Morning Notes

Columns

by ARLnow.com — January 23, 2012 at 8:30 am 2,655 30 Comments

Bill Would Open Classrooms to Parents — Del. Patrick Hope (D) has proposed a bill that would require local school boards to “ensure that the parent or legal guardian of a student or prospective student enrolled in the school division may, subject to reasonable notice and with minimized disruption, act as an observer in the child’s classroom.” The bill is in response to a Washington Post column about a couple whose request to observe a class at Arlington Traditional School was denied by school officials. [Washington Post]

Lyon Hall Named ‘Best Beer Bar’ — Lyon Hall (3100 N Washington Blvd) has been named one of America’s 100 Best Beer Bars by Draft Magazine. “Its bartenders have a passion for of-the-moment beer, and no one will care if you drink your 21st Amendment Back in Black straight from the can,” the publication said. [Draft Magazine]

Board Wants Speedier Farmers Market Permit Process — The County Board asked Arlington County staff to speed up the permit approval process for the planned Westover Farmers Market. Organizers — who would like to open the market in May — have said that the permitting process has been proceeding at a slower-than-hoped-for pace. [Sun Gazette]

Jus’ saying

Parents in the classroom with their little darlings while class is being taught? Good grief!
Better put some money in the school budget for helicopter pads for these folks.
- drax
  
  You, and anyone else who wants to comment on this, ought to read this first:
  
  http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/lifting-bans-on-parents-in-classrooms/2012/01/19/gIQApSF1IQ_story.html
  - Jus’ saying
    
    OK Drax, read it. Makes one wonder how prior generations ever got an education without their parents hovering over them in the classroom while they were being taught.
    - drax
      
      No, apparently you didn’t read it.
  - SamsontheCat
    
    Yes, studies show those with involved parents do better, but there’s involved and then there is this. If it was the case of a student who is underperforming and the parent wants to come in to observe their kid and the teacher’s lesson, ok, I can see a value in that, but the parents most likely to take advantage of this will be those who want to make sure they are getting a good return on investment or need to make sure Jr. is going to stay #1.
    
    I just see this as adding another layer of stupidity to the workload of teachers. Not only will they have to make sure they get all the test answers taught they’ll also have to make sure they give Jr. the right amount of attention and put on a proper show when Sr. comes in to watch. It’s not like actually teaching the material or encouraging kids to think for themselves is of any value.
    
    If you want to be involved in your kid’s education then make yourself available at home. Ask about school, homework assignments, if they need help when they struggle with a subject.
- Resident and teacher
  
  No room for parents. Dr. Murphy is planning to increase class sizes again. Rooms designed for 24 are already holding more than 30.
novasteve

If Lyon Hall is one of the best beer bars in the country then this country has horrible beer bars.
- trendy, that’s all
  
  The publication’s use of “of-the-moment beer” as a virtue is dubious. That says trendy, trendy, trendy. Not a virtue in a beer hall in my view.
- Inquiring Minds
  
  I’m curious what Novasteve’s favorite beer bars are.
  - novasteve
    
    Burp Castle in NYC is pretty good. The Gingerman there had a huge beer selection before it was ever trendy to do so. Lyon Hall is for snobby people who go to places because other people go there. Non thinking, trend idiots.
    - Inquiring Minds
      
      Yes, and around here?
- Bard
  
  I agree with the comment for what I’m certain are completely different reasons. Lyon Hall is good, but Fireworks is the best beer bar in Arlington for my money.
  - CW
    
    Because you like a raging fire 10 feet away from you, people leaning over your shoulders crowding the 3-foot-wide bar space, and the deafening sound of screaming children crying out from their strollers?
    - drax
      
      Too hot, too crowded, loud voices of obnoxious immature young people? Sounds like alot of bars.
      - CW
        
        Didn’t say I liked anywhere else better, but I find Fire Works to be one of the more annoying locations – indoors at least. Now sitting outside, I like it quite a bit.
  - JamesE
    
    Rustico’s selection is quite good.
- y8s
  
  one of their best bartenders is gluten-intolerant and can’t even drink beer!
- Ballstonian
  
  I’ve only been to Lyon Hall once, and the service was so spotty that we didn’t get our food for the 1.25 hours we were there (a saturday breakfast/brunch). To his credit, the manager comped our coffees and gave us cards for future comped meals, so I’d assume that our experience was an outlier.
Josh S

It ought to be interesting to see how this parents in the classroom thing plays out. The teachers, of course, will be dead set against it. But I think it obvious that of course parents should be given the chance to observe. With appropriate controls put in place. You’d have to schedule in advance. Only so many visits allowed per class per quarter, for example. Etc.
- Burger
  
  Yeah…let’s give helicopter parents even more ability to dominate little Susie and Johnnies ability to not think for themselves and hover over them.
  - Josh S
    
    I think there is a coherent thought in there somewhere, but it’s a bit hard to find.
    
    When was the last time you were in a public school classroom. Most students are not getting any opportunities to “think for themselves.”
    
    In the meantime, why would I, as a parent, feel that it is OK to simply turn over my child to an institution and assume that the institution will successfully handle, absent any input from me, one of the most important tasks of growing up? Yes, I completely agree that learning independence and the ability to self-advocate is crucial to growing up. But I hardly think that observing one class a year, for example, is going to interfere with any of that. It’s not as if anyone is advocating allowing parents to attend on a regular basis. Helicopter parents are already doing quite well, they don’t need this opportunity to sort of cement their existence. On the other hand, parents seeking to help their children by gaining a better understanding of what they’re going in class might benefit from this opportunity. I’m thinking more about primary schools rather than secondary schools.
    
    Also, it might have the side effect of improving teachers. You can bet any teacher with a parent coming in that day is going to try extra hard to have a good lesson plan drawn up.
- othersideoftheriver
  
  Or just require the visiting parents to help in the classroom while they’re warming a seat: Organizing books, grading papers, etc.
  
  Parent gets something, teacher gets something.
Your Mom

This picture of O’Sullivans makes me want to go drink beer right now. That place is the best.
Ali

Does anyone know what happened at the 7-Eleven on 23rd Street in Crystal City on Saturday night? Drove by late and there were tons of police and a bunch of those small triangular evidence numbers everywhere.
- novasteve
  
  Is that the one next to the crystal city restaurant? If so, you know what classy people go to strip clubs.. Might explain things.
  - Ali
    
    Yes, it’s that one. The 7-Eleven was roped off though, not CCR.
  - drax
    
    So you’ve never ever been to a strip club, huh Steve?
    - novasteve
      
      Not by choice, i had to for some friends’ bachelor parties before. Fully of shady people and complete losers whose only experience touching women most likely is from strip clubs.
novasteve

When will Arlnow use for the morning notes a picture of the one of the many misspelled street names in Arlington? My personal favorite is 3nd Street. I think I have a pic of it on my phone if you’d like it.
Barbin

Arlington parents are becoming the most helicopterish of all parents. Unnecessary. Unneeded. Classrooms will become unproductive for students with the parents showing up. We should remember that we will never know the full extent of the issue of the family in question, but we can be sure there’s at least two sides.

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