Vienna VA - Feedback Please on MS and HS Options

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
OK...So this is falling into, blah, blah, blah your school isn't good...test scores...blah, blah, blah...not top 10...blah, blah, blah. Most this line of discussion is a difference in search of a distinction.

From someone who actually has a DD at Madison, we have found a strong parent community, respected teachers, engaged students, worthwhile administration, challenging courses, extra curricular activities and athletics. DD is in some AP classes (not all), two sports (can't say which as that will give it away) and chorus. Some how she makes time for all of it and does carry good grades. It is absolutely perfect, no; is it an exceptional experience, yes. And yes, Vienna does regard it at as "their" school, but you know that is part of what creates an enduring community. If you aren't from here you won't really understand that about Madison specifically...recently and under very sad circumstances, that term "community" had really meaning and impact with outpouring support for the kids and teachers following the death of a staff member. Someone first recognized as a teacher and mentor, being a coach was role that gave him the privilege of working with kids and impacting their lives. People from "here" remember.

Nitpicking over school scores and lists in Fairfax and Arlington counties, just strikes me as silly compared so many other schools elsewhere in Virginia or the Washington metro area where there aren't that many "good" choices. Think about the choices / costs families face in DC, Montgomery, or Prince George's county...we are extremely blessed with so many schools that are high performing in Northern Virginia. If each of us knows a particular school, teachers and kids better, we could all say something positive with the school that we most familiar...like I shared above.

I wouldn't lump Montgomery in with these. They have some of the best schools in the nation. MD schools outrank VA schools overall, and Montgomery is on equal par, if not better, than FFX.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous

Is there one poster who is the constant fan club for Madison? All of his/her posts sound exactly the same.

No. There are several Madison families on here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
OK...So this is falling into, blah, blah, blah your school isn't good...test scores...blah, blah, blah...not top 10...blah, blah, blah. Most this line of discussion is a difference in search of a distinction.

From someone who actually has a DD at Madison, we have found a strong parent community, respected teachers, engaged students, worthwhile administration, challenging courses, extra curricular activities and athletics. DD is in some AP classes (not all), two sports (can't say which as that will give it away) and chorus. Some how she makes time for all of it and does carry good grades. It is absolutely perfect, no; is it an exceptional experience, yes. And yes, Vienna does regard it at as "their" school, but you know that is part of what creates an enduring community. If you aren't from here you won't really understand that about Madison specifically...recently and under very sad circumstances, that term "community" had really meaning and impact with outpouring support for the kids and teachers following the death of a staff member. Someone first recognized as a teacher and mentor, being a coach was role that gave him the privilege of working with kids and impacting their lives. People from "here" remember.

Nitpicking over school scores and lists in Fairfax and Arlington counties, just strikes me as silly compared so many other schools elsewhere in Virginia or the Washington metro area where there aren't that many "good" choices. Think about the choices / costs families face in DC, Montgomery, or Prince George's county...we are extremely blessed with so many schools that are high performing in Northern Virginia. If each of us knows a particular school, teachers and kids better, we could all say something positive with the school that we most familiar...like I shared above.

I wouldn't lump Montgomery in with these. They have some of the best schools in the nation. MD schools outrank VA schools overall, and Montgomery is on equal par, if not better, than FFX.

Montgomery has some excellent schools but overall it's not close to being on par with Fairfax. It has a half-dozen or so excellent pyramids, over a dozen mediocre or awful pyramids, and not much in the middle besides Sherwood and Quince Orchard.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
OK...So this is falling into, blah, blah, blah your school isn't good...test scores...blah, blah, blah...not top 10...blah, blah, blah. Most this line of discussion is a difference in search of a distinction.

From someone who actually has a DD at Madison, we have found a strong parent community, respected teachers, engaged students, worthwhile administration, challenging courses, extra curricular activities and athletics. DD is in some AP classes (not all), two sports (can't say which as that will give it away) and chorus. Some how she makes time for all of it and does carry good grades. It is absolutely perfect, no; is it an exceptional experience, yes. And yes, Vienna does regard it at as "their" school, but you know that is part of what creates an enduring community. If you aren't from here you won't really understand that about Madison specifically...recently and under very sad circumstances, that term "community" had really meaning and impact with outpouring support for the kids and teachers following the death of a staff member. Someone first recognized as a teacher and mentor, being a coach was role that gave him the privilege of working with kids and impacting their lives. People from "here" remember.

Nitpicking over school scores and lists in Fairfax and Arlington counties, just strikes me as silly compared so many other schools elsewhere in Virginia or the Washington metro area where there aren't that many "good" choices. Think about the choices / costs families face in DC, Montgomery, or Prince George's county...we are extremely blessed with so many schools that are high performing in Northern Virginia. If each of us knows a particular school, teachers and kids better, we could all say something positive with the school that we most familiar...like I shared above.


I wouldn't lump Montgomery in with these. They have some of the best schools in the nation. MD schools outrank VA schools overall, and Montgomery is on equal par, if not better, than FFX.

Montgomery has some excellent schools but overall it's not close to being on par with Fairfax. It has a half-dozen or so excellent pyramids, over a dozen mediocre or awful pyramids, and not much in the middle besides Sherwood and Quince Orchard.

Fairfax has some crummy pyramids, too. They are both large counties with lots of money and large immigrant populations.

[Anonymous]

Oakton High parent here (our school is always rated, btw), and I agree that Montgomery and Fairfax counties are on par with one another.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous

Oakton High parent here (our school is always rated, btw), and I agree that Montgomery and Fairfax counties are on par with one another.

Saw what you did there...I wouldn't be so smug. Next year, it could be Oakton that gets screwed by ESL test results.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Anonymous

Oakton High parent here (our school is always rated, btw), and I agree that Montgomery and Fairfax counties are on par with one another.

Saw what you did there...I wouldn't be so smug. Next year, it could be Oakton that gets screwed by ESL test results.

I am glad my kids (when driving age) don't have to go down the windy road to Oakton HS. In the winter, it's of course way worse. No thanks. No comment on anything else but getting there with a teen driving..

[Anonymous]

Really? Your best dig on Oakton HS is having to drive down Sutton?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Really? Your best dig on Oakton HS is having to drive down Sutton?

That would be Waples Mill, not Sutton. Do you know the area? (I'm not the PP, BTW.)

I like Oakton HS a lot, although we are in a strange street that is zoned Madison surrounded by Oakton-zoned streets. Both are excellent.... so can we skip the sanctimonious "my school is ALWAYS ranked..." crap?

Oakton's zone is really wide and the kids who come from the west end do have a long, winding commute on a narrow road. But, if you live closer in to Oakton, you have a good deal. Madison has a more compact zone and it's a good school too.

[Anonymous]

Yes, I'm familiar with the area and drive by Oakton HS pretty much every day. Waples Mill ends about 2.5 miles away from Oakton HS (and Sutton has a steep bank coming up to Blake, where I've seen many a HS driver try to kill someone), so you can see how I might not have intuited that from the post.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Anonymous

Oakton High parent here (our school is always rated, btw), and I agree that Montgomery and Fairfax counties are on par with one another.

Saw what you did there...I wouldn't be so smug. Next year, it could be Oakton that gets screwed by ESL test results.

I am glad my kids (when driving age) don't have to go down the windy road to Oakton HS. In the winter, it's of course way worse. No thanks. No comment on anything else but getting there with a teen driving..

We live close, so no winding roads. But thanks!