APS high school or private?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you're in bounds for WL, you can take more STEM focused AP classes at the school. No need to do IB which is a separate program. Students also get into top state and private (including ivy league) universities on an AP path at the school. The IB program is of course excellent for those highly motivated students, and there are elective courses open to all like IB Design Tech, which is a hands on STEM class.

At WL FGLI get Ivy, so not slots for kids of two professionals who can afford private school.

This has got to be a troll post. Absolutely not true. If anything, the majority of those ivy league spots this year are skew caucasian (and likely upper middle class).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The biggest weakness we have found in APS is the English classes. Even in intensified English, my kid has only read one book as a freshman and it was Night, which is very short. They were supposed to read Romeo and Juliet but then the teacher gave up and just had them read a summary in modern English. I think the problem is that any student can self-select into intensified classes and with English it is easier to dumb down the class than it is with math. Is that worth $60K/year, hard to say but something I think it is.

Why not take the IB or AP course if bored?

I'm the PP - again my kid is a freshman so there is no AP English option. But this "why not just take an AP?" question could actually be an argument for going to a private school. With a top private school, kids can take challenging humanities classes that are not beholden to the College Board to set the curriculum. An English teacher can teach a class that is more akin to an upper level college seminar based on that teacher's passions and expertise and student interest, something like "The Literature of the Great Migration" or "The Dystopian Novel" instead of having to align with the AP lit curriculum. My kids are in public and they are getting a good education but I do think they would like their English classes more in a private school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:[twitter]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The biggest weakness we have found in APS is the English classes. Even in intensified English, my kid has only read one book as a freshman and it was Night, which is very short. They were supposed to read Romeo and Juliet but then the teacher gave up and just had them read a summary in modern English. I think the problem is that any student can self-select into intensified classes and with English it is easier to dumb down the class than it is with math. Is that worth $60K/year, hard to say but something I think it is.

How many students does one English teacher have during a day? If she or he assigned even a 3 page paper, how many pages would she grade in one night? How could she or he possibly check them all for AI? How could she meet with the kids and the drafts of 50 kids or more? The numbers in English class just don’t allow for real back and forth on analytical thinking, the editing process, or one on one learning. It’s the weakness many of us leave public school for — and even great public schools like APS. My child graduating from one of the elite private schools here in the DC can write more clearly than many of the newly minted lawyers. For me, that is worth it.

My kid had an amazing teacher at Yorktown for intensified english. They wrote several papers and my kid got a lot of one-on-one feedback BUT I think this is because he sought it out from the teacher. It's definitely possible to get writing instruction in APS. The kid has to advocate for themselves though.

I’m glad your kid had a good experience. My kid (at Wakefield) also read books, wrote papers, and got feedback in 9th grade intensified English. But compared to the number of books and papers we read and wrote in HS 30 years ago, it’s kind of pitiful. This isn’t just APS. I hear the same about FCPS. I assume it’s most public schools, but it’s an unfortunate trend.

I went to public high school in the early 90s and we did not really get into a serious level of reading/writing until I took AP English senior year, which at the time was the only one offered by my high school. (Might have been the only one at that time point?) Before senior year, I did about what my kids are doing. 4-5 books a year and several multi-page papers.

My observation is "back in the day" we were much more aggressively tracked into classes based on ability level and it was real tracking. Not let anyone sign up tracking. I think that would help a lot. I have seen that by around sophomore year, kids/parents who self-select and can't hack it really start bombing out.

I guess it varied/varies a lot by school then. I went to school in a fairly small southern town in the 90s, and starting the summer before 9th grade, we had 2-3 books each year as summer reading, with written assignments about the books due the first week of school. In 9th and 10th grade (so pre-AP), we read 8-10 books a year.

I too went to a small southern town in the 90s, no summer reading list and notably no AP. Were you in a college or resort town with more wealth than average?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The biggest weakness we have found in APS is the English classes. Even in intensified English, my kid has only read one book as a freshman and it was Night, which is very short. They were supposed to read Romeo and Juliet but then the teacher gave up and just had them read a summary in modern English. I think the problem is that any student can self-select into intensified classes and with English it is easier to dumb down the class than it is with math. Is that worth $60K/year, hard to say but something I think it is.

How many students does one English teacher have during a day? If she or he assigned even a 3 page paper, how many pages would she grade in one night? How could she or he possibly check them all for AI? How could she meet with the kids and the drafts of 50 kids or more? The numbers in English class just don’t allow for real back and forth on analytical thinking, the editing process, or one on one learning. It’s the weakness many of us leave public school for — and even great public schools like APS. My child graduating from one of the elite private schools here in the DC can write more clearly than many of the newly minted lawyers. For me, that is worth it.

My kid had an amazing teacher at Yorktown for intensified english. They wrote several papers and my kid got a lot of one-on-one feedback BUT I think this is because he sought it out from the teacher. It's definitely possible to get writing instruction in APS. The kid has to advocate for themselves though.

I don’t quibble at all with the idea that APS teachers are on par with the elite private schools - I do believe many are truly excellent. But they just have way way more kids. My son’s English teacher has 10 students on his class. No problem kids. All high achievers. And it has been this way for all four years. In addition, his history teacher, same boat. Four years of intensive writing instruction from 8 teachers. Not all were perfect! But, still, that versus a singular teacher who could offer feedback on drafts over and over. I also know lots of kids at W-L and YHS and none of them are writing “several” multi page pagers per year with feedback. I’m not trying to say your experience is not true and wonderful. Just offering that it sounds unique and wouldn’t in any event satisfy my desire to have kids learn to think critically and be able to communicate that in writing.

It sounds like you have a lot invested in telling yourself the money is well spent for private school. I get it. I have one kid in private. There are good and bad teachers in all settings.

There are kids at these publics doing a lot of writing and getting a lot of feedback in AP and IB classes. Sorry to burst your bubble. It's not that unique.

It’s called confirmation bias and yes I am well aware of its existence and that I’m 100% biased towards the choices I’ve made for my kids. I was trying to share the rational for why I viewed my experience as positive. AP and IB classes will have 25 kids or more in them. The teachers are mostly great but they aren’t spending 6 hours a night line edits to these kids. But, hey, if you think your kid is getting equivalent writing instruction to my kid at a Big3, I can’t argue with you. I also don’t believe you and neither do most people who know and understand both systems. I’m not crapping on APS writing by the way, I’m just comparing and it loses …badly.

I commented that kids in public school can have opportunities to do a lot of writing and do get individualized feedback. It is not, as you stated, a unique experience. However, your Big 3 is better. You are winning. It is NOT equivalent.

You also have unintentionally helped the OP! This is what the parents are like in private OP.

Welcome to Arlington where everyone is right about everything and an elite private school could not possibly provide better English classes that what is available to my little kitten with her grit and self-determination.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you're in bounds for WL, you can take more STEM focused AP classes at the school. No need to do IB which is a separate program. Students also get into top state and private (including ivy league) universities on an AP path at the school. The IB program is of course excellent for those highly motivated students, and there are elective courses open to all like IB Design Tech, which is a hands on STEM class.

At WL FGLI get Ivy, so not slots for kids of two professionals who can afford private school.

This has got to be a troll post. Absolutely not true. If anything, the majority of those ivy league spots this year are skew caucasian (and likely upper middle class).

Are there any Ivy admits last year?
https://www.instagram.com/wldecisions25/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The biggest weakness we have found in APS is the English classes. Even in intensified English, my kid has only read one book as a freshman and it was Night, which is very short. They were supposed to read Romeo and Juliet but then the teacher gave up and just had them read a summary in modern English. I think the problem is that any student can self-select into intensified classes and with English it is easier to dumb down the class than it is with math. Is that worth $60K/year, hard to say but something I think it is.

How many students does one English teacher have during a day? If she or he assigned even a 3 page paper, how many pages would she grade in one night? How could she or he possibly check them all for AI? How could she meet with the kids and the drafts of 50 kids or more? The numbers in English class just don’t allow for real back and forth on analytical thinking, the editing process, or one on one learning. It’s the weakness many of us leave public school for — and even great public schools like APS. My child graduating from one of the elite private schools here in the DC can write more clearly than many of the newly minted lawyers. For me, that is worth it.

My kid had an amazing teacher at Yorktown for intensified english. They wrote several papers and my kid got a lot of one-on-one feedback BUT I think this is because he sought it out from the teacher. It's definitely possible to get writing instruction in APS. The kid has to advocate for themselves though.

I don’t quibble at all with the idea that APS teachers are on par with the elite private schools - I do believe many are truly excellent. But they just have way way more kids. My son’s English teacher has 10 students on his class. No problem kids. All high achievers. And it has been this way for all four years. In addition, his history teacher, same boat. Four years of intensive writing instruction from 8 teachers. Not all were perfect! But, still, that versus a singular teacher who could offer feedback on drafts over and over. I also know lots of kids at W-L and YHS and none of them are writing “several” multi page pagers per year with feedback. I’m not trying to say your experience is not true and wonderful. Just offering that it sounds unique and wouldn’t in any event satisfy my desire to have kids learn to think critically and be able to communicate that in writing.

It sounds like you have a lot invested in telling yourself the money is well spent for private school. I get it. I have one kid in private. There are good and bad teachers in all settings.

There are kids at these publics doing a lot of writing and getting a lot of feedback in AP and IB classes. Sorry to burst your bubble. It's not that unique.

It’s called confirmation bias and yes I am well aware of its existence and that I’m 100% biased towards the choices I’ve made for my kids. I was trying to share the rational for why I viewed my experience as positive. AP and IB classes will have 25 kids or more in them. The teachers are mostly great but they aren’t spending 6 hours a night line edits to these kids. But, hey, if you think your kid is getting equivalent writing instruction to my kid at a Big3, I can’t argue with you. I also don’t believe you and neither do most people who know and understand both systems. I’m not crapping on APS writing by the way, I’m just comparing and it loses …badly.

if you are really just worried about writing you can find a tutor for much less than the $240K that you would spend on 4 years of private school. But I agree private schools are better in some ways!!!

Just because the class is not good doesn’t meant it can’t have a lot of work. Can I hire a tutor and opt out of WL English entirely? You are burning something almost more valuable, time.

[Anonymous]

I think good writing skills are very useful for STEM majors but look at what is offered in any private schools you apply to because they don't always have the same math and science paths.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:[twitter]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The biggest weakness we have found in APS is the English classes. Even in intensified English, my kid has only read one book as a freshman and it was Night, which is very short. They were supposed to read Romeo and Juliet but then the teacher gave up and just had them read a summary in modern English. I think the problem is that any student can self-select into intensified classes and with English it is easier to dumb down the class than it is with math. Is that worth $60K/year, hard to say but something I think it is.

How many students does one English teacher have during a day? If she or he assigned even a 3 page paper, how many pages would she grade in one night? How could she or he possibly check them all for AI? How could she meet with the kids and the drafts of 50 kids or more? The numbers in English class just don’t allow for real back and forth on analytical thinking, the editing process, or one on one learning. It’s the weakness many of us leave public school for — and even great public schools like APS. My child graduating from one of the elite private schools here in the DC can write more clearly than many of the newly minted lawyers. For me, that is worth it.

My kid had an amazing teacher at Yorktown for intensified english. They wrote several papers and my kid got a lot of one-on-one feedback BUT I think this is because he sought it out from the teacher. It's definitely possible to get writing instruction in APS. The kid has to advocate for themselves though.

I’m glad your kid had a good experience. My kid (at Wakefield) also read books, wrote papers, and got feedback in 9th grade intensified English. But compared to the number of books and papers we read and wrote in HS 30 years ago, it’s kind of pitiful. This isn’t just APS. I hear the same about FCPS. I assume it’s most public schools, but it’s an unfortunate trend.

I went to public high school in the early 90s and we did not really get into a serious level of reading/writing until I took AP English senior year, which at the time was the only one offered by my high school. (Might have been the only one at that time point?) Before senior year, I did about what my kids are doing. 4-5 books a year and several multi-page papers.

My observation is "back in the day" we were much more aggressively tracked into classes based on ability level and it was real tracking. Not let anyone sign up tracking. I think that would help a lot. I have seen that by around sophomore year, kids/parents who self-select and can't hack it really start bombing out.

I guess it varied/varies a lot by school then. I went to school in a fairly small southern town in the 90s, and starting the summer before 9th grade, we had 2-3 books each year as summer reading, with written assignments about the books due the first week of school. In 9th and 10th grade (so pre-AP), we read 8-10 books a year.

I too went to a small southern town in the 90s, no summer reading list and notably no AP. Were you in a college or resort town with more wealth than average?

Just a community college in town (& definitely no resorts), but the school system was considered very good compared to others in the area/state at the time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The biggest weakness we have found in APS is the English classes. Even in intensified English, my kid has only read one book as a freshman and it was Night, which is very short. They were supposed to read Romeo and Juliet but then the teacher gave up and just had them read a summary in modern English. I think the problem is that any student can self-select into intensified classes and with English it is easier to dumb down the class than it is with math. Is that worth $60K/year, hard to say but something I think it is.

How many students does one English teacher have during a day? If she or he assigned even a 3 page paper, how many pages would she grade in one night? How could she or he possibly check them all for AI? How could she meet with the kids and the drafts of 50 kids or more? The numbers in English class just don’t allow for real back and forth on analytical thinking, the editing process, or one on one learning. It’s the weakness many of us leave public school for — and even great public schools like APS. My child graduating from one of the elite private schools here in the DC can write more clearly than many of the newly minted lawyers. For me, that is worth it.

My kid had an amazing teacher at Yorktown for intensified english. They wrote several papers and my kid got a lot of one-on-one feedback BUT I think this is because he sought it out from the teacher. It's definitely possible to get writing instruction in APS. The kid has to advocate for themselves though.

I don’t quibble at all with the idea that APS teachers are on par with the elite private schools - I do believe many are truly excellent. But they just have way way more kids. My son’s English teacher has 10 students on his class. No problem kids. All high achievers. And it has been this way for all four years. In addition, his history teacher, same boat. Four years of intensive writing instruction from 8 teachers. Not all were perfect! But, still, that versus a singular teacher who could offer feedback on drafts over and over. I also know lots of kids at W-L and YHS and none of them are writing “several” multi page pagers per year with feedback. I’m not trying to say your experience is not true and wonderful. Just offering that it sounds unique and wouldn’t in any event satisfy my desire to have kids learn to think critically and be able to communicate that in writing.

It sounds like you have a lot invested in telling yourself the money is well spent for private school. I get it. I have one kid in private. There are good and bad teachers in all settings.

There are kids at these publics doing a lot of writing and getting a lot of feedback in AP and IB classes. Sorry to burst your bubble. It's not that unique.

It’s called confirmation bias and yes I am well aware of its existence and that I’m 100% biased towards the choices I’ve made for my kids. I was trying to share the rational for why I viewed my experience as positive. AP and IB classes will have 25 kids or more in them. The teachers are mostly great but they aren’t spending 6 hours a night line edits to these kids. But, hey, if you think your kid is getting equivalent writing instruction to my kid at a Big3, I can’t argue with you. I also don’t believe you and neither do most people who know and understand both systems. I’m not crapping on APS writing by the way, I’m just comparing and it loses …badly.

I commented that kids in public school can have opportunities to do a lot of writing and do get individualized feedback. It is not, as you stated, a unique experience. However, your Big 3 is better. You are winning. It is NOT equivalent.

You also have unintentionally helped the OP! This is what the parents are like in private OP.

Welcome to Arlington where everyone is right about everything and an elite private school could not possibly provide better English classes that what is available to my little kitten with her grit and self-determination.

NP. Who, other than people like you and this PP, is even ranking these schools and saying one is better than the other? Why do you feel the need to do that? Different kids, different families have different priorities, and pros and cons to everything. Grow up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you're in bounds for WL, you can take more STEM focused AP classes at the school. No need to do IB which is a separate program. Students also get into top state and private (including ivy league) universities on an AP path at the school. The IB program is of course excellent for those highly motivated students, and there are elective courses open to all like IB Design Tech, which is a hands on STEM class.

At WL FGLI get Ivy, so not slots for kids of two professionals who can afford private school.

This has got to be a troll post. Absolutely not true. If anything, the majority of those ivy league spots this year are skew caucasian (and likely upper middle class).

Are there any Ivy admits last year?
https://www.instagram.com/wldecisions25/

For 2025 at least three Ivies and there are other schools on that list that are equally impressive. Majority are actually caucasian so not FGLI. Troll posts like the above don't help anyone.

This years for reference:
https://www.instagram.com/wldecisions26_/

[Anonymous]

Don't forget the AP Network at Wakefield, alongside DE options. Your kid can enroll in AP as early as 9th grade and take mostly AP courses throughout high school. In those classes your student will find a diverse group of motivated and smart kids who have the same profile as your student. I'm not sure how someone applies to the process of entering Wakefield for that, but I can attest as a Wakefield family that the AP classes alongside intensified are top notch. (We came from private for middle and elementary).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Don't forget the AP Network at Wakefield, alongside DE options. Your kid can enroll in AP as early as 9th grade and take mostly AP courses throughout high school. In those classes your student will find a diverse group of motivated and smart kids who have the same profile as your student. I'm not sure how someone applies to the process of entering Wakefield for that, but I can attest as a Wakefield family that the AP classes alongside intensified are top notch. (We came from private for middle and elementary).

Is there really a reason to commute all the way to Wakefield when WL is local? I'd been assuming that WL has pretty much all the same AP classes as Wakefield.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Don't forget the AP Network at Wakefield, alongside DE options. Your kid can enroll in AP as early as 9th grade and take mostly AP courses throughout high school. In those classes your student will find a diverse group of motivated and smart kids who have the same profile as your student. I'm not sure how someone applies to the process of entering Wakefield for that, but I can attest as a Wakefield family that the AP classes alongside intensified are top notch. (We came from private for middle and elementary).

Is there really a reason to commute all the way to Wakefield when WL is local? I'd been assuming that WL has pretty much all the same AP classes as Wakefield.

For us part of the reason to commute to Wakefield is that we thought our kid would feel pressure to do full IB even though it is not the best fit for his interests. But for most kids, probably not worth it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Don't forget the AP Network at Wakefield, alongside DE options. Your kid can enroll in AP as early as 9th grade and take mostly AP courses throughout high school. In those classes your student will find a diverse group of motivated and smart kids who have the same profile as your student. I'm not sure how someone applies to the process of entering Wakefield for that, but I can attest as a Wakefield family that the AP classes alongside intensified are top notch. (We came from private for middle and elementary).

Is there really a reason to commute all the way to Wakefield when WL is local? I'd been assuming that WL has pretty much all the same AP classes as Wakefield.

DP. We commute to Wakefield for immersion. But yes, I think generally all 3 high schools have the same AP courses (mostly). Wakefield has, and Yorktown recently added, the AP Capstone program, so those schools offer AP Seminar & AP Research, while WL of course has the IB program.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Don't forget the AP Network at Wakefield, alongside DE options. Your kid can enroll in AP as early as 9th grade and take mostly AP courses throughout high school. In those classes your student will find a diverse group of motivated and smart kids who have the same profile as your student. I'm not sure how someone applies to the process of entering Wakefield for that, but I can attest as a Wakefield family that the AP classes alongside intensified are top notch. (We came from private for middle and elementary).

Is there really a reason to commute all the way to Wakefield when WL is local? I'd been assuming that WL has pretty much all the same AP classes as Wakefield.

DP. We commute to Wakefield for immersion. But yes, I think generally all 3 high schools have the same AP courses (mostly). Wakefield has, and Yorktown recently added, the AP Capstone program, so those schools offer AP Seminar & AP Research, while WL of course has the IB program.

And W-L may still have the Independent Study elective.