MCPS versus Northern Virginia

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you have the income/cash, buy in McLean. Churchill, Spring Hill or Chesterbrooke and your child will be well challenged. Haycock is also a good option with cheaper housing, but the average income and test scores of the kids is lower than the big three McLean schools.

Thank you for the advice. We'll definitely look into those three schools.

[Anonymous]

Haycock scores are better or the same. You also get access to Metro. We prefer to have some strivers in our kids' classes than the richy rich. More intellectual phd type of families at Haycock than the real estate/sales wealth of other schools.

Anonymous wrote:If you have the income/cash, buy in McLean. Churchill, Spring Hill or Chesterbrooke and your child will be well challenged. Haycock is also a good option with cheaper housing, but the average income and test scores of the kids is lower than the big three McLean schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Fairfax AND Arlington counties are superb.

Arlington gets dwarfed by the larger population of Fairfax posters on this board--but it is superb. I grew up in Fairfax County---elem-High School--and I chose Arlington County for my kids. If you like a more personal feel and a much smaller county size where results are seen and heard--Arlington may be better for you. Also-closer to DC if that is important.

The problem with Arlington (at least North Arlington) when we looked was that the housing inventory was so limited. The prices on cracker boxes that need to be demolished were out of sight, worse than Bethesda prices. South Arlington is much better but the Wakefield district gets slammed on this board. Whether that's warranted, I don't know.

Well, that tells you something about hte schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Haycock scores are better or the same. You also get access to Metro. We prefer to have some strivers in our kids' classes than the richy rich. More intellectual phd type of families at Haycock than the real estate/sales wealth of other schools.

Anonymous wrote:If you have the income/cash, buy in McLean. Churchill, Spring Hill or Chesterbrooke and your child will be well challenged. Haycock is also a good option with cheaper housing, but the average income and test scores of the kids is lower than the big three McLean schools.

For MCPS, there is this website mdreportcard.org where you see the test scores for each school. Is there a similar website for Fairfax schools?

[Anonymous]

yes. School profiles. They are very detailed. http://commweb.fcps.edu/schoolprofile/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:yes. School profiles. They are very detailed. http://commweb.fcps.edu/schoolprofile/

Thank you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Haycock scores are better or the same. You also get access to Metro. We prefer to have some strivers in our kids' classes than the richy rich. More intellectual phd type of families at Haycock than the real estate/sales wealth of other schools.

Anonymous wrote:If you have the income/cash, buy in McLean. Churchill, Spring Hill or Chesterbrooke and your child will be well challenged. Haycock is also a good option with cheaper housing, but the average income and test scores of the kids is lower than the big three McLean schools.

There difference is that Haycock has an AAP center. In theory, Haycock's scores should be through the roof.

[Anonymous]

Both Haycock and Churchill Rd are AAP center schools. Looking at the advance pass rates they are very similar with maybe a slight edge to Haycock. Not sure why the PP would state Haycock is lower than the other three McLean schools. If anything, the advance pass scores at Haycock are slightly higher.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: is lower than the big three McLean schools.

The BIG THREE. This I have NEVER heard of. It's like you are talking about the private schools around here. Fairfax county schools have historically been ranked high in our nation. Fact.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: is lower than the big three McLean schools.

The BIG THREE. This I have NEVER heard of. It's like you are talking about the private schools around here. Fairfax county schools have historically been ranked high in our nation. Fact.

There are some phrases that get used about local public high schools - the "three Ws" in MoCo (Whitman, Wootton and Winston Churchill) and the "top five" in Fairfax (Langley, McLean, Woodson, Madison and Oakton).

But it sounds as if this poster is trying to coin a phrase by referring to "the big three" McLean elementary schools. I've never seen or heard this anywhere else.