APS

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Long Branch ES, TJ MS, then W-L is another popular, walkable pyramid all the way through high school. TJ is one of the larger middle schools I think and has a well-regarded IB middle program.

We're less than a mile from Ballston metro and my kids are walkers to Glebe, Hamm and W-L.

Nearly all of Glebe is walkers, with only one bus. It's fun to see the ant trails of kids and parents every morning. It builds a lot of community.

With a start time of 9am do a lot of kids do before care? When do doors open? How have things changed with more restrictions on telework?

Any insights into this question?

It’s been a few years, but generally before care is easier than aftercare to get a spot for. I have never been able to telework, so I paid for before care for years, even to just use about 20 minutes of it. If I had a big meeting I could use more, but generally I dropped off around 8:20-8:25. It can feel wasteful but it’s still cheaper than a nanny, if you can find one who only wants to work an hour a day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Long Branch ES, TJ MS, then W-L is another popular, walkable pyramid all the way through high school. TJ is one of the larger middle schools I think and has a well-regarded IB middle program.

We're less than a mile from Ballston metro and my kids are walkers to Glebe, Hamm and W-L.

Nearly all of Glebe is walkers, with only one bus. It's fun to see the ant trails of kids and parents every morning. It builds a lot of community.

With a start time of 9am do a lot of kids do before care? When do doors open? How have things changed with more restrictions on telework?

Any insights into this question?

We did before care at a NA elementary. Ghost town. Seems like most moms either SAH or have a part-time or WFH job; some dads too I expect from how they dress for the 9am drop off.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Long Branch ES, TJ MS, then W-L is another popular, walkable pyramid all the way through high school. TJ is one of the larger middle schools I think and has a well-regarded IB middle program.

We're less than a mile from Ballston metro and my kids are walkers to Glebe, Hamm and W-L.

Nearly all of Glebe is walkers, with only one bus. It's fun to see the ant trails of kids and parents every morning. It builds a lot of community.

With a start time of 9am do a lot of kids do before care? When do doors open? How have things changed with more restrictions on telework?

Any insights into this question?

Our NA school opened doors at 8:40 a.m. Not many kids in before care—most parents I know staggered their schedules.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The only pool that has such an excessive wait list is Overlee. Many people get into the pools suggested above in a more reasonable time frame and Knights of Columbus does not have a regular membership you just have to sign up every year for the summer. Yes, you have to be paying attention and sign up pretty quickly when the registration opens. Lots of families in Arlington use KoC.

Overlee blows. It ain't no WGCC!!!!

Are you a troll? Most of us can't afford WGCC. And Overlee is quite nice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I will be the one detractor here on W&L.

It is way over crowded- by about 400-500 students because they allow Yorktown to waiver in no questions asked. Used to be for IB but now it is an open door.

Combine that with the explosion of condos and building on orange line the school kind of sucks.

Meanwhile, Yorktown is at like 70% capacity.

When have they ever allowed waivers into W-L no questions asked? I have never seen this. The only waiver are for IB and they have to full IB and those are limited in number.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I will be the one detractor here on W&L.

It is way over crowded- by about 400-500 students because they allow Yorktown to waiver in no questions asked. Used to be for IB but now it is an open door.

Combine that with the explosion of condos and building on orange line the school kind of sucks.

Meanwhile, Yorktown is at like 70% capacity.

When have they ever allowed waivers into W-L no questions asked? I have never seen this. The only waiver are for IB and they have to full IB and those are limited in number.

There's only one so-called "option zone" which is a small portion of N Arlington around Ashlawn ES, where students have a guaranteed choice of either Yorktown or W-L, even though the neighborhood has been zoned to Yorktown since 2018.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wow this is very helpful. It sounds like all the middle schools above are good. Any that have more substantial challenges?

What makes aps better than upper nw dcps? Is it a more affluent population that is easier to educate? A better run school system? Higher expectations of students?

I believe APS is a lot better, for several reasons, but don’t underestimate the poverty here. There is a lot, about 35% and increasing, across the entire school district, and some elementary schools are 80%+ (all English learners, most Hispanic). The vast economic discrepancies between the elementary schools even out somewhat for the large high schools, though there are the demographic differences. And size-wise all our middle schools are 1000-1200 each.

Well… stop being a sanctuary city?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wow this is very helpful. It sounds like all the middle schools above are good. Any that have more substantial challenges?

What makes aps better than upper nw dcps? Is it a more affluent population that is easier to educate? A better run school system? Higher expectations of students?

I believe APS is a lot better, for several reasons, but don’t underestimate the poverty here. There is a lot, about 35% and increasing, across the entire school district, and some elementary schools are 80%+ (all English learners, most Hispanic). The vast economic discrepancies between the elementary schools even out somewhat for the large high schools, though there are the demographic differences. And size-wise all our middle schools are 1000-1200 each.

Well… stop being a sanctuary city?

The trump administration removed arlington from sanctuary city status last year

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wow this is very helpful. It sounds like all the middle schools above are good. Any that have more substantial challenges?

What makes aps better than upper nw dcps? Is it a more affluent population that is easier to educate? A better run school system? Higher expectations of students?

I believe APS is a lot better, for several reasons, but don’t underestimate the poverty here. There is a lot, about 35% and increasing, across the entire school district, and some elementary schools are 80%+ (all English learners, most Hispanic). The vast economic discrepancies between the elementary schools even out somewhat for the large high schools, though there are the demographic differences. And size-wise all our middle schools are 1000-1200 each.

Well… stop being a sanctuary city?

The trump administration removed arlington from sanctuary city status last year

Trump doesn't get to decide that.