Holding APS Leadership, Staff and School Board Accountable for the Boundary Mess

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The reality is that there's only so much land in Arlington, the schools are where they are and the people are where they are. The affordable housing is built where it is, and the school board had no say in that. I wouldn't have been anywhere near as nice about "listening about the community staying together" if I had been drawing the maps. Minimizing the need for buses, proximity to home, and some safety concerns would have been it. I live in gerrymandered North Arlington and my kid goes to a school miles in the wrong direction when I can walk to one school and drive past two others to get there. Can't wait for them to wipe it out, although my kid will be done by then. I don't care if my kid goes to school with rich kids, poor kids, white kids, or brown kids. They're all good schools.

LOL, you are so out of touch I think you're just a sa parent making fun of clueless NA parents who can't understand how good they've got it

So what exactly should they have done that would have been beneficial for all of SA and not just whichever little hamlet you're in?

Since you asked, APS can't fix the housing policy decisions dictated to SA by NA elites that don't want AH in their neighborhoods, by I do things the school board and staff should not have bailed on the option school rezoning that was planned for this year as soon as some lawyered-up NA PTAs started whining. Option school locations are one of the only tools we have for balancing farms rates.

Actually, if this process showed anything it is that the high rate of UMC families going to option schools make it next to impossible to draw boundaries knowing what FARS rates will be. Option schools make bringing down FARMS rates that much harder. If everyone had one option, the few UMC families in SA would be better dispersed into the neighborhood schools and not at Claremont, ATS And Montessori.

I said this on another thread, but why do UMC families in SA have to go to their neighborhood schools when UMC families in NA get to go to choice schools without getting bashed?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The reality is that there's only so much land in Arlington, the schools are where they are and the people are where they are. The affordable housing is built where it is, and the school board had no say in that. I wouldn't have been anywhere near as nice about "listening about the community staying together" if I had been drawing the maps. Minimizing the need for buses, proximity to home, and some safety concerns would have been it. I live in gerrymandered North Arlington and my kid goes to a school miles in the wrong direction when I can walk to one school and drive past two others to get there. Can't wait for them to wipe it out, although my kid will be done by then. I don't care if my kid goes to school with rich kids, poor kids, white kids, or brown kids. They're all good schools.

LOL, you are so out of touch I think you're just a sa parent making fun of clueless NA parents who can't understand how good they've got it

So what exactly should they have done that would have been beneficial for all of SA and not just whichever little hamlet you're in?

Since you asked, APS can't fix the housing policy decisions dictated to SA by NA elites that don't want AH in their neighborhoods, by I do things the school board and staff should not have bailed on the option school rezoning that was planned for this year as soon as some lawyered-up NA PTAs started whining. Option school locations are one of the only tools we have for balancing farms rates.

Actually, if this process showed anything it is that the high rate of UMC families going to option schools make it next to impossible to draw boundaries knowing what FARS rates will be. Option schools make bringing down FARMS rates that much harder. If everyone had one option, the few UMC families in SA would be better dispersed into the neighborhood schools and not at Claremont, ATS And Montessori.

I said this on another thread, but why do UMC families in SA have to go to their neighborhood schools when UMC families in NA get to go to choice schools without getting bashed?

Because NA UMC families that attend choice schools (not mine) don't leave a non-functional elementary school in their wake when they switch.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The reality is that there's only so much land in Arlington, the schools are where they are and the people are where they are. The affordable housing is built where it is, and the school board had no say in that. I wouldn't have been anywhere near as nice about "listening about the community staying together" if I had been drawing the maps. Minimizing the need for buses, proximity to home, and some safety concerns would have been it. I live in gerrymandered North Arlington and my kid goes to a school miles in the wrong direction when I can walk to one school and drive past two others to get there. Can't wait for them to wipe it out, although my kid will be done by then. I don't care if my kid goes to school with rich kids, poor kids, white kids, or brown kids. They're all good schools.

LOL, you are so out of touch I think you're just a sa parent making fun of clueless NA parents who can't understand how good they've got it

So what exactly should they have done that would have been beneficial for all of SA and not just whichever little hamlet you're in?

Since you asked, APS can't fix the housing policy decisions dictated to SA by NA elites that don't want AH in their neighborhoods, by I do things the school board and staff should not have bailed on the option school rezoning that was planned for this year as soon as some lawyered-up NA PTAs started whining. Option school locations are one of the only tools we have for balancing farms rates.

Actually, if this process showed anything it is that the high rate of UMC families going to option schools make it next to impossible to draw boundaries knowing what FARS rates will be. Option schools make bringing down FARMS rates that much harder. If everyone had one option, the few UMC families in SA would be better dispersed into the neighborhood schools and not at Claremont, ATS And Montessori.

I said this on another thread, but why do UMC families in SA have to go to their neighborhood schools when UMC families in NA get to go to choice schools without getting bashed?

Because NA UMC families that attend choice schools (not mine) don't leave a non-functional elementary school in their wake when they switch.

Can UMC families in SA all get into choice schools? It doesn't seem like the case from stories I hear. Frankly, I think SA families should get preference to choice schools. Either that or all the SA schools should be changed to "opt-in" where you choose to go there and therefore have to be engaged, even if it's your neighborhood school. Then everyone has buy-in and maybe more of an interest in the improvements.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The reality is that there's only so much land in Arlington, the schools are where they are and the people are where they are. The affordable housing is built where it is, and the school board had no say in that. I wouldn't have been anywhere near as nice about "listening about the community staying together" if I had been drawing the maps. Minimizing the need for buses, proximity to home, and some safety concerns would have been it. I live in gerrymandered North Arlington and my kid goes to a school miles in the wrong direction when I can walk to one school and drive past two others to get there. Can't wait for them to wipe it out, although my kid will be done by then. I don't care if my kid goes to school with rich kids, poor kids, white kids, or brown kids. They're all good schools.

LOL, you are so out of touch I think you're just a sa parent making fun of clueless NA parents who can't understand how good they've got it

So what exactly should they have done that would have been beneficial for all of SA and not just whichever little hamlet you're in?

Since you asked, APS can't fix the housing policy decisions dictated to SA by NA elites that don't want AH in their neighborhoods, by I do things the school board and staff should not have bailed on the option school rezoning that was planned for this year as soon as some lawyered-up NA PTAs started whining. Option school locations are one of the only tools we have for balancing farms rates.

Actually, if this process showed anything it is that the high rate of UMC families going to option schools make it next to impossible to draw boundaries knowing what FARS rates will be. Option schools make bringing down FARMS rates that much harder. If everyone had one option, the few UMC families in SA would be better dispersed into the neighborhood schools and not at Claremont, ATS And Montessori.

I said this on another thread, but why do UMC families in SA have to go to their neighborhood schools when UMC families in NA get to go to choice schools without getting bashed?

Because NA UMC families that attend choice schools (not mine) don't leave a non-functional elementary school in their wake when they switch.

They left them behind when they chose to spend their money living in north Arlington.

The point is, everyone keeps wringing their hands about how its impossible to overlay a boundary solution on an area that has housing segregation, and the answer is the one above -- MORE option schools. Getting people to voluntarily bus themselves together is probably the only way to get a better mix. All of the option schools have a better socioeconomic and demographic mix--or at least a different mix--of the neighborhood they are located in. The problem with Drew now is that Montessori is moving out. Making it an option school that people could move into would help. Caving to the civic association (few of whom have kids in the schools), and people playing the race card to shut down an honest discussion, is really going to screw that community. Choice and option schools -- Arlington's version of charter schools -- help desegregation. We're seeing right now what a difference an option program makes (in reverse, unfortunately) -- we should be getting more choice, not less. Eff the busing. If they put a second H-B Woodlawn in Crystal City the waitlists would be just as long and no one would give two shits about the busing.

[Anonymous]

What would be the rationale behind SA families getting first dibs on choice schools? Either high farms rates are a problem or they aren’t. If they are then taking steps to increase the flight of engaged MC/UMC from high farms schools is counterproductive. If they aren’t, then why should SA be given first choice?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What would be the rationale behind SA families getting first dibs on choice schools? Either high farms rates are a problem or they aren’t. If they are then taking steps to increase the flight of engaged MC/UMC from high farms schools is counterproductive. If they aren’t, then why should SA be given first choice?

See 8:59. I think they've captured the idea pretty well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The reality is that there's only so much land in Arlington, the schools are where they are and the people are where they are. The affordable housing is built where it is, and the school board had no say in that. I wouldn't have been anywhere near as nice about "listening about the community staying together" if I had been drawing the maps. Minimizing the need for buses, proximity to home, and some safety concerns would have been it. I live in gerrymandered North Arlington and my kid goes to a school miles in the wrong direction when I can walk to one school and drive past two others to get there. Can't wait for them to wipe it out, although my kid will be done by then. I don't care if my kid goes to school with rich kids, poor kids, white kids, or brown kids. They're all good schools.

LOL, you are so out of touch I think you're just a sa parent making fun of clueless NA parents who can't understand how good they've got it

So what exactly should they have done that would have been beneficial for all of SA and not just whichever little hamlet you're in?

Since you asked, APS can't fix the housing policy decisions dictated to SA by NA elites that don't want AH in their neighborhoods, by I do things the school board and staff should not have bailed on the option school rezoning that was planned for this year as soon as some lawyered-up NA PTAs started whining. Option school locations are one of the only tools we have for balancing farms rates.

Actually, if this process showed anything it is that the high rate of UMC families going to option schools make it next to impossible to draw boundaries knowing what FARS rates will be. Option schools make bringing down FARMS rates that much harder. If everyone had one option, the few UMC families in SA would be better dispersed into the neighborhood schools and not at Claremont, ATS And Montessori.

I said this on another thread, but why do UMC families in SA have to go to their neighborhood schools when UMC families in NA get to go to choice schools without getting bashed?

Because NA UMC families that attend choice schools (not mine) don't leave a non-functional elementary school in their wake when they switch.

They left them behind when they chose to spend their money living in north Arlington.

The point is, everyone keeps wringing their hands about how its impossible to overlay a boundary solution on an area that has housing segregation, and the answer is the one above -- MORE option schools. Getting people to voluntarily bus themselves together is probably the only way to get a better mix. All of the option schools have a better socioeconomic and demographic mix--or at least a different mix--of the neighborhood they are located in. The problem with Drew now is that Montessori is moving out. Making it an option school that people could move into would help. Caving to the civic association (few of whom have kids in the schools), and people playing the race card to shut down an honest discussion, is really going to screw that community. Choice and option schools -- Arlington's version of charter schools -- help desegregation. We're seeing right now what a difference an option program makes (in reverse, unfortunately) -- we should be getting more choice, not less. Eff the busing. If they put a second H-B Woodlawn in Crystal City the waitlists would be just as long and no one would give two shits about the busing.

Nobody living in NA fooled themselves into thinking that they were somehow supporting a diverse and vibrant community when they decided to buy near Jamestown.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What would be the rationale behind SA families getting first dibs on choice schools? Either high farms rates are a problem or they aren’t. If they are then taking steps to increase the flight of engaged MC/UMC from high farms schools is counterproductive. If they aren’t, then why should SA be given first choice?

This isn't a fixable problem. The farms rate in south Arlington, including option school students, is 50 percent and rising. There is nothing the school board can do with regard to option schools and boundaries - either in a technical or political sense - to produce equitable, equally performing schools and opportunity of the kind that exists between NA schools, which are interchangeable ina way that Henry and say, carlin, or Randolph and Oakridge definitely are not. This is the truth; if you want a school that offers challenge and opportunity for UMC kids you need to leave SA. I live in Nauck and understand this o be true. The question if the school board can fix it, it's what you are willing to settle for.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am not concerned whatsoever about holding this Board accountable. They screwed up, big time. I'm sure it was a cover up, but now I'm zoned to Drew so I'll focus on trying to make that school better.

This Board is their own worst enemy. They fall victim to their stupidity. There is not much we can do to change that and they are not accountable to anyone.

I do hope SF gets totally $ucked in 2020.

Didn’t you hear last night from one of the totally pointless SF speakers “supporting” map 6.1-A? They are trying to convince the county to turn SF into a walk zone for Abingdon so they’re not on the chopping block in 2020. They swear that they can find “community” ways to get all of their kids to school without buses.

Good for them. Sounds like an engaged community, fighting for their school.

If by "fighting for their school" you mean "manipulating public policy to ensure that the only solution to overcrowding is to lop off all the affordable housing in their school's boundary", then yes, I agree.

Seriously. For all of the hate that Henry gets for their failed fight to stay together, at least they never wavered from speaking for ALL of their students. #FairlingtonUnited is so transparent as to be offensive to the non-Fairlington Abingdon kids. Notice it was NEVER #AbingdonUnited...

You can’t honestly be this simple?
Henry= “fighting” to stay together didn’t hurt their educational outcomes/property values
Abingdon= fighting for better educational outcomes and property values

I don’t get all the hate between CH and SF. Aren’t both communities just advocating for what’s in each of their respective best interests, which is basic human nature? Do CH or SF members really think they would have behaved differently in each other’s shoes? It’s the maps and policies that put the communities in a zero sum position and hasn’t been supporting Drew or implementing programs that would make the school an acceptable alternative to CH or SF current schools. Both the communities may wind up in the same district in 2020 (or their kids in middle school together later on) so the hate seems counterproductive.

The hate started when Fairlington demanded Columbia heights be moved to Drew. I’d be mad too. Maybe the school board knew what they were doing though. CH families will be better for Drew an appear to st least have better decorum. And while it was nauseating to hear it over and over those families know how to make a blue ribbon school. Not sure Abingdon could pull that off. Although I suspect CH families have a much higher income and can afford to go private. I’d be willing to be no one still living in Fairlington with elementary age students could afford private school

They didn't demand. They asked why the PU closest to Drew walkzone were not slelected. It didnt make sense why the SB avoided those PH units. They went as far as to gerrymander a neighborhood with the third highest poverty rate and 2 miles away. Was it all so Reid could save face? That explains his earlier responses to several CF residents. He wanted the residents to come up with a solution. Funny huh. Demanding a solution from the resident and not the staff or himself.

The more I think about this the more I am convinced this shitshow of a boundary process was because of Goldstein's assurances to the PH community.

Why wasn't Oakridge drawn to Drew? That was the main reson why SAWG recommended Montessori to move the PH building, to create room for Oakridge's overcrowding.

Well then you need to stop thinking about it, because you are reaching stupider and stupider conclusions.

[Anonymous]

Choice and option schools only help diversity/desegregation at those schools. Left in their wake are the 75%+ low income neighborhood schools that UMC/MC have disproportionately fled. I don't find that tradeoff acceptable, nor should APS be patting itself on the back because ATS is now more diverse than it used to be. All kids deserve diversity and a good education, regardless of whether their parents applied them for a lottery spot.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Choice and option schools only help diversity/desegregation at those schools. Left in their wake are the 75%+ low income neighborhood schools that UMC/MC have disproportionately fled. I don't find that tradeoff acceptable, nor should APS be patting itself on the back because ATS is now more diverse than it used to be. All kids deserve diversity and a good education, regardless of whether their parents applied them for a lottery spot.

Until that sentiment is applied equally to UMC parents in NA and SA schools, I'll keep advocating for more choice schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Choice and option schools only help diversity/desegregation at those schools. Left in their wake are the 75%+ low income neighborhood schools that UMC/MC have disproportionately fled. I don't find that tradeoff acceptable, nor should APS be patting itself on the back because ATS is now more diverse than it used to be. All kids deserve diversity and a good education, regardless of whether their parents applied them for a lottery spot.

That sounds great! How do you make that happen with a limited budget and segregated neighborhoods? I just don't see how it is possible without creating islands of students and busing them all over the county.

[Anonymous]

You guys
If umc parents would just send their kids to schools
Like Randolph, we wouldn’t have 70%+ farms schools...
We’d have 64% farms schools!
Hooray! What a great solution!

#shiphassailed
#tankedbyAH

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You guys
If umc parents would just send their kids to schools
Like Randolph, we wouldn’t have 70%+ farms schools...
We’d have 64% farms schools!
Hooray! What a great solution!

#shiphassailed
#tankedbyAH

It might actually work if we allowed tracking....oh, but that's racist.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You guys
If umc parents would just send their kids to schools
Like Randolph, we wouldn’t have 70%+ farms schools...
We’d have 64% farms schools!
Hooray! What a great solution!

#shiphassailed
#tankedbyAH

It might actually work if we allowed tracking....oh, but that's racist.

Indeed. much MUCH less racist to run screaming from majority ELL/poor schools.