Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Don't let people fool you. Ashlawn is terrible. Run away fast. My daughter didn't have a teacher all of last year and then earlier this academic year her teacher quit. We've been on the waitlist for ATS and Campbell and are also looking for a house that is zoned for a better school.

I think you are mistaken. None of this is true. There was no class without a teacher last year and there has not been any classroom teacher who quit. Are you thinking of another elementary school?

And you know this how??

I'm a very frequent substitute teacher at Ashlawn.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Don't let people fool you. Ashlawn is terrible. Run away fast. My daughter didn't have a teacher all of last year and then earlier this academic year her teacher quit. We've been on the waitlist for ATS and Campbell and are also looking for a house that is zoned for a better school.

I think you are mistaken. None of this is true. There was no class without a teacher last year and there has not been any classroom teacher who quit. Are you thinking of another elementary school?

And you know this how??

DP- Because many of us are active in the school community! Ashlawn is a tight knit community- a positive for the school.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Don't let people fool you. Ashlawn is terrible. Run away fast. My daughter didn't have a teacher all of last year and then earlier this academic year her teacher quit. We've been on the waitlist for ATS and Campbell and are also looking for a house that is zoned for a better school.

I think you are mistaken. None of this is true. There was no class without a teacher last year and there has not been any classroom teacher who quit. Are you thinking of another elementary school?

And you know this how??

Anonymous wrote:Don't let people fool you. Ashlawn is terrible. Run away fast. My daughter didn't have a teacher all of last year and then earlier this academic year her teacher quit. We've been on the waitlist for ATS and Campbell and are also looking for a house that is zoned for a better school.

I think you are mistaken. None of this is true. There was no class without a teacher last year and there has not been any classroom teacher who quit. Are you thinking of another elementary school?

Don't let people fool you. Ashlawn is terrible. Run away fast. My daughter didn't have a teacher all of last year and then earlier this academic year her teacher quit. We've been on the waitlist for ATS and Campbell and are also looking for a house that is zoned for a better school.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We use to love Ashlawn. However, there is a new principal this year who is awful. Ashlawn has really tanked.

We’ve had multiple kids and ashlawn, and were with both of the principals before the current one. When the first one left everyone said
the school was going downhill. It didn’t. Now years later, that’s happening again, it’s not. It’s a transition year. And for what it’s worth, I’m hearing the teachers are doing well with the change, it’s not like when the previous principal left and took many teachers with her.

Well what is different is the previous principal left to be principal at another school (and it was not a voluntary change for her). The principal who just left didn’t leave to be principal anywhere else so there was no where to follow her to. If she had there would have been a mass exodus going with her- that’s how much the staff loved her.

Let’s see what happens at the end of this year before we say it’s been a fine transition.

Anonymous wrote:We use to love Ashlawn. However, there is a new principal this year who is awful. Ashlawn has really tanked.

We’ve had multiple kids and ashlawn, and were with both of the principals before the current one. When the first one left everyone said
the school was going downhill. It didn’t. Now years later, that’s happening again, it’s not. It’s a transition year. And for what it’s worth, I’m hearing the teachers are doing well with the change, it’s not like when the previous principal left and took many teachers with her.

We're a current Ashlawn family and the teachers at Ashlawn are really really really impressive. They are incredibly dedicated and hard working. We've had five teachers between my two kids and all of them are top-notch. I haven't had any negative interactions with the new principal...the old principal was incredibly beloved. We also love the Extended Day staff and services, and we think that Ashlawn also has a good parent community.

Anonymous wrote:Mostly an option school gives those who don’t like their neighborhood school another choice. I wouldn’t say it’s hugely popular with the Ashlawn population.

Sort of. There are many people who apply to option schools because they are trying to avoid their neighborhood school, but there are also many people who apply because they actively want something the option school is offering. We were zoned for Ashlawn and go to Campbell. I wanted the outdoor learning, expeditionary learning, emphasis on social-emotional learning, and greater diversity that Campbell offers. I’ve heard wonderful things about Ashlawn too though.

Go to the Campbell website and see what it’s about, but PPs are right that if you’re moving now, your child will go to Ashlawn.

We use to love Ashlawn. However, there is a new principal this year who is awful. Ashlawn has really tanked.

Our kids went to Ashlawn and we loved it- no complaints at all. We would have never thought to have gone to Campbell, but we did apply for ATS.

Mostly an option school gives those who don’t like their neighborhood school another choice. I wouldn’t say it’s hugely popular with the Ashlawn population.

Anonymous wrote:Campbell is an option school that you must apply to for a lottery spot. The data for the lottery is here:
https://www.apsva.us/school-options/school-transfer-data-2/pre-k-elementary-options-transfers-application-data-school-year-2022-23/

The likelihood is you won’t get a spot so make sure you are happy with Ashlawn as your neighborhood option. Ashlawn is a well-loved neighborhood school with many school traditions and a schools wide priject called the Global Citizens Project that is a strong part of the school culture.


Apply to the option program and then if you get a spot, you’ll have a decision to make. If not you’ll likely be happy at Ashlawn.

Curious what makes the option school preferential? We don’t have those where we live and the GS for both is the same. I do see Campbell is smaller tho.

Campbell is an option school that you must apply to for a lottery spot. The data for the lottery is here:
https://www.apsva.us/school-options/school-transfer-data-2/pre-k-elementary-options-transfers-application-data-school-year-2022-23/

The likelihood is you won’t get a spot so make sure you are happy with Ashlawn as your neighborhood option. Ashlawn is a well-loved neighborhood school with many school traditions and a schools wide priject called the Global Citizens Project that is a strong part of the school culture.


Apply to the option program and then if you get a spot, you’ll have a decision to make. If not you’ll likely be happy at Ashlawn.

We are moving to the area and zoned for Ashlawn but it says Campbell is choice...thoughts on both? Pros/ cons of both? They are equidistant from the house...

Thank you!