APS - questions about Key / ASFS building swap

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Im a Key parent and I hadn’t even heard about this proposed building swap. Is this really being considered, or is it one of a million proposals that will amount to very little?

They have to do something, because with the change in transfer policy they have created a zone with 850 kids and no neighborhood elementary school in the boundary. One option is to redraw boundaries around ASFS and the other option is to make Key a neighborhood school by moving immersion elsewhere. Either way people get very angry.

No way would I be “angry” if Key became a neighborhood school. Spanish immersion is played out. It’s like time traveling to 2009.

Funny, the 2,000+ Immersion families feel differently. But good luck swaying the SB to your way of thinking

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Im a Key parent and I hadn’t even heard about this proposed building swap. Is this really being considered, or is it one of a million proposals that will amount to very little?

They have to do something, because with the change in transfer policy they have created a zone with 850 kids and no neighborhood elementary school in the boundary. One option is to redraw boundaries around ASFS and the other option is to make Key a neighborhood school by moving immersion elsewhere. Either way people get very angry.

No way would I be “angry” if Key became a neighborhood school. Spanish immersion is played out. It’s like time traveling to 2009.

Funny, the 2,000+ Immersion families feel differently. But good luck swaying the SB to your way of thinking

Most of Claremont immersion is people escaping underperforming schools not a drive for immersion. Many kids are in Key b/c it is their neighborhood school and just easier for the parents. And it’s popular for parents that speak Spanish since it caters to them; we have a large Mongolian population too, should we build a program that just caters to them? We don’t have the space or luxury for immersion where it is now, unclear if there is space anywhere for that full population

[Anonymous]

So if Key became a neighborhood school, what available building is being proposed as the new immersion site???

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So if Key became a neighborhood school, what available building is being proposed as the new immersion site???

You will have to wait until staff puts out its proposed recommendation in April. And they may not even recommend moving it. If they do, no clue where it could go. At its current size there aren’t many places it would fit. And if the idea is to grow the option programs, it seems hard to move it. Whatever they do, it will be a mess and lead to more self-created problems down the road.

[Anonymous]

Yep. Look for APS to take a probe and bake it worse. Like the new choice admission policies

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Most of Claremont immersion is people escaping underperforming schools not a drive for immersion. Many kids are in Key b/c it is their neighborhood school and just easier for the parents. And it’s popular for parents that speak Spanish since it caters to them; we have a large Mongolian population too, should we build a program that just caters to them? We don’t have the space or luxury for immersion where it is now, unclear if there is space anywhere for that full population

You really have no basis to make that statement. Key has 92 students from Long Branch and 82 from Taylor. Not their neighborhood school.

Claremont has the most from Abingdon- which is not surprising b/c its neighborhood is zoned Abingdon. Its next largest number is 90 from Oakridge- which is not an underperforming school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think they changed Key to a full lottery school more because of the demand for Claremont, which always had a waiting list. I think the Claremont zone felt Key’s boundaries allowed those in the Key zone more realistic access to immersion, and I guess the lottery system coupled with a change in the boundaries was perceived as more equitable than the old system.

Im a Key parent and I hadn’t even heard about this proposed building swap. Is this really being considered, or is it one of a million proposals that will amount to very little?

I think its really being considered. I don't know if it will go anywhere- but it is the focus of an 'engage' engagement right now, so it's more than just a pipedream.
To be clear- the engage is on whether option schools should move- not specifically whether Key/Claremont should swap.
However, reading the materials, and watching the school board work sessions, its pretty clear that this is really about moving Key.
1. Key has a large walk zone, and the current thinking is to have anyone who can walk to school.
2. The biggest need for seats is in the NE quadrant, and the only way to get additional seats in that quadrant is to move Key.
3. The are building Reed in the Northwest quadrant, and don't need seats there- so if they don't move Key hey are going to be creating some long fingerlike boundaries.
4. The need to redraw the boundary around ASFS regardless, b/c it is 'outside' its boundary. But since there is such a large population in the Key neighborhood this is hard to do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Im a Key parent and I hadn’t even heard about this proposed building swap. Is this really being considered, or is it one of a million proposals that will amount to very little?

They have to do something, because with the change in transfer policy they have created a zone with 850 kids and no neighborhood elementary school in the boundary. One option is to redraw boundaries around ASFS and the other option is to make Key a neighborhood school by moving immersion elsewhere. Either way people get very angry.

No way would I be “angry” if Key became a neighborhood school. Spanish immersion is played out. It’s like time traveling to 2009.

Funny, the 2,000+ Immersion families feel differently. But good luck swaying the SB to your way of thinking

Most of Claremont immersion is people escaping underperforming schools not a drive for immersion. Many kids are in Key b/c it is their neighborhood school and just easier for the parents. And it’s popular for parents that speak Spanish since it caters to them; we have a large Mongolian population too, should we build a program that just caters to them? We don’t have the space or luxury for immersion where it is now, unclear if there is space anywhere for that full population

"Hey guys - our schools are way too crowded. All of you Spanish speakers are gonna have to move to Fairfax..."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Im a Key parent and I hadn’t even heard about this proposed building swap. Is this really being considered, or is it one of a million proposals that will amount to very little?

They have to do something, because with the change in transfer policy they have created a zone with 850 kids and no neighborhood elementary school in the boundary. One option is to redraw boundaries around ASFS and the other option is to make Key a neighborhood school by moving immersion elsewhere. Either way people get very angry.

No way would I be “angry” if Key became a neighborhood school. Spanish immersion is played out. It’s like time traveling to 2009.

Funny, the 2,000+ Immersion families feel differently. But good luck swaying the SB to your way of thinking

Most of Claremont immersion is people escaping underperforming schools not a drive for immersion. Many kids are in Key b/c it is their neighborhood school and just easier for the parents. And it’s popular for parents that speak Spanish since it caters to them; we have a large Mongolian population too, should we build a program that just caters to them? We don’t have the space or luxury for immersion where it is now, unclear if there is space anywhere for that full population

"Hey guys - our schools are way too crowded. All of you Spanish speakers are gonna have to move to Fairfax..."

Or they could attend a neighborhood school with the rest of the neighborhood.

[Anonymous]

When is this swap slated to actually happen? What grades will be affected?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When is this swap slated to actually happen? What grades will be affected?

Either 2020 or 2021. And ALL grades. If a neighborhood school becomes the site of an option program, ALL kids at that neighborhood school would have to move to another school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Im a Key parent and I hadn’t even heard about this proposed building swap. Is this really being considered, or is it one of a million proposals that will amount to very little?

They have to do something, because with the change in transfer policy they have created a zone with 850 kids and no neighborhood elementary school in the boundary. One option is to redraw boundaries around ASFS and the other option is to make Key a neighborhood school by moving immersion elsewhere. Either way people get very angry.

No way would I be “angry” if Key became a neighborhood school. Spanish immersion is played out. It’s like time traveling to 2009.

Funny, the 2,000+ Immersion families feel differently. But good luck swaying the SB to your way of thinking

Most of Claremont immersion is people escaping underperforming schools not a drive for immersion. Many kids are in Key b/c it is their neighborhood school and just easier for the parents. And it’s popular for parents that speak Spanish since it caters to them; we have a large Mongolian population too, should we build a program that just caters to them? We don’t have the space or luxury for immersion where it is now, unclear if there is space anywhere for that full population

They aren't doing away with Immersion. Five option schools now, five option schools will remain after this process. If they move Immersion, it will displace somebody's neighborhood school. And from a transportation/density of students standpoint, that might make sense.

As to your point about Immersion "catering" to a certain population, what is your damage? If it's better for the Spanish-speaking families, while ALSO providing a benefit (a second language) to English-speaking families, isn't this a win-win? I'm not an Immersion parent but we strongly considered it, because it's increasingly important that English-speaking students become bilingual. And if it also helps the long-term fluency of Spanish-dominant kids, that is just the icing on the cake. We're hopeful that FLES and MS and HS language courses will be enough to make fluency in Spanish possible for our kids, even though we didn't go the Immersion route, because they're going to need it. This is not a luxury, it's educating kids for the reality of the future which is upon us. The sooner we Anglos realize this and get on board, the better it will be for everyone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
?

.

.

Funny, the 2,000+ Immersion families feel differently. But good luck swaying the SB to your way of thinking

Most of Claremont immersion is people escaping underperforming schools not a drive for immersion. Many kids are in Key b/c it is their neighborhood school and just easier for the parents. And it’s popular for parents that speak Spanish since it caters to them; we have a large Mongolian population too, should we build a program that just caters to them? We don’t have the space or luxury for immersion where it is now, unclear if there is space anywhere for that full population

"Hey guys - our schools are way too crowded. All of you Spanish speakers are gonna have to move to Fairfax..."

Or they could attend a neighborhood school with the rest of the neighborhood.

Yeah no problem if there's space at a particular school. But that's the thing: the option schools are pulling from a lot of different areas, some of which are dealing with massive overcrowding in their n'hood school. Say a couple hundred kids all of a sudden flow back into Oakridge or Glebe, which are already overcrowded? It could have some negative consequences. In any case, this is a moot point because the option schools aren't going anywhere.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
?

.

.

Funny, the 2,000+ Immersion families feel differently. But good luck swaying the SB to your way of thinking

Most of Claremont immersion is people escaping underperforming schools not a drive for immersion. Many kids are in Key b/c it is their neighborhood school and just easier for the parents. And it’s popular for parents that speak Spanish since it caters to them; we have a large Mongolian population too, should we build a program that just caters to them? We don’t have the space or luxury for immersion where it is now, unclear if there is space anywhere for that full population

"Hey guys - our schools are way too crowded. All of you Spanish speakers are gonna have to move to Fairfax..."

Or they could attend a neighborhood school with the rest of the neighborhood.

Yeah no problem if there's space at a particular school. But that's the thing: the option schools are pulling from a lot of different areas, some of which are dealing with massive overcrowding in their n'hood school. Say a couple hundred kids all of a sudden flow back into Oakridge or Glebe, which are already overcrowded? It could have some negative consequences. In any case, this is a moot point because the option schools aren't going anywhere.

Not only are they not going anywhere, the SB intends to grow them. So, other than Campbell, they probably need to be in bigger buildings. Of course, I wish they would get rid of ATS. Not sure what value it adds.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Im a Key parent and I hadn’t even heard about this proposed building swap. Is this really being considered, or is it one of a million proposals that will amount to very little?

They have to do something, because with the change in transfer policy they have created a zone with 850 kids and no neighborhood elementary school in the boundary. One option is to redraw boundaries around ASFS and the other option is to make Key a neighborhood school by moving immersion elsewhere. Either way people get very angry.

No way would I be “angry” if Key became a neighborhood school. Spanish immersion is played out. It’s like time traveling to 2009.

Funny, the 2,000+ Immersion families feel differently. But good luck swaying the SB to your way of thinking

Most of Claremont immersion is people escaping underperforming schools not a drive for immersion. Many kids are in Key b/c it is their neighborhood school and just easier for the parents. And it’s popular for parents that speak Spanish since it caters to them; we have a large Mongolian population too, should we build a program that just caters to them? We don’t have the space or luxury for immersion where it is now, unclear if there is space anywhere for that full population

They aren't doing away with Immersion. Five option schools now, five option schools will remain after this process. If they move Immersion, it will displace somebody's neighborhood school. And from a transportation/density of students standpoint, that might make sense.

As to your point about Immersion "catering" to a certain population, what is your damage? If it's better for the Spanish-speaking families, while ALSO providing a benefit (a second language) to English-speaking families, isn't this a win-win? I'm not an Immersion parent but we strongly considered it, because it's increasingly important that English-speaking students become bilingual. And if it also helps the long-term fluency of Spanish-dominant kids, that is just the icing on the cake. We're hopeful that FLES and MS and HS language courses will be enough to make fluency in Spanish possible for our kids, even though we didn't go the Immersion route, because they're going to need it. This is not a luxury, it's educating kids for the reality of the future which is upon us. The sooner we Anglos realize this and get on board, the better it will be for everyone.

And yet, you didn’t get onboard. You passed.