Thinking about moving, so kids can go to Yorktown for HS instead of Wakefield -- pros? cons?

[Anonymous]

Do you know whether there is a similar drug/alcohol culture at high schools like Langley or McLean? I assume there must be?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:While I have heard comments about all three of the APS high schools, I can't speak from experience about any of them except Yorktown. One thing I would recommend is not falling into the trap of simply looking at test scores or other academic indicators when evaluating which of Arlington's high schools would be best for your kids. There really is a lot more that goes into it, and the school with the best academic indicators may not be the best choice for you.

An earlier poster noted the current drug problem at Yorktown. As I believe someone else stated, the drug problem is not confined to Yorktown, and I'm sure that's true. However, the problem there is really bad. We're not just talking about drinking and weed, and we're not just talking about upperclassmen. Pills and LSD are widespread (and are readily available down at Williamsburg Middle School as well). A significant portion of even the freshman class is drinking and smoking pot on a regular basis, and into other drugs as well. The student activities department put on a program back in December about drug and alcohol use among student athletes at Yorktown. It was very informative, though downright scary. The problem is bad, as acknowledged by those involved with athletics there. Two sets of parents talked about how their sons the previous two years (both good athletes, good students, popular, etc.) missed the end of their senior years because they were in residential rehab. I have recently heard of other students (younger than seniors) who are in long-term residential rehab programs. Again, maybe the problem isn't confined to Yorktown, and maybe I'm naive, but kids going away to rehab should be outliers and not so commonplace.

So what is it about Yorktown that makes the drug problem so bad? I don't believe it is simply mismanagement by school administrators. Rather, the number one problem in the community is the parents. Parents who are too busy in their own careers and with their own social lives to have much of a clue about what their kids and their kids' friends are doing on a regular basis. Parents who take a casual attitude toward drinking and drug use and think "kids will be kids" and "I did those things when I was their age." Parents who let their kids and their friends drink in the basement "because they're safe down there." Parents who don't set concrete expectations and consequences for their kids, and who lawyer up or threaten the school system when their kids do screw up, so their kids never face any natural consequences and feel they can do whatever they want.

There are kids at Yorktown who excel academically and athletically and steer clear of the risky behavior. I applaud their parents because it takes a lot of effort and they are the exception rather than the rule. But even when you're trying to do what you know is right when raising your own kids, it becomes much more challenging when they are in an environment where so many kids get away with so much. Other posters will continue to cheerlead for Yorktown and put down the other high schools in Arlington, but if they try to say Yorktown doesn't have a big problem, they are either not smart or they are not paying attention.

Sadly, this is a true representation of what's going on. (You can add in rampant promiscuity/sexting, too. This year's 9th grade class really is a piece of work.) There are similar issues at W&L, although I don't think it's as widespread.

There's a lot of denial and excuse-making among parents and I'm afraid that it's going to take some kind of crisis to wake them up.

We have close family friends with 2 kids at Yorktown. They were over at our house for dinner last year and the kids both opened up about stuff to me. They said that students sell drugs in the parking lot and when the Ballston Mall was open they would buy drugs at the As Seen on TV store. I asked if the police officers at the school ever did anything about it and they said that they're useless. I called the school and asked to speak to the principal. The administrative assistant said that it's PO's that I needed to talk to and not the principal. They totally blew me off.

Between the racism and the drugs I don't know why anyone would want to go to that school. And I agree, many of the parents are blind to it and I think they choose to be this way because they're too busy in their own lives and/or they want to be "cool."

Furthermore, as far as the education goes I've heard that there is lots of You Tube watching during class and/or kids are on their phones texting the entire time.

[Anonymous]

So, sounds like moving to get kids into Yorktown is perhaps only marginally better, but are schools in Mclean or Vienna better? If you do public HS, what are the best options?

[Anonymous]

Lots of rumor and "I heard from someone who said..." on this thread.

That Yorktown. It's made up of uninvolved, racist parents, drugs and all YouTube all the time.

Believe it, people and stay far, far away.

[Anonymous]

Aren't all HS full of drugs? I mean mine was in HS (just a boring suburban HS in the southwest). I just feel like this is what kids do and there is no school that is free of it. No idea if Yorktown is better or worst than most, but I think this culture exists everywhere.

- Signed someone that dropped LSD at school every half day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:YHS parents may be uninvolved, but they are not destitute. The % of low income at Wakefield, on the other hand, is substantial. Nothing is worse for a child than going to school with the poors. I would move if I were you OP.

You again?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Lots of rumor and "I heard from someone who said..." on this thread.

That Yorktown. It's made up of uninvolved, racist parents, drugs and all YouTube all the time.

Believe it, people and stay far, far away.

Have you paid any attention to what has been going on at the school since the election?

[Anonymous]

So, sounds like moving to get kids into Yorktown is perhaps only marginally better, but are schools in Mclean or Vienna better? If you do public HS, what are the best options?

Going on test scores and state rankings, the schools in McLean and Vienna are better than Yorktown. Not sure about other measures.

[Anonymous]

Yes, it is possible to keep your kid at Yorktown on the straight and narrow. I have a junior there who has an afterschool job, doesn't participate in sports, and instead is involved in music and the more "cerebral" activities. But the administration doesn't give the same support/emphasis to the nonsport activities as it does to the athletic ones - and, frankly, it's just not seen as "cool" to be on the debate team or Model UN. This is in contrast to other area high schools where those types of activities are popular. I think if more emphasis was given to activities other than the sports teams Yorktown would be a better school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The whole YTown "drug problem" was likely fabricated so people would stop trying to go there. To much "diversity" for the white parents at that school.

no. I know several people that pulled their kids out of Williamsburg Middle for this reason. There are real problems in that pyramid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes, it is possible to keep your kid at Yorktown on the straight and narrow. I have a junior there who has an afterschool job, doesn't participate in sports, and instead is involved in music and the more "cerebral" activities. But the administration doesn't give the same support/emphasis to the nonsport activities as it does to the athletic ones - and, frankly, it's just not seen as "cool" to be on the debate team or Model UN. This is in contrast to other area high schools where those types of activities are popular. I think if more emphasis was given to activities other than the sports teams Yorktown would be a better school.

That seems evident from the sports culture. I had never seen or heard of students Turing their backs on the opposing team, until I moved to Arlington. I was raised in Fairfax county and had a huge sports rivalry and we didn't pull that crap. It's toxic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, it is possible to keep your kid at Yorktown on the straight and narrow. I have a junior there who has an afterschool job, doesn't participate in sports, and instead is involved in music and the more "cerebral" activities. But the administration doesn't give the same support/emphasis to the nonsport activities as it does to the athletic ones - and, frankly, it's just not seen as "cool" to be on the debate team or Model UN. This is in contrast to other area high schools where those types of activities are popular. I think if more emphasis was given to activities other than the sports teams Yorktown would be a better school.

That seems evident from the sports culture. I had never seen or heard of students Turing their backs on the opposing team, until I moved to Arlington. I was raised in Fairfax county and had a huge sports rivalry and we didn't pull that crap. It's toxic.

I have definitely seen kids at schools in Fairfax turn their backs on players from opposing schools. I've also seen them raise money for cancer research with students from their archrivals or light candles in memory of students from other schools who have passed away. I would not single out any particular incident and then use it as an excuse to label an entire school community "toxic."

Yorktown isn't well known regionally, however, for anything other than its football team 4-5 years ago, and maybe strong swim/dive teams. The overall perception is that, given its demographics, the school punches under its weight.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, it is possible to keep your kid at Yorktown on the straight and narrow. I have a junior there who has an afterschool job, doesn't participate in sports, and instead is involved in music and the more "cerebral" activities. But the administration doesn't give the same support/emphasis to the nonsport activities as it does to the athletic ones - and, frankly, it's just not seen as "cool" to be on the debate team or Model UN. This is in contrast to other area high schools where those types of activities are popular. I think if more emphasis was given to activities other than the sports teams Yorktown would be a better school.

That seems evident from the sports culture. I had never seen or heard of students Turing their backs on the opposing team, until I moved to Arlington. I was raised in Fairfax county and had a huge sports rivalry and we didn't pull that crap. It's toxic.

I have definitely seen kids at schools in Fairfax turn their backs on players from opposing schools. I've also seen them raise money for cancer research with students from their archrivals or light candles in memory of students from other schools who have passed away. I would not single out any particular incident and then use it as an excuse to label an entire school community "toxic."

Yorktown isn't well known regionally, however, for anything other than its football team 4-5 years ago, and maybe strong swim/dive teams. The overall perception is that, given its demographics, the school punches under its weight.

I was a cheer leader in the 90's at a big FFX sports power house, and never witnessed that behavior. I thought maybe it was a recent trend, but Yorktown alum that are my age confirmed it is a long standing "tradition".
You are right that you can't point to one incident. Sadly, it's not one thing. This year we have seen many things. It made the national news.
It's a bummer for sure. Arlington only has 3 high schools and it seems only 1 really offers a diverse and academically challenging environment. My family lives in south Arlington, and can't afford an acceptable home in bounds for WL. Our money would go much further in the Yorktown zone. We've got years before this is an issue, and school dynamics change, but if was next year? I would be sticking with Wakefield.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, it is possible to keep your kid at Yorktown on the straight and narrow. I have a junior there who has an afterschool job, doesn't participate in sports, and instead is involved in music and the more "cerebral" activities. But the administration doesn't give the same support/emphasis to the nonsport activities as it does to the athletic ones - and, frankly, it's just not seen as "cool" to be on the debate team or Model UN. This is in contrast to other area high schools where those types of activities are popular. I think if more emphasis was given to activities other than the sports teams Yorktown would be a better school.

That seems evident from the sports culture. I had never seen or heard of students Turing their backs on the opposing team, until I moved to Arlington. I was raised in Fairfax county and had a huge sports rivalry and we didn't pull that crap. It's toxic.

I have definitely seen kids at schools in Fairfax turn their backs on players from opposing schools. I've also seen them raise money for cancer research with students from their archrivals or light candles in memory of students from other schools who have passed away. I would not single out any particular incident and then use it as an excuse to label an entire school community "toxic."

Yorktown isn't well known regionally, however, for anything other than its football team 4-5 years ago, and maybe strong swim/dive teams. The overall perception is that, given its demographics, the school punches under its weight.

I was a cheer leader in the 90's at a big FFX sports power house, and never witnessed that behavior. I thought maybe it was a recent trend, but Yorktown alum that are my age confirmed it is a long standing "tradition".
You are right that you can't point to one incident. Sadly, it's not one thing. This year we have seen many things. It made the national news.
It's a bummer for sure. Arlington only has 3 high schools and it seems only 1 really offers a diverse and academically challenging environment. My family lives in south Arlington, and can't afford an acceptable home in bounds for WL. Our money would go much further in the Yorktown zone. We've got years before this is an issue, and school dynamics change, but if was next year? I would be sticking with Wakefield.

I am at Wakefield from Yorktown. The principal at Wakefield really makes a difference of how the student body project itself. People doesn't bother you, there's no entitlement issues. Everyone just mind there own business. Being different does not upset anyone's psyche. My kid told me weed is the issue there, and as mentioned by others, at the other schools pills, alcohol as well as weed are the main drug issues at the other schools. As far as drugs, being a 'poorer' school probably work in Wakefield's advantage. When it comes to sex, all the schools have problems with promiscuity. I call it the Kardashian effect or Paris Hilton effect. From My observation, I think girls are offering themselves to readily to underserving boys.

The hookup culture of college life has filtered down to high school these days. Phone and the available porn through them has changed the landscape for HS kids. I'm not hearing anything on middle school yet, except for few incidence at Williamsburg.

[Anonymous]

Wakefield has a puny auditorium but two awesome basketball courts with shining floors. tells you where their priority lies.