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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I have several friends there who are very happy with it.  Part of that, I think, is that it pulls from the Arlington Forest neighborhood which seems to be a very tight, friendly community.

Back in the early 2000s, Barrett was actually losing population and so they made it the science choice school for that part of the county but you never hear of that anymore because there was a huge baby boom in Arlington Forest and now they fill to capacity and beyond with in-bound kids.[/quote]

So Barrett does not seem to be bothered in the least by their super high FARMS rate?

I mean, I've heard from various families that they are happy at many different APS schools, and I remember a family (years back) who spoke of the very dedicated teachers at Randolph, too, for example, and the "small family feel".  But other families, especially those who have experienced both high and low FARMS schools, have said that it is not the same experience at all.

Or do some people feel that it's not such a big deal in elementary, while later on in middle and high school there is more differentiation going on?
....surely, most people would agree that there are kids who would do very well no matter the setting... But some PPs described "day and night" differences despite great teachers, and thus, the same should apply to Barrett, doesn't matter if your almost 60% FARMS school has a north or south in its address.
So what's the "truth", if you will: - "people making a big deal out of nothing", or "very valid concerns about highly unequal educational experiences"?

[/quote]

I think the difference is Barrett's "super high FARMS rate" is still almost 30 percentage points lower than Carlin Springs and Randolph, and 15 lower than Barcroft.  So while still high, their numbers are more balanced than the other schools I referenced, for now.  If you look at Patrick Henry, they have a high number of FARM eligible students and are Title 1, but also a Blue Ribbon School.  So, it's possible to have many FARM students and still be "successful" overall.  But, generally, it becomes more challenging as the numbers increase.  There just aren't the resources, or the number of parents to volunteer their time, and donate money, once you have an overwhelming majority of students who are FARM eligible.  And the parents who are trying to do more to make up the difference wind up getting burned out.  I've seen it happen plenty.  It's just a different reality.  If you volunteer for something, you are going to get called every single time.  There's no jockeying to see who can come in to cut paper for some art craft.  You are it.  And while I'm happy and able to do that right now, that may not always be the case.  So for me, I don't like to complain too much because, all things considered, I think my kid will be fine.  We can afford to give him any "extras" that he may not get at school.  But I think about the other kids, his friends, who won't have that opportunity.  And that makes me sad.  And I think about the entire generation of students in this county who won't even interact with another child who isn't similarly privileged and that makes me sad, too.  Some things just can't be taught, they have to be lived to be learned.    [/quote]

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