Williamsburg Middle School

This is my kid's first year at Williamsburg. Coming from some of the best schools in Fairfax county I can say that Williamsburg is not even close to the quality of the other schools. The principal has no leadership and doesn't do any effort to be out there for the kids and parents. I have never seen her in person, not on back to school night, not during parent-teacher conferences not even once on the hallways. In Fairfax, the principals are out there every morning greeting the students and parents, reaching out, making a statement that they are involved and they care. Our counselor is not good either. She is not responsive and has no communication skills. Thre seems to be a disconnect in the leadership at this school, a lot of new people who still don't know what they are doing and people that should have retired a long time ago. I was recently told, in response to a question, to call the high school my kid will attend next year because that person will retire in the summer and no one at Williamsburg was trained to do her job. The core subject teachers are great though and that is the only good thing I can say about this school.
—Submitted by a parent

An outstanding school, with caring teachers and a great community. Special Ed as well as regular ed was handled great. The post below mentions the band program, and I want to say that the new band teacher (2011-2012) has completely turned around that program and it is now fantastic. It takes a special person to run middle school band and he has done a great job!
—Submitted by a parent

Both of my children currently attend WMS, and we are very, very happy with this school. As another reviewer wrote, the school does a great job developing students' ability to take personal responsibility for their assignments, and prepares them well for high school. The classes my children have had have been both academically challenging and, better yet, interesting. We have generally liked all of their teachers, my contacts with the administration have been fine, the building is well set-out and equipped, the afterschool activities are great. The only downside I've seen is the band program, which can definitely stand some improvement.
—Submitted by a parent

My daughter went here & had some of the best teachers I've ever encountered in any school system. Some of the best ones have left, but in particular Ms. Texeira (math), Mr. Feeny (social studies) & Mr. McDermott (geography) were wonderful. I found the administration to be very responsive to parents' concerns. I loved Ms. Francis - a warm & very hard-working, caring principal - and Ms. Ly & Ms. Dodd both go the extra 10 miles to help. They aren't 'strict' here - they have standards & they expect the students to meet them. That's a good thing.
—Submitted by a parent

I love Williamsburg! I just started this year, but so far, it has been fantastic! The teachers are nice, but they say flat out what they expect. Sometimes teachers underestimate how much time their homework will take to complete, and that can be a bummer. Something I really enjoy about Williamsburg is their use of the agenda. It is where you can write down all of your homework and plan your after-school activities, as well as write down what books you have been reading recently. I LOVE Williamsburg :) !
—Submitted by a student

I absolutely loved my 6th grade teachers. But my 7th grade math teacher gave amazingly huge amounts of homework. I was on Grizzlies and my TA teacher was absolutely astounding.
—Submitted by a student

My daughter has attended several schools across the country, and Williamsburg is by far the best one. Her sixth grade American History teacher was absolutely fantastic. She made history interesting, memorable, and fun, and still managed to develop and require a sophisticated depth of understanding throughout the year.
—Submitted by a parent

This has been the perfect school for us. Each year, the school curriculum adds more responsibility for the students. And by the time the students graduate, they are prepared for highschool. Also, the library is fantastic and I consider it to be the heart of the school and a place which encourages the students to be involved in reviewing books and an sharing their ideas. The principal is fantastic and runs the school beautifully. The teachers are making learning exciting that even I would want to go back to school. I could go on....
—Submitted by a parent

the principle is really wierd. Some teachers understand the right amount to give students for homework, but other teachers seam to only to believe they are the only one that give homework and give it in very large sums.
—Submitted by a student

The teachers are great, the students are great, and parents have opportunity to get involved with their children's school life. I belive this school is above average.
—Submitted by a teacher

I really think kids are not learng as much as they can!
—Submitted by a student

While some of the teachers are a bit strict, this is overall a very good school. If anything, the sixth grade teachers are fun and engaging. In all the time I was at Williamsburg, I have never seen a student unfairly punished. Oh, teachers can be strict, but come on! This is middle school, not kindergarden. Eventually, the teachers will get strict. Why not ease into it?
—Submitted by a parent

The teachers are awful. They teach nothing.
—Submitted by a student

The school does provide a good education, however it is lacking in many areas. The sixth grade teachers are too strick on the children; their expectations are unrealistic. The amount of stress put on all of the students is unexcusable. When they enter seventh grade, their spirits are broken from the previous year. Your child will get a good education; but at the cost of their emotional well being, I do not think it is worth it. How exactly do you make a child like school again? Like some other parents at Williamsburg, I am looking at other options for schooling.
—Submitted by a parent

Ms. Francis, is the best principal ever! She doesn't have a lack of judgement. this is the best school ever! We love the 6th grades teachers the best!
—Submitted by an administrator

The principle needs help! The teachers are great though, and they definatly make up for her lack of judgement.
—Submitted by a parent

Very good school that enforces policy, but at the same time allows children to be in a enthusiastic environment in which they can learn and not be bored out of their minds.
—Submitted by Dan Folsom, a student