Why is Lewis such an undesirable high school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am a former FCPS teacher and used to have a few friends who taught at Lewis (then Lee). I even applied for a job there once myself. It was a few years ago, but it wasn't the students that were the real problem. I mean sure, low income populations have their issues, but I didn't know anyone who was worried about getting stabbed or anything like that. However, those issues do make teaching there more difficult, and the administration was absolutely awful at that time (he's gone, thank goodness), so the culture of the school was just really stressful and all around miserable. The poor admin was what really brought the school down, and it's the reason I didn't take that job - the principal was not only inept, but also very unprofessional on many levels, especially to women. Hopefully the current admin is better, but it takes a long time to undo a reputation like that, to get better teachers in there and change the school culture. So I think its bad reputation comes not only from the population and the academic challenges of that, but also from a history of neglect and incompetence on the part of the administration that was assigned to that school.

Even with great admins, the course catalog and the course rigor will reflect the student population. If the school is big enough, you can get enough of a cohort to offer more and challenging classes- that isn't Lewis even with enough kids added to bring it to capacity

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Renovations are done in a queue.

Lewis will get their turn when they move up in the queue.

If it makes you feel any better, those of us with kids at WSHS before, during and after construction can vouch that Lewis was a veritable palace compared to WSHS before WSHS was renovated. WSHS was a slum. Holes in walls, faulty wiring, structural issues like walls separating from floors, dated dirty facilities.

Resenting WSHS families for finally having a nice school, especially for those families who sent kids there during the 4 years of active construction, just sounds awfully petty. Eventually Lewis will make its way up the queue, and will have a nice school too. The only difference might be that WSHS had the good fortune to get its renovation during the 2016- 2020 era of almost no inflation, inexpensive materials, and low interest. Renovating post 2020 is very expensive, with far less bang for your buck.

Former Lewis teacher here: Lewis hasn’t been renovated since the year started with a “1” and is not currently in the listed queue. The plumbing doesn’t work correctly, the HVAC is sketchy at best (despite a major replacement over the summer), the roof leaks, there’s major building settling and there are cockroaches everywhere.

When central office folks come to the school, they always seem surprised how bad the building is. But then they also seem shocked that the school doesn’t have all the fancy furniture and tech that Gatehouse & Willow Oaks has.

Why hasn't it made the renovation list with all those issues?

As a former teacher there, would you send your kids there?

A different former teacher and I would not. It has nothing to do with renovations. It’s because I can vividly remember my students who I know have died or the ones who became teen parents when I taught them. That’s why I would not send my children there.

Those are societal issues, not school issues. Imagine how much more productive your time in the classroom would’ve been if you weren’t expected to solve societal issues as well as teach your lessons.

I didn’t feel like I had to solve any of those issues. I wouldn’t want my children attending those schools and having all of those kids as their peers. The question was if a teacher would send their kids there.

To the other poster who googled if there were deaths, you are naive in thinking a death of a teen would make headline news. I didn’t say how they died or when I worked there or for how long. There were not tons of kids but more than one and for different reasons. You aren’t going to find that on Google.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Renovations are done in a queue.

Lewis will get their turn when they move up in the queue.

If it makes you feel any better, those of us with kids at WSHS before, during and after construction can vouch that Lewis was a veritable palace compared to WSHS before WSHS was renovated. WSHS was a slum. Holes in walls, faulty wiring, structural issues like walls separating from floors, dated dirty facilities.

Resenting WSHS families for finally having a nice school, especially for those families who sent kids there during the 4 years of active construction, just sounds awfully petty. Eventually Lewis will make its way up the queue, and will have a nice school too. The only difference might be that WSHS had the good fortune to get its renovation during the 2016- 2020 era of almost no inflation, inexpensive materials, and low interest. Renovating post 2020 is very expensive, with far less bang for your buck.

Former Lewis teacher here: Lewis hasn’t been renovated since the year started with a “1” and is not currently in the listed queue. The plumbing doesn’t work correctly, the HVAC is sketchy at best (despite a major replacement over the summer), the roof leaks, there’s major building settling and there are cockroaches everywhere.

When central office folks come to the school, they always seem surprised how bad the building is. But then they also seem shocked that the school doesn’t have all the fancy furniture and tech that Gatehouse & Willow Oaks has.

Why hasn't it made the renovation list with all those issues?

As a former teacher there, would you send your kids there?

A different former teacher and I would not. It has nothing to do with renovations. It’s because I can vividly remember my students who I know have died or the ones who became teen parents when I taught them. That’s why I would not send my children there.

Those are societal issues, not school issues. Imagine how much more productive your time in the classroom would’ve been if you weren’t expected to solve societal issues as well as teach your lessons.

I didn’t feel like I had to solve any of those issues. I wouldn’t want my children attending those schools and having all of those kids as their peers. The question was if a teacher would send their kids there.

To the other poster who googled if there were deaths, you are naive in thinking a death of a teen would make headline news. I didn’t say how they died or when I worked there or for how long. There were not tons of kids but more than one and for different reasons. You aren’t going to find that on Google.

It was implied that a former teacher would not send their kids to Lewis because of students who have died or gotten pregnant while at Lewis, suggesting that some above average number of significant incidents occur in that student population.

Deaths for other health reasons won't make news. But school-related, violent, and drug-related deaths of FCPS kids do make news. Even just two weeks ago a Langley student sadly committed suicide, and that was also brought to attention for the public and kids to spread awareness for mental health resources.

Outside of a few random incidents across the entire county over the past few years, nothing in the news suggests Lewis, or really any other HS, is a hotspot for violent crime and bad actors.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why is Lewis HS so undesirable? I think it is inevitable that Keene Mill will get pushed into the Lewis pyramid, and if that happens, Lewis will become a "better" school.

Here's a clever real estate play, if you have kids who are about to start elementary school. Buy a house zoned for Lewis. Way cheaper than WSHS housing stock, and by the time they get to high school, Lewis will be as desirable as WSHS since the feeders changed.

If I'm wrong, tell me why I'm wrong.

OP, you are welcome to try it and tell us how it worked out for you.

[Anonymous]

The area and location of the school, in comparison to the other high schools around the Springfield/Burke area. Even Hayfield is better placed. There's no real greenspace. Lewis is close to the highway mixing bowl, not all those businesses nearby are great and look run down, with the exception of the Springfield Town Center. It doesn't have a feel of where one wants to send their kid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why is Lewis HS so undesirable? I think it is inevitable that Keene Mill will get pushed into the Lewis pyramid, and if that happens, Lewis will become a "better" school.

Here's a clever real estate play, if you have kids who are about to start elementary school. Buy a house zoned for Lewis. Way cheaper than WSHS housing stock, and by the time they get to high school, Lewis will be as desirable as WSHS since the feeders changed.

If I'm wrong, tell me why I'm wrong.

OP, you are welcome to try it and tell us how it worked out for you.

Already did. Happy to.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The area and location of the school, in comparison to the other high schools around the Springfield/Burke area. Even Hayfield is better placed. There's no real greenspace. Lewis is close to the highway mixing bowl, not all those businesses nearby are great and look run down, with the exception of the Springfield Town Center. It doesn't have a feel of where one wants to send their kid.

It wasn't always that way. Used to be a real "neighborhood" school - massive mixing bowl construction and widening of franconia road changed that over the last two decades. Also, movement of families outside of the adjacent neighborhood - perhaps due to that construction.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The area and location of the school, in comparison to the other high schools around the Springfield/Burke area. Even Hayfield is better placed. There's no real greenspace. Lewis is close to the highway mixing bowl, not all those businesses nearby are great and look run down, with the exception of the Springfield Town Center. It doesn't have a feel of where one wants to send their kid.

Marshall is right next to 495 and people send their kids there. People avoid Lewis because it’s got a lot of poor kids, there are wealthier schools nearby, and it has a failing IB program

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The area and location of the school, in comparison to the other high schools around the Springfield/Burke area. Even Hayfield is better placed. There's no real greenspace. Lewis is close to the highway mixing bowl, not all those businesses nearby are great and look run down, with the exception of the Springfield Town Center. It doesn't have a feel of where one wants to send their kid.

There is a very busy strip club, at least one pot shop, and an adult movie store within walking distance of Lewis.

WSHS is walking distance to a Starbucks, Panera, and several churches.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The area and location of the school, in comparison to the other high schools around the Springfield/Burke area. Even Hayfield is better placed. There's no real greenspace. Lewis is close to the highway mixing bowl, not all those businesses nearby are great and look run down, with the exception of the Springfield Town Center. It doesn't have a feel of where one wants to send their kid.

There is a very busy strip club, at least one pot shop, and an adult movie store within walking distance of Lewis.

WSHS is walking distance to a Starbucks, Panera, and several churches.

I'm sure the proper WSHS parents pray every Sunday for Lewis kids to do well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The area and location of the school, in comparison to the other high schools around the Springfield/Burke area. Even Hayfield is better placed. There's no real greenspace. Lewis is close to the highway mixing bowl, not all those businesses nearby are great and look run down, with the exception of the Springfield Town Center. It doesn't have a feel of where one wants to send their kid.

There is a very busy strip club, at least one pot shop, and an adult movie store within walking distance of Lewis.

WSHS is walking distance to a Starbucks, Panera, and several churches.

Lol, there is also a pot/vape shop walkable from WSHS, and churches and potbelly's walkable from Lewis. Come on.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The area and location of the school, in comparison to the other high schools around the Springfield/Burke area. Even Hayfield is better placed. There's no real greenspace. Lewis is close to the highway mixing bowl, not all those businesses nearby are great and look run down, with the exception of the Springfield Town Center. It doesn't have a feel of where one wants to send their kid.

There is a very busy strip club, at least one pot shop, and an adult movie store within walking distance of Lewis.

WSHS is walking distance to a Starbucks, Panera, and several churches.

First, Lewis is not walkable at all unless you live in the neighborhood. I never see kids trying to cross 644.

Lewis kids aren't going to the strip club or adult movie store. They are going to the mall nearby to do teenager stuff. Yes, probably a decent number of them at the mall are tangled with crowds doing drugs and generally bad stuff.

[Anonymous]

The strip club is not within walkable distance to Lewis. It's way down Keene Mill Road. The old MVC Adult Video Store was torn down and is now a parking garage/commuter lot.

Lewis kids are going to the mall to get food before they start their after-school activities. Or they can hit up the Lego store -- how many other high schools in this area have such easy access to Legos? Maybe it's not a church, but you can't diss Legos!

There's quite a lot of green space surrounding Lewis, including a softball field and a park. Sports teams and the marching band often practice out there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The area and location of the school, in comparison to the other high schools around the Springfield/Burke area. Even Hayfield is better placed. There's no real greenspace. Lewis is close to the highway mixing bowl, not all those businesses nearby are great and look run down, with the exception of the Springfield Town Center. It doesn't have a feel of where one wants to send their kid.

There is a very busy strip club, at least one pot shop, and an adult movie store within walking distance of Lewis.

WSHS is walking distance to a Starbucks, Panera, and several churches.

First, Lewis is not walkable at all unless you live in the neighborhood. I never see kids trying to cross 644.

Lewis kids aren't going to the strip club or adult movie store. They are going to the mall nearby to do teenager stuff. Yes, probably a decent number of them at the mall are tangled with crowds doing drugs and generally bad stuff.

There are high schoolers crossing there daily. How do you think they're getting to the mall?