Alexandria Public Schools - what to do

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You get what you pay for in life (and in education). Housing prices are correlated to the school systems. Move to North Arlington/McLean and more expensive housing = better schools. Send your kids to really expensive private schools = way better college outcomes.

You choose your poison: smaller house maybe and better schools? I would not send my child to ACPS, but everyone can make their own choices.

Oh God. It's that SSSAS mom again. She pops in from time to time, but can't explain why my AC kid got into UPenn whie her SSSAS kid got waitlisted at Virginia Tech.

Too funny.

Well, I wouldn’t send my kid to SSSAS because I think it’s worse academically than Langley, TJ, Yorktown, W&L, Blair and BCC. And if your AC kid got into UPenn, then I’d bet my house on a hook. If it’s AC, then I’d put my money on URM given the diversity at the school (which many folks desire). Regardless, congrats are in order. But you really can’t argue with the fact that private school outcomes at the elite privates are better for most of their kids. Sorry, it’s an unfair world. And I take your point that it’s not universally true in every case. Totally agree with that.

[Anonymous]

We’re in this situation with 2 toddlers - agree elementary seems fine but plan to move to FCPS before oldest starts K to avoid moving them later.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You get what you pay for in life (and in education). Housing prices are correlated to the school systems. Move to North Arlington/McLean and more expensive housing = better schools. Send your kids to really expensive private schools = way better college outcomes.

You choose your poison: smaller house maybe and better schools? I would not send my child to ACPS, but everyone can make their own choices.

Oh God. It's that SSSAS mom again. She pops in from time to time, but can't explain why my AC kid got into UPenn whie her SSSAS kid got waitlisted at Virginia Tech.

Too funny.

Well, I wouldn’t send my kid to SSSAS because I think it’s worse academically than Langley, TJ, Yorktown, W&L, Blair and BCC. And if your AC kid got into UPenn, then I’d bet my house on a hook. If it’s AC, then I’d put my money on URM given the diversity at the school (which many folks desire). Regardless, congrats are in order. But you really can’t argue with the fact that private school outcomes at the elite privates are better for most of their kids. Sorry, it’s an unfair world. And I take your point that it’s not universally true in every case. Totally agree with that.

The irony in your comment is that a shit ton of kids at top DMV privates are hooked.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You get what you pay for in life (and in education). Housing prices are correlated to the school systems. Move to North Arlington/McLean and more expensive housing = better schools. Send your kids to really expensive private schools = way better college outcomes.

You choose your poison: smaller house maybe and better schools? I would not send my child to ACPS, but everyone can make their own choices.

Oh God. It's that SSSAS mom again. She pops in from time to time, but can't explain why my AC kid got into UPenn whie her SSSAS kid got waitlisted at Virginia Tech.

Too funny.

Well, I wouldn’t send my kid to SSSAS because I think it’s worse academically than Langley, TJ, Yorktown, W&L, Blair and BCC. And if your AC kid got into UPenn, then I’d bet my house on a hook. If it’s AC, then I’d put my money on URM given the diversity at the school (which many folks desire). Regardless, congrats are in order. But you really can’t argue with the fact that private school outcomes at the elite privates are better for most of their kids. Sorry, it’s an unfair world. And I take your point that it’s not universally true in every case. Totally agree with that.

The irony in your comment is that a shit ton of kids at top DMV privates are hooked.

100%. PP is painfully clueless

[Anonymous]

The people comparing Mclean to Del Ray either have never been to either or they have no soul. You could not pay me to live in Mclean.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The people comparing Mclean to Del Ray either have never been to either or they have no soul. You could not pay me to live in Mclean.

I don’t think people are comparing the areas, McLean is just an area with good public schools that people often move to (sometimes reluctantly, but still).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The people comparing Mclean to Del Ray either have never been to either or they have no soul. You could not pay me to live in Mclean.

I don’t live in McLean but you couldn’t pay me to send my kids to a school that gets shut down for violence issues, even if there’s a strip of mediocre restaurants I can walk to.

[Anonymous]

My son actually really liked GW for middle school, but overall dislikes the high school. He says there are too many behavior issues there. But since he is halfway through before him saying that, it's tough to make a different plan. He does like his sport and two clubs that he is in, and says some teachers are good, but overall, hates the environment.

[Anonymous]

It depends on your kids - we have friends with like "perfect" kids who are thriving at Alex HS. Did great in MS public as well. Our kids are not like that - one has anxiety another has dyslexia. They would never have made public and gotten into honors program or received the right help. I believe the answer from MS public was - if your kid gets a C, they stop receiving any help from us on the dyslexia front. So we went to private.

Elementary is fine. Until about 4th grade - you should start looking to leave at 5th.

We have friends with kids who were not in the honors program in public MS and the violence spurred them on to private for rest of MS and will be HS as well. I would say that unless you're in the honors program for classes you should look to leave.

Our 2 in private receive FA. If only 1, we would not qualify. For 3, you probably would.

[Anonymous]

We were zoned for and enjoyed until end of 4th, Mason. I actually am a bigger fan (WAY bigger fan) of Barrett. It's hard to say how Mason will be in the upcoming years. Teachers leave/admin change, etc.

Our youngest of our kid left a few years ago, now in private MS and HS and are thriving.

We have friends with great kid in public MS/HS and private. It totally TOTALLY depends on the kid. But if you're asking about violence and environment - even our friends with kids who are thriving in public often say that it's definitely something their kids are well aware of. It just depends on whether your kid is sensitive enough that it impacts negatively - pros/cons of being there. Some kids really won't have enough of a problem with it because they like the good stuff there more.

I would relax for now if you're kids are still young. You have at least a few years of elementary to get through and that really should not be an issue at Mason as it is such a solid community. Look into Barrett if you'd like. You also don't know how things will change in the next few years.. just remember - it's about your kids - you can't really know until you're closer to MS age to see how their personalities develop.

Our youngest prob would be fine in public but we wanted to keep them together in the same school and our oldest needed to be in private with learning disabilities.

[Anonymous]

If Trump follows through with his mass internment and deportation plans, ACPS enrollment and attendance will nosedive. It will result in school closures and consolidation.

[Anonymous]

We're really happy with our ACPS elementary school and plan to send our daughter to GW. I admit I was very nervous about it at first, but it's been great so far. ACPS schools offer a lot of great resources and have engaged PTAs. It’s important for families to stay involved in the community. Families leaving the city makes it harder for us all to work on the problems that do accurate exist in ACPS. No school system is perfect, but ACPS is truly not as bad as the haters portray it. Working together will help make the schools even better.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It depends on your kids - we have friends with like "perfect" kids who are thriving at Alex HS. Did great in MS public as well. Our kids are not like that - one has anxiety another has dyslexia. They would never have made public and gotten into honors program or received the right help. I believe the answer from MS public was - if your kid gets a C, they stop receiving any help from us on the dyslexia front. So we went to private.

Elementary is fine. Until about 4th grade - you should start looking to leave at 5th.

We have friends with kids who were not in the honors program in public MS and the violence spurred them on to private for rest of MS and will be HS as well. I would say that unless you're in the honors program for classes you should look to leave.

Our 2 in private receive FA. If only 1, we would not qualify. For 3, you probably would.

For those receiving financial aid is that truly realistic? What is your income and how much aid are you receiving? Our combined income is probably 350ish but obviously 8000 percent of that goes out the door instantly, not that financial aid would care! Would three kids tip the scale in our favor?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We're really happy with our ACPS elementary school and plan to send our daughter to GW. I admit I was very nervous about it at first, but it's been great so far. ACPS schools offer a lot of great resources and have engaged PTAs. It’s important for families to stay involved in the community. Families leaving the city makes it harder for us all to work on the problems that do accurate exist in ACPS. No school system is perfect, but ACPS is truly not as bad as the haters portray it. Working together will help make the schools even better.

We have struggled with understanding how these kinds of changes/parenting banding together to demand better has not already happened but I am assuming it’s because people just leave.

I understand no school is perfect - but husband and I are products of very good public schools and can’t wrap our brains around this. The violence in particular.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone know what elementary school will replace Jefferson Houston for the Parker Gray/Braddock metro neighborhood? Primary options seem to be either Maury (Rosemont) or Lyles Crouch (SE quadrant). It will be interesting to see if property values in the area currently zoned to Jefferson Houston increase once JH is no longer the elementary school for the neighborhood (or one at all).

Probably more to Brooks (it’s no longer Maury) and then some to LC but LC is close to capacity so it will be tougher. They can send some of the western parts of the LC zone elsewhere, I guess, to free up some space there.

I suspect the Potomac Yard part of the current JH zone may get sent to Cora Kelly which has plenty of space and is due for a new building at some point.

That sounds like a reasonable plan but you never know how they will move things around. Thanks for reminding me the school is called Brooks now.