Anonymous
Post 06/11/2026 10:39     Subject: What school pyramid?
What about Falls Church? It’s winding up a major renovation. It has AP classes so you can avoid IB. There are some nice neighborhoods like Camelot, Holmes Run, and Greenway Downs, and FCPS is redistricting some other single-family neighborhoods like Sleepy Hollow Woods in Annandale from Justice to Falls Church, which will boost the enrollment and the test scores. Easier commute to DC than Woodson or Hayfield.
Anonymous
Post 06/11/2026 10:32     Subject: What school pyramid?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:OP: Researching IB and l feel like AP will be a better fit for my kids. What about West Potomac or Lake Braddock?


I had recommended Edison, but if you want AP instead of IB, I would pick the Hayfield pyramid over West Potomac. I don't know much about Lake Braddock. The Hayfield Farm neighborhood is nice because students can walk to school throughout all 13 years of school. Hayfield elementary is right inside the neighborhood, so kids can walk to school on their own at a very young age. Grades 7-12 are at Hayfield secondary, which is right across Telegraph Rd. from the elementary school. Home prices aren't too bad in Hayfield compared to other areas in Fairfax County, and there is a community pool in Hayfield Farm and no HOA. I teach in the Edison pyramid, and my kids attend Hayfield, so I'm quite familiar with both. I think they are both solid choices.


Imagine telling someone who wants to be close to DC that Hayfield is a good choice.

To be fair, it doesn’t sound like the OP has enough money to live that close to DC anyway.


I don't see anywhere that OP mentions their budget or finances.


They said they cannot afford Arlington prices, which would exclude McLean and Langley. There are areas on Oakton that might be doable but those are also the areas most vulnerable to boundary changes in the next 5 years.


There are plenty of homes closer than Hayfield that are not Arlington, McLean, or Langley.
Anonymous
Post 06/11/2026 09:18     Subject: What school pyramid?
I would not do hayfield or lake braddock. If can’t afford McLean/arlington/vienna, try to find a home in the Oakton HS boundary that is in Fairfax or oakton.

Woodson pyramid is also excellent and has a range of housing prices.
Anonymous
Post 06/11/2026 08:59     Subject: What school pyramid?
My kids graduated from Hayfield and are now in college. Hayfield is a solid choice. The ability to walk to school K-12 is priceless.
Anonymous
Post 06/11/2026 08:56     Subject: What school pyramid?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:OP: Researching IB and l feel like AP will be a better fit for my kids. What about West Potomac or Lake Braddock?


I had recommended Edison, but if you want AP instead of IB, I would pick the Hayfield pyramid over West Potomac. I don't know much about Lake Braddock. The Hayfield Farm neighborhood is nice because students can walk to school throughout all 13 years of school. Hayfield elementary is right inside the neighborhood, so kids can walk to school on their own at a very young age. Grades 7-12 are at Hayfield secondary, which is right across Telegraph Rd. from the elementary school. Home prices aren't too bad in Hayfield compared to other areas in Fairfax County, and there is a community pool in Hayfield Farm and no HOA. I teach in the Edison pyramid, and my kids attend Hayfield, so I'm quite familiar with both. I think they are both solid choices.


Imagine telling someone who wants to be close to DC that Hayfield is a good choice.

To be fair, it doesn’t sound like the OP has enough money to live that close to DC anyway.


I don't see anywhere that OP mentions their budget or finances.


They said they cannot afford Arlington prices, which would exclude McLean and Langley. There are areas on Oakton that might be doable but those are also the areas most vulnerable to boundary changes in the next 5 years.
Anonymous
Post 06/11/2026 08:51     Subject: What school pyramid?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:OP: Researching IB and l feel like AP will be a better fit for my kids. What about West Potomac or Lake Braddock?


I had recommended Edison, but if you want AP instead of IB, I would pick the Hayfield pyramid over West Potomac. I don't know much about Lake Braddock. The Hayfield Farm neighborhood is nice because students can walk to school throughout all 13 years of school. Hayfield elementary is right inside the neighborhood, so kids can walk to school on their own at a very young age. Grades 7-12 are at Hayfield secondary, which is right across Telegraph Rd. from the elementary school. Home prices aren't too bad in Hayfield compared to other areas in Fairfax County, and there is a community pool in Hayfield Farm and no HOA. I teach in the Edison pyramid, and my kids attend Hayfield, so I'm quite familiar with both. I think they are both solid choices.


Imagine telling someone who wants to be close to DC that Hayfield is a good choice.

To be fair, it doesn’t sound like the OP has enough money to live that close to DC anyway.


I don't see anywhere that OP mentions their budget or finances.


There are still affordable small houses from the 60s inside the Beltway. But they are being torn down and turned into apartment buildings.
Anonymous
Post 06/11/2026 08:47     Subject: What school pyramid?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:OP: Researching IB and l feel like AP will be a better fit for my kids. What about West Potomac or Lake Braddock?


I had recommended Edison, but if you want AP instead of IB, I would pick the Hayfield pyramid over West Potomac. I don't know much about Lake Braddock. The Hayfield Farm neighborhood is nice because students can walk to school throughout all 13 years of school. Hayfield elementary is right inside the neighborhood, so kids can walk to school on their own at a very young age. Grades 7-12 are at Hayfield secondary, which is right across Telegraph Rd. from the elementary school. Home prices aren't too bad in Hayfield compared to other areas in Fairfax County, and there is a community pool in Hayfield Farm and no HOA. I teach in the Edison pyramid, and my kids attend Hayfield, so I'm quite familiar with both. I think they are both solid choices.


Imagine telling someone who wants to be close to DC that Hayfield is a good choice.

To be fair, it doesn’t sound like the OP has enough money to live that close to DC anyway.


I don't see anywhere that OP mentions their budget or finances.
Anonymous
Post 06/11/2026 07:41     Subject: What school pyramid?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:OP: Researching IB and l feel like AP will be a better fit for my kids. What about West Potomac or Lake Braddock?


I had recommended Edison, but if you want AP instead of IB, I would pick the Hayfield pyramid over West Potomac. I don't know much about Lake Braddock. The Hayfield Farm neighborhood is nice because students can walk to school throughout all 13 years of school. Hayfield elementary is right inside the neighborhood, so kids can walk to school on their own at a very young age. Grades 7-12 are at Hayfield secondary, which is right across Telegraph Rd. from the elementary school. Home prices aren't too bad in Hayfield compared to other areas in Fairfax County, and there is a community pool in Hayfield Farm and no HOA. I teach in the Edison pyramid, and my kids attend Hayfield, so I'm quite familiar with both. I think they are both solid choices.


Imagine telling someone who wants to be close to DC that Hayfield is a good choice.

To be fair, it doesn’t sound like the OP has enough money to live that close to DC anyway.
Anonymous
Post 06/11/2026 07:36     Subject: What school pyramid?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:OP: Researching IB and l feel like AP will be a better fit for my kids. What about West Potomac or Lake Braddock?


I had recommended Edison, but if you want AP instead of IB, I would pick the Hayfield pyramid over West Potomac. I don't know much about Lake Braddock. The Hayfield Farm neighborhood is nice because students can walk to school throughout all 13 years of school. Hayfield elementary is right inside the neighborhood, so kids can walk to school on their own at a very young age. Grades 7-12 are at Hayfield secondary, which is right across Telegraph Rd. from the elementary school. Home prices aren't too bad in Hayfield compared to other areas in Fairfax County, and there is a community pool in Hayfield Farm and no HOA. I teach in the Edison pyramid, and my kids attend Hayfield, so I'm quite familiar with both. I think they are both solid choices.


Imagine telling someone who wants to be close to DC that Hayfield is a good choice.
Anonymous
Post 06/10/2026 20:32     Subject: What school pyramid?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:OP: Researching IB and l feel like AP will be a better fit for my kids. What about West Potomac or Lake Braddock?


If you want close in you don't want Lake Braddock. West Potomac is close in distance, but imagine spending the rest of your life sitting at red lights driving through Alexandria. My kid's class at William and Mary studied Justice because it is the most economically diverse school in the state, they just got a new principal who is cleaning up a lot of the mess left behind by the last one. AP is better if you are looking to rack up college credits, IB is better for learning how to write (which is a good thing to know in the age of AI.)


IB is a very prescriptive program if you're doing the full IB diploma, and if you aren't doing the full IB program at an IB school you're at a disadvantage when it comes time to apply to colleges and universities.

You can take AP courses at Lake Braddock and West Potomac and develop good writing skills.


The OP was asking about AP and IB, why wouldn't their kid go for the IB diploma. They don't even need to get the diploma, they just need to be a candidate at the time of the application. The IB writing far exceeds what they'd get from a writing class.
Anonymous
Post 06/10/2026 20:04     Subject: What school pyramid?
Anonymous wrote:OP: Researching IB and l feel like AP will be a better fit for my kids. What about West Potomac or Lake Braddock?


I had recommended Edison, but if you want AP instead of IB, I would pick the Hayfield pyramid over West Potomac. I don't know much about Lake Braddock. The Hayfield Farm neighborhood is nice because students can walk to school throughout all 13 years of school. Hayfield elementary is right inside the neighborhood, so kids can walk to school on their own at a very young age. Grades 7-12 are at Hayfield secondary, which is right across Telegraph Rd. from the elementary school. Home prices aren't too bad in Hayfield compared to other areas in Fairfax County, and there is a community pool in Hayfield Farm and no HOA. I teach in the Edison pyramid, and my kids attend Hayfield, so I'm quite familiar with both. I think they are both solid choices.
Anonymous
Post 06/10/2026 20:03     Subject: What school pyramid?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:OP: Researching IB and l feel like AP will be a better fit for my kids. What about West Potomac or Lake Braddock?


If you want close in you don't want Lake Braddock. West Potomac is close in distance, but imagine spending the rest of your life sitting at red lights driving through Alexandria. My kid's class at William and Mary studied Justice because it is the most economically diverse school in the state, they just got a new principal who is cleaning up a lot of the mess left behind by the last one. AP is better if you are looking to rack up college credits, IB is better for learning how to write (which is a good thing to know in the age of AI.)


IB is a very prescriptive program if you're doing the full IB diploma, and if you aren't doing the full IB program at an IB school you're at a disadvantage when it comes time to apply to colleges and universities.

You can take AP courses at Lake Braddock and West Potomac and develop good writing skills.
Anonymous
Post 06/10/2026 19:56     Subject: What school pyramid?
Anonymous wrote:OP: Researching IB and l feel like AP will be a better fit for my kids. What about West Potomac or Lake Braddock?


If you want close in you don't want Lake Braddock. West Potomac is close in distance, but imagine spending the rest of your life sitting at red lights driving through Alexandria. My kid's class at William and Mary studied Justice because it is the most economically diverse school in the state, they just got a new principal who is cleaning up a lot of the mess left behind by the last one. AP is better if you are looking to rack up college credits, IB is better for learning how to write (which is a good thing to know in the age of AI.)
Anonymous
Post 06/10/2026 19:51     Subject: What school pyramid?
Anonymous wrote:OP: Researching IB and l feel like AP will be a better fit for my kids. What about West Potomac or Lake Braddock?


Neither serves a particularly "progressive" community, but they are big AP schools that serve a diverse range of neighborhoods. Lake Braddock is higher rated.
Anonymous
Post 06/10/2026 19:48     Subject: What school pyramid?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:For similar location proximity to DC as a McLean pyramid but more liberal, I’d look at falls church city. They have their own local school district (not FCPS) and everyone I know who lives there love the community and schools.


Falls Church City owes its very existence to people who didn’t want Black people to have a vote in local elections many years ago and, years later, the residents go to great lengths to make sure you know their schools are “Falls Church City schools” rather than the more diverse schools in Fairfax County like Marshall, Falls Church, and Justice with Falls Church mailing addresses. If that’s what you consider “progressive,” go for it.
Fairfax County has its share of racist history. I would not pick a school system based on decisions made generations ago.


The second part of the post refers to current behavior by FCC residents. It goes beyond just letting people know FCC is its own jurisdiction.
Maybe, they make that distinction because Fairfax County has a high school called Falls Church and the city of Falls Church has a high school called Meridian. For many new people, it can be confusing.


Falls Church HS is in Fairfax and not City of Falls Church because of segregation.


Yes, more than 60 years ago.


FCC was incorporated as a town in 1897 and upgraded to a Class-2 city in 1948.

Either more than 100 years ago or more than 75 years ago. Long long ago in any case.