Reply to Are option schools in Arlington reducing or exacerbating FARMS distribution

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I think a really good study, with accurate numbers, on how options programs affect distribution of kids, with demographics, would be useful. But, until we have good data, can't be done.

I am a parent who pulled her kid out of a neighborhood school (in 3rd grade) with over 55% lower income kids in the school. I fully admit it. While I have nothing personally against the families and their kids from low income housing, but I am well aware of the conclusions reached by decades of research into how all kids in poorer schools miss out, both in the classroom and in extra curriculars (both parents in education/research). My observations here in Arlington validated my concerns.

This whole issue is based on game theory. If enough UMC parents like myself banded together to send our kids to the neighborhood school, the numbers may shift enough to meet our comfort level. But everyone has to do it. In fact, parents in my neighborhood school started to do that a while ago, and scores and parental satisfaction with the school started to increase. But, other forces changed things at the school and everything went down again. Reading this, you may be able to figure out which school I am talking about.

I think it is important to remember that even within these so called "diverse" schools (as APS likes to call it), there is a lot of segregation within the classrooms. Many schools group the gifted kids into one classroom (and guess who is more likely to test into the gifted program). The ELL students tend to be in one classroom. This is done to make it easier on the school, but the result is very segregated classrooms. I have seen it over and over and my average non-gifted kid was often the only UMC kid in his class. He had no ranges of capabilities in his classroom and expectations were very low. I guess the lesson there, to all you UMC families who are going to send your kid to a low performing neighborhood school - get your kid into the gifted program and while they will have fewer after school activities and less PTA support, they will not have the teacher always teaching to the bottom. That is the advice I have heard many parents say in my neighborhood. I didn't follow it. He is now in a classroom with kids at varying levels and thriving.

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So how can a school like Campbell be explained? They have the demographics of Barcroft/Barrett, but much higher test scores for every demographic group. What's the difference? [/quote]

It’s a self-selecting group. Parents who send their kids to option schools pretty much by definition are engaged with their kids’ education and have lower barriers to access.[/quote]
DP- that should have been obvious. How are posters this ignorant?[/quote]

I think a lot of people are willfully ignorant when it comes to things that don't support their personal agenda.[/quote]

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