Research Woodson High School Public Schools in Manassas, Virginia

“Academically strong school. Administration leadership is lacking in a big way. I found when there are issues they are covered up and followed by using threats and intimidation to hush those that challenge their ways. A real disappointment, shame, and example of the misuse of authority.”

“I had two children graduate from Woodson. The education they have received through this school has been top-notch. The teachers and administrative staff are excellent. Both of my children had no problem in being accepted at their college of choice, and coming from Woodson certainly helped in that effort.”

“I've had 3 children graduate from WTW and all had a basically good experience. There is an excellent variety of classes to choose from, and most of the teachers my children had were quite good. Although my children were mostly involved in sports, they tried other activities, too, and I don't think they found Woodson overwhelmingly 'clique-y'. My only complaints are that: 1) the classes are often made 'challenging' by an overload of what I -- and my kids -- considered busywork, but not enough reading/analysis of challenging books (even AP classes); and 2) kids who are bright but have special needs are VERY often not challenged/passed off as 'lazy'/ignored, as the school really revolves around those students going after all those AP classes.”

“I attended Woodson for two years. When I first moved to the area I found the school very difficult and discouraging. To be honest it kind of scared me at first. I found it a bit hard to make friends because the people there are pretty closely knit. Moving there is hard, but once you adapt to the environment its the best school ever. The teachers are genuinely interested in your education and they go far out of their way to make sure every student understands. They even have late buses so students can stay after with their teachers. The competitiveness is high and the curriculum difficult but what I learned from there was priceless. There is a lot of diversity so everyone finds their own niche in the school. Great academics, mostly good athletics (football hasn't been to good o us lately), and a lot of great opportunities.”

“Love this school. Great teachers and students. Smaller of the H.S. in Fairfax, but the best. Great education, sports, and electives.”

“Could not disagree more with the first December comment! Im student there now and all i want is to get out. if you dont wear A&F and conform you wont do well. the building is terrible and should be condemned asap. also, i looked on the webpage: 77% of kids go onto 4-yr colleges (not over 90).Only reason we're considered good is because we have so many APs.Woodson is so cliquey-i dread going to school.im glad i wrote this, i need to go beg my parents to let me transfer now.”

“Terrible high school experience. cliques, pressure to fit in and be accepted, insane work load, ridiculous grade requirements, disgusting building conditions, and the ongoing academic competition is enough to make any reasonable person be miserable. terrible place.”

“I graduated from Woodson in 2004 and although I am disappointed by some of the comments, I'm not surprised. Woodson is a school that has a high number of cliques, but on very few occassions have I found people to be exclusive of others. Woodson is what you make of it. I was never popular and my high school experiance was equally divided between unhappiness and satisfaction. When I graduated, I could honestly say I liked the last 4 years. Woodson has problems too. For example, principal leadership was pretty poor. It was disorganized and often unfair, forbidding even peaceful protests. The honor code was a joke because students were never trusted. Despite showing excellence in their fields, departments such as art and drama were given laugable yearly budgets. However, as a future teacher I can say many of the teachers at Woodson are some of the most inspiring.”

“Excellent school, wonderful activities, incredible parent involvement and interested teachers. As I read through some of the reviews from a few disgruntled students of WTW, I would be afraid that they would have been just as disappointed in other schools in the area. My daughter learned early on to be herself and get involved... She did (and doesn't wear A&F) and she has a wonderful group of friends who are also involved in activities (band, honor societies, literary, athletics, full range of activities...). They are the anti-clique clique! The building is one of the oldest and does need major renovations - but it isn't the dwelling that makes it great, its the people and the spirit. I am staying in this area just so my other child can go to WTW also.”

“I have a child in 10th grade. She has been going through the busiest time of her life so far. AP classes, activities, projects and homeworks fill her time in and out school. She gets only a few hours of sleep everyday. Not a life you like to see for a girl of this age. But the school is doing an admirable job to let students explore their limit in learning and participating activities. Teachers are very devoted and enthusiastic. Overall the school is very solid and good place for students whole have potential and try to get into good colleges.”

“This school has alot of cliques, but overall i thought this school taught well. The students interacted pretty well. I would say this is one of the safest schools in fairfax county. I know because i went there.”

“I'm a senior this year and I can't wait to get out of this place. I've had nothing but trouble with the school itself, although not all the people who go there are bad. They forgot to send my transcripts off to two colleges, and when The teachers are pretty bad, and if they are 'some of the best in the country' then I feel truly sorry for the rest of the country. I wish I had attended a private school!”

“This is truly one of best high schools in the country. The school offers a wide variety of student programs courses are very impressive. Strong tecching staff, second to none which I have seen anywhere in the world. Keep up the great work Woodson!”

“This is one of the top schools in teh country. The Washinton Post rankings have it in the top ten nationwide. Most of the complaints by students would be true at any other school. The building is older but planned for renovation. The teachers are first rate. Our kids went to MIT and were accepted at W&M, and UVA with a full scholarship. They turned down the opportunity to transfer to ThomJeff.”

“As a former student, I was surprised by the comments posted in October 2004. While there is some truth to the clique aspect, this is no different than most high schools. The test scores and rankings tell it all - this school is a great public high school where a kid gets a well-rounded experience. Also, more than 90% of the graduates go on to college - it really isn't fair to cite erroneous statistics in an attempt to denigrate a school. Sounds like you have a personal problem with the school, not an overall problem with the educational environment. I am sorry for that, as my experience was very good.”

“Woodson is the best high school in the area! Students don't need new lockers, desks, or classrooms to get some of the best grades and standardized test scores in the nation. gangs and drugs are far less common than in other FCPS schools, and the extracirricular activities are wonderful.”

“The school's education system is by far tops in the county for public schooling. However, the physical conditions of the school are horrendous... it has not had a major renovation since it was first built in 1962, and the place looks like a dump inside. Hopefully renovation will be completed quickly within the next decade.”