Catholic school or FCPS AAP?
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Anonymous
| We are considering sending DD to Catholic school for third grade (year after next). However, she did well enough on the NNAT that I think she will probably get into AAP. We are looking for a change to have her more challenged academically. Our public has a lot of behavioral issues in the gen ed class so, candidly, hoping to get away from some of that as well. Generally speaking, which would be a better fit? The Catholics we are looking at at St. Mary's and St. Louis in Alexandria. |
Anonymous
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Current AAP parent (2 kids in the program, 1 2nd grader accepted) who is switching to a Protestant private that is probably more similar to a parochial school than an independent or a church-based school: it depends.
When my kids moved from the gen ed classroom to AAP, we saw a substantial decrease in behavior issues. Even kids who had caused those issues before ceased to cause them as much - whether because of peer group, teachers, or expectations I don't know. The accelerated math pace helped keep my kids engaged. While not perfect, my kids definitely found peers. What's causing us to move? 1. Biggest: we, including both parents and the kids, want the religious aspect in the education. That's not going to happen/shouldn't happen in public. We can finally afford it at a private that we think will provide a decent academic education to go with. 2. Language arts even in AAP is significantly lacking. 3. Tired of so many screens. New school still uses screens, but much more sparingly in the lower grades. What do we feel we are missing out on? 1. Math. Our private doesn't offer the same math opportunities that FCPS does for late high school (BC calc and dual enrollment courses with GMU). We may be able to advocate for those or set our kids' own path if they are that advanced in math, but our school doesn't have that track. We go in knowing that. 2. All the money we would have been able to use for other things. We will miss it. |
Anonymous
| If you aren't an active parishioner, both St Mary's and St Louis may be difficult to get into. |
Anonymous
Catholic schools are not better for Math or Science. That is absurd. |
Anonymous
Center AAP > St. Mary's > LLIV in a good public > St. Louis |
Anonymous
This times six-million! The behavioral issues improved somewhat for us in AAP, but we were underwhelmed by the academic rigor. And the screen, oy vey the SCREENS!! If there were a way to put something on a screen instead of teaching kids to read books or write or do math problems with a pencil and a piece of paper ... FCPS would put it on a screen. It was non. stop. screen. time. for schoolwork, which I don't think is healthy or effective. |
Anonymous
I don't think you can guarantee that a good NNAT score will automatically mean they get into AAP. My oldest had the highest score for her entire 1st grade class but did not end up getting in. |
Anonymous
This. Highly, highly suggest you join the parish if possible before applying. We have a DC at St. Louis and love it. The math is fine. The screens are there but not prominent. Most importantly for us, there is discipline, and a lot of it. |
Anonymous
| I think the principle reason to send a kid to Catholic school is because you want the Catholic environment and related moral instruction and influence. Particularly in the Arlington Diocese if that’s not what you’re looking for you’re likely to be back on DCUM shortly with yet another thread complaining that your Catholic school is too Catholic. |
Anonymous
Do you have children in all of these programs and schools to make this comparison? |
Anonymous
| St. Mary’s and St. Louis have the same curriculum. |
Anonymous
NP. Not even slightly absurd for elementary and maybe middle. Many Catholic schools have less screen time, more direct instruction of math and science, real math and science paper textbooks, and lots of math and science homework. FCPS ditched most math / science paper textbooks in favor of screens. Many FCPS elementary schools have little or zero homework, not enough practice/worksheets, and visibly less direct instruction. Separately, the Catholic curriculum has always been Phonics-centered, whereas FCPS did the Lucy Calkins Balanced Literacy/Whole Language crap in recent decades — which literacy approach does not work for more than 50% of kids. At the HS level, the sheer size advantage of most FCPS HSs means they can offer a wider range of math and science courses than many Catholic HSs can offer. We are not Catholic, but we are seriously considering a different Catholic school for DC because their ES curriculum is more solid, there is more direct instruction, and there is much less reliance on screens. And we have really dug into our research on all this, including visits to both kinds of schools, talking with faculty outside the school environment, etc. We deeply believe in the concept of public education, but FCPS elementary is far from ideal at present, despite a number of well-meaning individual teachers. For HS, we likely will go back to public schools. |
Anonymous
Curriculum may be the same but how it’s executed can vary. Teacher quality, support and training by the principal, class size, even types of parents who chose to attend all factor in and trump the “sam curriculum.” |
Anonymous
We are parishioners at St. Louis - thank you! |
Anonymous
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During our tour of St. Louis we were astonished at how orderly and attentive the kids were. They were quietly learning together, interacting in a respectful manner and working hard at their lessons. A huge difference from the crazy FCPS elementary school we came from where there are a ton of dysregulated kids shoved together in the same classroom with little help from trained professionals. I don’t begrudge the teachers at FCPS. They are doing their best. But most of them are not trained at being special ed teachers full time, which is what they have become.
We are moving schools in the fall. |