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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]We're really happy with Kenmore. They are supportive and have co-taught classes.  TJ and the IB program is also supposed to be very good.  [/quote]

Thank you!  Do you know if they do co-taught classes for science/social studies as well as for math/reading?

TJ sounded interesting, but I was concerned about the amount of reading required for IB (but maybe I don't fully understand the program.)

And yes (for the snipers), this is real. We like that Arlington is close in, has sidewalks and generally seems like a nice place to live. We could consider Fairfax, but not our first choice now.[/quote]

I live in Arlington, and I love it. It's close in and it's diverse. HOWEVER, I did buy for the schools and they really suck; a huge amount of teaching to the test, massive classrooms with more overcrowding to come, a lot of "relocatables" (which is APS speak for trailers), and a total refusal on the part of the School Board to address these issues in a substantive manner. My DS is now in private school. So... if you're buying for location, it's great. If you're buying for schools, look elsewhere.[/quote]

We also bought in Arlington for the proximity and the schools and have had one or more children at Swanson and Washington Lee for the past 6 years. It is true that there are overcrowding problems and the entire 7th grade at Swanson is in trailers right now.

That said, we have been happy with both schools and our kids have thrived. APS is highly ranked nationally and I think most parents would not agree that they "really suck." The School Board is struggling with how to handle the overcrowding but I would not say they are refusing to address the problem. I appreciate that in typical Arlington fashion they are holding multiple town hall meetings and making information available on-line about the possible solutions. https://www.apsva.us/more-seats-for-more-students/

In our experience, 95% of the teachers at Swanson are caring and student focused and the schools are neighborhood based and have a community feel. Our kids have gotten an excellent education there, played sports, and made friends. Our older child is taking AP and IB classes in high school and planning to apply to top colleges. I would not spend money to send them to a private school with this caliber of public school readily available. [/quote]

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