Moving to Va - which neighborhood/pyramid for great schools?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Fairfax is a huge, lumbering, and somewhat decaying county. It's school system is a mixed bag. Tread wisely.


It is still stronger than any other public school system in the DC region, measured by both breadth of programs and average test scores. With OP's budget, they will also have no difficulty finding something in a strong pyramid.

Perhaps, but Arlington schools just seem better. But other threads indicate that S Arlington is going down the tubes


Based on what? Snob appeal? Maybe you should take a look at the recent ratings--USNews, even the VA Governors awards. Where are the Arlington high schools on those lists?

Two-thirds of Arlington's high schools were in the top 20 of US News & World Report. 11 APS schools were 2015 Virginia Index of Performance (VIP) awards. Williamsburg was a 2015 Governor’s Award of Educational Excellence Recipient. http://www.apsva.us//site/Default.aspx?PageID=30073

In 2014, Arlington Public Schools (APS) was the recipient of the prestigious Medallion of Excellence Award presented by the U.S. Senate Productivity and Quality Awards for Virginia and the District of Columbia (SPQA). The Medallion Award is SPQA’s highest award level for performance excellence. Since the award was established in 1983, APS is only the ninth school division in Virginia to receive it and the first school division in nearly a decade to be recognized.
http://www.apsva.us/Page/25718

So, you're just being silly trash-talking Arlington. Sit down and shut up already. You opinion isn't valid.

(1) Six FFX Co. high schools (count 'em) were named before any of the APS high schools (Yorktown being the first at #11) were even named in the US News and World Report.
(2) Williamsburg is NOT a high school. Where are the APS high schools in the Governor's report? Meanwhile, McLean, Woodson and Madison from FFX were all named.
(3) I do not have to resort to ad hominem attacks to make my point. Therefore, I would say that my opinion is more valid than yours.

You didn't make a valid point at all. A higher percentage of Arlington high schools are in the top 20 for USNWR than Fairfax, for one thing. These ratings switch around year-to-year for another thing. You are seriously arguing that there's a whole lot difference between #8 and #12? Yorktown is still a Gold Medal high school, for crying out loud.

You're seriously obnoxious.

As for Williamsburg, it's a middle school. Fairfax also had only one middle school in the entire county (out of 23). I guess you could count Robinson, since it's 7-12, but whatever. A higher percentage of Arlington middle schools got recognition than did Fairfax.

As I said, this is silly. You can cling to whatever metric you wish to try to assuage your insecurity, but to denigrate Arlington just makes you look foolish.

So, no. Your opinion is completely invalid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Fairfax is a huge, lumbering, and somewhat decaying county. It's school system is a mixed bag. Tread wisely.


It is still stronger than any other public school system in the DC region, measured by both breadth of programs and average test scores. With OP's budget, they will also have no difficulty finding something in a strong pyramid.

Perhaps, but Arlington schools just seem better. But other threads indicate that S Arlington is going down the tubes


Based on what? Snob appeal? Maybe you should take a look at the recent ratings--USNews, even the VA Governors awards. Where are the Arlington high schools on those lists?

Two-thirds of Arlington's high schools were in the top 20 of US News & World Report. 11 APS schools were 2015 Virginia Index of Performance (VIP) awards. Williamsburg was a 2015 Governor’s Award of Educational Excellence Recipient. http://www.apsva.us//site/Default.aspx?PageID=30073

In 2014, Arlington Public Schools (APS) was the recipient of the prestigious Medallion of Excellence Award presented by the U.S. Senate Productivity and Quality Awards for Virginia and the District of Columbia (SPQA). The Medallion Award is SPQA’s highest award level for performance excellence. Since the award was established in 1983, APS is only the ninth school division in Virginia to receive it and the first school division in nearly a decade to be recognized.
http://www.apsva.us/Page/25718

So, you're just being silly trash-talking Arlington. Sit down and shut up already. You opinion isn't valid.

(1) Six FFX Co. high schools (count 'em) were named before any of the APS high schools (Yorktown being the first at #11) were even named in the US News and World Report.
(2) Williamsburg is NOT a high school. Where are the APS high schools in the Governor's report? Meanwhile, McLean, Woodson and Madison from FFX were all named.
(3) I do not have to resort to ad hominem attacks to make my point. Therefore, I would say that my opinion is more valid than yours.

You didn't make a valid point at all. A higher percentage of Arlington high schools are in the top 20 for USNWR than Fairfax, for one thing. These ratings switch around year-to-year for another thing. You are seriously arguing that there's a whole lot difference between #8 and #12? Yorktown is still a Gold Medal high school, for crying out loud.

You're seriously obnoxious.

As for Williamsburg, it's a middle school. Fairfax also had only one middle school in the entire county (out of 23). I guess you could count Robinson, since it's 7-12, but whatever. A higher percentage of Arlington middle schools got recognition than did Fairfax.

As I said, this is silly. You can cling to whatever metric you wish to try to assuage your insecurity, but to denigrate Arlington just makes you look foolish.

So, no. Your opinion is completely invalid.

Not the PP, but the only poster who looks silly here is you. Grow up, or at least pick your fights more carefully. OP is not asking for information about Arlington. Save this nonsense for another day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Fairfax is a huge, lumbering, and somewhat decaying county. It's school system is a mixed bag. Tread wisely.


It is still stronger than any other public school system in the DC region, measured by both breadth of programs and average test scores. With OP's budget, they will also have no difficulty finding something in a strong pyramid.

Perhaps, but Arlington schools just seem better. But other threads indicate that S Arlington is going down the tubes


Based on what? Snob appeal? Maybe you should take a look at the recent ratings--USNews, even the VA Governors awards. Where are the Arlington high schools on those lists?

Two-thirds of Arlington's high schools were in the top 20 of US News & World Report. 11 APS schools were 2015 Virginia Index of Performance (VIP) awards. Williamsburg was a 2015 Governor’s Award of Educational Excellence Recipient. http://www.apsva.us//site/Default.aspx?PageID=30073

In 2014, Arlington Public Schools (APS) was the recipient of the prestigious Medallion of Excellence Award presented by the U.S. Senate Productivity and Quality Awards for Virginia and the District of Columbia (SPQA). The Medallion Award is SPQA’s highest award level for performance excellence. Since the award was established in 1983, APS is only the ninth school division in Virginia to receive it and the first school division in nearly a decade to be recognized.
http://www.apsva.us/Page/25718

So, you're just being silly trash-talking Arlington. Sit down and shut up already. You opinion isn't valid.

(1) Six FFX Co. high schools (count 'em) were named before any of the APS high schools (Yorktown being the first at #11) were even named in the US News and World Report.
(2) Williamsburg is NOT a high school. Where are the APS high schools in the Governor's report? Meanwhile, McLean, Woodson and Madison from FFX were all named.
(3) I do not have to resort to ad hominem attacks to make my point. Therefore, I would say that my opinion is more valid than yours.

You didn't make a valid point at all. A higher percentage of Arlington high schools are in the top 20 for USNWR than Fairfax, for one thing. These ratings switch around year-to-year for another thing. You are seriously arguing that there's a whole lot difference between #8 and #12? Yorktown is still a Gold Medal high school, for crying out loud.

You're seriously obnoxious.

As for Williamsburg, it's a middle school. Fairfax also had only one middle school in the entire county (out of 23). I guess you could count Robinson, since it's 7-12, but whatever. A higher percentage of Arlington middle schools got recognition than did Fairfax.

As I said, this is silly. You can cling to whatever metric you wish to try to assuage your insecurity, but to denigrate Arlington just makes you look foolish.

So, no. Your opinion is completely invalid.

Not the PP, but the only poster who looks silly here is you. Grow up, or at least pick your fights more carefully. OP is not asking for information about Arlington. Save this nonsense for another day.

+1. I live in Arlington, but would not look here if I was working in Reston.

[Anonymous]

Why are some people so competitive about this? Is it insecurity in their choices? I just don't understand why people think that the opinion of a magazine is more important than their own opinions. I taught in three different systems in a very wide ranging geographic area. Except for the extremes in these systems (high SES/Low SES) most schools are pretty similar. Good teachers and a few weak teachers. I suspect the same is true of Arlington and Fairfax.

People, it is your own child's experience--not the experience of all those other kids. Just because your kid goes to the "best" school, does not mean that his education will necessarily be better than if he went to another school. A lot depends on your child and on YOU.

Granted, I would not want my kids going to the school that had the weakest scores, but, even there, your child might get opportunities he would not get elsewhere.

There are LOTS of great schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Op FCPS system is huge and lumbering but it is possible to get a good education. The schools really vary so you should look at each one

Exactly. It makes no difference if, big picture, this or that school was us news or this or that. It has to be right for your kid. To cut to the chase: no school except TJ gives you a magical boost re getting into UVA.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Fairfax is a huge, lumbering, and somewhat decaying county. It's school system is a mixed bag. Tread wisely.


It is still stronger than any other public school system in the DC region, measured by both breadth of programs and average test scores. With OP's budget, they will also have no difficulty finding something in a strong pyramid.

Perhaps, but Arlington schools just seem better. But other threads indicate that S Arlington is going down the tubes


Based on what? Snob appeal? Maybe you should take a look at the recent ratings--USNews, even the VA Governors awards. Where are the Arlington high schools on those lists?

Two-thirds of Arlington's high schools were in the top 20 of US News & World Report. 11 APS schools were 2015 Virginia Index of Performance (VIP) awards. Williamsburg was a 2015 Governor’s Award of Educational Excellence Recipient. http://www.apsva.us//site/Default.aspx?PageID=30073

In 2014, Arlington Public Schools (APS) was the recipient of the prestigious Medallion of Excellence Award presented by the U.S. Senate Productivity and Quality Awards for Virginia and the District of Columbia (SPQA). The Medallion Award is SPQA’s highest award level for performance excellence. Since the award was established in 1983, APS is only the ninth school division in Virginia to receive it and the first school division in nearly a decade to be recognized.
http://www.apsva.us/Page/25718

So, you're just being silly trash-talking Arlington. Sit down and shut up already. You opinion isn't valid.

(1) Six FFX Co. high schools (count 'em) were named before any of the APS high schools (Yorktown being the first at #11) were even named in the US News and World Report.
(2) Williamsburg is NOT a high school. Where are the APS high schools in the Governor's report? Meanwhile, McLean, Woodson and Madison from FFX were all named.
(3) I do not have to resort to ad hominem attacks to make my point. Therefore, I would say that my opinion is more valid than yours.

You didn't make a valid point at all. A higher percentage of Arlington high schools are in the top 20 for USNWR than Fairfax, for one thing. These ratings switch around year-to-year for another thing. You are seriously arguing that there's a whole lot difference between #8 and #12? Yorktown is still a Gold Medal high school, for crying out loud.

You're seriously obnoxious.

As for Williamsburg, it's a middle school. Fairfax also had only one middle school in the entire county (out of 23). I guess you could count Robinson, since it's 7-12, but whatever. A higher percentage of Arlington middle schools got recognition than did Fairfax.

As I said, this is silly. You can cling to whatever metric you wish to try to assuage your insecurity, but to denigrate Arlington just makes you look foolish.

So, no. Your opinion is completely invalid.

There are three high schools in Arlington, only one is good the rest are terrible

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Fairfax is a huge, lumbering, and somewhat decaying county. It's school system is a mixed bag. Tread wisely.


It is still stronger than any other public school system in the DC region, measured by both breadth of programs and average test scores. With OP's budget, they will also have no difficulty finding something in a strong pyramid.

Perhaps, but Arlington schools just seem better. But other threads indicate that S Arlington is going down the tubes


Based on what? Snob appeal? Maybe you should take a look at the recent ratings--USNews, even the VA Governors awards. Where are the Arlington high schools on those lists?

Two-thirds of Arlington's high schools were in the top 20 of US News & World Report. 11 APS schools were 2015 Virginia Index of Performance (VIP) awards. Williamsburg was a 2015 Governor’s Award of Educational Excellence Recipient. http://www.apsva.us//site/Default.aspx?PageID=30073

In 2014, Arlington Public Schools (APS) was the recipient of the prestigious Medallion of Excellence Award presented by the U.S. Senate Productivity and Quality Awards for Virginia and the District of Columbia (SPQA). The Medallion Award is SPQA’s highest award level for performance excellence. Since the award was established in 1983, APS is only the ninth school division in Virginia to receive it and the first school division in nearly a decade to be recognized.
http://www.apsva.us/Page/25718

So, you're just being silly trash-talking Arlington. Sit down and shut up already. You opinion isn't valid.

(1) Six FFX Co. high schools (count 'em) were named before any of the APS high schools (Yorktown being the first at #11) were even named in the US News and World Report.
(2) Williamsburg is NOT a high school. Where are the APS high schools in the Governor's report? Meanwhile, McLean, Woodson and Madison from FFX were all named.
(3) I do not have to resort to ad hominem attacks to make my point. Therefore, I would say that my opinion is more valid than yours.

You didn't make a valid point at all. A higher percentage of Arlington high schools are in the top 20 for USNWR than Fairfax, for one thing. These ratings switch around year-to-year for another thing. You are seriously arguing that there's a whole lot difference between #8 and #12? Yorktown is still a Gold Medal high school, for crying out loud.

You're seriously obnoxious.

As for Williamsburg, it's a middle school. Fairfax also had only one middle school in the entire county (out of 23). I guess you could count Robinson, since it's 7-12, but whatever. A higher percentage of Arlington middle schools got recognition than did Fairfax.

As I said, this is silly. You can cling to whatever metric you wish to try to assuage your insecurity, but to denigrate Arlington just makes you look foolish.

So, no. Your opinion is completely invalid.

There are three high schools in Arlington, only one is good the rest are terrible

On dcmum, most believe that at least two of the three neighborhood high schools are desirable and good for property values. Anyway, why the hell did someone drag Arlington into this? For working in Reston, I would look in that area (Reston, Vienna, etc.), unless I just really liked Arlington above all other concerns.

Close to Reston, there are a number of great school pyramids to choose from.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Fairfax is a huge, lumbering, and somewhat decaying county. It's school system is a mixed bag. Tread wisely.


It is still stronger than any other public school system in the DC region, measured by both breadth of programs and average test scores. With OP's budget, they will also have no difficulty finding something in a strong pyramid.

Perhaps, but Arlington schools just seem better. But other threads indicate that S Arlington is going down the tubes


Based on what? Snob appeal? Maybe you should take a look at the recent ratings--USNews, even the VA Governors awards. Where are the Arlington high schools on those lists?

Two-thirds of Arlington's high schools were in the top 20 of US News & World Report. 11 APS schools were 2015 Virginia Index of Performance (VIP) awards. Williamsburg was a 2015 Governor’s Award of Educational Excellence Recipient. http://www.apsva.us//site/Default.aspx?PageID=30073

In 2014, Arlington Public Schools (APS) was the recipient of the prestigious Medallion of Excellence Award presented by the U.S. Senate Productivity and Quality Awards for Virginia and the District of Columbia (SPQA). The Medallion Award is SPQA’s highest award level for performance excellence. Since the award was established in 1983, APS is only the ninth school division in Virginia to receive it and the first school division in nearly a decade to be recognized.
http://www.apsva.us/Page/25718

So, you're just being silly trash-talking Arlington. Sit down and shut up already. You opinion isn't valid.

(1) Six FFX Co. high schools (count 'em) were named before any of the APS high schools (Yorktown being the first at #11) were even named in the US News and World Report.
(2) Williamsburg is NOT a high school. Where are the APS high schools in the Governor's report? Meanwhile, McLean, Woodson and Madison from FFX were all named.
(3) I do not have to resort to ad hominem attacks to make my point. Therefore, I would say that my opinion is more valid than yours.

You didn't make a valid point at all. A higher percentage of Arlington high schools are in the top 20 for USNWR than Fairfax, for one thing. These ratings switch around year-to-year for another thing. You are seriously arguing that there's a whole lot difference between #8 and #12? Yorktown is still a Gold Medal high school, for crying out loud.

You're seriously obnoxious.

As for Williamsburg, it's a middle school. Fairfax also had only one middle school in the entire county (out of 23). I guess you could count Robinson, since it's 7-12, but whatever. A higher percentage of Arlington middle schools got recognition than did Fairfax.

As I said, this is silly. You can cling to whatever metric you wish to try to assuage your insecurity, but to denigrate Arlington just makes you look foolish.

So, no. Your opinion is completely invalid.

There are three high schools in Arlington, only one is good the rest are terrible

On dcmum, most believe that at least two of the three neighborhood high schools are desirable and good for property values. Anyway, why the hell did someone drag Arlington into this? For working in Reston, I would look in that area (Reston, Vienna, etc.), unless I just really liked Arlington above all other concerns.

Close to Reston, there are a number of great school pyramids to choose from.

People on dcum are disillusioned, Yorktown gets a good great school rating, wl gets a 5 (failure) Wakefield gets a 3 (dismal failure)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:less than 10% of FCPS attend TJ so I would not base my move on that.

But what if the OP is a ruthless Tiger Mom with a grade-grubbing, test-prepping robot for offspring? Then they need to live as close to a good TJ-feeder school as possible so the kids can get home quickly for their obligatory daily eight hours of math tutoring and piano lessons.

[Anonymous]

Someone put this thread out of its misery. Poor OP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Someone put this thread out of its misery. Poor OP.

Even better: maybe admin can delete the obnoxious off-topic posts, because this is a valuable thread for many of us.

Arlington poster: You're a jerk.

[Anonymous]

Look at 22181 for Oakton High School pyramid. GL!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:less than 10% of FCPS attend TJ so I would not base my move on that.

But what if the OP is a ruthless Tiger Mom with a grade-grubbing, test-prepping robot for offspring? Then they need to live as close to a good TJ-feeder school as possible so the kids can get home quickly for their obligatory daily eight hours of math tutoring and piano lessons.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Fairfax is a huge, lumbering, and somewhat decaying county. It's school system is a mixed bag. Tread wisely.


It is still stronger than any other public school system in the DC region, measured by both breadth of programs and average test scores. With OP's budget, they will also have no difficulty finding something in a strong pyramid.

Perhaps, but Arlington schools just seem better. But other threads indicate that S Arlington is going down the tubes

Based on what? Snob appeal? Maybe you should take a look at the recent ratings--USNews, even the VA Governors awards. Where are the Arlington high schools on those lists?

Two-thirds of Arlington's high schools were in the top 20 of US News & World Report. 11 APS schools were 2015 Virginia Index of Performance (VIP) awards. Williamsburg was a 2015 Governor’s Award of Educational Excellence Recipient. http://www.apsva.us//site/Default.aspx?PageID=30073

In 2014, Arlington Public Schools (APS) was the recipient of the prestigious Medallion of Excellence Award presented by the U.S. Senate Productivity and Quality Awards for Virginia and the District of Columbia (SPQA). The Medallion Award is SPQA’s highest award level for performance excellence. Since the award was established in 1983, APS is only the ninth school division in Virginia to receive it and the first school division in nearly a decade to be recognized.
http://www.apsva.us/Page/25718

So, you're just being silly trash-talking Arlington. Sit down and shut up already. You opinion isn't valid.

Not the PP, but the genesis of this exchange was someone irrelevantly "trash-talking" FCPS as unwieldy, etc. I emphsize it's irrelevancy because no one in their right mind working in Reston should be looking to live in Arlington, so promoting a pissing contest between FCPS and APS is particularly silly here.

You can manipulate the statistics as you wish, but none of the APS high schools were in the top 10 of the last USNW ratings, as compared with seven from FCPS; only one APS middle and one APS high school were recipients of 2015 Virginia Department of Education Index of Performance awards, as compared with 20 FCPS middle and high schools; and APS's top-ranked neighborhood high school, Yorktown, most recently had SAT scores below seven high schools from FCPS.

FCPS more than holds its own against APS, and then some. Go away.

I bet you were a mean girl, too when you were young.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Someone put this thread out of its misery. Poor OP.

Even better: maybe admin can delete the obnoxious off-topic posts, because this is a valuable thread for many of us.

Arlington poster: You're a jerk.

As is the Arlington hater.