Reply to Anyone had kids in both north Arlington and south Arlington schools?

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Reply to "Anyone had kids in both north Arlington and south Arlington schools?"

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I think it’s a myth that South Arlington schools are less competitive or less pressure. Maybe that’s true in immigrant communities but demographically there isn’t much difference between the upper middle class whites who live in the even versus odd zip codes. The majority tend to be type As who were drawn to DC. There is very little chill in Arlington in this demographic. Maybe the evens resent the odds a little bit for having a more homogeneously achievement-oriented cohort in many of the odd zip code schools.[/quote]

Unfortunately, it seems the OP is getting responses primarily from NA people commenting on SA.  And from my SA experience, it sounds like those NA people generally have not had the direct SA school experience the OP asked for.

I don't have direct experience in both; but I've explored this same question quite a bit and know several people who have.  My SA experience says that there is generally a less stressful atmosphere - and not just from "immigrant communities."  There are high-pressured white MC who are more likely to seek option schools, so they aren't in the SA neighborhood schools anyway; and a lot of immigrant communities place very high value on education and push their kids to excel just like most.  But in the neighborhood SA schools, the white MC are more "chill" than a lot of the NA ones.  That's why they're in the south:  they are more "chill," they want their kids to interact with kids who don't look like them and value the benefits that brings them; they know they aren't getting the same experience as they would in NA schools but also realize they are still getting a good education and good life skill development without the unnecessary stress and pressure mentality you read and feel on DCUM.

Those I know who left SA schools after 3-5 years in them and have gone to north neighborhood schools have confirmed the faster-paced learning environment, and lamented the loss of diversity - not just racial/cultural; but economic diversity that teaches perhaps even more important life lessons than the other types of diversity.

Perhaps the PP is a SA parent but in a different part of SA.  But I know parents at almost every SA elementary school and can therefore state with certainty that there are white MC families across SA schools that are definitely less competitive and less pressure, but who still appropriately guide and encourage and even push their kids and their school administrators.

The "evens" don't resent the "odds" for their homogeneous achievers.  They might resent their condescension and unjustified attitudes of superiority and their utter lack of concern about the challenges in SA schools and their inability and unwillingness to do what's right for Arlington overall.
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