If money was not a consideration, would you do private school for high school or APS

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:One downside is that extracurriculars like band, orchestra, sports, etc., tend to be stronger at good public schools. Private schools just don't have the numbers (of students) to create a wide variety of strong extracurriculars.

Except in provate there is more oppty for students to participate (less competition for limited slots)...

[Anonymous]

TJ - which Arlington kids can get into.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have one DS who recently graduated from W-L, and one who will be starting there in the fall. We were very happy with DS1's high school experience and are confident that DS2 will succeed there as well.

I have no interest in private school for my kids/family.

Same here. Our 3 kids in Arlington public elementary and middle school are doing fine. We are in some of the better North Arlington school districts. Wife and I were both private school kids from different states (South and North East) where the public option was less than desirable. Money is not currently a major concern for us, but it is not even a question if we should send them a private school, when APS schools are considered very good. Sports are not an issue since they play mostly soccer, and ASA Travel soccer is not school based. Once they hit high school, if class size is an issue or they need more instruction, then we may reevaluate. But for now we are enjoying putting that $25K+ per year per child into their college fund, rather than potentially marginally better private schools. My private school was mostly white, so I kind of enjoy their having more friends from different cultural backgrounds - and I'm a conservative.

Also, ignore all the haters on the Arlington Public Schools, we get it for the schools, soccer programs, etc... some people with deep seated insecurities trying to bring down a great county. They do have a point about the county board's idiotic passion to over concentrate affordable housing and the school overcrowding issue. It is still a great county despite the County Board's failures.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Money is no object and we are choosing APS, as are the vast majority of our neighbors.

All private schools are not created equal, by a long shot. Some people seem to think private = automatically better than public, but you really need to compare specific school to specific school.

If money was no object, you wouldn't be living in Arlington.

Very few areas around here are better than Arlington.

True. Arlington is only a relatively nice place on the DC area because most of it really sucks.

[Anonymous]

We live in Yorktown and choose private schools for our children.

[Anonymous]

Private for sure. What type of learner is your child? So many wonderful private high schools in the area.

[Anonymous]

If you are 10+ years away from middle school- I wouldn't bother to take advice from current middle/high school parents.
They luckily missed the train wreck.
If you have toddlers, it will be a different story.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you are 10+ years away from middle school- I wouldn't bother to take advice from current middle/high school parents.
They luckily missed the train wreck.
If you have toddlers, it will be a different story.

Parent of a rising Swanson 8th grader and future W-L student here. With all due respect, the train wreck is already in progress for many Arlington middle schoolers. One entire grade at Swanson and one entire grade at Williamsburg will be in trailers for the second year. By the time my DD enters her senior year at W-L, APS projects there to be 2,906 students in a school with capacity for 2,200. And that is assuming: 1) there are 700 students at Arlington Tech (not going to happen) and 2) APS's projections are accurate. As we all well know, APS enrollment projections are usually too low. I'm not claiming parents of preschoolers and elementary school students have nothing to worry about in terms of high school, because they surely do, but let's not pretend that current middle schoolers have missed the train wreck - many of them are in the engine driving it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you are 10+ years away from middle school- I wouldn't bother to take advice from current middle/high school parents.
They luckily missed the train wreck.
If you have toddlers, it will be a different story.

Parent of a rising Swanson 8th grader and future W-L student here. With all due respect, the train wreck is already in progress for many Arlington middle schoolers. One entire grade at Swanson and one entire grade at Williamsburg will be in trailers for the second year. By the time my DD enters her senior year at W-L, APS projects there to be 2,906 students in a school with capacity for 2,200. And that is assuming: 1) there are 700 students at Arlington Tech (not going to happen) and 2) APS's projections are accurate. As we all well know, APS enrollment projections are usually too low. I'm not claiming parents of preschoolers and elementary school students have nothing to worry about in terms of high school, because they surely do, but let's not pretend that current middle schoolers have missed the train wreck - many of them are in the engine driving it.

Those projections may have been prepared by APS before the redistricting to Yorktown and Wakefield, but all three of the main high schools in APS will be a complete cluster*uck within the next five years. As much as Arlington people like to turn this on its head and say it's about how desirable Arlington has become, that's little consolation to those dealing with the consequences of such bad planning.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you are 10+ years away from middle school- I wouldn't bother to take advice from current middle/high school parents.
They luckily missed the train wreck.
If you have toddlers, it will be a different story.

Parent of a rising Swanson 8th grader and future W-L student here. With all due respect, the train wreck is already in progress for many Arlington middle schoolers. One entire grade at Swanson and one entire grade at Williamsburg will be in trailers for the second year. By the time my DD enters her senior year at W-L, APS projects there to be 2,906 students in a school with capacity for 2,200. And that is assuming: 1) there are 700 students at Arlington Tech (not going to happen) and 2) APS's projections are accurate. As we all well know, APS enrollment projections are usually too low. I'm not claiming parents of preschoolers and elementary school students have nothing to worry about in terms of high school, because they surely do, but let's not pretend that current middle schoolers have missed the train wreck - many of them are in the engine driving it.

Those projections may have been prepared by APS before the redistricting to Yorktown and Wakefield, but all three of the main high schools in APS will be a complete cluster*uck within the next five years. As much as Arlington people like to turn this on its head and say it's about how desirable Arlington has become, that's little consolation to those dealing with the consequences of such bad planning.

No, the projections take into account the high school boundary adjustments.

[Anonymous]

There aren't a lot of private options that are an easy commute from Arlington with two working parents.

Time commuting is time thrown away. My kid enjoys having friends close by. I know when I was in private a distance away from my house I was very lonely.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There aren't a lot of private options that are an easy commute from Arlington with two working parents.

Time commuting is time thrown away. My kid enjoys having friends close by. I know when I was in private a distance away from my house I was very lonely.

The problem is that the public high school options in Arlington have become increasingly unpalatable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There aren't a lot of private options that are an easy commute from Arlington with two working parents.

Time commuting is time thrown away. My kid enjoys having friends close by. I know when I was in private a distance away from my house I was very lonely.

The problem is that the public high school options in Arlington have become increasingly unpalatable.

At least there are choices.
A) culture of drugs and entitlement
B) crazy overcrowded mess
C) culture of low expectations

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have one DS who recently graduated from W-L, and one who will be starting there in the fall. We were very happy with DS1's high school experience and are confident that DS2 will succeed there as well.

I have no interest in private school for my kids/family.

Same here. Our 3 kids in Arlington public elementary and middle school are doing fine. We are in some of the better North Arlington school districts. Wife and I were both private school kids from different states (South and North East) where the public option was less than desirable. Money is not currently a major concern for us, but it is not even a question if we should send them a private school, when APS schools are considered very good. Sports are not an issue since they play mostly soccer, and ASA Travel soccer is not school based. Once they hit high school, if class size is an issue or they need more instruction, then we may reevaluate. But for now we are enjoying putting that $25K+ per year per child into their college fund, rather than potentially marginally better private schools. My private school was mostly white, so I kind of enjoy their having more friends from different cultural backgrounds - and I'm a conservative.

Also, ignore all the haters on the Arlington Public Schools, we get it for the schools, soccer programs, etc... some people with deep seated insecurities trying to bring down a great county. They do have a point about the county board's idiotic passion to over concentrate affordable housing and the school overcrowding issue. It is still a great county despite the County Board's failures.

I'm guessing these schools are just as "mostly white" as the private school you mention was.

[Anonymous]

Private.