Anonymous
Post 05/30/2017 17:34     Subject: Tuckahoe or Henry elementary school
Please, please don't drag Tuckahoe into this N/S drama. Its parents are largely not part of this endless infighting between and among schools and we'd like to keep it that way. It's a great school with terrific instruction and a wonderful educational environment. Its teachers are committed and compassionate. I've heard Henry is a great school too, but my kids haven't been there. They have been in other Arlington schools though so I do have a point of reference when I say that Tuckahoe is a great place. Not as diverse as most would like. But great. Are there some over privileged families there? Yes. But the principal and the teachers and overall the kids are lovely.
Anonymous
Post 05/30/2017 08:21     Subject: Tuckahoe or Henry elementary school
Anonymous wrote:Tuckahoe district is VERY safe nd the school is very good. The school is overcrowded, but SO much less overcrowded than it used to be. You can really feel the difference between 130 or 140% overcrowded to whatever it is now (115%???). It is a nice and friendly community. Great parks nearby. Very white, but people are not racist here. There are some stay-at-home moms here or energetic working moms that work hard to make the PTA and school great. Most Tuckahoe folks go to Swanson Middle and it is excellent!! If not, you will attend Williamsburg with the rich folks. Then W-L or Yorktown for High - both great.

I have heard great things about Henry. It will undergo some sort of transformation. I believe people are thinking about making it Montessori choice elementary school. But I don't know that the final decision has been made, exactly. It will be redeveloped tho. The area around Henry is not as safe as Tuckahoe, but it certainly is not Anacostia. I don't know about how tight-knit the community is, someone else can speak to that. It is more diverse than Tuckahoe, if that matters. If TJ is your middle school, it is very good and has an IB program. Wakefield would be your high school, I would think.

Having lived in a small house verses a much larger house with closets - the larger house is easier to live in, especially if you don't subscribe to the Konmarie method of tidying up. Factor in commute time to your equation.


They just pay more to live in smaller houses so their kids can go to schools that have a higher proportion of white kids. And feel "safer," although there aren't really any statistics that would support that. But not racist.
Anonymous
Post 05/29/2017 20:58     Subject: Tuckahoe or Henry elementary school
Tuckahoe differentiates in reading and math from the beginning. As in all schools, some teachers are better than others. My DD has had wonderful teachers at tuckahoe. Some were better instructors than others, all were good. Most importantly, all were committed, caring, hardworking and got my kid. It's a very nice environment. Good luck whatever you decide - you can't go wrong!
Anonymous
Post 05/29/2017 20:22     Subject: Tuckahoe or Henry elementary school
My N Arl school has had breakout reading groups for years. Hmmm
Anonymous
Post 05/29/2017 20:00     Subject: Re:Tuckahoe or Henry elementary school
Anonymous wrote:While I wasn't employed at either school, for a period of time I worked in a role that allowed me to visit various schools within the county and work with and collaborate from teachers from both schools (and other schools as well). While not spending extended periods in either school, one with an educational background could easily get a glimpse of a school's happenings and teacher practices because you know what to look for (for example whole group reading instruction with every child reading the same book vs. small group differentiated instruction). I can't necessarily fault the teachers from the North Arlington schools because they do what has always worked because the kids generally do fine anyway and many times they aren't coached to change because everything appears fine on paper.


PP do you mind sharing your thoughts on Randolph given the above?
Anonymous
Post 05/28/2017 13:54     Subject: Re:Tuckahoe or Henry elementary school
While I wasn't employed at either school, for a period of time I worked in a role that allowed me to visit various schools within the county and work with and collaborate from teachers from both schools (and other schools as well). While not spending extended periods in either school, one with an educational background could easily get a glimpse of a school's happenings and teacher practices because you know what to look for (for example whole group reading instruction with every child reading the same book vs. small group differentiated instruction). I can't necessarily fault the teachers from the North Arlington schools because they do what has always worked because the kids generally do fine anyway and many times they aren't coached to change because everything appears fine on paper.
Anonymous
Post 05/28/2017 12:55     Subject: Re:Tuckahoe or Henry elementary school
Anonymous wrote:Henry is a better school with better teachers-- 100%, without a doubt. People perceive Tuckahoe to be a "great" school based solely on the lack of ELL and FARMs families, which creates higher test scores (aka. most students would score well on the tests no matter what the school was like, probably passing their state tests at the start of the year). Teachers in South Arlington, in general, are stronger educators and implement best practices and differentiation strategies much more regularly than the typical North Arlington teacher. Why? Because North Arlington teachers are left alone because the state doesn't bother APS about them, so APS doesn't bother the school or question teacher practices. If having an upper middle class peer group is more important than actual teaching, choose Tuckahoe, or the like. If you want your child exposed to a better educational environment and regularly exposed to research-based best practices in modern education, pick Henry.

FYI: I am a former Arlington educator, working for 14 years throughout various APS elementary schools in different instructional and coaching roles (recently relocated overseas).


Have you worked at both schools? Just seems like a bit of a generalized statement if you don't have specific knowledge of both schools.
Anonymous
Post 05/28/2017 11:01     Subject: Re:Tuckahoe or Henry elementary school
Henry is a better school with better teachers-- 100%, without a doubt. People perceive Tuckahoe to be a "great" school based solely on the lack of ELL and FARMs families, which creates higher test scores (aka. most students would score well on the tests no matter what the school was like, probably passing their state tests at the start of the year). Teachers in South Arlington, in general, are stronger educators and implement best practices and differentiation strategies much more regularly than the typical North Arlington teacher. Why? Because North Arlington teachers are left alone because the state doesn't bother APS about them, so APS doesn't bother the school or question teacher practices. If having an upper middle class peer group is more important than actual teaching, choose Tuckahoe, or the like. If you want your child exposed to a better educational environment and regularly exposed to research-based best practices in modern education, pick Henry.

FYI: I am a former Arlington educator, working for 14 years throughout various APS elementary schools in different instructional and coaching roles (recently relocated overseas).
Anonymous
Post 05/27/2017 14:41     Subject: Tuckahoe or Henry elementary school
Anonymous wrote:Is there a planning unit that is...

Henry, TJ, W-L?

I think that would be the best possible pyramid, but i think all of Henry goes to Wakefield.
Of course with all of the overcrowding, maybe Wakefield is best.


There was! .... until this last December! The Henry, TJ, WL pyramid, was a part of the northeastern Penrose neighborhood, or just northeast/east of there, but those planning units got reassigned to Wakefield during the "temporary fix" we just went through.
Clearly, the parents there are not into crowding SB meetings in matching T-Shirts... even though they really are walking distance to WL...

I think for Arlington Heights, Penrose, and some others, it's all up in the air for High School, if you have kids, that will be going well after 2022.
I'm not sure, what will happen at that time with all the new options on the table, and redrawing of boundaries ahead!
Anonymous
Post 05/26/2017 16:37     Subject: Tuckahoe or Henry elementary school
I'd still go Henry based upon my experience with Williamsburg parents
Anonymous
Post 05/26/2017 16:34     Subject: Tuckahoe or Henry elementary school
Anonymous wrote:Plus, there's always transferring to W-L for the IB program


Except that isn't guaranteed and becoming increasingly difficult.
Anonymous
Post 05/26/2017 12:44     Subject: Tuckahoe or Henry elementary school
Plus, there's always transferring to W-L for the IB program
Anonymous
Post 05/26/2017 10:56     Subject: Tuckahoe or Henry elementary school
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Is there a planning unit that is...

Henry, TJ, W-L?

I think that would be the best possible pyramid, but i think all of Henry goes to Wakefield.
Of course with all of the overcrowding, maybe Wakefield is best.


If they end up turning W-L into a megaschool then probably Henry will get pulled into it, although if that happens, I'd prefer Wakefield.

FWIW, we're at TJ and know plenty of families with kids at Wakefield who are very happy there.



That's what I hear. I think there's a lot of fear for no reason.
Anonymous
Post 05/26/2017 10:20     Subject: Tuckahoe or Henry elementary school
Anonymous wrote:Is there a planning unit that is...

Henry, TJ, W-L?

I think that would be the best possible pyramid, but i think all of Henry goes to Wakefield.
Of course with all of the overcrowding, maybe Wakefield is best.


If they end up turning W-L into a megaschool then probably Henry will get pulled into it, although if that happens, I'd prefer Wakefield.

FWIW, we're at TJ and know plenty of families with kids at Wakefield who are very happy there.
Anonymous
Post 05/26/2017 10:18     Subject: Tuckahoe or Henry elementary school
Is there a planning unit that is...

Henry, TJ, W-L?

I think that would be the best possible pyramid, but i think all of Henry goes to Wakefield.
Of course with all of the overcrowding, maybe Wakefield is best.