Kings Glen Elementary School

My children have attended Braddock ES and we have had great experiences with their staff specially teachers. My children have been able to continue with their Spanish immersion, advanced academics program and have been very successful. I highly recommend Braddock ES to old and new residents of Annandale, VA. Thank you.

Military family here. We have moved and had kids enrolled at so many different schools in different states and DOD schools. CWE is one the absolutely best elementary schools we have ever been a part of. The gifted education support program and the special education support programs are exactly what we were looking for. Teachers actually care, kids are actually kids.

This school has been a disappointment. If you are fortunate enough to get a good teacher your child will have a good year. If you are unfortunate and get a poorly performing teacher, your student will not receive adequate educational services. And the administration absolutely will not admit that the teacher is doing a substandard job. Poor performing teachers here do not perform to the educational standards set by Fairfax county and are not held accountable by the administration. Staff attendance policies are not enforced. And if your child is not a particularly difficult student you will not receive adequate communications from the teachers or the administration.

My children have attended Keene Mill for several years now, and I have been very impressed with the high quality of education and caring teachers. The school also hosts special events throughout the year, which truly build a welcoming community that celebrates our children. I very much appreciate this school.

Unfortunately, our family can validate the negative previous reviews. When we started there, the principal was WONDEFUL! She knew every student by name, wrote them personalized birthday cards, and had the confidence of all the parents. Since that principal retired, the school has not been the same. If you have any doubt about the school, I encourage you to take a tour. Walking into St. Bernadette feels like walking into a mausoleum. The vibe is quiet, morbid, and totally lacking joy. The current administration is incredibly toxic; the principal gives lip service to being welcoming and liking getting feedback, but if you ask for a meeting your child is blamed and/or you are accused of gossiping. Ironically, when you ask for facts, the principal is defensive at best, and won't provide them. The principal takes no responsibility, and has no investment in working with you to improve things for your child. Parents are often condescended to. There is an emphasis on Catholic Compliance Culture and being right over what is right for the children. When you approach the administration with any issues, there is gaslighting and defensiveness. My child had some wonderful teachers initially, but many of them have moved onto the resource department, which is still woefully understaffed. Teachers are inconsistent and there's a lot of staff turnover. The good staff also do not like the current principal and they literally get school policies shoved at them too. If your child has any learning differences at all, I highly discourage this school. If your child is sensitive to bullying, this is NOT the place to be. Teachers use discipline/classroom management issues as part of grading. For example, if a child has one slight behavioral issue in the class, the child is given 0/10 on participation points. Likewise, if your child's spelling is correct, but the handwriting isn't neat enough, the word is marked wrong. Parents are exhausted from having to advocate for their children. One teacher in fifth grade is so underqualified she literally had an argument with the kids about the Prime Meridian, then yelled at them for being right! Parents and children are stressed and overworked, and feel that the school year is something to get through. Our child was coming home stressed, depressed, and vomiting daily. Our child hated school, so we left in the middle of the year; happily, our child has been thriving since starting elsewhere. Unfortunately, I cannot recommend St. Bernadette!