Robinson or Marshall for IB?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:New poster here. OP, if you're still reading:

Unless a poster can speak from real knowledge about both programs -- and only some parent who had had kids in each of those schools could truly do so -- I don't see how you'll get much useful comparison in a forum like this. You'll get what you've gotten so far (mostly) -- either "my kid's school is better" or "that other school (which my kid doesn't attend) is in a terrible location/has bad rankings" etc. It's not going to help you assess the details of how each school actually runs this curriculum.

My DC goes to Marshall and wanted to be pupil placed there to do IB (opted out of the assigned HS which is not an IB school). I could talk about our experiences there, which have been excellent so far, but I can't tell you a thing about Robinson's IB program, or how it's regarded, or how well students or parents like it. Nor could a parent of a Robinson IB student tell you about Marshall. You're going to get posts just saying "Marshall is better" or "Robinson is better" with those "better" ratings based on knowledge of only one of the two schools.

Are you at very early stages, house-hunting for a kid who is nowhere near HS age right now? Or do you figure on moving soon because you have a kid who is getting close to HS and you want IB? It's hard to advise because as PP notes, if this involves a move, you need to look at work commutes, school commutes, neighborhoods, housing in those areas, etc., not just at IB at each school. I hope you're also aware that you can do an academic placement into the nearest IB school if you are zoned for an FCPS HS that does not offer IB--you are required to provide transportation if you pupil-place (no bus for your kid) and you have to renew the placement each year, which some on DCUM will say is a risk "because schools are full and closed to transfers" -- but never have I heard of anyone who pupil-placed losing a slot once they're in a new HS, for either IB or AP. So pupil placement is an option, as well as moving to an IB school's catchment area.

Anyway, it may be more useful for you to visit both schools (just, please, not here in the first weeks of the year!). I know Marshall has two IB information nights, fall and spring, aimed at middle school students and their parents; Robinson may have something similar; I strongly recommend that you attend those nights at both schools, to get a feel for the program, as well as how it's presented at each school.

Coordinators will probably stay to talk to you afterward. Maybe set up a meeting with coordinators. Look for things like whether the coordinators and teachers can explain the program clearly and whether they are frank about the downsides of IB as well as its positives. Ask for specific examples of how an IB class at each school differs from an honors, a general ed and an AP class in the same subject -- don't be afraid to ask that question; they should be able to answer it with examples. Ask about how students choose their advisers for their Extended Essay; find out how the school schedules its Theory of Knowledge seminars (which are required for the IB diploma).

Consider visiting a PTA meeting -- contact the PTA in advance and ask if parents can talk to you about IB.

I would like to clarify two things posted by others above that are specific to Marshall but are about the school, nothing to do with its IB program.

First, work on 66 or the Beltway etc. really does not affect Marshall. The link that one poster gave was for a dispute about a bike trail along 66 outside the Beltway and has zero impact on Marshall or commuting to Marshall. I've worked in and driven around the Marshall area for years and never found any impact from work on I-66. Unless you pick up your kid frequently at, say, evening rush, and you're taking the Beltway or always going directly past Tysons Corner Mall -- there isn't much Beltway impact either. I would not let some fear of road works affect this choice at all.

Second, someone mentioned Pimmit Hills, a neighborhood that is home to many Marshall students. It's an old area with varying incomes and varying quality of housing. That's all. It's one part of Marshall's catchment area. Marshall's boundaries go all the way over to Vienna and somewhat toward Falls Church, so you have a lot of choice of areas in which to live.

Oh, and OP -- good for you for your interest in IB. Don't let the inevitable DCUM IB haters dissuade you. There is a very vocal contingent of posters on DCUM who jump into any IB discussion only to bash it; they seem to know nothing about its academics. Focus on what you want from your house, commute and school overall as well as IB and you probably cannot go wrong with either Marshall or Robinson.

very well written

[Anonymous]

Go with Robinson. Less drama and better community support among the entire school community.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:New poster here. OP, if you're still reading:

Unless a poster can speak from real knowledge about both programs -- and only some parent who had had kids in each of those schools could truly do so -- I don't see how you'll get much useful comparison in a forum like this. You'll get what you've gotten so far (mostly) -- either "my kid's school is better" or "that other school (which my kid doesn't attend) is in a terrible location/has bad rankings" etc. It's not going to help you assess the details of how each school actually runs this curriculum.

My DC goes to Marshall and wanted to be pupil placed there to do IB (opted out of the assigned HS which is not an IB school). I could talk about our experiences there, which have been excellent so far, but I can't tell you a thing about Robinson's IB program, or how it's regarded, or how well students or parents like it. Nor could a parent of a Robinson IB student tell you about Marshall. You're going to get posts just saying "Marshall is better" or "Robinson is better" with those "better" ratings based on knowledge of only one of the two schools.

Are you at very early stages, house-hunting for a kid who is nowhere near HS age right now? Or do you figure on moving soon because you have a kid who is getting close to HS and you want IB? It's hard to advise because as PP notes, if this involves a move, you need to look at work commutes, school commutes, neighborhoods, housing in those areas, etc., not just at IB at each school. I hope you're also aware that you can do an academic placement into the nearest IB school if you are zoned for an FCPS HS that does not offer IB--you are required to provide transportation if you pupil-place (no bus for your kid) and you have to renew the placement each year, which some on DCUM will say is a risk "because schools are full and closed to transfers" -- but never have I heard of anyone who pupil-placed losing a slot once they're in a new HS, for either IB or AP. So pupil placement is an option, as well as moving to an IB school's catchment area.

Anyway, it may be more useful for you to visit both schools (just, please, not here in the first weeks of the year!). I know Marshall has two IB information nights, fall and spring, aimed at middle school students and their parents; Robinson may have something similar; I strongly recommend that you attend those nights at both schools, to get a feel for the program, as well as how it's presented at each school.

Coordinators will probably stay to talk to you afterward. Maybe set up a meeting with coordinators. Look for things like whether the coordinators and teachers can explain the program clearly and whether they are frank about the downsides of IB as well as its positives. Ask for specific examples of how an IB class at each school differs from an honors, a general ed and an AP class in the same subject -- don't be afraid to ask that question; they should be able to answer it with examples. Ask about how students choose their advisers for their Extended Essay; find out how the school schedules its Theory of Knowledge seminars (which are required for the IB diploma).

Consider visiting a PTA meeting -- contact the PTA in advance and ask if parents can talk to you about IB.

I would like to clarify two things posted by others above that are specific to Marshall but are about the school, nothing to do with its IB program.

First, work on 66 or the Beltway etc. really does not affect Marshall. The link that one poster gave was for a dispute about a bike trail along 66 outside the Beltway and has zero impact on Marshall or commuting to Marshall. I've worked in and driven around the Marshall area for years and never found any impact from work on I-66. Unless you pick up your kid frequently at, say, evening rush, and you're taking the Beltway or always going directly past Tysons Corner Mall -- there isn't much Beltway impact either. I would not let some fear of road works affect this choice at all.

Second, someone mentioned Pimmit Hills, a neighborhood that is home to many Marshall students. It's an old area with varying incomes and varying quality of housing. That's all. It's one part of Marshall's catchment area. Marshall's boundaries go all the way over to Vienna and somewhat toward Falls Church, so you have a lot of choice of areas in which to live.

Oh, and OP -- good for you for your interest in IB. Don't let the inevitable DCUM IB haters dissuade you. There is a very vocal contingent of posters on DCUM who jump into any IB discussion only to bash it; they seem to know nothing about its academics. Focus on what you want from your house, commute and school overall as well as IB and you probably cannot go wrong with either Marshall or Robinson.

Madison capped pupil placements last year so that the pupil placements accepted did not exceed the pupil placements out of Madison. I've also read here that some Marshall families wanting to pupil place to McLean for AP were told McLean was closed and Falls Church was their AP option.

With increasing enrollments at Marshall and other nearby schools, it will always be safer to buy a house in an IB district if you want IB, or in an AP district if you want AP. That may be less of an issue in the Robinson/Lake Braddock/West Springfield area, as those schools have more capacity and also haven't seen the same level of growth.

[Anonymous]

As one of the "IB bashers", I want to point out that I don't dispute the need for IB in the school system. What I dispute is the large number of IB schools in an area of Fairfax that serves many low income students. If NW Fairfax only needs one IB school, SW Fairfax needs only one IB school, NE Fairfax only needs one IB school, SE Fairfax should also have only one IB school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As one of the "IB bashers", I want to point out that I don't dispute the need for IB in the school system. What I dispute is the large number of IB schools in an area of Fairfax that serves many low income students. If NW Fairfax only needs one IB school, SW Fairfax needs only one IB school, NE Fairfax only needs one IB school, SE Fairfax should also have only one IB school.

To be fair, though, that's more relevant to whether FCPS really needs IB at Stuart/Annandale/Lee/Edison/Mt. Vernon, and OP is asking about Marshall and Robinson.

Marshall and Robinson have stronger programs because they are surrounded by AP schools that can supply pupil placed kids to help achieve critical mass. In Marshall's case, it gets PPs from Langley, McLean, Madison and Falls Church. In Robinson's case, it gets PPs from Woodson, Fairfax, Lake Braddock, Centreville and other schools. The schools in SE Fairfax have a smaller base of kids equipped to handle IB, and then fewer AP schools nearby to supply additional students.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As one of the "IB bashers", I want to point out that I don't dispute the need for IB in the school system. What I dispute is the large number of IB schools in an area of Fairfax that serves many low income students. If NW Fairfax only needs one IB school, SW Fairfax needs only one IB school, NE Fairfax only needs one IB school, SE Fairfax should also have only one IB school.

To be fair, though, that's more relevant to whether FCPS really needs IB at Stuart/Annandale/Lee/Edison/Mt. Vernon, and OP is asking about Marshall and Robinson.

Marshall and Robinson have stronger programs because they are surrounded by AP schools that can supply pupil placed kids to help achieve critical mass. In Marshall's case, it gets PPs from Langley, McLean, Madison and Falls Church. In Robinson's case, it gets PPs from Woodson, Fairfax, Lake Braddock, Centreville and other schools. The schools in SE Fairfax have a smaller base of kids equipped to handle IB, and then fewer AP schools nearby to supply additional students.

I was just responding to the person who asked why it took so long for an IB hater to come on board. I agree with you on your assessment of Marshall and Robinson. Which also proves the point that if SE Fairfax has a smaller base of kids equipped to handle IB and a smaller number of IB participants, they should easily be able to reduce the number of IB schools there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Go with Robinson. Less drama and better community support among the entire school community.

What does this even mean? What "drama" would you be avoiding at Marshall?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Go with Robinson. Less drama and better community support among the entire school community.

What does this even mean? What "drama" would you be avoiding at Marshall?

You'd be 'avoiding' one of the best HS theatre programs in FCPS - maybe that's what she's getting at?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Go with Robinson. Less drama and better community support among the entire school community.

What does this even mean? What "drama" would you be avoiding at Marshall?

You'd be 'avoiding' one of the best HS theatre programs in FCPS - maybe that's what she's getting at?

TBH, the extra-curriculars at Marshall aren't very good, apart from the DECA program.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Go with Robinson. Less drama and better community support among the entire school community.

What does this even mean? What "drama" would you be avoiding at Marshall?

You'd be 'avoiding' one of the best HS theatre programs in FCPS - maybe that's what she's getting at?

TBH, the extra-curriculars at Marshall aren't very good, apart from the DECA program.

Do you have a child currently attending Marshall, PP? Did your child do IB? Can you speak to that, which is what OP was asking?
If not, why weigh in like this? OP's kid might love the ECs on offer at either school even if you had a kid who didn't. And it's not relevant to the original question.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Go with Robinson. Less drama and better community support among the entire school community.

What does this even mean? What "drama" would you be avoiding at Marshall?

You'd be 'avoiding' one of the best HS theatre programs in FCPS - maybe that's what she's getting at?

TBH, the extra-curriculars at Marshall aren't very good, apart from the DECA program.

Do you have a child currently attending Marshall, PP? Did your child do IB? Can you speak to that, which is what OP was asking?
If not, why weigh in like this? OP's kid might love the ECs on offer at either school even if you had a kid who didn't. And it's not relevant to the original question.

I thought OP might be interested in other perspectives. If you think Marshall's theatre program is good, how about evidence of all the Cappies Marshall has won compared to Robinson, West Potomac, Fairfax, etc.

[Anonymous]

Is there some reason why we have to nitpick these two schools? They both have very good reputations regarding their IB schools. Why would anyone move to one or the other just because of IB?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is there some reason why we have to nitpick these two schools? They both have very good reputations regarding their IB schools. Why would anyone move to one or the other just because of IB?

This. These are the best in the county for this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is there some reason why we have to nitpick these two schools? They both have very good reputations regarding their IB schools. Why would anyone move to one or the other just because of IB?

This. These are the best in the county for this.

Exactly. At that point it's house and commute making the decision.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is there some reason why we have to nitpick these two schools? They both have very good reputations regarding their IB schools. Why would anyone move to one or the other just because of IB?

This. These are the best in the county for this.

Exactly. At that point it's house and commute making the decision.

It seems like OP would have mentioned the commute if that was an issue.