I always believed I could understand or empathize with those who had children long before I had any of my own. This belief immediately disintegrated the moment my wife gave birth to our first daughter. With her first breath I knew that I had been perpetually transformed and placed in a new category, that of parenthood. Those who have a child to rear of their own, whether biological or adopted, understand when I say, you are not in the club until you are in the club. Parents will do just about anything for their children including making sacrifices for our child’s education.
When searching for a home to buy all parents inevitably asks the question, where are the best schools in Northern Virginia? The answer to this question is as elusive as a politician answering a direct question during a campaign. What makes this question so challenging to answer is who determines what characteristics makes one school better then another? With every state having its own defined criteria the ability to compare schools becomes even more convoluted. These standardized tests vary from state to state and can a math, science, or English test measure social or artistic ability? In the quest to answer what seems to be a simple question we have only unveiled more questions. As a REALTOR I cannot answer this deceptively easy question and any agent who claims they can, should be retained with caution. What I can do is lead you to the tools to determine what’s important for your child. There are many in the media that perform “in depth” research to produce a list of supreme educational institutions. One of the more popular sources for this kind of list is the U.S. News & World Report Americas Best High Schools. Fairfax County has been bestowed three years in a row with the Best High School award which is held by Thomas Jefferson High School in 
Alexandria Va. Below are a few of these lists.
U.S. News and World Report: Best High Schools
Newsweek: The Top of The Class
AOL: Americas Best Public Schools by Region
Be very wary of rankings like these. Take for example that U.S News and World Report’s best high School Thomas Jefferson does not even appear in Newsweek’s top 1,500 best schools in America. These two rankings were published only months apart which begs the question, how can a school be number one in one ranking and not even appear in the top 1,500 of another? When researching schools that best fit your child and family needs, keep in mind these lists may be of little use. The criteria for these lists are established for ease of ranking and are gathered from multiple sources that may or may not be important to each individual.
A well known fact by most is that an excellent school whether elementary, middle or high school will cause real estate values to increase in that area. Home buyers should keep this in mind when searching for a home even with no children of their own. This should be one of the first steps for a home buyer to undertake along with finding a professional agent to help as a guide through the home buying process. Always keep in mind an overall good school district does not translate to every school in that district is good. My experience as a REALTOR in helping home buyers in Fairfax County and Prince William County including Falls Church, Centreville, Gainesville, Alexandria, Reston, Mclean, Chantilly and Manassas to name a few, I have found some helpful resources. These web sites will help you determine which schools in Northern Virginia are best for your individual needs. The one I find most useful is Great Schools.org which is easy to navigate and understand and with all of these used together will lead you to the best schools for 
your family.
Great Schools
Alexandria Va. Below are a few of these lists.U.S. News and World Report: Best High Schools
Newsweek: The Top of The Class
AOL: Americas Best Public Schools by Region
Be very wary of rankings like these. Take for example that U.S News and World Report’s best high School Thomas Jefferson does not even appear in Newsweek’s top 1,500 best schools in America. These two rankings were published only months apart which begs the question, how can a school be number one in one ranking and not even appear in the top 1,500 of another? When researching schools that best fit your child and family needs, keep in mind these lists may be of little use. The criteria for these lists are established for ease of ranking and are gathered from multiple sources that may or may not be important to each individual.
A well known fact by most is that an excellent school whether elementary, middle or high school will cause real estate values to increase in that area. Home buyers should keep this in mind when searching for a home even with no children of their own. This should be one of the first steps for a home buyer to undertake along with finding a professional agent to help as a guide through the home buying process. Always keep in mind an overall good school district does not translate to every school in that district is good. My experience as a REALTOR in helping home buyers in Fairfax County and Prince William County including Falls Church, Centreville, Gainesville, Alexandria, Reston, Mclean, Chantilly and Manassas to name a few, I have found some helpful resources. These web sites will help you determine which schools in Northern Virginia are best for your individual needs. The one I find most useful is Great Schools.org which is easy to navigate and understand and with all of these used together will lead you to the best schools for 
your family.Great Schools
School Digger
School Matters
Public Schools K-12
Public Schools Review
Magnet Schools of America
Boarding School Review
Private Schools
Good luck in your search for the best school I understand how important it is for you family.
School Matters
Public Schools K-12
Public Schools Review
Magnet Schools of America
Boarding School Review
Private Schools
Good luck in your search for the best school I understand how important it is for you family.