Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Your last line is my whole point. We need more middle school program because there are kids who could really benefit from a different program who don't have access now.

You're getting sidetracked by a side debate with yourself about whether parents know their kids learning styles.

More middle school programs will not get all the middle schoolers into the programs that best suit them. Everyone benefits from smaller schools and smaller classes; so just more middle schools accomplish that for everyone. More special middle school programs merely make matching students and learning styles more complex and result in more PARENTS trying to get their kids into AN option program - any of them, not necessarily according to their learning needs, just as long as they get one.

The parent argument is not a diversion. Teachers should be part of the determination as to whether a student would particularly benefit from a particular program. Parents have what they want for their kids foremost in their opinions; teachers have more objective experience and knowledge about students and their learning styles. "Kids who could really benefit from a different program who don't have access now" don't have access because students who don't need the program are taking the seats. More kids who could really benefit would get the access without adding more programs if we filled the existing programs with the right students.

What do you mean by "if we filled the EXISTING programs with the right students"? We're talking about middle school. Where are all these existing programs in MS that you speak of?

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Anonymous wrote:I thought Arlington Tech is to become a dual enrollment program with NoVA community college for credit classes. More desirable to my DS to earn college credit rather than the empty promise of AP classes.

This again aligns with a vocational focus. You take AP because of the rigor needed to pass the AP exam and what that represents as to your college readiness, not to get college credits to save money on tuition (because at elite colleges you don’t pay per credit hour, you just pay annual tuition and take even more advanced classes if you AP out)

Oh. I did it wrong and graduated from college a year early. Oopsies!

You were able to transfer dual enrollment courses to an Ivy League school and graduated early? They don’t do that anymore even for AP; and even 20 years ago DE were considered less than.

Very few students get into Ivy League colleges. I wouldn’t base all of your planning on hoping that’s where your kid is headed.

Soooo them the “oopsies” was decades ago and not an Ivy.

Are you having a stoke? Anyways DE is if less value outside VA, full stop.

Well, Harvard doesn't accept any college level work completed in high school - AP exam, IB exam, DE credit. So, since the ivy's are all that matters to you, doesn't seem any of the more rigorous pathways are of value outside of VA.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I thought Arlington Tech is to become a dual enrollment program with NoVA community college for credit classes. More desirable to my DS to earn college credit rather than the empty promise of AP classes.

This again aligns with a vocational focus. You take AP because of the rigor needed to pass the AP exam and what that represents as to your college readiness, not to get college credits to save money on tuition (because at elite colleges you don’t pay per credit hour, you just pay annual tuition and take even more advanced classes if you AP out)

Oh. I did it wrong and graduated from college a year early. Oopsies!

You were able to transfer dual enrollment courses to an Ivy League school and graduated early? They don’t do that anymore even for AP; and even 20 years ago DE were considered less than.

Very few students get into Ivy League colleges. I wouldn’t base all of your planning on hoping that’s where your kid is headed.

Soooo them the “oopsies” was decades ago and not an Ivy.

Are you having a stoke? Anyways DE is if less value outside VA, full stop.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I thought Arlington Tech is to become a dual enrollment program with NoVA community college for credit classes. More desirable to my DS to earn college credit rather than the empty promise of AP classes.

This again aligns with a vocational focus. You take AP because of the rigor needed to pass the AP exam and what that represents as to your college readiness, not to get college credits to save money on tuition (because at elite colleges you don’t pay per credit hour, you just pay annual tuition and take even more advanced classes if you AP out)

Oh. I did it wrong and graduated from college a year early. Oopsies!

You were able to transfer dual enrollment courses to an Ivy League school and graduated early? They don’t do that anymore even for AP; and even 20 years ago DE were considered less than.

Very few students get into Ivy League colleges. I wouldn’t base all of your planning on hoping that’s where your kid is headed.

Soooo them the “oopsies” was decades ago and not an Ivy.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Your last line is my whole point. We need more middle school program because there are kids who could really benefit from a different program who don't have access now.

You're getting sidetracked by a side debate with yourself about whether parents know their kids learning styles.

More middle school programs will not get all the middle schoolers into the programs that best suit them. Everyone benefits from smaller schools and smaller classes; so just more middle schools accomplish that for everyone. More special middle school programs merely make matching students and learning styles more complex and result in more PARENTS trying to get their kids into AN option program - any of them, not necessarily according to their learning needs, just as long as they get one.

The parent argument is not a diversion. Teachers should be part of the determination as to whether a student would particularly benefit from a particular program. Parents have what they want for their kids foremost in their opinions; teachers have more objective experience and knowledge about students and their learning styles. "Kids who could really benefit from a different program who don't have access now" don't have access because students who don't need the program are taking the seats. More kids who could really benefit would get the access without adding more programs if we filled the existing programs with the right students.

Yep, more schools better outcomes for MS and HS. That’s why HBW is super popular, it’s a smaller school all the way thru. I mean its combine MS and HS program is smaller than any other just MS!

Now Arlington Tech is about 400 students and CC total is about 600, so while it’s somewhat like HBW (about same number of HS students) its well known the county will be expanding the program to nearly a 1000

https://www.arlnow.com/2022/04/12/as-arlington-career-center-plans-take-shape-concerns-linger-about-long-term-plans-for-the-site/

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Anonymous wrote:

At the last SB meeting, Dr. Durán said that APS was ranked #2 for best school district in VA (below Fall Church). It also had at least two highly ranked high schools.

There is no way he said this. Do a little homework into school districts in the state. APS is not at the top.

Arlington Public Schools were ranked #1 Best Place to Teach and #2 Best School Division in Virginia in the 2023 Best Schools and Districts Rankings by Niche, a company specializing in K-12 school data and rankings. Niche also ranked APS #9 out of the Commonwealth’s 132 school divisions for Districts with the Best Teachers in Virginia.

“I am proud of our staff, students and community for making APS one of Virginia’s best school systems, according to Niche’s ranking,” said APS Superintendent Dr. Francisco Durán. “We are fortunate to have excellent teachers and staff who are devoted to serving the diverse needs of our students. I am not surprised to see our incredible teachers ranked among the best in the Commonwealth. Every accolade that we earn is the result of their talent and dedication to student success.”

Niche gives schools and school divisions a grade overall and on academics, diversity, teachers, and health and safety, among other categories.

APS earned an “A+” overall, and an A in academics, teachers, clubs and activities, college preparation, health and safety, sports and resources and facilities. Many APS schools also earned top rankings and excellent grades for quality.

https://www.apsva.us/post/aps-earns-a-in-new-2023-best-schools-report/

Specializing in associating school rankings with real estate values.

Niche is known as a nonsense report.

Anonymous wrote:Your last line is my whole point. We need more middle school program because there are kids who could really benefit from a different program who don't have access now.

You're getting sidetracked by a side debate with yourself about whether parents know their kids learning styles.

More middle school programs will not get all the middle schoolers into the programs that best suit them. Everyone benefits from smaller schools and smaller classes; so just more middle schools accomplish that for everyone. More special middle school programs merely make matching students and learning styles more complex and result in more PARENTS trying to get their kids into AN option program - any of them, not necessarily according to their learning needs, just as long as they get one.

The parent argument is not a diversion. Teachers should be part of the determination as to whether a student would particularly benefit from a particular program. Parents have what they want for their kids foremost in their opinions; teachers have more objective experience and knowledge about students and their learning styles. "Kids who could really benefit from a different program who don't have access now" don't have access because students who don't need the program are taking the seats. More kids who could really benefit would get the access without adding more programs if we filled the existing programs with the right students.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

At the last SB meeting, Dr. Durán said that APS was ranked #2 for best school district in VA (below Fall Church). It also had at least two highly ranked high schools.

There is no way he said this. Do a little homework into school districts in the state. APS is not at the top.

Arlington Public Schools were ranked #1 Best Place to Teach and #2 Best School Division in Virginia in the 2023 Best Schools and Districts Rankings by Niche, a company specializing in K-12 school data and rankings. Niche also ranked APS #9 out of the Commonwealth’s 132 school divisions for Districts with the Best Teachers in Virginia.

“I am proud of our staff, students and community for making APS one of Virginia’s best school systems, according to Niche’s ranking,” said APS Superintendent Dr. Francisco Durán. “We are fortunate to have excellent teachers and staff who are devoted to serving the diverse needs of our students. I am not surprised to see our incredible teachers ranked among the best in the Commonwealth. Every accolade that we earn is the result of their talent and dedication to student success.”

Niche gives schools and school divisions a grade overall and on academics, diversity, teachers, and health and safety, among other categories.

APS earned an “A+” overall, and an A in academics, teachers, clubs and activities, college preparation, health and safety, sports and resources and facilities. Many APS schools also earned top rankings and excellent grades for quality.

https://www.apsva.us/post/aps-earns-a-in-new-2023-best-schools-report/

Specializing in associating school rankings with real estate values.

Anonymous wrote:

At the last SB meeting, Dr. Durán said that APS was ranked #2 for best school district in VA (below Fall Church). It also had at least two highly ranked high schools.

There is no way he said this. Do a little homework into school districts in the state. APS is not at the top.

Arlington Public Schools were ranked #1 Best Place to Teach and #2 Best School Division in Virginia in the 2023 Best Schools and Districts Rankings by Niche, a company specializing in K-12 school data and rankings. Niche also ranked APS #9 out of the Commonwealth’s 132 school divisions for Districts with the Best Teachers in Virginia.

“I am proud of our staff, students and community for making APS one of Virginia’s best school systems, according to Niche’s ranking,” said APS Superintendent Dr. Francisco Durán. “We are fortunate to have excellent teachers and staff who are devoted to serving the diverse needs of our students. I am not surprised to see our incredible teachers ranked among the best in the Commonwealth. Every accolade that we earn is the result of their talent and dedication to student success.”

Niche gives schools and school divisions a grade overall and on academics, diversity, teachers, and health and safety, among other categories.

APS earned an “A+” overall, and an A in academics, teachers, clubs and activities, college preparation, health and safety, sports and resources and facilities. Many APS schools also earned top rankings and excellent grades for quality.

https://www.apsva.us/post/aps-earns-a-in-new-2023-best-schools-report/

Your last line is my whole point. We need more middle school program because there are kids who could really benefit from a different program who don't have access now.

You're getting sidetracked by a side debate with yourself about whether parents know their kids learning styles.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Arlington Tech should start in 6th grade. It would then provide an option for parents/students who want something other than their neighborhood middle school, and it would create a strong community of kids who attend for 7 years like HBW.

We don't need any more special option programs for middle schoolers. Kids should have more time to figure out their best learning style and explore some interests before being pinholed into a program that might not suit them or for which they may not be suited. We also don't need any more highly selective (via lottery) programs for a very small # of students. That's the biggest complaint about HB; now people want to make AT the same way.

Totally disagree. We definitely need more options at the MS level in APS. I know so many kids who could use something different from the standard middle schools.

So how are you going to assure that those are the kids who "get in" the alternative school?

Don't know that you can assure it but with more options come more opportunities for kids to self select into a school that fits them.

Handful. Maybe handfuls.
Students self-selecting isn't what primarily happens. Parents mostly select.

Ok so what's the problem with that? Parents know their kids. The point is that we need more options at the middle school level in APS because there are too many kids who are not well served by the existing middle schools.

Parents do not always know their kids and definitely do not always know their kids' learning styles. Parents often push their own agendas and visions FOR their kids onto their kids. And very few really have sufficient insight at their children's youngest ages to really know whether one pedagogy is truly better suited to their child's learning. And parents also put siblings into the same programs because it's more convenient than having their kids at different schools, even though an option program might be a good fit for one child but not particularly suited for another. Many of the students in our various option programs would still be top performers in their neighborhood schools. Just because they "love" their program and are doing well does not mean they needed it. Whereas other students could very well learn better with less stress and challenge in those alternative programs, but may not have the opportunity or access to them.

At the last SB meeting, Dr. Durán said that APS was ranked #2 for best school district in VA (below Fall Church). It also had at least two highly ranked high schools.

There is no way he said this. Do a little homework into school districts in the state. APS is not at the top.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Arlington Tech should start in 6th grade. It would then provide an option for parents/students who want something other than their neighborhood middle school, and it would create a strong community of kids who attend for 7 years like HBW.

We don't need any more special option programs for middle schoolers. Kids should have more time to figure out their best learning style and explore some interests before being pinholed into a program that might not suit them or for which they may not be suited. We also don't need any more highly selective (via lottery) programs for a very small # of students. That's the biggest complaint about HB; now people want to make AT the same way.

Totally disagree. We definitely need more options at the MS level in APS. I know so many kids who could use something different from the standard middle schools.

So how are you going to assure that those are the kids who "get in" the alternative school?

Don't know that you can assure it but with more options come more opportunities for kids to self select into a school that fits them.

Handful. Maybe handfuls.
Students self-selecting isn't what primarily happens. Parents mostly select.

Ok so what's the problem with that? Parents know their kids. The point is that we need more options at the middle school level in APS because there are too many kids who are not well served by the existing middle schools.

and there are way more than a handful of kids with this type of need. If your kid is happy as a clam in their neighborhood middle school, consider yourself very, very lucky. Way too many are not.