Anonymous wrote:I think it is hilarious when people say those that support neighborhood schools are segregationists. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHA. They need to move to PG county.

Tell me more about PG County, oh wise one.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't see the person who wants Reed as a neighborhood school to be NIMBY (assuming you mean that as an insult). The reason McKinley was picked for the recent addition is they *actually* volunteered. McKinley didn't launch a petition to keep people out. They didn't start a campaign to make neighbors feel badly about not being welcome and were very gracious to the incoming families. However, when McKinley reps repeatedly showed APS errors in their numbers and APS refused to change directions, they had reasons to get mad. The opening of Reed for the surround neighborhood is, not only logical, but one of the only ways to fix what went wrong.

Maybe. But it's going to built to 725 minimum and I don't think you can fill that school by taking 100 or so students each from the adjacent McKinley, Tuckahoe, Nottingham boundaries (and Nottingham isn't even overcrowded anymore) zones, right? So how do you justify a new school in that area? Or you think that school can be filled to 725 capacity right away? I don't think they're going to build a school just so that there can be five neighboring schools with 400-500 students each. Maybe by making it an option school with the attendance zone that includes McKinley, Tuckahoe, Nottingham it would mean that you get a new school nearby and for those who really, really want to be able to walk to school, they have that option. Or are you worried that the closest students would get crowded out by those who live further away? I guess I'm just not understanding how making the new school a zoned option school makes it less likely that overcrowding will be addressed at the schools that would be within that option's zone? Right? It's not like ASFS where the school is located within a neighborhood where walking students can't even opt in because students from Key zone are guaranteed spots first.

Well, McK will likely have 200 more kids than capacity by the time it opens, so it can more than make up for Nottingham. A quick drive through that part of town will show how many old homes have been torn down to make room for multi-kid houses. The new THs in Westover will be able to fill a bus by the time they are all complete.

The reason why an option school won't help the neighborhood is because the SB is removing neighborhood preference. Unless the school takes a disproportionate amount from McK and Tuckahoe, it won't make a dent.

Yes, but the proposed zoned schools for Reed, if you want IB option, would be: Abingdon, Ashlawn, Barrett, Carlin Springs, Discovery, Jamestown, McKinley, Nottingham, and Tuckahoe. Of those schools, I can't see hundreds of families so pumped for IB that they'd opt to go to a further away school and crowd out so many closer-in kids. Abingdon and Barrett, and Carlin Springs are less desirable schools by DCUM standards, but there are popular option schools located closer to the families zoned to those schools if they're just trying to avoid their home schools. I can't imagine there'd be a huge influx of students from those areas, but there would be some, which is probably the only way you're going to get any diversity at the new school at Reed. And I don't think many students transfer out of Jamestown for anywhere now, so I would not worry about them suddenly being so jazzed about IB. Discovery is brand new, and I can't imagine people there would be really excited to travel from their area for a different new school. I guess I just think that making it an option school might address multiple issues, capacity for the immediate area AND the issue of lack of organic diversity. If it doesn't matter to you, then it doesn't matter to you. But it matters to me, and I think we could look at this as an opportunity rather than a tragedy. Just my take.

I think it is hilarious when people say those that support neighborhood schools are segregationists. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHA. They need to move to PG county.

Reed as a neighborhood school would be fairly diverse for N. Arlington. Some would argue that this would hurt the diversity of other schools in N. Arlington. I think we could make most schools more diverse if you redraw all boundaries. Tuckahoe, Nottingham, and Discovery are already full of whites and so there would not be any changes there (unless a some affordable housing was built in those districts), but other schools could get better. McK is somewhat diverse, some of that diversity would move to Reed, but it is possible that McK would pull from Balston areas, and then Ashlawn boundaries would move a bit south also. Put all the planning units on the table and figure it out. That's why the SB makes the big bucks.

Not a McK parent, but I feel for these people. I am a supporter of neighborhood schools. Our county supports walkability and sustainable communities, but the proposal that is on the table does not. This is an opportunity to redraw boundaries with accurate data (rather than with the inaccurate data or incorrect methodologies Chadwick has used in the past. If there is space in neighborhood schools, then allow kids to transfer in.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't see the person who wants Reed as a neighborhood school to be NIMBY (assuming you mean that as an insult). The reason McKinley was picked for the recent addition is they *actually* volunteered. McKinley didn't launch a petition to keep people out. They didn't start a campaign to make neighbors feel badly about not being welcome and were very gracious to the incoming families. However, when McKinley reps repeatedly showed APS errors in their numbers and APS refused to change directions, they had reasons to get mad. The opening of Reed for the surround neighborhood is, not only logical, but one of the only ways to fix what went wrong.

Maybe. But it's going to built to 725 minimum and I don't think you can fill that school by taking 100 or so students each from the adjacent McKinley, Tuckahoe, Nottingham boundaries (and Nottingham isn't even overcrowded anymore) zones, right? So how do you justify a new school in that area? Or you think that school can be filled to 725 capacity right away? I don't think they're going to build a school just so that there can be five neighboring schools with 400-500 students each. Maybe by making it an option school with the attendance zone that includes McKinley, Tuckahoe, Nottingham it would mean that you get a new school nearby and for those who really, really want to be able to walk to school, they have that option. Or are you worried that the closest students would get crowded out by those who live further away? I guess I'm just not understanding how making the new school a zoned option school makes it less likely that overcrowding will be addressed at the schools that would be within that option's zone? Right? It's not like ASFS where the school is located within a neighborhood where walking students can't even opt in because students from Key zone are guaranteed spots first.

Well, McK will likely have 200 more kids than capacity by the time it opens, so it can more than make up for Nottingham. A quick drive through that part of town will show how many old homes have been torn down to make room for multi-kid houses. The new THs in Westover will be able to fill a bus by the time they are all complete.

The reason why an option school won't help the neighborhood is because the SB is removing neighborhood preference. Unless the school takes a disproportionate amount from McK and Tuckahoe, it won't make a dent.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
There is certainly a lot of evidence to support the efficacy of immersion for some students. Similarly I guess there is evidence for montessori- although I am less well versed in that.
There is evidence for IB.
STEAM is not a gimmick or a magnet- that is the future of learning.
I don't know that there is any evidence to support ATS other than parents like it.

I didn't mention immersion.

I've seen evidence for IB in high school. Can you provide links for its utility in earlier grades?

You can't possibly know what the future of learning is, nor can I. But the more people talk about STEAM, the more they seem to be talking about basic education (really basic, letting-kids-be-kids explorations of a range of academic subjects). Then they slap the phrase "21st century learners" on it and act as though there's an easy, tidy way to get kids engaged in their own education.

I think ATS is ridiculous, but I don't think we can pry it out of the clutches of anxious, score-worshipping adherents. I'd argue for expanding the program (do you you love it when it's just as big as the other big elementaries?) and putting ATS students at the bottom of the heap when it's time for the HB lottery (do you love ATS enough to forgo your shot at HB?)

How on earth are parents supposed to answer that question before their kids even start at ATS? Or would the prohibition on entering the HB lottery only kick in if you stay at ATS until a certain grade? Lots of problems with that assertion.

Anonymous wrote:I don't see the person who wants Reed as a neighborhood school to be NIMBY (assuming you mean that as an insult). The reason McKinley was picked for the recent addition is they *actually* volunteered. McKinley didn't launch a petition to keep people out. They didn't start a campaign to make neighbors feel badly about not being welcome and were very gracious to the incoming families. However, when McKinley reps repeatedly showed APS errors in their numbers and APS refused to change directions, they had reasons to get mad. The opening of Reed for the surround neighborhood is, not only logical, but one of the only ways to fix what went wrong.

Maybe. But it's going to built to 725 minimum and I don't think you can fill that school by taking 100 or so students each from the adjacent McKinley, Tuckahoe, Nottingham boundaries (and Nottingham isn't even overcrowded anymore) zones, right? So how do you justify a new school in that area? Or you think that school can be filled to 725 capacity right away? I don't think they're going to build a school just so that there can be five neighboring schools with 400-500 students each. Maybe by making it an option school with the attendance zone that includes McKinley, Tuckahoe, Nottingham it would mean that you get a new school nearby and for those who really, really want to be able to walk to school, they have that option. Or are you worried that the closest students would get crowded out by those who live further away? I guess I'm just not understanding how making the new school a zoned option school makes it less likely that overcrowding will be addressed at the schools that would be within that option's zone? Right? It's not like ASFS where the school is located within a neighborhood where walking students can't even opt in because students from Key zone are guaranteed spots first.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:ATS also uses an educational model that has not been proven optimal in recent studies (i.e. assigning large amounts of homework in elementary school). I agree that there is demand and by test scores and from anecdotal feedback it certainly seems like a successful model. No personal experience with the school so can't comment.

Do they?

Depends on the teacher. My daughter is in 5th grade, and doesn't seem to have that much homework. In 3rd and 4th, she also didn't have much homework. 2nd grade, however, was crazy -- I once emailed the teacher to say that she had spent 2 hours working on something, and I was telling her to stop. That's the only time we had that happen - and all of her teachers have always said, if something is taking longer than you think it should, just let the teacher know. (My daughter didn't like the idea of not finishing her homework, so I rarely invoked that in 2nd.) 1st wasn't too bad; K was annoying because it required parental involvement.

Speak for yourself. Glad to have our " neighborhood" school become choice.
- Randolph parent

I don't see the person who wants Reed as a neighborhood school to be NIMBY (assuming you mean that as an insult). The reason McKinley was picked for the recent addition is they *actually* volunteered. McKinley didn't launch a petition to keep people out. They didn't start a campaign to make neighbors feel badly about not being welcome and were very gracious to the incoming families. However, when McKinley reps repeatedly showed APS errors in their numbers and APS refused to change directions, they had reasons to get mad. The opening of Reed for the surround neighborhood is, not only logical, but one of the only ways to fix what went wrong.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have NO interest in ATS. I didn't even tour the school because I wanted my children to attend the neighborhood school. I actually have no interest in immersion or Montessori, either. I know immersion isn't going anywhere because of our population needs. I'd be fine with Montessori going away because I don't need public funds going to it.

Super. Nobody is demanding that your child not be allowed to continue at their neighborhood school.

When the neighborhood school is bursting at the seams, and no relief is in sight, there is a reason to get upset about two other schools in your neighborhood that you cannot attend.

Ah, NIMBYism. Most of us want some choice programs (even if we don't all agree on which ones), but no one wants the choice schools in their neighborhood.

I'm a NP, and I am very sympathetic to the situation at McKinley. But the problem there isn't the presence of choice schools, it's the School Board's clumsy efforts at drawing and re-drawing boundaries. And at the heart of that matter is the fact that the School Board doesn't seem to be equally invested in all APS students and in all of the schools. Certain schools (and subsets of parents at those schools) have more influence with the School Board. And it's not just a North-South thing (although that is also a big problem). For whatever reason, the School Board has been favoring other nearby neighborhood elementaries over McKinley. Unfortunately, until the School Board stops playing favorites, McKinley needs to get in the game and make the best case it can to the School Board for relief from overcrowding. ATS is untouchable, but there is still a chance to influence the direction of Reed.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have NO interest in ATS. I didn't even tour the school because I wanted my children to attend the neighborhood school. I actually have no interest in immersion or Montessori, either. I know immersion isn't going anywhere because of our population needs. I'd be fine with Montessori going away because I don't need public funds going to it.

Super. Nobody is demanding that your child not be allowed to continue at their neighborhood school.

When the neighborhood school is bursting at the seams, and no relief is in sight, there is a reason to get upset about two other schools in your neighborhood that you cannot attend.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What makes Campbell so special?

Why is it any less special than Montessori or ATS?

Why don't you knock the chip off your shoulder and just answer the question? You might find allies if you are willing to explain why that school is different.

Anonymous wrote:I have NO interest in ATS. I didn't even tour the school because I wanted my children to attend the neighborhood school. I actually have no interest in immersion or Montessori, either. I know immersion isn't going anywhere because of our population needs. I'd be fine with Montessori going away because I don't need public funds going to it.

Super. Nobody is demanding that your child not be allowed to continue at their neighborhood school.