TJMS vs WMS - WWYD?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here - I appreciate the insights.

The kid is already at an option school and has friends going to both WMS and TJMS, but his best buddies are going to WMS. One is another transfer from another different middle school.

I was fine with Jefferson, but when we sat him down to talk about it, he was over the moon to be with his best friends, none of whom are white and neither is he. According to School Quality, WMS is *only* 72% white now. Still just 2% low income compared to Jefferson where 45% of the school is, but not as lacking in diversity as I worried. So not lily white, but still the whitest school, if you compare all of them.

I'm the pickup parent right and my other kid is at an option school, so WMS only adds 5 minutes on my drive home from work, though if I didn't have the kids in an option school, I'd be on the Metro.

It's too far off on my spouse's way to work in the AM, but they wouldn't be able to be lazy about mornings anymore.

We're going to apply for all the options for HS too, so I'll cross that bridge when I come to it. Kid wants to go to Arlington Tech.

I had heard way back the problem at WMS was rich kids doing drugs? Has that changed?

This is so typical of DCUM: posters burying the lead. NOW you tell us his best buddies are all going to WMS. Now you tell us your kid isn't white. Now you tell us it's only 5 minutes out of your way from work. Etc.

In any event . . .

72 percent white is white AF. Rich white kids rule the school. TJ has no majority race. It's much more diverse. Much more of a melting pot. Much more real world.

We raised our kids in North Arlington. Over the years we had kids at two neighborhood elementary schools, one choice elementary school, Swanson, H-B and Williamsburg middle schools, and Yorktown and H-B for high schools. Of all of these schools, the only place where any of our kids were less than thrilled was WMS. And our kids were rich white kids.

I would never subject an out of neighborhood minority kid to WMS. No way.

Sorry - I wanted the version of what people would say, not knowing all the details, just the basics.

When did you go? Was it 30% minority then too?

WMS demographics have been what they are for decades and if anything are skewing only in a more affluent direction. You're also inflating or not really analyzing its minority enrollment statistics. First, you're rounding up to 30. Second, half of the "minority" enrollment is actually mixed race and who really knows what that means -- I'm betting most are pretty damned white. The school is less than 3 percent black and less than 8 percent Latino in an otherwise very diverse school district. WMS demographics have been what they are forever.

But, hey, if you want to "bus" your minority kid to a largely white and affluent school with a notoriously challenging social scene even for the majority when you have a great school at your doorstep have at it.

OP again - mixed race can mean anything, that is true. From my experience, its mostly White/Asian or White/Black kids. Please tell me more about the social scene. Do you believe there is a problem with racism or classism that we should be aware of?

Our current school is moderately affluent, I guess? I see Porsches, Maseratis, etc picking kids up. We are solidly middle-middle class by Arlington standards.

All of the kids we know zoned to WMS seem fine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here - I appreciate the insights.

The kid is already at an option school and has friends going to both WMS and TJMS, but his best buddies are going to WMS. One is another transfer from another different middle school.

I was fine with Jefferson, but when we sat him down to talk about it, he was over the moon to be with his best friends, none of whom are white and neither is he. According to School Quality, WMS is *only* 72% white now. Still just 2% low income compared to Jefferson where 45% of the school is, but not as lacking in diversity as I worried. So not lily white, but still the whitest school, if you compare all of them.

I'm the pickup parent right and my other kid is at an option school, so WMS only adds 5 minutes on my drive home from work, though if I didn't have the kids in an option school, I'd be on the Metro.

It's too far off on my spouse's way to work in the AM, but they wouldn't be able to be lazy about mornings anymore.

We're going to apply for all the options for HS too, so I'll cross that bridge when I come to it. Kid wants to go to Arlington Tech.

I had heard way back the problem at WMS was rich kids doing drugs? Has that changed?

This is so typical of DCUM: posters burying the lead. NOW you tell us his best buddies are all going to WMS. Now you tell us your kid isn't white. Now you tell us it's only 5 minutes out of your way from work. Etc.

In any event . . .

72 percent white is white AF. Rich white kids rule the school. TJ has no majority race. It's much more diverse. Much more of a melting pot. Much more real world.

We raised our kids in North Arlington. Over the years we had kids at two neighborhood elementary schools, one choice elementary school, Swanson, H-B and Williamsburg middle schools, and Yorktown and H-B for high schools. Of all of these schools, the only place where any of our kids were less than thrilled was WMS. And our kids were rich white kids.

I would never subject an out of neighborhood minority kid to WMS. No way.

Sorry - I wanted the version of what people would say, not knowing all the details, just the basics.

When did you go? Was it 30% minority then too?

WMS demographics have been what they are for decades and if anything are skewing only in a more affluent direction. You're also inflating or not really analyzing its minority enrollment statistics. First, you're rounding up to 30. Second, half of the "minority" enrollment is actually mixed race and who really knows what that means -- I'm betting most are pretty damned white. The school is less than 3 percent black and less than 8 percent Latino in an otherwise very diverse school district. WMS demographics have been what they are forever.

But, hey, if you want to "bus" your minority kid to a largely white and affluent school with a notoriously challenging social scene even for the majority when you have a great school at your doorstep have at it.

OP again - mixed race can mean anything, that is true. From my experience, its mostly White/Asian or White/Black kids. Please tell me more about the social scene. Do you believe there is a problem with racism or classism that we should be aware of?

Our current school is moderately affluent, I guess? I see Porsches, Maseratis, etc picking kids up. We are solidly middle-middle class by Arlington standards.

All of the kids we know zoned to WMS seem fine.

Sigh. I've already made my view pretty clear. Good luck with your decision.

[Anonymous]

FWIW I know two mixed race kids who go to WMS who are zoned elsewhere. I have not heard of them having any problems and they fit in well. They are good athletes though. They are not rich or poor. I think not knowing many kids going to their zoned HS is an issue.

[Anonymous]

As long as he doesn't ride one of those kid motorcycles he will be just fine.

[Anonymous]

If best friends go to Williamsburg, transferring doesn't hurt. Then you can apply for a transfer spot to Yorktown for high school.

The sacrifice would be the walkable neighborhood schools and the not taking full advantage of the neighborhood community/school relationship. Also, transfers to Williamsburg and Yorktown don't have APS bus transport. Public transit (ART and Metrobus) would be free.

[Anonymous]

He won't be able to easily transfer into Yorktown... unless you play the race card later, or your son is a recruited athlete. One of my son's friends (zoned for either Wakefield or W-L, cannot recall) managed to transfer into Yorktown, maybe because he's AA or because his dad knows the athletic director and secured a spot for him on a team.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:He won't be able to easily transfer into Yorktown... unless you play the race card later, or your son is a recruited athlete. One of my son's friends (zoned for either Wakefield or W-L, cannot recall) managed to transfer into Yorktown, maybe because he's AA or because his dad knows the athletic director and secured a spot for him on a team.

Not true. While Yorktown is a Northern Virginia sports powerhouse, they do not and cannot recruit. That would break VHSL rules. Certain Fairfax County high schools have been severely penalized for recruiting violations that made the local eyewitness news.

Yorktown, like all the Arlington high schools, allow for neighborhood transfers for any reason. Admission based on race would break the law.

[Anonymous]

OP - not interested in playing any cards. We'll just take our chances with whatever transfer or lottery opportunities there are when the time comes.

We are not looking to go to Yorktown and I suspect my son's friends are also going to continue to play the lottery for schools. They are more likely to want to go to ArlTech or W-L for IB.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP - not interested in playing any cards. We'll just take our chances with whatever transfer or lottery opportunities there are when the time comes.

We are not looking to go to Yorktown and I suspect my son's friends are also going to continue to play the lottery for schools. They are more likely to want to go to ArlTech or W-L for IB.

Yea, well, after your son spends three years at WMS and virtually his entire class goes on to Yorktown you might end up with a kid who wants Yorktown. Have you given that any thought??

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP - not interested in playing any cards. We'll just take our chances with whatever transfer or lottery opportunities there are when the time comes.

We are not looking to go to Yorktown and I suspect my son's friends are also going to continue to play the lottery for schools. They are more likely to want to go to ArlTech or W-L for IB.

Yea, well, after your son spends three years at WMS and virtually his entire class goes on to Yorktown you might end up with a kid who wants Yorktown. Have you given that any thought??

Of course. I just spent 6 years at an option school, where all the kids come from across the county and are either going to one of 6 other programs or going private. I feel pretty capable in explaining how that works.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP - not interested in playing any cards. We'll just take our chances with whatever transfer or lottery opportunities there are when the time comes.

We are not looking to go to Yorktown and I suspect my son's friends are also going to continue to play the lottery for schools. They are more likely to want to go to ArlTech or W-L for IB.

Yea, well, after your son spends three years at WMS and virtually his entire class goes on to Yorktown you might end up with a kid who wants Yorktown. Have you given that any thought??

Of course. I just spent 6 years at an option school, where all the kids come from across the county and are either going to one of 6 other programs or going private. I feel pretty capable in explaining how that works.

Way to miss my whole point.

My point is that you're talking about putting a kid in a middle school where virtually the entire class will end up in a high school where admission for your own kid is at most a crap shoot. So what happens when your kid goes to WMS, makes a bunch of friends there, then wants to go on with them to high school but can't and is disappointed? And for what? Just so he could go to WMS? It makes no sense.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP - not interested in playing any cards. We'll just take our chances with whatever transfer or lottery opportunities there are when the time comes.

We are not looking to go to Yorktown and I suspect my son's friends are also going to continue to play the lottery for schools. They are more likely to want to go to ArlTech or W-L for IB.

Yea, well, after your son spends three years at WMS and virtually his entire class goes on to Yorktown you might end up with a kid who wants Yorktown. Have you given that any thought??

Of course. I just spent 6 years at an option school, where all the kids come from across the county and are either going to one of 6 other programs or going private. I feel pretty capable in explaining how that works.

Way to miss my whole point.

My point is that you're talking about putting a kid in a middle school where virtually the entire class will end up in a high school where admission for your own kid is at most a crap shoot. So what happens when your kid goes to WMS, makes a bunch of friends there, then wants to go on with them to high school but can't and is disappointed? And for what? Just so he could go to WMS? It makes no sense.

We all do what makes sense for our family and consider the options. I appreciate coming to DCUM b/c people will tell you what they think and give you angles that you might not have considered. I think plenty of kids at every school go on to not attend the same school as most of their peers. People move away, things change. You raise your kids to be resilient. That said, I know from my spouse that not everyone has to deal with that and it is a strange concept. They went to the same school for 13 years, with the same kids, and the concept of changing schools was something they had to work through when we decided to go public.

I wouldn't make a call based on a hypothetical sadness.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP - not interested in playing any cards. We'll just take our chances with whatever transfer or lottery opportunities there are when the time comes.

We are not looking to go to Yorktown and I suspect my son's friends are also going to continue to play the lottery for schools. They are more likely to want to go to ArlTech or W-L for IB.

Yea, well, after your son spends three years at WMS and virtually his entire class goes on to Yorktown you might end up with a kid who wants Yorktown. Have you given that any thought??

Of course. I just spent 6 years at an option school, where all the kids come from across the county and are either going to one of 6 other programs or going private. I feel pretty capable in explaining how that works.

You had a good experience at Montessori or ATS and you think that it's normal to fish around for options and transfers because that's what you're used to. It's very much not the norm in Arlington, though. You're talking about a transfer to a neighborhood school where the dynamics are completely different because they are neighborhood based. Kids move from elementary to middle to high school in large cohorts. You clearly want WMS, though, so carry on.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP - not interested in playing any cards. We'll just take our chances with whatever transfer or lottery opportunities there are when the time comes.

We are not looking to go to Yorktown and I suspect my son's friends are also going to continue to play the lottery for schools. They are more likely to want to go to ArlTech or W-L for IB.

Yea, well, after your son spends three years at WMS and virtually his entire class goes on to Yorktown you might end up with a kid who wants Yorktown. Have you given that any thought??

Of course. I just spent 6 years at an option school, where all the kids come from across the county and are either going to one of 6 other programs or going private. I feel pretty capable in explaining how that works.

You had a good experience at Montessori or ATS and you think that it's normal to fish around for options and transfers because that's what you're used to. It's very much not the norm in Arlington, though. You're talking about a transfer to a neighborhood school where the dynamics are completely different because they are neighborhood based. Kids move from elementary to middle to high school in large cohorts. You clearly want WMS, though, so carry on.

Lots of the 5th graders from my son’s ATS class did the transfer to WMS from Kenmore, TJ, Gunston. We couldn’t make it work with commutes. It ended up fine. We would have considered WMS If we didn’t both work outside the home.
We did get in to 2 option High Schools. Kid is very happy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP - not interested in playing any cards. We'll just take our chances with whatever transfer or lottery opportunities there are when the time comes.

We are not looking to go to Yorktown and I suspect my son's friends are also going to continue to play the lottery for schools. They are more likely to want to go to ArlTech or W-L for IB.

Yea, well, after your son spends three years at WMS and virtually his entire class goes on to Yorktown you might end up with a kid who wants Yorktown. Have you given that any thought??

Of course. I just spent 6 years at an option school, where all the kids come from across the county and are either going to one of 6 other programs or going private. I feel pretty capable in explaining how that works.

You had a good experience at Montessori or ATS and you think that it's normal to fish around for options and transfers because that's what you're used to. It's very much not the norm in Arlington, though. You're talking about a transfer to a neighborhood school where the dynamics are completely different because they are neighborhood based. Kids move from elementary to middle to high school in large cohorts. You clearly want WMS, though, so carry on.

Yea I agree. OP isn’t seeking advice she’s seeking affirmation. I have to say: this is the first time I’ve ever heard of anybody fighting for WMS come hell or high water. How bizarre.