Cunningham

[Anonymous]

Cunningham Park E S is really bad??? !!! just moved two weeks ago

[Anonymous]

I shudder to think what this thread will evolve into as all of the Vienna school threads end up going off the rails but...

OP, when the posters here say a school is "bad", most likely they are judging it on it's GS ranking and the # of FARM kids there are. It is a small school and does have a significant number of kids that are ESOL so the test scores are not going to be as high as the schools north of Maple.

Go to the school. Talk to the principal. Drive by when the kids are at recess and make your own judgement. Good Luck!

[Anonymous]

Having lived in the area for many years and knowing many parents whose children attend Vienna, Cunningham, Flint Hill, Wolf Trap, Marshall and Freedom Hill, I can honestly say the kid's educational experiences are much more dependent on the individual child than any particular Vienna school. If a child needs extra help than the parents need to advocate regardless of the school. If a child is doing well, then all of the above schools have similar programs to encourage them (pullouts or compacted math). What I am trying to say is the schools are basically equivalent. For example, Cunningham has more free and reduced lunch kids but is also receiving more money from the county and as a result in the last year added more teachers for smaller class sizes. So while there is more diversity (for Vienna) in economic circumstances, the county is trying to level the playing field with more resources. Also most of the children who attend Cunningham have scored as well on the SOLs as other children in Vienna, so their education has not been "harmed" by being with the groups of kids who haven't done as well on the SOL and need more help.

I have talked to parents at all the schools who are thrilled with their child's teachers and sometimes have heard from parents about teachers which they weren't happy with. No school seems to have more or less than the other school of their star or problematic teachers. In addition, teachers and principals come and go, so I can't see rejecting any one school in Vienna because they are all so similar and the slight differences can change year to year. The schools in Vienna are good so I don't understand why anyone who has visited the schools or talked to school parents would worry about sending their child to any of the Vienna schools.

[Anonymous]

Great post, and I fully agree. I know kids in most of the Vienna schools. I have not heard any uniform complaints from any one particular school. Any difference around here comes down to the teacher your child has. Your child may have a spectacular teacher in any of the schools. He may have a less-than-great teacher in any of them, too. For the most part, though, he will get a good education in any of them. I would not worry about Cunningham Park one bit. I know at least a dozen upper-middle class, high-achieving, families there, and they are all pleased with the education their children are getting.

Anonymous wrote:Having lived in the area for many years and knowing many parents whose children attend Vienna, Cunningham, Flint Hill, Wolf Trap, Marshall and Freedom Hill, I can honestly say the kid's educational experiences are much more dependent on the individual child than any particular Vienna school. If a child needs extra help than the parents need to advocate regardless of the school. If a child is doing well, then all of the above schools have similar programs to encourage them (pullouts or compacted math). What I am trying to say is the schools are basically equivalent. For example, Cunningham has more free and reduced lunch kids but is also receiving more money from the county and as a result in the last year added more teachers for smaller class sizes. So while there is more diversity (for Vienna) in economic circumstances, the county is trying to level the playing field with more resources. Also most of the children who attend Cunningham have scored as well on the SOLs as other children in Vienna, so their education has not been "harmed" by being with the groups of kids who haven't done as well on the SOL and need more help.

I have talked to parents at all the schools who are thrilled with their child's teachers and sometimes have heard from parents about teachers which they weren't happy with. No school seems to have more or less than the other school of their star or problematic teachers. In addition, teachers and principals come and go, so I can't see rejecting any one school in Vienna because they are all so similar and the slight differences can change year to year. The schools in Vienna are good so I don't understand why anyone who has visited the schools or talked to school parents would worry about sending their child to any of the Vienna schools.

[Anonymous]

Agreed with PPs. While CP will have more ESOL/FRL kids than the other schools, they're not so numerous that your (not at risk) kid is at risk of being ignored --

If it's that big a deal, spend $20-$30k more and live deep in the Vienna zone. I see a rambler on Dogwood + Center going for $485k.

(I live a block inside the Vienna zone, I may well be moved to the CP zone.)

[Anonymous]

whoops, meant to add after "ignored --" that "your kid and your interaction w/ your kid are far far far more important factors than whether you go to Vienna, Louise Archer, Wolftrap, or CP.