Alexandria City Public Schools? (Arlington, Mount Vernon: upper-class, house, employment)

[haglerjc]

My family and I are relocating from Kansas to the DC area and are looking at a home in Alexandria. I have heard that the Alexandria public schools are not very good and are definitely inferior to those in Fairfax and Arlington. Does anyone have any views on Alexandria City Public Schools, specifically Mount Vernon Elementary and George Washington Middle School? Thanks. Jeff

[dullnboring]

When talking about the school system as a whole, yes, generally Arlington and Fairfax County public schools are regarded as being better than Alexandria. Fairfax in particular is renowned at having one of the best school systems in the nation. However, this is at a district-wide level and there is a wide variance between schools within each district. I certainly wouldn't call Alexandria schools bad; just not AS good as those in neighboring districts. I can't offer much information about those specific schools. At an elementary level, it's really hard to gauge a school's achievements beyond word-of-mouth because there's simply less statistics out there for public consumption as there is for high schools (i.e. test scores, graduation rates, sports teams, AP classes, extracurriculars, etc.). Whatever the case may be with those particular schools, all public schools eventually funnel into T.C. Williams High School, the sole public high school in Alexandria which is a good school. While its test scores may not be the highest, in terms of opportunities, they're all there as the school offers many AP classes and incentives from the laptop initiative to paying for all students' AP exams, for those who are very geared towards academics. T.C. is a pretty good school overall.

[The Dissenter]

i graduated from tc williams last year. personally i liked it better than going to one of the best school systems in VA (york county with their 90% and above test scores). the teachers really cared about you when you left the classroom. i loved the diversity of the school and learning with students from over 65 diff countries. this school has some problems along with EVERY other school. it gets a bad rap possibly b/c it is a very African-American school and system when compared to other schools in NOVA. there is just a lot of opportunity with this whole school system. if you aren't too superfical with test scores ACPS will be a great experience for your children. what section of alexandria is your prospect house in? West End, Braddock Rd, Seminary Valley, i can tell u more if i kno what section of town your home will be in.

[haglerjc]

Thanks for both of your input. Up to this point, all of my information has come from folks with kids in Fairfax schools, and while they are very positive about their schools, they are less so about others. We will be living in Del Ray, which to me looks like a nice community compared to many of the newer subdivisions I saw in other parts of NOVA. Since Alexandria is a bigger city than we are used to, I was concerned about its schools having more "big city" problems, like violence, drugs, or racial tension. Hearing favorable reports from former students and parents means more to me than reading reports of test scores.

[The Dissenter]

del ray is a pretty popular and safe section of the city. its is nowhere near as diverse as the west end though. alexandria does have big city problems (mainly traffic) but nowhere near as bad as across the bridge from me (PG county and DC). i was really suprised that there is really little racial tension when i moved here espically being from the south. it's just too bad that upper-class families are very reluctant to send their kids to ACPS and cheat them out of a rare opportunity to experience so much diversity just beacuse they can send their kids to private schools. so good luck with your move.

[dullnboring]

Originally Posted by haglerjc

Thanks for both of your input. Up to this point, all of my information has come from folks with kids in Fairfax schools, and while they are very positive about their schools, they are less so about others. We will be living in Del Ray, which to me looks like a nice community compared to many of the newer subdivisions I saw in other parts of NOVA. Since Alexandria is a bigger city than we are used to, I was concerned about its schools having more "big city" problems, like violence, drugs, or racial tension. Hearing favorable reports from former students and parents means more to me than reading reports of test scores.

As Alanboy395 said, Del Ray is a nice and safe community. Within the immediate neighborhood, there shouldn't be many big city problems, but of course, going to a public school that pulls kids from a wide cross-section of the city, from different socioeconomic levels, they will be exposed to some issues, but it's hardly the overwhelming environment of the school. Violence-wise, there will be some kids in gangs and the usual high school fistfights but those are pretty much everywhere, and Alexandria as a whole actually is a fairly safe city, albeit with a handful of rough neighborhoods. Not much racial tension to speak of either, in the city or in the school. "Remember The Titans" was a long time ago. Interestingly enough, I'd be willing to bet that there are more drugs in the heavily-praised schools in Fairfax County than there are in T.C. The general rule of thumb, that a lot of parents refuse to believe, is that the wealthier the school, the more students who use drugs so parents who think that cocooning their children in a nicely-planned quiet suburban upper-middle class subdivision will isolate them from social ills, are mistaken.

[vawumey]

I've had two children in the Alexandria Public Schools. The eldest, who graduated from TC Williams last June, started in the second semester of ninth grade. He was very warmly received by fellow students. He received a good education from very caring teachers.

What I liked most about his experiences is that he knows virtually every kid in Alexandria who didn't go to private schools. This gives him a great sense of community and belonging. My son now goes to James Madison University, which is a highly regarded school. His grades are good. He and his friends, who also attended TC Williams, feel well-prepared academically and socially for college. Quite a few of his classmates were accepted into Ivy League schools.

My younger son goes to Francis Hammond Middle School. He's in the talented and gifted program which is almost like a private school within a public school. Again, I am very satified with the quality of his instruction.

There are kids who are involved in bad behavior, but those who are focused on school have no problem avoiding them. Every type of student can find his or her own group based on race, class, interests, achievement level, etc. As the earlier writers indicated diversity, in its broadest meaning, is accepted in the public schools and the city itself.

This is my first time posting something on the Web. I was online to see if my son's school was closing early when I happened to see your question.
I feel so strongly about the high quality of the Alexandria schools that I felt compelled to write.

I hope that you enjoy Del Ray - it's one of the city's most interesting neighborhoods.

[claremarie]

There are various websites with objective information about individual schools. Unlike most of the attendance zones in Fairfax, the city of Alexandria contains both high-end residential neighborhoods and public housing. Therefore, Alexandria City Schools, in general, and T.C. Williams, in particular, have a much higher percentage of low-income students than do most of the high-performing Fairfax County school pyramids. Because most test scores are directly correlated with family income, T.C. Williams has lower overall test scores than many Fairfax high schools. It also has more problems with discipline, and a higher dropout rate.
For some students, that makes no difference -- they are smart and motivated and will thrive no matter where they are, especially if they are attending "school within a school" gifted programs where they have little contact with the "average" kids. But there are more "big city" problems at T.C. Williams than at many Fairfax county high schools.

[The Dissenter]

Originally Posted by claremarie

There are various websites with objective information about individual schools. Unlike most of the attendance zones in Fairfax, the city of Alexandria contains both high-end residential neighborhoods and public housing. Therefore, Alexandria City Schools, in general, and T.C. Williams, in particular, have a much higher percentage of low-income students than do most of the high-performing Fairfax County school pyramids. Because most test scores are directly correlated with family income, T.C. Williams has lower overall test scores than many Fairfax high schools. It also has more problems with discipline, and a higher dropout rate.
For some students, that makes no difference -- they are smart and motivated and will thrive no matter where they are, especially if they are attending "school within a school" gifted programs where they have little contact with the "average" kids. But there are more "big city" problems at T.C. Williams than at many Fairfax county high schools.

I bet this also happens at most FFX county high schools close to the Alexandria City border.

[ilovemaryland]

Originally Posted by claremarie

There are various websites with objective information about individual schools. Unlike most of the attendance zones in Fairfax, the city of Alexandria contains both high-end residential neighborhoods and public housing. Therefore, Alexandria City Schools, in general, and T.C. Williams, in particular, have a much higher percentage of low-income students than do most of the high-performing Fairfax County school pyramids. Because most test scores are directly correlated with family income, T.C. Williams has lower overall test scores than many Fairfax high schools. It also has more problems with discipline, and a higher dropout rate.
For some students, that makes no difference -- they are smart and motivated and will thrive no matter where they are, especially if they are attending "school within a school" gifted programs where they have little contact with the "average" kids. But there are more "big city" problems at T.C. Williams than at many Fairfax county high schools.

Oh trust me, until you attend Fairfax County schools yourself, as I have for 4 years now, you'll never know what they are like at all. Many people swear up and down that they are the best schools but that couldn't be more far from the truth. I don't know much about Alexandria City schools, but I'm willing to bet that they are much better than Fairfax County. All the students who came to Edison from T.C. are praying that they can go back. I'm a junior this year, and I feel as though I'm not learning anything. The classes are supposed to be advanced, but that does nothing for the children who transfer here from other schools. If you grow up here, it's one thing, i would guess. But I didn't, I came from P.G. County schools and I actually feel as though I was learning more there than here no matter how bad people claim the school system to be. Fairfax County moves to fast; gives no chance to get caught up in anything and that's not a healthy education for a child, no matter what society says. And as for the "Big City" problems, Fairfax County definently isn't a small environment and we have just as many problems if not more. T.C. Williams is being renovated and made better for the students. Some schools in Fairfax County, like Edison, hasn't been renovated since they were first built in the 40's and 50's. They have leaky pipes, mismatched lockers, no windows in some of the classes, mice in the heaters, roaches in the science hallway, and an elevator that's handicapped accessible that always gets stuck. Higher dropout rate or not, you all know your children; you know whether they are in more danger of dropping out no matter what school you decide to put them in; that doesn't make a difference. A certain school doesn't determine whether or not your child will drop out. That depends on the relationship you have with them and how they feel about school, period. If your child feels strongly about school and making something out of themselves, they will NOT let anyone deter them from making the better decision. Check your kids before you start blaming a school system because the schools can't make your kids think what they want to think.

Based on what I've heard about T.C, I would say that it's the better school to enroll your children in. I also like that its the only high school in Alexandria City; they'll know almost everyone and that will help out in the future as far as employment connections and such go. Try to avoid Fairfax County schools also, they're extremely overrated and I attend one personally; I know.