We currently have a child in elementary school in Alexandria who will be starting at GW in the Fall. We were extremely nervous about GW and strongly considered moving and/or private school (we could have done either - we are not stuck - but obviously preferred not to move given the choice). Admittedly, our child has not yet started at GW but we have gone on a number of tours, met with teachers and administrators, talked to students and parents and have been, almost without exception, very impressed. Before you move, go and visit the school - there are tours every month. Form your own impression and see what your child thinks too. My child was offered admission at a prestigious school downtown but liked GW for several reason but to name a few: she could take tougher math classes early on (algebra and geometry) and get high school credit; she could be a part of an amazing band program and she could start crew in middle school.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This vitriol against acps is just racism. Not clear to me why these racists are so intent on trying to make everyone feel the same way they do with talk of the "better schools" being in ffx county. Schools here are just fine and they serve a very diverse community. If you want to drive thousands of miles every day, have strip-mall restaurants, and ensure your kids only interact with people who are similar ethnically and socio-economically, that's fine. But no need to be so impassioned about it like we're all going to get cooties by staying here.

No, it's not racism, unless you consider the ACPS boosters who always use race and poverty as an excuse for under performance.

The reality is it's a dysfunctional system with a dysfunctional administration and a really bad superintendent. And it has the numbers to prove it.

acutally poverty is a proven problem that is extremely difficult, if not impossible, to overcome.

Go away, Arlington dad. Deal with your own school's issues instead of bashing the system you left years ago.

Anonymous wrote:This vitriol against acps is just racism. Not clear to me why these racists are so intent on trying to make everyone feel the same way they do with talk of the "better schools" being in ffx county. Schools here are just fine and they serve a very diverse community. If you want to drive thousands of miles every day, have strip-mall restaurants, and ensure your kids only interact with people who are similar ethnically and socio-economically, that's fine. But no need to be so impassioned about it like we're all going to get cooties by staying here.

No, it's not racism, unless you consider the ACPS boosters who always use race and poverty as an excuse for under performance.

The reality is it's a dysfunctional system with a dysfunctional administration and a really bad superintendent. And it has the numbers to prove it.

This vitriol against acps is just racism. Not clear to me why these racists are so intent on trying to make everyone feel the same way they do with talk of the "better schools" being in ffx county. Schools here are just fine and they serve a very diverse community. If you want to drive thousands of miles every day, have strip-mall restaurants, and ensure your kids only interact with people who are similar ethnically and socio-economically, that's fine. But no need to be so impassioned about it like we're all going to get cooties by staying here.

Anonymous wrote:GW teacher here,

If I taught in Fairfax, I wouldn't have the same rate of pay - very true. On the other hand, I wouldn't need after school care for my children,nor would I have to make a long commute every morning and afternoon. In essence, I would have more time and money if I taught in Fairfax. Thanks for making that clear for me pp. I am so sorry you have such a cynical view of others' motives and I am glad that I don't have to deal with you as a parent. I hope you don't poison your children with all your bitterness.

"In essence, I would have more time and money if I taught in Fairfax." WTH? Who realizes that and then voluntarily picks the opposite? I sure as hell don't want you teaching my kid and I feel sorry for the kids you do teach. You have no common sense and can't even get the basics right in your own life.

Anonymous wrote:GW teacher here,

If I taught in Fairfax, I wouldn't have the same rate of pay - very true. On the other hand, I wouldn't need after school care for my children,nor would I have to make a long commute every morning and afternoon. In essence, I would have more time and money if I taught in Fairfax. Thanks for making that clear for me pp. I am so sorry you have such a cynical view of others' motives and I am glad that I don't have to deal with you as a parent. I hope you don't poison your children with all your bitterness.

GW teacher, I'm not the PP. Please take what you see on these boards with a grain of salt. I am a GW parent. Nearly all of the GW parents we know (and that's quite a number) think highly of our faculty, do not object to appropriate spending on our schools, believe that our faculty (and others on staff) merit proper compensation, do not have the theatrical views of GW nor ACPS that you will sometimes read here, and appreciate the work that you and your colleagues do. The complaints that I read on this board are complaints that I only read on this board. Nearly no actual GW parent that we know shares them.

GW teacher here,

If I taught in Fairfax, I wouldn't have the same rate of pay - very true. On the other hand, I wouldn't need after school care for my children,nor would I have to make a long commute every morning and afternoon. In essence, I would have more time and money if I taught in Fairfax. Thanks for making that clear for me pp. I am so sorry you have such a cynical view of others' motives and I am glad that I don't have to deal with you as a parent. I hope you don't poison your children with all your bitterness.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:10:50 here.

actually that document on p. 9 says exactly what I said about how people got stuck.

don't confuse the rise in ACPS enrollment with enthusiasm for the school system.

You are correct that it indicates all of the reasons why it would be difficult for people to move. I don't think anyone is disputing that accurate enrollment projections need to keep factors like the economy in mind.
However...
As I tried to mention in my earlier post, it's worthwhile to keep in mind that even BEFORE 2007, when the presumably it would have been very easy for people to move it they wanted, the cohort survival rate was STILL 93.2% for elementary school, and 93.5 for middle. Those kinds of number indicate that there were not droves of people fleeing. Even if every single one of those people left for the reasons you suppose (ignoring there might be other reasons why someone might leave) that still is only 7%.

Actually, that's a pretty high abandonment rate.

Pre-2007, Del Ray was gentrifying and lots of couple, families with infants and toddlers were living there so not a large mass of school age kids except for the public housing and the concentration of large high rises in the West End that offered lower cost housing for families which began to attract a large number of immigrant families. These families were a captive audience for the public schools and still are. Add in the fact other parts of the City historically just didn't have a lot of people or kids (currently the City's population is 144K compared with Ffx Cty at 1.1M).

I am honestly baffled how and why people like you choose to debate the fact that poverty, public housing and a quick and large influx of immigrant/ESL children contributes to the poor performance in City schools can't get ahead and the negative effects it has on the students in the schools. Even the "better" elementary schools have a least a 30% FARMS rate which is very high compared to neighoring school districts. Worse, it seems like some of the supporters like think "poverty" is something neat and cool and makes you feel very urban in a suburban area.

Also, to the GW teacher, the City has a higher rate of pay that some other surrounding jursidictions leading me not to believe that the teachers are all that altruistic.

Thank you. This country is increasingly inudated with people only concerned about themselves, and not in trying to join in the effort to build their communities. I see with my own eyes an increased effort to do so here in Alexandria. And I am glad to participate in that effort.

Hello. I am a GW teacher. I will not tell you that everything is perfect out our school. What I will tell you, is that everything is not perfect at ANY school. I have worked at other schools/districts, I have friends at Robinson and Lake Braddock and other out-of-state public and private schools.

I work hard to challenge all my students. ALL of my students from my regular classes to my honors students. I give them work that I feel is worthwhile and will build their skills to be successful students now, and in their future years in high school and college. I believe that most teachers at GW are also like this.
Did you know, that we have high caliber teachers at our school who have chosen to work there? I say chosen, because they could leave at any moment and easily find jobs elsewhere - that is how good they are. They are respected educators who left private schools and chose to work for public because we believe in the idea of a free public education. There are award winners - yes, NATIONAL award winners, most recently Mary Breslin, one of 11 teachers in the NATION to win a Presidential Award in science education. Our students science projects did well in the regional competitions. Our students National History Day projects did amazing at regionals and state (and one is competing at Nationals in June). There are kids right now making documentaries for their 7th grade Language Arts class, and reading Julius Caesar in their 8th grade Language Arts class. There are no students - none - taking 8th grade math. All 8th graders are either in Algebra or Geometry.

What are you afraid of? Is GW dangerous? No. Do kids fight? Every now and again there is a fight, but it is rare and no more than other schools. Did central office tell me to write this? no. I could care less what they think. Are there problems at GW? Of course there are, but if the only thing holding you back is your preconceived notion of our school being dangerous or that your kids won't learn, then that is a shame. I will be honest. I don't care if you take your kids to Fairfax or private school. I will continue teaching the ones that do choose us. What I don't appreciate is the maligning of our school so that you can feel better about your choice.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, you'll notice that the ACPS boosters are trying too hard, as usual. There is a very small handful, but they're very loud. You can recognize their signature by their emphasis on the exceptions who get accepted to ivy league schools, etc.

The sober reality is MOST people choose to leave ACPS before middle school.

Some decide to go and are pleasantly surprised on one extreme, find it tolerable, or, far more likely, have a difficult experience.

The ones who tell you it's gobsmackingly wonderful and everyone had a GREAT experience and Harvard, Yale and Princeton and yadda yadda ying yang are either overcompensating or rationalizing, and possibly both. Oftentimes, they don't know any better since they haven't actually experienced a quality system.

OP, you'll notice the the ACPS bashers are trying too hard, as usual. There is a very small handful, but they're very loud. You can recognize their signature by the emphasis on scoffing at those who get accepted to Ivy League schools, etc.

I think you say pretty much the same thing any time ACPS is brought up. You seem pretty hell-bent on getting people to leave Alexandria City, but as far as I'm concerned you are just a jerk. Some people believe in supporting the City's schools and helping to improve them. That's being involved in a community. If you flee, fine, but why do you constantly post this stuff like you are happy about it.

Also, I'm starting to think I know who you are from things you've said in person....

Fine. What are my initials?

And if you guess, you'd better provide yours.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'll talk to you right now. DD is a senior at TC. She has had a wonderful time, with amazing experiences in the community. She was accepted at Harvard, Yale, and Princeton, among other Ivy League schools. She is your average, unhooked kid, aside from taking advantage of some great opportunities presented to her in the Alexandria area. She's taken a large number of AP courses, and scored fives on all of them. I'd say her experience was anything but "bad." And she's got friends who also had a great time who've been accepted at Stanford, Penn, Columbia, Virginia (Echols scholars), MIT, Princeton, William and Mary, Georgetown, Smith, Oberlin, Chicago, and many more great schools. And the best thing about their experience is that they've really loved high school, almost without exception.

Who lumps William & Mary in with the Ivy League schools anyway? It's an average tiny state school. Yeah, it has history but that doesn't make it good. It just goes to show you how false this entire post is.

I don't know if you're trying to be facetious with your post, but it's not working. William and Mary is a highly selective, elite public university. It was named one of 8 "public ivies" in Richard Moll's seminal 1985 book, "A Guide to America's Best Public Undergraduate Colleges and Universities." And oftentimes, students turn down the very expensive Ivies to attend William and Mary, which is an excellent and affordable alternative for many students.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, you'll notice that the ACPS boosters are trying too hard, as usual. There is a very small handful, but they're very loud. You can recognize their signature by their emphasis on the exceptions who get accepted to ivy league schools, etc.

The sober reality is MOST people choose to leave ACPS before middle school.

Some decide to go and are pleasantly surprised on one extreme, find it tolerable, or, far more likely, have a difficult experience.

The ones who tell you it's gobsmackingly wonderful and everyone had a GREAT experience and Harvard, Yale and Princeton and yadda yadda ying yang are either overcompensating or rationalizing, and possibly both. Oftentimes, they don't know any better since they haven't actually experienced a quality system.

OP, you'll notice the the ACPS bashers are trying too hard, as usual. There is a very small handful, but they're very loud. You can recognize their signature by the emphasis on scoffing at those who get accepted to Ivy League schools, etc.

I think you say pretty much the same thing any time ACPS is brought up. You seem pretty hell-bent on getting people to leave Alexandria City, but as far as I'm concerned you are just a jerk. Some people believe in supporting the City's schools and helping to improve them. That's being involved in a community. If you flee, fine, but why do you constantly post this stuff like you are happy about it.

Also, I'm starting to think I know who you are from things you've said in person....

Fine. What are my initials?