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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I would like to hear from other APS parents and get their thoughts on the academic rigor of APS middle schools.

I hope this isn't taken the wrong way but hear me out. DC is in 8th grade, is taking Algebra, and is mostly a straight A student (had a B one quarter in 6th and 7th grade), which, to be honest, is confounding to me. DC is not particularly a motivated student, and is the kind of kid who will put in what he needs to to get the desired outcome, no more, no less. Whenever I ask if there's any homework or a test to study for, DC responds that it was done at school, if they get any homework at all. I remember when I was that age, I had to bust my ass to get straight As. I wouldn't even know my child was actually even in school if it wasn't for ParentVue, which is the only reason I know DC is actually doing all of the assignments. But it's difficult for me to gauge how much DS is actually learning and absorbing. Maybe DC just a natural learner and grasps concepts more easily than I did, in which case, great! Or maybe APS expects the bare minimum which makes it easy for a student to just coast. I don't know. And it's not from lack of trying to understand or asking questions. Whenever I ask about school, I usually just get one or two-word responses. Everything is good or fine. :D

This is a longwinded way of saying I'm worried that the middle school isn't doing its job to properly prepare its students for the rigors of high school. Anyone else worried about this? How did your "coaster" do transitioning from MS to HS?
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OP, I could have written this word-for-word about my DD. She is smart and a straight-A student, but I don't think she is being pushed academically. I do think HS will be a wake-up call. [/quote]

Same for my child in APS middle school.  According to my child, there are generally two categories of kids at their school.  Roughly 20% who "care" about their grades and largely get all As and everyone else.  They have one class in which 20% of the class is getting an "A" and the rest of the class is failing because they are not turning in assignments, which is just insane.[/quote]

That is exactly what I expect. There is no middle class in Arlington.

You have wealthy families living in $1m+ SFH and then loads of students from APAH housing.  Any middle class family was already moving to FCPS or LCPS, but pandemic clinched it — if you are WFH most days, why suffer pandemic life in a condo with kids when for less money you can get a house with a yard?

So you have these people remaining, the wealthy but not wealthy enough to swing private school, and those living in affordable housing. [/quote]

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