Any other Alexandrians heartbroken about ACPS?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I live in Alexandria and I have a group of moms who all had babies around the same time period who have kept in touch. We all got together recently, as our oldest kids are about to finish 2nd grade. When the kids were little, we had all planned to send them to our local, relatively well-regarded ACPS elementary, but I realized that now, not a single one will still have a kid in ACPS by the start of 3rd grade. Everyone has either moved or switched to private. It’s sad and I don’t see a lot of willingness on the part of the city to change.

I'm a PP (18:30) and this is our experience as well. In first grade my oldest invited over a dozen classmates to a birthday party. Only one remains in ACPS, and she is going private next year.

[Anonymous]

Yes. I am 100% pro-public school but I am so upset by the state of ACPS. Especially the violence in high schools, which is something we won't tolerate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I live in Alexandria and I have a group of moms who all had babies around the same time period who have kept in touch. We all got together recently, as our oldest kids are about to finish 2nd grade. When the kids were little, we had all planned to send them to our local, relatively well-regarded ACPS elementary, but I realized that now, not a single one will still have a kid in ACPS by the start of 3rd grade. Everyone has either moved or switched to private. It’s sad and I don’t see a lot of willingness on the part of the city to change.

I'm a PP (18:30) and this is our experience as well. In first grade my oldest invited over a dozen classmates to a birthday party. Only one remains in ACPS, and she is going private next year.

OP again. DC will be in 2nd next year and many have stayed, but I assume it'll be the last year. I'm unsure of where to move that has some of the lifestyle benefits of Old Town. It's a mess.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I live in Alexandria and I have a group of moms who all had babies around the same time period who have kept in touch. We all got together recently, as our oldest kids are about to finish 2nd grade. When the kids were little, we had all planned to send them to our local, relatively well-regarded ACPS elementary, but I realized that now, not a single one will still have a kid in ACPS by the start of 3rd grade. Everyone has either moved or switched to private. It’s sad and I don’t see a lot of willingness on the part of the city to change.

I'm a PP (18:30) and this is our experience as well. In first grade my oldest invited over a dozen classmates to a birthday party. Only one remains in ACPS, and she is going private next year.

OP again. DC will be in 2nd next year and many have stayed, but I assume it'll be the last year. I'm unsure of where to move that has some of the lifestyle benefits of Old Town. It's a mess.

They pale in comparison in terms of prettiness/charm, but parts of North Arlington (Westover, Bluemont neighborhoods in particular) and maybe Falls Church City.

Maybe Silver Spring but I'm not as familiar with MD.

And actually Reston and Leesburg, *if you work remote* all or most of the time and therefore don't need to commute to DC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As an Old Town resident and lover of our vibrant city of Alexandria, I am so heartbroken by our public school system. We love and support our schools but wow it's like our school board refuses to make anything better and we all suffer as a result. Staying isn't safe and kids are segregated in our upper schools. Only the blind dispute this. It's just frustrating to know we need to move from this otherwise amazing place.

I'm sure there will be plenty of posters chiming in, finding ways to make fun of this and pick me apart. But, I think many others actually living and witnessing this know it's very much real.

Vote Democrat and prioritize issues that are not education and this is what you (Alexandria) gets.

It has only become worse as wannabe politicos perceive school board as a stepping stone to higher office and play to national culture wars, rather than serve the community.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As an Old Town resident and lover of our vibrant city of Alexandria, I am so heartbroken by our public school system. We love and support our schools but wow it's like our school board refuses to make anything better and we all suffer as a result. Staying isn't safe and kids are segregated in our upper schools. Only the blind dispute this. It's just frustrating to know we need to move from this otherwise amazing place.

I'm sure there will be plenty of posters chiming in, finding ways to make fun of this and pick me apart. But, I think many others actually living and witnessing this know it's very much real.

Vote Democrat and prioritize issues that are not education and this is what you (Alexandria) gets.

It has only become worse as wannabe politicos perceive school board as a stepping stone to higher office and play to national culture wars, rather than serve the community.

This is exactly the problem. I think these people care about education, but don’t really care about the details necessary for a great school system. They virtue signal, play to the lowest common denominator, congratulate themselves over bad decisions, and things just get worse over time.

Families who can afford it, flee the system.

[Anonymous]

Most of you are just afraid of poor and brown people.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I live in Alexandria and I have a group of moms who all had babies around the same time period who have kept in touch. We all got together recently, as our oldest kids are about to finish 2nd grade. When the kids were little, we had all planned to send them to our local, relatively well-regarded ACPS elementary, but I realized that now, not a single one will still have a kid in ACPS by the start of 3rd grade. Everyone has either moved or switched to private. It’s sad and I don’t see a lot of willingness on the part of the city to change.

Wow! I’ve certainly heard this same story before a decade earlier (you are not alone!) but from the outside, I just don’t understand that after all this time there are not enough votes to kick out all these deadweights and failures from your SB and Council. The Alexandria public school system shouldn’t be this abysmal. In fact it seems it’s only gotten worse, since a decade earlier families were staying through elementary school!?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We moved but missed old town so much we moved back and just bite the billet and pay for private. It makes me sad that Alexandria throws all of this money away on a disastrous public school system that seems to be getting worse and worse and sad for the kids who have no choice and are stuck in systemic failures.

This is one of my fears. It's hard to beat the lifestyle in Old Town, particularly walkability with young kids. Unfortunately private isn't an option for us due to one of our kids being in special Ed. So it looks like moving is the only path. It's such a ridiculous situation. Agree that it seems to be worsening every year.

I’m 21:08 from page 1. This was us and many of our friends but over ten years ago. Many of us moved to Falls Church City or Vienna for other walkable towns. A few stayed and went to private. None of us stayed in the public schools there. I don’t know anyone that moved who doesn’t like FCC or Vienna. They are different and both have pros and cons.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As an Old Town resident and lover of our vibrant city of Alexandria, I am so heartbroken by our public school system. We love and support our schools but wow it's like our school board refuses to make anything better and we all suffer as a result. Staying isn't safe and kids are segregated in our upper schools. Only the blind dispute this. It's just frustrating to know we need to move from this otherwise amazing place.

I'm sure there will be plenty of posters chiming in, finding ways to make fun of this and pick me apart. But, I think many others actually living and witnessing this know it's very much real.

Vote Democrat and prioritize issues that are not education and this is what you (Alexandria) gets.

It has only become worse as wannabe politicos perceive school board as a stepping stone to higher office and play to national culture wars, rather than serve the community.

This is exactly the problem. I think these people care about education, but don’t really care about the details necessary for a great school system. They virtue signal, play to the lowest common denominator, congratulate themselves over bad decisions, and things just get worse over time.

Families who can afford it, flee the system.

Well they don’t actually care about education, judging by what issues are talked about the most, including various “education” lobbies.

[Anonymous]

APS is on a downward trajectory as well. Don’t go there. It’s fine for elementary but they are slowly devolving into low expectations and reduced rigor. The only differentiation is on iPads while teachers work with kids who need catching up. So many families our N Arlington neighborhood are making plans to go private for middle school.

[Anonymous]

OP this has been literally going on for YEARS. Why did you move somewhere with bad schools?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Most of you are just afraid of poor and brown people.

No, it is poor academic instruction and poor support for students with disabilities to start with.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most of you are just afraid of poor and brown people.

No, it is poor academic instruction and poor support for students with disabilities to start with.

OP here. Thanks PP for replying to this ridiculous comment above. I hate to break it to that person that we are in fact brown and aren't afraid of poor people. We are p*ssed off about a school system that fails kids at every level and has no plans to change. Nice try though!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP this has been literally going on for YEARS. Why did you move somewhere with bad schools?

OP here. We lived here before kids and hoped it might improve. We learned that was lip service.