Moms Group Meeting with the Superintendent of Alexandria Public Schools

So my moms group invited Dr. Mort Sherman, the new Superintendent of Alexandria public schools, to our meeting tonight.  He came with Kimberly Graves, the principal of Jefferson Houston (our designated elementary school), another school administrator, a few parents, and the head of the Jefferson Houston PTA.

CJ will be in kindergarten next year, along with a slew of kids in our neighborhood, and there is a lot of teeth gnashing over the issue of where to send our kids.  I had heard so many awful things about Jefferson Houston, but based on what I heard from Dr. Sherman and Ms. Graves, I will definitely pay a visit to the school.  Unlike Maury and Lyles Crouch, Jefferson Houston still has declining enrollment, and even if every family in Old Town Greens and Potomac Greens sent their kid to the school, there apparently would be lots of space for more classes and teachers.  The school will definitely be accredited again this year, so we won't have the option of opting for another school, unless we use the lottery system to try and get into a special school.

This will be Ms. Graves' third year at JH, and there have apparently been huge gains at the school; Dr. Sherman is certainly impressive.  We are still looking at our many private and parochial school options.  The rubber meets the road in February, when all private school apps are due.  I've already sent in apps to St. Mary's and St. Rita.  St. Stephen's and St. Agnes, Burgundy and Grace are also contenders.  In addition, I'm definitely interested in the Spanish immersion program at one of the other schools.

My mom laughs at all of this teeth gnashing, but hey, I have one kid and I want to make sure we make the right decisions for him.