Top Elementary Schools in Fairfax County

[Anonymous]

Plus, if you are both working in D.C. Then you need to keep child care in mind and what to do or who will pick up when you get the call from the clinic with a sick/injured child, or the child wants to do after school activities that may start before you can get there especially if hung up in traffic. It's a different world once they get involved in activities in school. I don't mean to scare you but others have made good comments in terms of really narrowing down what is important. The greatest school in Fairfax according to someone may not be a good fit for what you want or can afford, but there are great schools all over and you can find the right fit. Another point, kids do survive changing schools so if it doesn't work now, it's not the end of the world to transfer if your move comes later.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What about Arlington?

The only good pyramid is Yorktown the rest have high FARMS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DH has a point....if you put the $$$ into a mortgage, you might get the money back when you sell, presuming the kids get the same education.

West Springfield has some issues...at least it did 15 years ago, when I was buying, west springfield had the mixing bowl construction and issues around springfield mall. We ended up in Vienna. (that worked out well, as my (same) job moved from Arlington to Tysons, back to arlington, and now to reston.

That is not West Springfield. The mall and mixing bowl area is Springfield proper. Totally different ballgame than West Springfield.

West Springfield is lumped in with Burke, and starts roughly at Rolling Rd.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What about Arlington?

The only good pyramid is Yorktown the rest have high FARMS.

And Lord knows we don't want to have to mix with the poors! Ick!!!

[Anonymous]

I agree that it's nice to be able to get home sooner for kids in elementary school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What about Arlington?

The only good pyramid is Yorktown the rest have high FARMS.

And Lord knows we don't want to have to mix with the poors! Ick!!!

High farms take away resources and lower the academic standard for the school. Nothing against the less fortunate but if I am paying a million and a 1/2 for a house I want good schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What about Arlington?

The only good pyramid is Yorktown the rest have high FARMS.

And Lord knows we don't want to have to mix with the poors! Ick!!!

High farms take away resources and lower the academic standard for the school. Nothing against the less fortunate but if I am paying a million and a 1/2 for a house I want good schools.

The insinuation about Arlington schools here is baloney, but over the past few months some Fairfax County parents have been saying Arlington schools are "scary" and that Yorktown is no better than a mediocre Fairfax County high school. The reality is that schools/school pyramids with roughly 20-30% FARMS are some of the most popular in Arlington. Families keep paying 1.5 million to live in these neighborhoods and the schools keep growing so I wouldn't worry about the the FARMS rates or low academic standards. The two N Arlington high schools will be %150 over capacity in a few years because of all the kids. This year Arlington has 4 National Merit Finalists and around 20 semifinalists, and the majority of those kids are not from the Yorktown district... Btw, Wakefield HS in South Arlington is 40% FARMS, below the 50% threshold some people on this forum state.

In Fairfax County, I wonder why the Greatschools boosters don't come out and support Luther Jackson MS which has usually been an 8 or 9. It has an AAP center, and is below 40% FARMS. All I ever hear are rumors about gangs and violence, which are unfounded. Anyway, the OP asked about FCPS, so I don't know why Arlington had to get dragged into this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What about Arlington?

The only good pyramid is Yorktown the rest have high FARMS.

And Lord knows we don't want to have to mix with the poors! Ick!!!

High farms take away resources and lower the academic standard for the school. Nothing against the less fortunate but if I am paying a million and a 1/2 for a house I want good schools.

Having high FARMS doesn't necessarily mean that academic standards are lower. Some FARMS families have just one parent working, but academics are a top priority, and the kids do well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What about Arlington?

The only good pyramid is Yorktown the rest have high FARMS.

And Lord knows we don't want to have to mix with the poors! Ick!!!

High farms take away resources and lower the academic standard for the school. Nothing against the less fortunate but if I am paying a million and a 1/2 for a house I want good schools.

You obviously know nothing about the quality of schools in Arlington.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
The insinuation about Arlington schools here is baloney, but over the past few months some Fairfax County parents have been saying Arlington schools are "scary" and that Yorktown is no better than a mediocre Fairfax County high school. The reality is that schools/school pyramids with roughly 20-30% FARMS are some of the most popular in Arlington. Families keep paying 1.5 million to live in these neighborhoods and the schools keep growing so I wouldn't worry about the the FARMS rates or low academic standards. The two N Arlington high schools will be %150 over capacity in a few years because of all the kids. This year Arlington has 4 National Merit Finalists and around 20 semifinalists, and the majority of those kids are not from the Yorktown district... Btw, Wakefield HS in South Arlington is 40% FARMS, below the 50% threshold some people on this forum state.

In Fairfax County, I wonder why the Greatschools boosters don't come out and support Luther Jackson MS which has usually been an 8 or 9. It has an AAP center, and is below 40% FARMS. All I ever hear are rumors about gangs and violence, which are unfounded. Anyway, the OP asked about FCPS, so I don't know why Arlington had to get dragged into this.

Yeah, let's have another county war.

I think there is one poster who lives in Pimmit Hills or Tysons and says bad things about Arlington schools and many Fairfax schools as well.

There are many people in Fairfax who regularly speak favorably about Jackson, just as there are many in Arlington who speak favorably about W-L and its feeders.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What about Arlington?

The only good pyramid is Yorktown the rest have high FARMS.

And Lord knows we don't want to have to mix with the poors! Ick!!!

High farms take away resources and lower the academic standard for the school. Nothing against the less fortunate but if I am paying a million and a 1/2 for a house I want good schools.

The insinuation about Arlington schools here is baloney, but over the past few months some Fairfax County parents have been saying Arlington schools are "scary" and that Yorktown is no better than a mediocre Fairfax County high school. The reality is that schools/school pyramids with roughly 20-30% FARMS are some of the most popular in Arlington. Families keep paying 1.5 million to live in these neighborhoods and the schools keep growing so I wouldn't worry about the the FARMS rates or low academic standards. The two N Arlington high schools will be %150 over capacity in a few years because of all the kids. This year Arlington has 4 National Merit Finalists and around 20 semifinalists, and the majority of those kids are not from the Yorktown district... Btw, Wakefield HS in South Arlington is 40% FARMS, below the 50% threshold some people on this forum state.

In Fairfax County, I wonder why the Greatschools boosters don't come out and support Luther Jackson MS which has usually been an 8 or 9. It has an AAP center, and is below 40% FARMS. All I ever hear are rumors about gangs and violence, which are unfounded. Anyway, the OP asked about FCPS, so I don't know why Arlington had to get dragged into this.

Well said. 2 of them were actually from W-L. PP was just trying to protect her "North" N. Arl property value. And yes, I'm in N. Arl too, and I'd be happy with my kids attending ANY Arlington school.

[Anonymous]

Used to teach in Arlington, now teach in FCPS. i can assure parents that the North Arlington schools are as good as any school in Fairfax county.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Olde Creek/Frost/Woodson. Small elementary school with an active PTA, and very much a neighborhood school. The middle and high schools speak for themselves.

the neighborhood around olde creek is nice and the kids walk to school. it is a great little community.

Great to hear! We just moved to this district; kids will start there in the fall.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Used to teach in Arlington, now teach in FCPS. i can assure parents that the North Arlington schools are as good as any school in Fairfax county.

Interesting. We moved out of Arlington to FCPS because we did not find the schools in Arlington sufficiently challenging. The culture there was very complacent and self-congratulatory. DS is now at TJ and I don't think would have happened had we stayed in APS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Used to teach in Arlington, now teach in FCPS. i can assure parents that the North Arlington schools are as good as any school in Fairfax county.

Not good enough for you apparently lol