What is the reputation of Alexandria public schools?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Samuel Tucker! Can't believe it hasn't come up yet as one of the "good" schools. It's a GREAT elementary school on the West End. I recommend you tour the schools you are considering, and also see if you can get in contact with the PTA from those schools. There are many dedicated parents, and while I think there has been a tendency in the past to stick around only for the elementary years, many current parents are planning to "stick around and actively fight for good middle schools. High school is what you make of it. For the kids that wants to learn, TC Williams will provide you with all the resources you could ever possibly want. The reality is that their are some hard socioeconomic challenges in Alexandria, so high school is going to have some depressing drop out rates and a part of the student body with low test scores. However, as an individual who is invested in their child's education, I think you and your children can get everything you need from Alexandria City Public Schools.

Because it's not a "good" school. I have to think the intention was to get the residents of Cameron Station to all send their kids there and that didn't work so they bus kids in.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Look, Alexandria has a certain percentage of poor people. Sorry if you can't handle that. To me, it teaches my kids a good lesson about life and an opportunity to met people who have different and more challenging life circumstances. And hopeful be grateful for what they have.

HAHAHAHAH...clearly your child does not attend a City school. If they did, you would NOT feel that way. The challenges these kids have translate into serious issues for the school to deal with.

The City is somewhat of a "welfare state" in my opinion. They make it so incredibly easy for those to continue living off of welfare/public housing/ etc. For example, the City provides a summer all day recreation program for kids for free. It basically amounts to free daycare for the summer. Actually, it cost $25 to register for the summer AND PARENTS COMPLAINED THEY HAD TO PAY A FEE!!! They felt it should be free. Yes, they felt the City owned them free child care 8 hours a day, every day in the summer. There is no other jurisdiction in the area providing that kind of service. The City should start charging market rates IMO and stop the hand outs.

Different poster here. I'm happy if the city's kids get a low cost, or even no-cost to low income families, summer rec program. Part of what makes me feel Alexandria is a city and community, not just a suburb. I'm unaware of a free program that you refer to - Alexandria runs many summer rec programs that have fees - http://alexandriava.gov/uploadedFiles/recreation/services/SummerCampGuide.pdf

My children attend city schools and I'm pleased. No, not JH, but one with a high percentage of free lunch children and children from public housing, and after all, your derisive comment specified "City school", not "Jefferson Houston" exclusively.

Like another said, if you're unhappy with services provided by the city, there's always Wyoming.

I know from this statement that you have actually not utilized the City's services and that your child is likely in Kindergarten this year.

The supervision is not very good, the activities are not very good and the kids who are there are there because their parents can not afford summer camp. This is a last resort so to speak for parents with no other options. This basically prevents the kids in public housing from being at home all day alone. The ratios are insanely high. Here is the link: http://alexandriava.gov/recreation/info/default.aspx?id=12968#PowerOn

[Anonymous]

Samuel Tucker is year round school which doesn't suit everyone. Furthermore, it is my understanding that the school was at capacity last year and is likely to be at capacity again this year so is probably not taking many, if any, transfer students. Does seem to be a good school though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Samuel Tucker! Can't believe it hasn't come up yet as one of the "good" schools. It's a GREAT elementary school on the West End. I recommend you tour the schools you are considering, and also see if you can get in contact with the PTA from those schools. There are many dedicated parents, and while I think there has been a tendency in the past to stick around only for the elementary years, many current parents are planning to "stick around and actively fight for good middle schools. High school is what you make of it. For the kids that wants to learn, TC Williams will provide you with all the resources you could ever possibly want. The reality is that their are some hard socioeconomic challenges in Alexandria, so high school is going to have some depressing drop out rates and a part of the student body with low test scores. However, as an individual who is invested in their child's education, I think you and your children can get everything you need from Alexandria City Public Schools.

Because it's not a "good" school. I have to think the intention was to get the residents of Cameron Station to all send their kids there and that didn't work so they bus kids in.

Um, you can check the test scores, if you don't believe me. Tucker scores are similar to the other school people have been mentioned favorably. Cameron Station was never going to have enough kids living in the neighborhood boundaries to fill up the entire school. Tucker is larger than some of the other schools, so its boundaries include apartments off Edsall road as well as Cameron Station. Also, some of the folks asking for Administrative transfers out of J-H asked for Tucker, so that accounts for some other students that don't live in Cameron Station.

Other poster made a good point about the capacity issue. (Gee, so many people want to go to this horrible school, huh?) Its actually a challenge throughout the school district, which is why some of the other school are getting the modular classrooms. I've heard that the capacity will be slightly less of an issue at Tucker next year, but only in certain grades. OP should ask the capacity question at any of the Alexandria schools they are looking at. Might depend on what grade your child is entering.

Finally, Tucker is year round schedule. Thanks to earlier poster for pointing that out. Tucker families love it, but its definitely something a person should consider when deciding. Again, tour the schools you are considering. It can really help give you a feel for the "culture" of the different places.