Let's talk about the lower performing schools in FFX

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I miss the days when Fairfax county was almost entirely middle class. All of this added multi family housing has really ruined the county. So much poverty. It will never be the school system it once was.

What you meant to say is you miss when Fairfax was all white with a few token brown people. Just admit it.

Not PP but I would venture to say that "brown people" are a minority in many FFX County, not much higher percentage wise than white. The above school referenced (Parklawn) actually has far more other races (Hispanic, Asian, Middle Eastern) than black or white. FFX County Schools allowing undocumented ESOL kids in the school system is what brought "down" the county schools, not race.

regardless, they're not white, and that's what PP meant.

No I didn't, you simpleton. Growing up in ffx it was very diverse. So much so, college was a culture shock for me. My instate university was very white. No, I miss the days when the county didn't have so many apartments. The Supreme Court has nothing to do with it. We built housing for poor people, and they came.

Curse those poor brown people try to make a better life for themselves why can't Fairfax stay lily white?

Yep, someone sounds like an elitist...

Keep ignoring reality and keep watching everybody voting with their feet. You'll find your school isn't diverse at all. Just poor.

Not likely. There's homes down south for people like you though. They don't like too many minorities there either. You can have your own cape and hood too!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yup North vs South Arlington Fairfax Style the sorting has commenced

Fairfax really screwed over Annandlae one of the last diverse high performing schools. Now its definently in the lower tier

+1

Although there seems to be some consideration to revisit the boundary change.

But the higher income neighborhoods that were moved out of Annandale to other high schools would now fight against going back to Annandale. Test scores have since gone down at Annandale, and sports teams are now less competitive. (Those same neighborhoods had fought to remain with Annandale, and the former principal wrote a letter in support of the remain campaign warning that middle class support would wane after those neighborhoods left Annandale)

But there are two School Board members (Mason and Braddock Districts) who are not pleased with the boundary change results, and could help steer a boundary change. (There may be other School Board members as well, but those two have been the most vocal in School Board work sessions and meetings.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yup North vs South Arlington Fairfax Style the sorting has commenced

Fairfax really screwed over Annandlae one of the last diverse high performing schools. Now its definently in the lower tier

+1

Although there seems to be some consideration to revisit the boundary change.

But the higher income neighborhoods that were moved out of Annandale to other high schools would now fight against going back to Annandale. Test scores have since gone down at Annandale, and sports teams are now less competitive. (Those same neighborhoods had fought to remain with Annandale, and the former principal wrote a letter in support of the remain campaign warning that middle class support would wane after those neighborhoods left Annandale)

It's disgraceful what happened over there. It's was a fine school.

Annandale and the Mason District have been betrayed by FFX county. Things are starting to switch around a bit, but the citizens as a whole here feel forgotten.

+1000

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yup North vs South Arlington Fairfax Style the sorting has commenced

Fairfax really screwed over Annandlae one of the last diverse high performing schools. Now its definently in the lower tier

+1

Although there seems to be some consideration to revisit the boundary change.

But the higher income neighborhoods that were moved out of Annandale to other high schools would now fight against going back to Annandale. Test scores have since gone down at Annandale, and sports teams are now less competitive. (Those same neighborhoods had fought to remain with Annandale, and the former principal wrote a letter in support of the remain campaign warning that middle class support would wane after those neighborhoods left Annandale)

But there are two School Board members (Mason and Braddock Districts) who are not pleased with the boundary change results, and could help steer a boundary change. (There may be other School Board members as well, but those two have been the most vocal in School Board work sessions and meetings.)

Sure they are. I can say that Parklawn in the Mason district stinks. The homes are nice in most areas around here with some in the 1 mil range, but the lower income apartments bring in the ESOL students and the lower scores.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yup North vs South Arlington Fairfax Style the sorting has commenced

Fairfax really screwed over Annandlae one of the last diverse high performing schools. Now its definently in the lower tier

+1

Although there seems to be some consideration to revisit the boundary change.

But the higher income neighborhoods that were moved out of Annandale to other high schools would now fight against going back to Annandale. Test scores have since gone down at Annandale, and sports teams are now less competitive. (Those same neighborhoods had fought to remain with Annandale, and the former principal wrote a letter in support of the remain campaign warning that middle class support would wane after those neighborhoods left Annandale)

The argument would be that, when FCPS moved part of Annandale to Woodson, it didn't realize that in another year the City of Fairfax would demand that FCPS move part of Fairfax (in the county) to Woodson as well. As a result, Woodson got overcrowded fast, while Annandale now has space.

The bigger problem is at Poe MS, which feeds mostly to Annandale and is now the highest FARMS MS in the county. If people won't send their kids to Poe, they probably won't send them to Annandale, either. FCPS needs to find a way to add some more SFH to Poe/Annandale.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I miss the days when Fairfax county was almost entirely middle class. All of this added multi family housing has really ruined the county. So much poverty. It will never be the school system it once was.

What you meant to say is you miss when Fairfax was all white with a few token brown people. Just admit it.

Not PP but I would venture to say that "brown people" are a minority in many FFX County, not much higher percentage wise than white. The above school referenced (Parklawn) actually has far more other races (Hispanic, Asian, Middle Eastern) than black or white. FFX County Schools allowing undocumented ESOL kids in the school system is what brought "down" the county schools, not race.

regardless, they're not white, and that's what PP meant.

No I didn't, you simpleton. Growing up in ffx it was very diverse. So much so, college was a culture shock for me. My instate university was very white. No, I miss the days when the county didn't have so many apartments. The Supreme Court has nothing to do with it. We built housing for poor people, and they came.

Curse those poor brown people try to make a better life for themselves why can't Fairfax stay lily white?

Yep, someone sounds like an elitist...

Keep ignoring reality and keep watching everybody voting with their feet. You'll find your school isn't diverse at all. Just poor.

Not likely. There's homes down south for people like you though. They don't like too many minorities there either. You can have your own cape and hood too!

I didn't know the kkk was accepting Asians and south East Indians? Because they aren't putting up with this nonsense either. It's not about color. Unless that color is green.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yup North vs South Arlington Fairfax Style the sorting has commenced

Fairfax really screwed over Annandlae one of the last diverse high performing schools. Now its definently in the lower tier

+1

Although there seems to be some consideration to revisit the boundary change.

But the higher income neighborhoods that were moved out of Annandale to other high schools would now fight against going back to Annandale. Test scores have since gone down at Annandale, and sports teams are now less competitive. (Those same neighborhoods had fought to remain with Annandale, and the former principal wrote a letter in support of the remain campaign warning that middle class support would wane after those neighborhoods left Annandale)

But there are two School Board members (Mason and Braddock Districts) who are not pleased with the boundary change results, and could help steer a boundary change. (There may be other School Board members as well, but those two have been the most vocal in School Board work sessions and meetings.)

I just don't see how the school board can treat neighborhoods like a yo-yo moving them back to Annandale after 5 years and admitting the move was wrong. Is there a limit on how many times a neighborhood can move between schools (within a period of time)?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yup North vs South Arlington Fairfax Style the sorting has commenced

Fairfax really screwed over Annandlae one of the last diverse high performing schools. Now its definently in the lower tier

+1

Although there seems to be some consideration to revisit the boundary change.

I think the resistance from those now at Woodson to going back to Annandale would be, ah, significant.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:But the higher income neighborhoods that were moved out of Annandale to other high schools would now fight against going back to Annandale. Test scores have since gone down at Annandale, and sports teams are now less competitive. (Those same neighborhoods had fought to remain with Annandale, and the former principal wrote a letter in support of the remain campaign warning that middle class support would wane after those neighborhoods left Annandale)

The former principal was the same one who asked staff to do something to begin with. Then when it was proposed to remove the geographic area that provided the main source of community support for the school, he was shocked SHOCKED and asked that it not be done.

Screw. Him.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:But there are two School Board members (Mason and Braddock Districts) who are not pleased with the boundary change results, and could help steer a boundary change. (There may be other School Board members as well, but those two have been the most vocal in School Board work sessions and meetings.)

They fought the proposal last go round and were outvoted. Everything the advocates said would happen has come to pass, exactly as predicted. There has been some turnover on the Board since then, but its unlikely that the outcome would be any different. The outcome is exactly what staff recommended and the Board supported.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The bigger problem is at Poe MS, which feeds mostly to Annandale and is now the highest FARMS MS in the county. If people won't send their kids to Poe, they probably won't send them to Annandale, either. FCPS needs to find a way to add some more SFH to Poe/Annandale.

As a refresher, staff said that with the changes they proposed, Poe would have 1134 students in 2016-2017, with a 50% FARMS rate.

http://www.boarddocs.com/vsba/fairfax/Board.nsf/files/8HVNYL5F4733/$file/Appendix%20A%20-%20%20%20Annandale%20Regional%20Study.pdf

They just finished June with 871 students, and a 72% FARMS rate.

Oops.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The bigger problem is at Poe MS, which feeds mostly to Annandale and is now the highest FARMS MS in the county. If people won't send their kids to Poe, they probably won't send them to Annandale, either. FCPS needs to find a way to add some more SFH to Poe/Annandale.

As a refresher, staff said that with the changes they proposed, Poe would have 1134 students in 2016-2017, with a 50% FARMS rate.

http://www.boarddocs.com/vsba/fairfax/Board.nsf/files/8HVNYL5F4733/$file/Appendix%20A%20-%20%20%20Annandale%20Regional%20Study.pdf

They just finished June with 871 students, and a 72% FARMS rate.

Oops.

Bingo.

At least four School Board members have expressed "dismay" about these results. However, four is not a majority (although other district Board Members tend to defer to the opinion of the District Board member -- in this case, Mason District's Sandy Evans.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yup North vs South Arlington Fairfax Style the sorting has commenced

Fairfax really screwed over Annandlae one of the last diverse high performing schools. Now its definently in the lower tier

+1

Although there seems to be some consideration to revisit the boundary change.

But the higher income neighborhoods that were moved out of Annandale to other high schools would now fight against going back to Annandale. Test scores have since gone down at Annandale, and sports teams are now less competitive. (Those same neighborhoods had fought to remain with Annandale, and the former principal wrote a letter in support of the remain campaign warning that middle class support would wane after those neighborhoods left Annandale)

It's disgraceful what happened over there. It's was a fine school.

Annandale and the Mason District have been betrayed by FFX county. Things are starting to switch around a bit, but the citizens as a whole here feel forgotten.

+1000

Glasgow, Mason Crest and Bailey's Upper are all new schools built in Mason in recent years, while schools in other districts just get renovated.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The bigger problem is at Poe MS, which feeds mostly to Annandale and is now the highest FARMS MS in the county. If people won't send their kids to Poe, they probably won't send them to Annandale, either. FCPS needs to find a way to add some more SFH to Poe/Annandale.

As a refresher, staff said that with the changes they proposed, Poe would have 1134 students in 2016-2017, with a 50% FARMS rate.

http://www.boarddocs.com/vsba/fairfax/Board.nsf/files/8HVNYL5F4733/$file/Appendix%20A%20-%20%20%20Annandale%20Regional%20Study.pdf

They just finished June with 871 students, and a 72% FARMS rate.

Oops.

Bingo.

At least four School Board members have expressed "dismay" about these results. However, four is not a majority (although other district Board Members tend to defer to the opinion of the District Board member -- in this case, Mason District's Sandy Evans.

Sandy Evans opposed that redistricting back in June 2011. A motion by Evans to keep the relevant part of Frost/Woodson at Poe/Annandale failed on a 6-6 vote, but was supported by current members Evans, Strauss and Moon (none of those who opposed Evans' motion are still on the School Board). So the issue isn't Sandy, but others on the Board, including Megan McLaughlin, who cares more about Woodson than any other school.

As PP noted, the staff projections were horribly bad, and show why FCPS has to exercise caution when changing boundaries in ways that drive up FARMS rates at particular schools. They never take into account the possibility that people with the means to do so may avoid schools they perceive to have passed a tipping point in terms of demographics and FARMS. Falls Church and Stuart seem more resilient, due to their locations, but Annandale and Lee will end up looking like some of the schools in MCPS like Wheaton and Kennedy unless FCPS redistricts Woodson and West Springfield in the next five years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yup North vs South Arlington Fairfax Style the sorting has commenced

Fairfax really screwed over Annandlae one of the last diverse high performing schools. Now its definently in the lower tier

+1

Although there seems to be some consideration to revisit the boundary change.

But the higher income neighborhoods that were moved out of Annandale to other high schools would now fight against going back to Annandale. Test scores have since gone down at Annandale, and sports teams are now less competitive. (Those same neighborhoods had fought to remain with Annandale, and the former principal wrote a letter in support of the remain campaign warning that middle class support would wane after those neighborhoods left Annandale)

But there are two School Board members (Mason and Braddock Districts) who are not pleased with the boundary change results, and could help steer a boundary change. (There may be other School Board members as well, but those two have been the most vocal in School Board work sessions and meetings.)

I just don't see how the school board can treat neighborhoods like a yo-yo moving them back to Annandale after 5 years and admitting the move was wrong. Is there a limit on how many times a neighborhood can move between schools (within a period of time)?

One relevant precedent is Hayfield/South County. When South County opened, FCPS moved so many kids out of Hayfield that the enrollment and test scores there started to tank. I think FCPS then moved some of those areas back to Hayfield. It was, in effect, an admission FCPS goofed.

Since the dismantling of Annandale occurred under Dale, addressing it now (or soon) wouldn't make Garza and her staff look bad. It might even make them look good. But I do know people in Wakefield Forest now who'd send their kids to Woodson, but go private before sending their kids to Annandale.