Which public school system is best? (Arlington, fairfax, DC, MD)

[Anonymous]

I don't think there is enough of a difference between MoCo, Fairfax and Arlington schools to judge which is best. Go with whatever neighborhood you llke.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
I don't understand what you're saying. Arlington isn't proud to send their students to a Confederate named school, but they are too lazy to do anything about it? Sorry about not knowing Rosslyn and Court House go to Yorktown. Quite frankly, we thought that area was so ugly compared to Bethesda we didn't spend time looking there, just further out toward Clarendon. Yes, we are happy with Bethesda schools so far. Stop being such a "rhymes-with-witch" for Pete's sake.

You are wrong. An open minded community like Arlington has no desire to "butter over" its history.

The Arlington House is the National Memorial to Robert E. Lee and his statue is in the US Capitol. Lee transcends most other Confederate figures because of the work he did after the Civil War to reconcile the South and the North. He held himself with dignity and became a national hero. There are public schools named after Lee in many states not in the South, such as in California. In 1975 President Ford wrote, "General Lee's character has been an example to succeeding generations, making the restoration of his citizenship an event in which every American can take pride." Due to a clerical error his citizenship was not restored during his lifetime.

Lastly, Arlington County was named in honor of Robert E. Lee. You can read about it in old issues of the Arlington Historical Society Magazine. Washington and Lee, are arguably the two most famous Northern Virginians and they make a great name for one of the state's oldest public schools.

Until today, I've never heard anyone complain about the school's name. Lee's profile is on the school's official seal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
I don't understand what you're saying. Arlington isn't proud to send their students to a Confederate named school, but they are too lazy to do anything about it? Sorry about not knowing Rosslyn and Court House go to Yorktown. Quite frankly, we thought that area was so ugly compared to Bethesda we didn't spend time looking there, just further out toward Clarendon. Yes, we are happy with Bethesda schools so far. Stop being such a "rhymes-with-witch" for Pete's sake.

You are wrong. An open minded community like Arlington has no desire to "butter over" its history.

The Arlington House is the National Memorial to Robert E. Lee and his statue is in the US Capitol. Lee transcends most other Confederate figures because of the work he did after the Civil War to reconcile the South and the North. He held himself with dignity and became a national hero. There are public schools named after Lee in many states not in the South, such as in California. In 1975 President Ford wrote, "General Lee's character has been an example to succeeding generations, making the restoration of his citizenship an event in which every American can take pride." Due to a clerical error his citizenship was not restored during his lifetime.

Lastly, Arlington County was named in honor of Robert E. Lee. You can read about it in old issues of the Arlington Historical Society Magazine. Washington and Lee, are arguably the two most famous Northern Virginians and they make a great name for one of the state's oldest public schools.

Until today, I've never heard anyone complain about the school's name. Lee's profile is on the school's official seal.

Robert E Lee is also a HS in Fairfax County.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Do you have a problem with George Washington too? Apparently, you don't know the long history behind W-L--hell there was even a Hollywood movie made about it. Some things are facts. We aren't too lazy. We don't have a problem with it and I come from a long line of Connecticut yankees. I am actually against purging anything we may not agree with from the history books. Your tone throughout the thread has been incredibly condescending and patronizing, yet you are the one that takes offense. Give me a break. Happy to have you stay in MD.

No, I don't! He wasn't a Confederate general. Enjoy your Southern "traditions," happier here to be at a better school in a more progressive state where Ken Cookoo-nelli isn't a candidate for governor!

By the way, sweetie, you were the condescending one claiming Montgomery County schools are impersonal, supposedly unlike your Arlington schools. What a crock! Maryland ranks #1 year after year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Do you have a problem with George Washington too? Apparently, you don't know the long history behind W-L--hell there was even a Hollywood movie made about it. Some things are facts. We aren't too lazy. We don't have a problem with it and I come from a long line of Connecticut yankees. I am actually against purging anything we may not agree with from the history books. Your tone throughout the thread has been incredibly condescending and patronizing, yet you are the one that takes offense. Give me a break. Happy to have you stay in MD.

No, I don't! He wasn't a Confederate general. Enjoy your Southern "traditions," happier here to be at a better school in a more progressive state where Ken Cookoo-nelli isn't a candidate for governor!

By the way, sweetie, you were the condescending one claiming Montgomery County schools are impersonal, supposedly unlike your Arlington schools. What a crock! Maryland ranks #1 year after year.

For those who still don't get it, Lee is a national hero who worked hard to reintegrate the South into the Union after the Civil War. He is a far from perfect figure, but so were Washington, Jefferson, Grant, etc.

Don't think Maryland can get off the hook so easy. There is a Confederate Memorial right in front of the Courthouse in Rockville.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
For those who still don't get it, Lee is a national hero who worked hard to reintegrate the South into the Union after the Civil War. He is a far from perfect figure, but so were Washington, Jefferson, Grant, etc.

Don't think Maryland can get off the hook so easy. There is a Confederate Memorial right in front of the Courthouse in Rockville.

I don't like Confederate memorials in Rockville either but my kids won't get a daily reminder at B-CC that "the powers that be" want to honor a Southern general and a traitor to the country.

Location, schools, urban style. Bethesda > Arlington!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
For those who still don't get it, Lee is a national hero who worked hard to reintegrate the South into the Union after the Civil War. He is a far from perfect figure, but so were Washington, Jefferson, Grant, etc.

Don't think Maryland can get off the hook so easy. There is a Confederate Memorial right in front of the Courthouse in Rockville.

I don't like Confederate memorials in Rockville either but my kids won't get a daily reminder at B-CC that "the powers that be" want to honor a Southern general and a traitor to the country.

Location, schools, urban style. Bethesda > Arlington!

Until you look at instate colleges then VA>MD big time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Greatschools.net

Useless.

How so? It's a great tool to pick a neighborhood and school.

+1 it filters out the parents trying to prop up the up and coming neighborhood that may not be "there" yet and may never reach that threshold.

NO here -- when I looked at it it seemed useless. I wonder if it's like the newspapers-- if you know something about the area it's clear that it's at least half wrong, but if you don't know anything then it's better than nothing.

For what they are, the numerical 1-10 ratings are useful and accurate for purposes of comparing schools within a state. I suspect you do not agree with the underlying premise of reducing academics at a school to a single rating.

How else do you rate them? The rating on gs seem to be in line with all other scores and rankings like us news etc...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
For those who still don't get it, Lee is a national hero who worked hard to reintegrate the South into the Union after the Civil War. He is a far from perfect figure, but so were Washington, Jefferson, Grant, etc.

Don't think Maryland can get off the hook so easy. There is a Confederate Memorial right in front of the Courthouse in Rockville.

I don't like Confederate memorials in Rockville either but my kids won't get a daily reminder at B-CC that "the powers that be" want to honor a Southern general and a traitor to the country.

Location, schools, urban style. Bethesda > Arlington!

Until you look at instate colleges then VA>MD big time.

+100

[Anonymous]

For those who still don't get it, Lee is a national hero who worked hard to reintegrate the South into the Union after the Civil War.

National hero is ridiculous: RE LEE was not only a traitor and enemy to the U.S. but he cost the lives of many hundreds of thousands of men and impoverished the south for generations. If he did good after the war, that helps, but can't totally make up for what he was responsible for.

But at least most in Northern Va don't think he was a hero whereas in southern VA in many places, that may be different. FX County overwhelmingly voted for Obama, after all. So trying to make Northern Virginia into some sort of Tea Party Confederate worshiping conclave is ridiculous...

BTW, Geo. Washington was really a true hero in very many ways and was one of the only founding fathers to free his slaves upon his death. As you know, the capital of the U.S. is named after him...

[Anonymous]

Schools in and around Alexandria (in FX County) deserve a plug and are certainly as urban as Bethesda, Chevy Chase, Arlington. Plus Old Town Alexandria probably has a little more charm than the others. Many of the High Schools in and around Alexandria have high "College Readiness" numbers (according to http://www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools/virginia/districts/fairfax-county-public-schools) and, of course, it has the absolute best in the country, Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology..

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

For those who still don't get it, Lee is a national hero who worked hard to reintegrate the South into the Union after the Civil War.

National hero is ridiculous: RE LEE was not only a traitor and enemy to the U.S. but he cost the lives of many hundreds of thousands of men and impoverished the south for generations. If he did good after the war, that helps, but can't totally make up for what he was responsible for.

But at least most in Northern Va don't think he was a hero whereas in southern VA in many places, that may be different. FX County overwhelmingly voted for Obama, after all. So trying to make Northern Virginia into some sort of Tea Party Confederate worshiping conclave is ridiculous...

BTW, Geo. Washington was really a true hero in very many ways and was one of the only founding fathers to free his slaves upon his death. As you know, the capital of the U.S. is named after him...

Your highly charged view is in the minority. Lee is a national hero, even if you don't accept it. The US doesn't have a National Memorial to Benedict Arnold. There IS a National Memorial to Robert E. Lee, his house in Arlington Cemetery, and US Presidents don't heap praise on enemies of the state. Whether you like it or not, Lee is a national hero that transcends what's "Southern" or "Northern." There is a national highway that runs from coast to coast in his name.

President Obama, Jesse Jackson, and other prominent African Americans have been guest speakers at W-L over the past few years, and no one involved with those events has ever brought up your ridiculous views. You are funny though: "Tea Party Confederate worshiping conclave." The open-minded liberals in Arlington embrace and learn from our past.

You should be focusing less on public high school names in Northern Virginia and maybe doing something about your pro Confederate state song. Virginia had the sense to do something about its state song years ago.

[Anonymous]

Lee is a national hero, even if you don't accept it. The US doesn't have a National Memorial to Benedict Arnold.

Gimme a break... So the sore losers in the south named many of their institutions after their defeated generals just to spite the US of A. It's just like the all the petitions of the states that want to secede!! Perhaps you think they're in the majority as well...HA HA HA

In case you didn't know, the Federal Government SEIZED Robert E. Lee's land in Arlington and made it the Cemetary for all AMERICAN soldiers. Hardly an act to honor a hero but rather to treat a man as the TRAITOR he was!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Lee is a national hero, even if you don't accept it. The US doesn't have a National Memorial to Benedict Arnold.

Gimme a break... So the sore losers in the south named many of their institutions after their defeated generals just to spite the US of A. It's just like the all the petitions of the states that want to secede!! Perhaps you think they're in the majority as well...HA HA HA

In case you didn't know, the Federal Government SEIZED Robert E. Lee's land in Arlington and made it the Cemetary for all AMERICAN soldiers. Hardly an act to honor a hero but rather to treat a man as the TRAITOR he was!

There are schools and institutions named after Lee all over the country and not just in the south. And you conveniently forget that through the creation a cemetery on his land, his house was preserved as our country's national memorial to Lee. You seem to be proud to live Maryland. How about that blatantly anti-Lincoln, anti-Union state song of yours?

Here's a link to Smithsonian Mag story about how Arlington Cemetary came to be. It mentions the establishment of Arlington's Freedmans Village, the precursor to the historic black communities in Arlington today. After the war the Lee family sold the land to the Federal Govt, not wanting to live there for obvious reasons. Thus the cemetery and memorial to Lee today. I recommend you visit the Arlington House/R. E. Lee Memorial to broaden your perspective.

http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history-archaeology/The-Battle-of-Arlington.html?c=y&page=1

[Anonymous]

Bethesda ES is excellent. Arlington schools are overcrowded and will be redistricting for next 5-10 years.