Hi,
I have asked this question before but now we are actually down to the wire and moving to the D.C. area. I have a son with ADHD (504 plan only) who is gifted in art but who has fairly typical ADHD issues with homework, authority etc. He is going into 8th grade this fall. I also have a daughter with some reading, learning issues (but with easy outgoing temperament) who will be in 5th grade this fall. Can anyone steer me towards or away from any high school system and or middle schools in the Virginia -Maryland area. I know that Montgomery County and Fairfax County spend a lot of money per pupil but I need some direction as to actual locations at this point. Any great pockets to live in or avoid.
Thanks
Re: Schools in MD or VA
Thanks for the information. I am heading out tomorrow to look at houses and I will look in that area as well. D.C. area is very expensive all around I am afraid.
Re: Schools in MD or VA
Thanks for the information. It was very helpful. I will at least look in that area to see what is available.
Thanks again.
Re: Schools in MD or VA
I would steer clear of McLean, Langley and especially of Great Falls, Virginia. Those of three of the richest towns in Fairfax County, Virginia. The cost of houses there is prohibitive and the schools do not really cater to special ed. students.
Good luck!
Re: Schools in MD or VA
How about Oakton? We looked all over and finally bought there. Very expensive out there. I imagine we will rely heavily on tutoring services for extra needs. Neither of my kids qualify for special education (so far), although my son has a 504 plan for ADHD. My daughter has been in a special school and she has not needed one but she may now. I imagine she will struggle in Oakton. We also needed a metro stop nearby.
THanks
Re: Schools in MD or VA
I’m not totally sure about Oakton. Oakton is a very expensive area. What elementary school will they be attending?
Re: Fairfax Schools
Students with IEP’s and 504’s are treated well in Mclean, Langley, Oakton HS pyramids. The kids who are really stuck are those who are borderline SPED or dual exceptionalities -GT/LD/ADD/ADHD but those GT AS/HFA receive good services. Without an IEP or 504 your children may get nothing and the teachers will only focus on those other students not others who might need some extra help or minor accomadations. In middle schools, Fairfax has a daily elective class for students with LD’s to help with HW, classwork, and organization skills.
We have had a very good experience with two kids at White Oak Middle School in Montgomery County (Colesville/White Oak area). Good special education environment. Nurturing environment/teachers. Very culturally diverse. Really motivated kids. I’m not real fond of the new principal, though it remains to be seen what if any influence that will have on the school’s positive culture. Is it perfect? No, but I think a child’s school experience is mostly influenced by their teachers and for the most part WOMS has pretty good ones.
The school feeds into the NorthEast Consortium high school system. That basically means that in 8th grade your child can request Blake High School (specialty: the Arts), Paint Branch High School (specialty: Science and Media), or Springbook High School (specialty: Computers and Technology). In previous years, not all school requests could be honored. This past year all eight graders got their first choice. (To me this school choice has a trade off for our children. They might get to go to the school they want, but their friends might all head off to another.)
I’m sorry to report though that prices of houses in our area have gone up astronomically in the last two years.