Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s not a question of picking apart any one program, but rather looking at what works and implementing it system-wide, to the extent possible. If Montessori is so amazing, then why is it so limited? If ATS has an ideal learning environment, why is it only at one school?

They just eliminated the year-round program at Carlin Springs because of cost, why don’t they look at other programs for lessons learned and stop all of this inter-county transfer nonsense.

The modified calendar was at Barcroft.

But I otherwise generally agree with your sentiment. The problem with IB, however, is the expense. If APS wants to commit to making every HS an IB school, then that's one thing. But as long as a small %age of students opt to take the program (full-time), that's a program that makes more fiscal sense to retain at one location. It requires specially trained teachers, actual in-person teachers for languages, and a yearly fee to the IB organization of about $10K.

The main take-away from ATS that's needed at every school is high expectations and some degree of structure. All elementary schools should also be using the same curriculum and instructional methods. APS says they are; but that's not completely accurate.

So each school bus that is unnecessary (from bussing walkers to a different school for "equity") is around 90k. I live in the Innovation walk zone but am bussed to asfs. For my neighborhood (all of which is in the innovation walk zone), there are 7 buses. That's over 500k that is being spent unnecessarily because they didn't want to bus Rosslyn to Long Branch or Taylor (those kids are already on a bus to innovation, but it would be a longer bus ride to another school). I'm glad we stayed at asfs personally because we were looking to buy a house in the neighborhood around there, so I'm not complaining because I care or because I think when they revise boundaries they should move us to save money. In fact I think people would be really upset if they moved us to innovation at this point since starting over with an entirely new community at asfs was hard this year after coming back from the pandemic for most of the neighborhood kids and the idea of doing it again in two years is slightly ridiculous. But, hearing you complain about 10k for a reputable IB program when you compare it with things like how much money is spent bussing people for the sake of bussing them is slightly ridiculous. To put it in perspective, I think one of those videos APS puts out to pat itself on the back (the back to school videos, etc) are probably 10k. This is in the noise!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:ATS works because it is a self-selected group of kids.

ATS works because it is protected from kids who enroll after the first day of school, the second day of school, the 3rd month of school. When you have fewer disruptions to your student body, the environment is more controlled. They are protected from people who move into the county in the middle of the school year.

If all schools could control enrollment that way, life would be different. I think it's a testament to Arlington schools how well they manage and integrate kids who come in after the deadlines and learn.

This, plus parents who pay enough attention to deadlines and school communication to actually apply

How about teachers and administration with good communication so parents know what's going on when and when deadlines are for what? School communication can be sub-par. It's not always the parents' (or even the kids') fault.

Aspects of ATS' approach would still be effective in other schools without the self-selected parents. It isn't the opting-in that makes ATS work. But it is true that ATS has been able to select its students and parents to some extent by exclusion, especially by excluding special needs students and students who are "too much" for ATS to handle -- whether directly, or by "encouraging" their withdrawal.

Lmao is it tho?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:ATS works because it is a self-selected group of kids.

ATS works because it is protected from kids who enroll after the first day of school, the second day of school, the 3rd month of school. When you have fewer disruptions to your student body, the environment is more controlled. They are protected from people who move into the county in the middle of the school year.

If all schools could control enrollment that way, life would be different. I think it's a testament to Arlington schools how well they manage and integrate kids who come in after the deadlines and learn.

This, plus parents who pay enough attention to deadlines and school communication to actually apply

How about teachers and administration with good communication so parents know what's going on when and when deadlines are for what? School communication can be sub-par. It's not always the parents' (or even the kids') fault.

Aspects of ATS' approach would still be effective in other schools without the self-selected parents. It isn't the opting-in that makes ATS work. But it is true that ATS has been able to select its students and parents to some extent by exclusion, especially by excluding special needs students and students who are "too much" for ATS to handle -- whether directly, or by "encouraging" their withdrawal.

Are you implying they kick out special needs students?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:ATS works because it is a self-selected group of kids.

ATS works because it is protected from kids who enroll after the first day of school, the second day of school, the 3rd month of school. When you have fewer disruptions to your student body, the environment is more controlled. They are protected from people who move into the county in the middle of the school year.

If all schools could control enrollment that way, life would be different. I think it's a testament to Arlington schools how well they manage and integrate kids who come in after the deadlines and learn.

This, plus parents who pay enough attention to deadlines and school communication to actually apply

How about teachers and administration with good communication so parents know what's going on when and when deadlines are for what? School communication can be sub-par. It's not always the parents' (or even the kids') fault.

Aspects of ATS' approach would still be effective in other schools without the self-selected parents. It isn't the opting-in that makes ATS work. But it is true that ATS has been able to select its students and parents to some extent by exclusion, especially by excluding special needs students and students who are "too much" for ATS to handle -- whether directly, or by "encouraging" their withdrawal.

ATS has been wonderful for the special ed kids who I know there. Different grades, teachers, issues, specialists. Same administration. That's what matters and ATS has it. Other schools, for sure, can do it too but don't.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:ATS works because it is a self-selected group of kids.

ATS works because it is protected from kids who enroll after the first day of school, the second day of school, the 3rd month of school. When you have fewer disruptions to your student body, the environment is more controlled. They are protected from people who move into the county in the middle of the school year.

If all schools could control enrollment that way, life would be different. I think it's a testament to Arlington schools how well they manage and integrate kids who come in after the deadlines and learn.

This, plus parents who pay enough attention to deadlines and school communication to actually apply

How about teachers and administration with good communication so parents know what's going on when and when deadlines are for what? School communication can be sub-par. It's not always the parents' (or even the kids') fault.

Aspects of ATS' approach would still be effective in other schools without the self-selected parents. It isn't the opting-in that makes ATS work. But it is true that ATS has been able to select its students and parents to some extent by exclusion, especially by excluding special needs students and students who are "too much" for ATS to handle -- whether directly, or by "encouraging" their withdrawal.

Anonymous wrote:ATS works because it is a self-selected group of kids.

ATS works because it is protected from kids who enroll after the first day of school, the second day of school, the 3rd month of school. When you have fewer disruptions to your student body, the environment is more controlled. They are protected from people who move into the county in the middle of the school year.

If all schools could control enrollment that way, life would be different. I think it's a testament to Arlington schools how well they manage and integrate kids who come in after the deadlines and learn.

This, plus parents who pay enough attention to deadlines and school communication to actually apply

ATS works because it is a self-selected group of kids.

ATS works because it is protected from kids who enroll after the first day of school, the second day of school, the 3rd month of school. When you have fewer disruptions to your student body, the environment is more controlled. They are protected from people who move into the county in the middle of the school year.

If all schools could control enrollment that way, life would be different. I think it's a testament to Arlington schools how well they manage and integrate kids who come in after the deadlines and learn.

Anonymous wrote:It’s not a question of picking apart any one program, but rather looking at what works and implementing it system-wide, to the extent possible. If Montessori is so amazing, then why is it so limited? If ATS has an ideal learning environment, why is it only at one school?

They just eliminated the year-round program at Carlin Springs because of cost, why don’t they look at other programs for lessons learned and stop all of this inter-county transfer nonsense.

The modified calendar was at Barcroft.

But I otherwise generally agree with your sentiment. The problem with IB, however, is the expense. If APS wants to commit to making every HS an IB school, then that's one thing. But as long as a small %age of students opt to take the program (full-time), that's a program that makes more fiscal sense to retain at one location. It requires specially trained teachers, actual in-person teachers for languages, and a yearly fee to the IB organization of about $10K.

The main take-away from ATS that's needed at every school is high expectations and some degree of structure. All elementary schools should also be using the same curriculum and instructional methods. APS says they are; but that's not completely accurate.

It’s not a question of picking apart any one program, but rather looking at what works and implementing it system-wide, to the extent possible. If Montessori is so amazing, then why is it so limited? If ATS has an ideal learning environment, why is it only at one school?

They just eliminated the year-round program at Carlin Springs because of cost, why don’t they look at other programs for lessons learned and stop all of this inter-county transfer nonsense.

One of my kids did IB in high school, and it is a great program with research showing that it prepares kids for college better than AP classes. But the IB diploma coursework is only for the last two years of HS. Most kids getting an IB diploma in Arlington, which has the highest pass rate in the state, didn't go to IB for ES and MS. I can see how allowing those programs to peter out might make sense.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Oh, that sucks... not having the option of an unproven, unnecessary, publicly funded program that other people pay for my precious dumpling.

What part of IB do you object to? Do you also think it should be eliminated at the elementary and high school level?

DP, but the only IB program that still takes transfers, and not many at that, is at the HS level. If you want IB in ES and/or MS, you have to buy a home within that school’s boundary (so Randolph and TJ).

Anonymous wrote:Oh, that sucks... not having the option of an unproven, unnecessary, publicly funded program that other people pay for my precious dumpling.

What part of IB do you object to? Do you also think it should be eliminated at the elementary and high school level?

Anonymous wrote:If Montessori/Traditional/immersion/anything else have proven value then implement it though out the system. Stop making everyone pay for niche programs that include bussing costs.

And paying for additional specific teacher training that is only benefitting a handful of kids. Bad management and and education policy.

If Montessori/Traditional/immersion/anything else have proven value then implement it though out the system. Stop making everyone pay for niche programs that include bussing costs.

Anonymous wrote:Oh, that sucks... not having the option of an unproven, unnecessary, publicly funded program that other people pay for my precious dumpling.

are you talking about Montessori? A method designed by people with significant learning disabilities so they could attain work?