Best small(ish) middle schools in FCPS

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Avoid Franklin MS. My kid hated it. If you are near the area, try Rachel Carson instead. They have both AAP, and non AAP program. Seriously, don’t go to Franklin middle school, very much overrated. None of the teachers actually care, and the kids are really mean. Happy to be leaving!

+1. People may like that school, but it was just not for our kid. If you have the option to, then go to Rachel! My first born went there and my 2nd kid went to Franklin. We found the experience at Rachel way better. Like the post above said, they have aap and non aap, and offer algebra 2.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Avoid Franklin MS. My kid hated it. If you are near the area, try Rachel Carson instead. They have both AAP, and non AAP program. Seriously, don’t go to Franklin middle school, very much overrated. None of the teachers actually care, and the kids are really mean. Happy to be leaving!

Wow, this is the opposite of the experience all four of my children who went to Franklin had there. Two of my four children had the same history, science, math, and English teachers in seventh grade, and they were outstanding. Both of those kids loved those teachers and they both said their seventh grade science and English teachers were two of the best teachers they had through all of their school years. We only experienced one Franklin teacher who seemed not to care, as well as one who basically taught nothing in that class, but we otherwise were very impressed with the school.

[Anonymous]

Everyone I know that has kids at Franklin loves it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Everyone I know that has kids at Franklin loves it.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Avoid Franklin MS. My kid hated it. If you are near the area, try Rachel Carson instead. They have both AAP, and non AAP program. Seriously, don’t go to Franklin middle school, very much overrated. None of the teachers actually care, and the kids are really mean. Happy to be leaving!

+1. People may like that school, but it was just not for our kid. If you have the option to, then go to Rachel! My first born went there and my 2nd kid went to Franklin. We found the experience at Rachel way better. Like the post above said, they have aap and non aap, and offer algebra 2.

I don't understand why anyone would recommend Carson to the OP when the OP specifically asked about small(ish) middle schools. Carson is huge.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Avoid Franklin MS. My kid hated it. If you are near the area, try Rachel Carson instead. They have both AAP, and non AAP program. Seriously, don’t go to Franklin middle school, very much overrated. None of the teachers actually care, and the kids are really mean. Happy to be leaving!

+1. People may like that school, but it was just not for our kid. If you have the option to, then go to Rachel! My first born went there and my 2nd kid went to Franklin. We found the experience at Rachel way better. Like the post above said, they have aap and non aap, and offer algebra 2.

I don't understand why anyone would recommend Carson to the OP when the OP specifically asked about small(ish) middle schools. Carson is huge.

None of them are really small… If you do want small, then i’m aware Franklin has around 800. You could try there, but my child didn’t really have a good experience.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Avoid Franklin MS. My kid hated it. If you are near the area, try Rachel Carson instead. They have both AAP, and non AAP program. Seriously, don’t go to Franklin middle school, very much overrated. None of the teachers actually care, and the kids are really mean. Happy to be leaving!

+1. People may like that school, but it was just not for our kid. If you have the option to, then go to Rachel! My first born went there and my 2nd kid went to Franklin. We found the experience at Rachel way better. Like the post above said, they have aap and non aap, and offer algebra 2.

I don't understand why anyone would recommend Carson to the OP when the OP specifically asked about small(ish) middle schools. Carson is huge.

None of them are really small… If you do want small, then i’m aware Franklin has around 800. You could try there, but my child didn’t really have a good experience.

Stone, Franklin, and Whitman are much smaller than the mega-schools, which includes Carson and Lake Braddock.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Everyone I know that has kids at Franklin loves it.

+1

+1 more

[Anonymous]

I would avoid Braddock, because of 7-12 is a huge age range, and they don’t separate the middle schoolers from the high schoolers well enough (kids have to walk through high school to get to cafeteria).

Robinson is also 7-12 but they do a better job of keeping middle and high school apart (because of the design of the building).

I think the rest of the schools are going to have pluses and minuses and you should include the high school in your assessment as well.

[Anonymous]

My kids have been super happy at Longfellow. It’s big, but the teachers are great and the kids are very focused on doing well in school

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kids have been super happy at Longfellow. It’s big, but the teachers are great and the kids are very focused on doing well in school

My kid is entering 7th at Longfellow and worries about the environment in terms of kids being polluted in the mind. She doesn't like being around kids with dirty minds. I'm banking on rigorous academics at Longfellow so there isn't much time to socialize...might be wishful thinking though since it's still middle school. What was your Longfellow experience?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kids have been super happy at Longfellow. It’s big, but the teachers are great and the kids are very focused on doing well in school

My kid is entering 7th at Longfellow and worries about the environment in terms of kids being polluted in the mind. She doesn't like being around kids with dirty minds. I'm banking on rigorous academics at Longfellow so there isn't much time to socialize...might be wishful thinking though since it's still middle school. What was your Longfellow experience?

My oldest loved it- and she’s pretty nerdy. She did mention the dirty jokes and just general raucous humor, but it never bothered her. (I think targeted or hurtful humor was pretty rare, but that did really bother her when it happened). She was very busy and academic focused at school, but not everyone was. Definitely a positive experience that did include some learning to tolerate things she didn’t love.