McNair Elementary School

Posted: December 5, 2024

I’m not recommending this school. There are no proper management from the teachers and teachers are not supportive.

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Posted: February 9, 2024

My kids go to McNair Elementary School and I have had a very good experience so far. The Principals at both the upper and lower elementary schools have been promoting a lot of family-centric events and activities to bring the school community together. My kids are always excited to go to school and cherish their everyday learning!
We are lucky to have encountered many teachers who are passionate about educating our children!

Posted: February 9, 2024

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Posted: January 21, 2024

McNair Elementary: Where Passionate Teachers Ignite a Love of Learning
If you're looking for a school where teachers go above and beyond to spark a child's curiosity and love of learning, look no further than McNair Elementary! My child has blossomed since starting here, and the credit goes entirely to the incredible teachers who make learning an exciting adventure.

Every teacher I've encountered radiates infectious passion for their subject matter. They make even the most complex concepts fun and engaging, tailoring their approach to each student's individual needs and learning style. My child comes home eager to share new discoveries and enthusiastic about tackling the next challenge.

The positive impact is undeniable. My child's academic growth has been impressive, but more importantly, they've developed a genuine thirst for knowledge that extends beyond the classroom. They're constantly asking questions, exploring new interests, and brimming with ideas.

It's not just about academics, though. McNair Elementary fosters a warm and supportive environment where every child feels valued and safe. The sense of community is strong, and there are countless opportunities for students to develop their social skills and discover their talents.

Never once have I heard a complaint from my child. That, in itself, speaks volumes about the positive experience they have every day at McNair. I have complete confidence that they're receiving a top-notch education in a nurturing and stimulating environment.

If you're searching for a school that will nurture your child's intellectual curiosity, ignite their passion for learning, and provide a safe haven for social and emotional growth, I wholeheartedly recommend McNair Elementary. It's a truly special place!

Posted: January 21, 2024

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Posted: November 22, 2023

I am surprised to read bad reviews about the school. I have been part of the school for 6 yrs and never heard of bullying. My kids enjoy the school and love their teacher. Teachers also pay a lot of attention to the kids. We need special attention and got it too. Counselor is awesome and so is the other staff.

Posted: November 22, 2023

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Posted: August 18, 2023

School is run on biased basis. Bullying is very common without action and teachers do not take action. Question teacher. Your child will be not considered for AAP. Worthless. Run away from area. They cannot even control daily traffic. They make kids compete illogically.

Posted: August 18, 2023

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Posted: June 8, 2023

No surprise that this school loosing ratings year over year. Not good school to send you child particularly if your child require special education like IEP

Posted: June 8, 2023

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Posted: January 31, 2023

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Posted: January 31, 2023

This review is for Upper McNair. My kid used to go to to a school in Reston but then we moved to Herndon. The difference is night and day.
Don’t let the new school looks fool you, this is an awful, awful school.
My son is constantly bullied and there’s constant theft, vandalism and aggression in the school. Many of the teachers are new and not very good at managing class.

Every time an issue is raised nothing really happens. My kid has even been bullied by the lunch supervisors, it’s absolutely insane.
We are moving out of here, this school being a major factor.

Posted: January 19, 2022

Awesome teachers. Curriculum much ahead of other school. My daughter was transferred from sunrise valley to here. This is a wonder school, brilliant kids fare much better here. It promotes healthy competition.

We have not had any bullying experience so far.

Posted: January 19, 2022

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Posted: September 2, 2021

McNair has what is probably the worst principal in the county. They split the school into Upper and lower schools and the screwed up principal went to the upper. The lower got a brand new principal. If you are at the Upper school, anything can happen, you can’t trust the leadership, and it’s not a good environment for children. I don't recommend this school.
There may be a couple good teachers, but no accountability for the bad ones. The Principal is bad and unfortunately too many teachers like kiss her a$$. When the root of the tree is poisonous, you get a poisonous tree.

Posted: September 2, 2021

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Posted: April 13, 2020

Very bad in Fairfax county. Worst school ever. Below standard. Badly managed by principal and teachers in terms of communication what they are teaching children . -10. Principal is mean and displays rude insensitive remarks to parents and has poor judgement.

Posted: April 13, 2020

Very poor communication. Principal and teachers donot waste time responding to parent teacher meeting request. School has favorites and biased approach with students. Very very bad. Worse school in Fairfax county.

Posted: April 13, 2020

Children are badly behaved. 6th graders are worse and indisciplined. No integrity, compassion, sincerity or respect with peers and teachers or outside. They cannot think straight or do problem solving independently as their parents have pushed them in so many activities to earn rewards, medals. Children have no idea what they are doing, overwhelmed and are badly behaved with poor education standards. Most of them are taking private classes.

Posted: April 13, 2020

Very poor. Children are pushed by parents in many activities. Their problem solving and overall it is very poor. Many kids take private lessons to cope up with basic standards.

Posted: April 13, 2020

Posted: February 21, 2018

I love the knowlege my daughter brings back. Stem program as early as grade 1. Communicative teachers.

Posted: February 21, 2018

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Posted: February 2, 2018

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Posted: February 2, 2018

For special Ed this school is terrible.

Posted: February 2, 2018

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Posted: September 15, 2017

We've recently moved to the area and while yes, the school is large and clearly not built to accommodate so many children, an entire second building is in process. My son's prior school was very small and I was worried about how he would do, but his teacher has been wonderful. His class size is about 25 kids and I do not feel he's being ignored in any way. He is happy to go to school each day, and he's learning. That's what I hope for as a parent.
I do not agree with the comments about drop-off, but we are walkers, so the experience may be different. We walk right up every morning with no issue. Pick-up is busy as well, so we have a planned meeting spot for my child. Sometimes parents need to take some initiative to work with circumstances and think of improvements, rather than simply complaining.
We are only a month in, but I think the staff is working hard in circumstances that aren't perfect and garnering pretty great results.

Posted: September 15, 2017

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Posted: June 26, 2017

This school is ridiculously overcrowded. There is a school 10 minutes from McNair with only 600 students compared to the 1500 students at this school. Pick up and drop off are complete chaos. The teachers try, but with so many kids we miss out on a lot. There were no all school performances, no "graduations," the principal is unresponsive (probably because she is overwhelmed). I have personally emailed the principal and never received an answer. Our five year old wrote her a letter and never received a response either. School fundraising nights/activities are out of control because of the number of attendees (which probably explains the lack of performances). The lady below is correct that the PTA is soooo expensive. This school does not deserve to be an 8. The best part of this school is the diversity. The rest needs work. Fairfax desperately needs to re-zone.

Posted: June 26, 2017

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Posted: September 27, 2016

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Posted: September 27, 2016

Posted: September 27, 2016

I moved from another state and compared to the other school, this school has issues. Over crowed, pick up and drop off is a nightmare, expensive PTA, may be I would have looked else where if I had known of the issues before hand.

Posted: March 16, 2016

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Posted: March 16, 2016

My son is in 4th grade AAP at McNair. He recently moved from Coates. There are only about 18 students in his class. He appreciates the opportunity to participate a variety of challenging activities such as the Geography Bee, DBQs, Word Masters etc. He has been very fortunate to have great teachers all through Kindergarten to 4th grade. His 3rd grade teacher at Coates, Ms. Troiano was awesome. His 4th grade teacher, Ms. Paris is just the same, very responsive, even responds to emails late at night. She takes great care of her students. She emails me my son's homework while he is out sick so he won't miss the lessons. We had a great experience at Coates especially with the PTA and had some initial troubles with McNair but off late they are getting better. They are offering a lot of after school enrichment programs this Spring and it works out really well for us as my son stays at SACC after school. My son had trouble picking just one activity every day of the week from Chess to Robotics to Basketball to Guitar lessons. My son is thriving here and I wouldn't want anything different for him. FCPS has great schools and the teachers here make all the difference. The few interactions I have had with the school staff have been great as well. They really made us feel welcome on the first day of school and we were provided an individual orientation and escorted to class and introduced to the teacher. Regardless of the ratings my son had a great time at Coates and he is looking forward to two more great years at McNair.

Posted: March 15, 2016

We moved from another state a few years ago so our perspective is based upon our previous experiences with different schools and school systems.

My son has an IEP and this place is a NIGHTMARE for special needs children! They are simply not equipped with knowledgeable staff on our kids issues. This school is also extremely overcrowded. The only plus is diversity otherwise for special needs I cannot recommend this school. It's been a great disappointment. Communication with staff falls on deaf ears and they barely keep up with the IEPS.

Posted: March 15, 2016

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Posted: March 15, 2016

All students should be supported especially special needs students who require more support but they do not.

Posted: November 12, 2015

My daughter is a 6th Grade AAP student, and has been attending McNair for the last 4 years. We were new in the country and everyone of the teachers has been super cooperative.
School is essential and the schools are doing their best to enhance the children with a level of education to compete with the world they are facing and will face in a few years.
We the parents left school years ago, and are not familiar with some of the teaching techniques, it is our duty to learn, school is for the kids, they are being taught, they have to learn and understanding what they have to do, homework is not for parents to do. Instead of complaining, encourage your child to be independent and not be lackadaisical in thinking that mom or dad is going to do it.As working parents we do not always have the time to oversee the kids. Teach them responsibilities instead of moaning about how bad the school system is. Teachers are being paid minimal for the level of education required to become a teacher and what they earn for their time, patience and hard work. It is our duty as parents to support them for we sure cannot do a better job, even if some of you can, you do not have the time. Be grateful that teachers love their job and even with cut budgets still try to do an exemplary job on our kids, many who are wayward spoiled and rude, wanting to behave just as they do at home and do not like to be disciplined.
Get a grip parents don't blame the FCPS, tell your kids to spend less time doing frivolous things with their electronic gadgets and focus on their school work and all the helpful sites out their to assist them when they don't understand, that includes you the parents also.
Parents, let your kids walk to school, if it's 5-10 mins. away and weather permits, why do you want to contribute to the circus?
Only buts, one: the cafeteria food needs an upgrade. Two, the crossings on Frying Pan Road needs flashing lights, because drivers are like road hogs, they do not stop or slow down even if kids and parents are almost at the middle of the road waiting to cross.
Kudos to Mr Kelly, Mr White, Ms Stoermann, and all the other special teachers who try to make our children the best they can be as youths and into growing adults. Good Job and thank you.

Posted: November 12, 2015

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Posted: August 8, 2015

The Teaching: - Doesn't happen much! Its essentially "outsourced" to the parents. Teachers think the parents are committed to their children's education, so very little actual instruction happens in class (let the parents figure it out themselves) - There are 30-35 kids per class, teachers do not spend any time with anyone - Most of the new teachers do not have any patience, they shout at the children - The school recently started a BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) policy, and was expected to use personal iPads etc. for instruction, class lessons, etc. Not much of that happened. Instead, the kids just play app games during recess time on their iPads Homework Machine: - Their concept of teaching is "show a video" and give LOTS of homework, the parents will figure it out at home - Sometimes, even on Fridays and during vacation days, the students get homework! Admin Staff & PTA - Quite rude. The front office staff never smiles or welcomes the parents, they almost treat them like a burden! - The PTA is only concerned about after school camps and money. A select group of people run it, and if you even make any suggestions during the PTA meetings, they are just dis-regarded.

A big problem in this school is the kiss & ride. The principal sent an email a few weeks back talking about the "new & improved" kiss and ride, but all they've done is just paint a few parking spots yellow. I am not sure how it will solve the basic issue.

There is ONLY ONE entry & exit out of kiss and ride, thus creating a choke point. In so many PTA meetings, people have raised this issue, that a different exit point needs to be created, so cars and come & go in a smooth manner.

But, like many other things, it doesn't seem the school administration pays much attention to what is really needed to fix the issue.

Till then, it continues to be a morning mayhem and circus!

Posted: June 12, 2015

Home work is just right and quite challenging too but the most appreciated homework stop coming home :-(

Posted: June 12, 2015

I have mixed opinion. My two kids are in the school. One teacher is good at everything other than organizing the class room. the class always look so messy how they will teach to stay organized??

The other teacher is organized but very rude and bully. She neglected my child and used abusing words in front of the whole class and embarrass him a lot of time.

Posted: June 12, 2015

They teach to stand against the Bully and when the kids do that the right kid is getting punished or called tattler..

Posted: June 12, 2015

Very Rude and DOMINATING principal. Very Disappointing. I brought forth one concern and She made me feel that I am wrong.
Horrible

Posted: June 1, 2015

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Posted: February 22, 2015

This school's main drawback is the count. too much crowded. Teacher student ratio is too bad. 30-35 students in the class. coming to my child's teacher, he is not at all organized and shows the least interest in making the class room interesting. doesn't even care keeping the class room clean and tidy. i dont receive the tuesday folder on a regular basis. the times i receive the folder, the stuff will be flying and the folder will be seperate. Teacher doesnt even care putting/directing the kids putting up the papers in the envelope.My child is receiving the same English homework since 3 months with different set of words but the same activity.He does not show any interest in Homework now. I am comparing the schools acedamics/staff/management with COATES elementary.that was far better in every aspect. I regret now why i made the decision to move to the area where mcnair falls. a suggestion to the parents is please dont go by this school rating. it is really deceiving.please dont plan on sending your precious child to this irresponsible school.

Posted: November 19, 2014

I am appalled at the very racist comments allowed on this page. Any reviews mentioning race should not be allowed to stay, Great Schools! I have had two children attend McNair. One is in high school now and one is still there. We moved to McNair after attending a private college prep school out of state and found that McNair was ahead of where they were at our old school. I have found the teachers to be responsive and inclusive and interested in working with parents and honest about any possible issues with behavior or schoolwork. I do not have experience with the new principal yet but was very pleased with the previous principal. I do agree that the office staff could be more friendly. I have not experienced outright rudeness but do not appreciate unfriendly staff in a school setting where children may be affected. The population of the school is very diverse. I appreciate this very much, seeing my children interact with people from all over the world.

Posted: September 23, 2014

Some teachers in Mcnair are bullies and exhibit favoritism. They pick on certain children for even small reason. When kids start kindergarten they are new to the whole process. Teachers should be supportive. I have heard of extremely good teachers like Ms Beach but then there are others makes you feel like you rather home school. Communication between teacher and students sucks big time. When child does something silly you get a call and then teacher says that they will work with you. But when you reach out to them they get agitated and you get a cold shoulder.

Posted: September 15, 2014

I have 2 kids at Mcnair, The kids have been happy and so are we in general. Just worried about the rise in the number of kids registering every year.. The school has total 1200+ kids which is way too much for the school to handle considering the space, teachers, facilities. Also there is too much of homework for upper elementary due to which they are not able to do much of any extra curricular activites as opposed to other good schools in the area. Already they do a lot of work during school and again pressurized with homework once they get back home. Too much competition among Indians specially and peer pressure.

Posted: September 14, 2014

I think this is a great school. I have read some mean-spirited comments. If you have personal problems, then contact the teacher/principal. This school is doing the right thing to address the needs of all students.

Posted: September 9, 2014

Very disappointed. My daughter has not had but heartaches coming here. There is no personal care or treatment, principal assistant is nice but Mrs Gooden, the principal has been very harsh and mean towards us. It makes me wonder why she would want to work with people/kids. It appears to achieve good grades,but I believe school should be about a lot more than grades, my daughter has Been begging me to be homeschooled since she started. It is over crowded, you literally have to wait 40 minutes in line to collect,it's not covered so imagine when harsh weather starts,, the place where she is collected is wild and my daughter has been pushed around. Read the reviews on google as well, it is important to know your school because once you are in that neighborhood it's impossible to be accepted in another one

Posted: September 9, 2014

Great school Grades............ then Staff, and New Principal are rude, mean, they gossip, try to dictate everyone, they treat you like a kick on the curb. They raise their voice to you and child and look down to you at all costs. Read the reviews from here, Google and any site. My advise is to take head and go else where

Posted: August 27, 2014

The registrar failed to contact my son's former school for his school records. They had me fill out a form with all the schools contact info and I signed it and they never sent it. They assigned my son to a classroom knowing nothing at all about him. I ended up being contacted by my son's former school asking where he was because they were never contacted for his school records and didn't believe we had enroll him somewhere else. This was a great deal of trouble for me that could've easily been avoided by the registrar doing her job. All she had to do was fax a form. Laziness at it's best. So if you transfer your kid to this school, do not have the false confidence that they will do a good job.

Posted: July 27, 2014

Great school, staff and PTA. However, I feel the homework load and project load is a lot, not required at elementary level. Too much pressure on the students.

Posted: April 27, 2014

It's a great school but some teachers needs to focus on the kids instate of themselves and stop blaming parents for kids education. Teacher sees the kids more then the parents and parents do rely on the teachers for their kids education and lives.

Posted: April 26, 2014

This is a great school. Both my kids receive excellent individual attention and guidance whenever needed. Special shout out to health room staff (Mrs. Cross) who helps my son with his diabetes management. The teachers are caring, smart and highly approachable , exactly what element school children need.

Posted: April 16, 2014

We love this school. Teachers go out of the way to support. They are very approachable and always willing to help out. The front office staff are also very courteous and helpful. Overall excellent library, indoor gym and again thanks to all the teachers and staff for making this school an awesome institution and making kids and parents very proud.

Posted: January 5, 2014

We love this school; the staff is really nice and requests are done promptly. The education is great. Building is new. However, we do have an issue with the school not sharing information that I, as a parent, would like to know. Several kids in our class have had lice this year and the school does not alert the other parents. I believe every parent has the right to know if a child in the same class has something another child can spread. That is a parents first defense regarding their own child. Other than that the school is fantastic.

Posted: November 3, 2013

Love Love this school! This school holds the Chess Tournament once a month, and my son loves playing chess there! The Chess teacher--Mrs. Chin dedicates all herself to kids' chess, she is a very great teacher! McNair ES is also one of the center schools of Fairfax County AAP program -- you will see how good quality the school is!

Posted: July 25, 2013

First I gotta recognize there are great teachers on this school, however ... there are teachers who only care about themselves and its like a competition for them. About the office staff.... super rude!! I've only seen the principal being kind and always smiling but her staff .... totally rude, there is even a lady who will shout out loud to the children. There are some cases of bullying reported and teachers didn't solve the problem and took no action until it was elevated to the principal.

Posted: May 14, 2013

My son is in Kindergarten. His teacher was absent so many times and utilized worksheets as her main method of instructing the class. There was very little meaningful or hands-on learning opportunities in there. Also, she missed a lot of days. The front office staff is super rude. I volunteer every week and each time it was like walking into a negative environment. I never felt welcome. My child did learn a lot in his class, but I know his experience was not what we expected for his first year in school. The class also had 25 students. We are moving because we know this isn't the best fit for our family.

Posted: April 9, 2013

At McNair elementary most of the teachers are good. Kudos to Mr. D, Mr. White, Mrs. Chin and Mrs. Juntilla. My kids will have fond memories of this school because of these amazing teachers. However, I have had very awful experiences with the front desk staff. They are extremely rude. If you try to reason with them they will go the extreme of insulting you.

Posted: December 5, 2012

Looks like a buisness showcase group. Parents outwitting each other more than the kids enrolled. It has become a challenge for the parents to live up and excel rather than the kids wanting to do what they want. Parent involvement is to the level that it has become obstructive and derogatory thats why one star for that. Kids showing off their tech stuff and bragging who has IPAD or tablet to read rather than books.

Posted: September 24, 2012

School is really good.Most of the Teachers are awesome.But the front desk people are not at all friendly or nice to the parents.Some people from admin also not at all friendly to Asians.In office we can sense discrimination.If this thing is fixed at McNair ,then it will be the best school in this area.

Posted: September 23, 2012

The most rude staff I have ever seen. They never co-operate with parents. They always try to impose new rules like dictators, they always try to dominate on Parents like small kids or infants. Teacher are not best, whereas some of them are okey.

Posted: December 20, 2011

My daughter goes to Kindergarten in this school.I will have to agree that some teachers are good and some are less than desirable.My daughter started with 18 kids in her class and now there are about 24. My experience with the office staff has not been very good. Anytime i have to go inside the administrative wing for something the cold stares and bad attitude just puts me off. Its the middle of the session and i hope things don't get worse than this.

Posted: October 10, 2011

McNair is the best elementary school in Herndon school community. Teachers are Outstanding. Thankyou Mcnair.

Posted: August 31, 2011

Great teachers starting from grade 3 to 6 . The teachers are excellent. They pay more attention kids. My kids have been here from kindergarden. When Oak Hill was the GT center, my kid went there for 3rd grade and then she had to come back to Mcnair as this became the GT center. I like McNair teachers performance when compared to it. Great school to send your kids.