Which are the top 2 school clusters in NoVA?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Who is the George mason poster i keep seeing in these posts? Nice try but it really just isn't on par with the other schools mentioned

Huh? I am not the Mason poster (I live in Fairfax Co.) but there's no disputing that George Mason HS is right up there with the best Fairfax has. In some rankings, it's outranked Fairfax Co.'s schools.

Not really. Have friends whose kids go there and have been disappointed because they thought they were buying into the best deal in town. On par with top Fairfax county schools but small size school. Etc etc

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

No, it's more a function of where the three strongest MS AAP programs - Carson, Longfellow and Rocky Run - are located. The AAP schools for Madison (Jackson and Kilmer) and Woodson (Frost) aren't getting as many kids into TJ.

I think it is an informed decision for Madison parents that they want there kids to stay at the school, there is a fierce pride there and kids who come from the community tend to stay in the community at the school for both academics and athletics/extracurriculars they have been involved in since elementary school. With Greg Hood as principal they celebrate all the students successes and, yes, learn from the challenges presented to them.

Besides who can resist a school whose 6th man is led by a white rabbit...

Like the other posters have said...you can't really go wrong with any of the top 6 or so schools in the county. We also have to realize that FCPS, even with what we see are its flaws, is one of the largest school districts in the country and with the (if not the) highest performing graduates overall (Montgomery Cty, MD is in the same category).

Nope. It's just weaker MS AAP options, which results in fewer TJ placements and more kids deciding there's no point in applying. If Madison kids went to Carson or Longfellow for AAP rather than Jackson, the situation would be different.

I can only speak for me. My DD did very well on the TJ but we looked at the bigger picture. We live very close to Madison -- walking distance. She has of activities she is interested in -- Band. Madison band is much better than TJ's band. We talked about timing -- For both TJ and Madison, DD would have to be at Madison around 8:00, but at Madison, she is home around 3:15. From TJ, she would not be home until after 5. Almost every class she would take at TJ is available at Madison.

DD did not apply to TJ. She might have gotten in...but she actively chose not to apply. I endorsed that decision.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

No, it's more a function of where the three strongest MS AAP programs - Carson, Longfellow and Rocky Run - are located. The AAP schools for Madison (Jackson and Kilmer) and Woodson (Frost) aren't getting as many kids into TJ.

I think it is an informed decision for Madison parents that they want there kids to stay at the school, there is a fierce pride there and kids who come from the community tend to stay in the community at the school for both academics and athletics/extracurriculars they have been involved in since elementary school. With Greg Hood as principal they celebrate all the students successes and, yes, learn from the challenges presented to them.

Besides who can resist a school whose 6th man is led by a white rabbit...

Like the other posters have said...you can't really go wrong with any of the top 6 or so schools in the county. We also have to realize that FCPS, even with what we see are its flaws, is one of the largest school districts in the country and with the (if not the) highest performing graduates overall (Montgomery Cty, MD is in the same category).

Nope. It's just weaker MS AAP options, which results in fewer TJ placements and more kids deciding there's no point in applying. If Madison kids went to Carson or Longfellow for AAP rather than Jackson, the situation would be different.

I can only speak for me. My DD did very well on the TJ but we looked at the bigger picture. We live very close to Madison -- walking distance. She has of activities she is interested in -- Band. Madison band is much better than TJ's band. We talked about timing -- For both TJ and Madison, DD would have to be at Madison around 8:00, but at Madison, she is home around 3:15. From TJ, she would not be home until after 5. Almost every class she would take at TJ is available at Madison.

DD did not apply to TJ. She might have gotten in...but she actively chose not to apply. I endorsed that decision.

Nothing you are saying doesn't also apply to some parents/students at schools that send more students to TJ, including Oakton, Chantilly, Langley and McLean. Oakton sports are better than TJ's, Chantilly has an Academy program with some courses you can't get at TJ, Langley's Model UN program is right up there with TJ's, and McLean has student publications just as good as TJ's.

That still doesn't change the fact that Oakton, Chantilly, Langley and McLean send more kids than Madison to TJ because kids there are zoned for the three AAP centers that pulled away from the rest of the MS AAP centers in placing kids at TJ - Carson, Longfellow and Rocky Run. It's not because Madison people are uniquely enamored of Madison.

[Anonymous]

You and your horse...

So much disgust and condescension in your tone...

YOU ARE MISSING THE POINT THAT APPLICATIONS TO TJ DO NOT CONSTITUTE A "BEST" HIGH SCHOOL

Yes, I am shouting because your ears are closed

[Anonymous]

No, it's more a function of where the three strongest MS AAP programs - Carson, Longfellow and Rocky Run - are located. The AAP schools for Madison (Jackson and Kilmer) and Woodson (Frost) aren't getting as many kids into TJ.


I think it is an informed decision for Madison parents that they want there kids to stay at the school, there is a fierce pride there and kids who come from the community tend to stay in the community at the school for both academics and athletics/extracurriculars they have been involved in since elementary school. With Greg Hood as principal they celebrate all the students successes and, yes, learn from the challenges presented to them.

Besides who can resist a school whose 6th man is led by a white rabbit...

Like the other posters have said...you can't really go wrong with any of the top 6 or so schools in the county. We also have to realize that FCPS, even with what we see are its flaws, is one of the largest school districts in the country and with the (if not the) highest performing graduates overall (Montgomery Cty, MD is in the same category).



Nope. It's just weaker MS AAP options, which results in fewer TJ placements and more kids deciding there's no point in applying. If Madison kids went to Carson or Longfellow for AAP rather than Jackson, the situation would be different.

I can only speak for me. My DD did very well on the TJ but we looked at the bigger picture. We live very close to Madison -- walking distance. She has of activities she is interested in -- Band. Madison band is much better than TJ's band. We talked about timing -- For both TJ and Madison, DD would have to be at Madison around 8:00, but at Madison, she is home around 3:15. From TJ, she would not be home until after 5. Almost every class she would take at TJ is available at Madison.

DD did not apply to TJ. She might have gotten in...but she actively chose not to apply. I endorsed that decision.


Nothing you are saying doesn't also apply to some parents/students at schools that send more students to TJ, including Oakton, Chantilly, Langley and McLean. Oakton sports are better than TJ's, Chantilly has an Academy program with some courses you can't get at TJ, Langley's Model UN program is right up there with TJ's, and McLean has student publications just as good as TJ's.

That still doesn't change the fact that Oakton, Chantilly, Langley and McLean send more kids than Madison to TJ because kids there are zoned for the three AAP centers that pulled away from the rest of the MS AAP centers in placing kids at TJ - Carson, Longfellow and Rocky Run. It's not because Madison people are uniquely enamored of Madison.

NP here. So, you've established that three local middle schools are very good at placing kids at TJ. That's terrific, but that doesn't mean that certain high schools, such as Madison, are not very good.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

No, it's more a function of where the three strongest MS AAP programs - Carson, Longfellow and Rocky Run - are located. The AAP schools for Madison (Jackson and Kilmer) and Woodson (Frost) aren't getting as many kids into TJ.


I think it is an informed decision for Madison parents that they want there kids to stay at the school, there is a fierce pride there and kids who come from the community tend to stay in the community at the school for both academics and athletics/extracurriculars they have been involved in since elementary school. With Greg Hood as principal they celebrate all the students successes and, yes, learn from the challenges presented to them.

Besides who can resist a school whose 6th man is led by a white rabbit...

Like the other posters have said...you can't really go wrong with any of the top 6 or so schools in the county. We also have to realize that FCPS, even with what we see are its flaws, is one of the largest school districts in the country and with the (if not the) highest performing graduates overall (Montgomery Cty, MD is in the same category).



Nope. It's just weaker MS AAP options, which results in fewer TJ placements and more kids deciding there's no point in applying. If Madison kids went to Carson or Longfellow for AAP rather than Jackson, the situation would be different.

I can only speak for me. My DD did very well on the TJ but we looked at the bigger picture. We live very close to Madison -- walking distance. She has of activities she is interested in -- Band. Madison band is much better than TJ's band. We talked about timing -- For both TJ and Madison, DD would have to be at Madison around 8:00, but at Madison, she is home around 3:15. From TJ, she would not be home until after 5. Almost every class she would take at TJ is available at Madison.

DD did not apply to TJ. She might have gotten in...but she actively chose not to apply. I endorsed that decision.


Nothing you are saying doesn't also apply to some parents/students at schools that send more students to TJ, including Oakton, Chantilly, Langley and McLean. Oakton sports are better than TJ's, Chantilly has an Academy program with some courses you can't get at TJ, Langley's Model UN program is right up there with TJ's, and McLean has student publications just as good as TJ's.

That still doesn't change the fact that Oakton, Chantilly, Langley and McLean send more kids than Madison to TJ because kids there are zoned for the three AAP centers that pulled away from the rest of the MS AAP centers in placing kids at TJ - Carson, Longfellow and Rocky Run. It's not because Madison people are uniquely enamored of Madison.

NP here. So, you've established that three local middle schools are very good at placing kids at TJ. That's terrific, but that doesn't mean that certain high schools, such as Madison, are not very good.

I never suggested Madison wasn't very good. I'm only pointing out that Madison's strength as a neighborhood high school is not responsible for the comparatively low number of students at TJ who live in the Madison district, and the fact that Longfellow places a lot of kids at TJ who live in the Langley and McLean districts is one reason, among others, why those pyramids are widely considered the top two.

Not my fault if you read more into the post than was stated, and then decided to blow up about it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You and your horse...

So much disgust and condescension in your tone...

YOU ARE MISSING THE POINT THAT APPLICATIONS TO TJ DO NOT CONSTITUTE A "BEST" HIGH SCHOOL

Yes, I am shouting because your ears are closed

You are only shouting because you prefer shouting to working on reading comprehension.

[Anonymous]

Nope. It's just weaker MS AAP options, which results in fewer TJ placements and more kids deciding there's no point in applying. If Madison kids went to Carson or Longfellow for AAP rather than Jackson, the situation would be different.

I can only speak for me. My DD did very well on the TJ but we looked at the bigger picture. We live very close to Madison -- walking distance. She has of activities she is interested in -- Band. Madison band is much better than TJ's band. We talked about timing -- For both TJ and Madison, DD would have to be at Madison around 8:00, but at Madison, she is home around 3:15. From TJ, she would not be home until after 5. Almost every class she would take at TJ is available at Madison.

DD did not apply to TJ. She might have gotten in...but she actively chose not to apply. I endorsed that decision.


Nothing you are saying doesn't also apply to some parents/students at schools that send more students to TJ, including Oakton, Chantilly, Langley and McLean. Oakton sports are better than TJ's, Chantilly has an Academy program with some courses you can't get at TJ, Langley's Model UN program is right up there with TJ's, and McLean has student publications just as good as TJ's.

That still doesn't change the fact that Oakton, Chantilly, Langley and McLean send more kids than Madison to TJ because kids there are zoned for the three AAP centers that pulled away from the rest of the MS AAP centers in placing kids at TJ - Carson, Longfellow and Rocky Run. It's not because Madison people are uniquely enamored of Madison.


NP here. So, you've established that three local middle schools are very good at placing kids at TJ. That's terrific, but that doesn't mean that certain high schools, such as Madison, are not very good.


I never suggested Madison wasn't very good. I'm only pointing out that Madison's strength as a neighborhood high school is not responsible for the comparatively low number of students at TJ who live in the Madison district, and the fact that Longfellow places a lot of kids at TJ who live in the Langley and McLean districts is one reason, among others, why those pyramids are widely considered the top two.

Not my fault if you read more into the post than was stated, and then decided to blow up about it.

Speaking of reading comprehension...I was a new poster with this post, as noted above. I did not blow up about anything.

[Anonymous]

NP here

...and point proves itself...

[Anonymous]

NP here

...and point proves itself..

I don't understand this post.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

NP here

...and point proves itself..

I don't understand this post.

We get that Donald.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Langley and McLean are the best, and it's even more telling when you see how many kids from those pyramids are also at TJ.

which is again not about school quality....but how rich the families are in those districts

Who's to say the affluent aren't moving there in large part because the schools are strong?

The affluent ARE moving there because the schools are strong, and the schools ARE strong because the affluent are moving there.

If you really want to know whether a school is doing a good job, however, check and see how well they are educating the sub-groups: special ed, low income, and English learners. Even if you don't have a child in one of the sub-groups, this is a good gauge of whether the staff is competent, the administration is strong and the programs are solid.

I agree with this. Perhaps we should look at the schools in which the students are performing well and overcoming obstacles.

[Anonymous]

All TJ placement proves is that families that are aiming for TJ focus on a couple of specific schools. They aren't doing anything special or different at those middle schools. It's about families and their priorities.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:All TJ placement proves is that families that are aiming for TJ focus on a couple of specific schools. They aren't doing anything special or different at those middle schools. It's about families and their priorities.

I disagree. I think they are doing something different at those schools to cater to high performing children or really parents who demand high performance. However one has to decide if it's worth it to attend those schools and then have your friends split off for high school.

[Anonymous]

The school clusters that both send a lot of kids to TJ and also have high schools that do great on their own - Langley and McLean - are considered the two best.

Everything else is just excuses by people who don't like the OP's topic, but can't restrain themselves from trying to derail it.