Middle School Momentum in Alexandria

[Anonymous]

I think what ACPS is trying to say is that it can provide a really great academic program, and that academically it can absolutely equal and/or exceed the academics at local privates.

As a parent whose child will be entering school in the fall of 2013, I am curious about what lead you to this conclusion. I haven't made any decisions yet, and am looking at schools (both private and public). I have noticed that ACPS does not offer language instruction before middle school, which most private schools do. I'm not someone pining for the "private school experience." However, I am looking for an equally excellent academic program.

[Anonymous]

Private schools (and some publics) love to trumpet their foreign language "instruction" in primary grades. But are the kids really learning much in those early years? It appears this "instruction" is often just basic vocablulary, learning to count, learning about the culture, and signing some songs. They aren't conjugating verbs or learning grammar, best I can tell. To my knowledge, once these kids reach junior high/high school, they start right over in "Language I," and progress to Language II, III, IV & AP just like those who didn't "learn" the foreign language during elementary school. Correct me if I'm wrong, but this is the impression I have.

For example, Alexandria Country Day has Spanish for all kids starting in Kindergarten, but their website notes that "Eighth grade students complete the equivalent of high school Spanish I."

ACPS offers Spanish, French, Chinese, Latin & German starting in Middle School, where they can take Language IA in 6th, Language IB in 7th, and Language II in 8th. That's pretty impressive in my book.

I know some ACPS elemenary schools offer optional after school foreign language instruction at a small fee if you're intent that they get "exposed" early. Or just buy Rosetta Stone and work on it at home. But I certainly wouldn't choose private over ACPS because of the supposed quality of foreign language instruction, unless the other private schools are much better than Alexandria Country Day on that front.

[Anonymous]

We're the crash-test dummies on this. We were in private, with French instruction, in K-2. The level of instruction was extremely low. We have been in an ACPS public since 3d grade. The PTA sponsors once-a-week, optional twice-a-week French; Spanish is offered through a non-profit that exists for this purpose and provides elementary-level Spanish instruction at hundreds of elementary schools. The ACPS after-school French is no less intense (meaning not very) than the in-school French in private school. DC has been in the French program for three years, and is familiar with basic vocab, short-sentences, pronunciation (teacher is a native French speaker). On the whole, very worthwhile, just not what a true immersion language program like WIS or Maret would have. But comparable to the actual proficiency level DC would have at almost every other private.

[Anonymous]

Thanks, PP! Really good info. Seems to go with my own experience and what other PP said. If a parent has foreign language in elementary school as their highest priority, they probably wouldn't get it from a public school, but they also won't automatically get it from a private, unless it is a private which puts a really strong focus on it.

[Anonymous]

I have to add that DC took French at Burgundy before entering ACPS in 9th grade. She, along with at least two (possibly 3) classmates from Burgundy took French 3 in 9th grade (and French 4 in 10th and AP in 11th). So Burgundy's instruction placed her ahead of her ACPS classmates. Scored a 5 on the AP, by the way.

[Anonymous]

A few years ago, taking French 3 in 9th grade would have put your kid ahead of ACPS classmates, because ACPS used to require kids to take an "exploratory wheel" of various langages in the 6th grade before choosing one langague to study in 7th. That's not required anymore, so taking the 3rd year of language in 9th grade is now on par with what ACPS middle school kids are doing (1A in 6th, 1B in 7th, II in 8th). Glad to hear that your kids' foreign langague studies at Burgundy and ACPS led to a 5 on the AP exam! Of course, one advantage for ACPS middle schools is that the kids can choose from 5 languages (including Chinese), instead of the 1-2 languages most privates offer.

[Anonymous]

That's great news. I'm glad that the situation has changed! Now if only they offered a post-AP class in languages...

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the feedback, I appreciate it. Maybe I'm putting too much empasis on foreign language - my son speaks some spanish now as a result of his caregiver and I just don't want him to loose it.

[Anonymous]

PP, there are Spanish immersion schools--two in Alexandria, and I think also in Arlington? (Any APSers out there to confirm?) It's great your son has acquired some Spanish and if I were in your shoes I would be wanting to make sure he kept it also! As others have mentioned, there are also a lot of options for after school programs, both in schools or separate, and there are even online programs or language software designed for kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I highly doubt that Mort Sherman is against private school families. As a matter of fact, I believe ACPS bends over backwards trying to attract those families.

No one said he is "against private school families." But I have been at a meeting where, in response to a direct question about trying to attact students who would otherwise go to private schools, Mr. Sherman said that private school was a great option for some families, and he did not intend to compete with private schools for those students. Frankly, I am not certain why ACPS would currently want to attract more students, when it is struggling to provide sufficient capacity at the elementary level for the students it already has.

I have also heard Sherman say that he has no interest in competing for private school students. I heard him say this at a fairly small meeting, so it must be part of his standard spiel. As someone who was trying to make the decision between ACPS and private at the time, and was attending the meeting with Mr. Sherman to see if he would say anything that would change my mind, I have to say that this comment was the clincher. Not only because if confirmed my suspicion that ACPS was not interested in helping my child achieve to his highest potential, but because it demonstrated such a defeatist attitude. ACPS strives to give an adequate education to the students that already go there.

[Anonymous]

DC is at TC Williams. It is hard to determine whether a school is sufficiently challenging for your child; colleges have a tough time determining the comparative rigor of high schools. One way they do so is by comparing students' AP scores. DC took two APs as a sophomore and five as a junior. She has scored 5s on all of them. TC obviously prepared her well for these tests. I don't think she would have been better prepared at a private school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
I have also heard Sherman say that he has no interest in competing for private school students. I heard him say this at a fairly small meeting, so it must be part of his standard spiel. As someone who was trying to make the decision between ACPS and private at the time, and was attending the meeting with Mr. Sherman to see if he would say anything that would change my mind, I have to say that this comment was the clincher. Not only because if confirmed my suspicion that ACPS was not interested in helping my child achieve to his highest potential, but because it demonstrated such a defeatist attitude. ACPS strives to give an adequate education to the students that already go there.

I have to say that, if that's what you'd read into his comments, then it's probably in everyone's best interests that you went private. I take his comments to be a candid acknowledgment that TC is a public school, not a private school, and that it can't promise parents that their children will get the individualized attention that they would receive at a local private. It's not defeatist, nor does it demonstrate that ACPS only seeks to provide its students with a merely "adequate" education.

[Anonymous]

The problem, 12:22, is that so very many other families do see it as defeatist and as a signal that TC won't strive for excellence. Perception matters.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The problem, 12:22, is that so very many other families do see it as defeatist and as a signal that TC won't strive for excellence. Perception matters.

I think that, as long as the enrollment numbers continue to increase, you'll have a hard time making the case that large numbers of families view the comments as "defeatist."

Of course, if a simple statement like "We know that some families carefully consider both TC Williams and private secondary schools for their children. We hope you will take a close look at everything we have to offer and choose TC" would address the "perception" issue, it's a statement well worth making - if it has not, in fact, been made already.

[Anonymous]

then it's probably in everyone's best interests that you went private. I take his comments to be a candid acknowledgment that TC is a public school, not a private school, and that it can't promise parents that their children will get the individualized attention that they would receive at a local private.

You make it sound as if wanting individualized attention for your child is some sort of stuck up thing that only an elitist snob would look for. To me, it seems like a pretty basic thing that the average parent would want for their child.