Option B Alternate - Adding extra ES to WJ?

[Anonymous]

VM family. We will prefer to join WJ.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Curious why those in the new WJ cluster don't want WW or VM?

It will increase FARMS rate. 15% FARMS is perfect.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are not in the catchment area being discussed, but it does seem odd that there is a fairly simple way to have more even FARMs rates between the two schools, and Taylor went with the one that creates a bigger discrepancy. If there is a way to even it out, it should be done.

Same for us. We are not impacted but it's weird to see putting two high FARMS ES in Woodward and none in WJ depsite both being right next to each other on same road.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Three years ago, Viers Mill had universal free lunch for one year. That is why they have greater than 95% for "now or in the past" FARMs. Literally every kid (including the PEP classes for 3yos, meaning some current K) who was there in the 2023-24 school year is counted in the percentage.

I've been a VM parent for 10 years. Nobody I've heard from here wants to go to WJ. For many reasons. VM families have been happy mostly with Wheaton/DCC, and most people seem reasonably okay with Woodward.

The VM community is super tight and protective. Maybe it feels like WJ is racist/classist/whatever, but mostly I think it's that those feeder schools operate in completely different worlds.

Then it's super important for area to change this by not segregating them. It will be helpful for WJ community to increase diversity. Otherwise we will get another Whitman where racism has become a norm.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Curious why those in the new WJ cluster don't want WW or VM?

It will increase FARMS rate. 15% FARMS is perfect for property values.

Fify

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Curious why those in the new WJ cluster don't want WW or VM?

It will increase FARMS rate. 15% FARMS is perfect for property values.

Fify

Yes, it may increase or at least not decrease property values. I am ont coencerned about it to be honest, but I like 15% FARMS dratimcally more than 35%. Glad that we did not go for Tilden area when buying.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Curious why those in the new WJ cluster don't want WW or VM?

It will increase FARMS rate. 15% FARMS is perfect for property values.

Fify

Yes, it may increase or at least not decrease property values. I am ont coencerned about it to be honest, but I like 15% FARMS dratimcally more than 35%. Glad that we did not go for Tilden area when buying.

You like it because you benefit financially from keeping poor and Black and Latino kids away from your kids.

Your kids (if you have any that will attend WJ) will be completely fine either way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The superintendent's recommendation for Woodward/WJ was odd and not in alignment with the board's clearly stated goals.

The WJ cluster is currently made up of Tilden MS (Farmland ES, Luxmanor ES and Garrett Park ES) and North Bethesda MS (Ashburton ES, Wyngate ES and Kensington Parkwood ES). He recommends adding two more elementary schools - Wheaton Woods and Viers Mill. Both of these schools have substantially higher poverty with 95% FARMS rates. Rather than put one at each high school to better balance the FARMS rate, the recommendation puts Garrett Park (splitting off from Tilden) and puts both WW and VM at Woodward. Small "islands" of GP and KP also go to Woodward. All of this means that Woodward is close to 40% FARMS and WJ is 13%. WJ would also be at 77% utilitzation and Woodward at 91% - also odd because of all the multi-family development going up in the new Woodward cluster. WJ might have some development but not nearly as much. So in addition to Woodward having much higher poverty than WJ it is also likely to be overcrowded almost immediately.

It is completely contrary to what the BOE has been trying to achieve and goes directly against their Policy FAA. Was there a data error? It is politically motivated? Do powerful people live in the Towns of Kensington and Garrett Park? Lots of people are struggling to make sense of this one!

We are in WJ in all cases and I don't see issue with balancing FARMS between Woodward and WJ. Having said that most people in WJ are happy with 15% FARMS with 25% empty school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Curious why those in the new WJ cluster don't want WW or VM?

It will increase FARMS rate. 15% FARMS is perfect for property values.

Fify

Yes, it may increase or at least not decrease property values. I am ont coencerned about it to be honest, but I like 15% FARMS dratimcally more than 35%. Glad that we did not go for Tilden area when buying.

You like it because you benefit financially from keeping poor and Black and Latino kids away from your kids.

Your kids (if you have any that will attend WJ) will be completely fine either way.

I don't care about black, brown, yellow or white etc. I simply prefer 15% FARMS way more than 35% FARMS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Curious why those in the new WJ cluster don't want WW or VM?

It will increase FARMS rate. 15% FARMS is perfect for property values.

Fify

Yes, it may increase or at least not decrease property values. I am ont coencerned about it to be honest, but I like 15% FARMS dratimcally more than 35%. Glad that we did not go for Tilden area when buying.

You like it because you benefit financially from keeping poor and Black and Latino kids away from your kids.

Your kids (if you have any that will attend WJ) will be completely fine either way.

I don't care about black, brown, yellow or white etc. I simply prefer 15% FARMS way more than 35% FARMS.

Of course, you "don't see color" lol

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Curious why those in the new WJ cluster don't want WW or VM?

It will increase FARMS rate. 15% FARMS is perfect for property values.

Fify

Yes, it may increase or at least not decrease property values. I am ont coencerned about it to be honest, but I like 15% FARMS dratimcally more than 35%. Glad that we did not go for Tilden area when buying.

You like it because you benefit financially from keeping poor and Black and Latino kids away from your kids.

Your kids (if you have any that will attend WJ) will be completely fine either way.

I don't care about black, brown, yellow or white etc. I simply prefer 15% FARMS way more than 35% FARMS.

You are not facing 15% vs 35% choice. You are facing 15% (current recommendation) vs. 20% (proposal to modify). I guess 20% is still something too much to stomach for you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Curious why those in the new WJ cluster don't want WW or VM?

It will increase FARMS rate. 15% FARMS is perfect for property values.

Fify

Yes, it may increase or at least not decrease property values. I am ont coencerned about it to be honest, but I like 15% FARMS dratimcally more than 35%. Glad that we did not go for Tilden area when buying.

You like it because you benefit financially from keeping poor and Black and Latino kids away from your kids.

Your kids (if you have any that will attend WJ) will be completely fine either way.

I don't care about black, brown, yellow or white etc. I simply prefer 15% FARMS way more than 35% FARMS.

You are not facing 15% vs 35% choice. You are facing 15% (current recommendation) vs. 20% (proposal to modify). I guess 20% is still something too much to stomach for you.

My comment was regarding choice of buying in Tilden area vs buying in North Bethesda MS area a few years ago.
I will be fine with 20% as well.

[Anonymous]

You are not facing 15% vs 35% choice. You are facing 15% (current recommendation) vs. 20% (proposal to modify). I guess 20% is still something too much to stomach for you.

My comment was regarding choice of buying in Tilden area vs buying in North Bethesda MS area a few years ago.
I will be fine with 20% as well.

Fair enough. I am sorry for accusing you. There are some WJ posters here who work 24/7 to run interference on the proposal to modify the recommendation just to trim down FARMS a couple of percentage points, so I am a little jumpy.

[Anonymous]

The best thing for some people's property values is racial and economic segregation. Having a 35% FARMS school right next door is great, you get to fearmonger more about behaviors and gangs to justify selling your house for more money.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Three years ago, Viers Mill had universal free lunch for one year. That is why they have greater than 95% for "now or in the past" FARMs. Literally every kid (including the PEP classes for 3yos, meaning some current K) who was there in the 2023-24 school year is counted in the percentage.

I've been a VM parent for 10 years. Nobody I've heard from here wants to go to WJ. For many reasons. VM families have been happy mostly with Wheaton/DCC, and most people seem reasonably okay with Woodward.

The VM community is super tight and protective. Maybe it feels like WJ is racist/classist/whatever, but mostly I think it's that those feeder schools operate in completely different worlds.

A question for you and other VM posters. I don't know anything about VM. When I want to learn about a school I go to SchoolDigger to see their ranking and performance on tests. 20 years ago VM was one of the top ES in the state. For the last 5-10 years, the school has been dropping on tests like a rock, hitting an all-time low last year and is currently ranked 595th in the state. What changed in recent years?

I've been teaching at VM for almost 20 years now.
Several factors, in my opinion:
-Title 1 funding was consistent. Falling just short of that funding means a giant shift in resources with very little change in need. It can mean 10 fewer "poor" kids = $500k lost in staffing.
-MSA was the dominant decider of ratings by Great schools. School digger, etc (this is prob the biggest piece)
-Testing accommodations for students with IEPs and EML status (back when it was ESOL) were not nearly as restricted. ESOL students were allowed scribe accommodation, for example. Now very, very few qualify for that
-testing was also pencil and paper. The shift to computer based testing has stretched the inequities, in my opinion. Typing Vs writing... The kids give up much faster.
-the housing crisis greatly shifted the demographics and led to a huge change in the community, especially in Holiday Park. Homes that had 4 or 5 VM kids dropped to 0 as the families combining on a mortgage were foreclosed on and the homes were eventually resold. We still have multi-family homes, but most are renters and mobility is higher.
-a period of several years with inconsistent administration and thus some teacher turnover. It takes longer to recover from that than one might think
-all the things that have affected MCPS as a whole. Shifts in special education support, changes in curriculum that don't allow for autonomy, etc. none of the above things are unique to VM but they factor in.

I don't see us as declining right now. I think since COVID we've been on the upswing, and staff and admin have been very consistent. Current principal is in his 10th (?) year and has a pretty good feeling for the pulse of the community. The PTA is strong and reflects the community. We've gotten support for the pockets that need it. It's feeling more like the old VM, but in a new way. Several staff members send their own kids here.