I know that Fairfax Schools are among the most highly ranked in the U.S.
But I have also heard from others that some schools are lacking in quality throughout the county. I've heard the Langley High pyramid is great but the home prices in that district are absurd.

Any suggestions for other school pyramids that are strong?

I currently live in the Daventry subdivision in Springfield, recently we were zoned out of the Lee High School zone and into the West Springfield High School zone.

Lee HS is a school you should definitely stay away from, but West Springfield HS is a very desirable pyramid with a great feeder middle school (Irving). All the elementary schools in the pyramid are great (Hunt Valley, Orange Hunt, Cardinal Forest, Keene Mill, etc.)

Avoid:

Annandale HS
JEB Stuart HS
Falls Church HS
Mount Vernon HS
Edison HS
Hayfield Secondary
Lee HS

All others are pretty great schools :)

I'm currently in the Falls Church pyramid. We're thinking of moving b/c this school is so lowly rated. My question is...why? Is it all the South Americans in the school or something? What is wrong with the school? Gangs? Drugs?

Sherrie O Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Avoid:
>
> Annandale HS
> JEB Stuart HS
> Falls Church HS
> Mount Vernon HS
> Edison HS
> Hayfield Secondary
> Lee HS
>
> All others are pretty great schools :)


Half of that list is in Mason District, where every 100% of HS pyramids are on the bad list. Funny that Democrats still keep voting for the same Supervisor every four years, you'd think they'd get wise but it'll never happen.

Send your little snowflake to Mount Vernon. They will shine if they can count to 10, recite half the alphabet, and find their way to the cafeteria without a SPED IA.

RJay Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I know that Fairfax Schools are among the most
> highly ranked in the U.S.
> But I have also heard from others that some
> schools are lacking in quality throughout the
> county. I've heard the Langley High pyramid is
> great but the home prices in that district are
> absurd.
>
> Any suggestions for other school pyramids that are
> strong?

A few things about the Langley pyramid or when thinking about any High School in any area.

1. You want to live AS CLOSE to the High School as you can. With all the after school activities a High School student is involved in it is IMPORTANT to live close to the high school. The Langley district is LARGE and anyone that lives in Great Falls or Herdon has a hell of a commute. The kids suffer.

2. Not sure if you want to buy or rent. Although not the greatest solution, townhouses in Kings Manor are probably the most cost effective housing option in the Langley distric.

3. If you look at other schools, look closely at the Subsidized School Lunch percentage, this will give you a good idea about what you are getting into.

4. Madison, Marshall, McLean are all pretty good options. South Lakes may be ok. Not real sure about Herndon these days, I think it may be questionable.

5. Lake Braddock or Centerville may be some places to consider.

Live as close to the High School as you can afford.

Do you really want to send your child to a high-rated school here where she will compete unsuccessfully with the Asians and never survive any of the academic clubs and teams that are competitively chosen?

Mine went to Falls Church, received a good education, went to the college of her choice with great financial support, and grew up learning about the ethnic and financial challenges others face that we do not.

I would focus on these pyramids (ranked highly)

According to US News, these are the top 10 high schools in VA.

Most of them are in Fairfax County

http://www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools/virginia

The high schools in Fairfax Co. on the list:

Madison
Oakton
Fairfax
Langley
Woodson
McLean

All these pyramids are great

Here are the school pyramids people don't avoid

Centreville HS
Chantilly HS
Fairfax HS
Lake Braddock SS
Langley HS
Madison HS
Marshall HS
McLean HS
Oakton HS
Robinson SS
South County HS
South Lakes HS
West Springfield HS
Westfield HS
Woodson HS

yourmom Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I'm currently in the Falls Church pyramid. We're
> thinking of moving b/c this school is so lowly
> rated. My question is...why? Is it all the South
> Americans in the school or something? What is
> wrong with the school? Gangs? Drugs?


Yes. And crime. Unless this is the type of thing you like to deal with on a close daily basis. Diversity is supposedly interesting and all until it adversely affects your child and their education.

It depends, what are your kids good at or what do they want to do? Liberal Arts or Science or even certain sports. Can't really knows what school pyramid is best for you without knowing these things.

Best pyramids are Langley, McLean, Woodson, Oakton and Madison, followed by Chantilly, Robinson, Lake Braddock and West Springfield.

yourmom Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I'm currently in the Falls Church pyramid. We're
> thinking of moving b/c this school is so lowly
> rated. My question is...why?

In part it is because decisions were made to allow the area encompassing Falls Church pyramid area and Baileys go, becoming de facto low income housing areas for the cheap labor needed elsewhere in the area. Relatively little effort was made to enforce zoning rules or to support the efforts of local neighborhood associations to maintain the neighborhoods and little money was pumped into capital projects. If you visited Falls Church High ten years ago you would have thought it had to be at the top of the list for renovations. It hasn't happened yet. The area school that did get the money is TJ, where very few Falls Church or Stuart pyramid kids end up.

Bill.N. Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> yourmom Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > I'm currently in the Falls Church pyramid.
> We're
> > thinking of moving b/c this school is so lowly
> > rated. My question is...why?
>
> In part it is because decisions were made to allow
> the area encompassing Falls Church pyramid area
> and Baileys go, becoming de facto low income
> housing areas for the cheap labor needed elsewhere
> in the area. Relatively little effort was made to
> enforce zoning rules or to support the efforts of
> local neighborhood associations to maintain the
> neighborhoods and little money was pumped into
> capital projects. If you visited Falls Church
> High ten years ago you would have thought it had
> to be at the top of the list for renovations. It
> hasn't happened yet. The area school that did get
> the money is TJ, where very few Falls Church or
> Stuart pyramid kids end up.


So true, only thing good about this area is very short commutes into Arlington without having to live in Arlington. I can also get home from Nationals Park in just under 20 minutes following a night game.

Bill.N. Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> yourmom Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > I'm currently in the Falls Church pyramid.
> We're
> > thinking of moving b/c this school is so lowly
> > rated. My question is...why?
>
> In part it is because decisions were made to allow
> the area encompassing Falls Church pyramid area
> and Baileys go, becoming de facto low income
> housing areas for the cheap labor needed elsewhere
> in the area. Relatively little effort was made to
> enforce zoning rules or to support the efforts of
> local neighborhood associations to maintain the
> neighborhoods and little money was pumped into
> capital projects. If you visited Falls Church
> High ten years ago you would have thought it had
> to be at the top of the list for renovations. It
> hasn't happened yet. The area school that did get
> the money is TJ, where very few Falls Church or
> Stuart pyramid kids end up.

There are numerous schools in the Falls Church and Stuart pyramids that have received capital funding recently. Mason Crest is a brand-new ES that feeds into Falls Church and Stuart. The Graham Road ES building is also new, as are Bailey's Upper ES and Glasgow MS. Stuart was renovated about a decade ago with other schools built in the late 50s and Falls Church is on the schedule for renovations now. I've met kids from both schools and found them to be bright and well-spoken.

It was steps to increase capacity that I was referring to when I said "capital projects".

Through the 1980s Fairfax County was actually closing schools serving that part of the County, including Willston, Walnut Hill, Devonshire and Lacey Elementary schools, Whittier Intermediate and Thomas Jefferson High School. This made sense at the time when student populations were declining. When decisions were made that lead to the growing student population in that area, capacity was not restored. The former Lacey Elementary was only rebuilt and reopened as Mason Crest a couple of years ago. After the County refused to hand over the former Willston Elementary, FCPS had to put half of Baileys into a former office building. I believe Graham is simply a relocation of the existing Graham Road school to a new building at the former Devonshire site, so I don't know how much new capacity was acquired.

Bill.N. Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> It was steps to increase capacity that I was
> referring to when I said "capital projects".
>
> Through the 1980s Fairfax County was actually
> closing schools serving that part of the County,
> including Willston, Walnut Hill, Devonshire and
> Lacey Elementary schools, Whittier Intermediate
> and Thomas Jefferson High School. This made sense
> at the time when student populations were
> declining. When decisions were made that lead to
> the growing student population in that area,
> capacity was not restored. The former Lacey
> Elementary was only rebuilt and reopened as Mason
> Crest a couple of years ago. After the County
> refused to hand over the former Willston
> Elementary, FCPS had to put half of Baileys into a
> former office building. I believe Graham is
> simply a relocation of the existing Graham Road
> school to a new building at the former Devonshire
> site, so I don't know how much new capacity was
> acquired.

Obviously Mason Crest and Bailey's increased capacity. Mason Crest added 700 seats and Bailey's Upper added 756. When the new Graham Road was rebuilt at the Devonshire site, the capacity increased from 266 students to 492 students. When Glasgow was rebuilt the capacity was expanded by 122 students. And FCPS has added to the capacity of other schools like Beech Tree and Braddock as well as part of renovations/expansions. When other schools like North Springfield, Annandale Terrace and Falls Church are renovated in the future, their capacity likely will be expanded as well. So I think your basic premise is wrong.

If you want to argue that the county doesn't do enough to enforce zoning laws in that area, go for it (although the same is probably also true at some of the apartments that feed into schools like Marshall, which is already running out of space despite a recent renovation). But FCPS has been fairly diligent at trying to find spaces for the increase in kids in the Annandale/Falls Church/Stuart area without allowing it to squeeze out renovations to other schools elsewhere in the rest of the county.

Its not the high school it is the kid . If your kid does not see the value of doing homework , being engaged etc he is going to not do well no matter what high school he is at . if he is or she is smart and motivated all the schools in FCPS will find opportunties for them to do so

NIGGER