Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Longfellow/McLean has long had more of an academically-focused reputation vs Langley and Madison. If you look through the forums, drugs are a problem at private schools too, even the big 3. The increase in fights and other behavioral problems are generally post-pandemic related, and that has been the case at all schools.

You’d probably feel most comfortable at McLean. But if your kids already have a good, academically-focused friend group, maybe stay at Cooper/Langley. Talk with more of your neighbors and reach out to the PTA.

What? I have no idea where you got this. Such a bizarre claim.

DP, but Longfellow historically has been a big TJ feeder and in recent years McLean has racked up It’s Academic and Scholastic Bowl victories. Its student publications also win a lot of awards for excellence.

I expect those are the types of things OP had in mind. Calm down, Langley Mom (note that the poster to whom you’re responding said OP might want to stay at Cooper/Langley).

Uh oh - McLean Mom is back to shamelessly boost her school, repeating the same old song and dance. And btw - the PP could very well have been a Madison mom, like me. McLean is no more “academic” than either Madison OR Langley.
DP

I explained why I thought another poster might say that McLean is more “academically focused.” You don’t have to agree but there’s no need for you to be so nasty.

You were first to nastily call me out as “Langley Mom.” Maybe don’t do that?

Pp again. A lot of the rich kids in McLean go to private schools. The public school kids are not that rich. I know it is relative but there are a lot of relatively affordable housing in great falls. Many kids live in 1.5m homes, not 5m mansions. These are regular UMC kids whose parents may be a lawyer or fed or physician. So the McLean high kids living in somewhat modest 1m homes are the same as the ones from GF also living in 1m homes. I’m sure the board will criticize the fact that the million dollar price point sounds high but these houses are not luxurious. They are normal homes that you may expect in Burke or Springfield.

I am in a somewhat similar situation zoned for Langley. We have one kid in private and two kids in public. We have considered moving (unrelated to schools) to a new home within Langley or McLean or other areas like Georgetown, Arlington or MD. We know people from all over the place in both public and private. I don’t know anything about Madison. We know many people at Langley, cooper, Longfellow, McLean, Potomac, little Langley, basis, flint hill, Landon, Holton, sta, ncs, Sidwell, gds, Bullis, etc etc etc.

I don’t think there is a difference in kids between Langley and McLean. They are the same kids. If you think the kids who live 2 miles are different, they are not. Langley and cooper are brand new buildings if that matters to you at all. McLean high is an old building. There is drinking and drugs at all the schools, public and private. I would not base any decisions on this or fights. Your kid can easily avoid these.

This is a very competitive area. If your kid is smart and has a good head on his shoulders, he should be fine. I personally would stick with Langley. That is what we are doing.

Madison does not have academic excellence. We still have SBG and do not follow the FCPS grading policy. I like Vienna and the community at the school, but there are still lots of kids that do drugs - mainly kinds of marijuana products and vaping. The best way way to try to keep your kids from doing drugs is to help them become really good at something like sports, academics, a musical instrument, robotics, whatever. The kids that do drugs seem to be the ones that have more time/aren't motivated in their free time to pursue a passion.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Franklin Sherman;Kent/Longfellow/McLean pyramid:
Pros: excellent academic
Cons: old facilities at Kent and McLean HS. McLean HS facility is ten times worse than Langley HS. Even Justice has nicer facilities

Churchill/Cooper/Langley:
Pros: excellent academic and facilities
Cons: Cooper MS is on ball hills, right next to I-495 exit

Madison:
Pros: excellent academic
Cons: old facilities and the area is definitely lower income than both McLean and Langley

This is a misconception. Madison FARM rates are the same as McLean. The uber-wealthy parts of McLean are mostly zoned to Langley.

What I would consider for Madison is that it feeds from two middle schools which are split between Marshall and Oakton, whereas everyone from Longfellow goes on to McLean and everyone from Cooper goes onto Langley. Since your kids are ES age, they’d have to go through the middle school split feeder pattern.

Almost. Madison feeds from two middle schools, one of which splits to Madison and Marshall (Kilmer), and the other of which splits to Madison, Oakton, and Marshall (Thoreau). Also, the Thoreau-zoned kids mostly go to Jackson, which is primarily a feeder to Falls Church, for AAP. So the feeder pattens are definitely more complicated than at Langley, where both the AAP and non-AAP kids are zoned to Cooper, and McLean, where both the AAP and non-AAP kids are zoned to Longfellow. But some may also like their kids mixing it up socially.

Anonymous wrote:Franklin Sherman;Kent/Longfellow/McLean pyramid:
Pros: excellent academic
Cons: old facilities at Kent and McLean HS. McLean HS facility is ten times worse than Langley HS. Even Justice has nicer facilities

Churchill/Cooper/Langley:
Pros: excellent academic and facilities
Cons: Cooper MS is on ball hills, right next to I-495 exit

Madison:
Pros: excellent academic
Cons: old facilities and the area is definitely lower income than both McLean and Langley

This is a misconception. Madison FARM rates are the same as McLean. The uber-wealthy parts of McLean are mostly zoned to Langley.

What I would consider for Madison is that it feeds from two middle schools which are split between Marshall and Oakton, whereas everyone from Longfellow goes on to McLean and everyone from Cooper goes onto Langley. Since your kids are ES age, they’d have to go through the middle school split feeder pattern.

Anonymous wrote:Franklin Sherman;Kent/Longfellow/McLean pyramid:
Pros: excellent academic
Cons: old facilities at Kent and McLean HS. McLean HS facility is ten times worse than Langley HS. Even Justice has nicer facilities

Churchill/Cooper/Langley:
Pros: excellent academic and facilities
Cons: Cooper MS is on ball hills, right next to I-495 exit

Madison:
Pros: excellent academic
Cons: old facilities and the area is definitely lower income than both McLean and Langley

You don’t understand OP. She isn’t worried about Madison being “lower income” than Langley or McLean. She is worried by what she’s heard about the behavior of kids at “higher income” Cooper and Langley.

Franklin Sherman;Kent/Longfellow/McLean pyramid:
Pros: excellent academic
Cons: old facilities at Kent and McLean HS. McLean HS facility is ten times worse than Langley HS. Even Justice has nicer facilities

Churchill/Cooper/Langley:
Pros: excellent academic and facilities
Cons: Cooper MS is on ball hills, right next to I-495 exit

Madison:
Pros: excellent academic
Cons: old facilities and the area is definitely lower income than both McLean and Langley

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Good morning!
We are currently zoned for Langley with kiddos mid elementary age. We are extremely happy with our elementary school, but are a little wary about Cooper and Langley based on what neighbors have shared

We are looking to move homes (for reasons unrelated to schools) and are now reconsidering whether we want to stay zoned for Langely.
We are currently looking at homes zoned for Langley, Mclean and Madison.

All other non school things being equal (housing prices, commute, etc) if you could chose to be zoned for Langley, McLean or Madison which would you choose and why?

Main difference between the 3 now are these negatives Thoreau-Madison and AAP, Mclean decrepit/overcapacity, Kent Gardens a mess and JIP at Great Falls. And IB looms as a bookend for Madison with Marshall /South Lakes on either side. Not good.

Boundary absurdities can be seen on Coates maps: https://www.fcps.edu/sites/default/files/Coates-Area-Boundary-Maps.pdf That's 16 elementary schools with student counts per SPA.

Disagree. Biggest issues are the administrative turnover at Langley and Cooper (new principal at Langley and Cooper principal just left suddenly for another middle school) and continued angst over part of Langley possibly getting reassigned to Herndon.

McLean and Longfellow have stable leadership and no one at Madison cares if it’s bordered by two IB schools. Marshall shares boundaries with Langley and McLean and South Lakes also shares a boundary with Langley.

The immersion programs at Kent Gardens (French) and Great Falls (Japanese) are generally viewed as positives, not negatives.

Anonymous wrote:Good morning!
We are currently zoned for Langley with kiddos mid elementary age. We are extremely happy with our elementary school, but are a little wary about Cooper and Langley based on what neighbors have shared

We are looking to move homes (for reasons unrelated to schools) and are now reconsidering whether we want to stay zoned for Langely.
We are currently looking at homes zoned for Langley, Mclean and Madison.

All other non school things being equal (housing prices, commute, etc) if you could chose to be zoned for Langley, McLean or Madison which would you choose and why?

Main difference between the 3 now are these negatives Thoreau-Madison and AAP, Mclean decrepit/overcapacity, Kent Gardens a mess and JIP at Great Falls. And IB looms as a bookend for Madison with Marshall /South Lakes on either side. Not good.

Boundary absurdities can be seen on Coates maps: https://www.fcps.edu/sites/default/files/Coates-Area-Boundary-Maps.pdf That's 16 elementary schools with student counts per SPA.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Longfellow/McLean has long had more of an academically-focused reputation vs Langley and Madison. If you look through the forums, drugs are a problem at private schools too, even the big 3. The increase in fights and other behavioral problems are generally post-pandemic related, and that has been the case at all schools.

You’d probably feel most comfortable at McLean. But if your kids already have a good, academically-focused friend group, maybe stay at Cooper/Langley. Talk with more of your neighbors and reach out to the PTA.

What? I have no idea where you got this. Such a bizarre claim.

DP, but Longfellow historically has been a big TJ feeder and in recent years McLean has racked up It’s Academic and Scholastic Bowl victories. Its student publications also win a lot of awards for excellence.

I expect those are the types of things OP had in mind. Calm down, Langley Mom (note that the poster to whom you’re responding said OP might want to stay at Cooper/Langley).

Uh oh - McLean Mom is back to shamelessly boost her school, repeating the same old song and dance. And btw - the PP could very well have been a Madison mom, like me. McLean is no more “academic” than either Madison OR Langley.
DP

I explained why I thought another poster might say that McLean is more “academically focused.” You don’t have to agree but there’s no need for you to be so nasty.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Longfellow/McLean has long had more of an academically-focused reputation vs Langley and Madison. If you look through the forums, drugs are a problem at private schools too, even the big 3. The increase in fights and other behavioral problems are generally post-pandemic related, and that has been the case at all schools.

You’d probably feel most comfortable at McLean. But if your kids already have a good, academically-focused friend group, maybe stay at Cooper/Langley. Talk with more of your neighbors and reach out to the PTA.

What? I have no idea where you got this. Such a bizarre claim.

DP, but Longfellow historically has been a big TJ feeder and in recent years McLean has racked up It’s Academic and Scholastic Bowl victories. Its student publications also win a lot of awards for excellence.

I expect those are the types of things OP had in mind. Calm down, Langley Mom (note that the poster to whom you’re responding said OP might want to stay at Cooper/Langley).

Uh oh - McLean Mom is back to shamelessly boost her school, repeating the same old song and dance. And btw - the PP could very well have been a Madison mom, like me. McLean is no more “academic” than either Madison OR Langley.
DP

Well Longfellow is. It's easily the best middle school in the county.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Avoid Madison.

What's wrong with Madison? genuinely asking

Absolutely nothing.
DP

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:With the boundaries changing, people moving in and out of the area, new housing developments and god knows what else, I don't think you can have any degree of certainty this far out from when your children will actually enroll.

Maybe, but it would be reasonably safe to make assumptions if you bought a house within walking distance to one of the high schools.

Sure, they can guarantee the building, but nothing else.

See the complaints from Herndon High zoned parents who bought in late nineties/early 2000s and what they expected it would be like when their children enrolled 10+ years later vs. what they actually got when the time came.

What complaints from Herndon parents? The complaints are from neurotic Langley parents worried about getting redistricted and wanting everyone else to be equally concerned, even if they are within walking distance to a school.

+1
The families that live within walking distance to Herndon High love Herndon - great neighborhoods and great community.

DP.

We totally believe you both.

Right?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Longfellow/McLean has long had more of an academically-focused reputation vs Langley and Madison. If you look through the forums, drugs are a problem at private schools too, even the big 3. The increase in fights and other behavioral problems are generally post-pandemic related, and that has been the case at all schools.

You’d probably feel most comfortable at McLean. But if your kids already have a good, academically-focused friend group, maybe stay at Cooper/Langley. Talk with more of your neighbors and reach out to the PTA.

What? I have no idea where you got this. Such a bizarre claim.

DP, but Longfellow historically has been a big TJ feeder and in recent years McLean has racked up It’s Academic and Scholastic Bowl victories. Its student publications also win a lot of awards for excellence.

I expect those are the types of things OP had in mind. Calm down, Langley Mom (note that the poster to whom you’re responding said OP might want to stay at Cooper/Langley).

Uh oh - McLean Mom is back to shamelessly boost her school, repeating the same old song and dance. And btw - the PP could very well have been a Madison mom, like me. McLean is no more “academic” than either Madison OR Langley.
DP