If money was not a consideration, would you do private school for high school or APS

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:APS is a mess now. Seriously. I'd try to find slots in privates before the stampede.

What's wrong with it?

[Anonymous]

Depends on the kid. For strong students who love school and you are talking about a few years from now not 10+ where who knows what will happen with the crowding, APS's main HS's are fine. I have a DD who is doing well at W-L because she's very academically focused, self-motivated. However, my DS is not very academically focused, although he makes decent grades (B+ average) when I stay on top of him. He generally thinks school is boring. We're giving Arlington Tech a try for freshman year and will see how that goes in terms of providing better engagement and personal attention. I'm willing to explore private schools for him if we're not happy with Tech.

[Anonymous]

I have very recent experience at WL and an excellent private in DC. My 3 were happy at both, received excellent educations at both, had great and caring teachers at both, attend great colleges and were well prepared (one just graduated from college and another from HS so a little soon to predict how well prepared he actually is). If WL wasn't dealing with such an overcrowding crisis with no acceptable solution in sight, I'd happily send another DC to it. But given WL's overcrowding and if money was not an object, I'd send the next DC to private.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Depends on the kid. For strong students who love school and you are talking about a few years from now not 10+ where who knows what will happen with the crowding, APS's main HS's are fine. I have a DD who is doing well at W-L because she's very academically focused, self-motivated. However, my DS is not very academically focused, although he makes decent grades (B+ average) when I stay on top of him. He generally thinks school is boring. We're giving Arlington Tech a try for freshman year and will see how that goes in terms of providing better engagement and personal attention. I'm willing to explore private schools for him if we're not happy with Tech.

This is my feeling, too. I have rising 7th and 5th graders. The 7th grader is an excellent student who is very self motivated. The 5th grader is smart, but thinks school is boring. I'm worried that both of them will get lost at W-L though so not sure what we'll do. My DH went to Gonzaga so that's a consideration.

[Anonymous]

I'd buy a better, less expensive home in south Arlington and go private. Especially if I had toddlers.

[Anonymous]

Private, without question.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Private, without question.

The only decent privates are St Albans, NCS, and maybe Sidwell and GDS. That's it, or the elite New England boarding schools like Deerfield, Choate, Mount Hermon, etc. I'd stick with the good public schools, unless you really, really want one of these private schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Private, without question.

The only decent privates are St Albans, NCS, and maybe Sidwell and GDS. That's it, or the elite New England boarding schools like Deerfield, Choate, Mount Hermon, etc. I'd stick with the good public schools, unless you really, really want one of these private schools.

For boys, Gonzaga, Georgetown Prep, St. Anselms also good. For girls, Visi and Stoneridge. Catholic, but not parochial. I think I'd be okay with Maret, too. There are probably others I am forgetting. The worse APS gets, the better many of these privates will look.

[Anonymous]

Money is not an issue, then private for sure.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Money is no object and we are choosing APS, as are the vast majority of our neighbors.

All private schools are not created equal, by a long shot. Some people seem to think private = automatically better than public, but you really need to compare specific school to specific school.

If money was no object, you wouldn't be living in Arlington.

Very few areas around here are better than Arlington.

DC has the top neighborhoods in the area and the best suburbs are Bethesda, Chevy Chase, Potomac, McLean and Great Falls.

What can I say? I prefer Arlington.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:APS is a mess now. Seriously. I'd try to find slots in privates before the stampede.

Arlington is the top ranked school district in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

[Anonymous]

One downside is that extracurriculars like band, orchestra, sports, etc., tend to be stronger at good public schools. Private schools just don't have the numbers (of students) to create a wide variety of strong extracurriculars.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
APS is a mess now. Seriously. I'd try to find slots in privates before the stampede.

Arlington is the top ranked school district in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

According to whom? Evidence, please.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
APS is a mess now. Seriously. I'd try to find slots in privates before the stampede.

Arlington is the top ranked school district in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

According to whom? Evidence, please.

Niche.

[Anonymous]

Why was APS not one of the 15 school divisions that received a "Distinguished Achievement" award this year from the VA Board of Education?

http://www.doe.virginia.gov/news/news_releases/2017/08-aug08.shtml