Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:ATS is the “my kid is too good for my neighborhood school” school. Total waste of tax dollars to have a minimally different learning environment so the rest of Arlington can pay for those elitist dumplings to be bussed.

And the “choice” is corrupt. The ATS teacher’s kids ALL somehow manage to get chosen in the lottery, as do the pre-chosen VPI kids. Its a BS program designed so parents feel elite.

Would love to see an investigation on this one: certain after our years in MCPS this was very much the case there. GT/LD program at Walter Johnson Cluster had large number of parents with MCPS’ ties. Just anecdotal but that’s something I wish Jay Matthews would focus on rather than ranking private schools in the Nation.

The VPI thing is by design, they are all offered a spot. I think PP might not be considering that some teacher parents may transfer to ATS after their kid gets a spot.

Anonymous wrote:ATS is the “my kid is too good for my neighborhood school” school. Total waste of tax dollars to have a minimally different learning environment so the rest of Arlington can pay for those elitist dumplings to be bussed.

And the “choice” is corrupt. The ATS teacher’s kids ALL somehow manage to get chosen in the lottery, as do the pre-chosen VPI kids. Its a BS program designed so parents feel elite.

Would love to see an investigation on this one: certain after our years in MCPS this was very much the case there. GT/LD program at Walter Johnson Cluster had large number of parents with MCPS’ ties. Just anecdotal but that’s something I wish Jay Matthews would focus on rather than ranking private schools in the Nation.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is a parent orientation meeting upon entering ATS and HB reminding parents they made this choice because of educational style, not elite-ism. There is a power point with 10
or so different ways to diffuse any arguments about the rest of Arlington paying for their special program and neighborhood-specific points on why their local school just doesn’t “suit” their precious dumpling.

My kid isn’t at either of those schools, but who cares? Arlington County wastes so much money. Who would
complain about a public school that people seem to love in light of all the garbage that gets approved by our County Board. If anything, this program should be expanded at other schools to give more families a chance to benefit. There’s clearly a demand. Parents who want to take a stand on tucked in shirts or music class need not apply.

I suspect this to be true. I hope this isn’t too much of a thread jack but what do you think the government wastes it on? It does seem like whole schools are the main budget item they are never really fully funded, and Arlington must have ways to cut elsewhere.

Perhaps a little OT but other posters can ignore. 2 big recent expenses (other than stormwater bonds) were the Lubber Run Community Center and the Long Branch Aquatic Center at over $100M to build out. Users will pay fees for the facilities but I don’t know the formula for what part of the fee covers O&M and what part will be funded by tax dollars. The county probably could have met the need for additional meeting or recreation space in a more cost-effective manner. I wonder what it would have cost to build some outdoor fields/green space, build some no-frills meeting space for senior/other community groups, and call it a day.

And yes I understand the difference between the SB and the CB but my original remark was a broad comment on how our county tax dollars are spent.