Anonymous wrote:20:25 here again.... know what is funny OP. I just looked up my kids' school. It is in FCPS and typically rates a 7 or 8 on Great schools. It is pretty low FARMS (about 11%) and very mixed school.... roughly 50% white, 18% black, 10 % hispanic and 15% asian. The irony is that for white and non-poor kids, the passing rates aren't quite as good as they are for the same groups at Abingdon! They are close, but not quite as high. No one puts my kids' school down as though it isn't good enough.

It looks to me like the teaching at Abingdon is just as good if not better than other schools -- it just doesn't show in the ratings b/c there are so many more kids with challenges. For kids who are ready and able to absorb what is being taught, Abingdon looks surprisingly good! Ratings are surprisingly deceptive.

Thank you for pointing this out!

20:25 here again.... know what is funny OP. I just looked up my kids' school. It is in FCPS and typically rates a 7 or 8 on Great schools. It is pretty low FARMS (about 11%) and very mixed school.... roughly 50% white, 18% black, 10 % hispanic and 15% asian. The irony is that for white and non-poor kids, the passing rates aren't quite as good as they are for the same groups at Abingdon! They are close, but not quite as high. No one puts my kids' school down as though it isn't good enough.

It looks to me like the teaching at Abingdon is just as good if not better than other schools -- it just doesn't show in the ratings b/c there are so many more kids with challenges. For kids who are ready and able to absorb what is being taught, Abingdon looks surprisingly good! Ratings are surprisingly deceptive.

I have been able to tour public schools in the past when we were moving to a new place. I usually did this in the spring. I think the Fall might be a bad time of the year for such a tour because kids are still getting settled into their classrooms, especially the kids in the youngest grades. Late-winter and spring probably make more sense and are less disruptive to the school day than the Fall.

Well, although it is a "3", 90% of white kids and 80% of not-poor kids pass their SOL tests. So, yes, it's a "3" on great schools, but that's obviously influenced by the English language learners (whose scores are more like 50% passing the SOLs as a group).

OP -- start going to some events at the school. start talking to anyone you can find who sends kids there. Talk to the principal and teachers when you can. Make your own decision.

Anonymous wrote:You could try to attend an upcoming event - concert, book fair, etc.

+1 I believe most Arlington elementary schools have spring fairs that community members can attend. Although these would be after the deadline to apply to choice schools.

You could try to attend an upcoming event - concert, book fair, etc.

Anonymous wrote:Lay off the OP- Abingdon is a low rated south Arlington elementary school and it's not easy to get straight info about those schools.
I would be concerned that choice schools aren't an option.

The OP isn't going to get straight info by going on a tour of the school given by the principal.

Lay off the OP- Abingdon is a low rated south Arlington elementary school and it's not easy to get straight info about those schools.
I would be concerned that choice schools aren't an option.

Sounds like going the private route may the best choice for you.

I've never heard of parents being able to tour public schools and sit in on classrooms. They don't have to sell themselves to you and I don't want strangers observing my child. Privacty issues.

Anonymous wrote:There is a countywide kgn information night every January and then schools have scheduled tours in Feb, Mar, and April. Same process for all schools

This. The PP is right, if it's public schools you're discussing.

It's normal for public schools not to give individual tours to parents who are school-shopping. Classrooms just aren't set up for visitors to come in and "observe." There's no two-way mirror so you can watch the teacher and class but they can't see you -- you would have to enter the classroom and that is very distracting to the kids; however, do go to the information night at this and any other public schools you're considering, and be sure you get onto any scheduled tours they offer, but you won't get an individual tour. You should go after that information, tour dates, info night dates, etc. -- they won't push it out to you, at least not from any school that is not the school to which your child is assigned based on where you live right now.

A better use of your time would be to start talking with other parents in your area about their kids' schools. If your child has friends with older siblings, ask about those kids' schools. Just take what is said with a grain of salt, since every kid's and every family's experiences can vary. That's why it helps to get to know as many parents in your area with school-age kids as you can, so you can get a variety of input.

OP, you're way early. Go to the January kindergarten information night. After that, you'll get a schedule of when you can tour both your home school and any choice schools you might be interested in. There is a whole system in place to help everyone tour schools, they're not going to make a special exception for you just because you're curious.

There is a countywide kgn information night every January and then schools have scheduled tours in Feb, Mar, and April. Same process for all schools

It is a public school, right? Why would they spend their time and efforts taking parents on tours?

We are beginning to think about our school options for Kindergarten next year. I gave Abingdon a call to see how/when they allow parents to see the school and observe the classrooms. I was practically laughed at. They said there is a "parent information night" in February and that's it. How can I make an educated choice if I haven't even seen a classroom in action?