ACPS VS APS

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most people first choose between APS or ACPS then move to Fairfax if it doesn't work out.

I don’t think many former APS parents go to FCPS. There’s no pipeline like that. The ones that don’t stick with APS for whatever reason go the independent school route, the top 3 or just below that level.

For the OP: unless you’re drawn to particular neighborhoods in Arlington, you should expand your search. APS, FCCPS, FCPS, MCPS, and maybe even DCPS (upper NW). There are lots of good options for strong public school pyramids. Or just stick it out with ACPS.

Many do, but they don't tell you. People don't choose Arlington for the schools. And they definitely don't choose Alexandria for the schools.

There is no difference in the college acceptances for the wealthy parts of Fairfax vs Arlington public schools. Put aside TJ, which is unique, you can’t point to any significant differences between W&L, YHS, Langley, McLean, and Meridian. And while college acceptance is by no means a perfect rubric for measuring the quality of the HS education one receives, it is at least a measure of where there might be significant differences in the quality of the schooling. Alexandria City HS has a more socio economically diverse student population and historically has had a poorer academic reputation. Not a bad reputation just not on par with the schools above.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most people first choose between APS or ACPS then move to Fairfax if it doesn't work out.

I don’t think many former APS parents go to FCPS. There’s no pipeline like that. The ones that don’t stick with APS for whatever reason go the independent school route, the top 3 or just below that level.

For the OP: unless you’re drawn to particular neighborhoods in Arlington, you should expand your search. APS, FCCPS, FCPS, MCPS, and maybe even DCPS (upper NW). There are lots of good options for strong public school pyramids. Or just stick it out with ACPS.

Many do, but they don't tell you. People don't choose Arlington for the schools. And they definitely don't choose Alexandria for the schools.

There is no difference in the college acceptances for the wealthy parts of Fairfax vs Arlington public schools. Put aside TJ, which is unique, you can’t point to any significant differences between W&L, YHS, Langley, McLean, and Meridian. And while college acceptance is by no means a perfect rubric for measuring the quality of the HS education one receives, it is at least a measure of where there might be significant differences in the quality of the schooling. Alexandria City HS has a more socio economically diverse student population and historically has had a poorer academic reputation. Not a bad reputation just not on par with the schools above.

Not sure you can set aside TJ students like that since a large number of them come from the FCPS schools that you named. The comparison you make is between the top Arlington students vs a second tier of students at those schools, which means that FCPS seems to do a better job of educating more students than does APS. And from the many people (both students and parents) I've come across in various sports and academic teams, the kids in FCPS generally seem to be on another level when it comes to academic mindset.

[Anonymous]

No one is leaving APS for FCPS. Please.

People go private if they aren’t going to use APS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No one is leaving APS for FCPS. Please.

People go private if they aren’t going to use APS.

You can kick FCPS out of the Virginia Schools Forum and pretend it doesn't exist - but that doesn't mean people do not leave APS and go to FCPS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why? Just go to FCPS, APS is pretty similar in quality now

At least Arlington has more options than one single overcrowded unmanageable high school. Nothing quite compares to the uniqueness of ACPS in that regard.

ACPS? Arlington is APS. Alexandria is ACPS, where the OP is moving from.

Correct. PP was saying Arlington has options while Alexandria only has the one high school, which is unique in not a great way.

[Anonymous]

APS is nothing to brag about. Yorktown in particular really seems to punch below its weight given the demographics.

[Anonymous]

Agree with the posters who say most don't move ACPS to APS. ACPS to FCPS seems more typical. In our ACPS elementary 4th/5th grade seems the typical drop-off point. In fact we usually lose a classroom going from 4th to 5th.

Topic for another thread but anecdotally it does seem APS students tend to go private/independent/parochial, rather than move.

[Anonymous]

I am decently happy with APS, but I wouldn't move here for the schools unless I didn't know the schools well. I agree that if someone is moving for the schools and is okay with public, they would go to FCPS. Even factoring in commutes, I'm not sure ACPS school zones are much worse than APS school zones. So overall it's unlikely that someone would move from ACPS to APS .

I have heard of a few people moving from APS to FCPS, but schools were one of a variety of factors. If people are seriously unhappy with APS they usually go private or homeschool, but I actually don't know many who have even done that. Usually people just complain a lot and/or advocate for change, but they make it work.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am decently happy with APS, but I wouldn't move here for the schools unless I didn't know the schools well. I agree that if someone is moving for the schools and is okay with public, they would go to FCPS. Even factoring in commutes, I'm not sure ACPS school zones are much worse than APS school zones. So overall it's unlikely that someone would move from ACPS to APS .

I have heard of a few people moving from APS to FCPS, but schools were one of a variety of factors. If people are seriously unhappy with APS they usually go private or homeschool, but I actually don't know many who have even done that. Usually people just complain a lot and/or advocate for change, but they make it work.

One parent posting here did move from ACPS to APS in the later grades for better schools. Perhaps they could post with more info? That could help move the conversation along. But I am personally not familiar with the quality of ACPS schools, i.e., if they are better or worse than APS, so I can’t knock them. GW and ACHS are probably relatively normal middle and high schools overall.

I do know that more people complain about ACPS schools, possible trolling. The people I know who move to Arlington for the schools all do it when the kids are in preschool. Those who typically enter in the middle grades moved from other parts of the country or are military.

And I do know the APS school pyramid we’re in is a good one, meaning one we’ll be happy with through high school. Most in the neighborhood send kids to the public schools and there is a strong sense of community from that. If OP has that in Alexandria, why move?

To the OP: why move from good school pyramids in ACPS (or DCPS, etc,) if the kids are already settled? There is a lot of fear on these boards, possibly unfounded.

[Anonymous]

Is there anywhere in FCPS that has the city-ish feel of Arlington or Old Town? The main thing keeping us in APS is lifestyle and proximity to DC. I doubt my kids would spend nearly as much time at the Smithsonian or the Kennedy Center if we moved to Fairfax, and that comes with educational benefits too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is there anywhere in FCPS that has the city-ish feel of Arlington or Old Town? The main thing keeping us in APS is lifestyle and proximity to DC. I doubt my kids would spend nearly as much time at the Smithsonian or the Kennedy Center if we moved to Fairfax, and that comes with educational benefits too.

I don’t think so, but families in the popular FCPS West Potomac HS pyramid are just south of Old Town Alexandria. So it’s a quick bike ride (along the scenic Mt Vernon Trail) or drive along the parkway. Note that the FCPS forum complains about how the wealthy parents with influence advocate for school expansions at well-regarded West Potomac HS over investment at nearby, neglected Mount Vernon HS. OP, that illustrates that not all FCPS schools are equal. People may move to the Alexandria section of Fairfax County (FCPS) specifically for the West Potomac school pyramids, but they purposefully avoid the Mt Vernon HS pyramids.

The upscale mixed use neighborhood The Mosaic in Merrifield is somewhat urban but separated by industrial parks from the Dunn Loring Metro. Nearby neighborhoods (a few miles away) like Mantua are attractive but very suburban (i.e. one or two entrances off of major highways like Rt 50 and not walkable to stores and shops.)

[Anonymous]

It should be noted that for APS high schools, there are usually some new-to-public-school students from the local parochial schools. But those families are already Arlington residents.

And like some neighbors of ours, some families do move within Arlington (typically early elementary grades, or just before middle school) with specific APS schools in mind, for whatever reason.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It should be noted that for APS high schools, there are usually some new-to-public-school students from the local parochial schools. But those families are already Arlington residents.

And like some neighbors of ours, some families do move within Arlington (typically early elementary grades, or just before middle school) with specific APS schools in mind, for whatever reason.

I think of Langley, Meridian, McLean, Yorktown and W&L as the same bucket but nowhere near ACH or West Potomac. Niche is a horrible useless thing but it does have median home price which is waaaaay different for west Potomac and ACH vs, say, Yorktown. You are getting really different student populations with those two housing values. Not to say there aren’t a million exceptions and that educational experience does not by definition match exactly with housing values …. But it’s going to be a way better proxy for comparison.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It should be noted that for APS high schools, there are usually some new-to-public-school students from the local parochial schools. But those families are already Arlington residents.

And like some neighbors of ours, some families do move within Arlington (typically early elementary grades, or just before middle school) with specific APS schools in mind, for whatever reason.

I think of Langley, Meridian, McLean, Yorktown and W&L as the same bucket but nowhere near ACH or West Potomac. Niche is a horrible useless thing but it does have median home price which is waaaaay different for west Potomac and ACH vs, say, Yorktown. You are getting really different student populations with those two housing values. Not to say there aren’t a million exceptions and that educational experience does not by definition match exactly with housing values …. But it’s going to be a way better proxy for comparison.

I thought West Potomac HS was a good FCPS school that families seek out when house shopping. The homes down in Hollin Hill and also near the Bellevue CC are certainly stunning. Family friends live there and love the public elementary.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It should be noted that for APS high schools, there are usually some new-to-public-school students from the local parochial schools. But those families are already Arlington residents.

And like some neighbors of ours, some families do move within Arlington (typically early elementary grades, or just before middle school) with specific APS schools in mind, for whatever reason.

I think of Langley, Meridian, McLean, Yorktown and W&L as the same bucket but nowhere near ACH or West Potomac. Niche is a horrible useless thing but it does have median home price which is waaaaay different for west Potomac and ACH vs, say, Yorktown. You are getting really different student populations with those two housing values. Not to say there aren’t a million exceptions and that educational experience does not by definition match exactly with housing values …. But it’s going to be a way better proxy for comparison.

I thought West Potomac HS was a good FCPS school that families seek out when house shopping. The homes down in Hollin Hill and also near the Bellevue CC are certainly stunning. Family friends live there and love the public elementary.

I’m sure they do! And I’m guessing the elementary school and West Potomac are excellent schools. But they aren’t Yorktown or W&L (or the other schools I mentioned.)

Those neighborhoods you mention are very nice and generally the nicest neighborhoods in West Potomac but they are topping out at about $1M. That’s not what North Arlington tops out at. Niches has average home price in West Potomac at like $650k and YHS at $1.1M. I’m not criticizing West Potomac, only trying to describe a little why I don’t see them in the same grouping.