Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:HB should not be allowed to manage its own waiting list. All waiting lists should be managed centrally by APS to avoid potential for corruption and cronyism,

Definitely. Is this not done already? The whole purpose of having a central system is to avoid this.

No - each school still manages its own lottery and waitlist.

Not this year I thought. Central Office is handling all the ES and MS applications, no? Are you telling me that HB (and probably ATS) are doing their own? Isn't this why it's online?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:HB should not be allowed to manage its own waiting list. All waiting lists should be managed centrally by APS to avoid potential for corruption and cronyism,

Definitely. Is this not done already? The whole purpose of having a central system is to avoid this.

No - each school still manages its own lottery and waitlist.

Not this year I thought. Central Office is handling all the ES and MS applications, no? Are you telling me that HB (and probably ATS) are doing their own? Isn't this why it's online?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:HB should not be allowed to manage its own waiting list. All waiting lists should be managed centrally by APS to avoid potential for corruption and cronyism,

Definitely. Is this not done already? The whole purpose of having a central system is to avoid this.

No - each school still manages its own lottery and waitlist.

Anonymous wrote:What is wrong with all of you? I have one child who got in and one who tried twice and didn't. If you don't like Arlington County, move to Fairfax County or better yet, Montgomery County. Life is not fair.

Anonymous wrote:I have a 9th grade son at HB. He’s not gifted and we have no political pull, nor were we unusually active in PTA, volunteering,etc in elementary school. He won the lottery as a 6th grader and we have been active and generous parents at HB. My younger son was #12 on the waitlist last year. Of his classmates that did get in, I didn’t see any particular pattern that would suggest lottery fraud.
However, I do know that HB quietly admits some students who can make a case that HB would be a better environment for them—think mild social, anxiety, learning or behavior issues, or bully targets. Something that might involve the hassle of IEPs or interventions in a regular school setting, but that would be easily manageable in a small environment that prides itself on being accepting of quirky students. This is where a parent with an inside knowledge of HB or a friendly and sympathetic elementary school counselor/principal might pull weight. I personally know of at least one sibling who used this route, and I suspect there are a few others. I don't know if these admissions would take place during the lottery or on an individual basis, but I think it's the latter.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:HB should not be allowed to manage its own waiting list. All waiting lists should be managed centrally by APS to avoid potential for corruption and cronyism,

Definitely. Is this not done already? The whole purpose of having a central system is to avoid this.

Anonymous wrote:HB should not be allowed to manage its own waiting list. All waiting lists should be managed centrally by APS to avoid potential for corruption and cronyism,

Anonymous wrote:Another anecdotal fact, son of APS committee volunteer admitted off WL to transfer from Wakefield for 10th. Family with lower WL # was not contacted so unaware of apparent availability of WL spot until month into 10th. Notice was by word of mouth. HB was very sorry. Wink.

Anonymous wrote:Why are people so agitated about this?