Okay, here goes....Alexandria Schools?

[Anonymous]

Thanks for your reply, but please be more specific. What grade levels and subjects are you discussing when you say "more is covered" and that there is more "differentiation"...also, what special enrichment courses are occurring for your child? I just haven't found those three items to be true, at least at the middle school level.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thanks for your reply, but please be more specific. What grade levels and subjects are you discussing when you say "more is covered" and that there is more "differentiation"...also, what special enrichment courses are occurring for your child? I just haven't found those three items to be true, at least at the middle school level.

More is covered in science, social studies, and math; about the same material is covered in language arts. Foreign language is about the same. Art is both instructional and practical (private school art is almost exclusively about playing with paint and clay, from what we saw). Our DC takes part in an enhanced art program with supplemental instruction, and is in all honors academic classes (that option is available at all 5 of the ACPS middles in both buildings). We've been in for multiple elementary years and now DC is in middle.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:07:57: the fact that I was disappointed in your post is relevant to me. I am still considering acps, and so I am considering arguments from both sides of the issue. Although you may have brought up some valid points (list of colleges may reflect only five students), I find it hard to trust your entire line of reasoning because it's mean spirited and presumptuous. No one is saying that tc is not complicated.

It's neither mean-spirited or presumptuous since, well, I have experienced the system. I acknowledge some kids can get a great education at TC and excel and even get into great colleges. But as you consider ACPS, you need to know the caveats there: 1) This is not the norm; and 2) To accomplish this, you have to sort of self-segregate within the school, and there's no real actual "diversity" within that bubble -- there's a reason why TC has the nickname "Yale of Jail." This is a problem ACPS has from early on, with underrepresentation of minorities in the TAG program, and it carries over into MS and HS. You can see how the administration has attempted to deal with it -- adopting the IB program, open enrollment honors in the middle school. But there's no real indication that it is working (and, in fact, the administration does tend to take a "throw it at the wall and see what sticks" approach to policy-making, often blindsiding and alienating parents in the process.

You're confusing "mean-spirited and presumptuous" with "bitter and disappointed." And that tends to describe the majority of parents in ACPS, the happy talk here notwithstanding.

Are you the same Arlington parent who pulled her kid out of an ACPS elementary, has no direct experience with TC, and went on for months about how incredible it was that your snowflake got to use an IPad in APS? I have no time for the people who claim ACPS doesn't do a good job of meeting the needs of its diverse students, but live in some lily-white patch of North Arlington. All you want to do is make yourself feel better for bailing and moving to your bland neighborhood.

Um, wow, pp. Yes, I left ACPS to live in Arlington. As for "lily white" I recommend you look at the demography of the college-bound population at TC. I certainly did. It's not very diverse, is it? If you think there's some virtue in going into a white "bubble" so you can say your snowflake endured a "diverse" school, that's cynical beyond the pale.

Frankly, I don't care whether you have time for me or not. I lived in Alexandria for 11 years and had many years in ACPS. I also have a background in education and know a dysfunctional school system when I see it. I, like many, many people before me (and after me) chose to leave. I don't need to make myself "feel better" about anything-- I am plenty secure in my choices. I'm merely responding to someone who actively solicited input on the system. You, on the other hand, protest too much.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:to the person who stated they left private schools because the curriculum was weak, and stated that ACPS's curric is strong/good, please detail what you find strong about ACPS' curriculum? I am honestly blown away by this statement, considering the curriculum has changed each year over the course of the past 4 years....thanks.

You see, that's what's known as a "red flag" in education and another indication of a dysfunctional administration.

[Anonymous]

Honors courses in middle school have no requirements for entrace. Any student can sign themself up for one. That means a honor class can have a students that are well below grade level and way above grade level devaluing an honors course.

This problem with the honors courses is well known to parents, teachers, and admin. This year was the first year the City has ever had an actual curriculum that is supposed to be honor level for courses and the first year they claim they will allow teachers to remove students that are not able to keep up. In the past they could not. This information is available partially on their website and can also be obtained and calling and speaking to the women in charge of TAG.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Honors courses in middle school have no requirements for entrace. Any student can sign themself up for one. That means a honor class can have a students that are well below grade level and way above grade level devaluing an honors course.

This problem with the honors courses is well known to parents, teachers, and admin. This year was the first year the City has ever had an actual curriculum that is supposed to be honor level for courses and the first year they claim they will allow teachers to remove students that are not able to keep up. In the past they could not. This information is available partially on their website and can also be obtained and calling and speaking to the women in charge of TAG.

And there will almost certainly be controversy the first time someone does this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Um, wow, pp. Yes, I left ACPS to live in Arlington. As for "lily white" I recommend you look at the demography of the college-bound population at TC. I certainly did. It's not very diverse, is it? If you think there's some virtue in going into a white "bubble" so you can say your snowflake endured a "diverse" school, that's cynical beyond the pale.

Frankly, I don't care whether you have time for me or not. I lived in Alexandria for 11 years and had many years in ACPS. I also have a background in education and know a dysfunctional school system when I see it. I, like many, many people before me (and after me) chose to leave. I don't need to make myself "feel better" about anything-- I am plenty secure in my choices. I'm merely responding to someone who actively solicited input on the system. You, on the other hand, protest too much.

You have an extremely inflated sense of your own credentials, a highly cynical view of your former neighbors, and no actual experience with at TC. As such, you are not helpful, but instead engaged only in a repeated campaign to justify your own agenda.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
NP here. We used to live in Cameron Station, which is part of ACPS. The area is brand new and is full of professionals. Most all families who sent their kids to Tucker Elementary seemed quite pleased with the school. The parents are very involved, part of the PTA, etc. I'm not as familiar with the other deemed good elementary schools but there are a few that come up often. If your child is motivated, I think your child could do quite well in Alexandria City.

We moved out of Cameron Station for more space but I would have been perfectly fine with sending my children to Tucker.

The area is not brand new. It's been around 10+ years now.

Tucker is a year round school and that appeals to many families because then their is no concern about summer camp. They also bring kids in from all over the City. Cameron Station kids do not fill the elementary school and never have. Families in Cameron Station are able to opt out of Tucker because of the year round program and go to other City schools. Also families choose private school. Lastly, Tucker has very low test scores, get a rating of "2" on great schools. Good for you for being "perfectly fine" with sending your child to a school that is pretty much failing.

New is relative. I would consider a 10 year neighborhood as new.

As I mentioned, we moved and never sent our kids to Tucker. Many of our white and well educated neighbors from the neighborhood seemed very satisfied with the school. I did not know Tucker had a rating of 2. Now I know I can't trust greatratings. I looked up my old school and it is rated a 9. I did not think the curriculum was good at all. We moved for a larger home and we are still sending our children to private school. The parents we knew had very smart children. I don't doubt that the kids will end up at great universities as did their parents.

[Anonymous]

[Honors courses in middle school have no requirements for entrace. Any student can sign themself up for one. That means a honor class can have a students that are well below grade level and way above grade level devaluing an honors course.

This problem with the honors courses is well known to parents, teachers, and admin. This year was the first year the City has ever had an actual curriculum that is supposed to be honor level for courses and the first year they claim they will allow teachers to remove students that are not able to keep up. In the past they could not. This information is available partially on their website and can also be obtained and calling and speaking to the women in charge of TAG.quote]

I am not sure if I am using the quote feature correctly or not, but I am responding to the issue of open honors enrollment. There is an honors curriculum, but teachers received the first chunk of it a day or so before school started, and received the 3rd quarter honors curriculum a couple of weeks after 3rd quarter started. No sign of 4th quarter honors curriculum yet.

I know of no kids being allowed to leave honors courses; teachers, students and parents were told that could happen, but counselors keep telling kids to stick it out. This frustrates many students and teachers alike; unmotivated kids remain, as do kids who truly can't keep up and become perhaps disruptive, or merely keep things moving at a very slow pace.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

If you went through to private schools and then found ACPS to be a good fit, then the problem was not the private schools but the adademic rigor was too much for your child.

What a hideous thing to say to someone. Whatever you think of ACPS, why would you feel the need to suggest that someone's child that you don't even know is unintelligent? Perhaps the rigor of learning to spell the word "academic" correctly is too much for you.

I never suggested the child was not intelligent. I suggested that he wasn't able to keep up with a rigourous academic program. Not every single child is going to be able to do so. It doesn't mean that they are not intelligent but yes, it might mean that they are average or slightly below average academically. The poster says they removed their child from two Alexandria private school for academic issues.

I'm the PP, and that's a fanciful interpretation. The private school curricula were weak. In fact, much weaker than the ACPS curriculum. And the ACPS TAG and honors programs (which are not the same) simply blow the private school curricula away. We pulled from private, in part for academic reasons -- because the privates we saw are simply so weak.

I can't figure out if you actually had kids in private school, friends with kids in private school, or just toured private schools. You said you pulled the kids out of private, but you keep using phrases like "the privates we saw" and "from what I've seen."
If your kids in fact left private, which one? Private schools vary a lot in terms of academics and enrichment.

[Anonymous]

The private school curricula were weak. In fact, much weaker than the ACPS curriculum.

I am surprised that you feel this way. My son goes to Maury and we are reasonably happy with it. It is a nice school, and there are many good things about it. But there are no foreign language classes offered as part of the regular curriculum. All of the privates we considered offered instruction in a foreign language at the elementary level.

[Anonymous]

We live in Alexandria and our DD goes to a private. She had a good friend with her in the school who was struggling - getting the equivlant of Cs. Her parents took her out of our private and put her in ACPS in 5th grade. She was placed into the gifted or "TAG" or whatever they call it and has thrived. Her parents are thrilled and she is doing very well. ACPS was definitely the right move. Some schools may be a better fit depending on the kid. It is not always just public v. private.

Conversely, DD was joined at her private by a transfer from an Alexandria middle school two years later. The ACPS transfer became one of the best students at our private, so it works both ways.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
NP here. We used to live in Cameron Station, which is part of ACPS. The area is brand new and is full of professionals. Most all families who sent their kids to Tucker Elementary seemed quite pleased with the school. The parents are very involved, part of the PTA, etc. I'm not as familiar with the other deemed good elementary schools but there are a few that come up often. If your child is motivated, I think your child could do quite well in Alexandria City.

We moved out of Cameron Station for more space but I would have been perfectly fine with sending my children to Tucker.

The area is not brand new. It's been around 10+ years now.

Tucker is a year round school and that appeals to many families because then their is no concern about summer camp. They also bring kids in from all over the City. Cameron Station kids do not fill the elementary school and never have. Families in Cameron Station are able to opt out of Tucker because of the year round program and go to other City schools. Also families choose private school. Lastly, Tucker has very low test scores, get a rating of "2" on great schools. Good for you for being "perfectly fine" with sending your child to a school that is pretty much failing.

Why are you so against Alexandria public schools? I find it more odd for someone to bash a school district than the other parent who is boasting its impressive college entrances. Alexandria has plenty of million dollar homes. Not everyone is poor. Sure, there is more diversity but if your kid is an honors student, s/he should be able to do well. Not sure why that is so difficult to comprehend.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Um, wow, pp. Yes, I left ACPS to live in Arlington. As for "lily white" I recommend you look at the demography of the college-bound population at TC. I certainly did. It's not very diverse, is it? If you think there's some virtue in going into a white "bubble" so you can say your snowflake endured a "diverse" school, that's cynical beyond the pale.

Frankly, I don't care whether you have time for me or not. I lived in Alexandria for 11 years and had many years in ACPS. I also have a background in education and know a dysfunctional school system when I see it. I, like many, many people before me (and after me) chose to leave. I don't need to make myself "feel better" about anything-- I am plenty secure in my choices. I'm merely responding to someone who actively solicited input on the system. You, on the other hand, protest too much.

You have an extremely inflated sense of your own credentials, a highly cynical view of your former neighbors, and no actual experience with at TC. As such, you are not helpful, but instead engaged only in a repeated campaign to justify your own agenda.

I'm perfectly secure in my informed opinion. You, on the other hand, seem rather histrionic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
NP here. We used to live in Cameron Station, which is part of ACPS. The area is brand new and is full of professionals. Most all families who sent their kids to Tucker Elementary seemed quite pleased with the school. The parents are very involved, part of the PTA, etc. I'm not as familiar with the other deemed good elementary schools but there are a few that come up often. If your child is motivated, I think your child could do quite well in Alexandria City.

We moved out of Cameron Station for more space but I would have been perfectly fine with sending my children to Tucker.

The area is not brand new. It's been around 10+ years now.

Tucker is a year round school and that appeals to many families because then their is no concern about summer camp. They also bring kids in from all over the City. Cameron Station kids do not fill the elementary school and never have. Families in Cameron Station are able to opt out of Tucker because of the year round program and go to other City schools. Also families choose private school. Lastly, Tucker has very low test scores, get a rating of "2" on great schools. Good for you for being "perfectly fine" with sending your child to a school that is pretty much failing.

Why are you so against Alexandria public schools? I find it more odd for someone to bash a school district than the other parent who is boasting its impressive college entrances. Alexandria has plenty of million dollar homes. Not everyone is poor. Sure, there is more diversity but if your kid is an honors student, s/he should be able to do well. Not sure why that is so difficult to comprehend.

No one is "bashing." Bashing is done for sport. Also, there several posters expressing criticisms and negative experiences.