Virginia's Top County for Public School

My wife recently emailed me an article that made me smile. She does this a lot. The email was a link to an article that placed Arlington County schools as the top public school system in Virginia. When my wife and I made the decision to move to Arlington about three years ago we had observed many things regarding the overall community that we feel may have an impact on the education system in the area.

We currently live in Arlington, VA next to a public elementary school and we have encountered a myriad of positive influences that we have not seen in any other areas we have lived in. For example, we have noticed how parents are involved in all aspects of the educational and community experience. We see parents walking their kids to and from school everyday and some parents even know the crossing guard by their first name. The community bond between all parties of their child's education system is strong here. Consistently, parents can be seen along side their child holding books and ensuring homework and projects are completed in a timely fashion. When it comes to tutoring, families are not shy in requesting math tutors, English tutors, and any other subjects they feel their child may need help with. Families requesting tutoring out of Arlington love speaking about their child's education and it's obvious that they are heavily involved in their children's upbringing. On specific holidays and special events in Arlington, we see the same school children and their parents participating in the neighborhood activities such as parades and races. On Halloween, the neighborhood has a big event where kids can have pizza before going out and scrounging for their beloved trick or treat candy loot that every child aspires to obtain while dressed as their beloved character or costumed hero. There are many neighborhood cul de sacs in Arlington and the strength of the community coming together and creating a safe and friendly environment for children and parents is often seen in the festivities. This shows that a sense of community is instilled in the same school children who are fully aware that education takes precedence over fun. I see no indication that the Arlington County Public school system should be no less than top ranked. 

This blog post was inspired by Arlington County schools placing first as the top public school system in Virginia:https://k12.niche.com/rankings/public-school-districts/best-overall/s/virginia/