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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]APS has nothing to do with housing. You don't like the huge FARMS rates at certain schools? Go advocate to the County Board that you want to see affordable housing around Jamestown and Tuckahoe.

Alternatively, go advocate in front of APS that you want forced busing to equalize FARMS rates across schools.

People love to complain about this issue, but they're unwilling to actually do anything about it.

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Oh please. There have been many of us advocating on these issues to both the school and county boards for YEARS. and "forced busing" isn't the only way to improve socioeconomic diversity within the schools. Those of use who have been in this conversation WITH the TWO boards over the years have made various arguments and [b]proposed various ways[/b] forward. But people have only so much energy, time, and tolerance for the ignorance, politics, and denialism of both boards who find it easier to just point their fingers at each other.[/quote]

Such as? 
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1. Ranked choice admissions process
2. Incremental steps with every boundary change requiring FRL% to be a primary consideration - implementing options that improve, not worsen, the situation
3. Ways to increase interaction between schools -- it's the social interaction with peers that's most important
4. Locating option programs (if we have to keep them) centrally and in locations easily accessed by transportation (car, bus) to encourage low-income families to opt in
5. Stop telling immigrant communities that boundary changes will "tear their community apart"
6. Stop acquiescing to the white affluent parents crying "walkability" or whining about passing a closer school to get to their assigned school
7.And imagine what impact could be made if people stopped all their crap arguments pushing back against distributing committed affordable housing geographically throughout the county - or at least stopping additional construction/addition of CAFs in the areas where the neighborhood schools already exceed 40% FRL.
8. Electing a school board and hiring administration who don't dismiss or deny the research demonstrating the academic (and future income prospects for generational poor) benefits of socioeconomic diversity, and who prioritize providing the best education for ALL students.

That's a start.
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4. Already doing it. 
3. Agree. 
7. Totally agree. This actually would make the most impact. Unfortunately, there is not a lot of political will to make it happen. 
[b]8. I think they already do that. [/b]
5. Didn’t see that happening. 
1. & 2. This doesn’t work on a large scale for ES because almost everyone wants their young kids close to home. They don’t want super long bus rides for Kindergartners or long treks to pick them up from Extended Day after work. Plus, transportation is already a nightmare. 
6. Again, parents across the county value proximity. That’s not unique to white, affluent parents. 
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#8 -- NO, we do not have a school board or administration that does not dismiss the research or that prioritizes diversity and its academic and social benefits
#1 and #2 -- follows along with not acquiescing  (it also ties-in with establishing an effective and more thorough transit system with the County). Incremental steps in each boundary process (#2) does not require busing kids 3/4 of the way across the County.  It starts with shifting kids to neighboring schools and, again, #6 and #8 -- not about parent preferences, prioritizing what's best for students' education/providing comparable academic and social experiences at every school (or as many as possible)/etc.  You need to let go of the same old pushback "we can't because" arguments and start SOLVING the obstacles.
#6 -- your response is a "no-duh" -- that's why #6 is to stop acquiescing.
#5 -- Do you mean that you've not witnessed or heard of this fear-mongering occurring; or do you mean you don't see that argument stopping? Because I assure you - it. absolutely. happens. Even though it's ludicrous. Yes, maybe Barcroft Apartments don't all go to Randolph or all of the west end affordable housing highrises don't all go to Carlin Springs. But significant groups of children from within would still go to school together. Nobody would be sent onesies-twosies to Jamestown.[/quote]

8. This has been a factor in every single boundary change process.

1. & 2. The only way to balance SES right now is busing. Far across the county. Period. You would know this if you participated in any of the many boundary changes. Try PP's map to learn this for yourself. And - newsflash - most parents won't want that.

6. The "Arlington Way" is to take parent input. If most parents - regardless of SES - value proximity then it's a non-starter. And parents of all SESs have legitimate concerns about proximity. Listen to them. Most will probably just prioritize the school(s) closest to them and not effectively spread the SES.

Has this actually worked in a similarly-sized city/county? Cambridge is 1/4 the size. 
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8.  Mentioned and sometimes discussed. NOT PRIORITIZED and USED AS THE DECIDING FACTOR. If so, the boundary scenario option that resulted in the best distribution/impact on FRL rates would have been accepted and implemented.  That has NOT been the case.  (I HAVE been involved in these processes for the past 10 years)

1 &2 & 6 AGAIN-- resorting to what parents don't want rather than doing what's right and best for the system. "The Arlington Way" was never about parent or community input. It was about giving those in office the information they needed to make sure they didn't upset their voters so that they would be re-elected. And look where it's gotten us as a school system and as a County.

Your referral to the same arguments merely demonstrates the WALL advocates bang their heads against and the failure to look at incremental progress and different alternatives merely serves to maintain the status quo because you don't want the change. Talking up how they would love to have more diversity across the County makes people feel good while they safely hide behind these arguments knowing nothing will change and they won't have to actually do anything, or sacrifice anything.

I don't give a s--- whether Jamestown ever sees 15% FRL, let alone 30%. I do care that we have a handful of elementary schools above70-freakin'% with SEVERAL under 15 or 10 or 5%.  Or 3 middle schools with high FRL and 3 with low.  I don't like that YHS and HBW have less than half the % of WL which is 15 or so %points below WHS; but at least it isn't one high school with 70% and all the others less than 20%.[/quote]

8. They didn't "dismiss or deny the research" - it's just not the #1 criteria.

1. 2. 6. I have worked those maps many times. There is just only so much you can do for ES without extensive busing. Why is busing kids all over the county the "best" solution for the kids? What about the families? You're going to ignore their drop off/pick up requirements? You're going to completely ignore the budget/resources?

Propose a realistic solution and then push for it. If you have been involved for 10 years then why haven't you figured out this magical solution yet? 
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