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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I am a new resident of the City and I am not as pessimistic as folks above.  Yes, there are resource constraints - jurisdictions all across the region face them.  But the number of new tax paying properties coming on line IS going to help in the not too distant future.    And yes, the primary concern of ACPS is going to be, and should be, teaching the large number of kids for whom poverty is their principle challenge.    But it seems clear to me that the TAG advisory comm at least supports access to TJHSST, and I do think that addressing the cost issues, whether by creative solutions to the transportation issue (note well rte 236 is a priority corridor in WMATA's plans for metrobus) or by improved finances for the City, will gradually shift the conversation.

I am also not convinced there will be a major increase over time in the FARMs percentages.  Sure, in the next year or two we will get more immigrant kids in the older grades.  But over time we will be losing market rate affordable units as they are either torn down and replaced by new units, as in the Beauregard area, or as buildings are renovated and rents increase.  Its possible that in a few older hirises in Landmark real rents will decrease, but I think that will at most offset trends elsewhere in the City.   And that is true DESPITE policies to replace public housing units and to reserve some of the new Beauregard units as income capped (less than 10% IIUC.)   I think some elementary schols are already considered desirable despite the current FARMs percentages, and I expect that to continue, and possibly increase.

Does that mean Alexandria is about to turn into another Arlington? No.  But it does not have to, for the gloom and doom forecasts to prove false. [/quote]

More money isn't the issue.  In fact, ACPS maintains some of the smallest class sizes in the region  yet they still can not educate students. Look at Jefferson-Houston and how few students were in attendance there over the past few years yet test scores still dropped.  More money would not have  helped.  They had the resources, they had the small class sizes, it still didn't make a difference.

The only elementary school that is managing to do well is Maury. This is due to neighborhood families who basically couldn't afford the house they bought AND private school tuition so they realized they had no choice but dig in and make things better. I would also think though can't say for sure that some came to the reality that if only neighborhood kids attended the school, this would reduce the number of available transfer slots and they would stop getting overflow FARMS kids who were zoned for Jefferson-Houtson. If you look at their test scores vs. demographics over the past two years, you will see a direct link - lower FARMs rate, higher test scores.

The issue with TJ is years old and it's not going to come up again anytime unless parents are really committed and push for it. Good luck with that. ACPS has the most apathetic upper middle income parents ever. I mean really if they were even remotely involved they would push for a robust TAG program much like parents do in Fairfax.  The apathy of ACPS parents is really sad. And I am talking about apathy amongst upper middle income families whose children attend public school. [/quote]

ACPS has clearly had management issues. Everyone knows that.   Jefferson Houston is a troubled school due to both its demographics and its managment.  I know upper SES people who have their kids to schools other than Maury and have been happy. There are several such elementary schools, and I do not need to go through the list of preferred Alexandria elementaries - I assume you know them.

As for the robust program in Fairfax, I am quite familiar with it.  It is not aimed at the most gifted, it meets an entirely different issue than TJHSST does.  In fact it IS aimed more at generic upper middle class parents - most children of the upper middle class are NOT profoundly gifted, and would not fit in at TJ.  Please do not conflate the issues.  It sounds to me like your issue is more with the class politics of Alexandria than it is with the issues of profoundly gifted children.

Note nowhere have I said that small class sizes alone do magic.  But paying for buses IS a matter of money.  You may feel that ACPS should in fact cut the amount of money spent on educating FARMs kids.   I do not think Alexandria needs to take that route (and I think you will find that the amount Fairfax spends on such kids will be increasing rapidly in coming years) [/quote]

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