Reply to Which APS middle and high school for an anxious child?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]HB Woodlawn may be small, sure, but it’s pretty intense academically and really isn’t a place for kids with special needs.  I think she’d be better off in one of the neighborhood schools, probably Wakefield.  [/quote]

Haha no, it follows the same curriculum as the rest of APS, with similar  academic pathways. Just in a not overcrowded school in a gorgeous building [/quote]

Two of my kids went to HB.  I believe I know more about the school than you do.  [/quote]

So a random lottery school somehow ends up academic more advanced without any admission criteria?  You are full of BS. It’s not a magnet, it’s lottery ticket. [/quote]

Are you for real?

Yes, the academic profile of the average HB student is higher than the average at any of the neighborhood high schools, not because it’s a magnet school with admissions criteria, but because it tends to attract higher achievers as lottery applicants.  It’s not like every 5th grader in the county applies to HB; the large majority don’t, and I suspect some families have never even heard of it.

It’s not that complicated, idiot. 
[/quote]

It's not only the kids, it's the schedule.  Kids take I think one more class than regular middle schools, so they only have each class four days instead of five. So they have less time to get through the same curriculum, which means the pace is quicker.[/quote]

Oh, [b]wow I’m going to print this and send to school board[/b] since the inequity that is HBW is just yawning wider.  WL is overcrowded and being supersized, while HB students are capped in size with a academic enrichment. Holy absolute F.  [/quote]

Because you think the school board has no idea?   :lol:

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Oh you misunderstood. As part of an equity lawsuit. [/quote]

I’m OP and a lawyer and this Woodlawn debate is getting absurd. What evidentiary value do you think a print out from DCUM has in your lawsuit? Just stop. I’m trying to gather actual information here to help my actual child who is struggling. If you want to talk about Woodlawn, please start your own thread. [/quote]

It’s because anytime HB Woodlawn and ATS get mentioned on the board a bunch of haters show up.

As suggested by many people here, I would look into Dorothy Hamm. My friend’s DD is extremely shy and the school has worked out well for her. I think you should post your question on one to the Arlington Facebook groups (Arlington Education Matters and Arlington Parents for an Education). Yes there are lot of posters there but you need to have  conversations with actual people - perhaps just ask a general question. Who has a kid with an IAP in middle and high school. What has their experience been? I wish I could help but my girls are neurotypical (and in elementary school). Best of luck finding the answers you need. Also for private perhaps look into the Sycamore School. I’ve heard good things about it. My coworkers friend’s daughter is there and is thriving.[/quote]

OP, I think it's more complicated than you'd like.  Hamm is probably a very good option - it's currently smaller and has an excellent principal, formerly an excellent AP at Jefferson and I was disappointed to lose her, but happy for her promotion. However, I suspect Wakefield would be a better fit for high school, based on your current concerns.  I don't know what planet the poster saying Yorktown isn't academically rigorous or competitive is from.

Honestly, you're already in Arlington - surely you are aware of general differences between north and south Arlington and peoples' attitudes about the schools?  I'm a south Arlington family whose kids went neighborhood schools all the way through; but in a neighborhood where kids scattered across the county and into private (as well as families moving north to escape south Arlington schools).  So I've had lots of comparative conversations and have heard experiences and stories from a lot of places.

Gunston has a lot going on:  overcrowded, Montessori program, immersion program, neighborhood kids. Close friends of ours have had rather concerning experiences with classmates at Gunston, now at Wakefield.  While all middle schools have social concerns - they're middle schoolers after all! - I've been around about 15 years now and Gunston and Williamsburg would not be top on my list. They are opposite each other in many ways; so for different reasons.

If you're interested in the high school atmosphere, YHS and WL are somewhat different from each other (primarily in regard to diversity and, of course, the IB program at WL); but they are both very different atmospheres from wakefield.  While there is room for improvement at Wakefield, it is absolutely not the overly stressful pressure cooker WL is.  The kids generally are not so pressured by parents or counselors, but most definitely supported and encouraged and more gently pushed to challenge themselves.

I will admit that one of my kids with an IEP had an absolutely HORRIBLE case carrier their first year at Wakefield and I struggled with the IEP team that first year.  Until then, I had never once had an issue with IEP teams - especially at Jefferson where we had an excellent director of counseling (no longer there) and excellent teachers.  The principal is eh, but our experiences with the teaching staff with rare exception was excellent. Back to Wakefield, we were able to get another case carrier after that disastrous first year (case carrier-wise) and that person has been a complete 180 turn in responsiveness, rapport, understanding, cooperation, and encouragement.

I have had two children at Wakefield and the guidance counselors for both have generally been very responsive; and the one has built a really good rapport with my IEP student.

You may need to be on top of things yourself at any of the schools (especially high school), yet I think you'll have more responsiveness from Wakefield.  I base that on my direct experience, the experience of a close friend with an IEP student at Wakefield, and anecdotes from the other schools.

I think the Jefferson or Kenmore/Wakefield zone would offer you the balance you're probably looking for, as well as a number of lovely neighborhoods and really nice neighbors!
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