they were accepted as a 4th or 5th grader into AAP....but I am surprised no one posed that question during the application process, especially given all of the craziness surrounding the issue this year.

Appeal to the AAP office and to the principal for pupil placement? I think the chances of that succeeding really depends on how many students are affected and if they feel they can afford to extend that privilege to others in the same boat, with regards to space over the next few years.

Exactly. Why would people assume space would magically appear in that school building? How many buses and for how many years do parents expect FCPS to schedule through the same neighborhoods? This attendance area adjustment was not the first time children no longer had Louise Archer as an option. Some one posted about Great Falls not trying to get into Louise Archer. Some areas of Great Falls used to go to Westbriar [Louise Archer for AAP] and were changed to Colvin Run as the base school. If they were AAP they went to Colvin Run 's center even past grade 3.

Everyone got a bus. The problem is Louise Archer and Haycock AAP parents have been unreasonable about grandfathering. If Colvin Run could open as a new center with more than grade 3 then FCPS could have done it again.

For the record, I have not met any LA parents that did not want grandfathering. But the school is full. There are no empty classrooms, there is no room for art. If they have to add a 4-6th grade class, they will have to have it in the playground....oh wait, half of the playground has become the band room.

When I go to the school, there is barely room in the classrooms...the rooms are small and full of kids. They teach in the hallways.

And the Town wants the trailers out....

[Anonymous]

BTW, which areas of Westbriar now attend Colvin Run? The only Island I know of is the "Madison Island" which shifted from Wolftrap to Sunrise Valley.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think the main problem is the lack of transportation. If the school is over-crowded to the point of bursting (is there a fire marshall in the house?), then the solution needs to include transportation. The option needs to be viable for all students and if tranportation is not provided, itis not viable for all students.

if we're quoting letter of the law here -- FCPS provides AAP as an option to students who are so advanced academically that their needs cannot be met by their base schools. If FCPS followed this policy the overcrowding issue would go away. I think there are plenty of quibbles about what the MAIN problem is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Did you mean Westbriar? Colvin Run has had an AAP center for some time.

Yes. When Colvin Run opened some had their base school changed from Westbriar to Colvin Run. People with rising 4rth graders plus left the Louise Archer center and went to the one at Colvin Run.

[Anonymous]

If only Louise Archer were still an all black school then none of you self entitled douchebags would want to semd your kids there!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If only Louise Archer were still an all black school then none of you self entitled douchebags would want to semd your kids there!

Wow...just wow. Wonder if your kid spouts disgustingness as well...

[Anonymous]

Louise Archer is a very good school. It used to be a great school, but things have changed. Not just the over crowding....front office is disorganzied. Recent teacher hires are suspect.

Lisa Pilson (former VP) was able to keep things in check, but now she is the principle at Westrbrier. THe new VP is learning, and will probably get it, but some bad decisions have been made this year (mostly over last summer).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Louise Archer is a very good school. It used to be a great school, but things have changed. Not just the over crowding....front office is disorganzied. Recent teacher hires are suspect.

Lisa Pilson (former VP) was able to keep things in check, but now she is the principle at Westrbrier. THe new VP is learning, and will probably get it, but some bad decisions have been made this year (mostly over last summer).

I agree that there are definite issues with the school: lack of timely responses from teachers, lack of general information being sent home as to classroom happenings, lack of consistent homework assigned across grade levels, writing homework and math homework weaker, not too much differentiation for math, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Louise Archer is a very good school. It used to be a great school, but things have changed. Not just the over crowding....front office is disorganzied. Recent teacher hires are suspect.

Lisa Pilson (former VP) was able to keep things in check, but now she is the principle at Westrbrier. THe new VP is learning, and will probably get it, but some bad decisions have been made this year (mostly over last summer).

I agree that there are definite issues with the school: lack of timely responses from teachers, lack of general information being sent home as to classroom happenings, lack of consistent homework assigned across grade levels, writing homework and math homework weaker, not too much differentiation for math, etc.

[Anonymous]

So what is everyone's take on Colvin Run as an alternative? I am not as familiar with that Center.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So what is everyone's take on Colvin Run as an alternative? I am not as familiar with that Center.

Colvin Run is a fine alternative. Several of my daughter's friends attended. One of the newer school's so facility is great and can actually handle the volume. Plus AAP not and outsized portion of school so overall a nice community.

[Anonymous]

I just think it's an odd choice verses Lemon Road and don't understand why they wouldn't provide transportation. Most of those kids go on to Marshall, so why not put them with Marshall bound kids instead of Langley kids and why not bus them if there's no room at Louise Archer? It's not their fault there's no more room.

[Anonymous]

Has anyone contacted the School Board about the lack of transportation? I can understand not sending to LA but these kids should have a bus to Colvin Run.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Has anyone contacted the School Board about the lack of transportation? I can understand not sending to LA but these kids should have a bus to Colvin Run.

I asked, they can't provide it because of cost and practicality -- too few kids and too many neighborhoods. Again, I sympathize because in a perfect world everyone would have transportation, but because AAP was allowed to expand so much they're really in a crisis mode now and just trying to do the best they can.

As for the previous complaint about kids having to go to Colvin Run when they're heading on to Marshall -- for Louise Archer kids had be split 3 ways in middle school and between at least 3 high schools, and still parents kept sending them -- there were the same divisions at Haycock. So I think the argument is a little difficult to make.