Post-ATS Education - Middle and High School

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Was the experience so bad that it’s making you consider private??

No, quite the opposite in fact.

I guess I should add that we live south of Rt 50 and are zoned to TJ and Wakefield. It's not that I think public school is bad or that these are bad schools, but I was wondered where students generally ended up. I didn't mean it to be taken the way this conversation is going!

You live south of 50? Is it safe? Are you ok? APS is very clear about offering a lower standard of curriculum in S. Arlington. Its very different. Only remedial classes. Also make sure to get a bodyguard if you have to send your kid to school down there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Was the experience so bad that it’s making you consider private??

No, quite the opposite in fact.

I guess I should add that we live south of Rt 50 and are zoned to TJ and Wakefield. It's not that I think public school is bad or that these are bad schools, but I was wondered where students generally ended up. I didn't mean it to be taken the way this conversation is going!

You live south of 50? Is it safe? Are you ok? APS is very clear about offering a lower standard of curriculum in S. Arlington. Its very different. Only remedial classes. Also make sure to get a bodyguard if you have to send your kid to school down there.

Get lost.
As an actual south Arlington parent whose kids have stayed in their assigned neighborhood schools for all levels, I will agree that the academic experience compared to others is much different. Significantly because of the individual principal (we had more than one during our elementary years, with a very big difference in our kids' personal academic experiences); but primarily because there are too many ELL students concentrated in the same schools, forcing the admin and staff to focus so much time and resources to those needs which dominate the classrooms and do impact the pace of instruction and curriculum. It is not because these kids can't learn; it's because they can't learn as quickly in a foreign language and need time to learn English. Therefore, the pace of depth of academic work can often be slower and shallower than in your "safe, fancy, higher-expectation institutions north of 50." The standards and expectations are dependent on the leadership - and that's what we experienced with the different principals during our time in elementary school.

It is NOT, however, only remedial classes. Believe it or not, you'll even find several intensified and AP classes at Wakefield. Our kids have had several outstanding teachers throughout their years, a few duds, and many typical/average....just like you find in those schools where the troll-y OP is.

--Safely living in south Arlington for over two decades without a bodyguard, weapons, or physically threatening experiences in the schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Was the experience so bad that it’s making you consider private??

No, quite the opposite in fact.

I guess I should add that we live south of Rt 50 and are zoned to TJ and Wakefield. It's not that I think public school is bad or that these are bad schools, but I was wondered where students generally ended up. I didn't mean it to be taken the way this conversation is going!

You live south of 50? Is it safe? Are you ok? APS is very clear about offering a lower standard of curriculum in S. Arlington. Its very different. Only remedial classes. Also make sure to get a bodyguard if you have to send your kid to school down there.

Get lost.
As an actual south Arlington parent whose kids have stayed in their assigned neighborhood schools for all levels, I will agree that the academic experience compared to others is much different. Significantly because of the individual principal (we had more than one during our elementary years, with a very big difference in our kids' personal academic experiences); but primarily because there are too many ELL students concentrated in the same schools, forcing the admin and staff to focus so much time and resources to those needs which dominate the classrooms and do impact the pace of instruction and curriculum. It is not because these kids can't learn; it's because they can't learn as quickly in a foreign language and need time to learn English. Therefore, the pace of depth of academic work can often be slower and shallower than in your "safe, fancy, higher-expectation institutions north of 50." The standards and expectations are dependent on the leadership - and that's what we experienced with the different principals during our time in elementary school.

It is NOT, however, only remedial classes. Believe it or not, you'll even find several intensified and AP classes at Wakefield. Our kids have had several outstanding teachers throughout their years, a few duds, and many typical/average....just like you find in those schools where the troll-y OP is.

--Safely living in south Arlington for over two decades without a bodyguard, weapons, or physically threatening experiences in the schools.

I think you missed the sarcasm.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Was the experience so bad that it’s making you consider private??

No, quite the opposite in fact.

I guess I should add that we live south of Rt 50 and are zoned to TJ and Wakefield. It's not that I think public school is bad or that these are bad schools, but I was wondered where students generally ended up. I didn't mean it to be taken the way this conversation is going!

You live south of 50? Is it safe? Are you ok? APS is very clear about offering a lower standard of curriculum in S. Arlington. Its very different. Only remedial classes. Also make sure to get a bodyguard if you have to send your kid to school down there.

Get lost.
As an actual south Arlington parent whose kids have stayed in their assigned neighborhood schools for all levels, I will agree that the academic experience compared to others is much different. Significantly because of the individual principal (we had more than one during our elementary years, with a very big difference in our kids' personal academic experiences); but primarily because there are too many ELL students concentrated in the same schools, forcing the admin and staff to focus so much time and resources to those needs which dominate the classrooms and do impact the pace of instruction and curriculum. It is not because these kids can't learn; it's because they can't learn as quickly in a foreign language and need time to learn English. Therefore, the pace of depth of academic work can often be slower and shallower than in your "safe, fancy, higher-expectation institutions north of 50." The standards and expectations are dependent on the leadership - and that's what we experienced with the different principals during our time in elementary school.

It is NOT, however, only remedial classes. Believe it or not, you'll even find several intensified and AP classes at Wakefield. Our kids have had several outstanding teachers throughout their years, a few duds, and many typical/average....just like you find in those schools where the troll-y OP is.

--Safely living in south Arlington for over two decades without a bodyguard, weapons, or physically threatening experiences in the schools.

I think you missed the sarcasm.

This place excels at that

[Anonymous]

LOLZ that "I guess I should add that we live south of Rt 50 and are zoned to TJ and Wakefield" is the reason for posting. Oh yes, now it makes sense, anyone zone to TJ/Wakefield must be looking to get away?

Typical snobby ATS parent thinking their little precious child is better than their local school could possibly be.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Was the experience so bad that it’s making you consider private??

No, quite the opposite in fact.

I guess I should add that we live south of Rt 50 and are zoned to TJ and Wakefield. It's not that I think public school is bad or that these are bad schools, but I was wondered where students generally ended up. I didn't mean it to be taken the way this conversation is going!

You live south of 50? Is it safe? Are you ok? APS is very clear about offering a lower standard of curriculum in S. Arlington. Its very different. Only remedial classes. Also make sure to get a bodyguard if you have to send your kid to school down there.

Get lost.
As an actual south Arlington parent whose kids have stayed in their assigned neighborhood schools for all levels, I will agree that the academic experience compared to others is much different. Significantly because of the individual principal (we had more than one during our elementary years, with a very big difference in our kids' personal academic experiences); but primarily because there are too many ELL students concentrated in the same schools, forcing the admin and staff to focus so much time and resources to those needs which dominate the classrooms and do impact the pace of instruction and curriculum. It is not because these kids can't learn; it's because they can't learn as quickly in a foreign language and need time to learn English. Therefore, the pace of depth of academic work can often be slower and shallower than in your "safe, fancy, higher-expectation institutions north of 50." The standards and expectations are dependent on the leadership - and that's what we experienced with the different principals during our time in elementary school.

It is NOT, however, only remedial classes. Believe it or not, you'll even find several intensified and AP classes at Wakefield. Our kids have had several outstanding teachers throughout their years, a few duds, and many typical/average....just like you find in those schools where the troll-y OP is.

--Safely living in south Arlington for over two decades without a bodyguard, weapons, or physically threatening experiences in the schools.

I think you missed the sarcasm.

No, I didn't miss it. Just found the middle suggestion too "sincere" to be fully sarcastic.

[Anonymous]

Both my kids went to ATS and we are also zoned to TJ/Wakefield. My oldest went to TJ and is currently at Arlington Tech. She really enjoyed TJ, had lots of great teachers. There was a sizable cohort from ATS in her grade, but like a lot of kids her friend mixed up a bit and she also met new friends.

My youngest is a 6th grader at TJ and is liking it so far. I think he mostly enjoys having a different teacher for each subject and the electives that come with middle school. There seems to be a much smaller group of ATS kids at TJ in his grade, his friends seem to be spread out at each of the other middle schools. But he still gets to see some of them at soccer, so it's not too bad. I know of a couple families from his grade that left APS for private, but I think those folks were mostly fed up with how the last 18 months have been, rather than planning to go private all along.

[Anonymous]

Go private. You'll find your ATS kid will go to MS hardly knowing anyone else because, after ES, the kids get scattered throughout the county. At least by going private, they will be in the same boat as others

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Go private. You'll find your ATS kid will go to MS hardly knowing anyone else because, after ES, the kids get scattered throughout the county. At least by going private, they will be in the same boat as others

OP - Please go private. South Arlington doesn’t need your holier-than-thou attitude. You clearly think you are superior to us and this great community doesn’t need you.

[Anonymous]

An ATS kid will do just fine in SA!

[Anonymous]

Thanks all

[Anonymous]

We are an ATS family and we intend to stay public through grade 12. Not because we think so highly of APS, but because it’s what we can afford.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If your kid attended Arlington Traditional in the last few years, during and before COVID, where did they go after they finished 5th grade? Did you go private, or into a specific public school program (like IB or HB Woodlawn)? How did they do? I'm curious if attending ATS will lead us to want to apply to private school next year, or will we still be happy with public. Also hoping that the pandemic will be behind us by then.

TIA

Just FYI, there are no transfers allowed at the MS level any longer. Not for IB at TJ, not for STEAM at Kenmore, not for open space at Hamm. Only Immersion and Montessori, but you had to do that in ES to continue into the MS program. Whatever your neighborhood MS is, that’s where you may enroll if you’re going public.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If your kid attended Arlington Traditional in the last few years, during and before COVID, where did they go after they finished 5th grade? Did you go private, or into a specific public school program (like IB or HB Woodlawn)? How did they do? I'm curious if attending ATS will lead us to want to apply to private school next year, or will we still be happy with public. Also hoping that the pandemic will be behind us by then.

TIA

Just FYI, there are no transfers allowed at the MS level any longer. Not for IB at TJ, not for STEAM at Kenmore, not for open space at Hamm. Only Immersion and Montessori, but you had to do that in ES to continue into the MS program. Whatever your neighborhood MS is, that’s where you may enroll if you’re going public.

Oh that sucks. We were hoping for IB.

[Anonymous]

Oh, that sucks... not having the option of an unproven, unnecessary, publicly funded program that other people pay for my precious dumpling.