Anonymous
Post 02/07/2023 19:09     Subject: HB Woodlawn social scene
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:They need to remove the sports option from HB. It’s patently unfair to students at those high schools, and would help filter out parents who chose HB just for the private school on public dime vibe.


Man are you bitter.


Yeah, I’ve been pushing for a 4th high school for a decade and instead a small subset of kids get to escape the warehouse that is APS. And I’m pretty skeptical of the lottery because of the siblings from wealthy families phenomenon.


You’re as bad as a Trump conspiracy theorist if you truly feel that way about the lottery. And there are several other small programs in Arlington. Should they all be eliminated too?


1) The other programs are actively trying to increase enrollment. When HB was moved to a new building (I know, they want to keep their existing old building, with one of the largest acreages that APS owns), at every stage they claimed that the small size was fundamental to their program. So HB is in a different sort than the other programs, which do not claim that they need to remain small -- the will grow to their facility size. Heights could have had much higher capacity (the original plan was to put 1200 students neighborhood middle school on the site in fact), so HB could have grown its program, even by simply allowing more entries at high school and reduced the strain on neighborhood high schools.

2) I don't think any of the program should return to their home high school for sports. Its added cost to the county; if people believe in a program, they can find other opportunities for sports (and there is financial aid for sports like soccer etc).

3) Calculate the odds of siblings getting into HB. https://www.apsva.us/school-options/middle-school-choices/middle-school-countywide/
Each grade is about 12®0 students, and there are generally about 2 slots. Let's be conservative and say about 1/3 of grade applies (but for schools in NA I suspect the number is much higher). With those numbers, the odds of siblings getting in are 0.04% or 1 in 2500. I personally know of at least 2 families in NA. Sorry if math makes me a conspiracy theorist.

4) Sure its heartwarming to hear of those quirky kids who got to go to HB -- too bad the majority of quirky kids are bering stuffed into high schools designed for half their student population size in classes way above Arlington targets. HB has ONE class that is over 27 students. Meanwhile WL has about 60 classes over the target of 27 (and APS sneakily doesn't report HOW BIG those classes actually are, just that they are over 27.

https://www.apsva.us/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/2021-22-Class-Size-Report.pdf


Your calculation of the odds of siblings both getting in is completely wrong, in no small part due to some faulty assumptions. Parents whose older children did not get into HB are less likely than the average parent to enter their younger children in the lottery due to the hassles of having kids in different high schools, and parents who didn’t enter their older children into the lottery at all are even less likely to enter their younger children. That means the self-selecting pool of lottery applicants has a disproportionate number of students with older siblings already at HB.

Also, your data is wrong because the average allocation per elementary school is 3 spaces, not 2, and the average total number of 5th graders is 83, not whatever number you were trying to type. If 35 kids apply for those three slots and 4 of them have older siblings at HB, there is a nearly 1 in 3 chance that at least one sibling of an older HB student will also get in.
Anonymous
Post 02/07/2023 19:01     Subject: Re:HB Woodlawn social scene
I’ve never met a parent in real life who was actually mad that their kid didn’t get a spot at HB or thought the fix was in. Typically parents just laugh it off if their lottery number is bad and just move on. There are lots of different programs and paths in Arlington. My friends’ kids are all over the place with immersion and Arlington Tech and IB and athletics - HB is great, but so are the many other options.
Anonymous
Post 02/07/2023 18:40     Subject: Re:HB Woodlawn social scene
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:HB Hater, I am sorry your kid (s) didn't get a spot. It really is a random lottery. I have 4 kids and 2 of them are currently at HB and the other 2 did not get spots. All are doing just fine. You can see what the odds are for your home school to get a middle school spot. My youngest, the year they got a spot there were 3 spots and only 17 kids applied. That's pretty good odds, and that was at a N Arlington elementary.

My HB kids don't play sports at their home school but it really is a very small number of kids who do. So small, that last year when there was a huge bus driver shortage, HB called taxis to get those kids back to their home schools for practices each day. So it was a very, very small number for each home school. Not something worth causing a fuss over, but you do you.

One academic downside of HB is that there aren't anywhere near the number of honors/intensified or AP classes that the comprehensive high schools offer. It doesn't seem to affect them much in college admissions, but it's something to note if you have a student who is wanting to take a specific AP course- check the program of studies!

HB Hater, how are your kid (s) doing at their middle or high school?


Do you think this could be an advantage for college admissions, though, for an average-ish student who doesn't want to take all the APs? This way they can check the "most rigorous" box with only the few APs offered at HB?


I’ve heard placement from HB is way better than at WL, so there maybe some credence to that theory.


Parent of an HB grad and grads from other APS High schools.

Placement at HB is absolutely better than at WL. But the kids aren't 'better' - you could take an HB kid with a WL kid who both have the same profile and the HB kid will win out each time. HB and college placements are living off the legacy and reputation of having graduated from HB. They aren't better, just living off their laurels.

And I would argue that my kids who graduated from the other APS school had more rigor in some academic courses than my HB kid. More choices, better instruction.

Don't get me wrong, HB was great for my kid who was 'quirky'. But there are not as many quirky kids as people think there compared to kids who would do well anywhere.


HB has better placement that a student in the IB program at WL?? Completely false.


That is quite the life hack. IB works you like a sweatshop, but coasting at HBW with less rigorous course options, and you get almost the same placement. Now I see why knives are out for HBW Admittance!




Well my DC is at HB only because they moved off the waitlist for a 9th grade slot when two of the kids who got in ahead of them opted instead to go to W-L for the IB program (base school was Yorktown), and I know of at least two kid who left HB after middle school to go to W-L for the IB program so I don't think everyone shares your opinion.

I love HB and I wish parents would advocate to replicate the model, rather than tearing it down in the vein of "if I can't have nice things, no one should have them." This is the same issue I had with those parents who fought against building a fourth comprehensive high school unless it had a swimming pool and fields and all the other bells and whistles. They argued to the school board that everyone should suffer equally rather than have some kids go to a high school without a pool. I was at that school board meeting and some of those parents were really vocal that that APS should not build a new high school unless it had all the same features of the other three -- never mind the lack of land for such a thing.

My observation is that basically parents are wholly self-interested. They don't give a damn about school options until after their kid doesn't get into HB. Then they complain about how unfair it is and want to get rid of HB, and the most vocal people are the ones who applied and didn't get in, so clearly they didn't have a problem with it when they applied. You don't see a bunch of parents of first graders working to get more high school options, and I never hear parents whose kids didn't apply to HB complain about it. Basically they don't even think about it.


+1000 spot on, all of it
Anonymous
Post 02/07/2023 17:11     Subject: Re:HB Woodlawn social scene
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:HB Hater, I am sorry your kid (s) didn't get a spot. It really is a random lottery. I have 4 kids and 2 of them are currently at HB and the other 2 did not get spots. All are doing just fine. You can see what the odds are for your home school to get a middle school spot. My youngest, the year they got a spot there were 3 spots and only 17 kids applied. That's pretty good odds, and that was at a N Arlington elementary.

My HB kids don't play sports at their home school but it really is a very small number of kids who do. So small, that last year when there was a huge bus driver shortage, HB called taxis to get those kids back to their home schools for practices each day. So it was a very, very small number for each home school. Not something worth causing a fuss over, but you do you.

One academic downside of HB is that there aren't anywhere near the number of honors/intensified or AP classes that the comprehensive high schools offer. It doesn't seem to affect them much in college admissions, but it's something to note if you have a student who is wanting to take a specific AP course- check the program of studies!

HB Hater, how are your kid (s) doing at their middle or high school?


Do you think this could be an advantage for college admissions, though, for an average-ish student who doesn't want to take all the APs? This way they can check the "most rigorous" box with only the few APs offered at HB?


I’ve heard placement from HB is way better than at WL, so there maybe some credence to that theory.


Parent of an HB grad and grads from other APS High schools.

Placement at HB is absolutely better than at WL. But the kids aren't 'better' - you could take an HB kid with a WL kid who both have the same profile and the HB kid will win out each time. HB and college placements are living off the legacy and reputation of having graduated from HB. They aren't better, just living off their laurels.

And I would argue that my kids who graduated from the other APS school had more rigor in some academic courses than my HB kid. More choices, better instruction.

Don't get me wrong, HB was great for my kid who was 'quirky'. But there are not as many quirky kids as people think there compared to kids who would do well anywhere.


HB has better placement that a student in the IB program at WL?? Completely false.


That is quite the life hack. IB works you like a sweatshop, but coasting at HBW with less rigorous course options, and you get almost the same placement. Now I see why knives are out for HBW Admittance!




Well my DC is at HB only because they moved off the waitlist for a 9th grade slot when two of the kids who got in ahead of them opted instead to go to W-L for the IB program (base school was Yorktown), and I know of at least two kid who left HB after middle school to go to W-L for the IB program so I don't think everyone shares your opinion.

I love HB and I wish parents would advocate to replicate the model, rather than tearing it down in the vein of "if I can't have nice things, no one should have them." This is the same issue I had with those parents who fought against building a fourth comprehensive high school unless it had a swimming pool and fields and all the other bells and whistles. They argued to the school board that everyone should suffer equally rather than have some kids go to a high school without a pool. I was at that school board meeting and some of those parents were really vocal that that APS should not build a new high school unless it had all the same features of the other three -- never mind the lack of land for such a thing.

My observation is that basically parents are wholly self-interested. They don't give a damn about school options until after their kid doesn't get into HB. Then they complain about how unfair it is and want to get rid of HB, and the most vocal people are the ones who applied and didn't get in, so clearly they didn't have a problem with it when they applied. You don't see a bunch of parents of first graders working to get more high school options, and I never hear parents whose kids didn't apply to HB complain about it. Basically they don't even think about it.
Anonymous
Post 02/05/2023 23:16     Subject: HB Woodlawn social scene
Anonymous wrote:They need to remove the sports option from HB. It’s patently unfair to students at those high schools, and would help filter out parents who chose HB just for the private school on public dime vibe.


Why exactly is it “patently unfair” for HB kids to play sports at their home high schools? As another poster points out, it truly is such a small number of kids who do this.

And who are you to judge what is, or isn’t, a valid reason for choosing HB?
Anonymous
Post 02/05/2023 14:05     Subject: Re:HB Woodlawn social scene
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:HB Hater, I am sorry your kid (s) didn't get a spot. It really is a random lottery. I have 4 kids and 2 of them are currently at HB and the other 2 did not get spots. All are doing just fine. You can see what the odds are for your home school to get a middle school spot. My youngest, the year they got a spot there were 3 spots and only 17 kids applied. That's pretty good odds, and that was at a N Arlington elementary.

My HB kids don't play sports at their home school but it really is a very small number of kids who do. So small, that last year when there was a huge bus driver shortage, HB called taxis to get those kids back to their home schools for practices each day. So it was a very, very small number for each home school. Not something worth causing a fuss over, but you do you.

One academic downside of HB is that there aren't anywhere near the number of honors/intensified or AP classes that the comprehensive high schools offer. It doesn't seem to affect them much in college admissions, but it's something to note if you have a student who is wanting to take a specific AP course- check the program of studies!

HB Hater, how are your kid (s) doing at their middle or high school?


Do you think this could be an advantage for college admissions, though, for an average-ish student who doesn't want to take all the APs? This way they can check the "most rigorous" box with only the few APs offered at HB?


I’ve heard placement from HB is way better than at WL, so there maybe some credence to that theory.


Parent of an HB grad and grads from other APS High schools.

Placement at HB is absolutely better than at WL. But the kids aren't 'better' - you could take an HB kid with a WL kid who both have the same profile and the HB kid will win out each time. HB and college placements are living off the legacy and reputation of having graduated from HB. They aren't better, just living off their laurels.

And I would argue that my kids who graduated from the other APS school had more rigor in some academic courses than my HB kid. More choices, better instruction.

Don't get me wrong, HB was great for my kid who was 'quirky'. But there are not as many quirky kids as people think there compared to kids who would do well anywhere.


HB has better placement that a student in the IB program at WL?? Completely false.


That is quite the life hack. IB works you like a sweatshop, but coasting at HBW with less rigorous course options, and you get almost the same placement. Now I see why knives are out for HBW Admittance!
Anonymous
Post 02/05/2023 11:26     Subject: HB Woodlawn social scene
I’m the parent of two HB grads and two neighborhood school grads. Yes, colleges know if you’re attending the HB program. No, HB isn’t less of a pressure cooker than the neighborhood schools academically - there’s tremendous pressure at HB to load up on AP classes. No, all things being equal, it’s not to a kid’s advantage in college admissions to attend HB. If you have the same classes, the same grades, and the same test scores one school is view equally to the other.

What distinguishes HB from the neighborhood schools is the social scene. That’s really about it.
Anonymous
Post 02/05/2023 11:23     Subject: Re:HB Woodlawn social scene
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:HB Hater, I am sorry your kid (s) didn't get a spot. It really is a random lottery. I have 4 kids and 2 of them are currently at HB and the other 2 did not get spots. All are doing just fine. You can see what the odds are for your home school to get a middle school spot. My youngest, the year they got a spot there were 3 spots and only 17 kids applied. That's pretty good odds, and that was at a N Arlington elementary.

My HB kids don't play sports at their home school but it really is a very small number of kids who do. So small, that last year when there was a huge bus driver shortage, HB called taxis to get those kids back to their home schools for practices each day. So it was a very, very small number for each home school. Not something worth causing a fuss over, but you do you.

One academic downside of HB is that there aren't anywhere near the number of honors/intensified or AP classes that the comprehensive high schools offer. It doesn't seem to affect them much in college admissions, but it's something to note if you have a student who is wanting to take a specific AP course- check the program of studies!

HB Hater, how are your kid (s) doing at their middle or high school?


Do you think this could be an advantage for college admissions, though, for an average-ish student who doesn't want to take all the APs? This way they can check the "most rigorous" box with only the few APs offered at HB?


I’ve heard placement from HB is way better than at WL, so there maybe some credence to that theory.


Parent of an HB grad and grads from other APS High schools.

Placement at HB is absolutely better than at WL. But the kids aren't 'better' - you could take an HB kid with a WL kid who both have the same profile and the HB kid will win out each time. HB and college placements are living off the legacy and reputation of having graduated from HB. They aren't better, just living off their laurels.

And I would argue that my kids who graduated from the other APS school had more rigor in some academic courses than my HB kid. More choices, better instruction.

Don't get me wrong, HB was great for my kid who was 'quirky'. But there are not as many quirky kids as people think there compared to kids who would do well anywhere.


HB has better placement that a student in the IB program at WL?? Completely false.
Anonymous
Post 02/05/2023 11:21     Subject: Re:HB Woodlawn social scene
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:HB Hater, I am sorry your kid (s) didn't get a spot. It really is a random lottery. I have 4 kids and 2 of them are currently at HB and the other 2 did not get spots. All are doing just fine. You can see what the odds are for your home school to get a middle school spot. My youngest, the year they got a spot there were 3 spots and only 17 kids applied. That's pretty good odds, and that was at a N Arlington elementary.

My HB kids don't play sports at their home school but it really is a very small number of kids who do. So small, that last year when there was a huge bus driver shortage, HB called taxis to get those kids back to their home schools for practices each day. So it was a very, very small number for each home school. Not something worth causing a fuss over, but you do you.

One academic downside of HB is that there aren't anywhere near the number of honors/intensified or AP classes that the comprehensive high schools offer. It doesn't seem to affect them much in college admissions, but it's something to note if you have a student who is wanting to take a specific AP course- check the program of studies!

HB Hater, how are your kid (s) doing at their middle or high school?


Do you think this could be an advantage for college admissions, though, for an average-ish student who doesn't want to take all the APs? This way they can check the "most rigorous" box with only the few APs offered at HB?


This doesn’t apply though, does it? HB is a program, and as such everything, including your diploma, lists your geographical high school, doesn’t it?


Colleges absolutely know if you went to HB or not.
Anonymous
Post 02/05/2023 11:11     Subject: HB Woodlawn social scene
From experience, OP - HBW is a kind and accepting place. You will do well if you are self motivated. You will not do well if you are less self motivated, and tend to fall off track, and need more supervision/direction.

I hope this actually answers your question, because I am sick and tired of the posts who pretend to know, but quite obviously do not.
Anonymous
Post 02/05/2023 11:09     Subject: Re:HB Woodlawn social scene
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:HB Hater, I am sorry your kid (s) didn't get a spot. It really is a random lottery. I have 4 kids and 2 of them are currently at HB and the other 2 did not get spots. All are doing just fine. You can see what the odds are for your home school to get a middle school spot. My youngest, the year they got a spot there were 3 spots and only 17 kids applied. That's pretty good odds, and that was at a N Arlington elementary.

My HB kids don't play sports at their home school but it really is a very small number of kids who do. So small, that last year when there was a huge bus driver shortage, HB called taxis to get those kids back to their home schools for practices each day. So it was a very, very small number for each home school. Not something worth causing a fuss over, but you do you.

One academic downside of HB is that there aren't anywhere near the number of honors/intensified or AP classes that the comprehensive high schools offer. It doesn't seem to affect them much in college admissions, but it's something to note if you have a student who is wanting to take a specific AP course- check the program of studies!

HB Hater, how are your kid (s) doing at their middle or high school?


Do you think this could be an advantage for college admissions, though, for an average-ish student who doesn't want to take all the APs? This way they can check the "most rigorous" box with only the few APs offered at HB?


This doesn’t apply though, does it? HB is a program, and as such everything, including your diploma, lists your geographical high school, doesn’t it?
Anonymous
Post 02/05/2023 09:05     Subject: Re:HB Woodlawn social scene
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:HB Hater, I am sorry your kid (s) didn't get a spot. It really is a random lottery. I have 4 kids and 2 of them are currently at HB and the other 2 did not get spots. All are doing just fine. You can see what the odds are for your home school to get a middle school spot. My youngest, the year they got a spot there were 3 spots and only 17 kids applied. That's pretty good odds, and that was at a N Arlington elementary.

My HB kids don't play sports at their home school but it really is a very small number of kids who do. So small, that last year when there was a huge bus driver shortage, HB called taxis to get those kids back to their home schools for practices each day. So it was a very, very small number for each home school. Not something worth causing a fuss over, but you do you.

One academic downside of HB is that there aren't anywhere near the number of honors/intensified or AP classes that the comprehensive high schools offer. It doesn't seem to affect them much in college admissions, but it's something to note if you have a student who is wanting to take a specific AP course- check the program of studies!

HB Hater, how are your kid (s) doing at their middle or high school?


Do you think this could be an advantage for college admissions, though, for an average-ish student who doesn't want to take all the APs? This way they can check the "most rigorous" box with only the few APs offered at HB?


I’ve heard placement from HB is way better than at WL, so there maybe some credence to that theory.


Parent of an HB grad and grads from other APS High schools.

Placement at HB is absolutely better than at WL. But the kids aren't 'better' - you could take an HB kid with a WL kid who both have the same profile and the HB kid will win out each time. HB and college placements are living off the legacy and reputation of having graduated from HB. They aren't better, just living off their laurels.

And I would argue that my kids who graduated from the other APS school had more rigor in some academic courses than my HB kid. More choices, better instruction.

Don't get me wrong, HB was great for my kid who was 'quirky'. But there are not as many quirky kids as people think there compared to kids who would do well anywhere.