Fairfax County Schools (Annandale, Glasgow: middle-class, best school, university)

[The Dissenter]

While I think that Fairfax County schools are very overrated, they still provide you with a good education. Its hard to get into elite universities period. I dont think Fairfax County or any school division helps or hurts you with your career path as much as your decisions after K-12. I've know plenty of kids from school systems that are very underachieving (Hampton, Newport News, Alexandria City,) get to college (or join the military) and suceed. I think it is more about playing your cards right instead of the actual cards that are dealt to you.

You got into GMU, you'll get a good education. I'd give up a right arm to have a 3.5 GPA after high school.

[05c6400]

Originally Posted by claremarie

Most kids in every system are average students, and they end up at average schools. When many of your classmates have GPAs well above 4.0 with AP courses weighted in, then a 3.5 GPA is not outstanding, especially paired with a "crap" SAT score. It's not clear why you believe that you should have been accepted at a more competitive state school with a "crap" SAT score, just because you graduated from a Fairfax school. As you probably know, there are plenty of students with excellent grades and test scores who are shut out from the better Virginia universities. UVA, William and Mary, Va Tech, and JMU cannot possibly accept every applicant from the Fairfax system, or there would be no spots for students from the rest of Virginia.

I don't think I should have been accepted at a more competitive state school. I was surprised I even got accepted at GMU... I just think that fairfax county schools are okay/overated... I just do not see the big deal having gone through the fairfax county school system.

[Nancy in Nokomis]

Originally Posted by tankdude

I don't think you can make a general statement about FFX Cty schools based on your experience with your neighborhood school. Do you think your son should be challenged into doing fractions and reading novels and doing book reports already?

Kindergarten is more than just what is being learned from the book in the class. It's also about learning social skills, motor skills, how to think, and learning to follow directions.

I am not making a general statment about Fairfax Cty. schools - I stated my experience. Why in the world would you think I was making a blanket statement? This forum is all about posting your personal experience.

My son is very mature socially , physically and mentally - he cant help it - he is bored - when he is tested in 2nd grade I will find out if he is gifted or not -
It might be because he missed the cut off because his birthday is in Nov. - the public schools dont take into account how mature your child is - they just have an arbitrary cut off date.

[05c6400]

"they just have an arbitrary cut off date" I don't agree with that. I do not see a need for the arbitrary cut off date.

[claremarie]

Perhaps you would have a greater appreciation for your Fairfax County experience if you'd had the opportunity to attend a public school in a less affluent and educated part of the country. In the small midwestern town where I now live, the public schools are dreadful. They have graduation rates that rival those of DC, and SAT scores a full 300 points or more below those in Fairfax. When I tell folks that the very best private school in the area (which costs nearly $15K) is just like our local Fairfax elementary school, they don't believe me. They cannot fathom a district in which virtually everyone graduates (so that graduation rates aren't really even on the radar screen) and 95% of the graduates go on to college.

[smithfield2]

GMU is one of the best schools in Virginia. Originally, the northern campus for UVA.
It is highly competitive..Consider yourself lucky that you graduated from GMU.

[05c6400]

Originally Posted by claremarie

Perhaps you would have a greater appreciation for your Fairfax County experience if you'd had the opportunity to attend a public school in a less affluent and educated part of the country. In the small midwestern town where I now live, the public schools are dreadful. They have graduation rates that rival those of DC, and SAT scores a full 300 points or more below those in Fairfax. When I tell folks that the very best private school in the area (which costs nearly $15K) is just like our local Fairfax elementary school, they don't believe me. They cannot fathom a district in which virtually everyone graduates (so that graduation rates aren't really even on the radar screen) and 95% of the graduates go on to college.

My SAT score was that I spelled my name correctly.

I remember kids in my school that smoked pot on a regular basis, got good grades, scored high on their SATs and still got into UVA.

I think education is there for people who want to take advantage of it. I think of it this way; you can have a high performance supercar but if you are an average driver the high performance supercar is not going to make you a better driver, you are still going to be an average driver. I think in my case it was my parents involvment and I guess I had some kind of ambition in life but all the while working at my own pace. The school environment/education system was not a motivator for me.

[tankdude]

Originally Posted by Fairfax Mom

I am not making a general statment about Fairfax Cty. schools - I stated my experience. Why in the world would you think I was making a blanket statement? This forum is all about posting your personal experience.

My son is very mature socially , physically and mentally - he cant help it - he is bored - when he is tested in 2nd grade I will find out if he is gifted or not -
It might be because he missed the cut off because his birthday is in Nov. - the public schools dont take into account how mature your child is - they just have an arbitrary cut off date.

Sure you are.

Instead of being "kinda so so on fairfax county schools" as you said, you should just say that you are "so so" with your neighborhood elementary school and that it doesn't meet you or your son's needs.

The method/material taught in one school, isn't necessarily taught in another school. Some elementary schools provide more challenge than others.

Some more concerned parents in some districts raise the bar in expectations from the school. Others have a more passive approach.

Principals and teachers, to a great extent, have an influence on how the school is run and what the methods the teachers use beyond what they are required to teach.

[tankdude]

Originally Posted by 05c6400

My SAT score was that I spelled my name correctly.

I remember kids in my school that smoked pot on a regular basis, got good grades, scored high on their SATs and still got into UVA.

I think education is there for people who want to take advantage of it. I think of it this way; you can have a high performance supercar but if you are an average driver the high performance supercar is not going to make you a better driver, you are still going to be an average driver. I think in my case it was my parents involvment and I guess I had some kind of ambition in life but all the while working at my own pace. The school environment/education system was not a motivator for me.

Did you do anything beyond just getting a 3.5, bad SAT, and being in the honor society? How did you distinguish yourself from your peers beyond that?

[FL Beaches]

Originally Posted by Alanboy395

While I think that Fairfax County schools are very overrated, they still provide you with a good education. Its hard to get into elite universities period. I dont think Fairfax County or any school division helps or hurts you with your career path as much as your decisions after K-12. I've know plenty of kids from school systems that are very underachieving (Hampton, Newport News, Alexandria City,) get to college (or join the military) and suceed. I think it is more about playing your cards right instead of the actual cards that are dealt to you.

You got into GMU, you'll get a good education. I'd give up a right arm to have a 3.5 GPA after high school.

I wouldn't group all the schools in those cities as underachieving. DS happens to be in a great school in one of those cities. You can also find underachieving schools in Virginia Beach and every other city in the state.