https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Sun, 12 Apr 2026 01:10:29 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-figure-out-schools#post-2446328 Tue, 02 Feb 2016 13:31:22 +0000 Mrs. Carrot 2446328@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Pancakes: I struggle with this too. I know that ratings are such a tiny piece of the puzzle, and that's partly why I really want to find a good way to research schools rather than just assume that we're in a bad place because ours is a 3. It's tough! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-figure-out-schools#post-2445591 Mon, 01 Feb 2016 22:01:10 +0000 Pancakes 2445591@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Carrot: @abmamma: FWIW, there are parents at my daughter's preschool whose older children go to a particular elementary school that's a 1. It's a school with a terrible reputation, but honestly their kids are fine there. One of the moms is the president of the preschool, so I know she really cares about education. I think it's sooo hard in northern VA where there are so many "elite" options out there, it can feel hard to take a choice that's "less than." T.C. Williams has a GreatSchools rating of 2, but our preschool director sent her bright, achieving children there and they had a good experience. But as a parent, that makes me nervous because I just have this feeling of, 'am I making a bad decision for my child that's going to affect the rest of her life??' And logically I know that since she has 2 parents who are vested in her education, she'll probably be fine no matter what...Sorry, kind of rambling now! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-figure-out-schools#post-2442825 Sat, 30 Jan 2016 09:49:50 +0000 abmamma 2442825@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Following as I have been wondering this myself. @Pancakes: @Mrs. Carrot: we are also in northern Virginia. The school we are currently zoned for is an 8 but we are going through re-districting and am pretty sure we will be re-zoned to one that is a 3 (and had serious performance issues in the past). If so, we may move. But I have similar concerns about moving further out given I work in DC. I don't knowhow to figure out what makes a school "good" especially when talking about elementary schools. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-figure-out-schools#post-2442800 Sat, 30 Jan 2016 09:17:21 +0000 Mrs. Carrot 2442800@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Pancakes: right now we're in Fairfax county and zoned for a school that's a 3. Understandably, because it's a very high immigrant area. I honestly have no idea where to even look. I don't really want to go further out into Fairfax because the work commute to DC is going to suck, and I don't know if we can afford the better parts of Arlington and Alexandria and Falls Church. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-figure-out-schools#post-2442749 Sat, 30 Jan 2016 08:02:45 +0000 regberadaisy 2442749@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Same as above, ratings and word of mouth. We bought in a good school district because we have no intentions of sending our kids to private. We have one zoned elementary so that's where our kids will be going. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-figure-out-schools#post-2442703 Sat, 30 Jan 2016 06:56:22 +0000 Pancakes 2442703@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Carrot: We are going through this now since we have to move in a few months and I'm really torn. There is one elementary school in our new town that has a GreatSchools rating of 9 and then rest are 5 or 6. But a lot of nice neighborhoods are zoned for the 5 and 6 rated schools so I'm really torn about how much weight to give that rating when it's about all I have to go on! Which school district are you looking to move to? Our daughter would have gone to ACPS. I'm sure there are lots of Bees who could help you get inside info about the area schools. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-figure-out-schools#post-2442617 Fri, 29 Jan 2016 22:17:28 +0000 Mrs Green Grass 2442617@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I would look at the ratings, but be aware that it'll only be one year of data right now. And personally, I believe test scores are more about socioeconomic status than anything else (which is sad). But you can also read about schools on local forums, greatschools, etc. just keep in mind, typically the angriest people comment more.</p> <p>Meeting moms in those areas and asking would be the very best. Or teachers. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-figure-out-schools#post-2442532 Fri, 29 Jan 2016 20:53:43 +0000 Mrs. Carrot 2442532@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mediagirl: lol nope I'm suffering from typing and not reading. I want to start research in a year to be ready to register her in 2. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-figure-out-schools#post-2442333 Fri, 29 Jan 2016 17:43:07 +0000 sera_87 2442333@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Decide if we want English or French (we want french). Find name of school board and then find school assigned to neighbourhood. Done. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-figure-out-schools#post-2442290 Fri, 29 Jan 2016 17:09:09 +0000 gingerbebe 2442290@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We have a private Christian school and a public elementary school equidistant from our house (5 minute drive). The public school is geared more towards the needs of ESL students and we are Christian, so we're likely sending our son to the private. There is a top public school district in the bourgie next town over that actually doesn't have enough school age children that you can get a permit to attend, but it would be a 20-minute drive each way at minimum and I believe they place your kid in whatever school needs the bodies, so it could be an even further drive. </p> <p>Buuuut DS is 17 months so we have time. We've heard fabulous things about the private school near our house and its really quite reasonably priced and goes from preschool to 12th grade. Its one of the reasons we bought our house here. A house in that other town with the good public schools (where we lived previously as renters) would have easily cost us double and the public schools weren't good enough to justify that expense. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-figure-out-schools#post-2442234 Fri, 29 Jan 2016 16:29:18 +0000 mediagirl 2442234@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Carrot: you register for school almost 2 years in advance? We start registering in the year the child will start school. Aka: school registration for 2017 is in 2017. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-figure-out-schools#post-2442233 Fri, 29 Jan 2016 16:28:46 +0000 mrsjazz 2442233@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Combo of inside schools, blogs about schools in our district and surrounding districts, very active neighborhood listservs, and tours of the schools. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-figure-out-schools#post-2442230 Fri, 29 Jan 2016 16:24:36 +0000 Greentea 2442230@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We have two excellent (I go by ratings and location and word of mouth), in walking distance and I am leaning toward the one with middle school attached so that I only have one destination for drop off/pick up! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-figure-out-schools#post-2442219 Fri, 29 Jan 2016 16:11:34 +0000 lamariniere 2442219@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>There are three private schools in our city that we would consider, and only two were serious contenders for what we wanted. We decided based on language of instruction and proximity. We also toured the chosen school and met with the director during the open house. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-figure-out-schools#post-2442184 Fri, 29 Jan 2016 15:48:20 +0000 Andrea 2442184@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I pulled a list of all the private schools in our area and narrowed it down. It was pretty easy since there are only a few that are non-religious. We went to the open house and met with the principal 2x. I asked for references and called them. </p> <p>I also toured the public school that we are zoned for. I've been speaking to the parents in this school for years now. </p> <p>We ultimately went with the private school and DD started last September. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-figure-out-schools#post-2442165 Fri, 29 Jan 2016 15:40:37 +0000 catlady 2442165@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Our city has open houses for all the elementary schools. However, we have a lottery system, and you have to rank schools, so that is why they do that. In other towns/cities, you don't really get a choice since it's just by neighborhood. Or are you asking about where you should move in order to get a good school system? In that case, I have a general idea of the schools in the towns around me based on a combo of school rankings in the local magazine, word of mouth, and general reputation (in almost all cases, the most expensive towns have the best school reputations). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-figure-out-schools#post-2442135 Fri, 29 Jan 2016 15:23:26 +0000 Foodnerd81 2442135@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Id love to know this too! My city has a screwy system but they have open house days and stuff to see the different schools you might be eligible for, but I don't know about different school districts. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-figure-out-schools#post-2442134 Fri, 29 Jan 2016 15:22:37 +0000 Mamaof2 2442134@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Carrot: we asked our realtor </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-figure-out-schools#post-2442131 Fri, 29 Jan 2016 15:21:07 +0000 Mrs. Carrot 2442131@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>So, it just occurred to me that I'm going to have to register LO for kindergarten at this time next year (ish - she turns 5 in June 2018). Husband and I have plans to move to a better school district sometime next year, but it occurs to me I don't actually know how to figure out where I would want LO to even go, except those ratings that you get on the internet that I only put so much stock into. </p> <p>How does this usually work? Do you visit schools the way you visit daycares to find a good one? Do you look at county websites? All of the above, something else? </p>