Anonymous
Post 12/26/2012 11:28     Subject: What is the difference bethween Langley and McLean?
I agree with PP about Marshall when they say it has less community feel. While the test scores are not affected, I think it absolutely affects what people think of the school on this board. However, while I am not Crazy Marshall Lady, I do think that the school's reputation will increase as Tysons becomes more built-up. It will theoretically at some point become a real community that doesn't just center around the malls like it does now, and I think Marshall will reap major benefits from that growth down the road. But who knows - that could be 20+ years away.
Anonymous
Post 12/26/2012 11:24     Subject: What is the difference bethween Langley and McLean?
There are some less expensive houses in the Great Falls area of the Langley district too, by which I mean under $900K. Especially due to location, which is pretty far out, so the land values are considerably lower. I think that while Langley is of course well-regarded, the commute to it can be considerable from Great Falls. I hear a lot of complaining about it, but luckily the reputation is strong so no one wants to actually re-district. If they had those commutes to any other high school, everyone would hear about it. So yes friends can live 30 minutes from each other at Langley before traffic is factored in, which probably gets old.
Anonymous
Post 12/26/2012 11:16     Subject: Re:What is the difference bethween Langley and McLean?
OP_not sure if you are even checking this anymore but your assumption is correct. I am a Whitman alum who grew up in Bethesda but later went to a private so I had tons of friends in Potomac, DC, etc. McLean equals WHitman. Langley equals Churchill. Test scores and all that garbage are indicators but the social scene at Langley and McLean is like Churchill and Whitman. Whitman had a few more smaller homes and overall smaller lots and some townhouses in its district --like McLean--because it has has older areas. Also both are closer to DC so having a small house doesn't mean a cheap house. And Mclean is more like a real place ilke Bethesda whereas Great Falls is like Potomac Village--small and not a lot there. Like Churchill, Langley's district is an area that used to have a lot more large acreage properties but has had a lot of new houses fill in. This is kind of like Potomac where there are still lots of Big houses on large lots because older horse farm-type places have been subdivided. The newer homes still have big lots relative to closer in suburbs but are also a longer commute to DC.

In both places a good chunk of people send their kids to privates. That is more about each child's individual need and the parents' beliefs/biases about schools.
Anonymous
Post 12/25/2012 23:12     Subject: Re:What is the difference bethween Langley and McLean?

I think this is about right for Langley. I have no idea what Potomac School demographics are, but I know they pull kids far beyond Lanley's borders (and both richer and poorer).
Anonymous
Post 12/25/2012 23:09     Subject: Re:What is the difference bethween Langley and McLean?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I taught at McLean and have a student in Langley. There is much more a student socio-economic mix at McLean, but still very strong cliques. Academics at both are rigorous. We also live west of the beltway and mornings are really tough with the bus route. We are probably at the lower-end of the socio-economic spectrum at Langley and would be in the middle at McLean. My kids have never felt out-of-place because of this. I guess it is about who they choose as friends.


To put this in "perspective":

To be at the lower end of the spectrum at Langley, your parents own a $850K house in McLean. At McLean, they rent a 2-BR apartment in subsidized or inexpensive housing in Falls Church.

To be in the middle end of the spectrum at Langley, your parents own a $1.2M house in McLean or Great Falls. At McLean, they own a $850K house in McLean, Falls Church or Vienna.

To be at the high end of the spectrum at Langley, your parents own a $3-5M house in McLean or Great Falls. At McLean, they own a $2-2.5M house in McLean.

I think this is about right for Langley. I have no idea what Potomac School demographics are, but I know they pull kids far beyond Lanley's borders (and both richer and poorer).
That's why people say McLean is more diverse, even though most of the kids come from upper-income families.


Can anyone else chime in on whether they agree with this analysis and these numbers? If an 850K house puts you in the lower end spectrum at Langley, what's the lower end spectrum at the Potomac School in McLean? My guess would be that the numbers above are true for the Potomac School -- just surprised that they would also be true for Langley.
Anonymous
Post 12/25/2012 22:42     Subject: Re:What is the difference bethween Langley and McLean?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I taught at McLean and have a student in Langley. There is much more a student socio-economic mix at McLean, but still very strong cliques. Academics at both are rigorous. We also live west of the beltway and mornings are really tough with the bus route. We are probably at the lower-end of the socio-economic spectrum at Langley and would be in the middle at McLean. My kids have never felt out-of-place because of this. I guess it is about who they choose as friends.


To put this in "perspective":

To be at the lower end of the spectrum at Langley, your parents own a $850K house in McLean. At McLean, they rent a 2-BR apartment in subsidized or inexpensive housing in Falls Church.

To be in the middle end of the spectrum at Langley, your parents own a $1.2M house in McLean or Great Falls. At McLean, they own a $850K house in McLean, Falls Church or Vienna.

To be at the high end of the spectrum at Langley, your parents own a $3-5M house in McLean or Great Falls. At McLean, they own a $2-2.5M house in McLean.

That's why people say McLean is more diverse, even though most of the kids come from upper-income families.


Can anyone else chime in on whether they agree with this analysis and these numbers? If an 850K house puts you in the lower end spectrum at Langley, what's the lower end spectrum at the Potomac School in McLean? My guess would be that the numbers above are true for the Potomac School -- just surprised that they would also be true for Langley.
Anonymous
Post 12/25/2012 22:26     Subject: Re:What is the difference bethween Langley and McLean?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:

Marshall is 22182, parts of 22043 and dunn lorring which are all geographically near each other. How is that different than mclean or madison. Beyond that, would it make sense logically for fairfax county to randomly carve out sections not near each other in terms of school pickups? Mclean has the same thing with students in 22043 and even some far out in 22046. The marshall equivalent of mclean highs mclean zip core is 22182. Langley is also carved out of great falls , parts of mclean and even 22182.

See , you learned something today, merry christmas!


I explained what I think is different. Madison includes all of the town of Vienna. McLean's boundaries includes the heart of downtown McLean and all of McLean south of Route 123. Everyone in Great Falls is assigned to Langley. Each of those schools gets more community support than Marshall. If Madison wants to have an event on Maple Avenue, the Town of Vienna will accommodate them. If a McLean team or band wants to raise money in McLean, they'll get a lot of support from local residents. Same for Langley at Great Falls Village.

Not so much where Marshall is concerned, because the areas assigned to Marshall are more random. Most Marshall students live in 22043, not 22182, so you don't even know where most students there reside. The center of the district is the Tysons Corner mall, which is a regional shopping center where the merchants and patrons have no special affinity for Marshall. The local newspapers always seem to pay more attention to other schools. I remember reading an article a few years back when a coach or administrator at Marshall was interviewed, and he or she wistfully acknowledged that the level of community engagement at Marshall was not as high as at other area schools. It doesn't mean Marshall's bad, and I'm not "anti-Marshall" the way that another poster is clearly "anti-Langley" based or her DD's experiences there. I just think there are reasons why people tend to speak more highly of other schools, and it's not simply about incomes and demographics. Maybe this will change if Tysons turns into more of a residential area, and Marshall gets known as the "Tysons" high school.





I buy the argument that Madison and McLean both have hometowns (Vienna city and McLean) whereas most of the other Fairfax county high schools don't.

If you look at the common pattern of the mentioned Fairfax county high schools, except for Madison, they tend to evenly spread around the high school and have a far reaching west branch.

If you look at McLean there are large breaks in the west spreading branch but it is centered around McLean city.

I believe Langley is more spread out than Marshall.

Marshall seems to be mapped with an even spread around the high school with a west branch extending out over 22182.

Madison seems to evenly extend out of Vienna city surrounding the school with no branches. One could argue that Madison has the most even spread of students but it doesn't make it the most academically superior.

http://www.fcps.edu/images/boundarymaps/madisonhs.pdf
http://www.fcps.edu/images/boundarymaps/mcleanhs.pdf
http://www.fcps.edu/images/boundarymaps/langleyhs.pdf
http://www.fcps.edu/images/boundarymaps/marshallhs.pdf
Anonymous
Post 12/25/2012 18:33     Subject: What is the difference bethween Langley and McLean?
Anonymous wrote:Why does community support equal quality education in your eyes?

Parades, community newspapers, team sports fans, and the small town feel may be something that some people seek, and other people feel is irrelevant.


I think there's a benefit to having your kids attend a school where the community pride in the school is more palpable, but others may think it's largely irrelevant. I can't think of many who would view it as a negative.
Anonymous
Post 12/25/2012 18:26     Subject: What is the difference bethween Langley and McLean?
Why does community support equal quality education in your eyes?

Parades, community newspapers, team sports fans, and the small town feel may be something that some people seek, and other people feel is irrelevant.
Anonymous
Post 12/25/2012 18:15     Subject: Re:What is the difference bethween Langley and McLean?
Anonymous wrote:

Marshall is 22182, parts of 22043 and dunn lorring which are all geographically near each other. How is that different than mclean or madison. Beyond that, would it make sense logically for fairfax county to randomly carve out sections not near each other in terms of school pickups? Mclean has the same thing with students in 22043 and even some far out in 22046. The marshall equivalent of mclean highs mclean zip core is 22182. Langley is also carved out of great falls , parts of mclean and even 22182.

See , you learned something today, merry christmas!


I explained what I think is different. Madison includes all of the town of Vienna. McLean's boundaries includes the heart of downtown McLean and all of McLean south of Route 123. Everyone in Great Falls is assigned to Langley. Each of those schools gets more community support than Marshall. If Madison wants to have an event on Maple Avenue, the Town of Vienna will accommodate them. If a McLean team or band wants to raise money in McLean, they'll get a lot of support from local residents. Same for Langley at Great Falls Village.

Not so much where Marshall is concerned, because the areas assigned to Marshall are more random. Most Marshall students live in 22043, not 22182, so you don't even know where most students there reside. The center of the district is the Tysons Corner mall, which is a regional shopping center where the merchants and patrons have no special affinity for Marshall. The local newspapers always seem to pay more attention to other schools. I remember reading an article a few years back when a coach or administrator at Marshall was interviewed, and he or she wistfully acknowledged that the level of community engagement at Marshall was not as high as at other area schools. It doesn't mean Marshall's bad, and I'm not "anti-Marshall" the way that another poster is clearly "anti-Langley" based or her DD's experiences there. I just think there are reasons why people tend to speak more highly of other schools, and it's not simply about incomes and demographics. Maybe this will change if Tysons turns into more of a residential area, and Marshall gets known as the "Tysons" high school.



Anonymous
Post 12/25/2012 18:07     Subject: What is the difference bethween Langley and McLean?
Anonymous wrote:I have only seen one crazy. She is very anti-Marshall and I think she is a Madison pusher. If anyone even mentions Marshall, she goes nuts and starts talking about realtors and rankings. She labels anyone who mentions Marshall "the crazy Marshall lady. " I can't decide if the problem is too much eggnog or not enough Prozac.


The prior poster mentioned bath salts , I guess they have started hitting the suburban moms.
Anonymous
Post 12/25/2012 16:32     Subject: What is the difference bethween Langley and McLean?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I have only seen one crazy. She is very anti-Marshall and I think she is a Madison pusher. If anyone even mentions Marshall, she goes nuts and starts talking about realtors and rankings. She labels anyone who mentions Marshall "the crazy Marshall lady. " I can't decide if the problem is too much eggnog or not enough Prozac.


Hi crazy marshall lady!!


I posted the quoted post. I have one ds at Frost and one at Woodson. I have no problem with any school. I was just posting my observations. You really do need help.
Anonymous
Post 12/25/2012 16:14     Subject: What is the difference bethween Langley and McLean?
Anonymous wrote:I have only seen one crazy. She is very anti-Marshall and I think she is a Madison pusher. If anyone even mentions Marshall, she goes nuts and starts talking about realtors and rankings. She labels anyone who mentions Marshall "the crazy Marshall lady. " I can't decide if the problem is too much eggnog or not enough Prozac.


Hi crazy marshall lady!!
Anonymous
Post 12/25/2012 15:42     Subject: Re:What is the difference bethween Langley and McLean?
Anonymous wrote:So there are two crazy HS boosters? One is crazy Marshall and the other crazy McLean? What does crazy Mclean say/do? I have heard the Marshall story, not utd on the Mclean one.

No there's just the one crazy Marshall lady but sometimes she disguises her voice or throws out falsehoods, just to throw you off track.
Anonymous
Post 12/25/2012 15:32     Subject: What is the difference bethween Langley and McLean?
I have only seen one crazy. She is very anti-Marshall and I think she is a Madison pusher. If anyone even mentions Marshall, she goes nuts and starts talking about realtors and rankings. She labels anyone who mentions Marshall "the crazy Marshall lady. " I can't decide if the problem is too much eggnog or not enough Prozac.