Arlington Public Schools | ARLnow.com

Morning Notes

Published June 3, 2020 at 7:30AM

APS Statement on George Floyd — “The tragic death of George Floyd and many others before him, as well as the events that have unfolded since, are bringing into stark focus the pervasive injustice and inequality that African Americans face every day in our society from systemic and institutionalized racism. As Superintendent and the School Board, we acknowledge the anger and hurt that our APS community and the nation are experiencing, especially our African American community.” [Arlington Public Schools]

Fort Myer on High Alert — “The Pentagon has ordered forces and bases in the Washington D.C. area to ‘Force Protection Condition Charlie,’ a threat condition that indicates ‘likely’ targeting of military forces and or terrorist action and the second highest alert level available.” [Newsweek]

Schools

JUST IN: Distance Learning to Start School Year ‘Very Probable,’ APS Says

By ARLnow.com

Published May 22, 2020 at 3:25PM | Updated September 23, 2020 at 11:20AM

In a School Talk email, Cintia Johnson — who is soon to be succeeded by newly-hired superintendent Dr. Francisco Durán — said that APS is planning for three scenarios to start the fall: in-home distance learning, a return to classrooms, or a hybrid of the two.

Distance learning is “a likely scenario,” Johnson wrote, noting that APS is awaiting expected guidance from the Virginia Dept. of Education next month. A presentation linked in the email describes distance learning, at least to start, as “very probable.”

Schools

Local PTAs Step Up to Donate Groceries and Rent Payments For Local Families in Need

By Vernon Miles

Published May 18, 2020 at 3:55PM

Schools may be closed, but Arlington PTAs have stepped up and supported local families in their school communities through the coronavirus pandemic.

At K.W. Barrett Elementary School in the Buckingham neighborhood, the school PTA has gone through two rounds of grocery gift card distribution to families in need.

Schools

APS Class Sizes Will Increase by One in the Fall

By ARLnow.com

Published May 13, 2020 at 12:05PM

A new Arlington Public Schools budget passed late last week will increase class sizes by one student at all grade levels, starting in the fall.

The $670 million budget largely follows Interim Superintendent Cintia Johnson’s revised budget proposal, which included $54 million in cuts to her original budget, due to a projected downturn in revenue attributable to the pandemic.

News

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published May 13, 2020 at 7:30AM

County Scaling Down Capital Improvement Plan — “As the County continues to experience the economic impacts of COVID-19, County Manager Mark Schwartz intends to present the Arlington County Board with a short-term proposed Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) rather than the traditional 10-year plan.” [Arlington County]

Metro May Require Masks — “Metro riders may not see service fully restored until spring 2021, but the WMATA is now making plans to gradually get trains and buses running more frequently. News4’s Adam Tuss has learned that officials are considering requiring all riders to wear face masks on buses and trains and applying social distancing measures.” [NBC 4]

Schools

APS Preparing for Possibility of Virtual Classes in the Fall

By ARLnow.com

Published May 12, 2020 at 3:55PM

Arlington Public Schools is preparing for the possibility that in-person classes will not, in fact, resume in the fall.

There are new questions about when students will be returning to physical classrooms, following today’s Congressional testimony by Dr. Anthony Fauci.

News

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published May 12, 2020 at 7:35AM

APS Working to Keep School Construction on Track — “Top Arlington school-system staff are recommending doing whatever it takes – including shuffling money away from other projects – to ensure construction of a new elementary school in Westover does not fall behind schedule.” [InsideNova]

Yard Waste Collection Suspended Again — After a one-week reprieve, Arlington has again suspended its residential yard waste collection service. There’s no word on when it will resume, though the county has opened two yard waste drop-off centers. [Arlington County]

Schools

APS Considering Early End to School Year

By ARLnow.com

Published May 8, 2020 at 11:30AM

Arlington Public Schools is considering ending the school year a week early.

The proposal was announced at the School Board meeting Thursday night, in which APS also announced its new superintendent.

Schools

Nationwide Search Finds New APS Superintendent in Fairfax County

By ARLnow.com

Published May 7, 2020 at 11:20PM

At its meeting Thursday night, the School Board announced that it has hired Dr. Francisco Durán for the school system’s top job, following a national search. Durán comes from Fairfax County Public Schools, where he has served as Chief Academic and Equity Officer since 2015.

The announcement of Durán’s appointment follows a letter to families from interim superintendent Cintia Johnson on Monday, in which she said she decided not to apply for the permanent position.

Schools

APS Changing Grab-and-Go Meal Schedule

By ARLnow.com

Published April 30, 2020 at 3:45PM

Arlington Public Schools is adjusting the schedule for distributing meals to family in need, starting next week.

The school system will go from offering grab-and-go meals five days per week to three days per week: Monday, Wednesday and Friday. The change is being made to mitigate potential coronavirus exposure.

News

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published April 29, 2020 at 7:30AM

More Arlingtonians Getting Out of the House — “The District and its suburbs all saw an increase in travel and a 1 percent to 5 percent drop in people staying home by April 17. The biggest drop occurred in Arlington County, where 50 percent of residents stayed home, down from 55 percent the previous Friday.” [Washington Post, @Matt4Arlington/Twitter]

County Launches Homeless Outreach Effort — “Last week, Arlington launched a homeless outreach coalition to help identify unsheltered individuals at high risk for COVID-19 and connect them with available resources and services. The coalition is comprised of stakeholders from the Police Department, Department of Human Services, and Arlington Street People’s Assistance Network (A-SPAN).” [Arlington County]

Schools

School Board Candidate Blasts APS Distance Learning Decision

By ARLnow.com

Published April 23, 2020 at 3:55PM | Updated April 23, 2020 at 4:22PM

(Updated at 4:15 p.m.) Arlington Public Schools is holding off on teaching new material until the fall, a decision that has raised the ire of some parents — and now one candidate for School Board.

APS made the announcement over spring break that fourth quarter material would be held until September, “as part of our commitment to ensuring equity of access to new learning for all students.” Instead, following the closure of all Virginia schools for the remainder of the academic year, students are engaging in distance learning that reinforces existing concepts.