Reply to 50%+ FARMS schools in Arlington

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]There are plenty of parents who can afford therapy who chose to ignore that their child needs help too so what is your point?[/quote]

My point is obvious - being in a classroom with kids who have special needs and are from socio economic disadvantaged backgrounds is difficult for a child is normal functioning and devleoping and can easily lead to the "normal" child receiving a lot less education than they could have being in a school without those issues.  [b]Why as a parent with means would you purposefully choose a poor educational environment? [/b]

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I'm still shocked that people in this thread are referring to Barrett as having a poor educational environment. It's like we're back in the 90s, when most Arlington Forest families chose private school. Barrett today is a completely different environment with very proactive, supportive, and highly educated middle class families. The school has also worked hard to involve the low income families who have high expectations for their kids' academic success. For North Arlington families who want a truly diverse elementary school, Barrett really is the only option, and if one looks at past threads on Arlington schools, it is a very popular school with a good reputation. Its success is measured in rising test scores and awards like the 1st place finish by 5th graders in the NASA Spaced Out Sports Challenge. Barrett 5th graders designed a game that will be played aboard the International Space Station.

The classes are full of kids from middle class backgrounds, and Barrett is growing because of that burgeoning demographic. Trust me, your child will receive roughly the same attention at Barrett as he/she would receive at more uniformly upper middle class schools like Long Branch, etc. And if you're afraid your blonde-haired kid will stick out, don't worry, as roughly half the school will look just like him/her. Seriously, if you haven't made up your mind, and since you have two years to figure things out, I suggest you visit the school and talk candidly with neighbors and school staff. If you have already ruled out sending your children to Barrett, then this discussion is fairly pointless and would only serve as a platform for you to further justify your decision.

[quote=Anonymous]
My point is obvious - being in a classroom with kids who have special needs and are from socio economic disadvantaged backgrounds is difficult for a child is normal functioning and devleoping and can easily lead to the "normal" child receiving a lot less education than they could have being in a school without those issues. [/quote]

These are concerns I hear from parents who are considering overwhelmingly poor, but otherwise good schools in South Arlington like Randolph, Abingdon, and Barcroft. Roughly half of the students at Barrett come from Arlington Forest and other well-off North Arlington neighborhoods outside the schools' boundary, and Barrett's demographics are of little concern to most area parents today. If you are ruling out Barrett because of its demographics, you are definitely in the minority.

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