Cameron Elementary School

My son started Cameron in Kindergarten. He's finishing 4th grade right now. We both really love the experiences he's had at the school, and all of his teachers have been EXCELLENT. It's a shame the school's rating on this site is as low as it is, because it leaves the false impression that they don't provide a high-quality education for the students, which couldn't be more wrong. The school is also really diverse, so it provides a great environment for students to get to know and become friends with other kids from different ethnicities, countries, and cultures. My guess as to why the test scores aren't higher is because quite a few of the students (and their families) don't speak English as their first language, which might cause some communication and understanding difficulties. But it's certainly not because the teachers are of low quality. They have been friendly, patient, and caring every year so far. And the extracurricular activities organized by the PTA (Back to School night, Open House, International Nights, etc.) are a blast! Go Cobras!!! :)

I've worked all over the county, and I'm not leaving Cameron. I started writing because of how aggressive the comment from 2/13/2020 is. I am a teacher here, not a parent, and these websites are not managed by anyone in the school. For goodness sakes, the principal they have listed is two principals ago! Few teachers even glance at these websites because they are full of confirmation bias. The simple fact is this school rates low because it pins schools against each other by test scores, without regard to student population or mobility (how many students move in/out mid-year). If you want real input, talk to parents in the parent center, come to school events, ask a Cameron teacher questions, read the ACTUAL demographics website provided by the county. Plenty of adults talk about algorithms, period. I'd love to know more about what aspects "need a major revamp" and I hope that parent is sharing their concerns with our PTA, parent liaisons, and administration. Real growth comes from real involvement.

Clearly the rating dated November 2019 is NOT a parent. What parent talks about algorithms on a website that it believes to somehow do with the low rating of the school?!?! Only a faculty member would post something like that to save face on the simple fact that this school rates low because the quality of education at this school is low! Prior to the school administrators removing the bad reviews, you were able to read what real parents had to say. This school needs a major revamp.

I will never understand the algorithm for this website. Do not let this rating fool you - Cameron Elementary is one of the best Fairfax County public schools in Alexandria. If the bad rating keeps Cameron one of the best kept secrets, then so be it.