APS Next Few Years

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not worth moving to Fairfax Co. You would most of the same issues.

I would just go private instead of selling and buying another house for 4 years.

I attended FFX Co HS, kids were APS K-8, now in private HS in DC. APS has been in a steady decline, freefall for the past decade or more, talking with relatives in Ffx and Loudoun, very similar in other NoVA counties.

Come on, spare us the melodrama. We're a government family facing college bills, and retirement when our kids are of college age (no children until 40s), like so many others in this area.

APS may be in slow but steady decline overall, but the most advanced classes remain a bargain.

I'm OK with paying 6-8K per MS and HS student a year to supplement, vs. 20-40K a year for privates. Our middle schoolers are sophisticated enough to understand that we do our best as parents, but aren't made of money. They don't grouse about tutoring and outside lessons. I love having them in school with a good many poor students who are also high-performing students, particularly for math, e.g. refugees from the Middle East and Asia, not just token fi aid students trying to fit in at pricey privates.

Private high school's in DC aren't our scene (and we're Ivy Leaguers).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not worth moving to Fairfax Co. You would most of the same issues.

I would just go private instead of selling and buying another house for 4 years.

I attended FFX Co HS, kids were APS K-8, now in private HS in DC. APS has been in a steady decline, freefall for the past decade or more, talking with relatives in Ffx and Loudoun, very similar in other NoVA counties.

Come on, spare us the melodrama. We're a government family facing college bills, and retirement when our kids are of college age (no children until 40s), like so many others in this area.

APS may be in slow but steady decline overall, but the most advanced classes remain a bargain.

I'm OK with paying 6-8K per MS and HS student a year to supplement, vs. 20-40K a year for privates. Our middle schoolers are sophisticated enough to understand that we do our best as parents, but aren't made of money. They don't grouse about tutoring and outside lessons. I love having them in school with a good many poor students who are also high-performing students, particularly for math, e.g. refugees from the Middle East and Asia, not just token fi aid students trying to fit in at pricey privates.

Private high school's in DC aren't our scene (and we're Ivy Leaguers).

Just couldn't resist putting that in there, eh?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not worth moving to Fairfax Co. You would most of the same issues.

I would just go private instead of selling and buying another house for 4 years.

I attended FFX Co HS, kids were APS K-8, now in private HS in DC. APS has been in a steady decline, freefall for the past decade or more, talking with relatives in Ffx and Loudoun, very similar in other NoVA counties.

Come on, spare us the melodrama. We're a government family facing college bills, and retirement when our kids are of college age (no children until 40s), like so many others in this area.

APS may be in slow but steady decline overall, but the most advanced classes remain a bargain.

I'm OK with paying 6-8K per MS and HS student a year to supplement, vs. 20-40K a year for privates. Our middle schoolers are sophisticated enough to understand that we do our best as parents, but aren't made of money. They don't grouse about tutoring and outside lessons. I love having them in school with a good many poor students who are also high-performing students, particularly for math, e.g. refugees from the Middle East and Asia, not just token fi aid students trying to fit in at pricey privates.

Private high school's in DC aren't our scene (and we're Ivy Leaguers).

Just couldn't resist putting that in there, eh?

I attended college on a full Pell Grant, coming from a HS ranked in the bottom third in my state. What about you?

Some of us don't want our teens in cocoon environment privates, although we could swing the tuition.

I've been interviewing applicants to my Ivy in in the Metro area since the 90s, a dozen annually. Too many of the UMC Northern VA DC private school applicants I've talked to have their heads in the clouds, and aren't terribly impressive academically. The inconvenient truth is that the strongest local public school applicants do better in the college process.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not worth moving to Fairfax Co. You would most of the same issues.

I would just go private instead of selling and buying another house for 4 years.

I attended FFX Co HS, kids were APS K-8, now in private HS in DC. APS has been in a steady decline, freefall for the past decade or more, talking with relatives in Ffx and Loudoun, very similar in other NoVA counties.

Come on, spare us the melodrama. We're a government family facing college bills, and retirement when our kids are of college age (no children until 40s), like so many others in this area.

APS may be in slow but steady decline overall, but the most advanced classes remain a bargain.

I'm OK with paying 6-8K per MS and HS student a year to supplement, vs. 20-40K a year for privates. Our middle schoolers are sophisticated enough to understand that we do our best as parents, but aren't made of money. They don't grouse about tutoring and outside lessons. I love having them in school with a good many poor students who are also high-performing students, particularly for math, e.g. refugees from the Middle East and Asia, not just token fi aid students trying to fit in at pricey privates.

Private high school's in DC aren't our scene (and we're Ivy Leaguers).

Just couldn't resist putting that in there, eh?

I attended college on a full Pell Grant, coming from a HS ranked in the bottom third in my state. What about you?

Some of us don't want our teens in cocoon environment privates, although we could swing the tuition.

I've been interviewing applicants to my Ivy in in the Metro area since the 90s, a dozen annually. Too many of the UMC Northern VA DC private school applicants I've talked to have their heads in the clouds, and aren't terribly impressive academically. The inconvenient truth is that the strongest local public school applicants do better in the college process.

Ivy League? Sounds like a wasted degrees - race to nowhere.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not worth moving to Fairfax Co. You would most of the same issues.

I would just go private instead of selling and buying another house for 4 years.

I attended FFX Co HS, kids were APS K-8, now in private HS in DC. APS has been in a steady decline, freefall for the past decade or more, talking with relatives in Ffx and Loudoun, very similar in other NoVA counties.

Come on, spare us the melodrama. We're a government family facing college bills, and retirement when our kids are of college age (no children until 40s), like so many others in this area.

APS may be in slow but steady decline overall, but the most advanced classes remain a bargain.

I'm OK with paying 6-8K per MS and HS student a year to supplement, vs. 20-40K a year for privates. Our middle schoolers are sophisticated enough to understand that we do our best as parents, but aren't made of money. They don't grouse about tutoring and outside lessons. I love having them in school with a good many poor students who are also high-performing students, particularly for math, e.g. refugees from the Middle East and Asia, not just token fi aid students trying to fit in at pricey privates.

Private high school's in DC aren't our scene (and we're Ivy Leaguers).

Just couldn't resist putting that in there, eh?

I attended college on a full Pell Grant, coming from a HS ranked in the bottom third in my state. What about you?

Some of us don't want our teens in cocoon environment privates, although we could swing the tuition.

I've been interviewing applicants to my Ivy in in the Metro area since the 90s, a dozen annually. Too many of the UMC Northern VA DC private school applicants I've talked to have their heads in the clouds, and aren't terribly impressive academically. The inconvenient truth is that the strongest local public school applicants do better in the college process.

I’m so glad you came from humble origins. Doesn’t change the fact that you append the fact that you attended an Ivy to arguments that don’t need it. Which goes to show that, regardless of their origins, Ivies can turn anyone into equally pompous blowhards.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not worth moving to Fairfax Co. You would most of the same issues.

I would just go private instead of selling and buying another house for 4 years.

I attended FFX Co HS, kids were APS K-8, now in private HS in DC. APS has been in a steady decline, freefall for the past decade or more, talking with relatives in Ffx and Loudoun, very similar in other NoVA counties.

Come on, spare us the melodrama. We're a government family facing college bills, and retirement when our kids are of college age (no children until 40s), like so many others in this area.

APS may be in slow but steady decline overall, but the most advanced classes remain a bargain.

I'm OK with paying 6-8K per MS and HS student a year to supplement, vs. 20-40K a year for privates. Our middle schoolers are sophisticated enough to understand that we do our best as parents, but aren't made of money. They don't grouse about tutoring and outside lessons. I love having them in school with a good many poor students who are also high-performing students, particularly for math, e.g. refugees from the Middle East and Asia, not just token fi aid students trying to fit in at pricey privates.

Private high school's in DC aren't our scene (and we're Ivy Leaguers).

Just couldn't resist putting that in there, eh?

I attended college on a full Pell Grant, coming from a HS ranked in the bottom third in my state. What about you?

Some of us don't want our teens in cocoon environment privates, although we could swing the tuition.

I've been interviewing applicants to my Ivy in in the Metro area since the 90s, a dozen annually. Too many of the UMC Northern VA DC private school applicants I've talked to have their heads in the clouds, and aren't terribly impressive academically. The inconvenient truth is that the strongest local public school applicants do better in the college process.

I’m so glad you came from humble origins. Doesn’t change the fact that you append the fact that you attended an Ivy to arguments that don’t need it. Which goes to show that, regardless of their origins, Ivies can turn anyone into equally pompous blowhards.

Yes, just like tony DC private high schools can turn nice APS kids into pompous blowhards (despite the fact that they can't crack Ivies).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not worth moving to Fairfax Co. You would most of the same issues.

I would just go private instead of selling and buying another house for 4 years.

I attended FFX Co HS, kids were APS K-8, now in private HS in DC. APS has been in a steady decline, freefall for the past decade or more, talking with relatives in Ffx and Loudoun, very similar in other NoVA counties.

Come on, spare us the melodrama. We're a government family facing college bills, and retirement when our kids are of college age (no children until 40s), like so many others in this area.

APS may be in slow but steady decline overall, but the most advanced classes remain a bargain.

I'm OK with paying 6-8K per MS and HS student a year to supplement, vs. 20-40K a year for privates. Our middle schoolers are sophisticated enough to understand that we do our best as parents, but aren't made of money. They don't grouse about tutoring and outside lessons. I love having them in school with a good many poor students who are also high-performing students, particularly for math, e.g. refugees from the Middle East and Asia, not just token fi aid students trying to fit in at pricey privates.

Private high school's in DC aren't our scene (and we're Ivy Leaguers).

Just couldn't resist putting that in there, eh?

I attended college on a full Pell Grant, coming from a HS ranked in the bottom third in my state. What about you?

Some of us don't want our teens in cocoon environment privates, although we could swing the tuition.

I've been interviewing applicants to my Ivy in in the Metro area since the 90s, a dozen annually. Too many of the UMC Northern VA DC private school applicants I've talked to have their heads in the clouds, and aren't terribly impressive academically. The inconvenient truth is that the strongest local public school applicants do better in the college process.

So interesting, I also went to an elite college from a crummy public high school, also had a Pell grant. And I was so underprepared for college compared to my peers from good high schools and private schools.

I don't see private school as a cocoon at all, I see it as the early trenches of the competitive academic environment they will wade into come college admissions time. I want them to be prepared for college, for that transition to be smooth so they have the confidence and wherewithal to build connections and find mentors (read "Paying for College" and see how critical that is to future career success). Unlike me who spent hours in the library just trying to fill the gaps in my high school education just to get to the point to know what questions to ask. My career has been very sub-par (govt contractor), as my grades were only so-so and my ability to leverage my connections non existent since I was out of my element at college academically and socially. By sacrificing now, my kids can learn a bit about that academic and social roles in high school and be on better footing in college.

I'm surprised if you came from a crummy high school and weren't wealthy, how you didn't find an elite college crushing? Were your parents academic (maybe immigrants with advanced education but working class jobs in states)? Or maybe you are just way smarter than me, as I likely got into my elite college as a "rural poor" diversity element.

[Anonymous]

I earned a PhD from Johns Hopkins after graduating from my Ivy. Had a great time in college. Seldom felt like I was behind the curve academically.

My outdoorsy, hippie parents (former Peace Corps volunteers) were hostile to TV, so my siblings and I read a great deal. My siblings went to Harvard. My brother tutored me in math. We did a lot of hiking/backpacking, took music lessons at school and played in a regional orchestra, worked as youth sports referees and lifeguards, served on student government, did readings at our church etc. to build confidence. Our HS pals mostly came from working-class families, yet went on to Yale, Georgetown, MIT etc. We had many terrific AP teachers, mostly close to retirement. My college pals were mostly on boatloads of fi aid themselves.

I don't want my children in private school with droves of white and UMC or rich classmates. I don't mind tutoring them in APS, and neither does my spouse (Stanford grad from low-income immigrant family).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I earned a PhD from Johns Hopkins after graduating from my Ivy. Had a great time in college. Seldom felt like I was behind the curve academically.

My outdoorsy, hippie parents (former Peace Corps volunteers) were hostile to TV, so my siblings and I read a great deal. My siblings went to Harvard. My brother tutored me in math. We did a lot of hiking/backpacking, took music lessons at school and played in a regional orchestra, worked as youth sports referees and lifeguards, served on student government, did readings at our church etc. to build confidence. Our HS pals mostly came from working-class families, yet went on to Yale, Georgetown, MIT etc. We had many terrific AP teachers, mostly close to retirement. My college pals were mostly on boatloads of fi aid themselves.

I don't want my children in private school with droves of white and UMC or rich classmates. I don't mind tutoring them in APS, and neither does my spouse (Stanford grad from low-income immigrant family).

Ah I see you, your parents chose to live a life of hippie poverty, they were educated and fairly accomplished to make it to Peace Corp.

My working class classmates mostly went to local community college (1/3), military (1/4), or worked as local trades or at factory in town (1/3). That remainder of 9% went to mostly state universities, and 1 Ivy (me), and 1 to Wake Forest. Where the heck did you have a working class neighborhood with that high caliber education? I'm guess this is New England?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I earned a PhD from Johns Hopkins after graduating from my Ivy. Had a great time in college. Seldom felt like I was behind the curve academically.

My outdoorsy, hippie parents (former Peace Corps volunteers) were hostile to TV, so my siblings and I read a great deal. My siblings went to Harvard. My brother tutored me in math. We did a lot of hiking/backpacking, took music lessons at school and played in a regional orchestra, worked as youth sports referees and lifeguards, served on student government, did readings at our church etc. to build confidence. Our HS pals mostly came from working-class families, yet went on to Yale, Georgetown, MIT etc. We had many terrific AP teachers, mostly close to retirement. My college pals were mostly on boatloads of fi aid themselves.

I don't want my children in private school with droves of white and UMC or rich classmates. I don't mind tutoring them in APS, and neither does my spouse (Stanford grad from low-income immigrant family).

Ah I see you, your parents chose to live a life of hippie poverty, they were educated and fairly accomplished to make it to Peace Corp.

My working class classmates mostly went to local community college (1/3), military (1/4), or worked as local trades or at factory in town (1/3). That remainder of 9% went to mostly state universities, and 1 Ivy (me), and 1 to Wake Forest. Where the heck did you have a working class neighborhood with that high caliber education? I'm guess this is New England?

Yes, New England mill town, with a large swathe of farmland in the school district. A minority of my classmates went on to 4-year BA programs, yet this was a community where it wasn't unusual for the children of farmers and mill workers to go on to blue chip colleges. Our HS teams played, and often beat, area prep school teams in lacrosse, crew, field hockey etc.

I don't picture my children working all that hard at a school where more than 90% of the families are prosperous. We'd much rather take our chances with APS, thanks.

[Anonymous]

NP, APS may not be quite what is was 5-10 years ago, but the system seems to be holding steady.

There's no need to run off to pricey privates if you're willing to stay on top of what your kid's actually learning and add some external instruction.

The MS and HS peer groups are still good for high-achievers.

Just don't expect the sun, the moon and the stars.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I earned a PhD from Johns Hopkins after graduating from my Ivy. Had a great time in college. Seldom felt like I was behind the curve academically.

My outdoorsy, hippie parents (former Peace Corps volunteers) were hostile to TV, so my siblings and I read a great deal. My siblings went to Harvard. My brother tutored me in math. We did a lot of hiking/backpacking, took music lessons at school and played in a regional orchestra, worked as youth sports referees and lifeguards, served on student government, did readings at our church etc. to build confidence. Our HS pals mostly came from working-class families, yet went on to Yale, Georgetown, MIT etc. We had many terrific AP teachers, mostly close to retirement. My college pals were mostly on boatloads of fi aid themselves.

I don't want my children in private school with droves of white and UMC or rich classmates. I don't mind tutoring them in APS, and neither does my spouse (Stanford grad from low-income immigrant family).

Ah I see you, your parents chose to live a life of hippie poverty, they were educated and fairly accomplished to make it to Peace Corp.

My working class classmates mostly went to local community college (1/3), military (1/4), or worked as local trades or at factory in town (1/3). That remainder of 9% went to mostly state universities, and 1 Ivy (me), and 1 to Wake Forest. Where the heck did you have a working class neighborhood with that high caliber education? I'm guess this is New England?

Yes, New England mill town, with a large swathe of farmland in the school district. A minority of my classmates went on to 4-year BA programs, yet this was a community where it wasn't unusual for the children of farmers and mill workers to go on to blue chip colleges. Our HS teams played, and often beat, area prep school teams in lacrosse, crew, field hockey etc.

I don't picture my children working all that hard at a school where more than 90% of the families are prosperous. We'd much rather take our chances with APS, thanks.

It's clear now, your "bottom 1/3" of your state's schools, when your state has nation-leading public schools is very different than even a mid-tier public school in a state of subpar public schools.

No idea why you prosperous parents sending their kids to private would expect their kids to coast; they want a rigorous academic education, maybe back in the 80s when you were in HS they were finishing schools but certainly no longer.

[Anonymous]

How many wealthy kids knock themselves out in HS? Some, yes. Most, not buying it. UMC kids whose parents are reaching to pay, more than likely. Problems is top DC privates like Sidwell, Maret, GDS, St. Albans, NCS are loaded with rich, entitled kids. I worked at one of these institutions briefly, then left of my own accord, although admins treated me well. Too many pampered, immature, unmotivated students.

Dream on.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How many wealthy kids knock themselves out in HS? Some, yes. Most, not buying it. UMC kids whose parents are reaching to pay, more than likely. Problems is top DC privates like Sidwell, Maret, GDS, St. Albans, NCS are loaded with rich, entitled kids. I worked at one of these institutions briefly, then left of my own accord, although admins treated me well. Too many pampered, immature, unmotivated students.

Dream on.

Why do you think the hard working public school kids are in APS? Those families go to FCPS almost universally. APS was always more chill, which we liked when it seemed to be performing, but now that it’s watering down we realize those same chill parents are like “whatevs” or leaving.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not worth moving to Fairfax Co. You would most of the same issues.

I would just go private instead of selling and buying another house for 4 years.

I attended FFX Co HS, kids were APS K-8, now in private HS in DC. APS has been in a steady decline, freefall for the past decade or more, talking with relatives in Ffx and Loudoun, very similar in other NoVA counties.

Come on, spare us the melodrama. We're a government family facing college bills, and retirement when our kids are of college age (no children until 40s), like so many others in this area.

APS may be in slow but steady decline overall, but the most advanced classes remain a bargain.

I'm OK with paying 6-8K per MS and HS student a year to supplement, vs. 20-40K a year for privates. Our middle schoolers are sophisticated enough to understand that we do our best as parents, but aren't made of money. They don't grouse about tutoring and outside lessons. I love having them in school with a good many poor students who are also high-performing students, particularly for math, e.g. refugees from the Middle East and Asia, not just token fi aid students trying to fit in at pricey privates.

Private high school's in DC aren't our scene (and we're Ivy Leaguers).

Just couldn't resist putting that in there, eh?

That struck me as odd too, in an otherwise not unreasonable post. I guess it’s some kind of signifier or something — shorthand for saying something to other people of privilege. Weird indeed.