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best neighborhoods for public schools in nova
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Anonymous
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This may sound a bit naive: how do you know find out what public schools cover your neighborhood/Zip code?
We just moved to Vienna (near Electric Ave., just outside of the town limits) and heard great things about the schools in the area. We have a 15 month-old and, although too ealry, was wondering what public schools would he qualify to go to. Thanks! |
Anonymous
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Try this:
http://www.fcps.edu/boundary/ |
Anonymous
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This is great! Thanks PP!
So, we are covered by Vienna Elementary, Kilmer MS, and Marshal HS. Should we be worried about Kilmer and Marshall? Or just we just go with the flow and ignore the words of mouth? Or should we start saving money for private schools? The whole idea of moving to this area (which is quite nice, I must say) is the quality of the schools... Any ideas? |
Anonymous
| Marshall teacher here.....I have done all I can to defend Marshall, so I don't know what else really to say. Personally, I would just go with the flow for now. Since your child is only 15 months old, it is going to be at least 10 years before he/she has to go to either school. Who knows really what any school will be like at that time? Besides, neither of these schools are bad, and some people might even say that they are pretty good. My advice would be to check them out when time gets closer and see for yourself if you like them or not. I would not simply rely on test scores and word of mouth, which can be inaccurate and one-sided. And I would try to talk to some parents whose kids actually go to these schools and see what they have to say (good and bad), rather than just relying on the opinions of those who have posted here who have not chosen these schools for various reasons. I certainly would not rule out these schools and start saving for private school based on a few comments from this website! |
Anonymous
| Marshall teacher are you retired or do you still teach? |
Anonymous
| I still teach...eating lunch now! |
Anonymous
| Thanks Marshall teacher, you sound very sensible and well-informed. Will keep your advice in mind... |
Anonymous
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Thanks to the Barrett poster.
Arlington County is very diverse. In general, the further north you are, the whiter and richer the county gets. However, there are pockets of affluence and poverty throughout the county. There is a great deal of diversity in Central Arlington - ethnic, and socioeconomic. Those kids go to W&L. Aurora Heights is absolutely beautiful, and the folks I know down there are happy with their schools. |
Anonymous
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Marshall Teacher - Thanks for defending Marshall on this board. My wife and I (both graduates of leading universities) could have chosen to live anywhere in Fairfax County, including the Langley, Oakton or McLean districts, and settled on a north Vienna neighborhood that feeds into Marshall. We have been pleased with the school - its small size is an asset, the teachers are caring, and students just don't seem to fall through the cracks. In addition, the school is wonderfully diverse, yet full of different types of high achievers.
Marshall parents generally are huge supporters of the school. The School Board has done Marshall very few favors over the years, but the school and its reputation nevertheless have improved considerably in recent years. Test scores for graduating seniors are certainly in the upper half of Fairfax County schools. While I'd hesitate to stereotype other schools, I've heard parents of some Madison students complain that their children receive very little attention or support if they are not top athletes or students, and parents of some Oakton students complain about the sense of entitlement that many students at that school display. THANKS!! |
Anonymous
| Is Marshall IB or AP program? |
Anonymous
You're welcome! I just get really tired of how people think Marshall is a "bad" school based on not much of anything besides maybe the demographics of the students. Sure, there are some not so great teachers here and some students who are not motivated, but that is true of every school. And there is no reason for people to be scared to send their children here!!! The IB program here is outstanding as well as the Academy classes. I have to say, too, that those of us who teach the "regular" students are pretty good teachers, too. |
Anonymous
the elementary school is great, but not the rest in this area. |
Anonymous
Agree. I hear so many positives about Waynewood-small elemenary school-great teachers and parents love the school. However, the middle school, Carl Sandburg, is not a school where I'd feel comfortable sending my son. He's definitely not going there! |
Anonymous
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Falls Church City has fabulous public schools -- all the kids in the entire city go to the same schools, so there's a school for K-2, 3 - 5, 6 -8, and high school. Another nice bonus of Falls Church City public schools is that after-school and before-school care and guaranteed to be available (they charge you, but there are no waiting lists).
And the city itself is very family-focused and has as much of a small-town feel as you can get in this area. I would also add (no one be offended, please) that the city's schools are great but a little more economically diverse and less uber-wealthy and privileged compared to somewhere like Langley or McLean. We were torn between a house in the Langley high school area and Falls Church City, and went with Falls Church City for that reason, in fact. |
Anonymous
| Another ESL teacher here. We are looking to buy in Arlington and were really concerned about the schools in South Arlington (because of the negative feedback from this website). Then I went to visit Patrick Henry, and I was very impressed. I especially liked that Spanish was offered in K as well as art, PE, and music. They had a hearing impaired program, a communication program and a gifted program. The student population was incredibly diverse, and the teachers seemed happy. One of the teachers even told me that her child attends the school. SO, moral of the story, please visit school before you make a decision. Test scores are not everything... |