APS — love our elementary but not excited about middle and high school options

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:My kids have generally had a good experience in MS (TJ) and HS (W-L). They have good friends, mostly great teachers, one has been involved in band all the way through while the other dabbled in a few ECs. My older is now at VT and was well prepared for college work and I'm sure my senior will do fine too.

Yes, some kids will have problems but that's the nature of the teenage years. My 2nd definitely had her struggles but I've found her teachers to be supportive when she asked for help.

The kids to need to learn to advocate for themselves, it's a big school and there's not a lot of hand holding. But that is a good life skill. Another downside -- counselor quality seems to carry a lot. We have been lucky with an excellent counselor but they are not all great. DD says some friends have started going to DDs counselor for questions because theirs is not helpful.

Sure it’s a big school now, but it will ginormous when OP kids get there.

Arlington Tech should be fully built out by then, and would relieve the population burden on the other schools, as the models suggest. Unlike surrounding school districts I don’t see any APS high school growing to a ridiculously large size. Boundaries will shift again, which has long been a tool. More North Arlington neighborhoods could move from W-L to Yorktown, and more South Arlington neighborhoods could move to W-L, or maybe some S Arlington neighborhoods could move to Yorktown, etc. If missing middle doubles the numbers of students in the center of the county, then maybe momentum would build for a 4th high school. But the kenmore site is the only and best site for that.

They spent $30M adding 600 seats to WL — they are using those seats so definitely hitting 3000, which is “ridiculous”

Tech is always going to underperform enrollment because it willl remain as a vocational program without any entrance exams or requirements

They need to publicize what’s available at Tech because it’s not a traditional vocational school

Sure but it’s still a non magnet non competitive vocational school

Arlington Tech and the career center are different programs.

So there’s an entrance requirements like TJHS? That would make Tech much more attractive and draw students.

No, not sure why that matters. It’s an option program that people can choose over their zoned school.

It matters because people in Arlington are insane and only want things if they are competitive! Insane.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kids have generally had a good experience in MS (TJ) and HS (W-L). They have good friends, mostly great teachers, one has been involved in band all the way through while the other dabbled in a few ECs. My older is now at VT and was well prepared for college work and I'm sure my senior will do fine too.

Yes, some kids will have problems but that's the nature of the teenage years. My 2nd definitely had her struggles but I've found her teachers to be supportive when she asked for help.

The kids to need to learn to advocate for themselves, it's a big school and there's not a lot of hand holding. But that is a good life skill. Another downside -- counselor quality seems to carry a lot. We have been lucky with an excellent counselor but they are not all great. DD says some friends have started going to DDs counselor for questions because theirs is not helpful.

Sure it’s a big school now, but it will ginormous when OP kids get there.

Arlington Tech should be fully built out by then, and would relieve the population burden on the other schools, as the models suggest. Unlike surrounding school districts I don’t see any APS high school growing to a ridiculously large size. Boundaries will shift again, which has long been a tool. More North Arlington neighborhoods could move from W-L to Yorktown, and more South Arlington neighborhoods could move to W-L, or maybe some S Arlington neighborhoods could move to Yorktown, etc. If missing middle doubles the numbers of students in the center of the county, then maybe momentum would build for a 4th high school. But the kenmore site is the only and best site for that.

They spent $30M adding 600 seats to WL — they are using those seats so definitely hitting 3000, which is “ridiculous”

Tech is always going to underperform enrollment because it willl remain as a vocational program without any entrance exams or requirements

They need to publicize what’s available at Tech because it’s not a traditional vocational school

Sure but it’s still a non magnet non competitive vocational school

Arlington Tech and the career center are different programs.

So there’s an entrance requirements like TJHS? That would make Tech much more attractive and draw students.

No, not sure why that matters. It’s an option program that people can choose over their zoned school.

It matters because people in Arlington are insane and only want things if they are competitive! Insane.

It matters because it will remain a vocational program otherwise, and will never draw enough students to relieve over crowding at the 3 high schools.

No idea why they don’t make programs that people actually want, so that everyone isn’t trying to cram into WL.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kids have generally had a good experience in MS (TJ) and HS (W-L). They have good friends, mostly great teachers, one has been involved in band all the way through while the other dabbled in a few ECs. My older is now at VT and was well prepared for college work and I'm sure my senior will do fine too.

Yes, some kids will have problems but that's the nature of the teenage years. My 2nd definitely had her struggles but I've found her teachers to be supportive when she asked for help.

The kids to need to learn to advocate for themselves, it's a big school and there's not a lot of hand holding. But that is a good life skill. Another downside -- counselor quality seems to carry a lot. We have been lucky with an excellent counselor but they are not all great. DD says some friends have started going to DDs counselor for questions because theirs is not helpful.

Sure it’s a big school now, but it will ginormous when OP kids get there.

Arlington Tech should be fully built out by then, and would relieve the population burden on the other schools, as the models suggest. Unlike surrounding school districts I don’t see any APS high school growing to a ridiculously large size. Boundaries will shift again, which has long been a tool. More North Arlington neighborhoods could move from W-L to Yorktown, and more South Arlington neighborhoods could move to W-L, or maybe some S Arlington neighborhoods could move to Yorktown, etc. If missing middle doubles the numbers of students in the center of the county, then maybe momentum would build for a 4th high school. But the kenmore site is the only and best site for that.

They spent $30M adding 600 seats to WL — they are using those seats so definitely hitting 3000, which is “ridiculous”

Tech is always going to underperform enrollment because it willl remain as a vocational program without any entrance exams or requirements

They need to publicize what’s available at Tech because it’s not a traditional vocational school

Sure but it’s still a non magnet non competitive vocational school

Arlington Tech and the career center are different programs.

So there’s an entrance requirements like TJHS? That would make Tech much more attractive and draw students.

No, not sure why that matters. It’s an option program that people can choose over their zoned school.

It matters because people in Arlington are insane and only want things if they are competitive! Insane.

Tech classes will have very different focus is composed of college bound computer science students vs future plumbers. My cousin is a plumber and makes $$$, but was never much into school.

[Anonymous]

I thought Arlington Tech is to become a dual enrollment program with NoVA community college for credit classes. More desirable to my DS to earn college credit rather than the empty promise of AP classes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I thought Arlington Tech is to become a dual enrollment program with NoVA community college for credit classes. More desirable to my DS to earn college credit rather than the empty promise of AP classes.

This again aligns with a vocational focus. You take AP because of the rigor needed to pass the AP exam and what that represents as to your college readiness, not to get college credits to save money on tuition (because at elite colleges you don’t pay per credit hour, you just pay annual tuition and take even more advanced classes if you AP out)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kids have generally had a good experience in MS (TJ) and HS (W-L). They have good friends, mostly great teachers, one has been involved in band all the way through while the other dabbled in a few ECs. My older is now at VT and was well prepared for college work and I'm sure my senior will do fine too.

Yes, some kids will have problems but that's the nature of the teenage years. My 2nd definitely had her struggles but I've found her teachers to be supportive when she asked for help.

The kids to need to learn to advocate for themselves, it's a big school and there's not a lot of hand holding. But that is a good life skill. Another downside -- counselor quality seems to carry a lot. We have been lucky with an excellent counselor but they are not all great. DD says some friends have started going to DDs counselor for questions because theirs is not helpful.

Sure it’s a big school now, but it will ginormous when OP kids get there.

Arlington Tech should be fully built out by then, and would relieve the population burden on the other schools, as the models suggest. Unlike surrounding school districts I don’t see any APS high school growing to a ridiculously large size. Boundaries will shift again, which has long been a tool. More North Arlington neighborhoods could move from W-L to Yorktown, and more South Arlington neighborhoods could move to W-L, or maybe some S Arlington neighborhoods could move to Yorktown, etc. If missing middle doubles the numbers of students in the center of the county, then maybe momentum would build for a 4th high school. But the kenmore site is the only and best site for that.

They spent $30M adding 600 seats to WL — they are using those seats so definitely hitting 3000, which is “ridiculous”

Tech is always going to underperform enrollment because it willl remain as a vocational program without any entrance exams or requirements

They need to publicize what’s available at Tech because it’s not a traditional vocational school

Sure but it’s still a non magnet non competitive vocational school

Arlington Tech and the career center are different programs.

So there’s an entrance requirements like TJHS? That would make Tech much more attractive and draw students.

No, not sure why that matters. It’s an option program that people can choose over their zoned school.

It matters because people in Arlington are insane and only want things if they are competitive! Insane.

Tech classes will have very different focus is composed of college bound computer science students vs future plumbers. My cousin is a plumber and makes $$$, but was never much into school.

It is the college bound computer science students. AT students are, for the most part, college bound. I don't know why some people are fixated on it being a vocational school just because there are ALSO vocational programs at the same center. DD's friend who went to AT is now at UVA.

IMO, the main weakness of AT is the limited ECs. I think the small size/project-based learning focus could have been good for DD but she cares a lot about music and not having band at school made it a non-starter.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I thought Arlington Tech is to become a dual enrollment program with NoVA community college for credit classes. More desirable to my DS to earn college credit rather than the empty promise of AP classes.

This again aligns with a vocational focus. You take AP because of the rigor needed to pass the AP exam and what that represents as to your college readiness, not to get college credits to save money on tuition (because at elite colleges you don’t pay per credit hour, you just pay annual tuition and take even more advanced classes if you AP out)

Oh. I did it wrong and graduated from college a year early. Oopsies!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I thought Arlington Tech is to become a dual enrollment program with NoVA community college for credit classes. More desirable to my DS to earn college credit rather than the empty promise of AP classes.

This again aligns with a vocational focus. You take AP because of the rigor needed to pass the AP exam and what that represents as to your college readiness, not to get college credits to save money on tuition (because at elite colleges you don’t pay per credit hour, you just pay annual tuition and take even more advanced classes if you AP out)

Oh. I did it wrong and graduated from college a year early. Oopsies!

You were able to transfer dual enrollment courses to an Ivy League school and graduated early? They don’t do that anymore even for AP; and even 20 years ago DE were considered less than.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kids have generally had a good experience in MS (TJ) and HS (W-L). They have good friends, mostly great teachers, one has been involved in band all the way through while the other dabbled in a few ECs. My older is now at VT and was well prepared for college work and I'm sure my senior will do fine too.

Yes, some kids will have problems but that's the nature of the teenage years. My 2nd definitely had her struggles but I've found her teachers to be supportive when she asked for help.

The kids to need to learn to advocate for themselves, it's a big school and there's not a lot of hand holding. But that is a good life skill. Another downside -- counselor quality seems to carry a lot. We have been lucky with an excellent counselor but they are not all great. DD says some friends have started going to DDs counselor for questions because theirs is not helpful.

Sure it’s a big school now, but it will ginormous when OP kids get there.

Arlington Tech should be fully built out by then, and would relieve the population burden on the other schools, as the models suggest. Unlike surrounding school districts I don’t see any APS high school growing to a ridiculously large size. Boundaries will shift again, which has long been a tool. More North Arlington neighborhoods could move from W-L to Yorktown, and more South Arlington neighborhoods could move to W-L, or maybe some S Arlington neighborhoods could move to Yorktown, etc. If missing middle doubles the numbers of students in the center of the county, then maybe momentum would build for a 4th high school. But the kenmore site is the only and best site for that.

They spent $30M adding 600 seats to WL — they are using those seats so definitely hitting 3000, which is “ridiculous”

Tech is always going to underperform enrollment because it willl remain as a vocational program without any entrance exams or requirements

They need to publicize what’s available at Tech because it’s not a traditional vocational school

Sure but it’s still a non magnet non competitive vocational school

Arlington Tech and the career center are different programs.

So there’s an entrance requirements like TJHS? That would make Tech much more attractive and draw students.

No, not sure why that matters. It’s an option program that people can choose over their zoned school.

It matters because people in Arlington are insane and only want things if they are competitive! Insane.

Tech classes will have very different focus is composed of college bound computer science students vs future plumbers. My cousin is a plumber and makes $$$, but was never much into school.

It is the college bound computer science students. AT students are, for the most part, college bound. I don't know why some people are fixated on it being a vocational school just because there are ALSO vocational programs at the same center. DD's friend who went to AT is now at UVA.

IMO, the main weakness of AT is the limited ECs. I think the small size/project-based learning focus could have been good for DD but she cares a lot about music and not having band at school made it a non-starter.

Vocational critic here — I know it has a mix of college prep program, buts it’s all mixed with vocational tract as well, and lacks ECs so it’s never going to a draw for college prep students unless they are desperate to avoid the supersized high schools and sacrifice EC for that goal

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I thought Arlington Tech is to become a dual enrollment program with NoVA community college for credit classes. More desirable to my DS to earn college credit rather than the empty promise of AP classes.

This again aligns with a vocational focus. You take AP because of the rigor needed to pass the AP exam and what that represents as to your college readiness, not to get college credits to save money on tuition (because at elite colleges you don’t pay per credit hour, you just pay annual tuition and take even more advanced classes if you AP out)

Oh. I did it wrong and graduated from college a year early. Oopsies!

You were able to transfer dual enrollment courses to an Ivy League school and graduated early? They don’t do that anymore even for AP; and even 20 years ago DE were considered less than.

Very few students get into Ivy League colleges. I wouldn’t base all of your planning on hoping that’s where your kid is headed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I thought Arlington Tech is to become a dual enrollment program with NoVA community college for credit classes. More desirable to my DS to earn college credit rather than the empty promise of AP classes.

This again aligns with a vocational focus. You take AP because of the rigor needed to pass the AP exam and what that represents as to your college readiness, not to get college credits to save money on tuition (because at elite colleges you don’t pay per credit hour, you just pay annual tuition and take even more advanced classes if you AP out)

Oh. I did it wrong and graduated from college a year early. Oopsies!

You were able to transfer dual enrollment courses to an Ivy League school and graduated early? They don’t do that anymore even for AP; and even 20 years ago DE were considered less than.

Very few students get into Ivy League colleges. I wouldn’t base all of your planning on hoping that’s where your kid is headed.

You just aren’t getting it. Huge swaths of Arlington are aiming for elite colleges; maybe they won’t make it, but they aren’t going to handicap their kids changes with vocational and dual enrollment pathways. That’s my point. Arlington tech doesn’t address the capacity problem because it is not aspirational like TJHS.

AND THATS FINE. A vocational option is a good choice for many students, I’m just saying don’t point to Tech as in any way addressing the mainstream high school capacity crisis. It’s a specialized high school for a niche population.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I thought Arlington Tech is to become a dual enrollment program with NoVA community college for credit classes. More desirable to my DS to earn college credit rather than the empty promise of AP classes.

This again aligns with a vocational focus. You take AP because of the rigor needed to pass the AP exam and what that represents as to your college readiness, not to get college credits to save money on tuition (because at elite colleges you don’t pay per credit hour, you just pay annual tuition and take even more advanced classes if you AP out)

Oh. I did it wrong and graduated from college a year early. Oopsies!

You were able to transfer dual enrollment courses to an Ivy League school and graduated early? They don’t do that anymore even for AP; and even 20 years ago DE were considered less than.

Very few students get into Ivy League colleges. I wouldn’t base all of your planning on hoping that’s where your kid is headed.

You just aren’t getting it. Huge swaths of Arlington are aiming for elite colleges; maybe they won’t make it, but they aren’t going to handicap their kids changes with vocational and dual enrollment pathways. That’s my point. Arlington tech doesn’t address the capacity problem because it is not aspirational like TJHS.

AND THATS FINE. A vocational option is a good choice for many students, I’m just saying don’t point to Tech as in any way addressing the mainstream high school capacity crisis. It’s a specialized high school for a niche population.

Stop calling it a vocational program.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I thought Arlington Tech is to become a dual enrollment program with NoVA community college for credit classes. More desirable to my DS to earn college credit rather than the empty promise of AP classes.

This again aligns with a vocational focus. You take AP because of the rigor needed to pass the AP exam and what that represents as to your college readiness, not to get college credits to save money on tuition (because at elite colleges you don’t pay per credit hour, you just pay annual tuition and take even more advanced classes if you AP out)

Oh. I did it wrong and graduated from college a year early. Oopsies!

You were able to transfer dual enrollment courses to an Ivy League school and graduated early? They don’t do that anymore even for AP; and even 20 years ago DE were considered less than.

Very few students get into Ivy League colleges. I wouldn’t base all of your planning on hoping that’s where your kid is headed.

You just aren’t getting it. Huge swaths of Arlington are aiming for elite colleges; maybe they won’t make it, but they aren’t going to handicap their kids changes with vocational and dual enrollment pathways. That’s my point. Arlington tech doesn’t address the capacity problem because it is not aspirational like TJHS.

AND THATS FINE. A vocational option is a good choice for many students, I’m just saying don’t point to Tech as in any way addressing the mainstream high school capacity crisis. It’s a specialized high school for a niche population.

Stop calling it a vocational program.

So the technical magnet programs like TJHS offer barbering and EMT pathways too??

https://careercenter.apsva.us/arlington-tech/program-information/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I thought Arlington Tech is to become a dual enrollment program with NoVA community college for credit classes. More desirable to my DS to earn college credit rather than the empty promise of AP classes.

This again aligns with a vocational focus. You take AP because of the rigor needed to pass the AP exam and what that represents as to your college readiness, not to get college credits to save money on tuition (because at elite colleges you don’t pay per credit hour, you just pay annual tuition and take even more advanced classes if you AP out)

You clearly don't understand the AT program at all and your argument is illogical. You get college credit for dual enrollment courses because they are college level courses, just like AP classes are supposedly college level classes.
AT students have the advantage of access to the CTE classes.
It is a selective program - you have to have taken Alg2 before you begin or no later than before you start 10th and there are limited seats. The Alg2 requirement already makes it more "selective" than HB which has no academic requirement, just limited seats. With AT, you have an expected level of academic rigor throughout the program AND it's limited seats. They have an advantage when they graduate because every student is required to complete a real internship their senior year. It's not like they are not applying to, and being accepted into, high quality colleges and universities. And when you leave AT with college credits, just like when passing AP exams, you get to take other (more advanced, if you like) classes when you get to college.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I thought Arlington Tech is to become a dual enrollment program with NoVA community college for credit classes. More desirable to my DS to earn college credit rather than the empty promise of AP classes.

This again aligns with a vocational focus. You take AP because of the rigor needed to pass the AP exam and what that represents as to your college readiness, not to get college credits to save money on tuition (because at elite colleges you don’t pay per credit hour, you just pay annual tuition and take even more advanced classes if you AP out)

Oh. I did it wrong and graduated from college a year early. Oopsies!

Shame on you! You saved money instead of doing it to take more rigorous classes! Oh well...