Should we leave Alexandria?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What gang situation in APS? We're in 22207. We have car break ins. I've never heard of gangs in the schools.

I know I shouldnt feed trolls but I cant resist pointing out how stupid you are.

https://www.arlnow.com/2024/01/10/police-investigating-mob-attack-at-local-high-school/

https://www.arlnow.com/2024/10/29/two-hospitalized-after-mob-assault-outside-of-high-school/

https://patch.com/virginia/arlington-va/baseball-bats-machetes-used-columbia-pike-attack-police

[Anonymous]

How does the overcrowding effect things at schools where it is an issue?

[Anonymous]

If your kid has any issues or anything that you’d want the school to do for them, leave Alexandria. As someone with a girl who was diagnosed with adhd in 6th grade, I wouldn’t even chance it. Her APS middle has teachers who are on top of things, provided her materials for organizational support and weren’t dealing with the issues there are in Alexandria. Move now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If your kid has any issues or anything that you’d want the school to do for them, leave Alexandria. As someone with a girl who was diagnosed with adhd in 6th grade, I wouldn’t even chance it. Her APS middle has teachers who are on top of things, provided her materials for organizational support and weren’t dealing with the issues there are in Alexandria. Move now.

What gang did she join?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What gang situation in APS? We're in 22207. We have car break ins. I've never heard of gangs in the schools.

I know I shouldnt feed trolls but I cant resist pointing out how stupid you are.

https://www.arlnow.com/2024/01/10/police-investigating-mob-attack-at-local-high-school/

https://www.arlnow.com/2024/10/29/two-hospitalized-after-mob-assault-outside-of-high-school/

https://patch.com/virginia/arlington-va/baseball-bats-machetes-used-columbia-pike-attack-police

Oh boy. "Mob" doesn't always mean what you think it means. But sure I'm the stupid one.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What gang situation in APS? We're in 22207. We have car break ins. I've never heard of gangs in the schools.

I know I shouldnt feed trolls but I cant resist pointing out how stupid you are.

https://www.arlnow.com/2024/01/10/police-investigating-mob-attack-at-local-high-school/

https://www.arlnow.com/2024/10/29/two-hospitalized-after-mob-assault-outside-of-high-school/

https://patch.com/virginia/arlington-va/baseball-bats-machetes-used-columbia-pike-attack-police

Oh boy. "Mob" doesn't always mean what you think it means. But sure I'm the stupid one.

LOL. Like there's a difference. I can't believe you came back to defend yourself thinking that "mob" was in your favor.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have one recent graduate and one high schooler. We also vaguely considered private school as the oldest was entering kindergarten but decided to give ACPS a try - and have not regretted our decision. I agree with the other ACPS parent that safety issues are exaggerated - my kids have never felt unsafe in school. And while they have suffered through some bad teachers, they have also learned from some truly amazing and dedicated teachers. My college student - now at an ivy league school - does not feel academically unprepared or inferior to the kids who went private. Also, the ACHS experience - going to school with kids from extremely different backgrounds and life experiences - is not to be underestimated in terms of preparing you for the real world.

This is laughable. Truly. ACHS is incredibly self-segregated. Higher-income kids self select into the academies and do not know probably even see 95 percent of their classmates. It’s a giant school.

It’s hard to engage in school-based extracurriculars because the school is so huge. Kids usually do something outside of school. Middle school is particularly bad but it’s not great anywhere. But the middle school offers a lot less than neighboring public districts outside of basics.

I think kids from an involved family with a lot of outside supplementation can do fine.

Kids self segregate in elementary after kindergarten regardless of the removed opportunities that have been given to all children in the name of "equity". ACPS places all elementary school children in the same inclusive classrooms, but that doesn't mean the children will become friends when they come from vastly different cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds. This self segregation still happens all the while it is now impossible for demonstrated advanced students to get AAS services regardless of need while a concurrent "Young Scholars" program allows student of color to receive AAS without proof of need. Afterschool enrichment is also not allowed in some elementaries in the name of "equity ". This school district is a mess.

Can we come back to this? What does AAS look like in ACPS currently? Seems that could have a big impact on people with OP’s dilemma.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How does the overcrowding effect things at schools where it is an issue?

Wow. Think this through we will wait...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How does the overcrowding effect things at schools where it is an issue?

Wow. Think this through we will wait...

Point of the question was to hear specifics of how the kids are impacted (e.g., weirdly early recess, hard to get from class to class in middle, etc). Feel free to contribute if you have anything of value to add, though I highly doubt it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have one recent graduate and one high schooler. We also vaguely considered private school as the oldest was entering kindergarten but decided to give ACPS a try - and have not regretted our decision. I agree with the other ACPS parent that safety issues are exaggerated - my kids have never felt unsafe in school. And while they have suffered through some bad teachers, they have also learned from some truly amazing and dedicated teachers. My college student - now at an ivy league school - does not feel academically unprepared or inferior to the kids who went private. Also, the ACHS experience - going to school with kids from extremely different backgrounds and life experiences - is not to be underestimated in terms of preparing you for the real world.

This is laughable. Truly. ACHS is incredibly self-segregated. Higher-income kids self select into the academies and do not know probably even see 95 percent of their classmates. It’s a giant school.

It’s hard to engage in school-based extracurriculars because the school is so huge. Kids usually do something outside of school. Middle school is particularly bad but it’s not great anywhere. But the middle school offers a lot less than neighboring public districts outside of basics.

I think kids from an involved family with a lot of outside supplementation can do fine.

Kids self segregate in elementary after kindergarten regardless of the removed opportunities that have been given to all children in the name of "equity". ACPS places all elementary school children in the same inclusive classrooms, but that doesn't mean the children will become friends when they come from vastly different cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds. This self segregation still happens all the while it is now impossible for demonstrated advanced students to get AAS services regardless of need while a concurrent "Young Scholars" program allows student of color to receive AAS without proof of need. Afterschool enrichment is also not allowed in some elementaries in the name of "equity ". This school district is a mess.

Can we come back to this? What does AAS look like in ACPS currently? Seems that could have a big impact on people with OP’s dilemma.

They supposedly open AAS to the top 15 percent of kids in the class for 4th and 5th. Anyone can take honors in middle school. They differentiate for all kids in elementary.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have one recent graduate and one high schooler. We also vaguely considered private school as the oldest was entering kindergarten but decided to give ACPS a try - and have not regretted our decision. I agree with the other ACPS parent that safety issues are exaggerated - my kids have never felt unsafe in school. And while they have suffered through some bad teachers, they have also learned from some truly amazing and dedicated teachers. My college student - now at an ivy league school - does not feel academically unprepared or inferior to the kids who went private. Also, the ACHS experience - going to school with kids from extremely different backgrounds and life experiences - is not to be underestimated in terms of preparing you for the real world.

This is laughable. Truly. ACHS is incredibly self-segregated. Higher-income kids self select into the academies and do not know probably even see 95 percent of their classmates. It’s a giant school.

It’s hard to engage in school-based extracurriculars because the school is so huge. Kids usually do something outside of school. Middle school is particularly bad but it’s not great anywhere. But the middle school offers a lot less than neighboring public districts outside of basics.

I think kids from an involved family with a lot of outside supplementation can do fine.

Kids self segregate in elementary after kindergarten regardless of the removed opportunities that have been given to all children in the name of "equity". ACPS places all elementary school children in the same inclusive classrooms, but that doesn't mean the children will become friends when they come from vastly different cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds. This self segregation still happens all the while it is now impossible for demonstrated advanced students to get AAS services regardless of need while a concurrent "Young Scholars" program allows student of color to receive AAS without proof of need. Afterschool enrichment is also not allowed in some elementaries in the name of "equity ". This school district is a mess.

Can we come back to this? What does AAS look like in ACPS currently? Seems that could have a big impact on people with OP’s dilemma.

They supposedly open AAS to the top 15 percent of kids in the class for 4th and 5th. Anyone can take honors in middle school. They differentiate for all kids in elementary.

In ACPS middle schools, an “honors” class is just a regular class. And anyone can enroll. The “regular” classes are actually below grade level.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I wouldn’t move just for the schools if you otherwise like where you live. A normal kid from a middle-class family that values education is going to do fine in ACPS. Lots of similar kids go on to top colleges and are very successful. I’m not convinced that the schools in Arlington or Fairfax are significantly better. Perhaps private is better, but is it $30k+ a year better? That’s a lot of money that could be used for other kinds of enrichment. I would at least try public and see how it goes.

However, this assumes that your child is neurotypical. I don’t think ACPS is the right choice for kids with special needs, so if that is your situation, I would explore other options.

Hi - I am OP and totally forgot about this post that seems to have exploded This is an extremely interesting point - about the money going forward enrichment opportunities, etc. Because the cost is more like 45k-50k per kid starting in K which is hard to even imagine. Thank you for this perspective. I have only made it up to this comment so far...onwards!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our oldest daughter will enter kindergarten next year. We had planned to send her to the elementary we are zoned for, one of the ones that's supposed to be "better" - but the recent abysmal report card from the state is seriously disturbing. Not a single school fully accredited in ACPS, almost all elementaries (including ours) listed as off track. I've seen many defend clerical issues that led to the scores, but even if that's true - it's no prize. It's also bad and indicative of the kind of environment that's been allowed to continue in the system here it seems.

It would be a huge stretch to pay for private. We love living in ALX, but it seems like the families around us much be much much richer if they can afford to send multiple kids to private school and continue to live in the community.

Do we just leave Alexandria for Bethesda or somewhere else? Uprooting our lives to move? Do we plant a money tree and hope for the best? What are families here doing?

Thanks.

I mean, this is the dilemma parents have been struggling with for at least the entire 30 years I have lived here. We lived Alexandria for North Arlington. And then Arlington for Loudoun, which has far better schools. Don't regret it. Added bonus is it was easier to get into UVA and VT as top students from those schools than it might have been from Yorktown. There are some cynics who say if you can thrive at Alexandria City High School (previously TC Williams) that can help your college admissions because you will have seemed to have survived a bad school. But IMO, schools shouldn't be something one has to "survive."

*left

We went MacArthur ES in Alexandria to Jamestown ES in Arlington/Williambsurg MS to Loudoun Valley in Loudoun. No regrets.

Can you elaborate on what made Loudoun schools so much better than Arlington in your view?

Smaller, more opportunities to get involved with extracurricular, less intense (not a pressure cooker), better to be big fish in smaller pond. They had great teachers, AP, DE opportunities. House twice the size at half the cost on three acres of land.

Mind you I worked from home since before Covid so commute wasn’t a concern.

This is just... horseshit trolling. Assuming a 1900 sqf house n Del Ray goes for 1.2, please tell us where you got a 4000sqf house on three acres in Loudon for 600,000.

We'll wait!

What is it about ACPS that brings out the trolls? Is it jealousy?

We moved in 2017. We sold our 3,000 square foot house in 22207 on a fifth of an acre for $1.1 million and bought a 5,700 square foot home on a 3.5 acre lot in Oak Knoll Farms in 20132 for $750,000. So, maybe exaggerated slightly and it wasn’t precisely half the price and twice the house but it was damn close.

Kids matriculated to UVA and Brown.

Thank you for responding - do you commute into the city? I am OP. Thanks

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For those who attended ACPS and then left, would be interesting to hear why? Certain need for your kid that couldn’t be met, moved for other reasons, liked elementary but didn’t want the middle school, general lack of quality/too many problems, or something else?

I loved my house and the area. Crime started happening more frequently in the area. My kids started getting older and I wanted to live in a neighborhood where I didn’t have to have a second thought about them freely wandering around the neighborhood. I realized out of our neighborhood, so many went to private schools. Our cars on the street kept getting broken into.

I thought of our investment and how maybe they could be okay in the public schools but I heard stories from a friend with an older kid in advanced classes how they just put in him the grade two years older for that content area in elementary school. This was over ten years ago.

No regrets to moving. Again, maybe it could have been okay but hearing the stories of safety at the HS and middle schools and how break ins are continuing in our old neighborhood. There is nothing like that where we moved and our kids played freely and ran house to house with friends for all of elementary school, like I did in the 80s. My car has never been broken into here.

What neighborhood did you leave? Zip? Thanks for posting, I am OP!

[Anonymous]

We left before K. I think it is easier to move financially because your house then is also a good investment while getting a good school.