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Well the honest answer that people dance around and won't tell you straight out is the "better" schools in their minds are generally the ones with higher proportions of whites and Asian relative to other ethnic groups. They'll give you more politically correct rationalizations but that's really what it boils down to.
True. Higher income areas generally have more whites and Asians and they have better schools because they have better students. Higher income areas are usually populated by people with higher educational levels. Those parents tend to stress education and educational achievement. They are very involved with their children's educational and make sure that their kids do well in school. Not to say that there aren't some parents in the less affluent areas who do the same, but many don't have the time and resources to do it.
Your implication is that people want better schools because of race. That simply is not true. Better schools have more high achieving students of every race. It's true in our society that whites and Asians on average have higher educational levels that affords them better jobs and therefore more money. That is statistically true but that doesn't mean people are trying to avoid Blacks and Hispanics by wanting their children in good schools. They want their children surrounded by high achieving students whose family support and encourage educational excellence, regardless of their race.
Location: Huntersville/Charlotte, NC and Washington, DC
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Denton56
>>>I'm just about sick of people trashing certain high schools because they can afford better when others can't.<<<
HUH? who said anything like that? Some schools are better than others. It's not a secret. It's all over the internet. The OP wants a good school. There are good schools with houses at all price points. There are bad schools that draw from all price points. Not sure why you think otherwise. Perhaps it's your lack of any experience with Fairfax county schools and their boundaries? Just a guess........I could be wrong.
Some schools are better than others ok. But it's crazy and snotty to call schools like Edsion and Lee "not good" when people all over the country would do anything to have their kids attend any school in the FCPS school system. I have friends who have graduated from Edison and Lee and have done just fine. Also, yours truly, graduated from TC Williams and is going to have a Bachelor's degree this time next year. Maybe to the snotty people of NoVA they aren't good schools but plenty of people would kill to go to any FCPS school.
Some people on this forum are the perfect deterrent to me ever considering moving back to NoVA.
Some schools are better than others ok. But it's crazy and snotty to call schools like Edsion and Lee "not good"
You got a rep point from me. Those two schools offer so much more than my high school ever did. If people around here saw the high school I attended in Ohio, they would be shocked. Gaps between the walls and floor that allowed you to see through to the level below you. Buckets catching water from a leaky roof. We once missed school for a week because the well went dry and they had to drill a new well. There were minimal offerings as far as electives, foreign language, and extracurricular activities. Maybe half the students went on to higher education if we were lucky. Guess what? I still received a decent education because my parents and myself valued it.
Some schools are better than others ok. But it's crazy and snotty to call schools like Edsion and Lee "not good" when people all over the country would do anything to have their kids attend any school in the FCPS school system. I have friends who have graduated from Edison and Lee and have done just fine. Also, yours truly, graduated from TC Williams and is going to have a Bachelor's degree this time next year. Maybe to the snotty people of NoVA they aren't good schools but plenty of people would kill to go to any FCPS school.
Some people on this forum are the perfect deterrent to me ever considering moving back to NoVA.
It would be more helpful to the OP if you elaborated on the experiences of your friends at Edison and Lee.
He has a simple request: his daughter is at a very good school in Montgomery County (Quince Orchard) and he basically wants to find out if Edison and Lee will provide her with comparable or greater educational opportunities.
Saying that "people all over the country would do anything to have their kids attend any school in the FCPS school system" doesn't really answer his question. He knows that already. He's also probably seen that, even though they are located in one of the wealthiest counties in the country, Edison and Lee often have test scores that are below state and national averages, and Lee regularly has well over 100 students assigned to that school who transfer to nearby schools such as West Springfield and Edison.
Again, that does not mean that there aren't good teachers, decent facilities, and opportunities for students who work hard to succeed at these schools. I think most of us intuitively know that is the case, because FCPS is a county-wide system that provides a certain baseline of quality and there are good, hard-working people with solid values who live all over this region. But, the OP probably wants to hear specifics - not general statements from people who seize upon a thread about local schools to announce that they think people in NoVa or MoCo are "snooty." I've read enough of the Louisville forum to see that the same discussion takes place there when questions arise about the comparative merits of the school systems in Jefferson and Oldham Counties.
Your daughter doesn't want to remain her school for her senior year? That's unusual.
Montgomery County also has IB and AP programs. Richard Montgomery is an IB school in MC. Your daughter will not have AP courses available to her at the two schools you mentioned and she can't enter the IB program as a senior since nearly all of the courses are two year courses. So she would have a senior year where she takes no AP classes. That's not a good thing for college applications. The two schools you are looking at are among the bottom schools in FC. I'll see if I can find a ranking of schools. But I know that both are in the bottom 8 of 25 high schools. But a bigger problem is the AP/IB programs. It's really not a good idea to place a student into an IB program for her senior year. She will largely be in classes that are filled with students who will not attend college since college bound students will be in the IB program classes. At a minimum, you need to move to an area with an AP high school. A large majority of FC schools (17 out of 25) are AP so it shouldn't be difficult to find a home in one of those areas.
When I was growing up my family had friends who had to move when their oldest child was about to begin his senior year of high school. He lived with us from Sunday night to Friday night and went home each weekend, and all the school holidays. Maybe your daughter could do something like that.
Thanks so much for this helpful post. I didn't know much about IB before this thread. I see your point about AP schools. It seems like Edison and Lee both will not work for us. We're now looking near Woodson, but haven't found anything yet.
I need to reveal one more thing. I want to move wherever I need to move, but a big limiting factor is that I am a wheelchair user. Finding places to live that are accessible (to my level of need), and affordable, has been a frustrating experience. My current apartment needs further modifications to meet my needs. Anyways, I found one that may work in Springfield, but is within Lee High school boundaries. I've not found acceptable places near other schools yet. I wish there were people here who knew something. If we can't find anything then we'll just spend another year here, but I am dying to find a place where: 1) I can be fully independent, 2) has the right schools, and 3) is affordable. Here, I get 2 out of those 3 requirements. I need to find a place that is all three, but I don't want to live out in Loudon or Prince William. That's our situation.
Aren't newer complexes required legally to provide fully ADA accessible units? I know the apartment I rented in Alexandria had to have a certain number of ground floor apartments with lower counters and wider doorways and showers (roll in) instead of tubs.
If you tell us what "affordable" is, people may be able to suggest complexes (or at least neighborhoods) you may want to look into.
I hope you don't mind if I piggy back on this thread since I have almost the same question. I might be moving out of my house (which is for sale) into temporary housing (an apartment while shopping for a house to buy). My daughter is in first grade.
I would really like to keep her in the same school she is in now, even though the apartment would not be in the same elementary school area. When I found a new, permanent house, then I would transfer her. I just think it would be better to keep her put and continue her studies instead of transferring her to another elementary school and possible a third in one academic year; that just seems so disruptive. Does anyone have any experience with Fairfax County Schools with this kind of situation? Do they let your child finish out an academic year if you've moved? I would drop off and pick her up from school. Of course, this kind of all depends on the timing of selling and buying houses and who knows what that will be. But I like to think and plan ahead for different outcomes.
Aren't newer complexes required legally to provide fully ADA accessible units? I know the apartment I rented in Alexandria had to have a certain number of ground floor apartments with lower counters and wider doorways and showers (roll in) instead of tubs.
Yes. That's what I'm looking for. They're just expensive!
Quote:
If you tell us what "affordable" is, people may be able to suggest complexes (or at least neighborhoods) you may want to look into.
I'm currently paying $1325 / month in an income restricted apartment community. I know it's hard to find something for that low, but it's not impossible. NOVA had several places like that. The problem is, most of these places are not newer buildings like mentioned above. I can find several in Loudon, but I'm holding out hope for something in Fairfax Co. or Arlington Co. I found one in Springfield and hoping a 3 bedroom* will become available by summer, Moving to Loudon will not shorten my commute and takes away my access to Metro (until silver line is complete). I'll do it though if it will help me be fully independent.
*3 bedroom because law doesn't allow 3 kids in one bedroom, or so I have been told.
I hope you don't mind if I piggy back on this thread since I have almost the same question. I might be moving out of my house (which is for sale) into temporary housing (an apartment while shopping for a house to buy). My daughter is in first grade.
I would really like to keep her in the same school she is in now, even though the apartment would not be in the same elementary school area. When I found a new, permanent house, then I would transfer her. I just think it would be better to keep her put and continue her studies instead of transferring her to another elementary school and possible a third in one academic year; that just seems so disruptive. Does anyone have any experience with Fairfax County Schools with this kind of situation? Do they let your child finish out an academic year if you've moved? I would drop off and pick her up from school. Of course, this kind of all depends on the timing of selling and buying houses and who knows what that will be. But I like to think and plan ahead for different outcomes.
While I don't mind piggybacking, I think there was another thread that answers this somewhere. I think one of the links posted earlier in this thread might answer your question though.
While I don't mind piggybacking, I think there was another thread that answers this somewhere. I think one of the links posted earlier in this thread might answer your question though.
Ah, didn't see the other thread (I may have overlooked it). Thanks, I'll look for it. I did read some of the links earlier in this thread, but I didn't see a clear answer (but that other thread might answer it).
Thanks... and good luck with your situation. I hope it all works out for you and your daughter!
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