Marshall High School - Lowest Graduation Rate vs. TJ, Langley, McLean, Woodson, Madison, Oakton

[Anonymous]

The school district is the county, not the towns like it was in New England. It's not the same thing even if you are in McLean or Langley or Vienna. Plus all of these areas in Fairfax have a level of transience that is much higher than most small towns in America. It's just part of being in the DC area. It's rather strange to argue about it.

[Anonymous]

You get discount at chipotle or noodle company

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:George Mason is the only HS in Falls Church City. McLean is the high school for central McLean. Madison is the high school for the Town of Vienna. Langley is the high school for all of Great Falls.

Marshall is the high school for a regional shopping mall, some office parks, and a bunch of random neighborhoods in Falls Church, Vienna, Dunn Loring and McLean. There really isn't any community that takes much interest in the school compared to the others.

This is your platform agains Marshall on every thread for at least the past three years. Not everyone wants/needs that Midwestern/southern town feel where life revolves around the high school. This is northern Virginia. It's not like that here. Never has been, never will be.

No one is suggesting life should revolve entirely around the local high school. However, Marshall is particularly deficient in terms of not having a community feel compared to many of the schools with which it likes to be compared. The kids know it, the parents know it, and the people avoiding the district to buy elsewhere know it. You are in denial about something that is well known in local circles and not really up for debate.

I have never heard anyone say this except on this forum. I know a lot of people that have looked and bought in close in NoVa and none has mentioned the "lack of town feel" at Marshall.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
The school district is the county, not the towns like it was in New England. It's not the same thing even if you are in McLean or Langley or Vienna. Plus all of these areas in Fairfax have a level of transience that is much higher than most small towns in America. It's just part of being in the DC area. It's rather strange to argue about it.

I think it's kind of the opposite - because the county and FCPS are large, people like the fact that some schools have more of s community feel. From looking at the map for Marshall, it does seem very Tysons-centric and that's not going to seem warm and community-oriented to anyone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
remind me the community feel of langley in great falls (the largest geo graphic school district)

Or the strange carved out areas of mclean?

Oakton?

Woodson?

The list goes on, but yes, congratulation on Town of Vienna having the largest strip continuous strip mall traffic jammed road inside the beltway with a gathering area.

You are WRONG!
Vienna is outside the Beltway

[Anonymous]

From looking at the map for Marshall, it does seem very Tysons-centric and that's not going to seem warm and community-oriented to anyone.

LOL. It's going to seem like "close to jobs" for the summer and during college. People find community at the school. It's not a problem. How many kids are hanging out in "downtown McLean" or "downtown Vienna" so they can feel all "warm and community oriented"?

[Anonymous]

So, my kid starts kindergarten next year and I'm on the site researching schools. We're in the $1.3M to $1.5m range. I've heard Marshall has transformed over the last ten years and will easily be in the top eschelon of high schools in FCPS if it continues on its current trajectory. I've also heard that while McLean/Langley/Madison are strong schools, you need to deal with the fact that their students are a bunch of snotty, shallow brats. The comments from their parents on this string have provided some solid support for *that* (assuming apples don't fall far from the trees and all). Anyone have any thoughts on the other piece of advice about Marshall's future?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So, my kid starts kindergarten next year and I'm on the site researching schools. We're in the $1.3M to $1.5m range. I've heard Marshall has transformed over the last ten years and will easily be in the top eschelon of high schools in FCPS if it continues on its current trajectory. I've also heard that while McLean/Langley/Madison are strong schools, you need to deal with the fact that their students are a bunch of snotty, shallow brats. The comments from their parents on this string have provided some solid support for *that* (assuming apples don't fall far from the trees and all). Anyone have any thoughts on the other piece of advice about Marshall's future?

Marshall is definitely on the way up, and that will continue as the demographics change in the surrounding area with the growth at Tysons. I don't think the other schools are necessarily going to fall behind, but there is a different feel in a school that is primarily Caucasian and upper/middle class than there is at a school that is more diverse. We live in Burke, so my kids won't be attending any of the schools you mentioned, but I would choose down-to-earth kids and diversity over the drama any day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So, my kid starts kindergarten next year and I'm on the site researching schools. We're in the $1.3M to $1.5m range. I've heard Marshall has transformed over the last ten years and will easily be in the top eschelon of high schools in FCPS if it continues on its current trajectory. I've also heard that while McLean/Langley/Madison are strong schools, you need to deal with the fact that their students are a bunch of snotty, shallow brats. The comments from their parents on this string have provided some solid support for *that* (assuming apples don't fall far from the trees and all). Anyone have any thoughts on the other piece of advice about Marshall's future?

There is really not that much difference. If your kid goes to Marshall or any one of the three school you listed, s/he will be well served academically and fine socially. Not all kids from affluent areas are snotty and shallow. A few years down the road you may have to decide whether to go AP or IB route, but you will have access to both options thanks to pupil placement.

[Anonymous]

We looked in that general area and the Marshall neighborhoods just weren't as nice as those that feed into Langley/McLean/Madison/Oakton, with a few exceptions. I don't ever see many people with a choice preferring the Marshall district to those areas. Personally, I'd also rather be zoned for an AP school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

From looking at the map for Marshall, it does seem very Tysons-centric and that's not going to seem warm and community-oriented to anyone.

LOL. It's going to seem like "close to jobs" for the summer and during college. People find community at the school. It's not a problem. How many kids are hanging out in "downtown McLean" or "downtown Vienna" so they can feel all "warm and community oriented"?

Plenty! If you lived in the Town of Vienna, you might understand. My friends who send their kids to Marshall say it's fine but several have said if they could do it over again they'd live in the town and send their kids to Madison.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We looked in that general area and the Marshall neighborhoods just weren't as nice as those that feed into Langley/McLean/Madison/Oakton, with a few exceptions. I don't ever see many people with a choice preferring the Marshall district to those areas. Personally, I'd also rather be zoned for an AP school.

On the other hand, we bought in the Marshall district because we were moving from overseas and wanted IB.

[Anonymous]

I would prefer marshall or mclean oveer Vienna because of being in the beltway. Vienna is faf.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We looked in that general area and the Marshall neighborhoods just weren't as nice as those that feed into Langley/McLean/Madison/Oakton, with a few exceptions. I don't ever see many people with a choice preferring the Marshall district to those areas. Personally, I'd also rather be zoned for an AP school.

On the other hand, we bought in the Marshall district because we were moving from overseas and wanted IB.

Parents at the other schools would revolt if FCPS tried to saddle them with IB.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We looked in that general area and the Marshall neighborhoods just weren't as nice as those that feed into Langley/McLean/Madison/Oakton, with a few exceptions. I don't ever see many people with a choice preferring the Marshall district to those areas. Personally, I'd also rather be zoned for an AP school.

On the other hand, we bought in the Marshall district because we were moving from overseas and wanted IB.

Same. You either get it or you don't.