Anonymous
01/23/2020 16:57
Subject: Re:APS: Think the "no move" campaign is going to work?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I"m so sick of all the concern trolling about access to transit. Nobody picks up their kids from extended day on transit. It just doesn't happen.
https://www.apsva.us/aps-go/2016-aps-go-surveys/
+1
and peak walking is 13% in the mornings for Key. 11%in afternoon.
86% take bus or family vehicle in morning; 87% in afternoon.
0.5% transit both morning and afternoon. So I guess there is one family who actually uses public transit to and from Key.
I haven't figured out how 0.7% bike to Key in the morning and 1% bike home afterward in the afternoon.....
It’s a survey. Some family bikes once a week on nice spring days and say they bike commute.
Anonymous
01/23/2020 16:30
Subject: Re:APS: Think the "no move" campaign is going to work?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I"m so sick of all the concern trolling about access to transit. Nobody picks up their kids from extended day on transit. It just doesn't happen.
https://www.apsva.us/aps-go/2016-aps-go-surveys/
+1
and peak walking is 13% in the mornings for Key. 11%in afternoon.
86% take bus or family vehicle in morning; 87% in afternoon.
0.5% transit both morning and afternoon. So I guess there is one family who actually uses public transit to and from Key.
I haven't figured out how 0.7% bike to Key in the morning and 1% bike home afterward in the afternoon.....
Anonymous
01/23/2020 16:25
Subject: Re:APS: Think the "no move" campaign is going to work?
Anonymous wrote:I"m so sick of all the concern trolling about access to transit. Nobody picks up their kids from extended day on transit. It just doesn't happen.
https://www.apsva.us/aps-go/2016-aps-go-surveys/
+1
Anonymous
01/23/2020 15:48
Subject: Re:APS: Think the "no move" campaign is going to work?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I am in favor of keeping option schools in central locations if the goal is to truly make them accessible. I think this is an APS goal, and why they took away neighborhood preference. Option schools do a lot to close the opportunity gap. I don't fully understand the perspective of those for the move. A lot of people will be affected regardless.
agree and ATS is a much better central location for immersion - near more native spanish speakers
The ATS location is great for an option, but the McKinley building really is out of the way unless you live in that neighborhood. We did a summer program there and there was no good way to incorporate drop off or pick up into our commute even though my spouse and I go in different directions for work.
Fortunately ATS has so many applicants that they can still fill the McKinley building even if the total number of applications drops to 30% of this year's number (412 applications for 94 spots).
Then you could basically put ATS anywhere if that’s all that matters.
Ok, as long as nobody’s pretending this is a good central location for an option. Personally, I think it’s the school board’s first step towards changing ATS to better fit within its vision of pathways.
There are too many competing needs and desires, and too few potential school sites, to ideally locate everything.
Anonymous
01/23/2020 15:37
Subject: Re:APS: Think the "no move" campaign is going to work?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I am in favor of keeping option schools in central locations if the goal is to truly make them accessible. I think this is an APS goal, and why they took away neighborhood preference. Option schools do a lot to close the opportunity gap. I don't fully understand the perspective of those for the move. A lot of people will be affected regardless.
agree and ATS is a much better central location for immersion - near more native spanish speakers
The ATS location is great for an option, but the McKinley building really is out of the way unless you live in that neighborhood. We did a summer program there and there was no good way to incorporate drop off or pick up into our commute even though my spouse and I go in different directions for work.
Fortunately ATS has so many applicants that they can still fill the McKinley building even if the total number of applications drops to 30% of this year's number (412 applications for 94 spots).
Then you could basically put ATS anywhere if that’s all that matters.
There are too many competing needs and desires, and too few potential school sites, to ideally locate everything.
Anonymous
01/23/2020 15:34
Subject: Re:APS: Think the "no move" campaign is going to work?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I am in favor of keeping option schools in central locations if the goal is to truly make them accessible. I think this is an APS goal, and why they took away neighborhood preference. Option schools do a lot to close the opportunity gap. I don't fully understand the perspective of those for the move. A lot of people will be affected regardless.
agree and ATS is a much better central location for immersion - near more native spanish speakers
The ATS location is great for an option, but the McKinley building really is out of the way unless you live in that neighborhood. We did a summer program there and there was no good way to incorporate drop off or pick up into our commute even though my spouse and I go in different directions for work.
Fortunately ATS has so many applicants that they can still fill the McKinley building even if the total number of applications drops to 30% of this year's number (412 applications for 94 spots).
Then you could basically put ATS anywhere if that’s all that matters.
Yup.
Anonymous
01/23/2020 15:32
Subject: Re:APS: Think the "no move" campaign is going to work?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I am in favor of keeping option schools in central locations if the goal is to truly make them accessible. I think this is an APS goal, and why they took away neighborhood preference. Option schools do a lot to close the opportunity gap. I don't fully understand the perspective of those for the move. A lot of people will be affected regardless.
agree and ATS is a much better central location for immersion - near more native spanish speakers
The ATS location is great for an option, but the McKinley building really is out of the way unless you live in that neighborhood. We did a summer program there and there was no good way to incorporate drop off or pick up into our commute even though my spouse and I go in different directions for work.
Fortunately ATS has so many applicants that they can still fill the McKinley building even if the total number of applications drops to 30% of this year's number (412 applications for 94 spots).
Then you could basically put ATS anywhere if that’s all that matters.
Anonymous
01/23/2020 14:57
Subject: Re:APS: Think the "no move" campaign is going to work?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I am in favor of keeping option schools in central locations if the goal is to truly make them accessible. I think this is an APS goal, and why they took away neighborhood preference. Option schools do a lot to close the opportunity gap. I don't fully understand the perspective of those for the move. A lot of people will be affected regardless.
agree and ATS is a much better central location for immersion - near more native spanish speakers
The ATS location is great for an option, but the McKinley building really is out of the way unless you live in that neighborhood. We did a summer program there and there was no good way to incorporate drop off or pick up into our commute even though my spouse and I go in different directions for work.
Fortunately ATS has so many applicants that they can still fill the McKinley building even if the total number of applications drops to 30% of this year's number (412 applications for 94 spots).
Anonymous
01/23/2020 14:52
Subject: Re:APS: Think the "no move" campaign is going to work?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I am in favor of keeping option schools in central locations if the goal is to truly make them accessible. I think this is an APS goal, and why they took away neighborhood preference. Option schools do a lot to close the opportunity gap. I don't fully understand the perspective of those for the move. A lot of people will be affected regardless.
agree and ATS is a much better central location for immersion - near more native spanish speakers
The ATS location is great for an option, but the McKinley building really is out of the way unless you live in that neighborhood. We did a summer program there and there was no good way to incorporate drop off or pick up into our commute even though my spouse and I go in different directions for work.
Anonymous
01/23/2020 14:46
Subject: Re:APS: Think the "no move" campaign is going to work?
I"m so sick of all the concern trolling about access to transit. Nobody picks up their kids from extended day on transit. It just doesn't happen.
https://www.apsva.us/aps-go/2016-aps-go-surveys/
https://www.apsva.us/aps-go/2016-aps-go-surveys/
Anonymous
01/23/2020 14:35
Subject: APS: Think the "no move" campaign is going to work?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:
Reed was built because there is a seat deficit in the county, along with a shortage of sites available to APS for building schools. They build where they can.
But if that's the case, APS can't expect to reduce the number of kids that are bused, and boundaries are going to have to be strange.
Unless they move an option school there to fill excess seats and free up more neighborhood seats in areas with seat deficits.
Yes, but then you are still busing kids to the option school near the edge of the county. This is based on the assumption that large numbers of kids from other parts of the county will travel to a faraway option school. The data suggests that option schools draw heavily from nearby neighborhoods, so the problem of schools not being where they are needed isn't solved.
They draw disproportionately from surrounding schools, but let’s not exaggerate the effect.
ATS students are no so heavily made up of kid’s from surrounding schools. I think 3 years ago yes but it’s a majority south Arlington resident school.
No it’s not. Majority comes from NA.
Anonymous
01/23/2020 12:45
Subject: APS: Think the "no move" campaign is going to work?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:
Reed was built because there is a seat deficit in the county, along with a shortage of sites available to APS for building schools. They build where they can.
But if that's the case, APS can't expect to reduce the number of kids that are bused, and boundaries are going to have to be strange.
Unless they move an option school there to fill excess seats and free up more neighborhood seats in areas with seat deficits.
Yes, but then you are still busing kids to the option school near the edge of the county. This is based on the assumption that large numbers of kids from other parts of the county will travel to a faraway option school. The data suggests that option schools draw heavily from nearby neighborhoods, so the problem of schools not being where they are needed isn't solved.
They draw disproportionately from surrounding schools, but let’s not exaggerate the effect.
ATS students are no so heavily made up of kid’s from surrounding schools. I think 3 years ago yes but it’s a majority south Arlington resident school.
100 more kids from NA attended ATS in 2018-2019 than kids from SA.
Highest number of transfers came from McKinley (58) and Ashlawn (53).
Anonymous
01/23/2020 12:23
Subject: APS: Think the "no move" campaign is going to work?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:
Reed was built because there is a seat deficit in the county, along with a shortage of sites available to APS for building schools. They build where they can.
But if that's the case, APS can't expect to reduce the number of kids that are bused, and boundaries are going to have to be strange.
Unless they move an option school there to fill excess seats and free up more neighborhood seats in areas with seat deficits.
Yes, but then you are still busing kids to the option school near the edge of the county. This is based on the assumption that large numbers of kids from other parts of the county will travel to a faraway option school. The data suggests that option schools draw heavily from nearby neighborhoods, so the problem of schools not being where they are needed isn't solved.
They draw disproportionately from surrounding schools, but let’s not exaggerate the effect.
ATS students are no so heavily made up of kid’s from surrounding schools. I think 3 years ago yes but it’s a majority south Arlington resident school.
Anonymous
01/23/2020 10:57
Subject: Re:APS: Think the "no move" campaign is going to work?
Anonymous wrote:I am in favor of keeping option schools in central locations if the goal is to truly make them accessible. I think this is an APS goal, and why they took away neighborhood preference. Option schools do a lot to close the opportunity gap. I don't fully understand the perspective of those for the move. A lot of people will be affected regardless.
agree and ATS is a much better central location for immersion - near more native spanish speakers
Anonymous
01/23/2020 10:55
Subject: APS: Think the "no move" campaign is going to work?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I lose a little respect for people each time I see a fellow McK parent post the petition. You look manipulative and uneducated. It’s such a selfish viewpoint. You don’t want an option school in your hood. That’s it, clear and simple.
But no option school is wanting to move to McKinley either. I am fairly new to APS, but it makes me wonder why Reed was built, if these studies are determining that the seats are less needed in this area. Part of the no move campaign is pro "delay the move" and do boundaries at the same time to make sure we're making the correct decisions. Yes, I get that new principals need to be selected, but it's not like the number of schools is changing.
Basically, APS of today is trying to correct some mistakes previously made and also respond to changing demographics and population densities. When the NW was experiencing the worst of the growth crisis, they decided to build Discovery at the Williamsburg site rather than at Reed, 2012 or 2013 I think, since the Westover library project had just been done in 2007. Frankly, we’re still paying debt service on that, so I understand why it wasn’t selected earlier as a school site. It’s kind of fiscally irresponsible to tear down a $$ multimillion project just 5 years after its completion.
What I see APS doing is trying to move option programs to locations that have overlapping walk zones with another school or are in very close proximity. For instance, moving Montessori to the old Henry building once Fleet was completed. Now Reed and McKinley. ATS site and Ashlawn. And Campbell and Carlin Springs. Basically, it’s sound policy, even if right now the option school is more walkable than the neighborhood school due to history and not giving the older, smaller buildings to the neighborhood kids while the option programs get the nicer facilities. There probably aren’t enough kids in any one of those boundaries to fill two neighborhood schools, so you have one as an option school and pull many kids from the surrounding area (because people like things that are convenient), and then you backfill many of the seats, that would otherwise be empty, with people who are looking for a specialized program and willing/able to travel). In an ideal world, all the option schools would be located most closely to various disadvantaged populations, so that it’s those with privilege who have to travel. But, we aren’t there yet. We don’t have the money or land to make that happen right now for each and every program, especially if we’re also trying to make neighborhood schools more accessible to families who face transportation barriers. If one program has proven that disadvantaged families will travel, it’s ATS. They have the longest VPI waitlist. As long as APS makes VPI classrooms at a new location a priority, I think people will continue to put in for that lottery. In the most ideal world, one day they will be able to live closer to the neighborhood around McKinley, because the county will have made good on their promises of a truly inclusive community. EFC Metro corridor is a prime location for that opportunity.