DD moving to Langley HS

[Anonymous]

Current Langley parent. Have never seen drugs, etc. I guess they are there, like any other HS, but your child has to go looking for it.

One thing to know ahead of time is that even though Langley has a good academic reputation, the actual level of instruction is quite poor. The teachers are dealing with lots of students and the crazy FCPS regulations this year about grading, amount of homework, etc. The amount of actual class time, actual instruction, is cut by about 40%. This is something any parent should be aware of. Langley has a good reputation because the parents supplement supplement supplement, not because the actual classes at Langley are any better than those at another FCPS Hugh school.

If your family can easily afford private, I might give it another year or transfer to another school. FCPS as a whole is a mess and will continue to be so for at least a few years.

Good luck OP!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Current Langley parent. Have never seen drugs, etc. I guess they are there, like any other HS, but your child has to go looking for it.

One thing to know ahead of time is that even though Langley has a good academic reputation, the actual level of instruction is quite poor. The teachers are dealing with lots of students and the crazy FCPS regulations this year about grading, amount of homework, etc. The amount of actual class time, actual instruction, is cut by about 40%. This is something any parent should be aware of. Langley has a good reputation because the parents supplement supplement supplement, not because the actual classes at Langley are any better than those at another FCPS Hugh school.

If your family can easily afford private, I might give it another year or transfer to another school. FCPS as a whole is a mess and will continue to be so for at least a few years.

Good luck OP!

FCPS as a whole sucks this year. I agree that I’d stay with private for another year if possible if they are in person.

Have you talked to parents with kids at other schools though? From what I can tell, the instruction at Langley this year has been much better than many other high schools in the area. I think parents at Langley get on the administration more to keep up the rigor and they respond.

That said - my kid isn’t learning much regardless. Distance learning just doesn’t work for certain kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Langley is a bubble of really well off kids but your DD is coming from a private so that should not be an issue.

The difference is really well off kids getting less attention and supervision than they’d get at a private.

Uh, no. Sorry. What a useless comment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Current Langley parent. Have never seen drugs, etc. I guess they are there, like any other HS, but your child has to go looking for it.

One thing to know ahead of time is that even though Langley has a good academic reputation, the actual level of instruction is quite poor. The teachers are dealing with lots of students and the crazy FCPS regulations this year about grading, amount of homework, etc. The amount of actual class time, actual instruction, is cut by about 40%. This is something any parent should be aware of. Langley has a good reputation because the parents supplement supplement supplement, not because the actual classes at Langley are any better than those at another FCPS Hugh school.

If your family can easily afford private, I might give it another year or transfer to another school. FCPS as a whole is a mess and will continue to be so for at least a few years.

Good luck OP!

DP. This is true for FCPS as a whole this year. In a normal year, the level of instruction at Langley is, for the most part, excellent.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Current Langley parent. Have never seen drugs, etc. I guess they are there, like any other HS, but your child has to go looking for it.

One thing to know ahead of time is that even though Langley has a good academic reputation, the actual level of instruction is quite poor. The teachers are dealing with lots of students and the crazy FCPS regulations this year about grading, amount of homework, etc. The amount of actual class time, actual instruction, is cut by about 40%. This is something any parent should be aware of. Langley has a good reputation because the parents supplement supplement supplement, not because the actual classes at Langley are any better than those at another FCPS Hugh school.

If your family can easily afford private, I might give it another year or transfer to another school. FCPS as a whole is a mess and will continue to be so for at least a few years.

Good luck OP!

I can't speak to a covid-year, but pre-covid we did the same as OP and moved a DS from a small private to Langley. It was a good move and necessary because DS wanted to play sports and take a language not offered by the private. Like all publics, Langley has a cross-section of children, from the very gifted to the IEP children. It does have drugs but our child chose to never participate and didn't hang out with that crowd. It does have expensive cars in the parking lot. our child took the bus. If you've raised a thoughtful responsible child, you have nothing to fear. It has an excellent theater department and music. There are over 20 AP courses for every discipline, which is very attractive to those parents whose child might be trying for elite privates and publics. College counseling was a little weak when we were there but I now realize I should have paid an outside consultant but that was deemed "cheating" back then. DS got into UVA and sailed through. All of our nation's colleges and universities know of Langley and Mclean (including my SLAC - not local and I checked with Admissions). I highly recommend it if you have a very strong student. Langley has more AP courses and goes deeper into the disciplines than any private can.

[Anonymous]

Meant to attack the wiki which talks about the AP courses. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Langley_High_School_(Fairfax_County,_Virginia)

[Anonymous]

I am considering buying into Langley area too so my kids can go there, but all those talks about Langley being a "rich" school makes me wonder if we are too poor to go there (I know it's public school, what I meant is whether my kids would fit in with other "rich" students in their class). My husband and I both work, are there lots of SAHM at Langaley? What would you say the average HHI is?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am considering buying into Langley area too so my kids can go there, but all those talks about Langley being a "rich" school makes me wonder if we are too poor to go there (I know it's public school, what I meant is whether my kids would fit in with other "rich" students in their class). My husband and I both work, are there lots of SAHM at Langaley? What would you say the average HHI is?

If you can afford to live there, you won’t be too poor for your kid to attend.

But if you’re worried about your kid attending a school with no poor kids or your kid not being able to afford the same things as the kids from the wealthier part of McLean or Great Falls, look in the McLean and Marshall districts instead. The academics are just as good and there is more diversity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am considering buying into Langley area too so my kids can go there, but all those talks about Langley being a "rich" school makes me wonder if we are too poor to go there (I know it's public school, what I meant is whether my kids would fit in with other "rich" students in their class). My husband and I both work, are there lots of SAHM at Langaley? What would you say the average HHI is?

If you can afford to live there, you won’t be too poor for your kid to attend.

But if you’re worried about your kid attending a school with no poor kids or your kid not being able to afford the same things as the kids from the wealthier part of McLean or Great Falls, look in the McLean and Marshall districts instead. The academics are just as good and there is more diversity.

Thank you! But I thought lots of the "wealthier parts" who are zoned to Langley send their kids to private schools? I just don't want my kids to feel poor (I felt poor when I was growing up). I just want my kids to "fit in", on par with his peers (besides academics), on things like sports, summer camps, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am considering buying into Langley area too so my kids can go there, but all those talks about Langley being a "rich" school makes me wonder if we are too poor to go there (I know it's public school, what I meant is whether my kids would fit in with other "rich" students in their class). My husband and I both work, are there lots of SAHM at Langaley? What would you say the average HHI is?

If you can afford to live there, you won’t be too poor for your kid to attend.

But if you’re worried about your kid attending a school with no poor kids or your kid not being able to afford the same things as the kids from the wealthier part of McLean or Great Falls, look in the McLean and Marshall districts instead. The academics are just as good and there is more diversity.

Thank you! But I thought lots of the "wealthier parts" who are zoned to Langley send their kids to private schools? I just don't want my kids to feel poor (I felt poor when I was growing up). I just want my kids to "fit in", on par with his peers (besides academics), on things like sports, summer camps, etc.

They do, especially the Langley families north of 123 in McLean.,

But I really don’t think other kids will make your kids feel poor unless you are the one who makes too much out of any disparities when it comes to clothes, vacations, etc. Otherwise kids roll with their families having different priorities, without over-analyzing what that may or may not say about their parents’ bank accounts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am considering buying into Langley area too so my kids can go there, but all those talks about Langley being a "rich" school makes me wonder if we are too poor to go there (I know it's public school, what I meant is whether my kids would fit in with other "rich" students in their class). My husband and I both work, are there lots of SAHM at Langaley? What would you say the average HHI is?

We are in the Langley area but our kids are still in ES. There are some SAHM, but just as many or more WOH moms, and I would guess even more are working when kids get to high school. There are quite a few federal employee families.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am considering buying into Langley area too so my kids can go there, but all those talks about Langley being a "rich" school makes me wonder if we are too poor to go there (I know it's public school, what I meant is whether my kids would fit in with other "rich" students in their class). My husband and I both work, are there lots of SAHM at Langaley? What would you say the average HHI is?

If you can afford to live there, you won’t be too poor for your kid to attend.

But if you’re worried about your kid attending a school with no poor kids or your kid not being able to afford the same things as the kids from the wealthier part of McLean or Great Falls, look in the McLean and Marshall districts instead. The academics are just as good and there is more diversity.

Thank you! But I thought lots of the "wealthier parts" who are zoned to Langley send their kids to private schools? I just don't want my kids to feel poor (I felt poor when I was growing up). I just want my kids to "fit in", on par with his peers (besides academics), on things like sports, summer camps, etc.

Langley has a huge boundary. It pulls from the houses that border sterling and the neighborhoods along route 7. While neither of those areas are poor, they aren’t rich either. A lot of the wealthier families in the boundary send their kids to expensive private schools for high school. There are a lot of working moms at Langley. If you can afford a house in the boundary, your kid should be fine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am considering buying into Langley area too so my kids can go there, but all those talks about Langley being a "rich" school makes me wonder if we are too poor to go there (I know it's public school, what I meant is whether my kids would fit in with other "rich" students in their class). My husband and I both work, are there lots of SAHM at Langaley? What would you say the average HHI is?

Our kids attend Langley and we aren’t especially “rich.” I’m a SAHM (who drives a minivan), as are many of the other moms. We live in Great Falls in a normal house. My kids’ friends run the gamut from other normal families/houses, to beautiful homes, to townhouses - no one cares or talks about that. There is a stereotype of all Langley students being from ultra-wealthy families, which just isn’t true. Some are, sure. But the vast majority are just normal (for this area) kids. I have no idea what the average HHI is. It always seems like the people who fixate on that don’t even have kids there. I can’t remember ever discussing personal wealth with any fellow Langley parents, in our 12+ years there. There is also a ton of ethnic diversity at Langley, contrary to what the haters will tell you. It’s like a mini UN.

I always find it funny that some people who complain Langley is “too rich” decide to send their kids to private instead. Hello?!?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am considering buying into Langley area too so my kids can go there, but all those talks about Langley being a "rich" school makes me wonder if we are too poor to go there (I know it's public school, what I meant is whether my kids would fit in with other "rich" students in their class). My husband and I both work, are there lots of SAHM at Langaley? What would you say the average HHI is?

If you can afford to live there, you won’t be too poor for your kid to attend.

But if you’re worried about your kid attending a school with no poor kids or your kid not being able to afford the same things as the kids from the wealthier part of McLean or Great Falls, look in the McLean and Marshall districts instead. The academics are just as good and there is more diversity.

Thank you! But I thought lots of the "wealthier parts" who are zoned to Langley send their kids to private schools? I just don't want my kids to feel poor (I felt poor when I was growing up). I just want my kids to "fit in", on par with his peers (besides academics), on things like sports, summer camps, etc.

They do, especially the Langley families north of 123 in McLean.,

But I really don’t think other kids will make your kids feel poor unless you are the one who makes too much out of any disparities when it comes to clothes, vacations, etc. Otherwise kids roll with their families having different priorities, without over-analyzing what that may or may not say about their parents’ bank accounts.

+100
Exactly this. Just be yourself.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am considering buying into Langley area too so my kids can go there, but all those talks about Langley being a "rich" school makes me wonder if we are too poor to go there (I know it's public school, what I meant is whether my kids would fit in with other "rich" students in their class). My husband and I both work, are there lots of SAHM at Langaley? What would you say the average HHI is?

If you can afford to live there, you won’t be too poor for your kid to attend.

But if you’re worried about your kid attending a school with no poor kids or your kid not being able to afford the same things as the kids from the wealthier part of McLean or Great Falls, look in the McLean and Marshall districts instead. The academics are just as good and there is more diversity.

Thank you! But I thought lots of the "wealthier parts" who are zoned to Langley send their kids to private schools? I just don't want my kids to feel poor (I felt poor when I was growing up). I just want my kids to "fit in", on par with his peers (besides academics), on things like sports, summer camps, etc.

I was a poor kid growing up. We live in one of the wealthier areas of Langley and have a seven figure income. Our immediate neighborhood is definitely filled with rich kids. Many go to private school. Our elementary school definitely has children from more modest financial backgrounds. DCUM seems to always come back to the lack of diversity and FARMs. In actuality, just because you don’t qualify for free lunch does not make you rich. You will find military and fed families. I was surprised to hear some parents look for cheaper camps or one mom said her daughter could choose one camp for the entire summer. My kids are still fairly young and dress for comfort. Parking lot is definitely full of luxury cars but we are in elementary. Kids aren’t driving.