Seeking advice on Fairfax County Public High Schools

[Anonymous]

I am an officer with the State Department returning this summer for a two year DC assignment. We are trying to identify good public school options and have been looking at Fairfax County (though we're open to others within the Beltway). Ideally, we want a [relatively] smaller school with good to great teacher connections. We have one daughter who needs extra 'encouragement' to stay on a positive academic path (and may actually qualify for an IEP for certain issues). Anyone have any suggestions/recommendations/input? Many thanks!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am an officer with the State Department returning this summer for a two year DC assignment. We are trying to identify good public school options and have been looking at Fairfax County (though we're open to others within the Beltway). Ideally, we want a [relatively] smaller school with good to great teacher connections. We have one daughter who needs extra 'encouragement' to stay on a positive academic path (and may actually qualify for an IEP for certain issues). Anyone have any suggestions/recommendations/input? Many thanks!

My recommendation would be Falls Church. It's a smaller school, they care about the kids, and they deal with students with diverse needs. Second choice would probably be Marshall.

[Anonymous]

I think George Mason in Falls Church city has many state kids, my second pick would be marshall.

[Anonymous]

I have two children at McLean HS. One is special needs (LD) at McLean and have been quite pleased with the services and the school. They have been very responsive and proactive. It is something we were not used to at the MS level.

They also have tons of experience with State Department students transferring in and out.

[Anonymous]

We love Robinson Secondary. It is a big school with a small feel to it. The new principal is awesome.

[Anonymous]

FCPS teachers have no passion! Your children will never come home to tell you something exciting they learned in school today. They will never come home and tell you about the intrigue, drama, and betrayal in Hamlet, Macbeth, or Julius Caesar. They will never come home and tell you their teacher dramatically read an excerpt from a play or a speech.

They will never come home and tell you about some strange event in history like the fact that George Washington blundered so badly that he just about single-handily cause the French and Indian War but the somehow managed to become perhaps the greatest man in U.S. History. Or that their history teachers have interesting props in class.

They will never come home and tell you about some great science experiment they did in class. Our how some strange and interesting science biological, chemical or geological event changed live on earth.

Nine days out of ten FCPS put there students in groups and the noise coming from the classrooms is just the sound of dull prolonged ache. FCPS teachers seldom if every lecture. They never tell interesting and fun stories about the content they are teaching.

FCPS teachers have no passion for their subject matter so it's impossible for them to inspire their students.

FCPS teachers are disengaged and it comes as no surprise their students are as well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:FCPS teachers have no passion! Your children will never come home to tell you something exciting they learned in school today. They will never come home and tell you about the intrigue, drama, and betrayal in Hamlet, Macbeth, or Julius Caesar. They will never come home and tell you their teacher dramatically read an excerpt from a play or a speech.

They will never come home and tell you about some strange event in history like the fact that George Washington blundered so badly that he just about single-handily cause the French and Indian War but the somehow managed to become perhaps the greatest man in U.S. History. Or that their history teachers have interesting props in class.

They will never come home and tell you about some great science experiment they did in class. Our how some strange and interesting science biological, chemical or geological event changed live on earth.

Nine days out of ten FCPS put there students in groups and the noise coming from the classrooms is just the sound of dull prolonged ache. FCPS teachers seldom if every lecture. They never tell interesting and fun stories about the content they are teaching.

FCPS teachers have no passion for their subject matter so it's impossible for them to inspire their students.

FCPS teachers are disengaged and it comes as no surprise their students are as well.

Back again?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:FCPS teachers have no passion! Your children will never come home to tell you something exciting they learned in school today. They will never come home and tell you about the intrigue, drama, and betrayal in Hamlet, Macbeth, or Julius Caesar. They will never come home and tell you their teacher dramatically read an excerpt from a play or a speech.

They will never come home and tell you about some strange event in history like the fact that George Washington blundered so badly that he just about single-handily cause the French and Indian War but the somehow managed to become perhaps the greatest man in U.S. History. Or that their history teachers have interesting props in class.

They will never come home and tell you about some great science experiment they did in class. Our how some strange and interesting science biological, chemical or geological event changed live on earth.

Nine days out of ten FCPS put there students in groups and the noise coming from the classrooms is just the sound of dull prolonged ache. FCPS teachers seldom if every lecture. They never tell interesting and fun stories about the content they are teaching.

FCPS teachers have no passion for their subject matter so it's impossible for them to inspire their students.

FCPS teachers are disengaged and it comes as no surprise their students are as well.

Back again?

It's that time of the month for her, you know - the period when her private school tuition comes due.

[Anonymous]

So show me I'm wrong. Tell me about the last time your child came home from school excited about something brand new and exciting they had learned. Tell me about the last time they came home with an amazed look on their faces about something so strange, interestings and funny they couldn't wait to tell you about it!

Forget it! It doesn't happen!

FCPS teachers an not fun, interesting, or excited because they barely speak to the students and they have NO PASSION for the subjects they teach.

When I went to school every teacher in every subject claimed their subject was the most import one taught in school and everyday they tried to demonstrate how what they were teaching us impacted our lives. They connected every single subject with something in the 20th Century.

They could be funny, dramatic, silly, and serious, but they were always something.

I've admit I have long feared the Zombie Apocalypse. I've always known it would come, but not in my wildest dreams did I ever imagine it would begin with teachers in FCPS and then have the contagion spread world-wide by our own children once they leave for college. However, now that I think of it, it really is a masterful plan. Remove the joy of learning from teachers in an overrated school system. Infect the students who will attend the best colleges in the country. When they arrive they will be woefully unprepared, but gradually this will become the national norm.

The U.S. will lose its position of international dominance and gradually Finland grow to RULE the WORLD!

[Anonymous]

Hello fellow DoS colleague I am in the same boat with you, only my DD already has an IEP. Had it since she was 8 years old. We lived abroad throughout her middle school.

She attends George Marshall HS. Sure, that school seems large but we found her teachers to be pretty together. When she started struggling with geometry, she got recommendations for tutors right away. Overall, they've been pretty on top of the whole situation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So show me I'm wrong. Tell me about the last time your child came home from school excited about something brand new and exciting they had learned. Tell me about the last time they came home with an amazed look on their faces about something so strange, interestings and funny they couldn't wait to tell you about it!

Forget it! It doesn't happen!

FCPS teachers an not fun, interesting, or excited because they barely speak to the students and they have NO PASSION for the subjects they teach.

When I went to school every teacher in every subject claimed their subject was the most import one taught in school and everyday they tried to demonstrate how what they were teaching us impacted our lives. They connected every single subject with something in the 20th Century.

They could be funny, dramatic, silly, and serious, but they were always something.

I've admit I have long feared the Zombie Apocalypse. I've always known it would come, but not in my wildest dreams did I ever imagine it would begin with teachers in FCPS and then have the contagion spread world-wide by our own children once they leave for college. However, now that I think of it, it really is a masterful plan. Remove the joy of learning from teachers in an overrated school system. Infect the students who will attend the best colleges in the country. When they arrive they will be woefully unprepared, but gradually this will become the national norm.

The U.S. will lose its position of international dominance and gradually Finland grow to RULE the WORLD!

Man who masturbate only screwing self.
- Confucius say

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So show me I'm wrong. Tell me about the last time your child came home from school excited about something brand new and exciting they had learned. Tell me about the last time they came home with an amazed look on their faces about something so strange, interestings and funny they couldn't wait to tell you about it!

Forget it! It doesn't happen!

FCPS teachers an not fun, interesting, or excited because they barely speak to the students and they have NO PASSION for the subjects they teach.

When I went to school every teacher in every subject claimed their subject was the most import one taught in school and everyday they tried to demonstrate how what they were teaching us impacted our lives. They connected every single subject with something in the 20th Century.

They could be funny, dramatic, silly, and serious, but they were always something.

I've admit I have long feared the Zombie Apocalypse. I've always known it would come, but not in my wildest dreams did I ever imagine it would begin with teachers in FCPS and then have the contagion spread world-wide by our own children once they leave for college. However, now that I think of it, it really is a masterful plan. Remove the joy of learning from teachers in an overrated school system. Infect the students who will attend the best colleges in the country. When they arrive they will be woefully unprepared, but gradually this will become the national norm.

The U.S. will lose its position of international dominance and gradually Finland grow to RULE the WORLD!

Maybe your kid is the problem. You can't seriously lump all teachers in a huge county into one category. You aren't that dull are you? Or maybe you are and so is your kid!

[Anonymous]

If you want the smaller high school with lots of Foreign Service kids, I would choose Falls Church City schools as one of the previous posters mentioned. We are also Foreign Service but choose the McLean High School pyramid. We needed the AAP program for the younger years (which we've gotten to an extent but I'm not sure it's really that advanced compared to what we were doing overseas, but that's another topic). Love the neighborhood feel and although we haven't started at McLean High School yet, I've heard great things about it (although class size is probably larger that Falls Church City schools).

[Anonymous]

I would pick an IB school like Marshall because it will help with international schools

[Anonymous]

They all get great ratings but...