September 17, 2026 Newsletter
APE’s Annual Survey Results Are In!
Your Voices – Loud and Clear: APE recently conducted our 6th annual survey of our newsletter readers, Facebook forum members and X followers. The results paint a clear picture of our priorities for learning, teaching and student well-being in Arlington Public Schools. With over 200 respondents completing the survey, we saw remarkable consistency and clarity amongst respondents.
What You Said:
Teacher quality: the highest-rated advocacy priority (yet again!) was the need to recruit, retain and support top-quality APS teachers, the backbone of a high-performing school system.
Technology in schools: a perennial concern, the 1:1 device policy and overreliance on EdTech drew even greater scrutiny this year. An overwhelming majority of Elementary School parents stated they would refuse a personal device for their child if they were able to. Respondents also called for reduced screen time and use of EdTech, and a return to paper-based learning.
School Calendar woes: concerns about shortened and disrupted school weeks and days and their impact on learning soared in importance.
Instructional quality and rigor: continues to be important. Respondents consistently voiced their desire for more writing instruction and assignments, reading of paper books (not on devices), and rigorous math instruction, along with more advanced coursework and higher expectations for all students. Respondents continue to view academic excellence as foundational to both equity and opportunity, and want to see achievement gaps closed.
Bottom Line: Families want a return to rigorous classrooms with minimal use of screens and a school calendar that prioritizes 5-day weeks. Your priorities were remarkably consistent: you want APS to focus its resources on what happens inside classrooms, using evidence-based methods of teaching, promoting relationship-building and emphasizing predictability and consistency for students across the school year.
What’s Next: APE will continue to center YOUR priorities with district leaders to ensure that our voices are included in decision-making regarding APS’ strategic priorities, resource allocation and classroom practices. Visit our landing page to learn more!
Side Note: Some respondents reminded us that not every perspective always feels heard. We want to make sure you know your voice matters. Please feel free to share your thoughts with us by email at arlingtonparentsforeducation@gmail.com, drop us a note on our Facebook page or start a conversation in our Facebook Forum. Hearing from a range of experiences helps us all learn and better support our students.
