Anonymous
Post 07/16/2025 09:53     Subject: Best small(ish) middle schools in FCPS
My kids have been super happy at Longfellow. It’s big, but the teachers are great and the kids are very focused on doing well in school
Anonymous
Post 07/16/2025 09:51     Subject: Best small(ish) middle schools in FCPS
I would avoid Braddock, because of 7-12 is a huge age range, and they don’t separate the middle schoolers from the high schoolers well enough (kids have to walk through high school to get to cafeteria).

Robinson is also 7-12 but they do a better job of keeping middle and high school apart (because of the design of the building).

I think the rest of the schools are going to have pluses and minuses and you should include the high school in your assessment as well.
Anonymous
Post 07/16/2025 09:21     Subject: Best small(ish) middle schools in FCPS
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Everyone I know that has kids at Franklin loves it.


+1


+1 more

Anonymous
Post 07/16/2025 09:05     Subject: Best small(ish) middle schools in FCPS
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Avoid Franklin MS. My kid hated it. If you are near the area, try Rachel Carson instead. They have both AAP, and non AAP program. Seriously, don’t go to Franklin middle school, very much overrated. None of the teachers actually care, and the kids are really mean. Happy to be leaving!


+1. People may like that school, but it was just not for our kid. If you have the option to, then go to Rachel! My first born went there and my 2nd kid went to Franklin. We found the experience at Rachel way better. Like the post above said, they have aap and non aap, and offer algebra 2.


I don't understand why anyone would recommend Carson to the OP when the OP specifically asked about small(ish) middle schools. Carson is huge.


None of them are really small… If you do want small, then i’m aware Franklin has around 800. You could try there, but my child didn’t really have a good experience.


Stone, Franklin, and Whitman are much smaller than the mega-schools, which includes Carson and Lake Braddock.
Anonymous
Post 07/16/2025 07:27     Subject: Best small(ish) middle schools in FCPS
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Avoid Franklin MS. My kid hated it. If you are near the area, try Rachel Carson instead. They have both AAP, and non AAP program. Seriously, don’t go to Franklin middle school, very much overrated. None of the teachers actually care, and the kids are really mean. Happy to be leaving!


+1. People may like that school, but it was just not for our kid. If you have the option to, then go to Rachel! My first born went there and my 2nd kid went to Franklin. We found the experience at Rachel way better. Like the post above said, they have aap and non aap, and offer algebra 2.


I don't understand why anyone would recommend Carson to the OP when the OP specifically asked about small(ish) middle schools. Carson is huge.


None of them are really small… If you do want small, then i’m aware Franklin has around 800. You could try there, but my child didn’t really have a good experience.
Anonymous
Post 07/15/2025 21:36     Subject: Best small(ish) middle schools in FCPS
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Avoid Franklin MS. My kid hated it. If you are near the area, try Rachel Carson instead. They have both AAP, and non AAP program. Seriously, don’t go to Franklin middle school, very much overrated. None of the teachers actually care, and the kids are really mean. Happy to be leaving!


+1. People may like that school, but it was just not for our kid. If you have the option to, then go to Rachel! My first born went there and my 2nd kid went to Franklin. We found the experience at Rachel way better. Like the post above said, they have aap and non aap, and offer algebra 2.


I don't understand why anyone would recommend Carson to the OP when the OP specifically asked about small(ish) middle schools. Carson is huge.
Anonymous
Post 07/15/2025 19:40     Subject: Best small(ish) middle schools in FCPS
Anonymous wrote:Everyone I know that has kids at Franklin loves it.


+1
Anonymous
Post 07/15/2025 17:12     Subject: Best small(ish) middle schools in FCPS
Everyone I know that has kids at Franklin loves it.
Anonymous
Post 07/15/2025 17:01     Subject: Best small(ish) middle schools in FCPS
Anonymous wrote:Avoid Franklin MS. My kid hated it. If you are near the area, try Rachel Carson instead. They have both AAP, and non AAP program. Seriously, don’t go to Franklin middle school, very much overrated. None of the teachers actually care, and the kids are really mean. Happy to be leaving!


Wow, this is the opposite of the experience all four of my children who went to Franklin had there. Two of my four children had the same history, science, math, and English teachers in seventh grade, and they were outstanding. Both of those kids loved those teachers and they both said their seventh grade science and English teachers were two of the best teachers they had through all of their school years. We only experienced one Franklin teacher who seemed not to care, as well as one who basically taught nothing in that class, but we otherwise were very impressed with the school.
Anonymous
Post 07/15/2025 16:35     Subject: Best small(ish) middle schools in FCPS
Anonymous wrote:Avoid Franklin MS. My kid hated it. If you are near the area, try Rachel Carson instead. They have both AAP, and non AAP program. Seriously, don’t go to Franklin middle school, very much overrated. None of the teachers actually care, and the kids are really mean. Happy to be leaving!


+1. People may like that school, but it was just not for our kid. If you have the option to, then go to Rachel! My first born went there and my 2nd kid went to Franklin. We found the experience at Rachel way better. Like the post above said, they have aap and non aap, and offer algebra 2.
Anonymous
Post 07/15/2025 14:38     Subject: Best small(ish) middle schools in FCPS
Avoid Franklin MS. My kid hated it. If you are near the area, try Rachel Carson instead. They have both AAP, and non AAP program. Seriously, don’t go to Franklin middle school, very much overrated. None of the teachers actually care, and the kids are really mean. Happy to be leaving!
Anonymous
Post 07/15/2025 13:50     Subject: Best small(ish) middle schools in FCPS
Anonymous wrote:Robinson is great!


Not small, but my kids have loved Robinson.
Anonymous
Post 07/15/2025 13:32     Subject: Re:Best small(ish) middle schools in FCPS
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:OP—it’s two years. Your kid will be fine at any middle school. The differences are negligible.

Focus on the things that will impact your kid a lot more: Your presence at home. If you buy a house that you can’t afford or are unhappy with, that will make you stressed out around your kid. Or if you buy a house that results in an awful commute which results in precious time away from your middle schooler, that’s problematic.


No they are not.

You want to avoid Herndon Middle School, Hughes MS, and anything in Annandale. Figure out what high school you would be going to also.


Herndon Middle School is just like every other middle school in the county. The teachers are excellent and the new-ish Principal is beyond excellent.

Of course, if you are scared of diversity then you might want to steer clear. Non-white students = manufactured outrage.
Anonymous
Post 07/15/2025 13:04     Subject: Best small(ish) middle schools in FCPS
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:The smallest middle schools are:

Key (691 students)
Stone (726 students)
Whitman (805 students)
Franklin (819 students)
Poe (877 students)
Herndon (888 students)
Rocky Run (896 students)
Holmes (902 students)
Liberty (919 students)
South County (951 students)
Hayfield (968 students)


Holmes and Poe serve grades 6-8, so they actually feel even smaller than most of the schools (think 250-300 students per grade rather than 400-450 on the "small" size). We have had an amazing experience at our "poor" Annandale pyramid schools. Since students are with the school for 3 rather than just 2 years, the administration and teachers really invest in getting to know their strengths and weaknesses. My kids have flourished; teachers know how to differentiate up and down. And both were able to take Algebra I as 7th graders (and excel in the math courses) despite not having the county minimum scores because they could get 6th grade teacher recommendations.

Truthfully, I value empathy and confidence-building in middle school even more so than academics. It's a hard time and having an emotionally and physically safe environment to learn actually allows learning to occur.


I have a friend who had a terrible experience with Holmes when it came to meeting the needs of her son with an IEP. And Poe had a principal at one point who was arrested for embezzlement.

Caveat emptor.
Anonymous
Post 07/15/2025 12:57     Subject: Best small(ish) middle schools in FCPS
Anonymous wrote:The smallest middle schools are:

Key (691 students)
Stone (726 students)
Whitman (805 students)
Franklin (819 students)
Poe (877 students)
Herndon (888 students)
Rocky Run (896 students)
Holmes (902 students)
Liberty (919 students)
South County (951 students)
Hayfield (968 students)


Holmes and Poe serve grades 6-8, so they actually feel even smaller than most of the schools (think 250-300 students per grade rather than 400-450 on the "small" size). We have had an amazing experience at our "poor" Annandale pyramid schools. Since students are with the school for 3 rather than just 2 years, the administration and teachers really invest in getting to know their strengths and weaknesses. My kids have flourished; teachers know how to differentiate up and down. And both were able to take Algebra I as 7th graders (and excel in the math courses) despite not having the county minimum scores because they could get 6th grade teacher recommendations.

Truthfully, I value empathy and confidence-building in middle school even more so than academics. It's a hard time and having an emotionally and physically safe environment to learn actually allows learning to occur.