I am not a dc area native, I came here for a job. The job turned into a career and before I knew, I am feel stuck. I never really wanted to stay here long term and now I am beginning to understand why - I always knew it but never knew why exactly. I have a small kid and am facing the same questions ... I really don't want to go the private route - it is an ideological thing - but do I really have a choice if I want to set up my kid for success? Where we live, the school is a 4 out of 10, elementary. I am almost starting to rethink the whole dc metro life ... maybe my child will be better off in a more normal place, forget the high paying job.

Anonymous wrote:FCPS is one of the best in the nation!!
oppss I forgot it's not 1990.

You sound challenged.

FCPS is one of the best in the nation!!
oppss I forgot it's not 1990.

We were at one of the elementary schools in Vienna, where most people who lived in the community sent their kids there and relatively few people sent their kids to privates. It was really nice feeling like part of a community that supported the public schools; where most of the teachers were well-trained and competent; and where most of the students were well above average academically.

Previously, we had lived in DC. The handful of kids in our neighborhood mostly attended different private schools, and many of those private schools talked a good game about being small and nurturing, yet did not hesitate to exclude students who didn't come from the right families or to "counsel out" students who did not fit their mold. If you really believe in democracy, sending your kids to the public schools is the best way to have skin in the game.

There is only one positive - it's cheaper than private.

Anonymous wrote:My eldest is a freshman in college. He took seven APs and received 34 credits from his college. That made him a sophomore on paper. He did not take all that they offered and is taking Calc II and Physics at school as they pertain to his intended engineering classes and he wanted to make sure his foundation was strong as they emphasize different things in their classes. Even so, as an engineer, it looks like with careful planning he will be able to graduate a semester early. Saving us $20+k. He was a decent student, but not stellar in his HS, probably around 80th percentile ( based on a number of factors and educated guesses) He is attending a top ten program in his major and finds himself extremely well prepared for it. The fact that there were so many high achieving students in his HS has made his transition to college easier. He attended one of the five schools most frequently mentioned as "top" in the county?

He is finding out that the rigor of his HS math and science classes were far above most of his classmates.

I went to an academic HS in a different state, recognized on those national lists though not as highly ranked as some of the FCPS high schools, and found the same thing. I too entered college as a sophomore and got my BSEE in 4 years, instead of 5. Good to hear that FCPS is similar to or better than my high school.

32 new friends from the classroom!

Op, educate your kids together. They can go to the same school and do just fine. Ignore the AAP crap. It ends eventually, though not soon enough, in high school. Don't make decisions that will drive a wedge between them.

My eldest is a freshman in college. He took seven APs and received 34 credits from his college. That made him a sophomore on paper. He did not take all that they offered and is taking Calc II and Physics at school as they pertain to his intended engineering classes and he wanted to make sure his foundation was strong as they emphasize different things in their classes. Even so, as an engineer, it looks like with careful planning he will be able to graduate a semester early. Saving us $20+k. He was a decent student, but not stellar in his HS, probably around 80th percentile ( based on a number of factors and educated guesses) He is attending a top ten program in his major and finds himself extremely well prepared for it. The fact that there were so many high achieving students in his HS has made his transition to college easier. He attended one of the five schools most frequently mentioned as "top" in the county?

He is finding out that the rigor of his HS math and science classes were far above most of his classmates.

Anonymous wrote:I have been reading this forum for a while. Lately, all I seem to see are negative posts about FCPS. My son will be starting 1st grade next year in FCPS (or at least that is the plan). I have 2 other younger children. My son is probably ahead of his grade level and coming from a Montessori. I can't tell where my other kids are yet in terms of academics. After reading all of the negativity, I am rethinking my decision to send them to public school. Please tell me some of the positives about elementary school in FCPS! I would love to hear them.

Avoid any schools rated below 7 or it's basically a 3rd world experience.

Anonymous wrote:I have been reading this forum for a while. Lately, all I seem to see are negative posts about FCPS. My son will be starting 1st grade next year in FCPS (or at least that is the plan). I have 2 other younger children. My son is probably ahead of his grade level and coming from a Montessori. I can't tell where my other kids are yet in terms of academics. After reading all of the negativity, I am rethinking my decision to send them to public school. Please tell me some of the positives about elementary school in FCPS! I would love to hear them.

One negative to the private school option in Fairfax county is that there are not very many of them compared to other similarly affluent communities. As a result, there are more affluent children in the school system. Affluent children tend to be well prepared for school and come from educated parents. Both of which mean there are more accelerated class opportunities. In HS, that can mean that there are several sections of each high level course, so there are fewer problems with scheduling the classes your child wants to take. Note, I said fewer, there are still issues with schedules - some of which exist even if there is a workable schedule,but the classes are full.

It does depend on the schools for which you are zoned. Fairfax county is the the tenth largest school system in the country and the only one that is not a city. It is not a monolith, there are significant differences between schools. Each have their own challenges and each have their own assets.

Positives (compared to other districts I have taught in):

--Extras embedded in the school day (students learn instruments, get art instruction, have PE teachers)
--Support for after school programs (middle school late buses)
--Professional development opportunities for staff (when I want to learn about a new behavior strategy, I can find options)

It is easier to make positive comments about individual schools. What school or school pyrimid will your children attend?

The positives would have to be about the school board or the administration's decisions which encompass all schools. Each school is run differently and each one covers 13 years of schooling.

I have been reading this forum for a while. Lately, all I seem to see are negative posts about FCPS. My son will be starting 1st grade next year in FCPS (or at least that is the plan). I have 2 other younger children. My son is probably ahead of his grade level and coming from a Montessori. I can't tell where my other kids are yet in terms of academics. After reading all of the negativity, I am rethinking my decision to send them to public school. Please tell me some of the positives about elementary school in FCPS! I would love to hear them.