Your Opinions Please!: Send My Kid to a semi-goog school or great school....? (Arlington: fit in)

[k713]

I keep hearing that if I want my kid to excel above and beyond others, I should just send her to a decent school (ex:Yorktown) whereas sending her to Langley or Churchill where she would have to compete among all the other fantastic students. What's your thoughts on this guys?

[twinmma]

Mine are still toddlers so ignore my opinion if you want...

I think people in this area get too hung up on the best schools and competition. I went to a regular high school and got crappy grades. Went to college and got a 3.8 GPA...It's all about how a child applies themselves. I didn't apply myself in high school. I did in college. It would not have mattered if I went to the best school or just an okay school.
I can't believe the amount of money some people spend on their childrens education starting at like age 2. For me, and this is all my personal opinion, I just want to make sure we are in a good school district. It doesn't have to be the BEST nor do I want the worst. Mine go to a moms morning out program and then will do preschool-but that is just as much for my sanity (I need a break). Then they will go to public school here in Loudoun.
One of the "best" school where I used to live had great rating and such but there were a lot of drugs. (It was a high end area...kids had money and access)
Anyway, just my 2 cents.

[claremarie]

There are a lot of competitive and high-achieving students at Yorktown too. North Arlington is packed with lawyers and public policy wonks who went to great schools and expect greatness from their kids. Its student population is more diverse than Langley and Churchill, but the high-end AP/travel soccer/orchestra/band/student council group is well-represented at all three schools.

[michgc]

I agree with Twinmma. Find an area that you like, and if the schools are decent, then move there. Schools with the best test scores are often those that are in high income areas, meaning doctors, lawyers, high-earning professionals. If you do not fit in with this crowd, then your kids may not fit in with the kids at the schools. Not saying I would pick a school with a bad repuation; I wouldn't. But I think you need to look at the whole lifestyle. Churchill is in a rich area. There are a lot of snooty kids there. They may be receiving new cars for their 16th birthdays. Great test scores or not, your child has to like the school he is in to do well. If this is not your lifestyle, you might not like it there. If it is, then you will. I *think* Yorktown is a bit more down-to-earth and will have a greater mix of students economically. Langley is definitely the highest income school in Fairfax County but I don't know much about it, but I can guess your child would be going to school with children of high-income earners, although the highest income earners usually send their kids to private school. Personally, I would spend time in each town - Arlington, Potomac, and McLean. Go into the supermarkets. See how the people are dressed. Feel the vibe of the town. Your child can get a good education at any of those three schools. But where will he/she be the happiest? Which town will you like the best? They are all different.

[CAVA1990]

Originally Posted by claremarie

North Arlington is packed with lawyers and public policy wonks who went to great schools and expect greatness from their kids.

Real Stepford families. You sound like Mary Tyler Moore in Ordinary People.