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VA Public Schools other than FCPS
Reply to "If you left APS for private…"
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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]We sent our kids to APS all the way through 8th and then private Big3 HS. Our kids did very well and had no issue coming from APS, they were well prepared. But, our private HS experience was vastly different than our public school friend at W&L and Yorktown. To each their own, but we were very happy for the children to experience the rigor of private for the HS years. I would not send my kids to private ES and expect some big difference…unless I was at a not great ES or alternatively my kid had a lot of needs. Just my two cents. [/quote] Was it mostly a difference in academic rigor between your experience and your friends W&L/Yorktown experiences?[/quote] Academic and social differences. I wouldn’t pay for private school for a different social experience, however. Plenty of great/bright kids in APS that I would’ve been more than happy for my kids to socialize with. Some weirdos in both systems so whatever; sort of a wash and kid dependent. Academically, there were many differences but two biggest for us were: (1) amount of homework and (2) writing. My kids were doing 1.5-3 hours of homework starting in 9. Nothing like this for kids’ APS peers. Freshman/sophomore years in APS, kids peers in APS were still not really doing homework. This meant there lives were very different. My kids didn’t have free time in the same way that APS kids do. Many families don’t want this, I get it. Next, the writing. My kids were writing many page papers starting in 9, many times per year, with significant feedback/editing from their teachers with multiple rounds of submission. This wasn’t possible in APS and wasn’t the experience of my children’s peers. [/quote] Weird. My kid in private had less homework than friends in public for 9th/10th. WL kids started doing APs in 9th and/or were doing IB. By 11th, it seemed about the same. [/quote] My post was specific to my children’s experience at a Big3 private. I am certain you could find a range of different experiences at the various private schools across DC. [/quote] Your kids were doing APs in 9th? [/quote] That’s fairly common in APS, at least with families I know. It makes sense considering you can start high school credit classes in 7th grade. [/quote] Yes, very common in APS. Along with the hours of homework. On top of sports, activities, etc. Maybe the PP doesn’t know any of the high-achieving kids in APS if he thinks they have lots of free time. [/quote] Agreed. I've heard complaints from APS parents about not enough writing instruction, but I haven't heard any complaints about lack of rigor elsewhere in high school. I'd expect APS HS science and math class offerings are likely more expansive than most private schools. The high achieving APS kids seem pretty darn busy with AP/IB classes and ECs. Private schools seem primarily to offer more hand holding and writing instruction.[/quote]
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