Merritt Academy

My child has been attending Merritt since she was a year old. I am a teacher in Fairfax County and very critical of the environment that I put my child in for most of the day. I have been extremely happy with the program, teachers, and administration. My child is about to enter the K4 program and she is thriving socially and academically. There are always art projects, specialties like music & foreign language and more. Parents are always invited into the classrooms at any time and every administrator has an open door. Whenever I have had a question or concern I have received an appropriate response in a timely manner. The teachers, full time and part time, are wonderful with the children and truly love what they are doing. They are professional and well trained. I am aware of the excellent quality of FCPS but even as a teacher I want my child to continue into grade school at Merritt Academy because the program is full of rigor and engaging activities and the class sizes are small so each child gets what they need. I would recommend this school to anyone looking for a quality education for their child(ren).
—Submitted by a parent

We have 2 sons at Merritt and we couldn't be happier with the eduction they have received for the past three years. Our oldest son was entering 3rd grade when we discovered Merritt and he was coming from FCPS where we were not happy. It was a difficult transition for him academically because he was very far behind his peers at Merritt. His teachers for the past 3 years have been fantastic and have all taken the time to teach to his strengths. The beauty of Merritt, for our family, is the small class sizes which enables the teachers to work more closely with each student. Both of our boys are thriving and happy at Merritt and I know they are academically ahead due to the advanced curriculum being taught. The only thing that could make us happier would be for the boys to be able to continue at Merritt beyond 6th grade.
—Submitted by a parent

For the last few months my son attended the toddler program. The teachers have been rude. They are unqualified and behave in a rough manner with the children. One of the teachers went so far as to cover a sleeping child's face with a blanket. When I objected the directors assistant asked the teacher to remove the blanket from the child's face.. Unbelievable! I'm glad my child doesn't go here any more.
—Submitted by a parent

We have had children in K-2, K-3, K-4 and Kindergarden at Merritt Academy. We are extremely happy with the school. All of the teachers and administrators are well-qualified and caring. Merritt offers a very international curriculum, faculty and student body. The school also has several great themed special events and after-school activities such as martial arts, ballet, math club and phonics. We highly recommend the school....
—Submitted by a parent

My son attends Kindergarten at Merritt Academy and is enrolled for first grade because Merritt Academy exceeds my expectations in every way. Academically, my son is talented and Merritt Academy offers honors/enrichment programs beginning in kindergarten (something public schools do not offer) that ensure academic challenge/growth for children of all abilites. I am amazed at all he has learned. Behaviorally, we had some challenges and the staff worked with us to identify postitive strategies for remediation. Hard to ask for more in a school!
—Submitted by a parent

My experience with the afterschool program has been different from the other person's. I know that only 2 of the people who work with children in the afternoons are in high school. All of the others are college students or older adults. I have loved that they do projects with the kids and know all of them by name. I have not seen any TV in my child's class except on one occasion when it had rained all week. If I have had questions they were addressed immediately and very well. I recommend the program.
—Submitted by a parent

My child goes to the afterschool program only so my rating is for the afterschool program only. As much as I heard great things about the school itself, I have been very frustrated with the afterschool program. Many afterschool program staff are high school students who are not trained adequately to work with young children. There is inadequate monitoring for children's discipline and safety. Most of the activities include unstructured play time and as soon as it rains the kids are put in front of flat screens to watch TV with no other options available. I also don't like the fact that the kids are grouped by their grade level, which eliminates any interaction my child can have with other children in older or younger grades.
—Submitted by a parent

Great start for new parents. It was very hard for us to choose a day care for our first baby. we visited so many schools and interviewed nannies. Merritt made our decision much easier... Our little one just finished her first year and graduated to the toddler class.. During the first year, all the teachers were nice, nurturing and caring. They made us feel like each one of them know our baby very well. once I walk in and i ask how did she do today, every single one of them would give me a detailed report on her, although they had 12-13 children in the room. They helped us schedule her naps, get her off the bottle, the pacifier and introduce all different foods. The lead teacher was very smart and hard working, she would address our concerns immediately and would have great recommendations for us if we had questions. They work on educating and challenging our little ones. I highly recommend the school for new parents... I didn't give the principal 5 stars because of the low pay to the teachers.. They pay their teachers about 10-11 dollars an hour, which is too low... I believe if they increase their pay they can recruit better teachers and make the teachers they have happier..
—Submitted by a parent

My son has been in Merritt Academy or two years and we could not be more pleased. The administration and teachers are so welcoming and attentive to any concerns raised. They truly care about the kids and work hard to ensure that each child is successful academically and socially. My son previously attended another more expensive private school in the area with an accelerated curriculum, but Merritt's curriculum is just as challenging and provides for truly advanced learning by allowing children ro participate in older grades.
—Submitted by a parent

My son has been at Merritt for almost three year in the preschool program. His teachers have been excellent every year. The administration is open and available to talk whenever I have had a question or issue. During the winter season they are usually open when county is closed so I don't have to miss work. I couldn't be more pleased with the experience.
—Submitted by a parent

My daughter attends Merritt and has been in the school for 1 year. While she's only 2 1/2 years old the amount of knowledge she's gained this past year is amazing. The younger students aren't in the typical daycare setting, it's actual school and she loves it. The faculty and staff are friendly and truly care about student achievement and the overall academic environment. Weekly newsletters keep you informed of all that happens in the school and the active PTO makes the school so much better.
—Submitted by a parent

We have two daughters at Merritt Academy; both our girls and us love the teachers and the administration. Any problems that have cropped up are addressed professionally and efficiently by the administration. I highly recommend Merritt -- especially the infant / preschool programs.
—Submitted by a parent

We are very satisfied. Our daughters have been attending Merritt for eight years. It has been an outstandingly rewarding experience for the entire family. Merritt provides a well-rounded academic and character education. Our daughters are thriving and very happy due to a combined team of professionals at Merritt who partner with us as parents. Our children have performed very well on the IOWA, SCAT and SBT tests. We attribute these successes in large part to the valuable Merritt education. Our children love school and have developed into very confident, caring, and respectful individuals. The values taught, demonstrated, and built into the core of all aspects of the school are unique and priceless. Merritt has many special programs and milestones at each developmental stage. The intergenerational program is very unique and not provided anywhere else. The arts are a wonderful part of the school. Merritt provides a well-rounded, affordable education.
—Submitted by a parent

I have two children at Merritt who have been going to this school for 4 years now. We are very happy with this school: academically (both children rate much higher than the national average according to the IOWA test performed annually and one of them is in the honor's reading program) and socially, both kids have great friends and are constantly involved in different challenging activities. The school listens to the parents' concerns and is very open to any ideas or suggestions. I recommend this school to any parents who want a quality education without paying the exhorbitant tuition seen at other private schools in the area.
—Submitted by a parent

Merritt has been a wonderful, enriching experience for my son. He has been able to grow socially, developmentally and intellectually since K4 and he is now in 4th grade. You have direct access to the leaders of the school and the teachers really care about your child as if they were their own. They are also very aware of food allergies which alleviates worries for parents. Merritt is a great place and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a great, positive and academically challenging school.
—Submitted by a parent

Merritt Academy has provided a wonderful learning environment for its students. My son has attended Merritt for two years. Through several school-wide transitions, the children seem to be a priority in every area. As in most private schools, there are many of my peers (parents) who think that because they PAY for tuition, that they should have have their way! This is an unrealistic expectation and frankly is a problem. Those who have something negative to say are those parents who want their children to be treated differently or special, although all of the children are special. It's unbelievable that people can ignore the phenomenal education that children are receiving and can so easily focus on the negative. We will remain at Merritt and look forward to more and more experiences that our child can treasure throughout his life, like the ones that he has had thus far!
—Submitted by a parent

Merritt went through rough times a few years back, but I feel it has made a strong comeback. It is a good value. Merritt has an excellent team of middle school teachers in place and I think that both the new director and the principal are doing a great job. Unlike public junior high schools, there is no marijuana at Merritt and the school is bully-free. Although Merritt has very small enrollment, they don't allow bullies to return the following year (even if the bully has 3 younger siblings). Merritt is also a great place to be a big fish in a small pond. My daughter (a very good soccer player) was a great soccer player at Merritt. Only playing for Meritt could she have scored 7 goals in a game. Merritt has been great for my children's self-esteem and the small classes are great.
—Submitted by a parent

I love my school so much. I've been going there for about 7 years and will continue until I graduate. It focuses on character and academics mostly and I get lots of education.
—Submitted by a student

Potential parents beware!!! As a former Merritt student parent, I would strongly urge you to do your homework before sending your grade school child (ren) there. I would agree with other comments posted that the Preschool program is good but the grade school is another story. Lack of communication, poor administration, no stability with teachers, and not enough students. The decisions made by the administrators don't seem to be in the best interests of 'ALL' students. The focus is no longer on students and families which the school prides itself on. For a school of character I don't feel as the actions/decisions support the mission.
—Submitted by a parent

I have four children and 3 goes to Merritt Academy. We pay too much for the academic learning they got. We decided not to continue with Merritt; due to the poor adminstration and their poor quality of their academic standards.
—Submitted by a parent