Forum Index
»
Schools and Education General Discussion
Arlington public schools
![[Post New]](/jforum/templates/default/images/icon_minipost_new.gif){kind=icon}
Anonymous
| My husband and I are planning to move to North Arlington later this year. Can anyone tell me about the elementary and middle schools in the area? I know the 2 high schools are Yorktown and Washingon-Lee, which, from what I understand are both good (although if anyone has more specific info on the high schools I'd like to know that as well). I just don't know anything about the lower grade schools. Some of the houses we've looked at are in Ashton Heights and the elementary and middle schools are Long Branch and Jefferson. Any info about Arlington schools (or the pros/cons to living in Arlington in general) would be greatly appreciated. Thanks! |
Anonymous
| I generally hear good things about Jamestown, Nottingham, Taylor and Tuckahoe, and Williamsburg for middle school. There are also lots of specialty options (e.g. Spanish, science focus, traditional) that are available no matter which elementary school zone you're in. |
Anonymous
| I have a first grader in Nottingham. WE LOVE that school. For K and 1st have had wonderful teachers. I think all of the Arlington schools are pretty good! |
zumbamama
Site Admin Offline
Site Admin Offline
| Swanson Middle School alumni here!! Swanson rocks...but probably just as much as all the other Arlington schools. |
Anonymous
| I echo the PP who hears good things about the above schools (Tuckahoe, Taylor, Nottingham, Jamestown, McKinley). I think the Tuckahoe Asst Principal sends his son to Long Branch, which I have heard good things about. My DD goes to Taylor and we really like it. I have also heard that all elementary schools in Arlington are very good, that you can't go wrong, but that you might be able to pick a better fit for your child by investigating and applying (by lottery) to some of the magnet programs. I think the further north in Arlington you go, the more "white" and less racially diverse the school tends to be. I suggest you personally visit all schools, take a tour, and meet with all principals. I personally did not like the principal at Key (spanish immersion) when we visited the school, but that is just my opinion, based on my gut instinct, and nothing more. You will get an idea for what would be best for your kid after you visit. There is no school in Arlington that you must stay away from (as far as I know) -- all have excellent funding and resources and are very highly regarded. |
Anonymous
| As the parent of a soon-to-be kindergardener, I echo the earlier comments about the Arlington schools. We're in the Nottingham district, which is supposed to be quite good. Neighbors of ours send their kids to Arlington Traditional and also love that school. The Spanish immersion and Montessori programs are reputed to be fantastic. You can't go wrong moving to Arlington. |
Anonymous
|
We're in Ashton Heights and love Long Branch. I don't know yet what we will do for middle school. TJ is where the AB program is housed, and that is of interest to us. I believe Kenmore is also a zoned option, but I could have that wrong.
North Arlington is in the middle of some boundary changing, so you should ask a lot of questions. |
Anonymous
|
Our dd is at Glebe ES in N. Arlington and we have been very pleased!
|
Anonymous
| PP here (17:53) : I mistyped. AB should be IB. |
Anonymous
|
I asked a similair question several months ago and here are the responses i found to be very helpful:
I have worked at Jefferson MS (just recently approved as an International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme World School--yeah to us!) for 7 years (and grew up in the Arlington Public Schools). Honestly, *all* the middle schools in Arlington are really good. They are to some extent different (and have different emphases), though, so you should consider talking with the principals/guidance departments and visiting to see for yourself. There is sometimes a perception that the schools in the north part of the county are so much better--and some test results might give that perception, too. But each and every school offers the same classes and has amazing, caring teachers. And some of the more overlooked schools can also offer better teacher-to-student ratios and more personalized instruction. 1111111111111111111 I work with mostly teenagers in Arlington and have the opportunity to visit the middle schools and high schools regularly. I think all the schools in Arlington get good write ups and have good test scores but Yorktown tops the high schools with scores, etc. Personally, I like Washington-Lee the best because it is more diverse and has an IB program there too. All of the elementary schools seem to be great and i hear very few complaints from parents. 1111111111111111 Hi, we live in Arlington and Williamsburg Middle and Yorktown High have traditionally been considered ?the best.? However, I believe that Washington-Lee has really climbed in the rankings and may even rank higher than Yorktown on some surveys (haven?t really kept up). Hope that?s helpful ? and all Arlington schools are very good, so it?s hard to go wrong. 111111111111111111 Hi--You'll get a lot of very positive responses about APS. Having taught in DC for 5 years, I am dazzled by the Arlington Schools. Everything from school renovations to materials to snow days are handled so well and are so organized. The high schools are great-- ours is Washington-Lee which has an IB program--and the graduates in our neighborhood have gone on to very good colleges and universities. The middles schools have great reputations, as well. Kenmore was recently renovated and is an amazing facility; I know one nearby family has their child there and they are big fans of the drama program. Each school maintains a website and you can get a feeling for the school from the site and the activites that go on during the year. If you have younger children, I would suggest coming to some of the local playgrounds-or even playing on the school playgrounds-- during the summer and meeting families in the different boundaries. ---------------- I only have elementary school kids, but Arlington is one of the finest public school systems in the country. I think you will find it dramatically different from DCPS! There is a "perceived" divide between North and South Arlington, that is not really the case. Wmsburg Middle is nearly all white and affluent. Swanson Middle is slightly, ever so slightly more diverse and a little less affluent (ie there are some apts in this district and virtually none in Wmsbg). The programs at these two north arlington schools are of course excellent. There are a couple of middles in south as well. TJ is tiny (300 kids?) and has neat resources and has IB Middle school. Kenmore is a gorgeous new facility (Swanson has a recent buildout, but it's not the scale of Kenmore that was razed and is amazing). Kenmore is very diverse, and has an outstanding LD/Special Ed program. This school will also house the majority of low income folks for Arlington, if that matters to you. The highschools -- there are 3 or 4. HB Woodlawn is not a "school" but a program housed in it's own building. It is by lottery. There are I think 70 kids per grade, it's a "hippie" school -- very different and the kids are 6-12 grade. My husband taught there for one year. Yorktown HS is considered one of the best HS in the country. That's the good part. The bad part is that it is known for it's "mean girl" culture and is an intense pressure cooker. I mean this is competition central. All smart white kids from affluent families for the most part. The school is in the process of being totally rebuilt. Washington Lee is the oldest school in Arlington -- it has an IB program (school within a school) and is diverse. It is currently undergoing a multi-BILLION dollar rebuild. All of the Arlington HS have pools, etc. good facilities. W/L also has a planetarium, etc. The last one, Wakefield, is in South Arlington. This is the one with the worst of the 3 reputations, but it is still a fine school from what I understand. Home values in Arlington continue to rise during this housing slump, and what is happening in South Arlington, which is where you used to see a minority, Spanish speaking pop -- these folks are being pushed out as home values increase (apt costs and apts being razed for new condos and townhomes )-- the spanish speaking pop is dropping dramatically as the school age children pop is rising in North Arlington. I hope that helps -- and doesn't sound racist -- I really didn't know what kinds of info you are looking for. I will say that for some things, like if your children are id-ed gifted and LD, you may be better off checking out Fairfax County who has better resources for 2E kids than Arlington where it can be fight. |