Anonymous
Post 10/21/2017 12:50     Subject: Re:Best Elementary School in Alexandria City?

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote: Based on academics alone:

1. Lyles crouch. It's a "traditional academy" model with its own core knowledge curriculum and smaller classes. You will need to rent/buy in the district. Impossible to transfer in. Highest test scores in city. As good or better than several Arlington and fairfax schools.
2. Charles Barret. Lots of happy families and less pressure/structure than LC. Great feedback on principle. Good moderately priced rental and purchase options in zone. Lots of Del ray transfer families. Good test scores.
3 Maury. Small community and school. Has decent scores.
4. George Mason. Nice school and community. Passable scores.
5. MacArthur. Have heard mixed things.

Avoid Jefferson Houston, Cora Kelly, Adams, Tucker, and the rest if you can.

- Parent of three kids in public elementary school in ACPS.


Tucker is an AMAZING school. Don’t listen to this poster.


Year-round calendar sucks, though.
Anonymous
Post 10/21/2017 12:28     Subject: Re:Best Elementary School in Alexandria City?

Anonymous wrote: Based on academics alone:

1. Lyles crouch. It's a "traditional academy" model with its own core knowledge curriculum and smaller classes. You will need to rent/buy in the district. Impossible to transfer in. Highest test scores in city. As good or better than several Arlington and fairfax schools.
2. Charles Barret. Lots of happy families and less pressure/structure than LC. Great feedback on principle. Good moderately priced rental and purchase options in zone. Lots of Del ray transfer families. Good test scores.
3 Maury. Small community and school. Has decent scores.
4. George Mason. Nice school and community. Passable scores.
5. MacArthur. Have heard mixed things.

Avoid Jefferson Houston, Cora Kelly, Adams, Tucker, and the rest if you can.

- Parent of three kids in public elementary school in ACPS.


Tucker is an AMAZING school. Don’t listen to this poster.
Anonymous
Post 10/21/2017 12:00     Subject: Re:Best Elementary School in Alexandria City?

Based on academics alone:

1. Lyles crouch. It's a "traditional academy" model with its own core knowledge curriculum and smaller classes. You will need to rent/buy in the district. Impossible to transfer in. Highest test scores in city. As good or better than several Arlington and fairfax schools.
2. Charles Barret. Lots of happy families and less pressure/structure than LC. Great feedback on principle. Good moderately priced rental and purchase options in zone. Lots of Del ray transfer families. Good test scores.
3 Maury. Small community and school. Has decent scores.
4. George Mason. Nice school and community. Passable scores.
5. MacArthur. Have heard mixed things.

Avoid Jefferson Houston, Cora Kelly, Adams, Tucker, and the rest if you can.

- Parent of three kids in public elementary school in ACPS.
Anonymous
Post 10/21/2017 11:53     Subject: Best Elementary School in Alexandria City?

New poster and I agree with the others: lyles crouch or charles Barrett are your two best options. We have friends at Lyles Crouch, Barrett, Maury, Mount Vernon, MacArthur and George Mason. lyles Crouch and Barrett have the happiest families and best test scores. Maury is also good with nice parent community. Have not heard great things about MacArthur or George Mason and know folks who have moved from both districts into another city or to private or to lyles crouch. Mount Vernon is good if you want Spanish or dual language but it is a huge school with mediocre test scores.

We are a family whose kids are at one of the top two in the city (Lyles Crouch and Charles Barrett) and are very pleased. Most of the Del ray transfers we know are at Barrett and a handful at lyles crouch.
Anonymous
Post 10/20/2017 22:06     Subject: Best Elementary School in Alexandria City?

We are at MVCS. We love the Spanish immersion and there staff and community really go out of their way for the families there. We have lots of friends very happy with Lyles Crouch too. Both of these schools come with neighborhoods that are walkable and friendly which is amazing.
Anonymous
Post 10/20/2017 21:00     Subject: Best Elementary School in Alexandria City?

OP, Charles Barrett, period. No need to look further nor at any other localities.
Anonymous
Post 10/20/2017 18:42     Subject: Best Elementary School in Alexandria City?

I also recommend Charles Barrett and Park Fairfax for rentals would be great for the kids. Lots of pools and a close knit community and you're just over the bridge to Shirlington. When my kids were little we'd walk over the bridge to the library all the time. Plus it is 2 exits down to the Pentagon and CB has a really great community.
Anonymous
Post 10/20/2017 18:40     Subject: Best Elementary School in Alexandria City?

Anonymous wrote:There is part of Old Town that is zoned to Maury. You just need to be careful about the exact address. You can see the boundary maps on the acps website. My kids are there and we're happy there. It's a small school and has a very neighborhood feel.

Lyles Crouch has the best test scores.

Charles Barrett is comparable as well.
Anonymous
Post 10/20/2017 15:31     Subject: Best Elementary School in Alexandria City?

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:As a single mom tired of being single, let me ask the real questions! Which school has the cutest dads?


Not many single dads in Old Town/Del Ray.



At the risk of being attacked here, I don't really care if theyre married or not. I'm not looking for a husband if you know what I mean.


Start a new thread, then. OP is married.
Anonymous
Post 10/20/2017 15:28     Subject: Best Elementary School in Alexandria City?

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:As a single mom tired of being single, let me ask the real questions! Which school has the cutest dads?


Not many single dads in Old Town/Del Ray.



At the risk of being attacked here, I don't really care if theyre married or not. I'm not looking for a husband if you know what I mean.
Anonymous
Post 10/20/2017 14:50     Subject: Re:Best Elementary School in Alexandria City?

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Why Alexandria and not South Arlington? And I say this as someone who lives in Old Town and has a kindergartner. We'll be moving in a year or so.


OP here. North Arlington is too expensive and South Arlington seemed like a stop on 395. We want walkability and metro (one car family). We prefer Del Ray or Old Town but great schools has abysmal infor on Jefferson Houston. My college roommate's sister has kids at Maury and suggest we attempt a transfer but she says they might have stopped that.


You really should consider Charles Barrett. You can find affordable rents in that school zone and Shirlington is walkable from housing there. As mentioned upthread, this would be your best commute option of the areas you're considering, as buses run regularly to the Pentagon from Parkfairfax/Beverly Hills. That said, if your heart is set on Del Ray or Old Town, you can't go wrong with Maury/MVCS/Lyles-Crouch. I've heard mixed things about George Mason, and I don't know anyone with any personal experience with Jefferson Houston. Good luck, OP! Alexandria is a great place to live!
Anonymous
Post 10/20/2017 14:37     Subject: Best Elementary School in Alexandria City?

Anonymous wrote:As a single mom tired of being single, let me ask the real questions! Which school has the cutest dads?


Not many single dads in Old Town/Del Ray.

Anonymous
Post 10/20/2017 13:57     Subject: Best Elementary School in Alexandria City?

As a single mom tired of being single, let me ask the real questions! Which school has the cutest dads?
Anonymous
Post 10/20/2017 13:33     Subject: Best Elementary School in Alexandria City?

We loved Charles Barrett.
Anonymous
Post 10/20/2017 13:30     Subject: Best Elementary School in Alexandria City?

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Lyles-Crouch hands down.


What other elementary(s) in Alexandria do you have experience with to make such a statement?


np but my kids went to MacArthur and I know Maury, Mason, Barrett and Tucker as well. I agree Lyles-Crouch is probably the best in terms of outcomes.



I assume by outcomes you mean test scores. Depending upon the demographic group, you can really be splitting hairs between the schools (i.e., for whites, the difference between 98% v. 96% result on a particular subject matter).