Reply to HB Woodlawn and ATS

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I’ll say it again — I don’t think we should get rid of the special programs, I think we should find a way to offer more of them. Create a second ATS and house it at whichever of the neighborhood elementary schools is currently most underenrolled. Those parents would be IRATE but all the parents who get into the new ATS would be thrilled. Then use part of the WL building for a new HB Woodlawn. That way W-L doesn’t have to be so big and APS doesn’t have to find additional space for a new HB Woodlawn. Just use the WL space. [/quote]

+ 1 million[/quote]

Or they could just improve the instruction at all the other schools so every kid can have "the best."[/quote]

ATS and HB are self-selecting populations. In the case of ATS, you're judging a program by its standardized test results when everything about ATS is leading up to getting good standardized test results. That's not everyone's goal.

HB has the second most affluent student population among the high schools. I think most high school kids would benefit from more independence,  but let's not confuse correspondence with causation here.[/quote]

ATS and HB also have teachers who applied to teach there. The requirements to teach at those schools are different -- at HB, for instance, they don't have guidance counselors. Middle school teachers are the counselors for their homeroom, and HS teachers take on a counseling load for 6-8 students including college counseling. Working in a school with different behavior standards than regular schools also requires different teaching styles. You can't just have every school change to the ATS or HB model. [/quote]

HB model, probably not.  But ATS' "model" isn't structurally different just because teachers apply to work there.  They have the same structure as any other elementary school (except Montessori with its extra staffing and specific teacher training requirements).  So I disagree that you can't make all the elementary schools more like ATS - it's the curriculum and instruction, bringing kids up to the high standards rather than "meeting each child where they are" and setting standards accordingly.  A student who is behind but makes "one year's progress" will still be behind next year.[/quote]
They actually have a different model than many other (all?) schools in the upper grades, they don’t departmentalize. [/quote]

Not PP but I definitely agree that more schools can become like ATS curriculum wise. I think this is already happening when it comes to structured literacy. I am not sure how this would apply to curriculum delivery. For example does CKLA require direct instruction which is the mode of instruction at ATS? (As a side note, see this article advocating for direct instruction: https://www.forbes.com/sites/nataliewexler/2021/03/24/the-power-and-pitfalls-of-letting-students-learn-through-experience/?sh=cb047164b23d ) . Also what about homework? Is this something all elementary schools should push or should that remain an ATS thing? While APS is moving towards structured literacy and hence becoming more like ATS in that regard it is moving away from homework. Another thing  that distinguishes ATS is the focus on good behavior, character learning etc. [/quote]

Also would you mind elaborating on ATS not departmentalizing? I am an ATS parent so I’m not sure how it is elsewhere. But my impression is all schools have a homeroom teacher who teaches ELA/math/social studies and then specials teachers.[/quote] in other schools upper elementary students have a different teacher for literacy and math [/quote]

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