What pyramid would you choose?

[Anonymous]

I currently live in Arlington -- zoned for Taylor/W-burg-Stratford/Yorktown. We are considering moving to Fairfax because we understand that the schools are better, and are looking at houses zoned Mantua/Frost/Woodson.
My kid will start elementary school in 2 years, and I'm trying to make the right decision. I don't know whether she will have science interests (e.g. TJ) or whether she will be gifted. Just want to give her a good public school experience and not have to move around after she starts school. Anyone have advice about whether those Fairfax schools would be better?

[Anonymous]

What makes you think that schools are better in FCPS?

[Anonymous]

It sounds like you've picked a pyramid. What is your question?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It sounds like you've picked a pyramid. What is your question?

We're considering moving to Fairfax, but I guess I'm wondering whether the schools are actually better, or whether there are attributes that make our APS pyramid a better choice. It's been years since I've been in school and I don't know what factors to look for for my own kid. How did you choose?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It sounds like you've picked a pyramid. What is your question?

We're considering moving to Fairfax, but I guess I'm wondering whether the schools are actually better, or whether there are attributes that make our APS pyramid a better choice. It's been years since I've been in school and I don't know what factors to look for for my own kid. How did you choose?

Does your house suck? What don't you like about your current pyramid?

[Anonymous]

I would not move from your current schools unless is means you are significantly reducing commutes. Any perceived differences ar not worth the cost and unheaval.

[Anonymous]

We bought in Woodson and looked at a couple of houses in Mantua. It seems to be a strong community, which was appealing, and people really like the school. I don't know if the school is measurably better than what you'll find Arlington though, enough to justify a move based on that factor alone.

[Anonymous]

How do people figure out if schools are measurably better, though? Great schools doesn't do that. Would high school SAT score comparison be a good barometer?

[Anonymous]

I think the schools are comparable. I would move for other reasons, but not for schools.

[Anonymous]

Mantua is an aap center which inflates the scores
Some house zones to mantua sit on an oil spill

[Anonymous]

I think the only meaningful difference between them is how they handle gifted education. The Fairfax AAP program pulls high achieving students out of neighborhood schools. For some gifted kids it may be better than Arlington's approach of serving all levels in the same schools. But, for others being singled out as special in that way could be detrimental and it may not be a good approach for kids with very different performance in different areas (e.g. my DD is a high-achiever across all subjects and would likely be in AAP if we lived in Fairfax and do great in it but DS is off the charts great in math while struggling in English. I like that our school was able to provide the math enrichment he needed while still meeting him where he is in English).

I also know some families in Fairfax complain that the "normal kids" -- not AAP, not special needs, not disadvantaged -- are not well served because they are left in schools without a high achieving peer group and the focus tends to be mostly on bringing up the kids at risk of not passing SOLs.

[Anonymous]

I agree with the PP that the main factor to consider is the AAP system. The smartest kids are going to be siphoned off in Fairfax. And it's not a small percentage. So I suppose you ponder where your kid ends up in that equation and how you feel about it.

APS tends to have smaller class sizes in the early grades. The class size info broken down by school is publicly available on the school system's websites.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think the schools are comparable. I would move for other reasons, but not for schools.

This.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think the schools are comparable. I would move for other reasons, but not for schools.

This.

+1

Move if you don't like your house, don't like your neighbors, want a shorter commute, want a bigger yard, whatever.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How do people figure out if schools are measurably better, though? Great schools doesn't do that. Would high school SAT score comparison be a good barometer?

They look at socioeconomic status. That is really what separates good and "bad" schools. Schools with wealthy kids will do better by any measure just based on the fact that all the kids are coming from well to do families with educated parents.

Now between APS and FCPS one might be able to argue that APS will have better teachers because FCP is know to have the lowest paid teachers in the area which causes a lot of teachers to leave for other school districts.