Anonymous
08/21/2023 15:06
Subject: Re:APS: Use NES as Immersion Middle School
Anonymous wrote:How about we get rid of all these stupid option programs that make it impossible to plan for neighborhood needs and waste transportation money year after year? Sensible neighborhood boundaries with ability to request administrative transfers to underenrolled schools. Done - all problems solved.
This only works if enough SA parents are willing to bus their kids to NA. I’m sure some would but I doubt it would be enough.
APS needs to do a better job of forecasting where students will live. Close schools that are underutilized. Sell that land, and buy and build schools where they are needed.
Anonymous
08/21/2023 15:04
Subject: APS: Use NES as Immersion Middle School
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:There are actually enough middle school seats, they are just at Williamsburg. If they were willing to put Immersion in the upper NW quadrant (which frankly, they should seriously consider) they could just put it there and solve the problem. Williamsburg is projected to be at 65% in a few years!
I agree this makes the most sense.
But APS ruled out Williamsburg for Immersion because of lack of centrality and lack of public transportation. Yet ignores these same considerations for Nottingham as a swing space.
APS has no idea what they are doing.
So what you're advocating for is Nottingham to be used as a swing space to meet needs. Sounds a lot like what APS is talking about....
Anonymous
08/21/2023 15:02
Subject: Re:APS: Use NES as Immersion Middle School
Immersion, unlike HB and Montessori, is not a self contained program. Kids in Immersion take some immersion classes and the rest are with the rest of the school’s population.
Anonymous
08/21/2023 14:32
Subject: APS: Use NES as Immersion Middle School
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:We have too many elementary seats and are short middle school seats. Why not locate the option program at the "spare" building that APS is creating? They did that with Montessori.
And operate NES building at even LOWER enrollment than it is now??!!
And when we need elementary seats again, what happens?
Montessori (and I am no Montessori fan) was different: it fills the entire facility and needs to run independently from other programs/schools due to bell schedules.
The "spare" building is intended to be "spare" for specific purposes that will house entire (FULL) school communities while their buildings are updated and renovated, etc. It's not like it would be a spare building sitting empty and unused.
True. We should turn NES into an HB-Immersion. Middle and high school.
We have excess elem seats and crowded middle and high schools.
Anonymous
08/21/2023 14:01
Subject: APS: Use NES as Immersion Middle School
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:There are actually enough middle school seats, they are just at Williamsburg. If they were willing to put Immersion in the upper NW quadrant (which frankly, they should seriously consider) they could just put it there and solve the problem. Williamsburg is projected to be at 65% in a few years!
Or, they can relocate immersion to Kenmore and redraw boundaries to balance enrollment. Same difference; just less palatable to NA for some reason.
Have you seen the proposed new boundaries? They are clearly worse for Kenmore, Swanson, and Hamm than they would be if they moved immersion to Williamsburg. Also, Williamsburg would require fewer busses overall. They are saving exactly 1 immersion bus with Kenmore vs other middle schools, which is quickly overtaken by the new routes that would be required for current walkzone kids.
Anonymous
08/21/2023 13:54
Subject: APS: Use NES as Immersion Middle School
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:There are actually enough middle school seats, they are just at Williamsburg. If they were willing to put Immersion in the upper NW quadrant (which frankly, they should seriously consider) they could just put it there and solve the problem. Williamsburg is projected to be at 65% in a few years!
Or, they can relocate immersion to Kenmore and redraw boundaries to balance enrollment. Same difference; just less palatable to NA for some reason.
No thanks. I don’t like this idea as a SA parent. Have you seen the proposed boundaries? Immersion isn’t centrally located now, so moving it to the other corner isn’t any worse. And it’s better for every other MS by being less disruptive and by increasing SES diversity without forced busing.
Anonymous
08/21/2023 13:44
Subject: APS: Use NES as Immersion Middle School
Anonymous wrote:There are actually enough middle school seats, they are just at Williamsburg. If they were willing to put Immersion in the upper NW quadrant (which frankly, they should seriously consider) they could just put it there and solve the problem. Williamsburg is projected to be at 65% in a few years!
Or, they can relocate immersion to Kenmore and redraw boundaries to balance enrollment. Same difference; just less palatable to NA for some reason.
Anonymous
08/21/2023 13:42
Subject: APS: Use NES as Immersion Middle School
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:There are actually enough middle school seats, they are just at Williamsburg. If they were willing to put Immersion in the upper NW quadrant (which frankly, they should seriously consider) they could just put it there and solve the problem. Williamsburg is projected to be at 65% in a few years!
I agree this makes the most sense.
But APS ruled out Williamsburg for Immersion because of lack of centrality and lack of public transportation. Yet ignores these same considerations for Nottingham as a swing space.
APS has no idea what they are doing.
Swing space is temporary.
Locating a program is not.
Anonymous
08/21/2023 13:06
Subject: APS: Use NES as Immersion Middle School
And meanwhile, since WMS is under enrolled they are not given requested teachers so classes are packed at 30.
Anonymous
08/21/2023 13:05
Subject: APS: Use NES as Immersion Middle School
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:There are actually enough middle school seats, they are just at Williamsburg. If they were willing to put Immersion in the upper NW quadrant (which frankly, they should seriously consider) they could just put it there and solve the problem. Williamsburg is projected to be at 65% in a few years!
I agree this makes the most sense.
But APS ruled out Williamsburg for Immersion because of lack of centrality and lack of public transportation. Yet ignores these same considerations for Nottingham as a swing space.
APS has no idea what they are doing.
Anonymous
08/21/2023 12:41
Subject: APS: Use NES as Immersion Middle School
Anonymous wrote:There are actually enough middle school seats, they are just at Williamsburg. If they were willing to put Immersion in the upper NW quadrant (which frankly, they should seriously consider) they could just put it there and solve the problem. Williamsburg is projected to be at 65% in a few years!
I agree this makes the most sense.
Anonymous
08/21/2023 12:32
Subject: APS: Use NES as Immersion Middle School
There are actually enough middle school seats, they are just at Williamsburg. If they were willing to put Immersion in the upper NW quadrant (which frankly, they should seriously consider) they could just put it there and solve the problem. Williamsburg is projected to be at 65% in a few years!
Anonymous
08/21/2023 12:31
Subject: APS: Use NES as Immersion Middle School
Anonymous wrote:We have too many elementary seats and are short middle school seats. Why not locate the option program at the "spare" building that APS is creating? They did that with Montessori.
And operate NES building at even LOWER enrollment than it is now??!!
And when we need elementary seats again, what happens?
Montessori (and I am no Montessori fan) was different: it fills the entire facility and needs to run independently from other programs/schools due to bell schedules.
The "spare" building is intended to be "spare" for specific purposes that will house entire (FULL) school communities while their buildings are updated and renovated, etc. It's not like it would be a spare building sitting empty and unused.
Anonymous
08/21/2023 12:21
Subject: Re:APS: Use NES as Immersion Middle School
How about we get rid of all these stupid option programs that make it impossible to plan for neighborhood needs and waste transportation money year after year? Sensible neighborhood boundaries with ability to request administrative transfers to underenrolled schools. Done - all problems solved.
Anonymous
08/21/2023 11:21
Subject: APS: Use NES as Immersion Middle School
We have too many elementary seats and are short middle school seats. Why not locate the option program at the "spare" building that APS is creating? They did that with Montessori.