Moving because of declining schools

[Anonymous]

Do people really move if their local school declines in quality, or do majority of people just accept it and take their lumps?

We attend an APS middle school which is highly regarded but has been a total train wreck, and with the mishandling of the high school overcrowding I'm really skeptical of how our WL experience will be.

But the prospect of moving is daunting, and with price so high I fear we would need to move somewhere like Loudoun to afford anything zoned for a good school. And who knows if its actually better?

Wish we could afford private, and so frustrating because we moved to Arlington from DC because of the "good" schools, which apparently was faded glory from years past.

[Anonymous]

My takeaway might be that something about a big public middle school doesn’t work for your specific child. I wouldn’t assume moving to another large public school (which let’s face it that’s what we have here in this area) will fix it. I’m saying that without knowing your particular issues.

There are options within APS. Have you looked into programs at the Career Center?

[Anonymous]

In this area it seems to be that if you can’t afford private you just make do with APS. Any other public system in the DMV area is going to be similar with similar issues. If you’re going to move you’d need to move completely out of the area.

If you’re feeding into WL I’m guessing you’re Swanson? It gets better at W-L although I don’t know about overcrowding in he coming years.

We opted out of APS.

[Anonymous]

We opted out of ACPS but we decided to homeschool rather than move insanely far from my husband's workplace.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My takeaway might be that something about a big public middle school doesn’t work for your specific child. I wouldn’t assume moving to another large public school (which let’s face it that’s what we have here in this area) will fix it. I’m saying that without knowing your particular issues.

There are options within APS. Have you looked into programs at the Career Center?

Our issue is that when we were elem we had pull out GT programs, and then it switched to pushing and was worthless. My kids are so unchallenged and bored and there is no differentiation until high school, teachers spend all their time on remedial learning and discipline. So much discipline. WL should offer challenging classes, but the crazy super size high school with too little common space worries me.

Career Center would be a better fit if our kids were vocationally minded, but far from that.

[Anonymous]

We moved to fccps

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In this area it seems to be that if you can’t afford private you just make do with APS. Any other public system in the DMV area is going to be similar with similar issues. If you’re going to move you’d need to move completely out of the area.

If you’re feeding into WL I’m guessing you’re Swanson? It gets better at W-L although I don’t know about overcrowding in he coming years.

We opted out of APS.

Could be Hamm, Swanson, Kenmore, or Jefferson.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In this area it seems to be that if you can’t afford private you just make do with APS. Any other public system in the DMV area is going to be similar with similar issues. If you’re going to move you’d need to move completely out of the area.

If you’re feeding into WL I’m guessing you’re Swanson? It gets better at W-L although I don’t know about overcrowding in he coming years.

We opted out of APS.

Opted out? So went private?

[Anonymous]

Your precious snowflakes will survive and thrive in Arlington schools, and it all will be behind you before you know it. Chill out, OP. Chill out, DCUM.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My takeaway might be that something about a big public middle school doesn’t work for your specific child. I wouldn’t assume moving to another large public school (which let’s face it that’s what we have here in this area) will fix it. I’m saying that without knowing your particular issues.

There are options within APS. Have you looked into programs at the Career Center?

Our issue is that when we were elem we had pull out GT programs, and then it switched to pushing and was worthless. My kids are so unchallenged and bored and there is no differentiation until high school, teachers spend all their time on remedial learning and discipline. So much discipline. WL should offer challenging classes, but the crazy super size high school with too little common space worries me.

Career Center would be a better fit if our kids were vocationally minded, but far from that.

There are more programs at Career Center than people realize.

There is definitely differentiation in math. I think if that is your issue, find the money for private. But I would also wait out the effects of the pandemic. Yes, the bright kids whose parents kept things up during the pandemic, now those kids are a bit bored and not challenged. The teachers have a lot to sort through emotionally and academically with kids back in school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My takeaway might be that something about a big public middle school doesn’t work for your specific child. I wouldn’t assume moving to another large public school (which let’s face it that’s what we have here in this area) will fix it. I’m saying that without knowing your particular issues.

There are options within APS. Have you looked into programs at the Career Center?

Our issue is that when we were elem we had pull out GT programs, and then it switched to pushing and was worthless. My kids are so unchallenged and bored and there is no differentiation until high school, teachers spend all their time on remedial learning and discipline. So much discipline. WL should offer challenging classes, but the crazy super size high school with too little common space worries me.

Career Center would be a better fit if our kids were vocationally minded, but far from that.

There are more programs at Career Center than people realize.

There is definitely differentiation in math. I think if that is your issue, find the money for private. But I would also wait out the effects of the pandemic. Yes, the bright kids whose parents kept things up during the pandemic, now those kids are a bit bored and not challenged. The teachers have a lot to sort through emotionally and academically with kids back in school.

Yes, we are in advanced math. The boredom and frustration was present all through 5th and 6th once GT went away. Basically spent all day reading to themselves waiting for rest of class to do their thing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Your precious snowflakes will survive and thrive in Arlington schools, and it all will be behind you before you know it. Chill out, OP. Chill out, DCUM.

My child is definitely not thriving, and he’s still in 5th. Thanks though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Your precious snowflakes will survive and thrive in Arlington schools, and it all will be behind you before you know it. Chill out, OP. Chill out, DCUM.

My child is definitely not thriving, and he’s still in 5th. Thanks though.

Maybe the problem is your child -- or you -- and not the school system's. Have you ever thought about that?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My takeaway might be that something about a big public middle school doesn’t work for your specific child. I wouldn’t assume moving to another large public school (which let’s face it that’s what we have here in this area) will fix it. I’m saying that without knowing your particular issues.

There are options within APS. Have you looked into programs at the Career Center?

Our issue is that when we were elem we had pull out GT programs, and then it switched to pushing and was worthless. My kids are so unchallenged and bored and there is no differentiation until high school, teachers spend all their time on remedial learning and discipline. So much discipline. WL should offer challenging classes, but the crazy super size high school with too little common space worries me.

Career Center would be a better fit if our kids were vocationally minded, but far from that.

There are more programs at Career Center than people realize.

There is definitely differentiation in math. I think if that is your issue, find the money for private. But I would also wait out the effects of the pandemic. Yes, the bright kids whose parents kept things up during the pandemic, now those kids are a bit bored and not challenged. The teachers have a lot to sort through emotionally and academically with kids back in school.

Yes, we are in advanced math. The boredom and frustration was present all through 5th and 6th once GT went away. Basically spent all day reading to themselves waiting for rest of class to do their thing.

Are you talking about during virtual school? I have a current 6th grader who was in 5th grade last year. Also GT. My kid did not spend all day reading to themselves.

But it sounds like you're not well served by public schools at this moment in time. I wouldn't move though. Moving is not going to solve it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My takeaway might be that something about a big public middle school doesn’t work for your specific child. I wouldn’t assume moving to another large public school (which let’s face it that’s what we have here in this area) will fix it. I’m saying that without knowing your particular issues.

There are options within APS. Have you looked into programs at the Career Center?

Our issue is that when we were elem we had pull out GT programs, and then it switched to pushing and was worthless. My kids are so unchallenged and bored and there is no differentiation until high school, teachers spend all their time on remedial learning and discipline. So much discipline. WL should offer challenging classes, but the crazy super size high school with too little common space worries me.

Career Center would be a better fit if our kids were vocationally minded, but far from that.

There are more programs at Career Center than people realize.

There is definitely differentiation in math. I think if that is your issue, find the money for private. But I would also wait out the effects of the pandemic. Yes, the bright kids whose parents kept things up during the pandemic, now those kids are a bit bored and not challenged. The teachers have a lot to sort through emotionally and academically with kids back in school.

Yes, we are in advanced math. The boredom and frustration was present all through 5th and 6th once GT went away. Basically spent all day reading to themselves waiting for rest of class to do their thing.

Are you talking about during virtual school? I have a current 6th grader who was in 5th grade last year. Also GT. My kid did not spend all day reading to themselves.

But it sounds like you're not well served by public schools at this moment in time. I wouldn't move though. Moving is not going to solve it.

5th and 6th were pre-pandemic; 7th was pandemic year. They all were meh at best. So would love to hear what you child did when the teacher worked with the rest of class on work she had already completed? This wasn't just my DD, I heard it from multiple parents (other GT students). Virtual was actually better in that regard, as it gave our DD a lot more options for what to do in her downtime than just sit and read.