Alexandria city vs. FCPS Alexandria

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wow- what a rude, rude comment all around!

I would tend to disagree with you that I am not more mindful of education than people who have kids in school - I'm "pretty sure," as you so nicely put it, that I think about education minimum 50 hours per week. I am not a classroom teacher, by the way, I'm an administrator (although I guess that part doesn't really matter), but what a snarky way to put that! FYI- the only reason I made a comparison in the first place was to explain my background and the fact that this may be on my mind more than others.

For what it's worth, we are not thinking about moving "really soon." If you read my post, it said that we are STARTING to think seriously about buying a home. I'm not going to move somewhere "just for kids" when I don't have kids. However, when we are actively trying to conceive, it is completely valid to start thinking about options so that we are more prepared when it comes time to actually make a move.

Oh god, OP, I really hope you aren't an "administrator" in education anywhere around here. Otherwise, I am truly worried about your understanding of our school system in this area. Your initial post indicated that you had very little knowledge of the schools not just where you live, but immediately outside (Fairfax Co.). You seemed to have no idea what City of Alexandria schools are really like and limited knowledge of Fairfax Co. schools (e.g., your little comment about whether to even bother if your kid doesn't go to McLean/Langley - any administrator worth her salt knows how stupid a comment that is).

Honestly, I suggest you educate yourself about these school systems for purposes of your job, not your move.

Ugh, no wonder people have so little regard of our education system.

You are SUCH a piece of work!!!!! For what it's worth, I have lived in this area for about a year. I have absolutely NO idea what the public schools are like in Fairfax County or City of Alexandria, which is why I asked. I love that you are trying to insult me by telling me I have a lack of knowledge about these schools - well no kidding, that's why I posted! I work at an independent school in DC and my job has absolutely nothing to do with any of the school systems mentioned.

Stop putting others down for no reason. What a sad life you must lead to be picking on random people on the internet!

P.S. I'm sure your kids' teachers LOVE you.

[Anonymous]

OP -- don't worry about insults --- it tends to happen on this forum (DCUM) rather routinely. People get all judgmental and say whatever is on their minds. Focus on the responses that were useful to you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We came from a private PK-8, but the vast majority of my daughter's friends came from GW or Hammond. Many of them are one year ahead in math -- they are on track to take calculus next year (11th grade). I haven't asked their parents specifically about their middle school experiences, but they seem to have emerged unscathed!

Imaginary children tend not to get pushed around too much.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hayfield and Edison are very comparable in terms of test scores, amount of poverty, and percentage of white kids in the school. Edison is a little more hispanic, Hayfield is a little more black. They are both diverse schools that are not overwhelmed by poor kids. I think you'll find the housing may be a little different in each area, but basically, it's a high-density housing region. Edison has IB, Hayfield has AP. I have known good kids who go to each school. These schools are schools very much in the middle of the pack for the state of Va.

TC is much less white -- only 21%. So, culturally, I would expect that to have an influence on the feel of the school -- the largest group being black. TC also has a higher percentage of poor kids (39% at TC vs. 23% at Hayfield and 30% at Edison).

The good news is that kids CAN get an education at any of the three -- the passing rate for white kids on the SOLs is nearly identical for all three. I conclude from that, that the schools ARE teaching what they are supposed to teach. But, the feel of the schools is going to be very different. Likewise, the communities may feel very different too -- and that's what you'll need to consider. What kinds of homes are available, how does it affect your communte, how run-down or cared for the neighborhoods seem, are there open spaces for kids to play, etc.

As with most high schools in Va, it's not a question of whether THE SCHOOL is good or bad, it's a question of what kinds of kids go there and what kind of environment you want for your child (what do the peers bring to the learning process (on the positive side), do the peers take away from others being able to learn (on the negative side)).

Did OP say she was white? Did she mention that she was concerned about the "whiteness" of TC?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Tucker is year round so you don't need to send your child there. BTW it's definitely not a neighborhood school, most children are bused in.

Hands down, FFx cty is the better choice for schools. I would be there is plenty of historical data to back that up too. The schools might get marginally better in 5 years in Alexandria but that's it - marginally. They are pretty bad now with the exception of one or two. MS and HS are really bad.

Cameron Station is ok but it's basically nice housing they dumped in a ghetto -y area.[i]

LOL!! Really? Boy, are you sheltered!?! When's the last time you went to the surrounding areas? I know this area well and it's far from being "ghetto-y" as this poster suggests. Folks on this board....

[Anonymous]

It's not really ghetto-y, but nothing to write home about either.

Still, more Jail kids at TC than Yale kids. That's the real problem.

[Anonymous]

Imaginary children tend not to get pushed around too much.

What are you talking about? These are kids that I know well. I'm trying to clear up the misperceptions that are out there about TC. Yes, we have many students that are on free and reduced lunch. Yes, we have many children from immigrant families. The school is truly a microcosm of the world. As such, it also has quite a few children that could thrive at Sidwell or GDS, but whose families have chosen public school so that they can benefit from interacting with all sorts of people -- those who are brilliant, those who have severe disabilities, those who come from war-torn countries (and bear the scars to show it), those celebrating quinceanaras with their non-English speaking families and new non-Spanish speaking friends, and those for whom going to Northern Virginia Community College represents a supreme achievement. Those for whom passage of the Dream Act represents their only hope of going to college. A few who are in gangs, yes -- but I assure you, our principal, teachers, and administrators keeps our students safe. It would be much less safe for my daughter to drive (or have me drive her) to NW Washington to and from school every day.

I urge anyone -- student or parent -- who is considering TC to contact the TC's PTSA (Parent Teacher Student Association) to hear the true story of our school. It may not be right for your family if your child needs the attention that a smaller school may be better able to provide. Students who succeed at TC are independent and self-motivated. We are not sure that it is the right place for our shy younger DC. But our older child, who is extremely self-confident, is thriving.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Tucker is year round so you don't need to send your child there. BTW it's definitely not a neighborhood school, most children are bused in.

Hands down, FFx cty is the better choice for schools. I would be there is plenty of historical data to back that up too. The schools might get marginally better in 5 years in Alexandria but that's it - marginally. They are pretty bad now with the exception of one or two. MS and HS are really bad.

Cameron Station is ok but it's basically nice housing they dumped in a ghetto -y area.[i]

LOL!! Really? Boy, are you sheltered!?! When's the last time you went to the surrounding areas? I know this area well and it's far from being "ghetto-y" as this poster suggests. Folks on this board....

Cameron station is just a marketing name to make people pay more and not feel bad about moving to the Landmark area which is what it is.

Let's see ... I was over in that area yesterday and I am quite certain that the scores of low income, ugly, old apartments were all still standing.

[Anonymous]

I love the quotes about Jail Kids and Yale Kids at TC Williams. I seriously doubt anyone who is thinking about her unborn child's high school will end up with her child being a Jail Kid.

And for those who are indicating that "I just don't want my kids exposed to that type of environment," that argument was used to justify red-lining, segregation, and white-flight.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:[qu
Cameron station is just a marketing name to make people pay more and not feel bad about moving to the Landmark area which is what it is.

Let's see ... I was over in that area yesterday and I am quite certain that the scores of low income, ugly, old apartments were all still standing.

Cameron Station was an Army installation until the mid-90s. The developers kept the name. It had little to do with marketing--it was the name of the place. The idea was to turn the base into a thriving, walkable urban village, with cafes, shops, upscale townhomes, apartments, a neighborhood school, and a park. And the city hired starchitect Michael Graves to design the new library across the street.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I love the quotes about Jail Kids and Yale Kids at TC Williams. I seriously doubt anyone who is thinking about her unborn child's high school will end up with her child being a Jail Kid.

And for those who are indicating that "I just don't want my kids exposed to that type of environment," that argument was used to justify red-lining, segregation, and white-flight.

I'm not concerned about my kid turning into a "jail" kid. I'm worried about my kid being caught "in the line of fire" when one of these issues of misconduct arises (which the stats show are more frequent at TC than at any other high school in the area). It's good to hear that the new principal is cracking down on discipline. I wonder why it took a new principal to address discipline at TC? Why has it been so rampant?

[Anonymous]

Mrs. Maxey has taken a "broken windows" approach to discipline at TC. In other words, she has not waited for things to escalate -- she is quite strict about small things (being late, etc.). This has resulted in students and teachers feeling that the school environment is more orderly. And with regard to kids being caught in the "crossfire" of a fight, etc., I have to say that my daughter who has now been there for two years has never felt unsafe. She LOVES high school, which seems to be the general feeling among her peers.

[Anonymous]

TC may be better than it used to be, but I wouldn't recommend it for a newcomer with reservations about an urban high school with a decidedly rough element.

I had a co-worker whose daughter started at GW Middle. She said the lack of discipline was so bad that she withdrew her and refused even to consider sending her younger daughter there.

[Anonymous]

I was over at Hayfield today (driving child to ACT) and thought that the school had a very positive vibe. Even though it was a weekend, there were lots of students on the school grounds involved with different sports and charity activities, and the area seemed clean and safe. Quite frankly, that's not a feeling I get from TC Williams, where I've seen students coming and going from school in the middle of the day and "hanging out" near the school with no obvious purpose.

[Anonymous]

I'm sorry you've gotten that feeling, but as someone who's been in the building at least once a week this entire school year, I'd say it is unfounded. TC is very safe. Again, I'd urge anyone who is considering TC to visit and speak to Suzanne Maxey (our principal) and members of the Parent-Teacher-Student Association. You could speak to one of the many parent volunteers who help out in the College and Career Center, for example, or one of the organizers of the Scholarship Fund of Alexandria, which provides scholarships to almost every college-bound TC graduate.