Whitman Middle School in Alexandria | Military Town Advisor

Category	Rating	Details
Test Scores	3/10	The Test Score Rating examines how students at this school performed on standardized tests compared with other schools in the state. The Test Rating was created using 2025 Virginia Standards of Learning data from Virginia Department of Education, and using 2025 Virginia Standards of Learning (SOL) End-of-Course data from Virginia Department of Education.
Student Growth	4/10	The Student Progress Rating measures whether students at this school are making academic progress over time based on student growth data provided by the Department of Education. Specifically, this rating looks at how much progress individual students have made on state assessments during the past year or more, how this performance aligns with expected progress based on a student growth model established by the state Department of Education, and how this school's growth data compares to other schools in the state. The Growth Rating was created using 2025 Student growth data from Virginia Department of Education.

Posted: February 21, 2026

Un-professionally run school that allows bullying and harassment of students among other peers.
Complete disregard for the safety of other students and disciplinary measures are non existent.
Unsafe environment for learning as the school allows for physical altercations without consequences.
Shame on this school!

Posted: February 21, 2026

Posted: February 3, 2026

There are many teachers that are really rude and there is one that pokes students if they don't do their work non-stop and slams their desk at them and is just being rude to students. a teacher that I had before does not care about students health and are whining about how the students need help, like that's your job You're a teacher that's the main role and responsibility is of a teacher. Another thing I want to add is that they even humiliate and embarrass them in front the whole class just because they are not doing their work or doing something bad like what if that student is having problems at home or something was going on, your just making the situation worse for them. A real teacher would pull them out and talk with and try to help them out. This happened with me before just because I didn't stop talking when clearly another students were talking too and the she called me a rotten apple and accused me of glaring at her and shes telling me to give her respect when your not even giving me any respect. Mind you she was the one that was giving me ugly faces to me and then processed to call me and say hey we are cool right in a sassy voice like what you just embarrassed me in front of everyone.. Now the last thing I have to add is that the school food is so poorly made and there was even a fly in my food so now I don't trust the schools lunch and I have to starve for 8 hours. Another thing is there are even rats in the school I saw one running across the classroom and bunch of cockroaches in one of my other class. One day a girl confronted me just because I talked bad about her when I did not and she wanted to fight me so, I said no because why would I fight someone for something that I didn't even do in the first place. Then in the corner of my eye I see that her friend is recording me without my permission like that is illegal for taking a video of someone without their consent that's what got me so mad. After that happened I went to Gmail a vice principle and texted everything that happened I did not get one single text from them I waited for a day and nothing came so they didn't help me at all. I then talked to my counselor and she said she was going to talk to the girl and I told I just want her to delete the video and for everyone that she send too to delete it and she said okay I will and I will tell you but my counselor never told me nothing if she said that the video got deleted and never talked to me so I guess the video is still there...

Posted: February 3, 2026

Posted: September 4, 2025

I started at this school 3 weeks ago and so far its been pretty good

Posted: September 4, 2025

Posted: May 17, 2025

If youre a teacher considering working here, please think twice. Ive been in education for many years, and Ive never worked at a school with a more toxic culture or less support for staff.

At new teacher orientation, one of the first things the principal told us was that he had to let some teachers go the year before because they didnt care about the kids. It was a red flag thenand after working here, its obvious that the administration doesnt care about teachers at all. Theres no sense of collaboration, trust, or respect. Youre on your own.

Discipline is completely nonexistent. Theres a phones away for the day rule, but its a joke. Most students walk around with phones out and AirPods in, and unless youre one of the few teachers who enforces it in your classroom, no one else will. Even if you do enforce it, students break the rules the minute they leave. Youll constantly see students filming TikToks, watching videos, or listening to music during class.

And I cant stress this enough: you will get cursed at, and nothing will be done about it. Students frequently direct profanity at teachers, not just in passing. When you write a referral, youll be lucky if admin even acknowledges it. More often than not, the student will be told dont do it again and sent back to class. A teacher was physically assaulted hereand that barely caused a ripple.

Parent involvement isnt what it should be either. Families are constantly placated at the expense of teachers. Even when you follow protocol or document everything, admin will throw you under the bus to avoid conflict with parents. You will not be supported.

Turnover is out of control. At least half the staff is new each year, and after being here, I completely understand why. The people leaving arent the problemtheyre just not willing to be mistreated.

Technology is also subpar. Some classrooms dont even have basic projectors, much less smartboards. Its clear this school is low on Fairfax Countys priority list. Theres not even air conditioning in the hallways, which makes the building unbearable during hot months.

All in all, this is not a place where teachers are respected, supported, or valued. You canand shoulddo better.

Posted: May 17, 2025

Posted: April 26, 2025

This school administration does not support teachers dealing with disruptive classroom behavior, in fact they actually have it out for them. If administration does not personally like you and children are doing poorly because of they never turn work in, it is automatically your fault and admin WILL falsify teacher evaluation documentation and then ask teachers to sign documents that get rid of the bad evaluation if they take a different job. No reason highly qualified great teachers with PHDs must face this. No reason any teacher that encourages students and does their job deserves this. Children do not listen or tune any work in and then blame the teacher. Parents who cant discipline their children make excuses for their negligent behavior. Children at this school do not do any work nor care about their education and blame teachers who are already extremely lenient giving them the end of semester to turn work in and are told by the administration to just give out As Do not send good hardworking children here lest they get brainwashed by disobedient peers but most importantly NEVER work here.

Posted: April 26, 2025

Posted: March 26, 2025

The school is very cheap with some things, such as supplying teachers and providing cleaning supplies. No matter how much I see the janitors clean, it still seems filthy. The school is overly strict with bathroom rules, and being late to class can land you in ISS and result in a call home. There are many different schools that are likely much better than Whitman (except Sandburg). The schools educational system is also lacking.

Posted: March 26, 2025

Posted: March 23, 2025

"I would not recommend this school for either work or study. It has a toxic environment, filled with frequent fights and bullying. There is no administrative support for teachers who face daily struggles with disrespect, abuse, and aggression, making it impossible for them to teach in a peaceful environment or receive the necessary support they should be getting."

Posted: March 23, 2025

Posted: March 5, 2025

No one cares about this school at all.

Posted: March 5, 2025

Posted: May 22, 2024

This school is alright most teachers are nice and I don't have a problem with. A lot of them engage with us students but some are pretty bad not for no reason but because they either yell too much either in general or at us or are just plain rude most of the time. Plus, there are a lot of fights which isn't bad on my part cause I'm never in them. If this seems like the school for you, go here, if not, I don't blame you. I should've gone to Sandburg but to be completely honest, I don't think it's any better.

Posted: May 22, 2024

Posted: March 13, 2024

This is probably the worst school out of 7 schools of 5 different states I would say this is THE WORST SCHOOL EVER!! The only classes I have actually learned stuff in Math, science, and English, but still even then I have learned less than all schools I've been too before. This school doesn't care about anything about people failing classes, they will let you take infinite amount of quiz retries, all they care about is test scores, not students. If you want to text your mom to stay after school with permission from the teacher and they take your phone away. (that's what happened to me). When I was trying to stop a fight they suspended me, and not the people fighting. I rate this school a 0-1000 IT SUCKS. The only good teachers are
Mr. Wu
Mr. Lambert
Mr. Shabazz
Mrs. Gonzales

Posted: March 13, 2024

HIS SCHOOL HAS TOO MANY FIGHTS AND ALL THE TEACHERS WONT LITEN TO YOUR SIDE OF THE STORY NO MATTER HOW MUCH YOU TRY TO TELL THEM

Posted: March 13, 2024

there four teacher that are good their names are mr wu, mr lamburg, ms. gonzales, and they always scream it to you for no reason and take your phone until the end of the school year but the administration and counselor are really good but the overall place here is garbage and it very dirty and its look like a public bathroom

Posted: March 13, 2024

Posted: March 14, 2023

Not sure what is happening at Whitman but things are getting out of hand. The fights are intense and incessant. Most teachers are doing their best to create a healthy learning environment with few exceptions. (The honors math teacher, Wyche, is impossible to reach by phone or email even for our student on Schoology. Most of her students fail but she seems unconcerned.)

This school desperately needs to be rezoned. We disproportionately pull military and low-income families. The kids are stressed out and not doing well. Staff, as well-meaning as they are, can't possibly keep up. It's time for the county to step in and make some big changes.

Posted: March 14, 2023

Posted: December 8, 2021

I'm a student at this school, and think this school is pretty alright. Most teachers are really nice and it actually seems pretty organized.

Posted: March 15, 2021

The teachers worked with the parents. the school is pretty diverse and the teachers seem to work well with the other parents too.

Posted: March 15, 2021

My son has only done the computer based learning so far, but I was surprised how well he did. I definitely would not have done as well in school at that age he is able to stay engaged.

Posted: March 15, 2021

Posted: January 3, 2021

The "on paper" test-score rating doesn't do this school justice. Despite the difficulties associated with Virtual Learning, my son is thriving! The teachers are engaging, thorough and passionate about their subjects. They follow through and help kids take responsibility for their efforts. The administration communicates frequently and effectively with the parents about changes and information. Everyone is responsive and helpful when questions and concerns arise. So far, we have been very happy there! It is wonderful for military families, like us.

Posted: January 3, 2021

Posted: August 15, 2018

Apart from grade 7 honors History project, the honors program is not as rigorous or different from gen ed classes as the school portrays. Teachers are required to meet 1/week after school for student assistance. Advanced math homework was adequate and appropriate. Advanced math is fast paced; however, honors English and honors science, particularly English needs major improvements.

Posted: August 15, 2018

Leadership needs to get inside the classroom, observe what is going on, and demand classroom excellence! The quality of teachers is so vast that it is a huge disservice to our community. Advanced math is effective strictly due to two teachers, and one of the two left this year. The English Honors curriculum is disgraceful. Honors English homework? Very little. Again, subpar leadership, and having low expectations. The Honors Science curriculum is also dependent on which teacher your child is assigned, which could be excellent or abysmal. Why this is tolerated is unknown. The admin is aware of the disparity in quality. Seems to be zero accountability and accepting of the status quo from principal/leadership. The teachers do not receive proper backing from admin when confronted with disruptive students inside the classroom. Staff morale is low as a result. Although there are some teachers who have longevity at Whitman, a lot are new, and do not always receive the proper support needed from admin. As a result, there has been a large staff turnover this year.

Posted: August 15, 2018

Integrity, compassion, and respect must come from the top. Because leadership does not prioritize or boost the needs and success of the kids who want to be in school over disorderly behavior, this school's actions demonstrate a strong lack of integrity, compassion, and respect to all the students and teachers who are forced to tolerate and deal with subpar instruction and unacceptable behavior.

Posted: August 15, 2018

Whitman was given all brand-new admin this year, for which our students are causalities of this decision. Whitman is an underperforming school which should have compelled the higher ups to insert a principal with a record of success and experience, but that's not what happened.
* Principal seems to have a low threshold when it comes to attending after-school programs, plays, talent show, or activities. Either he is not in attendance, or shows up for 20 minutes and departs. Gives the impression that he is not invested in our kids or community.
*Student disruptions and outrageous behavior is actually rationalized by this admin. Fighting, theft, cussing at teachers, spitting on staff, disrespect are common student occurrences for which the admin justifies as "he is having a bad day," or "the kid comes from a bad background." The word restorative justice is used repeatedly from admin, and sounds impressive; however, there is no real restorative justice program in this school. In-school and/or after-school detention is a perfect opportunity to implement conflict resolution skills, anger management, or other behavioral coaching; however, it is an ineffective babysitting room that incorporates zero behavioral strategies for disruptive kids. The principal seems to be more concerned about how his record will be perceived to his bosses regarding disorderly behavioral offenses versus providing clear behavioral guidelines on what is acceptable and what is not, what staff should have to tolerate, and what students who care about academic success should have to accept from disruptive peers within the halls and classrooms.
*The school takes advantage of the demographics and low parental involvement, which means that communication is inferior, and accountability is lacking. The antidote is collective, involved parent voices. There is a PTA which provided opportunities and seemed to be active, but not sure how effective it was with admin.
*It seems as though the principal is using this experience as a stepping stone for his future. Do not get the impression that he is invested in Whitman for the longterm.

Posted: August 15, 2018

As stated previously, there is a lack in rigor for students taking honors courses versus gen ed. The school promotes the idea that all students should "try" and take at least one honors course; however, there absolutely should be academic criteria or teacher recommendations before any student is permitted to take an honors course. Many times, the curriculum is adjusted to support the students who cannot keep up with honors classes. Again, giving low priority to academically successful students' learning differences.

Posted: August 15, 2018

Student services has an anti-bullying program that surveys students and supposedly teaches prevention; however, it is a joke. It's just another box to check off.

Posted: August 15, 2018

Frustrating. It starts with the top. The principal needs to understand the community, parents, students, and teachers. Reducing behavioral referrals from teachers to alter the school behavior and safety record will not positively modify the school culture and environment.

Posted: August 1, 2018

Please do not send your kids here. I wish someone had warned me before I did.

The administration and leaders of this school let kids run the school. My child came home sobbing on multiple days and was scared to return to school because of all the fights. Kids bring knives all the time.

Kids have sex in the school bathrooms and in classrooms! They fight each other everywhere and film it. No one does anything about it. Theres so discipline or punishment. Even if your kid cares about academics, his experience will be ruined by all the other kids at this school. The principal is too scared to do anything.

Posted: August 1, 2018

Posted: July 31, 2018

The right amount, not too much, not too little.

Posted: July 31, 2018

Excellent teachers! Many have 10 years or more of teaching experience.

Posted: July 31, 2018

Volunteer opportunities are encouraged, many family involved activities

Posted: July 31, 2018

Needs some improvement. Lots of miscommunication with families

Posted: July 31, 2018

Still working out the details, but trying

Posted: July 31, 2018

Excellent! Teachers really care and are willing to help.

Posted: July 19, 2018

Terrible. Kids constantly beating each other up, stealing phones, screaming profanity, and disrupting class, and teachers and admin do NOTHING.

Posted: July 19, 2018

Principal and assistant principals coddle students who behave horribly. There are no consequences for things like threatening students and teachers, physical fights, stealing, and other behaviors that are absolutely unacceptable. Admin lets the bad kids run the school and ruin education for all the other students.

Posted: July 19, 2018

Posted: April 28, 2017

Not a single teacher or counselor has bothered to reach out to us when our son started drastically dropping in his grades. My husband and I knew about it FROM HIM. His states score are high but his daily scores are average or below and not one of his 7-8 teachers have cared enough to contact us. Unless you are well liked by staff as either a parent or student they don't seem to care. I absolutely dread our daughter having to attend this for two months next year. I was even denied a conference by teacher here!

Posted: February 18, 2017

Our principal and teachers are effective leaders.

Posted: February 18, 2017

Not sure there is specific instruction on this, but our team expects these characteristics of each student.

Posted: February 18, 2017

Our teaching team has been very good. All seem to enjoy the subject they teach, and offer after-school assistance if needed.

Posted: February 18, 2017

Homework has been reasonable, and teachers are very receptive if student needs more instruction.

Posted: February 18, 2017

My child is in grade seven honors courses, including eighth grade honors Algebra. We have been pleased with the knowledgeable teaching staff, and the academic environment. The school is diverse, representing many cultural backgrounds. It also serves as the middle school for Ft Belvoir military families. The National History Day project is something that is incorporated with both honors History & English. This project was challenging, and really made the kids problem solve, think critically, and develop more advanced research skills. If your child enjoys theater, chorus, and/or band, then you'll love the staff for those disciplines. Our child had a great experience participating in the school play. Our team of teachers is truly dedicated. They care about the kids, and we have had prompt communication with all teachers on our team. Email is the best and the quickest way to discuss anything. We have been immune to any type of negative social issues, but are aware of two physical altercations that took place in the hallway at the beginning of the year. The staff and administration intervened and handled it immediately. Parents seem less involved compared to elementary school, but we were told this is "normal" for middle school. Overall, we have had a positive experience.

Posted: May 10, 2015

I am a STUDENT at Whitman Middle, and it is a disorganized and dysfunctional school. Some of the teachers can be very professional and strive other students to do well while some on the other hand are unprofessional. Sadly, a good portion of the students school do not value education. If you want your children to be in the best classes they can be be, then I definitely recommend enrolling your kid in the Honors courses, they generally have good students. This school could be great at some times too, but don't forget parents, you may have knowledge of this school, but is the students that have the most. If you want to know how a school is, you should listen to the students. Also if you are a military parent, moving could be traumatizing for your kids if they loved where they were.

Posted: March 21, 2015

The Teachers/Admin at Walt Whitman are the best! It is well-run, organized and clean. The staff/parents promote activities on/off campus and in the MVHS Pyramid. Mr. Richard Millet is my daughters guidance counselor. She was dealing with a behavioral disorder, I was afraid she could be teased. Mr. Millet checked in with her, did research, sent links as to his findings, offered counseling within the school. My daughter is finishing up her 8th grade year at Walt Whitman, taking full Honors, including Honors Band (Barbara Dobberstein's leadership has pulled in a dozens of trophies rated Superior!) . She is challenged by the curriculum. The teachers respond to email and send bi-weekly progress reports! Every teacher stays after school. This has helped with my daughter bring up her grades. I support our local school system. When schools are judged based on the socio-economic status of the demographic attending it is unfair. The facts are that your child will receive a very good education at WWMS; they will be safe and be encouraged by their teachers to strive to do their best; they will be prepared for whatever high school they move to next, but especially for the rigor of the IB.

Posted: March 11, 2015

I have one daughter who attended Whitman for 7th and 8th grade and now our second is in the 7th grade at Whitman. We could not be happier with the school, teacher, and administration. I feel that the academic level has been rigorous and is preparing the students for high school and their future. The teachers and administrators have taken a personal interest in my girls. Our oldest was chosen to be student of the month her 7th and 8th grade years. One of the assistant principals found that he and our younger daughter had something in common and often seeks her out to discuss their shared interest. We can from a much smaller school so this personal attention was a welcomed surprise. My kids have never been very interested in the arts but thanks to Ms. Prince and Ms. Young they were able to find a new interest. Ms. Prince, Ms. Young, Ms. Foster and Mr. Stooks are just some of the excellent teachers my kids have had. The school and administration goes out of their way to involve the community and parents. We are extremely pleased with everything we have encountered at Whitman Middle School.

Posted: November 13, 2013

My daughter just started Whitman this fall and they have done an excellent job at helping her get acclimated. I love the bi-weekly progress reports emailed to me, and the staff and teachers have all been responsive to my questions and concerns. My daughter is in all Honors classes, which are challenging (that's a good thing). I feel the work, the level of education, safety and overall school has been wonderful. Most important is that my daughter is happy there. I have not heard of any fights or drama. Lots of fun after school activities though! We are happy with the school.

Posted: August 27, 2013

Too many fights, drama, i would never suggest you go to Whitman. They have horrible teachers and my child nearly failed. The principal has control issues and does things that are not the best choice such as holding children,all children, in one room until 5 minutes before the bell rings.

Posted: November 11, 2012

Alright, I'm an eighth grader at Walt Whitman, and yes I complain about it to my friends and family. But it really isn't a bad school. There are a lot worse. Occasionally there's a fight in the hallway, but most of it is seventh graders who think they're all that. All of the teachers are great. except my seventh grade english teacher last year, but that's over. They have decent food, and some really cool clubs and electives. This school is not as bad as people say it is.

Posted: April 29, 2012

I am a parent that believes strongly in education. From my perspective, a school is just one component of a comprehensive education that is the primary responsibility of the parents. My daughter attended Walt Whitman for just over a year. This school falls short of fundamental educational expectation and fails the children at every turn. The majority of the children that come out of this school are ill-equipped for any real academic challenges, and are severely under educated. Unfortunately, in FCPS one is relegated to a school in the zip code in which they can afford to live. This policy leaves many parents with few educational options for their children. If I knew then what I know now, I would have quit my job and home schooled my daughter. In the end, we sacrificed other things to move to an area of the district with better schools. The fact that FCPS can have some of the best performing schools in the state and the the worst (within miles of each other) is incomprehensible and speaks volumes about the pervasive culture of apathy and inequality within the district.

Posted: April 29, 2012

Sadly, this school has faults, but also has cons, as does everything else. Some teachers are excellent and show great teaching styles, while incorporating fun with the lessons, while some teachers just do the material straight from the paper. It is true the principal isn't doing anything useful to fix this, and is supposedly worsening the environment, but some of the blame goes to the kids, and we all know which ones we are talking about. There are excellent kids that breeze through material, while there are slackers, violent adolescent who are "underprivileged" and are not smart. These kids cause most of the disruption, but if your kid doesn't apply them self to an honor class, then it is likely she is gonna get behind because of these students. and if your student just came to the school and is scared of all the "noise and recent problems", remind your selves that it is in fact, the end of the school year. As a fellow student, I believe Walt Whitman does a mediocre job OVER ALL.

#	Name	Type	City	State	Distance
1	Stratford Landing	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Alexandria	VA	1 mi
2	Oakbrooke	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Alexandria	VA	1 mi
3	Hollin Hall Village	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Alexandria	VA	1.1 mi
4	Riverside Gardens	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Alexandria	VA	1.1 mi
5	Grove at Huntley Meadow	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Alexandria	VA	1.2 mi
6	Riverside Estates	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Alexandria	VA	1.2 mi
7	Huntley	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Alexandria	VA	1.5 mi
8	Collingwood on the Potomac	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Alexandria	VA	1.5 mi
9	Hollin Hills	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Alexandria	VA	1.5 mi
10	Waynewood	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Alexandria	VA	1.6 mi
11	Plymouth Haven	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Alexandria	VA	1.7 mi
12	Wessynton	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Alexandria	VA	1.7 mi
13	Belle View	Condominium/Townhouse	Alexandria	VA	2.6 mi
14	Wilton Woods	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Alexandria	VA	3.3 mi
15	Midtown Alexandria Station	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Alexandria	VA	3.8 mi
16	Burgundy Woods	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Alexandria	VA	4 mi
17	Kingstowne	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Alexandria	VA	4 mi
18	Hayfield Farms	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Alexandria/Kingstowne	VA	4.1 mi
19	Fords Landing	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Alexandria	VA	4.2 mi
20	Fort Belvoir Housing	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Fort Belvoir	VA	4.8 mi
21	Henry	Neighborhood/Subdivision	Alexandria	VA	5 mi

#	Name	City	State	Distance
1	Mt. Vernon	Alexandria	VA	2.2 mi
2	Kingstowne	Alexandria	VA	4.1 mi
3	National Harbor	Fort Washington	MD	4.4 mi
4	Old Town Alexandria	Alexandria	VA	4.6 mi

Base	Distance
Fort Belvoir	4.5 mi.
Mark Center Alexandria	6.5 mi.
Bolling AFB Joint Base Anacostia	7.5 mi.
Henderson Hall	8.8 mi.
Pentagon	9 mi.
Coast Guard Headquarters DC	9.1 mi.
Fort McNair	9.4 mi.
Fort Myer	9.7 mi.
Washington Navy Yard	10.1 mi.
Marine Barracks Washington	10.5 mi.
Andrews AFB	11 mi.
Defense Health Headquarters Falls Church	11.3 mi.
Indian Head Naval Base	11.9 mi.
Walter Reed Medical Center	18 mi.
NRO Chantilly	22.5 mi.
Quantico Marine Base	24.8 mi.
Dahlgren NSWC	27.6 mi.
Fort Meade NSA	30.3 mi.
US Naval Academy	35.7 mi.
Annapolis Naval Station	36.7 mi.
Coast Guard Curtis Bay	41.7 mi.
Fort AP Hill	48.1 mi.
Patuxent River NAS	48.1 mi.

Whitman Middle School

Alexandria, VA 22306

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Whitman Middle School

Alexandria, VA 22306

School Ratings

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