Any Wakefield parents on here?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:FWIW, on the whole, white kids at Wakefield pass the SOLs at a slightly higher rate than white kids at Yorktown. Not sure why that is, but it's true. It's just that Wakefield's scores across all groups are lower b/c they have more FARMS and ESOL kids... so the average passing rate goes down on those groups. But, it's not the case that Wakefield fails to teach kids... b/c white kids are passing at very high rates (in comparison to kids across the state of Va.).

People talk up the diversity at schools like Wakefield then claim it's the handful of white kids whose parents can afford outside tutoring that really count.

[Anonymous]

PP, where in that post you quoted does it say "white kids whose parents can afford outside tutoring that really count?"

OP I don't think that many Wakefield parents are on this site. Try the information sessions on the schools-

[Anonymous]

10:29 -- How on earth do you know that the 250-300 white kids who go to Wakefield all have paid tutors for the SOLs? Maybe I'd buy your argument that the white kids get SAT prep classes (which is no crime), but I highly doubt that all these kids are getting tutors just to pass the SOLs. And by the way, the passing rate for the white kids is better than 90% of kids in Va. That's saying something. On the other hand, OP... your child (if s/he is white) will be only 16% of the population at Wakefield. Would your child "fit in" in that kind of crowd-- being a true minority in this school? You know him/her better than we do.

[Anonymous]

Wakefield doesn't have 250-300 white kids.

[Anonymous]

Wakefield has 230 white kids.

[Anonymous]

Wakefield has long been the neglected step-sister of Arlington high schools, and it will take more than a new building and a few trips by Obama and Duncan there to change that.

What about offering its student college scholarships? Would that attract enough smart kids to transfer?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Wakefield has long been the neglected step-sister of Arlington high schools, and it will take more than a new building and a few trips by Obama and Duncan there to change that.

What about offering its student college scholarships? Would that attract enough smart kids to transfer?

Of the three high schools, Wakefield offers the most need-based scholarships, because of a huge endowment. There are many smart kids at Wakefield, and wealthy kids too that live in the Wakefield district. Just a few years ago Wakefield had an Intel Science Fair winner. Scholarships have nothing to do with it. If Wakefield develops its Spanish Immersion program then some of the transfers to Gunston for immersion might transfer to Wakefield.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
What about offering its student college scholarships? Would that attract enough smart kids to transfer?

Of the three high schools, Wakefield offers the most need-based scholarships, because of a huge endowment. There are many smart kids at Wakefield, and wealthy kids too that live in the Wakefield district. Just a few years ago Wakefield had an Intel Science Fair winner. Scholarships have nothing to do with it. If Wakefield develops its Spanish Immersion program then some of the transfers to Gunston for immersion might transfer to Wakefield.

im taking about college scholarships, and not need based.

Yes there's quite a few good students but not enough plus you can never have too many of those.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
im taking about college scholarships, and not need based.

Yes there's quite a few good students but not enough plus you can never have too many of those.

The Wakefield scholarships are college scholarships. There are also merit-based college scholarships which are need-blind and have nothing to do with the high school the child attends. A well-to-do kid transferring to Wakefield for potential college scholarships doesn't make much sense.

[Anonymous]

The target is not well to do kids. There are plenty of Yorktown WL kids who perform and whose family could use scholarship money exclusively set aside for Wakefield students.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The target is not well to do kids. There are plenty of Yorktown WL kids who perform and whose family could use scholarship money exclusively set aside for Wakefield students.

Each high school has its own competitive scholarship foundation. Look up the website for the Wakefield one to read the application criteria and how much money it gives out. Apart from the high school foundations no money is set aside exclusively for a particular high school for college scholarships. Wakefield just happens to have the largest endowment.

[Anonymous]

Then they should pilot it at WF and track the effectiveness. I bet real money makes it work.

[Anonymous]

OP, to my knowledge W-L is still taking a reduced number of IB transfers. 80 were admitted to the 9th grade through a competitive application last year. Unlike regular transfers, IB transfers are required to join the IB program.

So if you are not interested in Yorktown, your options are H-B Woodlawn, W-L (IB classes), TJ, and Wakefield.