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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Let's remember that ATS's "success" refers to its standardized test scores. You may like it's culture or not. But if your kid didn't get in and you're disappointed, you can replicate the requirements and test prep at home while your kid attends their neighborhood school.

And in 6th grade it won't matter anymore.[/quote]

Why should parents have to fill the gaps for schools that aren’t teaching their kids to read and do math? This is not a new problem in APS.  I give the superintendent credit for putting it on a dash board for the community to see how many kids in APS need support for foundational skills.

ATS is getting it right which is why the wait list is so huge there. [/quote]

You do know that other schools are teaching kids, right? If you want your kid to play an instrument and tuck in their shirt, insist that they do so. If you want your kid to do homework every night, give them some worksheets. If you want your kid held back if they aren't reading in kindergarten, say so. [/quote]

I will insist on all these things and send my kid to a school that insists on all these things. It’s a parent teacher partnership. It is very different when both the parents and the school agree that high academic and behavioral standards are important. It is also very different when all their peers are doing the same thing. All schools are like this. But of course there would be opposition from parents like you who don’t think these things are important. It’s unfortunate because the culture surrounding education and what our kids need needs to change. [/quote]

Thanks for this illustration of how delusional ATS parents are, I guess.

No one is saying that parents are wrong to like ATS if that's your family's thing. What I am saying is that there are other paths to creating good, productive citizens, and by the time your kid has graduated from high school, there will be no discernible difference between kids who attended ATS and kids who went elsewhere. "High academic and behavioral standards" take a lot of forms, and it's possible to insist on both without tucked-in shirts.

My kids have all graduated from high school and gotten into the sorts of colleges parents here drool over. And they did it while becoming kind, funny, responsible people who embrace the weirdness of other people. [/quote]

It is what you are saying though, given your tiresome focus on the tucking shirts rule. As an ATS parent that’s all I hear about from ATS haters as if that’s the most important thing about the entire school. Most ats parents don’t care either way about the tucking shirts rule. I find the rule silly but it’s not a hill I am gonna die on because you know what? It’s just a dress code. What I care about, and what I think every parent should care about is high behavioral and academic standards. You are not gonna find a student throwing stuff in the middle of class at ATS. It simply doesn’t happen. Students know from day 1 that they have to show respect for their teachers and their classmates. That is a value that I want to instill in my kids and I believe everyone should want to instill in their kids. There are no excuses for bad behavior at ATS. At the same time the teachers are fun, loving and love their jobs. You don’t have high turnover at ATS because teachers are respected by everyone and are backed up by administration when it comes to unruly behavior. Kids come to ATS to learn as it should be and parents, admin and teachers all work together to make sure that is happening.

As for embracing weirdness. ATS is probably more diverse than the North Arlington schools many parents on DCUM send their kids to. More than 80 different countries are represented in school. Only 30% or 40% of the kids are white (forgot which percentage) and we have a high number of ESL students.

Good for your kids. Happy they graduated from top colleges. Given the fact that there are many schools in the country I don’t think any parent in ats is under the illusion that only students who go to an ATS like school will go to a top college. Obviously that’s not the case and obviously ATS is not a ticket to s top college. I’m sure that many ATS students go to mediocre colleges.

I obviously would be thrilled if my kids end up in a top college but that’s not really my goal. Given the learning standards in colleges these days, I’m not sure a top college is even my priority. My priority is kids who hold themselves to high standards, behaviorally and academically. [/quote]

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