Acceptable Use Policy for Student Learning Devices
The School Board will take action at its meeting tonight (Feb. 1) on the first of two separate APS acceptable use policies for student devices used for learning. Tonight’s policy is specific to federal guidelines and filtering. The second policy—which will be developed with community input in February and March—will address topics such as internet safety, responsibilities and rights, digital citizenship, and shared ownership. The School Board will consider this second policy as an information item on March 22 and will take action on it on April 5. Please note that tonight’s School Board meeting will begin earlier than usual—at 6:00 p.m. To watch live, visit aps2016.apsva.us/school-board-meetings/watch-school-board-meetings/.
2018-24 Strategic Plan
On Tuesday, Feb. 6, the School Board will hold a Work Session on the 2018-24 Strategic Plan at 7 p.m. in the Education Center (1426 N. Quincy St., Arlington 22207). School Board Work Sessions are open for observation without public comments. The work session can be viewed at aps2016.apsva.us/school-board-meetings/school-board-work-sessions-meetings/.
New School Principal Search: Drew Elementary School
Community members have one more week to participate in a questionnaire for staff, students, parents and others to share their input in the search for a principal to lead the new neighborhood elementary school at Drew, which will open as a full neighborhood school in September 2019. This online form—available through Thursday, Feb. 8—asks for thoughts on the opportunities and challenges with opening a new school, and the attributes and characteristics desired in a principal to lead this school. The questionnaire is available online in English and Spanish, and printed copies can be obtained in Amharic and Mongolian from any school Bilingual Family Liaison Resource Assistant. For more information, visit aps2016.apsva.us/new-school-principal-search/.
Elementary School Planning Initiative
To prepare for the opening of the new Alice W. Fleet Elementary School and Drew Elementary as a full neighborhood school in 2019, and a new elementary school at the Reed site in 2021, APS is putting in place plans to develop new elementary school boundaries now through next November. Staff will begin work with the community this month to review school walk zones and identify potential expansion of those zones, reduce transportation costs, and determine the number of K-5 resident students for each school facility.
The School Board directed staff to develop two proposals; this process could result in changing the locations of some option and neighborhood schools, while maintaining the same number of option schools. One proposal will recommend the location of neighborhood and elementary schools to more strategically serve students in neighborhoods where they live, based on current enrollment. A second proposal will maintain all schools in current locations. After the School Board makes a decision in Spring 2018 about whether or not to move the location of any elementary option or neighborhood school(s), staff will make preparations over the summer to revise all neighborhood elementary school attendance zones in Fall 2018 through boundary adjustments.
The School Board will take action on elementary school boundary decisions in November 2018. For more information, visit aps2016.apsva.us/elementary-school-boundary-change/.
