Annandale High School

This school is ridiculous, I've attended here for a full year and don't like this school at all. A teacher curses out his students and calls them names. He kicked me out one day (after getting cursed out and feeling horrible), for making a small paper order error. After this, I was sent to the office, and eventually was given detention. How is it that a school teacher can do such things and still get away with it (let alone the student having to get detention). This school is beyond ridiculous, It was only my second day there and that happened.
—Submitted by a student

I have been an observer at the school for a few weeks now. As far as the math classes I observed, the teachers are extremely competent (even the substitutes!). Also, I found that all the faculty and staff to be friendly and helpful. They work well with students with disabilities, mainstreaming as often as possible. I don't know much about the principle and parents, but the quality of education is great! I would send my kid there. Only draw back is that students are let out at 2:10pm, making it hard to be home for their arrival.

Thanks for enlightening me. I stand by my views. What schools are supposed to teach come from books. All other lessons come from life experiences.
—Submitted by a parent

Whoever wrote that diversity doesn't impact education just doesn't get it. The amazing students at Annandale from every culture and every economic group are a source of wisdom beyond textbooks. The perspectives they share in and out of class make it an enriched environment, both academically and socially, for every student there.
—Submitted by Eileen Kugler, a parent

I had to pull my son from this school. He received absolutely zero educational support. Teachers rarely responded to emails/requests for conferences. The coaches and teachers at the school use profane language in everyday discourse. It is definitely diverse, which in and of itself is not bad, but many of the students come from homes with little parent involvement and little discipline. I was a student at this school myself some 25 years ago and am disappointed to see the horrible downfall of the school since my graduation.
—Submitted by a parent

Diversity is #1 key in anyones education. The world is a diverse place. How can a parent comment that this isn't always a good thing. It's a great thing. Obama would not be president if we didn't accept diversity.
—Submitted by a parent

I think this is an average school. it has a lot of diversity which isnt always a good thing. Most of the teachers are great but are really hard. Our sports team is average and our administration is very stricked
—Submitted by a student

The kids are great and so are the staff. It's ethnically diverse with so many great learning opportunities.
—Submitted by a parent

i currently attend Annandale High School and I love it. It has a really great learning environment and the teachers are ridiculously hard but (for the most part) are willing to help you if you ask. They have a great choral program (I'm a little biased) and great sports teams. The diversity is overstated. I'm often the only black person in my classes (especially the advanced ones) but race doesn't seem to be a big issue in our school. We don't have cliques so all in all, I'd say my school is pretty great (aside from the fact that our mascot is the ATOMS) =D
—Submitted by a student

I have had one graduate and one child presently at Annandale. It's a good school but you need to guide your children into the IB program (not necessarily diploma) to ensure they get the best education possible. The rigor in IB is on par with AP so the students are ready for college if the apply themselves in IB.
—Submitted by a parent

Well, what I think is..what matters is how hard the student tries. My friend, a 2008 graduate, went to a very good school, Harvard. Many people thinks that AHS has very low priority, but that is not true. AHS is one of the great schools out there, and students and teachers are very hard-working. I want many people to understand that the school average doesn't really affect college acceptance rate.
—Submitted by a student

Yes, Annandale High School has many students from different cultural and economic backgrounds, and it has an IB program. The two never intersect. The majority of IB kids are upper middle class and white, and the whole diploma program breeds a sense of elitism among the students that everyone refuses to acknowledge. Still, you learn a lot from the program and you can get a shiny diploma on your wall when you're at your fall semester of college. The teachers run the gamut from good to bad, same with administrators and guidance counselors. Hopefully somebody had the same guidance counselor for at least two years, because I didn't. But overall. it's highs are very high, it's lows very low, so it evens out. More highs than lows thankfully.
—Submitted by a student

ok ok ok i went to annandale hs from 03-06 no one says anything really about what really happens i was a bad kid at the school and in schools of nova annadale was #1 comparing to t.c williams,jeb stuart,falls church,and probably fairfax. Before it had plenty of problems with gangs-why do you think gang task force started in annandale and then moved to other highschools. other than that the teachers arent really that good and nowadays they use extreme measures to deal with problems students i know someone who did graffiti with a perm. marker and got a 10 day suspension and recommendation for expulsion from all of Fairfax County schools-in my day they would have made u jus spend time in detention or sat. school cleaning it up or paying for it and that was it. john ponton is not a good principal at all
—Submitted by a student

Well I have been going to annandale hs for about 3 years this september. I will be a senior. The school is very nice. I take all ap classes and the teachers are very helpfull it is a very diverse school and opens the doors to many opportunities so in my opinion this is the best school out their right now.
—Submitted by a student

I think this one of the few schools left that doesnt critisize the students by race or color . My daughter is a freshman student this year class of 2011 and she is really looking forward to attending this school coming from a latin backround. I think it is very important to stay involved with our childs activities. Annandale high school is a very diverse and cultural school that a place were immigrant parents outreach
—Submitted by a parent

The ESOL teachers at this school are really amazing and it has a great center for immigrant parents outreach.
—Submitted by a teacher

This was a good school but they've kicked out too many kids for apparently no possible good reason. My child didn't attend school very much because of a sickness my child had and wanted to keep it away from the school but yet had their grades high enough for them to graduate. And it was my child's last year. They kicked my child out. Some of the teachers are great but some aren't same with the counselors and administrators. The new principal this year isn't all that great. There are plenty of other schools better than this one.
—Submitted by a parent

Annandale High School has very high academic standards and is an excellent school. It is a certified IB diploma school and over half of the student population is enrolled in IB/AP and pre-IB course work. Its student body is diverse and is representative of students from over 80 countries with 40+ languages spoken. There is strong parent/community involvement in the school.
—Submitted by Carolyn Burrell, a parent

My daughter is a freshman in the class of 2007. Large school; great teachers and administrative team. Great sports and club opportunities. International Baccalaureate Program stretches student's academic growth.
—Submitted by a parent