Anonymous wrote:I had a conversation with staff that kept asking about diversity. We had to explain to them that diversity is more than just Spanish speaking. It’s Ethiopian, Mongolian, mixed kids, single moms, socioeconomic, immigrants from places other than South and Central America, middle class (true middle class not DCUM Mc), working class. It was kind of frightening.

The staff actually does understand that, but I’m not sure you fully understand it. How is APS supposed to create school zones reflecting single mom diversity? And if the majority of families from a certain country tend to live in the same neighborhood (as happens all over the country for a variety of valid reasons), are they supposed to split up that neighborhood among different schools for the sake of spreading them around, or is there value to keeping them in their community in the same school together so they can go to school with other kids who share that heritage? Ideal diversity does not necessarily mean every type of student represented in equal proportions across the schools.

Anonymous wrote:I had a conversation with staff that kept asking about diversity. We had to explain to them that diversity is more than just Spanish speaking. It’s Ethiopian, Mongolian, mixed kids, single moms, socioeconomic, immigrants from places other than South and Central America, middle class (true middle class not DCUM Mc), working class. It was kind of frightening.

Thank you.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was at a meeting with Barbara Kanninen and she said there wasn’t a penny to add to any more buses. She said it would not happen. Walkability is their number one priority.

It was very clear to me she was not concerned about diversity.

She's never been interested in diversity, let alone concerned about it. Transportation budget is yet another convenient argument for her and the SB to do nothing about the gross economic disparities.

Diversity is not the schools job

It turns out their plans to "increase" walkers didn't actually do that or save any money (from the mouth of another SB member), so the only point then would be furthering segregation. Certainly they have some tools in their tool box to fight back against county policies that have led to highly segregated neighborhood schools. They need to use those tools rather than throw their hands in the air and feign ignorant. They have yet to demonstrate that some of those tools they have not yet employed would be more costly. Segregation has a cost, too, it's just hidden because the cost is to the kids in the segregated schools.

There was never an expectation that APS would be able to reduce the transportation budget, their goal was to try to hold it steady rather than continue the dramatic increases we’ve seen the past several years.

Anonymous wrote:I was at a meeting with Barbara Kanninen and she said there wasn’t a penny to add to any more buses. She said it would not happen. Walkability is their number one priority.

It was very clear to me she was not concerned about diversity.

I'm glad to hear that.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is that the same meeting where she pointed out that the annual cost of operating a bus is about the same as an annual teacher’s salary to give us a sense of what would need to be sacrificed to add more buses?

Great! How much money would we save if we ditched the iPads?

Almost nothing, purchases are subsidized by directed grants, maintenance is minimal, app licenses cost less than purchasing textbooks, and when we’re done with them there’s a buy-back program that gives money back to APS.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was at a meeting with Barbara Kanninen and she said there wasn’t a penny to add to any more buses. She said it would not happen. Walkability is their number one priority.

It was very clear to me she was not concerned about diversity.

She's never been interested in diversity, let alone concerned about it. Transportation budget is yet another convenient argument for her and the SB to do nothing about the gross economic disparities.

Diversity is not the schools job

It turns out their plans to "increase" walkers didn't actually do that or save any money (from the mouth of another SB member), so the only point then would be furthering segregation. Certainly they have some tools in their tool box to fight back against county policies that have led to highly segregated neighborhood schools. They need to use those tools rather than throw their hands in the air and feign ignorant. They have yet to demonstrate that some of those tools they have not yet employed would be more costly. Segregation has a cost, too, it's just hidden because the cost is to the kids in the segregated schools.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was at a meeting with Barbara Kanninen and she said there wasn’t a penny to add to any more buses. She said it would not happen. Walkability is their number one priority.

It was very clear to me she was not concerned about diversity.

She's never been interested in diversity, let alone concerned about it. Transportation budget is yet another convenient argument for her and the SB to do nothing about the gross economic disparities.

Diversity is not the schools job

Anonymous wrote:I was at a meeting with Barbara Kanninen and she said there wasn’t a penny to add to any more buses. She said it would not happen. Walkability is their number one priority.

It was very clear to me she was not concerned about diversity.

She's never been interested in diversity, let alone concerned about it. Transportation budget is yet another convenient argument for her and the SB to do nothing about the gross economic disparities.

Anonymous wrote:Is that the same meeting where she pointed out that the annual cost of operating a bus is about the same as an annual teacher’s salary to give us a sense of what would need to be sacrificed to add more buses?

Great! How much money would we save if we ditched the iPads?

Is that the same meeting where she pointed out that the annual cost of operating a bus is about the same as an annual teacher’s salary to give us a sense of what would need to be sacrificed to add more buses?

I had a conversation with staff that kept asking about diversity. We had to explain to them that diversity is more than just Spanish speaking. It’s Ethiopian, Mongolian, mixed kids, single moms, socioeconomic, immigrants from places other than South and Central America, middle class (true middle class not DCUM Mc), working class. It was kind of frightening.

I was at a meeting with Barbara Kanninen and she said there wasn’t a penny to add to any more buses. She said it would not happen. Walkability is their number one priority.

It was very clear to me she was not concerned about diversity.

Anonymous wrote:Bus Barcroft apartment kids to where?? With the exception of Fleet, Barcroft apartments are surrounded by high poverty schools.

Similarly, if the SB made Barcroft elementary immersion, where would all the Barcroft apartment students go who are current zones to that school? Randolph and Carlin Springs.

If Randolph becomes immersion, then all the kids go where???

There are a lot of people at these schools btw who are not Spanish speakers.

Exactly. The county has preserved and built AH where is it was easiest to do so, it's so concentrated that it is all but impossible to create integrated schools on the western pike without resorting to measures that have absolutely no chance of happening -- like sending Barcroft apartments kids on a 30 minute bus ride to north Arlington.

Bus Barcroft apartment kids to where?? With the exception of Fleet, Barcroft apartments are surrounded by high poverty schools.

Similarly, if the SB made Barcroft elementary immersion, where would all the Barcroft apartment students go who are current zones to that school? Randolph and Carlin Springs.

If Randolph becomes immersion, then all the kids go where???

There are a lot of people at these schools btw who are not Spanish speakers.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:“The north” isn’t involved because this isn’t their fight/ problem. They care about their kids. This isn’t their fight.

I don't think it's a totally lost cause. Earlier in this thread there were people who claimed to live in north Arlington who seemed open to helping before they were run off. If we want to have the possibility of a solution that involves changes north of 50 to implement, such as where option schools might go or if school boundaries will cross 50, it would be helpful to have some of them on board with us. Why alienate people just because we don't see their immediate utility?

As opposed to future “utility?” Gee, sign me up.