Who said there isn't a North-South divide?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So, question for all of you. In talking about moving immersion to the west Pike, are you all thinking that more Spanish speakers will apply and therefore the schools will have that optimal 50-50 balance of Spanish and English speakers? If so, that will bring in some more Spanish speakers, but the overwhelming majority of them will just have to find another neighborhood school (which their would be none on the western pike.

Or, are you thinking that the Spanish speakers will all flock to those immersion schools and get in, making them majority Spanish? Not only will that hurt the instructional model as much as too many English speakers do now, but I guarantee that a large chunk of the UMC English speakers will avoid immersion if it is overwhelmingly poor people (as they avoid high poverty schools now).

If the former, some of those current Carlin Springs kids would go to Ashlawn, but most are closer to Randolph or zoned to Abingdon. You all talk about Ashlawn reaching below 50, but the area right below 50 is predominately nice UMC homes. Those are white folks people, not the low income housing further south. Those kids are closer to Randolph and would probably NOT go to Ashlawn.

The Barcroft Apartments people would certainly go to Randolph, so how is that any improvement for Randolph - make it 99% low income? Or Barrett, which is already like Barcroft?

Hypothetically, if it were Claremont that moved to Carlin Springs, Claremont would become a neighborhood school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:WHen you say the CB voted to "preserve" the barcroft apartments, what does that mean? They don't own it, it is privately owned. Does that mean the private owner can never sell it?

The county board created "conservation districts" that limit redevelopment in the Columbia Pike Form-Based Code:

Conservation Area Standards – The Neighborhoods Plan outlined incentives for two properties – Fillmore Gardens and Barcroft Apartments – in order to maintain the historic buildings and the affordable housing within them, including the TDR and partial redevelopment areas. Conservation Area standards will guide renovations or additions in these areas, to ensure that changes are undertaken in a manner compatible with the existing building design. The Historical Affairs and Landmarks Review Board (HALRB) will be involved in the review of these projects.

https://newsroom.arlingtonva.us/release/arlington-county-adopts-innovative-tools-to-increase-affordable-housing-on-columbia-pike/

If I understand, part of the deal was that the owner of Barcroft could sell density rights to other developers along Columbia Pike.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So, question for all of you. In talking about moving immersion to the west Pike, are you all thinking that more Spanish speakers will apply and therefore the schools will have that optimal 50-50 balance of Spanish and English speakers? If so, that will bring in some more Spanish speakers, but the overwhelming majority of them will just have to find another neighborhood school (which their would be none on the western pike.

Or, are you thinking that the Spanish speakers will all flock to those immersion schools and get in, making them majority Spanish? Not only will that hurt the instructional model as much as too many English speakers do now, but I guarantee that a large chunk of the UMC English speakers will avoid immersion if it is overwhelmingly poor people (as they avoid high poverty schools now).

If the former, some of those current Carlin Springs kids would go to Ashlawn, but most are closer to Randolph or zoned to Abingdon. You all talk about Ashlawn reaching below 50, but the area right below 50 is predominately nice UMC homes. Those are white folks people, not the low income housing further south. Those kids are closer to Randolph and would probably NOT go to Ashlawn.

The Barcroft Apartments people would certainly go to Randolph, so how is that any improvement for Randolph - make it 99% low income? Or Barrett, which is already like Barcroft?

You are correct that the boundaries are not great for picking up the displaced Carlin Springs (CS) students (primarily Spanish-speaking and low income) who do not go to the new CS Immersion. Barcoft and Randolph cannot pick them up current CS-zoned students without exacerbating their own already high FARMs rates (and doing so would basically negate CS becoming immersion by simply transposing the CS FARMs rate to Barcroft/Randolph). Abingdon could absorb some, but not all, and that's quite the bus ride for the CS families. Extending Ashlawn's boundaries south first picks up the MC (white) Glen Carlin families, so the boundaries would have to go much further south to pick up the low-income CS students. Also, most of the Glen Carlin families who currently choice out may not if Ashlawn becomes their neighborhood school, so that could end up sending a lot more students than expected to Ashlawn.

The best option is to move Claremont Immersion to Carlin Springs, aiming for a 50-50 split of English/Spanish. That would be beneficial in terms of language acquisition, and balancing out demographics.

Claremont can stand on its own as a neighborhood school. The walk-zone around Claremont is mostly MC single-family homes, and its FARMs rate last year was 37%, so it could readily pick up some of the low-income CS students, both in terms of capacity, and FARMs rates. It would also be closer than sending them to Abingdon. Ashlawn could pick up some of the displaced students, but would not need to absorb as many if Claremont becomes available. Heck, if you sent the eastern half of the MC Glen Carlin families currently zoned to CS to Barcroft or Barrett, that could better balance demographics at one of those schools too!

In any case, moving Immersion from Claremont to Carlin Springs opens up options. If done smartly, multiple schools, not just CS, would benefit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

The Barcroft Apartments people would certainly go to Randolph, so how is that any improvement for Randolph - make it 99% low income? Or Barrett, which is already like Barcroft?

You are correct that the boundaries are not great for picking up the displaced Carlin Springs (CS) students (primarily Spanish-speaking and low income) who do not go to the new CS Immersion. Barcoft and Randolph cannot pick them up current CS-zoned students without exacerbating their own already high FARMs rates (and doing so would basically negate CS becoming immersion by simply transposing the CS FARMs rate to Barcroft/Randolph). Abingdon could absorb some, but not all, and that's quite the bus ride for the CS families. Extending Ashlawn's boundaries south first picks up the MC (white) Glen Carlin families, so the boundaries would have to go much further south to pick up the low-income CS students. Also, most of the Glen Carlin families who currently choice out may not if Ashlawn becomes their neighborhood school, so that could end up sending a lot more students than expected to Ashlawn.

The best option is to move Claremont Immersion to Carlin Springs, aiming for a 50-50 split of English/Spanish. That would be beneficial in terms of language acquisition, and balancing out demographics.

Claremont can stand on its own as a neighborhood school. The walk-zone around Claremont is mostly MC single-family homes, and its FARMs rate last year was 37%, so it could readily pick up some of the low-income CS students, both in terms of capacity, and FARMs rates. It would also be closer than sending them to Abingdon. Ashlawn could pick up some of the displaced students, but would not need to absorb as many if Claremont becomes available. Heck, if you sent the eastern half of the MC Glen Carlin families currently zoned to CS to Barcroft or Barrett, that could better balance demographics at one of those schools too!

In any case, moving Immersion from Claremont to Carlin Springs opens up options. If done smartly, multiple schools, not just CS, would benefit.

Unfortunately the simplest, most obvious solutions are the ones the SB seems to struggle with the most.

[Anonymous]

I suspect there will not be as many open seats at Ashlawn as you all think. The north Arlington parents will kick and scream that their schools should remain UNDER capacity to accommodate future growth. This will ensure that few kids in south Arlington go to Ashlawn.

Yep. I do not buy the 300-400 extra kids at Ashlawn once reed is up. Not. One. Bit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I suspect there will not be as many open seats at Ashlawn as you all think. The north Arlington parents will kick and scream that their schools should remain UNDER capacity to accommodate future growth. This will ensure that few kids in south Arlington go to Ashlawn.

Yep. I do not buy the 300-400 extra kids at Ashlawn once reed is up. Not. One. Bit.

But isn't the bruhaha over Nottingham? How empty it will be and therefore a candidate for an option school? So, shuffle people upward a bit, making more capacity available at the more central schools like Ashlawn. People just need to start dealing with less than ideal and not getting everything their way all the time. So frickin' what that you have to go to a school that isn't the closest to your house. When schools are so close together and there's population density, that's what happens. We live about 4 blocks from one elementary school; but we bus to our assigned school. We've survived. And in the NW, it isn't like you're talking about two schools that are significantly difference in demographics or academics like the Henry people fearing a change to Randolph or Drew. It's just not such a big deal.

Unless they actually decide to bring Reed back to budget by reducing the # of seats, that school will be built to 750 (or is it 725?) If the far north really does see a population/enrollment boom to put Nottingham back over capacity, then APS is just going to have to consider an addition. Less cost-effective or not, these schools need to be bigger and it's still less expensive total $ wise than building a whole new building. Let's face it - our schools are poorly placed geographically, pushed to the edges of the County's borders. People just have to get over themselves and APS needs to make it work.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I suspect there will not be as many open seats at Ashlawn as you all think. The north Arlington parents will kick and scream that their schools should remain UNDER capacity to accommodate future growth. This will ensure that few kids in south Arlington go to Ashlawn.

Yep. I do not buy the 300-400 extra kids at Ashlawn once reed is up. Not. One. Bit.

A bunch of kids are getting pulled out of Ashalwn into the new ASFS neighborhood boundary. That's the thought anyway. They will have space, and the boundary may dip S just because they want to make more round boundaries with simpler bus routes. But pulling across 50 won't address diversity because they won't be able to take kids S of 7th road, where the diversity exists. Claremont to Carlin Springs makes sense. I think Key needs to move, too, but that one is trickier because there isn't another similarly sized building to move them into that is closer to Spanish-speakers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I suspect there will not be as many open seats at Ashlawn as you all think. The north Arlington parents will kick and scream that their schools should remain UNDER capacity to accommodate future growth. This will ensure that few kids in south Arlington go to Ashlawn.

Yep. I do not buy the 300-400 extra kids at Ashlawn once reed is up. Not. One. Bit.

Every school could make that argument. Growth is anticipated in the County. Period. We have "x" number of seats and our "x +" number of kids will just have to fit into them wherever they are. That's what most jurisdictions in this country do and people go where they're assigned. People in Arlington believe they are forever entitled to the luxuries of choice and convenience and whatever best suits themselves just because that's the way it's been. Well, times change whether people do or not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So, question for all of you. In talking about moving immersion to the west Pike, are you all thinking that more Spanish speakers will apply and therefore the schools will have that optimal 50-50 balance of Spanish and English speakers? If so, that will bring in some more Spanish speakers, but the overwhelming majority of them will just have to find another neighborhood school (which their would be none on the western pike.

Or, are you thinking that the Spanish speakers will all flock to those immersion schools and get in, making them majority Spanish? Not only will that hurt the instructional model as much as too many English speakers do now, but I guarantee that a large chunk of the UMC English speakers will avoid immersion if it is overwhelmingly poor people (as they avoid high poverty schools now).

If the former, some of those current Carlin Springs kids would go to Ashlawn, but most are closer to Randolph or zoned to Abingdon. You all talk about Ashlawn reaching below 50, but the area right below 50 is predominately nice UMC homes. Those are white folks people, not the low income housing further south. Those kids are closer to Randolph and would probably NOT go to Ashlawn.

The Barcroft Apartments people would certainly go to Randolph, so how is that any improvement for Randolph - make it 99% low income? Or Barrett, which is already like Barcroft?

You are correct that the boundaries are not great for picking up the displaced Carlin Springs (CS) students (primarily Spanish-speaking and low income) who do not go to the new CS Immersion. Barcoft and Randolph cannot pick them up current CS-zoned students without exacerbating their own already high FARMs rates (and doing so would basically negate CS becoming immersion by simply transposing the CS FARMs rate to Barcroft/Randolph). Abingdon could absorb some, but not all, and that's quite the bus ride for the CS families. Extending Ashlawn's boundaries south first picks up the MC (white) Glen Carlin families, so the boundaries would have to go much further south to pick up the low-income CS students. Also, most of the Glen Carlin families who currently choice out may not if Ashlawn becomes their neighborhood school, so that could end up sending a lot more students than expected to Ashlawn.
[i]
The best option is to move Claremont Immersion to Carlin Springs, aiming for a 50-50 split of English/Spanish. That would be beneficial in terms of language acquisition, and balancing out demographics.

Claremont can stand on its own as a neighborhood school. The walk-zone around Claremont is mostly MC single-family homes, and its FARMs rate last year was 37%, so it could readily pick up some of the low-income CS students, both in terms of capacity, and FARMs rates. It would also be closer than sending them to Abingdon. Ashlawn could pick up some of the displaced students, but would not need to absorb as many if Claremont becomes available. Heck, if you sent the eastern half of the MC Glen Carlin families currently zoned to CS to Barcroft or Barrett, that could better balance demographics at one of those schools too!

In any case, moving Immersion from Claremont to Carlin Springs opens up options. If done smartly, multiple schools, not just CS, would benefit.

Many Glencarlyn families currently opt into Campbell. Campbell is staying. Glencarlyn families who do not apply for immersion will likely still apply to Campbell. We shouldn't say "opt" because both of these programs no longer have the geographic guarantee anymore. Barcroft families do opt out because the modified calendar grants them an automatic opt out. Glencarlyn no longer has that.

If Barcroft remains undercapacity during the upcoming round of redistricting, those MC Glencarlyn families could easily be shifted to Barcroft for its neighborhood school. In that case, you've eliminated the highest FRL concentration in the County at CS; we'll see what you've done with Campbell over the next few years under the new admissions policy - but I dont expect much change, at least at first until more people catch on to the appeal of the program; and you get a few more MC families at Barcroft. Barcroft's FRL has gone down and it is under new leadership; so perhaps that's promising enough to maintain a trend and get more MC buy-in. Supposedly there are so many MC families who are merely waiting for Barcroft's calendar to change - so I guess we can expect them to suddenly start enrolling if they eliminate the calendar. Then Barcroft's #s will start heading to where Henry was when it became so popular.

there are so many potential benefits to multiple schools just by moving Claremont immersion to Carlin Springs. That alone guarantees it either won't happen, or the SB will find some way to screw it all up. The first tool they'll use to screw up the ripple effects will be their clinging to proximity in the boundary changes. They'll say it can't work and therefore immersion has to stay where it is. Idiots.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:WHen you say the CB voted to "preserve" the barcroft apartments, what does that mean? They don't own it, it is privately owned. Does that mean the private owner can never sell it?

The county board created "conservation districts" that limit redevelopment in the Columbia Pike Form-Based Code:

Conservation Area Standards – The Neighborhoods Plan outlined incentives for two properties – Fillmore Gardens and Barcroft Apartments – in order to maintain the historic buildings and the affordable housing within them, including the TDR and partial redevelopment areas. Conservation Area standards will guide renovations or additions in these areas, to ensure that changes are undertaken in a manner compatible with the existing building design. The Historical Affairs and Landmarks Review Board (HALRB) will be involved in the review of these projects.

https://newsroom.arlingtonva.us/release/arlington-county-adopts-innovative-tools-to-increase-affordable-housing-on-columbia-pike/

If I understand, part of the deal was that the owner of Barcroft could sell density rights to other developers along Columbia Pike.

County staff have also described townhouse development as a "threat" to affordable housing so my understanding is that the plan is basically to preserve the ugly decrepit stuff we have and new stuff will be ugly high density high rises.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So, question for all of you. In talking about moving immersion to the west Pike, are you all thinking that more Spanish speakers will apply and therefore the schools will have that optimal 50-50 balance of Spanish and English speakers? If so, that will bring in some more Spanish speakers, but the overwhelming majority of them will just have to find another neighborhood school (which their would be none on the western pike.

Or, are you thinking that the Spanish speakers will all flock to those immersion schools and get in, making them majority Spanish? Not only will that hurt the instructional model as much as too many English speakers do now, but I guarantee that a large chunk of the UMC English speakers will avoid immersion if it is overwhelmingly poor people (as they avoid high poverty schools now).

If the former, some of those current Carlin Springs kids would go to Ashlawn, but most are closer to Randolph or zoned to Abingdon. You all talk about Ashlawn reaching below 50, but the area right below 50 is predominately nice UMC homes. Those are white folks people, not the low income housing further south. Those kids are closer to Randolph and would probably NOT go to Ashlawn.

The Barcroft Apartments people would certainly go to Randolph, so how is that any improvement for Randolph - make it 99% low income? Or Barrett, which is already like Barcroft?

You are correct that the boundaries are not great for picking up the displaced Carlin Springs (CS) students (primarily Spanish-speaking and low income) who do not go to the new CS Immersion. Barcoft and Randolph cannot pick them up current CS-zoned students without exacerbating their own already high FARMs rates (and doing so would basically negate CS becoming immersion by simply transposing the CS FARMs rate to Barcroft/Randolph). Abingdon could absorb some, but not all, and that's quite the bus ride for the CS families. Extending Ashlawn's boundaries south first picks up the MC (white) Glen Carlin families, so the boundaries would have to go much further south to pick up the low-income CS students. Also, most of the Glen Carlin families who currently choice out may not if Ashlawn becomes their neighborhood school, so that could end up sending a lot more students than expected to Ashlawn.
[i]
The best option is to move Claremont Immersion to Carlin Springs, aiming for a 50-50 split of English/Spanish. That would be beneficial in terms of language acquisition, and balancing out demographics.

Claremont can stand on its own as a neighborhood school. The walk-zone around Claremont is mostly MC single-family homes, and its FARMs rate last year was 37%, so it could readily pick up some of the low-income CS students, both in terms of capacity, and FARMs rates. It would also be closer than sending them to Abingdon. Ashlawn could pick up some of the displaced students, but would not need to absorb as many if Claremont becomes available. Heck, if you sent the eastern half of the MC Glen Carlin families currently zoned to CS to Barcroft or Barrett, that could better balance demographics at one of those schools too!

In any case, moving Immersion from Claremont to Carlin Springs opens up options. If done smartly, multiple schools, not just CS, would benefit.

Many Glencarlyn families currently opt into Campbell. Campbell is staying. Glencarlyn families who do not apply for immersion will likely still apply to Campbell. We shouldn't say "opt" because both of these programs no longer have the geographic guarantee anymore. Barcroft families do opt out because the modified calendar grants them an automatic opt out. Glencarlyn no longer has that.

If Barcroft remains undercapacity during the upcoming round of redistricting, those MC Glencarlyn families could easily be shifted to Barcroft for its neighborhood school. In that case, you've eliminated the highest FRL concentration in the County at CS; we'll see what you've done with Campbell over the next few years under the new admissions policy - but I dont expect much change, at least at first until more people catch on to the appeal of the program; and you get a few more MC families at Barcroft. Barcroft's FRL has gone down and it is under new leadership; so perhaps that's promising enough to maintain a trend and get more MC buy-in. Supposedly there are so many MC families who are merely waiting for Barcroft's calendar to change - so I guess we can expect them to suddenly start enrolling if they eliminate the calendar. Then Barcroft's #s will start heading to where Henry was when it became so popular.

there are so many potential benefits to multiple schools just by moving Claremont immersion to Carlin Springs. That alone guarantees it either won't happen, or the SB will find some way to screw it all up. The first tool they'll use to screw up the ripple effects will be their clinging to proximity in the boundary changes. They'll say it can't work and therefore immersion has to stay where it is. Idiots.

Agree that both immersion schools need to move, but Barcroft farms rate is not going down and I think "the calendar" is a polite excuse for UMC who want a school not dedicated to ELL instruction - though of course, the two are inseparable (the year round calendar is plainly meant to help ELL maintain English ability and not backslide over a long summer break).

Ultimately, I'm not sure that changing that calendar would help put Barcroft on a Henry trajectory. Henry got where it is in part because there isn't much AH in its zone anymore. Whereas Barcroft just keeps getting more. It may very well be a Randolph situation, in which the high density, high turnover AH in the zone just dwarfs even a sizable neighborhood of SFH that turn over slowly and don't supply a co start stream of students.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:WHen you say the CB voted to "preserve" the barcroft apartments, what does that mean? They don't own it, it is privately owned. Does that mean the private owner can never sell it?

The county board created "conservation districts" that limit redevelopment in the Columbia Pike Form-Based Code:

Conservation Area Standards – The Neighborhoods Plan outlined incentives for two properties – Fillmore Gardens and Barcroft Apartments – in order to maintain the historic buildings and the affordable housing within them, including the TDR and partial redevelopment areas. Conservation Area standards will guide renovations or additions in these areas, to ensure that changes are undertaken in a manner compatible with the existing building design. The Historical Affairs and Landmarks Review Board (HALRB) will be involved in the review of these projects.

https://newsroom.arlingtonva.us/release/arlington-county-adopts-innovative-tools-to-increase-affordable-housing-on-columbia-pike/

If I understand, part of the deal was that the owner of Barcroft could sell density rights to other developers along Columbia Pike.

County staff have also described townhouse development as a "threat" to affordable housing so my understanding is that the plan is basically to preserve the ugly decrepit stuff we have and new stuff will be ugly high density high rises.

New stuff will increase the number of units, which townhouse replacements for market rate affordable housing generally does not do. So higher density, but generally not really high density, and usually not taller than 4 to 6 stories, which I don't call a high rise. Nothing requiring it to be ugly. I mean some of the new 6 story apt complexes are kind of bland, but then so are plenty of the new townhomes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So, question for all of you. In talking about moving immersion to the west Pike, are you all thinking that more Spanish speakers will apply and therefore the schools will have that optimal 50-50 balance of Spanish and English speakers? If so, that will bring in some more Spanish speakers, but the overwhelming majority of them will just have to find another neighborhood school (which their would be none on the western pike.

Or, are you thinking that the Spanish speakers will all flock to those immersion schools and get in, making them majority Spanish? Not only will that hurt the instructional model as much as too many English speakers do now, but I guarantee that a large chunk of the UMC English speakers will avoid immersion if it is overwhelmingly poor people (as they avoid high poverty schools now).

If the former, some of those current Carlin Springs kids would go to Ashlawn, but most are closer to Randolph or zoned to Abingdon. You all talk about Ashlawn reaching below 50, but the area right below 50 is predominately nice UMC homes. Those are white folks people, not the low income housing further south. Those kids are closer to Randolph and would probably NOT go to Ashlawn.

The Barcroft Apartments people would certainly go to Randolph, so how is that any improvement for Randolph - make it 99% low income? Or Barrett, which is already like Barcroft?

You are correct that the boundaries are not great for picking up the displaced Carlin Springs (CS) students (primarily Spanish-speaking and low income) who do not go to the new CS Immersion. Barcoft and Randolph cannot pick them up current CS-zoned students without exacerbating their own already high FARMs rates (and doing so would basically negate CS becoming immersion by simply transposing the CS FARMs rate to Barcroft/Randolph). Abingdon could absorb some, but not all, and that's quite the bus ride for the CS families. Extending Ashlawn's boundaries south first picks up the MC (white) Glen Carlin families, so the boundaries would have to go much further south to pick up the low-income CS students. Also, most of the Glen Carlin families who currently choice out may not if Ashlawn becomes their neighborhood school, so that could end up sending a lot more students than expected to Ashlawn.
[i]
The best option is to move Claremont Immersion to Carlin Springs, aiming for a 50-50 split of English/Spanish. That would be beneficial in terms of language acquisition, and balancing out demographics.

Claremont can stand on its own as a neighborhood school. The walk-zone around Claremont is mostly MC single-family homes, and its FARMs rate last year was 37%, so it could readily pick up some of the low-income CS students, both in terms of capacity, and FARMs rates. It would also be closer than sending them to Abingdon. Ashlawn could pick up some of the displaced students, but would not need to absorb as many if Claremont becomes available. Heck, if you sent the eastern half of the MC Glen Carlin families currently zoned to CS to Barcroft or Barrett, that could better balance demographics at one of those schools too!

In any case, moving Immersion from Claremont to Carlin Springs opens up options. If done smartly, multiple schools, not just CS, would benefit.

Many Glencarlyn families currently opt into Campbell. Campbell is staying. Glencarlyn families who do not apply for immersion will likely still apply to Campbell. We shouldn't say "opt" because both of these programs no longer have the geographic guarantee anymore. Barcroft families do opt out because the modified calendar grants them an automatic opt out. Glencarlyn no longer has that.

If Barcroft remains undercapacity during the upcoming round of redistricting, those MC Glencarlyn families could easily be shifted to Barcroft for its neighborhood school. In that case, you've eliminated the highest FRL concentration in the County at CS; we'll see what you've done with Campbell over the next few years under the new admissions policy - but I dont expect much change, at least at first until more people catch on to the appeal of the program; and you get a few more MC families at Barcroft. Barcroft's FRL has gone down and it is under new leadership; so perhaps that's promising enough to maintain a trend and get more MC buy-in. Supposedly there are so many MC families who are merely waiting for Barcroft's calendar to change - so I guess we can expect them to suddenly start enrolling if they eliminate the calendar. Then Barcroft's #s will start heading to where Henry was when it became so popular.

there are so many potential benefits to multiple schools just by moving Claremont immersion to Carlin Springs. That alone guarantees it either won't happen, or the SB will find some way to screw it all up. The first tool they'll use to screw up the ripple effects will be their clinging to proximity in the boundary changes. They'll say it can't work and therefore immersion has to stay where it is. Idiots.

Agree that both immersion schools need to move, but Barcroft farms rate is not going down and I think "the calendar" is a polite excuse for UMC who want a school not dedicated to ELL instruction - though of course, the two are inseparable (the year round calendar is plainly meant to help ELL maintain English ability and not backslide over a long summer break).

Ultimately, I'm not sure that changing that calendar would help put Barcroft on a Henry trajectory. Henry got where it is in part because there isn't much AH in its zone anymore. Whereas Barcroft just keeps getting more. It may very well be a Randolph situation, in which the high density, high turnover AH in the zone just dwarfs even a sizable neighborhood of SFH that turn over slowly and don't supply a co start stream of students.

Assume the current boundary remains intact, Barcroft can't ever go down to Henry's current fr/l rate, because there's Buchanan Gardens, part of the Barcroft complex, and soon-to-open Gilliam Place. That said, the fr/l rate can definitely go down closer to 50% if even 1/3 of the current transfers decide to stay at Barcroft. They definitely won't with the current calendar, which sends the not-so-subtle signal that "this school is not for people like you."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So, question for all of you. In talking about moving immersion to the west Pike, are you all thinking that more Spanish speakers will apply and therefore the schools will have that optimal 50-50 balance of Spanish and English speakers? If so, that will bring in some more Spanish speakers, but the overwhelming majority of them will just have to find another neighborhood school (which their would be none on the western pike.

Or, are you thinking that the Spanish speakers will all flock to those immersion schools and get in, making them majority Spanish? Not only will that hurt the instructional model as much as too many English speakers do now, but I guarantee that a large chunk of the UMC English speakers will avoid immersion if it is overwhelmingly poor people (as they avoid high poverty schools now).

If the former, some of those current Carlin Springs kids would go to Ashlawn, but most are closer to Randolph or zoned to Abingdon. You all talk about Ashlawn reaching below 50, but the area right below 50 is predominately nice UMC homes. Those are white folks people, not the low income housing further south. Those kids are closer to Randolph and would probably NOT go to Ashlawn.

The Barcroft Apartments people would certainly go to Randolph, so how is that any improvement for Randolph - make it 99% low income? Or Barrett, which is already like Barcroft?

You are correct that the boundaries are not great for picking up the displaced Carlin Springs (CS) students (primarily Spanish-speaking and low income) who do not go to the new CS Immersion. Barcoft and Randolph cannot pick them up current CS-zoned students without exacerbating their own already high FARMs rates (and doing so would basically negate CS becoming immersion by simply transposing the CS FARMs rate to Barcroft/Randolph). Abingdon could absorb some, but not all, and that's quite the bus ride for the CS families. Extending Ashlawn's boundaries south first picks up the MC (white) Glen Carlin families, so the boundaries would have to go much further south to pick up the low-income CS students. Also, most of the Glen Carlin families who currently choice out may not if Ashlawn becomes their neighborhood school, so that could end up sending a lot more students than expected to Ashlawn.
[i]
The best option is to move Claremont Immersion to Carlin Springs, aiming for a 50-50 split of English/Spanish. That would be beneficial in terms of language acquisition, and balancing out demographics.

Claremont can stand on its own as a neighborhood school. The walk-zone around Claremont is mostly MC single-family homes, and its FARMs rate last year was 37%, so it could readily pick up some of the low-income CS students, both in terms of capacity, and FARMs rates. It would also be closer than sending them to Abingdon. Ashlawn could pick up some of the displaced students, but would not need to absorb as many if Claremont becomes available. Heck, if you sent the eastern half of the MC Glen Carlin families currently zoned to CS to Barcroft or Barrett, that could better balance demographics at one of those schools too!

In any case, moving Immersion from Claremont to Carlin Springs opens up options. If done smartly, multiple schools, not just CS, would benefit.

Many Glencarlyn families currently opt into Campbell. Campbell is staying. Glencarlyn families who do not apply for immersion will likely still apply to Campbell. We shouldn't say "opt" because both of these programs no longer have the geographic guarantee anymore. Barcroft families do opt out because the modified calendar grants them an automatic opt out. Glencarlyn no longer has that.

If Barcroft remains undercapacity during the upcoming round of redistricting, those MC Glencarlyn families could easily be shifted to Barcroft for its neighborhood school. In that case, you've eliminated the highest FRL concentration in the County at CS; we'll see what you've done with Campbell over the next few years under the new admissions policy - but I dont expect much change, at least at first until more people catch on to the appeal of the program; and you get a few more MC families at Barcroft. Barcroft's FRL has gone down and it is under new leadership; so perhaps that's promising enough to maintain a trend and get more MC buy-in. Supposedly there are so many MC families who are merely waiting for Barcroft's calendar to change - so I guess we can expect them to suddenly start enrolling if they eliminate the calendar. Then Barcroft's #s will start heading to where Henry was when it became so popular.

there are so many potential benefits to multiple schools just by moving Claremont immersion to Carlin Springs. That alone guarantees it either won't happen, or the SB will find some way to screw it all up. The first tool they'll use to screw up the ripple effects will be their clinging to proximity in the boundary changes. They'll say it can't work and therefore immersion has to stay where it is. Idiots.

Agree that both immersion schools need to move, but Barcroft farms rate is not going down and I think "the calendar" is a polite excuse for UMC who want a school not dedicated to ELL instruction - though of course, the two are inseparable (the year round calendar is plainly meant to help ELL maintain English ability and not backslide over a long summer break).

Ultimately, I'm not sure that changing that calendar would help put Barcroft on a Henry trajectory. Henry got where it is in part because there isn't much AH in its zone anymore. Whereas Barcroft just keeps getting more. It may very well be a Randolph situation, in which the high density, high turnover AH in the zone just dwarfs even a sizable neighborhood of SFH that turn over slowly and don't supply a co start stream of students.

Assume the current boundary remains intact, Barcroft can't ever go down to Henry's current fr/l rate, because there's Buchanan Gardens, part of the Barcroft complex, and soon-to-open Gilliam Place. That said, the fr/l rate can definitely go down closer to 50% if even 1/3 of the current transfers decide to stay at Barcroft. They definitely won't with the current calendar, which sends the not-so-subtle signal that "this school is not for people like you."

Also, if there were another option school nearby, assume that it could have a significant number of VPI classes and seat set-asides and some students who currently attend Barcroft may instead transfer voluntarily to an option school. And perhaps they need to figure out how to get more low income kids into the Montessori program, which allegedly serves them so well. Hint: make the 3 and 4 year-old-years free for those who qualify and provide transportation and then advertise the heck out of it.

[Anonymous]

Amen. Montessori should be serving more low income families or it should be eliminated.