Reply to Wakefield or Arlington Tech for an A/B Student Who Will Most Likely Stay In-State for College

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Is Arlington Tech the one on S. Walter Reed by the library? I had no idea this was an regular high school. I thought it was either for 'problem students' or, as others have said, a vocational school.[/quote]

Yes, this is north of Columbia Pike, the Career Center parcel with the library, and Patrick Henry elementary school. 
Big changes are coming to that location over the next years.[/quote]

There are actually several programs housed there:

Arlington Tech high school
Career Center classes for students from the other high schools -- they can bus over during the day to take a wide variety of classes (Arl Tech is an outgrowth of that program)
PEP - program for employment preparedness, a program for students with intellectual disabilities
HILT Institute - high intensity language program for HS students
Alternatives for Parenting Teens Program -- for teen mothers, includes on-site childcare
Academic Academy - this I believe is the "problem students" program

Elementary and middle school students can also take enrichment classes there on Saturdays and summers.  I highly recommend those.  My daughter loves the animal science classes and plans to do those as electives in 11th-12th grade.  She won't do the Tech program because she wants to play in band.

Arlington Tech HS program is planned to grow to 800 students and then another [b]700-800 HS seats will be added.  [/b]They haven't explained exactly how that's going to work but sounds like Tech will essentially be a school-within-a-school along with the other 800.  That's good because right now the AT kids have to go to their home school for sports and don't have opportunities to do music classes during the school day.   They are going to have to build something new there.  It's been really unclear to me how they are going to handle the Tech expansion in the next couple years along with planning for the larger build.  They need to add space this summer for the larger freshman class next year.[/quote]

This was the SB punting on building a 4th HS. Ultimately, those seats are going to have to be absorbed by Tech, unless they come up with some other self-contained program.[/quote]

Yes, essentially there will be a 1600 seat high school there, although I don't see it all being seats in the Arlington Tech program.  The board said those additional 800 are neighborhood HS seats.  They need to offer the full range of classes (AP classes, arts, etc.) and extracurriculars for those students.  But that benefits the Tech program because then those students can participate in activities right at the school instead of busing to home schools.[/quote]

No, they never said these 800 seats are neighborhood seats. They are TBD. It's either going to be a stand alone new program, absorbed into the current Tech program, OR they will keep Tech small and build a neighborhood school of around 1600 seats. All on the same site. It's going to be really difficult to accommodate a neighborhood school on this site, though, with comparable amenities. [b]And now Stratford wants to be moved here, too. [/b][/quote]

Wait, what? When did that happen?  What about the neighborhood high school?[/quote]

The neighborhood seats were something that some nearby parents were pushing for, but APS never agreed. They have made no promises and the seats they voted on are just "TBD," with no commitment as to what they will be. Because they don't know that they can actually deliver on a comprehensive HS on that site. It was just caving to pressure not to make W-L campus even larger (scaled back the proposed number of seats at the program, IB, there and are putting half at the Career Center without any kind of plan. They just put off making a tough decision. I can't see a neighborhood school being built here for 800 kids. If it's a neighborhood school, it has to be around the same size as the others w/the same amenities. That's why I think it'll just wind up being absorbed into Tech or made into another option. Or it will be a lesser neighborhood school for the 22204 zip code. That could happen, too. [/quote]

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