Reply to FCPS School Pyramid Recommendations

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[quote=Anonymous]Agree with the PP, as another family looking for some diversity in an excellent school. My pick would still be Kent Gardens, because it draws from a very diverse base. It has a French immersion program option, which is a magnet for many African families during their diplomatic stay here, as well as many local families with old ties to french speaking parts of the world. That makes for a fairly diverse and exciting environment for a child to grow into. They also have a FLES program for french in their GE classes. If the immersion program is of any interest, add yourself to the waiting list NOW. We also know a number of families in the school, since we share summer at the pool in their community, and I have the highest opinion on the quality of their education, PTA, and students and teachers.

We opted to go to a school in Vienna. which on paper looked fairly diverse. We're in the 8% range, meaning the kids *may* have an AA classmate. It's a roll of the dice f that is who they end up with, and if the kids do, in fact, get along with that particular child. The school went through some changes and is starting a big building project, so I'm not sure that's the school I would go for again.

But also in Vienna, Vienna Elementary, Louise Archer, Spring Hill or Flint Hill are all good school with some diversity. Oakton is up and coming these days as well.

Looking further out, Arlington has a few excellent schools that are organized to take in a more diverse population. I don't have specifics, and they are a mixed bag, but I've heard rave reviews from some parents in that corner.

One more thing. Beyond diversity in numbers, try to find out how kids from minority families are *really* treated in the classroom. If the one AA or the 3 Hispanic children in your kid's classroom are the kids who always end up disciplined and with the poor student label, it may not be such an advantage for your own child. Be ready to reach out to the other parents in the community and watch out for each other children, volunteer at school etc. You want to help your kid, but also the other 5 kids in his grade that look like him, succeed. That only works if all the families involved decide this is something they want to tackle.

I would look for diversity in the teacher corp, not just the students, and I would take the school with younger teachers.

OP, you have a tough choice, because ultimately, the education gap is still alive and well, even in an affluent place like Fairfax County. The big problem is that schools are so segregated still that the "good" schools have too few minority students to really report on their achievements. So they often get quietly left behind. Go talk to the principal, attend a PTA meeting, try to meet some parents before you make a decision.

We moved our child to private a few years ago, and there are more AA kids in her private school than in public. Which is a sad state of affairs for bridging that gap in the public schools. But you can't play with your kid's education.

Hope this helps...[/quote]

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