Moving to avoid kenmore - go to fcps?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://www.greatschools.org/virginia/arlington/122-Kenmore-Middle-School/

Sad

Look at the data. Are all students doing poorly? No. If your child isn't a minority, isn't an English language learner, isn't poor, you have nothing to worry about. It's not like some ES where there isn't a cohort of kids for an UMC child who is academically advanced. All kids have to go to school somewhere, and the poor and minority students have been purposely zoned out of almost every other area of Arlington, this is one of those schools. MC or UMC kids from stable homes, who have few impediments to learning, are doing very well at Kenmore. And maybe, just maybe, they will walk through the their future lives seeing people who don't have their exact same life circumstances as full humans, worthy of dignity, and not think they are "sad" or to be feared and avoided.

There is a huge achievement gap at Kenmore. How does that positively affect the perception of the higher-achieving kids towards the other kids at the school, assuming they aren't largely in different classes?

Speaking for my high achieving 7th grader, I don't think she realizes that others aren't doing as well as she is academically, although she has pointed out to me that kids who are learning English now as a 2nd language are obviously going to struggle with learning the same material she does. (we were discussing school rankings and test score gaps, and she thought the idea of picking a school based on that was rubbish.) She is tracked into some classes with other gifted students, but electives, lunch, and PE are all mixed. She is extremely open minded and accepting of all people.

There are always different levels of achievement and students always know who the top academics are, as well as those who don't do so well academically. It's not a matter of the achievement gap. It's just people. And I think it's an added benefit if the more affluent, high-achieving academic students have the opportunity to see the realities of the achievement gap, anyway. Kids are smarter than adults - they know other students struggle for legitimate reasons, not because they're stupid; and they know those kids aren't dragging them down and dooming them to a life of failure - it's the adult parents who think that way.

Proves too much. High-achievers can “see the realities” of the achievement gap without being at a school of mostly low-achievers. What they may not glean at a school like Kenmore is just how many other high-achievers are out there.

Hardly. This is so stupid. Do you think the high-achievers never venture out of the Kenmore bubble? They don't do outside activities and camps and sports, like high-achievers at other MSs? And most of the Kenmore kids are zoned W-L for HS, the ones who are not often transfer there through the IB program. It's not like they suddenly collapse and fail once they get to HS, because they never knew there were so many other high-achievers. GMAFB.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://www.greatschools.org/virginia/arlington/122-Kenmore-Middle-School/

Sad

Look at the data. Are all students doing poorly? No. If your child isn't a minority, isn't an English language learner, isn't poor, you have nothing to worry about. It's not like some ES where there isn't a cohort of kids for an UMC child who is academically advanced. All kids have to go to school somewhere, and the poor and minority students have been purposely zoned out of almost every other area of Arlington, this is one of those schools. MC or UMC kids from stable homes, who have few impediments to learning, are doing very well at Kenmore. And maybe, just maybe, they will walk through the their future lives seeing people who don't have their exact same life circumstances as full humans, worthy of dignity, and not think they are "sad" or to be feared and avoided.

There is a huge achievement gap at Kenmore. How does that positively affect the perception of the higher-achieving kids towards the other kids at the school, assuming they aren't largely in different classes?

Speaking for my high achieving 7th grader, I don't think she realizes that others aren't doing as well as she is academically, although she has pointed out to me that kids who are learning English now as a 2nd language are obviously going to struggle with learning the same material she does. (we were discussing school rankings and test score gaps, and she thought the idea of picking a school based on that was rubbish.) She is tracked into some classes with other gifted students, but electives, lunch, and PE are all mixed. She is extremely open minded and accepting of all people.

There are always different levels of achievement and students always know who the top academics are, as well as those who don't do so well academically. It's not a matter of the achievement gap. It's just people. And I think it's an added benefit if the more affluent, high-achieving academic students have the opportunity to see the realities of the achievement gap, anyway. Kids are smarter than adults - they know other students struggle for legitimate reasons, not because they're stupid; and they know those kids aren't dragging them down and dooming them to a life of failure - it's the adult parents who think that way.

Proves too much. High-achievers can “see the realities” of the achievement gap without being at a school of mostly low-achievers. What they may not glean at a school like Kenmore is just how many other high-achievers are out there.

Hardly. This is so stupid. Do you think the high-achievers never venture out of the Kenmore bubble? They don't do outside activities and camps and sports, like high-achievers at other MSs? And most of the Kenmore kids are zoned W-L for HS, the ones who are not often transfer there through the IB program. It's not like they suddenly collapse and fail once they get to HS, because they never knew there were so many other high-achievers. GMAFB.

Seriously. There's a good number of high-achieving ATS kids at Kenmore, at least in the 7th grade. Those kids know what that looks like. Same for Barrett and Ashlawn.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://www.greatschools.org/virginia/arlington/122-Kenmore-Middle-School/

Sad

Look at the data. Are all students doing poorly? No. If your child isn't a minority, isn't an English language learner, isn't poor, you have nothing to worry about. It's not like some ES where there isn't a cohort of kids for an UMC child who is academically advanced. All kids have to go to school somewhere, and the poor and minority students have been purposely zoned out of almost every other area of Arlington, this is one of those schools. MC or UMC kids from stable homes, who have few impediments to learning, are doing very well at Kenmore. And maybe, just maybe, they will walk through the their future lives seeing people who don't have their exact same life circumstances as full humans, worthy of dignity, and not think they are "sad" or to be feared and avoided.

There is a huge achievement gap at Kenmore. How does that positively affect the perception of the higher-achieving kids towards the other kids at the school, assuming they aren't largely in different classes?

Speaking for my high achieving 7th grader, I don't think she realizes that others aren't doing as well as she is academically, although she has pointed out to me that kids who are learning English now as a 2nd language are obviously going to struggle with learning the same material she does. (we were discussing school rankings and test score gaps, and she thought the idea of picking a school based on that was rubbish.) She is tracked into some classes with other gifted students, but electives, lunch, and PE are all mixed. She is extremely open minded and accepting of all people.

There are always different levels of achievement and students always know who the top academics are, as well as those who don't do so well academically. It's not a matter of the achievement gap. It's just people. And I think it's an added benefit if the more affluent, high-achieving academic students have the opportunity to see the realities of the achievement gap, anyway. Kids are smarter than adults - they know other students struggle for legitimate reasons, not because they're stupid; and they know those kids aren't dragging them down and dooming them to a life of failure - it's the adult parents who think that way.

Proves too much. High-achievers can “see the realities” of the achievement gap without being at a school of mostly low-achievers. What they may not glean at a school like Kenmore is just how many other high-achievers are out there.

Yeah? Really? How? When? Where? All those Jamestown/Williamsburg/Yorktown kids are really that grounded in reality? Oh, wait - you're right. They clearly are very aware of the achievement gap, evidenced by their scorn and belittling attitudes about Wakefield and Kenmore. Or is that just their parents?

[Anonymous]

No need to move - everyone we know at Kenmore right now is happy with the school, even the ones who had misgivings going in. (this includes the families we know from ATS.) 10 years ago it may have had a bad rep - not now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://www.greatschools.org/virginia/arlington/122-Kenmore-Middle-School/

Sad

Look at the data. Are all students doing poorly? No. If your child isn't a minority, isn't an English language learner, isn't poor, you have nothing to worry about. It's not like some ES where there isn't a cohort of kids for an UMC child who is academically advanced. All kids have to go to school somewhere, and the poor and minority students have been purposely zoned out of almost every other area of Arlington, this is one of those schools. MC or UMC kids from stable homes, who have few impediments to learning, are doing very well at Kenmore. And maybe, just maybe, they will walk through the their future lives seeing people who don't have their exact same life circumstances as full humans, worthy of dignity, and not think they are "sad" or to be feared and avoided.

There is a huge achievement gap at Kenmore. How does that positively affect the perception of the higher-achieving kids towards the other kids at the school, assuming they aren't largely in different classes?

Speaking for my high achieving 7th grader, I don't think she realizes that others aren't doing as well as she is academically, although she has pointed out to me that kids who are learning English now as a 2nd language are obviously going to struggle with learning the same material she does. (we were discussing school rankings and test score gaps, and she thought the idea of picking a school based on that was rubbish.) She is tracked into some classes with other gifted students, but electives, lunch, and PE are all mixed. She is extremely open minded and accepting of all people.

There are always different levels of achievement and students always know who the top academics are, as well as those who don't do so well academically. It's not a matter of the achievement gap. It's just people. And I think it's an added benefit if the more affluent, high-achieving academic students have the opportunity to see the realities of the achievement gap, anyway. Kids are smarter than adults - they know other students struggle for legitimate reasons, not because they're stupid; and they know those kids aren't dragging them down and dooming them to a life of failure - it's the adult parents who think that way.

Proves too much. High-achievers can “see the realities” of the achievement gap without being at a school of mostly low-achievers. What they may not glean at a school like Kenmore is just how many other high-achievers are out there.

Hardly. This is so stupid. Do you think the high-achievers never venture out of the Kenmore bubble? They don't do outside activities and camps and sports, like high-achievers at other MSs? And most of the Kenmore kids are zoned W-L for HS, the ones who are not often transfer there through the IB program. It's not like they suddenly collapse and fail once they get to HS, because they never knew there were so many other high-achievers. GMAFB.

Seriously. There's a good number of high-achieving ATS kids at Kenmore, at least in the 7th grade. Those kids know what that looks like. Same for Barrett and Ashlawn.

Not really, and certainly not compared to Swanson, Williamsburg and, soon, Stratford. It’s not a great environment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://www.greatschools.org/virginia/arlington/122-Kenmore-Middle-School/

Sad

Look at the data. Are all students doing poorly? No. If your child isn't a minority, isn't an English language learner, isn't poor, you have nothing to worry about. It's not like some ES where there isn't a cohort of kids for an UMC child who is academically advanced. All kids have to go to school somewhere, and the poor and minority students have been purposely zoned out of almost every other area of Arlington, this is one of those schools. MC or UMC kids from stable homes, who have few impediments to learning, are doing very well at Kenmore. And maybe, just maybe, they will walk through the their future lives seeing people who don't have their exact same life circumstances as full humans, worthy of dignity, and not think they are "sad" or to be feared and avoided.

There is a huge achievement gap at Kenmore. How does that positively affect the perception of the higher-achieving kids towards the other kids at the school, assuming they aren't largely in different classes?

Speaking for my high achieving 7th grader, I don't think she realizes that others aren't doing as well as she is academically, although she has pointed out to me that kids who are learning English now as a 2nd language are obviously going to struggle with learning the same material she does. (we were discussing school rankings and test score gaps, and she thought the idea of picking a school based on that was rubbish.) She is tracked into some classes with other gifted students, but electives, lunch, and PE are all mixed. She is extremely open minded and accepting of all people.

There are always different levels of achievement and students always know who the top academics are, as well as those who don't do so well academically. It's not a matter of the achievement gap. It's just people. And I think it's an added benefit if the more affluent, high-achieving academic students have the opportunity to see the realities of the achievement gap, anyway. Kids are smarter than adults - they know other students struggle for legitimate reasons, not because they're stupid; and they know those kids aren't dragging them down and dooming them to a life of failure - it's the adult parents who think that way.

Proves too much. High-achievers can “see the realities” of the achievement gap without being at a school of mostly low-achievers. What they may not glean at a school like Kenmore is just how many other high-achievers are out there.

Hardly. This is so stupid. Do you think the high-achievers never venture out of the Kenmore bubble? They don't do outside activities and camps and sports, like high-achievers at other MSs? And most of the Kenmore kids are zoned W-L for HS, the ones who are not often transfer there through the IB program. It's not like they suddenly collapse and fail once they get to HS, because they never knew there were so many other high-achievers. GMAFB.

Seriously. There's a good number of high-achieving ATS kids at Kenmore, at least in the 7th grade. Those kids know what that looks like. Same for Barrett and Ashlawn.

Not really, and certainly not compared to Swanson, Williamsburg and, soon, Stratford. It’s not a great environment.

So you are convinced that a school that isn't even open yet has a superior environment? Sure, buddy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://www.greatschools.org/virginia/arlington/122-Kenmore-Middle-School/

Sad

Look at the data. Are all students doing poorly? No. If your child isn't a minority, isn't an English language learner, isn't poor, you have nothing to worry about. It's not like some ES where there isn't a cohort of kids for an UMC child who is academically advanced. All kids have to go to school somewhere, and the poor and minority students have been purposely zoned out of almost every other area of Arlington, this is one of those schools. MC or UMC kids from stable homes, who have few impediments to learning, are doing very well at Kenmore. And maybe, just maybe, they will walk through the their future lives seeing people who don't have their exact same life circumstances as full humans, worthy of dignity, and not think they are "sad" or to be feared and avoided.

There is a huge achievement gap at Kenmore. How does that positively affect the perception of the higher-achieving kids towards the other kids at the school, assuming they aren't largely in different classes?

Speaking for my high achieving 7th grader, I don't think she realizes that others aren't doing as well as she is academically, although she has pointed out to me that kids who are learning English now as a 2nd language are obviously going to struggle with learning the same material she does. (we were discussing school rankings and test score gaps, and she thought the idea of picking a school based on that was rubbish.) She is tracked into some classes with other gifted students, but electives, lunch, and PE are all mixed. She is extremely open minded and accepting of all people.

There are always different levels of achievement and students always know who the top academics are, as well as those who don't do so well academically. It's not a matter of the achievement gap. It's just people. And I think it's an added benefit if the more affluent, high-achieving academic students have the opportunity to see the realities of the achievement gap, anyway. Kids are smarter than adults - they know other students struggle for legitimate reasons, not because they're stupid; and they know those kids aren't dragging them down and dooming them to a life of failure - it's the adult parents who think that way.

Proves too much. High-achievers can “see the realities” of the achievement gap without being at a school of mostly low-achievers. What they may not glean at a school like Kenmore is just how many other high-achievers are out there.

Hardly. This is so stupid. Do you think the high-achievers never venture out of the Kenmore bubble? They don't do outside activities and camps and sports, like high-achievers at other MSs? And most of the Kenmore kids are zoned W-L for HS, the ones who are not often transfer there through the IB program. It's not like they suddenly collapse and fail once they get to HS, because they never knew there were so many other high-achievers. GMAFB.

Seriously. There's a good number of high-achieving ATS kids at Kenmore, at least in the 7th grade. Those kids know what that looks like. Same for Barrett and Ashlawn.

Not really, and certainly not compared to Swanson, Williamsburg and, soon, Stratford. It’s not a great environment.

So you are convinced that a school that isn't even open yet has a superior environment? Sure, buddy.

It is very likely that past performance will predict future results for Stratford students. But you do you.

[Anonymous]

Does Kenmore have a bullying problem?

Serious question from a prospective parent. The stats cited on bullying in the Kenmore school management plan are concerning.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://www.greatschools.org/virginia/arlington/122-Kenmore-Middle-School/

Sad

Look at the data. Are all students doing poorly? No. If your child isn't a minority, isn't an English language learner, isn't poor, you have nothing to worry about. It's not like some ES where there isn't a cohort of kids for an UMC child who is academically advanced. All kids have to go to school somewhere, and the poor and minority students have been purposely zoned out of almost every other area of Arlington, this is one of those schools. MC or UMC kids from stable homes, who have few impediments to learning, are doing very well at Kenmore. And maybe, just maybe, they will walk through the their future lives seeing people who don't have their exact same life circumstances as full humans, worthy of dignity, and not think they are "sad" or to be feared and avoided.

There is a huge achievement gap at Kenmore. How does that positively affect the perception of the higher-achieving kids towards the other kids at the school, assuming they aren't largely in different classes?

Speaking for my high achieving 7th grader, I don't think she realizes that others aren't doing as well as she is academically, although she has pointed out to me that kids who are learning English now as a 2nd language are obviously going to struggle with learning the same material she does. (we were discussing school rankings and test score gaps, and she thought the idea of picking a school based on that was rubbish.) She is tracked into some classes with other gifted students, but electives, lunch, and PE are all mixed. She is extremely open minded and accepting of all people.

There are always different levels of achievement and students always know who the top academics are, as well as those who don't do so well academically. It's not a matter of the achievement gap. It's just people. And I think it's an added benefit if the more affluent, high-achieving academic students have the opportunity to see the realities of the achievement gap, anyway. Kids are smarter than adults - they know other students struggle for legitimate reasons, not because they're stupid; and they know those kids aren't dragging them down and dooming them to a life of failure - it's the adult parents who think that way.

Proves too much. High-achievers can “see the realities” of the achievement gap without being at a school of mostly low-achievers. What they may not glean at a school like Kenmore is just how many other high-achievers are out there.

Hardly. This is so stupid. Do you think the high-achievers never venture out of the Kenmore bubble? They don't do outside activities and camps and sports, like high-achievers at other MSs? And most of the Kenmore kids are zoned W-L for HS, the ones who are not often transfer there through the IB program. It's not like they suddenly collapse and fail once they get to HS, because they never knew there were so many other high-achievers. GMAFB.

Seriously. There's a good number of high-achieving ATS kids at Kenmore, at least in the 7th grade. Those kids know what that looks like. Same for Barrett and Ashlawn.

Not really, and certainly not compared to Swanson, Williamsburg and, soon, Stratford. It’s not a great environment.

So you are convinced that a school that isn't even open yet has a superior environment? Sure, buddy.

It is very likely that past performance will predict future results for Stratford students. But you do you.

Okay, then by that same logic parents of already high-achieving ES kids have nothing to fear sending their kids to any MS. Because their past predicts they will continue to be high-achieving.

It's also weird to me that you feel a school needs to be more or entirely full of high-achievers for children to maintain results. All any kids needs is a peer group, a large-enough cohort, so that they can offer a class they might not if those students we're there. Beyond that, I am literally baffled at how any child could be affected (positively or negatively) by anything else.

[Anonymous]

Not really, and certainly not compared to Swanson, Williamsburg and, soon, Stratford. It’s not a great environment.


So you are convinced that a school that isn't even open yet has a superior environment? Sure, buddy.


It is very likely that past performance will predict future results for Stratford students. But you do you.


Okay, then by that same logic parents of already high-achieving ES kids have nothing to fear sending their kids to any MS. Because their past predicts they will continue to be high-achieving.

It's also weird to me that you feel a school needs to be more or entirely full of high-achievers for children to maintain results. All any kids needs is a peer group, a large-enough cohort, so that they can offer a class they might not if those students we're there. Beyond that, I am literally baffled at how any child could be affected (positively or negatively) by anything else.

Lady...put down that box of wine. When you build a MS and fill it with students from Swanson & Williamsburg...it doesn't take a rocket scientist to predict that these kids will be fairly high-achieving. But like I said earlier...you do you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://www.greatschools.org/virginia/arlington/122-Kenmore-Middle-School/

Sad

Look at the data. Are all students doing poorly? No. If your child isn't a minority, isn't an English language learner, isn't poor, you have nothing to worry about. It's not like some ES where there isn't a cohort of kids for an UMC child who is academically advanced. All kids have to go to school somewhere, and the poor and minority students have been purposely zoned out of almost every other area of Arlington, this is one of those schools. MC or UMC kids from stable homes, who have few impediments to learning, are doing very well at Kenmore. And maybe, just maybe, they will walk through the their future lives seeing people who don't have their exact same life circumstances as full humans, worthy of dignity, and not think they are "sad" or to be feared and avoided.

There is a huge achievement gap at Kenmore. How does that positively affect the perception of the higher-achieving kids towards the other kids at the school, assuming they aren't largely in different classes?

Speaking for my high achieving 7th grader, I don't think she realizes that others aren't doing as well as she is academically, although she has pointed out to me that kids who are learning English now as a 2nd language are obviously going to struggle with learning the same material she does. (we were discussing school rankings and test score gaps, and she thought the idea of picking a school based on that was rubbish.) She is tracked into some classes with other gifted students, but electives, lunch, and PE are all mixed. She is extremely open minded and accepting of all people.

There are always different levels of achievement and students always know who the top academics are, as well as those who don't do so well academically. It's not a matter of the achievement gap. It's just people. And I think it's an added benefit if the more affluent, high-achieving academic students have the opportunity to see the realities of the achievement gap, anyway. Kids are smarter than adults - they know other students struggle for legitimate reasons, not because they're stupid; and they know those kids aren't dragging them down and dooming them to a life of failure - it's the adult parents who think that way.

Proves too much. High-achievers can “see the realities” of the achievement gap without being at a school of mostly low-achievers. What they may not glean at a school like Kenmore is just how many other high-achievers are out there.

Hardly. This is so stupid. Do you think the high-achievers never venture out of the Kenmore bubble? They don't do outside activities and camps and sports, like high-achievers at other MSs? And most of the Kenmore kids are zoned W-L for HS, the ones who are not often transfer there through the IB program. It's not like they suddenly collapse and fail once they get to HS, because they never knew there were so many other high-achievers. GMAFB.

Seriously. There's a good number of high-achieving ATS kids at Kenmore, at least in the 7th grade. Those kids know what that looks like. Same for Barrett and Ashlawn.

Not really, and certainly not compared to Swanson, Williamsburg and, soon, Stratford. It’s not a great environment.

So you are convinced that a school that isn't even open yet has a superior environment? Sure, buddy.

It is very likely that past performance will predict future results for Stratford students. But you do you.

Okay, then by that same logic parents of already high-achieving ES kids have nothing to fear sending their kids to any MS. Because their past predicts they will continue to be high-achieving.

It's also weird to me that you feel a school needs to be more or entirely full of high-achievers for children to maintain results. All any kids needs is a peer group, a large-enough cohort, so that they can offer a class they might not if those students we're there. Beyond that, I am literally baffled at how any child could be affected (positively or negatively) by anything else.

You are baffled by how kids could be influenced by bad behavior and bullying? Your kid is not in an isolated bubble, PE, etc. is a mix of all students.

[Anonymous]

Exactly. That’s why so many parents are concerned about Williamsburg. The concerns about bullying and negative peer pressure are very real.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Exactly. That’s why so many parents are concerned about Williamsburg. The concerns about bullying and negative peer pressure are very real.

+1 In the latest VA Dept of Ed School quality profiles...

Offences against persons -- 17 at Kenmore, 25 at Williamsburg
Disorderly/disruptive -- 22 at Kenmore, 18 at Williamsburg

Bullying is no more an issue at Kenmore than it is at the other MS's. I have friends all over APS and kids in 10th and 8th grade. I recall hearing rumors of bullying being an issue at Kenmore when my 10th grader was starting MS but nothing in recent years. I hear the most concerns voiced about drug issues at Williamsburg. I have no idea how real that is or if it just comes from a couple widely known instances, which could just as likely be the source of the old Kenmore rumor too.

[Anonymous]

OP -

My son went to Jefferson and graduated from W-L last year. I can tell you that it wasn't obvious which kids went to which middle school when they showed up at W-L, and his friend circle, all good students, mostly went to Kenmore.

[Anonymous]

Just a 4 on Great Schools (and a 2 on “Equity”). No thanks.