Good public elementary schools in Alexandria

[Anonymous]

Which public elementary schools in Alexandria are considered good?

[Anonymous]

Lyles Crouch is considered very good.

[Anonymous]

George Mason. Remember the Titans before you move to Alex. City. We will likely move before MS or go private.

[Anonymous]

I know some folks who've had issues with George Mason. Just sayin'. My DD has done fine there -- all depends on the kid. MacArthur and the rejuvenated Maury are also considered good schools. But MS is where the rubber hits the road, and many more-affluent Alexandrians move or go private at that point.

[Anonymous]

Lyles Crouch, George Mason, Charles Barrett, Maury are all wonderful neighborhood schools.

[Anonymous]

When did Lyles Crouch change? Just asking because 3 years ago no one was sending their kid there.

[Anonymous]

My daughter went to Burgundy and is now at TC Williams. We chose the Titans over Georgetown Day School. Other friends of hers chose TC over Sidwell, Maret and Potomac. The kids who are doing well at TC are those who are self-confident, self-motivated, and not afraid to seek out opportunities. If our daughter were shy, or needed extra assistance, we would have pursued private high school more aggressively (although we probably would not have looked at GDS, Sidwell, etc.). Don't count out TC before you know what kind of high school student your child might be. It might be just the kind of place where she or he would thrive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My daughter went to Burgundy and is now at TC Williams. We chose the Titans over Georgetown Day School. Other friends of hers chose TC over Sidwell, Maret and Potomac. The kids who are doing well at TC are those who are self-confident, self-motivated, and not afraid to seek out opportunities. If our daughter were shy, or needed extra assistance, we would have pursued private high school more aggressively (although we probably would not have looked at GDS, Sidwell, etc.). Don't count out TC before you know what kind of high school student your child might be. It might be just the kind of place where she or he would thrive.

Important to read this post carefully; it manages in spite of itself to convey some useful advice. It sounds a bit self-congratulatory, BUT if your child is introverted, or needs extra assistance, or is not a go-getter equipped to navigate an urban high school, he or she will fall through the cracks at TC Williams. That's why private schools are so prevalent for Alexandria families.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My daughter went to Burgundy and is now at TC Williams. We chose the Titans over Georgetown Day School. Other friends of hers chose TC over Sidwell, Maret and Potomac. The kids who are doing well at TC are those who are self-confident, self-motivated, and not afraid to seek out opportunities. If our daughter were shy, or needed extra assistance, we would have pursued private high school more aggressively (although we probably would not have looked at GDS, Sidwell, etc.). Don't count out TC before you know what kind of high school student your child might be. It might be just the kind of place where she or he would thrive.

Important to read this post carefully; it manages in spite of itself to convey some useful advice. It sounds a bit self-congratulatory, BUT if your child is introverted, or needs extra assistance, or is not a go-getter equipped to navigate an urban high school, he or she will fall through the cracks at TC Williams. That's why private schools are so prevalent for Alexandria families.

Right, and in elementary school, you have no idea what kind of high schooler you'll have so if you're moving to the area and can't afford private school, move to Arlington or Fairfax.

[Anonymous]

Sorry if you thought my earlier post was self-congratulatory (and somehow misleading?). I wanted to make sure people knew that there were quite a few kids and families who CHOOSE TC Williams, over what many who read DCUM think are the "best" schools out there. Several of the previous posts suggest that TC is a school to avoid at all costs. I disagree. It can be a very good school for kids who are self-confident. As I pointed out, it may not be the right place for those kids who aren't. The verdict is still out as to whether it is an appropriate place for our 6th grader. However, I am not so sure any other public high school in Virginia (most of which are very large) would be a good place for her either.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When did Lyles Crouch change? Just asking because 3 years ago no one was sending their kid there.

??? I've lived in the Lyles Crouch catchment area for 7 years now and can tell you that it has been considered excellent the whole time we've lived there. Admittedly, there are now WAY more kids in SE quadrant than there used to be, but I think LC has been considered a great school for a long time.

[Anonymous]

Lyles Crouch has been considered excellent for at least 7 years - and each year it becomes more and more popular. My kids entered through the lottery 6 years ago, and now the lottery is no longer available - only neighborhood kids are admitted now.

[Anonymous]

But where are all these kids who are getting a great education at Lyles Crouch going for Middle School??? I have been warned that the Alex City middle school is not good.

[Anonymous]

Hi -- self-congratulatory poster here. I know many have been warned about the Alexandria City public middle schools -- Hammond and George Washington. All I can say is that my daughter (the Burgundy graduate now at Minnie Howard) has made many friends who came from both middle schools. Quite a few of these kids -- maybe fifteen or so -- are now taking a combination of algebra II and trigonometry in 9th grade. They will be able to take calculus in 11th grade and take a post-calculus class in 12th grade. This means that they are a whole year ahead of my daughter, who is currently taking geometry. The middle schools must be doing something right, to have allowed these kids to advance at such an accelerated rate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hi -- self-congratulatory poster here. I know many have been warned about the Alexandria City public middle schools -- Hammond and George Washington. All I can say is that my daughter (the Burgundy graduate now at Minnie Howard) has made many friends who came from both middle schools. Quite a few of these kids -- maybe fifteen or so -- are now taking a combination of algebra II and trigonometry in 9th grade. They will be able to take calculus in 11th grade and take a post-calculus class in 12th grade. This means that they are a whole year ahead of my daughter, who is currently taking geometry. The middle schools must be doing something right, to have allowed these kids to advance at such an accelerated rate.

Perhaps, but of course, Burgundy isn't exactly known for its academic curriculum.