Our PTA is fundraising now. I asked them when they were going to speak up for our school in front of the board? I have not heard back. I commend the Samuel Tucker and Patrick Henry PTA presidents for speaking up before the board. That type of advocacy is what we need in ACPS. We really need to organize as parents. Do you know if PTAC, the PTA council for the city is addressing this at all?

Oh and at Brooks we have empty classrooms sitting vacant while kids in other schools sit on the floor without a desk. That is not what I want to here. Who ever did the redistricting a few years ago did a terrible job. Mount Vernon Community School is overcrowded. Some of those kids could go to Brooks, Cora Kelley or George Mason. Some MacArthur kids could go to Brooks, Jefferson Houston or George Mason. The way the districting is is weird.

We are at Brooks and my 3rd grader has 29 kids in his class. The eliminated a class in 3-5. But then people who moved here in the summer were turned away from Brooks and sent to other schools. I heard they are sending the kids to George Mason from our school. If I were turned away, I would be giving hell about Geoge Mason. That isn't even close to our school. I would want my substitution to be Mount Vernon Community School (overcrowded) and Jefferson Houston (I think there are some smaller classes but then some bigger just like at Brooks).

Interesting in a district where Equity for All is the strategy, the schools (Charles Barrett / George Mason) where the powerful Democratic party people send their kids are immune from oppressive class size.

Or just do what the School Board Chair and the TAG director do and send your kids to private. Speaks volumes about educational quality at ACPS.

Anonymous wrote:What is your goal? They aren’t going to hire another teacher and create another classroom. There is no rule about having low class sizes. There is a “cap” on the high end, which is quite high and not binding.

Redirect your wasted energy at helping your kid supplement outside of class. If they don’t need that, redirect it to volunteer and do something actually useful.

It's true, they are not going to create another classroom and you are much better off spending your time supplementing your kid.

Quietly supplementing and/or professional tutoring is what many parents do. That way they can pretend everything is great at ACPS while helping to hide what a disaster it really is.

Anonymous wrote:Title One schools will have fewer students per class. If you aren't willing to teach and no one else is, stop complaining.

That's the Alexandria way. Shut up annoying parents who want a halfway decent school district. And then pretend that everything is just great at ACPS. This submission is part of the reason ACPS is a disaster.

How soon before those two west end PTA Presidents are mocked, ridiculed and attacked by the ACPS and city establishment for wanting what the east end schools have? Just another example of the segregation that is rampant at ACPS.

This kind of attitude of "if you aren't willing to teach then stop complaining" is also completely illogical. Come up with a real argument.

Anonymous wrote:Actually lack of applicants is also a problem - we were not able to fill 2 positions at our school. Also we are title 1 and definitely seeing much higher class sizes the past few years as well. Which school has the 17 size- they probably went over the cap and had to hire a new teacher - resulting in smaller classes.

Charles Barrett. 16-17 in K. I am pretty sure they didn’t hire any new teachers for K, but I’m new.

Actually lack of applicants is also a problem - we were not able to fill 2 positions at our school. Also we are title 1 and definitely seeing much higher class sizes the past few years as well. Which school has the 17 size- they probably went over the cap and had to hire a new teacher - resulting in smaller classes.

Anonymous wrote:Title One schools will have fewer students per class. If you aren't willing to teach and no one else is, stop complaining.

The lack of applicants is not the problem - it is the lack of a position to hire into as they are reducing positions. If they just hired as many teachers as they have teleworking administrative assistants in central office (paid better or more than teachers), then they would be able to give every elementary school 2 teachers. It is a priority problem - nothing else.

Title One schools will have fewer students per class. If you aren't willing to teach and no one else is, stop complaining.

Anonymous wrote:Yes, 28 students for one teacher in elementary school is way too many. Make some more noise. Contact everyone. Start a petition. If this is a new trend this is something we should ask be worried about.

Stop wasting your time. “Petitions’ are a joke.

What is your goal? They aren’t going to hire another teacher and create another classroom. There is no rule about having low class sizes. There is a “cap” on the high end, which is quite high and not binding.

Redirect your wasted energy at helping your kid supplement outside of class. If they don’t need that, redirect it to volunteer and do something actually useful.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Anyone think that ACP$ is purposely trying to fail so that people pull thier kids out and send them to private schools? That way the city doesn't have to build enough schools to accommodate everyone.

[b]If my child's kindergarten class has 28 students, 4 over the own city's cap I would be searching for other options. It's crazy, with the amount we are paying in property taxes so we should be able to send our children to decent schools.

The issue isn’t JUST the large class sizes. It’s the difference in class sizes from school to school. Some K classes have 27 or 28 kids where another school has 17 or 18. That’s a major discrepancy in class sizes and puts those in the larger classes at a disadvantage. Even more so when those larger classrooms have many ELL students.

Keep pushing if you are outraged and disappointed.

If you are in one of the schools that have 27 or 28 kids in a class, be prepared to be told to transfer to one of the schools that have 17 or 18. That will be the first solution. The very last solution would be to add a classroom at your assigned school.

Still not sure where the 54 million in COVID funds went. With two years of learning down the drain, it would make sense to keep class sizes small and spend the money on actual teachers instead of blowing it at central office.

The money has gone to budget shortfalls for intentionally underestimating the influx of English Language Learners into the public schools.

Can you elaborate or share some data? ACPS is such a small school district and overall the enrollment numbers didn't change much. Student loss was greatest at elementary schools, for example George Mason lost a third of its students from pre to post COVID, but district wide the number wasn't that different.

They have not published real enrollment other than the January fy 23 budget projections located here
https://resources.finalsite.net/images/v1656607706/acpsk12vaus/mogbtbdbvl3pnphogbiq/FY2023ProposedBudgetv1wCover.pdf?fbclid=IwAR3Wto4BTAr7X_SVfyPyy6r_w2JHrILSF_FzoOwEX7HCE0rhFNgRYp6cSaQ
But they did admit in last week’s SB meeting that enrollment has far exceeded expectations and projections. I looked for that information in writing, and I could not find it other than in the meeting recording. If you look at the FY23 budget they, laughably, project only a .9% increase in ELL in the HS. That is a willful underestimate.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Anyone think that ACP$ is purposely trying to fail so that people pull thier kids out and send them to private schools? That way the city doesn't have to build enough schools to accommodate everyone.

If my child's kindergarten class has 28 students, 4 over the own city's cap I would be searching for other options. It's crazy, with the amount we are paying in property taxes so we should be able to send our children to decent schools.

The issue isn’t JUST the large class sizes. It’s the difference in class sizes from school to school. [b]Some K classes have 27 or 28 kids where another school has 17 or 18. That’s a major discrepancy in class sizes and puts those in the larger classes at a disadvantage. Even more so when those larger classrooms have many ELL students.

Keep pushing if you are outraged and disappointed.

What schools have 27 or 28 and which schools have 17 or 18?