Langley vs McLean vs Madison

[Anonymous]

Good morning!
We are currently zoned for Langley with kiddos mid elementary age. We are extremely happy with our elementary school, but are a little wary about Cooper and Langley based on what neighbors have shared

We are looking to move homes (for reasons unrelated to schools) and are now reconsidering whether we want to stay zoned for Langely.
We are currently looking at homes zoned for Langley, Mclean and Madison.

All other non school things being equal (housing prices, commute, etc) if you could chose to be zoned for Langley, McLean or Madison which would you choose and why?

[Anonymous]

Troll? If not, just search those names on DCuM and will get plenty of info.

[Anonymous]

Not a troll. Just trying to get some insight. Many of the posts I've read reference things like sports.
My kids are too young for me to know if I care how good the girls volleyball team is, but my hunch is that we will care more about academics than sports based on their athletic talents (or lack thereof) so far.


Some of our neighbors have experienced fights at Cooper and drug exposure at Langley. Is that just the case everywhere now?
We chose our current home specifically to be zoned for Langley but now that we're hearing more and more about it I'm not sure its a good fit for us. We're trying to figure out if McLean or Madison might be better or if we should look into private schools.

[Anonymous]

Well, Thoreau and Longfellow are bigger than Cooper, so there are fights there, too. And there are drugs at Madison and McLean, too, even if the student bodies don’t have access to as much money as Langley kids. There are probably fewer fights at private middle schools, but the older kids at privates may have access to drugs, too. If you pay attention to your kids and set a good example, your kids will less likely be part of those groups at any of those three pyramids.

If you are going private, then it just makes sense to live closer to the private school. You probably don’t want to live in Vienna if you’re thinking of NCS and Sidwell later.

[Anonymous]

MIddle school is a tough age. I wouldn't move just because of a middle school.

[Anonymous]

Longfellow/McLean has long had more of an academically-focused reputation vs Langley and Madison. If you look through the forums, drugs are a problem at private schools too, even the big 3. The increase in fights and other behavioral problems are generally post-pandemic related, and that has been the case at all schools.

You’d probably feel most comfortable at McLean. But if your kids already have a good, academically-focused friend group, maybe stay at Cooper/Langley. Talk with more of your neighbors and reach out to the PTA.

[Anonymous]

If you aren’t interested in Langley, seems like you’d want to move and avoid paying the Langley premium. Save that spot for someone who wants it. Double points if you choose to send your kids to Herndon High or Lewis.

[Anonymous]

Langley McLean maybe the same in terms of academic wise, only that Langley /Cooper school building is way nicer and almost no Farms, while McLean Hs is in rundown building but students body is more diverse with small percentage of Farms. I think drugs problem present in every school, but in those 2 schools it is very minor.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not a troll. Just trying to get some insight. Many of the posts I've read reference things like sports.
My kids are too young for me to know if I care how good the girls volleyball team is, but my hunch is that we will care more about academics than sports based on their athletic talents (or lack thereof) so far.


Some of our neighbors have experienced fights at Cooper and drug exposure at Langley. Is that just the case everywhere now?
We chose our current home specifically to be zoned for Langley but now that we're hearing more and more about it I'm not sure its a good fit for us. We're trying to figure out if McLean or Madison might be better or if we should look into private schools.

Years and years ago, the Washington Post did an article about how to find a good middle school. I don’t remember the specifics, but the gist was that no one likes their middle school. The reason is because of the age. There will be fights. Drugs are in every school even the private ones, the three schools you present have plenty of no drug culture active student bodies. Keeping open communication and staying involved with your children is the best way to combat that. Ask questions about where they are going and call the parents whose house they are visiting if you don’t know them. It’s okay to be that parent and tell your kids that they can blame their parents for being so “weird” about their rules. Establish a rule that if they ever get someplace where they figure out they are in over their heads - just call you. No punishment no discipline. They figured it out and used their safety valve.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Langley McLean maybe the same in terms of academic wise, only that Langley /Cooper school building is way nicer and almost no Farms, while McLean Hs is in rundown building but students body is more diverse with small percentage of Farms. I think drugs problem present in every school, but in those 2 schools it is very minor.

How would you say Madison compares to those 2?

[Anonymous]

I don’t think there’s going to be significant difference in academics, although the incomes at Langley and McLean are higher. Really depends on how you feel you fit in where you are, if you want to stay there. If you think Langley is too uppity and wealthy, Madison is going to have more relatively normal UMC families and fewer uber-wealthy UC families.

[Anonymous]

My kids are at (or will be at) Longfellow. Current kid there is an 8th grader and she has experienced exactly zero issues with drugs or fights. She has said she knows kids sometimes vape, but has never seen it herself.

I had a very different middle school experience in FCPS and picked Longfellow when we purchased our house based on reputation, and people I knew who work there/sent kids there. I honestly could not be happier with that decision. We have friends at other MS in the county (falls church Annandale areas) and they have witnessed a lot of fighting.

Having said that, my nieces and nephews went to cooper and as far as I’ve heard they had the same experience as we’ve had at Longfellow. I didn’t want to live in that part of McLean, so we didn’t consider that school at all.

I expect drugs are present at every high school, so I don’t think that’s a great way to pick a school.

[Anonymous]

I’m pp and should have added that we also considered Madison, which I think is a great school. But we didn’t find a house with a commute that worked for us.

[Anonymous]

Langley/Mclean (don't know much about Madison) must be one of the most docile places in the county. If you don't look for trouble - I've never heard trouble looking for you in those schools. The social elites are the ones dominating the AP classes. Not many girls in either schools are interested in a drug dealer on a motorcycle. Even the jocks at both HS have above average SAT and GPAs you know the meat heads of the school.

Are there incidents? sure each school has 2000+ students and a few will do stupid things and a majority wants to go to Princeton.

[Anonymous]

With the boundaries changing, people moving in and out of the area, new housing developments and god knows what else, I don't think you can have any degree of certainty this far out from when your children will actually enroll.