School Board

No Block Scheduling in Middle Schools Next Year

By Katie Pyzyk

A plan for changing the way the county’s middle schools do class scheduling appears to be on the chopping block, at least for now. The Arlington Public Schools proposal to implement block scheduling at middle schools will not happen in the 2013-2014 school year, after all.

The change would have extended core class times for subjects like English, math, social studies, science and world languages, but would have reduced the number of classes per day. Longer “block” periods for sixth graders would have been 76 minutes, and would increase to 93 minutes for seventh and eighth graders. Electives like music and arts would have remained at the current, shorter length.

Many parents fought the change, raising concerns with children of that age having to concentrate for such long periods of time, and about eliminating electives.

At last night’s School Board meeting, there was a presentation laying out what APS has learned about public reception to block scheduling and how it plans to go forward. Through means like community forums, staff meetings, online surveys and individual feedback forms, APS discovered that block scheduling largely isn’t something middle school parents are interested in. APS said it heard that parents prefer focusing on issues like providing more languages for students, maintaining electives and ensuring appropriate reading instruction.

The change has been in the works for five years, but consideration of the plan had been delayed earlier this year, due to outcry from parents. At the time, APS Superintendent Dr. Patrick Murphy said postponing a decision would allow for more time to adequately discuss the issue with families.

Although block scheduling will no longer begin in 2013, it’s not permanently off the table. The board is examining ways to make it work in the future. Of particular interest is finding alternative ways to increase the amount of time spent on core content areas. The length of schools days and start times will also come under review.

Even though the plan was nixed for middle schools system-wide, individual schools have the option of exploring their own flexible block schedules. Block scheduling is already in place at Yorktown, Wakefield and Washington-Lee high schools.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Arlington, Alexandria Compete for Federal Funds — Alexandria’s planned transit corridor along Route 1 is competing with Arlington’s proposed Columbia Pike streetcar for a limited pool of federal transporation funds. Meanwhile, Alexandria officials are still upset that Arlington declined to help pay for a study that could have helped Alexandria obtain federal funding for the Route 1 transit project, which the two jurisdictions have been otherwise cooperating on. [Connection Newspapers]

Democratic School Board Slate Set — Incumbent Emma Violand-Sanchez and political newcomer Noah Simon have received the Democratic endorsement for Arlington County School Board, all but guaranteeing their election in November. [Sun Gazette]

Condo Building Sells Out in Weeks — A new condo building at 1221 N. Quinn Street, in the Radnor/Fort Myer Heights neighborhood, sold out of all 13 units  in just a matter of weeks this past winter. [CityBiz List]

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Pike Buildings Set for Redevelopment — The buildings along Columbia Pike that house Rappahannock Coffee, L.A. Nails and Saah Furniture are set for redevelopment. A developer has proposed a single seven-story building to replace the aging buildings on the site. [Arlington Mercury]

School Board Approves Sequoia Plaza Lease — The Arlington School Board has approved a lease for office space in Sequoia Plaza, next to the new headquarters of the county’s Department of Human Services. The office space will allow the school system to move out of the Clarendon Education Center building and the Syphax Building on N. Quincy Street. [Sun Gazette]

H-B Student Production Accepted to Capital Fringe — Mindset, an original H-B Woodlawn student production, has been accepted to the 2012 Capital Fringe Festival. Mindset creator and H-B Woodlawn junior Jace Casey says he’s “excited” to be showcasing his production at the annual performing arts festival.

Naked Man on the GW Parkway — A naked man was reportedly taken into police custody this morning after being spotted by drivers on the GW Parkway near Memorial Bridge. [NBC Washington]

Interim School Board Member Appointed

By ARLnow.com

The Arlington School Board appointed an interim board member to fill now-County Board member Libby Garvey’s empty seat through the end of the year.

Todd McCracken, the President and CEO of the National Small Business Association, will serve on the School Board until a new board member — to be elected in November — is sworn in. McCracken has not indicated that he’s interested in running for the seat.

In a press release, school officials hailed McCracken’s expertise in school capacity issues.

At last night’s meeting, the Arlington School Board appointed Todd McCracken to fill the vacancy on the School Board created by Libby Garvey’s election to the County Board in March. McCracken will be sworn in today in the School Board Meeting Room at 4 p.m., and his term on the School Board will begin immediately and continue through December 31, 2012.

A long-time school and community leader, McCracken was recently recognized as an “Honored Citizen” by the Arlington School Board for his extensive volunteer work with APS. He has been Chair of the Advisory Council on School Facilities and Capital Programs (FAC) and Chair of the FAC Projection and Capacity Subcommittee. In 2010 he co-chaired the School Bond Committee, and has served as representative to the Elementary Capacity and Crowding Committee, liaison to the County Council of PTAs, and a long-time PTA volunteer. He has also served on the board of the Tara-Leeway Heights Civic Association from 2006-12.

School Board member Sally Baird said, “As a citizen leader, Mr. McCracken has been highly engaged and is well-informed about the many complexities associated with Arlington’s increasing capacity needs. He is well known, and highly respected in both the APS school community and Arlington County through his many leadership roles, and has been one of the strongest voices to ensure a thoughtful, proactive and transparent public process as we address our current and future capacity needs. Mr. McCracken brings a unique and invaluable perspective to the Board at this very important point in time in our deliberations.”

McCracken said, “I am grateful for this opportunity to serve Arlington Public Schools and thank the Board for their support. My family has had children in both neighborhood and countywide programs, and I understand the challenges and benefits of each. We have seen first-hand how important it is for our schools to provide rich and varied learning opportunities so that each student can succeed. I will do my utmost to fulfill the trust and expectations of the rest of the Board, and will do my part to keep Arlington County as the best place to live and to raise a family.”

McCracken is currently president and chief executive officer of a national association, and has over 25 years of management, public policy, and non-profit experience.

A native of New Mexico, McCracken has lived in Arlington since 1988. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas where he now serves on the Board of Visitors. He and his wife Melissa have two sons, who currently attend Swanson Middle School and the H-B Woodlawn Secondary Program.

School Board Chair Abby Raphael thanked the many applicants for their interest. She said, “We are fortunate as a Board and as a community to have had so many qualified individuals interested in working with the Board. This made the decision particularly challenging, but we look forward to continuing our collaboration with all of them to make decisions that will ensure a strong instructional program and excellent learning environment for our students.”

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

New School Budget Approved — The Arlington School Board approved a new $499.98 million budget last night. The budget includes a 2.84 percent cost of living increase for school employees, but no seniority-based “step” increases. The per-student cost at Arlington Public Schools will increase to $18,615, up from $18,400 in Superintendent Patrick Murphy’s FY 2013 proposed budget and $18,110 in this past year’s budget. [Sun Gazette]

Extra I-66 Lane Studied — Adding an extra lane in each direction on I-66 would improve travel times for drivers by only about 2 percent, while costing some $310 to $685 million, according to a preliminary study. [Greater Greater Washington]

Human Error in Rosslyn Derailment — Human error is suspected in Tuesday night’s derailment at the Rosslyn Metro station. Two Metro employees were placed on paid leave following the incident. [Washington Post]

Randy Johnson Visits W-L — Future Hall of Fame pitcher Randy Johnson came to Arlington to watch a Washington-Lee High School baseball game last Friday. The Big Unit spent time in the dugout and posed for photos with players. [Patch]

Last 5K Friday Tonight — The last Crystal City 5K Friday of the season will take place starting at 6:30 tonight. Registration for the race is $20. [Pacers Events]

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Moran Marks Anniversary of Va. Tech Massacre — Rep. Jim Moran (D) marked the fifth anniversary of the shooting massacre at Virginia Tech yesterday by calling on Congress to improve gun control laws. “When there are nearly enough guns in the U.S. for every man, woman and child, firearms will find their way into the wrong hands,” Moran said. “Criminals, terrorists and the dangerously mentally ill have no business owning deadly weapons.” A student shot and killed 32 people on the Virginia Tech campus on April 16, 2007.

Concern About Chicken Doo-Doo — Some residents are concerned that, if enacted, a proposal to allow small-scale backyard hen raising in Arlington would result in extra water pollution. A George Mason University professor says chicken waste from backyard hens in Arlington would ultimately make it into the already environmentally-sensitive Chesapeake Bay. [WAMU]

‘God of Carnage’ Opens at Signature Theatre — The Tony Award-winning play God of Carnage is now showing at Signature Theatre in Shirlington. [Playbill]

Hearing About School Board Appointment — A public hearing will be held tonight to discuss the appointment of an interim School Board member to replace now-County Board member Libby Garvey. Sixteen residents have declared themselves interested in the position. [Sun Gazette]

Man Dies After Heart Attack at Pentagon Station — Added at 9:15 a.m. — A 51-year-old Alexandria man died yesterday afternoon after suffering a heart attack at the Pentagon Metro station. Passengers attempted to revive the man, a witness told ARLnow.com, but he was later pronounced dead at a local hospital. [Washington Post]

Candidate Withdraws from School Board Race

By Katie Pyzyk

A little more than two months after announcing he was running, a candidate for Arlington School Board is dropping out. Larry Fishtahler has withdrawn from the race.

In February, Fishtahler announced his interest in receiving an endorsement from the Arlington County Democratic Committee (ACDC). Now that Fishtahler has dropped out, candidate Noah Simon and incumbent Emma Violand-Sanchez are the presumptive Democratic endorsees for the two open positions in November’s election.

(One of the open positions is the School Board seat formerly held by now-County Board member Libby Garvey.)

In a press release, Fishtahler said, “From the time I began I knew that to be successful a number of conditions should be met by the end of March. Over the spring break I determined that a necessary condition had not been achieved. I have been honored by the support I have received during this campaign, and look forward to continuing to work with Emma Violand-Sanchez, Noah Simon, and others to make Arlington’s schools even better than they already are.”

Fishtahler had been the Democratic candidate in the 2003 race, but lost to incumbent Dave Foster, a Republican.

ACDC had planned on holding a caucus on May 9 and 12 to determine which two of the three candidates would receive endorsements. Because only two candidates remain for the open spots, the caucus has been canceled. Instead, there will be a vote at the party’s next general membership meeting, on May 2, to confirm the two endorsements.

Both of the remaining candidates issued statements of their own following Fishtahler’s withdrawal.

“I am honored to have the opportunity to run for School Board with the endorsement of the Arlington Democrats and look forward to closely working with Emma during the remainder of the campaign,” Simon said. “I thank the Arlington Democrats and also commend Larry Fishtahler for his tireless work in support of Arlington’s students.”

Simon is a father of two APS elementary students. He says he’s committed to addressing overcrowding problems at Arlington Public Schools, closing achievement disparities, recruiting and retaining high quality staff, promoting health, fitness and nutrition education, and supplementing instruction with technology.

Violand-Sanchez said, “For the last three years, I have been honored to serve as an Arlington School Board Member, and I am excited to be able to run again with the Democrats’ endorsement to work for Arlington’s students. Though we have our challenges, Arlington’s schools remain one of our greatest community assets. I want to thank Larry Fishtahler for his contributions to our schools and thank the Arlington Democrats and all my supporters for their strong support.”

Voting for the Arlington School Board takes place on November 6, during the general election. Those who wish to run must qualify by June 12.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Arlington Valor Awards Held — The Arlington Chamber of Commerce held its annual Valor Awards presentation yesterday. More than a dozen personnel from the Arlington County Fire Department, Police Department, Sheriff’s Office and Office of Emergency Management received awards. The event was emceed by ABC7 morning news anchor Steve Chenevey. [Arlington Chamber of Commerce]

Sixteen Interested in School Board Seat — A total of 16 people have filed statements of interest for the School Board seat vacated by now-County Board member Libby Garvey. Among those seeking the nine month appointment are former state Senate candidate Jaime Areizaga-Soto. [Sun Gazette]

Yorktown Student Wins Optimist Essay Contest — Alina Kramer, a senior at Yorktown High School, has won the Capital/Virginia District Optimist Essay contest. Kramer will receive a $2,500 scholarship for her essay, which was based on the theme of “How My Positive Outlook Benefits the Community.” It was the first time in more than 10 years that a student from the Arlington Optimist Club won the essay contest.

New Car-Free Diet Show Episode — The fourth installment of Arlington County’s Car-Free Diet Show has been released. The episode features an interview with Chris Eatough, program manager for Bike Arlington and former professional mountain bike racer, as well as safety tips for avoiding being hit with car doors. [YouTube]

Glencarlyn Residents Fight Proposal for New School

By ARLnow.com

Residents of Glencarlyn already have two schools in their neighborhood — Carlin Springs Elementary and Kenmore Middle School — but they say a proposal to add a third school to the existing campus, part of the plan to address the capacity crisis at Arlington Public Schools, goes too far.

In a letter sent to the Arlington School Board yesterday, the Glencarlyn Citizens’ Association asks the board to consider alternative sites for the proposed 600 students capacity magnet elementary school. The association cites concerns about “traffic, safety, parking and loss of [an] important recreational area” as reasons why the school shouldn’t be built or, at the very least, should be built in a way that minimizes negative impacts.

Along with the letter to the school board, Glencarlyn Citizens’ Association president Peter Olivere sent a letter to the editors of ARLnow.com, the Arlington Mercury and the Sun Gazette.

The Glencarlyn community is very concerned about the process and potential adverse consequences of the Arlington Public School’s (APS) Capacity Planning Process. The process appears to be driven by the APS’s desire to identify specific construction projects prior to placing a bond referendum before the public in November 2012. At the beginning of the Capacity Planning Process, the School Board committed to including the effect on Neighborhood Resources as a criteria for site selection. To date, the process has effectively excluded the affected neighborhoods from participation. The result is that APS has failed to incorporate the impact on neighborhoods in any meaningful way.

The School Board needs to recognize that the construction of new schools will have a significantly larger community impact than the replacement or expansion of an existing building. Given APS’s experience with late and costly modifications to approved capital improvement plans and past criticism of its ability to address legitimate concerns raised by affected communities, Glencarlyn believes the not including neighborhood input prior to deciding locations will undermine public support and confidence in APS’s ability to address future capacity needs.

Glencarlyn is requesting the School Board to refrain from selecting new school sites until additional alternatives have been considered and outreach efforts with the affected communities have resulted in plans to mitigate major concerns. For the Glencarlyn community the major concerns are traffic, safety, parking and loss of important recreational area. We believe there is adequate precedent for the Board to proceed with a bond referendum without tying it to site specific capital improvements.

School Board to Appoint Successor to Garvey

By ARLnow.com

Libby Garvey officially resigned from the Arlington School Board this morning following her election to the Arlington County Board yesterday. That opens up Garvey’s seat to an appointee to be named by the School Board.

Per Virginia law, anybody interested in replacing Garvey on the School Board must be a qualified Arlington voter and must not be a School Board employee. Interested parties are asked to submit a resume and a letter of interest to the School Board by 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, April 11.

A public hearing on the School Board vacancy will be held on the evening of April 17. The appointment itself is scheduled to take place during the School Board meeting on April 26. The appointee won’t be in the unelected office for very long — Garvey’s term is up at the end of December and the seat will be up for grabs in November’s general election.

Garvey is set to be sworn in as a County Board member at 5:00 tonight. Like her appointed School Board successor, Garvey will have to run to keep her seat in the November general election.

School Capacity Update To Be Held Tonight

By ARLnow.com

Arlington Public Schools will update interested residents on their school capacity planning process tonight.

The public meeting is being held from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. at Kenmore Middle School (200 S. Carlin Springs Road). School officials are expected to discuss the dozens of building options they’re considering in an effort to address the school system’s capacity crisis.

Officials have proposed adding 7,000 seats to the school system over the next 10 years to address the growth of Arlington’s K-12 student population. According to APS projections presented to parents on Feb. 8, school enrollment is expected to continue to grow from 21,519 in 2011 to approximately 30,000 in 2021 (excluding alternative education programs).

Systemwide, APS says their current student capacity is 22,953, and they’ve “pretty much exhausted all our avenues” for adding additional capacity in existing school buildings. In the near-term, capacity will be added through relocatable (trailer) classrooms. To keep up with the burgeoning student body, APS wants to add 3,000 elementary school seats, 2,500 middle school seats and 1,500 high school seats.

The school system has created a list of 60 options for building new schools or making additions to existing schools. The list includes several options for each of 18 sites around the county. Among the likely options are a new 25-classroom “Lubber Run Elementary School” (above) near Barrett Elementary, an eight classroom addition to Ashlawn Elementary, and an elementary school addition to the Reed School in Westover.

Though additions are being considered, school officials say they’re not interested in creating an elementary school with more than 800 seats or a middle school with more than 1,300 seats.

In the coming months APS will be analyzing the options, gathering community input, and refining an “option set” that groups multiple options into a coherent Capital Improvement Plan. Option sets are expected to be discussed at a School Board work session in mid-March.

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