12:09 PP - I'm with you. We're in Nottingham/ Williamsburg/Yorktown and I just don't get the vitriol for any school that isn't Yorktown. I've posted a couple of times about my surprise at reading the college admissions details for the various Arlington schools, and how Yorktown grads seemed to fare poorly vs. Wakefield, W-L and Woodlawn.

Believe me, most of the folks I know want good schools for their kids, but don't gain anything from tearing down other schools. (sure, it's good for property values, but the dirty secret is that rising property values aren't entirely beneficial unless you're selling. For those not selling, it just means our taxes are going up.)

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

You just end up with different expectations to "manage." It could be a rude awakening to attend a school like Wakefield and then go on to a school where other students were used to being challenged more.

Anyone else read that, drop her head into her hands, and take the Lord's name in vain?

(And yes, I usually hate "Am I the only one?" questions, but sheesh. You really think Johns Hopkins and Princeton don't know what they're getting with Wakefield graduates?)

Not many Wakefield grads at those school and they are the ones who find out it's a very different playing field.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

You just end up with different expectations to "manage." It could be a rude awakening to attend a school like Wakefield and then go on to a school where other students were used to being challenged more.

Anyone else read that, drop her head into her hands, and take the Lord's name in vain?

(And yes, I usually hate "Am I the only one?" questions, but sheesh. You really think Johns Hopkins and Princeton don't know what they're getting with Wakefield graduates?)

+1

Anonymous wrote:

You just end up with different expectations to "manage." It could be a rude awakening to attend a school like Wakefield and then go on to a school where other students were used to being challenged more.

Anyone else read that, drop her head into her hands, and take the Lord's name in vain?

(And yes, I usually hate "Am I the only one?" questions, but sheesh. You really think Johns Hopkins and Princeton don't know what they're getting with Wakefield graduates?)

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:but aren't those who think their kids will do fine at wakefield also live in a bubble - a bubble that segregates the low performing kids from their special snowflakes? yes, some kids do fine there and a couple even go on to ivies, but the school as a whole perform very poorly which is undeniable and has not improved for decades. it is a problem, don't deny or sugarcoat it.

My kids are at a south Arlington school and while they may be segregated in classes, everything else at the school is a mix--sports, clubs, after-school activities…attractive members of the opposite sex . At the very least, the level of affluence they see around them and consider "normal" is very different than it would be at a less-diverse or wealthier school, which helps us manage their expectations about what they are entitled to.

You just end up with different expectations to "manage." It could be a rude awakening to attend a school like Wakefield and then go on to a school where other students were used to being challenged more.

Anonymous wrote:but aren't those who think their kids will do fine at wakefield also live in a bubble - a bubble that segregates the low performing kids from their special snowflakes? yes, some kids do fine there and a couple even go on to ivies, but the school as a whole perform very poorly which is undeniable and has not improved for decades. it is a problem, don't deny or sugarcoat it.

My kids are at a south Arlington school and while they may be segregated in classes, everything else at the school is a mix--sports, clubs, after-school activities…attractive members of the opposite sex . At the very least, the level of affluence they see around them and consider "normal" is very different than it would be at a less-diverse or wealthier school, which helps us manage their expectations about what they are entitled to.

So refreshing to hear n Arlington parents acknowledge the obvious. Thank you.

I've been wondering, too, why people go out of their way to tear down Wakefield. So, you think it's an inferior school - your options are, then, 1) get upset that such inequality exists in your community and work to change it; or 2) quietly breathe a sigh of relief that you can afford to live in North Arlington and go about your business. Why, then, do so many people choose 3) spew hateful comments on an anonymous forum?

Agreed. I live in N Arlington/Yorktown district and hate the way we are represented by the few crazies that consistently post. Obviously, we don't all feel the same way. I'm content with the school district we chose a long time ago now (1998!) since we could never afford to live here if we were buying today. Having said that, I make an effort to take DD to enrichment classes on Columbia Pike--it's the only class she attends that includes some diversity.

but aren't those who think their kids will do fine at wakefield also live in a bubble - a bubble that segregates the low performing kids from their special snowflakes? yes, some kids do fine there and a couple even go on to ivies, but the school as a whole perform very poorly which is undeniable and has not improved for decades. it is a problem, don't deny or sugarcoat it.

Anonymous wrote:For such a liberal county there are lots of racist attitudes. And I suspect a lot of people with too much time on their hands.

The racism that I've seen on this board makes me glad that, although we live in the N. Arlington bubble, we chose to send our DC to one of the - horrors - diverse county immersion programs.

Kids who are academically-inclined and driven to succeed get a great education in Wakefield's AP Network program and get accepted into great colleges. Take a look at where last year's graduates matriculated - http://apsva.us/cms/lib2/VA01000586/Centricity/Domain/2104/Newsletter%204th%20qrt%20-%202012%202013.pdf

Anonymous wrote:Because some folks live in a bubble and associate different skin tone to inferiority and problems. That bubble is N. Arlington. Given our proximity to the global power center and the level of education in this County, it is truly amazing how insular and ignorant people are. And you know who you are.

Funny thing is not only do people criticize supposedly "inferior schools" but they also criticize schools like TJ as well for all kinds of reasons. It's as if only few schools like Langley, McLean, Madison or Oakton are considered acceptable and everything else is just not acceptable. Try to be more open minded people. All the schools can't be similar.

It is also truly amazing how quickly some people will judge and condemn others for being racist and intolerant if they simply criticize a more diverse school, regardless of the reason.

Because some folks live in a bubble and associate different skin tone to inferiority and problems. That bubble is N. Arlington. Given our proximity to the global power center and the level of education in this County, it is truly amazing how insular and ignorant people are. And you know who you are.

Anonymous wrote:For such a liberal county there are lots of racist attitudes. And I suspect a lot of people with too much time on their hands.

I've been wondering, too, why people go out of their way to tear down Wakefield. So, you think it's an inferior school - your options are, then, 1) get upset that such inequality exists in your community and work to change it; or 2) quietly breathe a sigh of relief that you can afford to live in North Arlington and go about your business. Why, then, do so many people choose 3) spew hateful comments on an anonymous forum?

FWIW, I live in S Arlington and am thrilled to be sending my kids to Wakefield. The staff and students I've met are terrific, and I feel confident my kids will get a great education there. Would they get a better education at Yorktown or W-L? Who knows? We can't afford N Arlington, anyway, so it's irrelevant to us!