FCPS HS Boundary

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not arguing the merits of IB or AP, per se, but why is Lewis detrimentally impacted by IB and Robinson is not?

Being 100% honest here - I think IB is worse overall than AP and that FCPS should dump it at all schools. Every last one. And go AP for everyone. That shores up a lot of transfer loopholes too because even a smaller HS like Lewis should be able to at least offer Calc AB and some of the other more common AP classes. For context, my HS in the Midwest was smaller than Lewis at around 1500 kids, we had transfers in for a vocational academy and most of those kids weren’t in AP, and we still had the more popular AP classes with enough enrollment. Granted it did make scheduling difficult if the one section of AP Chemistry conflicted with the electives. But kids figured it out.

They could determine a core number of APs and offer them at every HS even if fewer than 19 students sign up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not arguing the merits of IB or AP, per se, but why is Lewis detrimentally impacted by IB and Robinson is not?

Being 100% honest here - I think IB is worse overall than AP and that FCPS should dump it at all schools. Every last one. And go AP for everyone. That shores up a lot of transfer loopholes too because even a smaller HS like Lewis should be able to at least offer Calc AB and some of the other more common AP classes. For context, my HS in the Midwest was smaller than Lewis at around 1500 kids, we had transfers in for a vocational academy and most of those kids weren’t in AP, and we still had the more popular AP classes with enough enrollment. Granted it did make scheduling difficult if the one section of AP Chemistry conflicted with the electives. But kids figured it out.

They could determine a core number of APs and offer them at every HS even if fewer than 19 students sign up.

If they want to equalize the curriculum to remove the incentive to transfer, they would also have to stop offering APs past those core classes. Telling a kid they can't transfer, but they can take the handful of APs now offered when the neighboring school offers dozens is not going to go over well

[Anonymous]

[list]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not arguing the merits of IB or AP, per se, but why is Lewis detrimentally impacted by IB and Robinson is not?

Being 100% honest here - I think IB is worse overall than AP and that FCPS should dump it at all schools. Every last one. And go AP for everyone. That shores up a lot of transfer loopholes too because even a smaller HS like Lewis should be able to at least offer Calc AB and some of the other more common AP classes. For context, my HS in the Midwest was smaller than Lewis at around 1500 kids, we had transfers in for a vocational academy and most of those kids weren’t in AP, and we still had the more popular AP classes with enough enrollment. Granted it did make scheduling difficult if the one section of AP Chemistry conflicted with the electives. But kids figured it out.

They could determine a core number of APs and offer them at every HS even if fewer than 19 students sign up.

If they want to equalize the curriculum to remove the incentive to transfer, they would also have to stop offering APs past those core classes. Telling a kid they can't transfer, but they can take the handful of APs now offered when the neighboring school offers dozens is not going to go over well

If the kid is on a track to need more than the “core AP’s” then yes they should be able to transfer or take some of their classes at the other school during Senior year. But MOST students at MOST schools are going to be served just fine by the usuals without getting too far into the weeds.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So if they do a county-wide boundary study, they won't ignore the capacity at schools that recently have been expanded like Herndon, are currently being expanded like Falls Church, and are scheduled to be expanded like Centreville. They should also wait for the next renovation queue and factor in expansions that should have already been scheduled, but haven't. Otherwise they are making county-wide boundary changes largely (although not entirely) on the basis of a renovation queue created over 15 years ago and some random decisions by the School Board since 2008 to expand some schools outside the renovation queue while neglecting others that, with the benefit of hindsight, had a greater need for additional capacity.

Get an updated renovation queue in place, take steps to shore up Lewis in the interim, and then and only then if boundary changes are truly necessary start revising boundaries. As it stands, this is heading towards being a huge disaster for FCPS from which it likely will never recover.

The real question is can Langley find a way to get rid of their 2% of farms students? Can you do attendance islands around maid's quarters?

Hahaha. So so funny. You are just too darn witty for this message board.

Also, please learn about the difference between correlation and causation. It’ll be a difference maker in your life.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So if they do a county-wide boundary study, they won't ignore the capacity at schools that recently have been expanded like Herndon, are currently being expanded like Falls Church, and are scheduled to be expanded like Centreville. They should also wait for the next renovation queue and factor in expansions that should have already been scheduled, but haven't. Otherwise they are making county-wide boundary changes largely (although not entirely) on the basis of a renovation queue created over 15 years ago and some random decisions by the School Board since 2008 to expand some schools outside the renovation queue while neglecting others that, with the benefit of hindsight, had a greater need for additional capacity.

Get an updated renovation queue in place, take steps to shore up Lewis in the interim, and then and only then if boundary changes are truly necessary start revising boundaries. As it stands, this is heading towards being a huge disaster for FCPS from which it likely will never recover.

The real question is can Langley find a way to get rid of their 2% of farms students? Can you do attendance islands around maid's quarters?

Hahaha. So so funny. You are just too darn witty for this message board.

Also, please learn about the difference between correlation and causation. It’ll be a difference maker in your life.

I'm the poster that PP was responding to. I didn't bother responding because it was snarky and off-topic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not arguing the merits of IB or AP, per se, but why is Lewis detrimentally impacted by IB and Robinson is not?

Being 100% honest here - I think IB is worse overall than AP and that FCPS should dump it at all schools. Every last one. And go AP for everyone. That shores up a lot of transfer loopholes too because even a smaller HS like Lewis should be able to at least offer Calc AB and some of the other more common AP classes. For context, my HS in the Midwest was smaller than Lewis at around 1500 kids, we had transfers in for a vocational academy and most of those kids weren’t in AP, and we still had the more popular AP classes with enough enrollment. Granted it did make scheduling difficult if the one section of AP Chemistry conflicted with the electives. But kids figured it out.

They could determine a core number of APs and offer them at every HS even if fewer than 19 students sign up.

If they want to equalize the curriculum to remove the incentive to transfer, they would also have to stop offering APs past those core classes. Telling a kid they can't transfer, but they can take the handful of APs now offered when the neighboring school offers dozens is not going to go over well

Then offer others online and they could take them at their home school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Or maybe instead of bickering over whose kids should get screwed in a county redistricting, perhaps we should all just admit that the redistricting would be a colossal mistake and that redistricting arbitrarily picks winners and losers.

As if the current gerrymandered boundaries don't do the exact same thing. They should hire consultants from outside the area with no skin in the game to draw up boundaries that make logical sense and fully utilize county resources.

They do not need to waste our money outsourcing their responsibilities in a futile attempt to avoid criticism.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Or maybe instead of bickering over whose kids should get screwed in a county redistricting, perhaps we should all just admit that the redistricting would be a colossal mistake and that redistricting arbitrarily picks winners and losers.

As if the current gerrymandered boundaries don't do the exact same thing. They should hire consultants from outside the area with no skin in the game to draw up boundaries that make logical sense and fully utilize county resources.

They do not need to waste our money outsourcing their responsibilities in a futile attempt to avoid criticism.

You trust the SB more than an independent consultant?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Or maybe instead of bickering over whose kids should get screwed in a county redistricting, perhaps we should all just admit that the redistricting would be a colossal mistake and that redistricting arbitrarily picks winners and losers.

As if the current gerrymandered boundaries don't do the exact same thing. They should hire consultants from outside the area with no skin in the game to draw up boundaries that make logical sense and fully utilize county resources.

They do not need to waste our money outsourcing their responsibilities in a futile attempt to avoid criticism.

You trust the SB more than an independent consultant?

DP. You really believe an outside consultant will be “independent”? LOL. People will be lining up with bridges to sell you.

Anyway, they must just ask staff to develop a recommendation, and staff - just as would an outside consultant - will simply try to do what they think the School Board wants.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Or maybe instead of bickering over whose kids should get screwed in a county redistricting, perhaps we should all just admit that the redistricting would be a colossal mistake and that redistricting arbitrarily picks winners and losers.

As if the current gerrymandered boundaries don't do the exact same thing. They should hire consultants from outside the area with no skin in the game to draw up boundaries that make logical sense and fully utilize county resources.

They do not need to waste our money outsourcing their responsibilities in a futile attempt to avoid criticism.

You trust the SB more than an independent consultant?

DP. You really believe an outside consultant will be “independent”? LOL. People will be lining up with bridges to sell you.

Anyway, they must just ask staff to develop a recommendation, and staff - just as would an outside consultant - will simply try to do what they think the School Board wants.

No, I don’t believe that consultants would be completely independent. I don’t think the SB or staff have the right skills — or the time — to evaluate the situation objectively. Let the consultants do the grunt work.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Or maybe instead of bickering over whose kids should get screwed in a county redistricting, perhaps we should all just admit that the redistricting would be a colossal mistake and that redistricting arbitrarily picks winners and losers.

As if the current gerrymandered boundaries don't do the exact same thing. They should hire consultants from outside the area with no skin in the game to draw up boundaries that make logical sense and fully utilize county resources.

They do not need to waste our money outsourcing their responsibilities in a futile attempt to avoid criticism.

You trust the SB more than an independent consultant?

DP. You really believe an outside consultant will be “independent”? LOL. People will be lining up with bridges to sell you.

Anyway, they must just ask staff to develop a recommendation, and staff - just as would an outside consultant - will simply try to do what they think the School Board wants.

No, I don’t believe that consultants would be completely independent. I don’t think the SB or staff have the right skills — or the time — to evaluate the situation objectively. Let the consultants do the grunt work.

Let nobody do the work. It is such an ill-advised move to do this. Nobody, except for a tiny sliver of the extreme left, wants this.

They are going to burn all their capital at once, then other priorities that would truly make a difference (e.g., universal pre-k), end up in the cutting room floor. The board is focused on the wrong priority here, and it’ll be so costly for their other priorities.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not arguing the merits of IB or AP, per se, but why is Lewis detrimentally impacted by IB and Robinson is not?

Being 100% honest here - I think IB is worse overall than AP and that FCPS should dump it at all schools. Every last one. And go AP for everyone. That shores up a lot of transfer loopholes too because even a smaller HS like Lewis should be able to at least offer Calc AB and some of the other more common AP classes. For context, my HS in the Midwest was smaller than Lewis at around 1500 kids, we had transfers in for a vocational academy and most of those kids weren’t in AP, and we still had the more popular AP classes with enough enrollment. Granted it did make scheduling difficult if the one section of AP Chemistry conflicted with the electives. But kids figured it out.

Kids who take algebra in 7th need more than Calc AB

That will soon go away, didn't you know?? Equity for all = Algebra in 8th.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What exactly is the goal here- is it to raise enrollment at Lewis or is it to decrease enrollment at WSHS? Or both?

I live near Hunt Valley- in a part I assume will stay with WSHS- but if we do get rezoned to Lewis, I’ll send my kids to private school. I’d rather them go to South County which is definitely closer than Lewis.

There is poster that had kids in Satatoga who was (and apparently still is) bitterly resentful that Hunt Valley along Gambril was rezoned to West Springfield 20 years ago when South County opened and that area was rezoned to fill the new school.

They have posted here for years, vengefully arguing that this 20 year old redistricting ruined Lewis (then Lee) and that all of Hunt Valley needs to be rezoned back to Lewis to right a decades old slight, even though of all of the WSHS schools, except for that small Sangster neighborhood, HV is the farthest away from Lewis. No matter which way you drive, Hunt Valley students would pass by every single WSHS elementary school (except Sangster) to get to Lewis. Geographically, HV makes the least sense (except Sangster) to rezone to Lewis.

Her goal is a vengeance rezoning, not based on sense, finances, commute or logic. One can only hope that she does not have the ear of the school board.

That would be part of the plan. It would decrease enrollment at WSHS.

And not true. You hop on the Parkway and drive towards "Springfield Mall"; just like they used to do. Half of HV lives next to the parkway.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not arguing the merits of IB or AP, per se, but why is Lewis detrimentally impacted by IB and Robinson is not?

Being 100% honest here - I think IB is worse overall than AP and that FCPS should dump it at all schools. Every last one. And go AP for everyone. That shores up a lot of transfer loopholes too because even a smaller HS like Lewis should be able to at least offer Calc AB and some of the other more common AP classes. For context, my HS in the Midwest was smaller than Lewis at around 1500 kids, we had transfers in for a vocational academy and most of those kids weren’t in AP, and we still had the more popular AP classes with enough enrollment. Granted it did make scheduling difficult if the one section of AP Chemistry conflicted with the electives. But kids figured it out.

Kids who take algebra in 7th need more than Calc AB

That will soon go away, didn't you know?? Equity for all = Algebra in 8th.

At some point though, some courses should probably be deferred to college or potentially dual enrollment. Getting to Calc BC and Statistics in high school would be sufficient for 98% of students. FCPS shouldn't make policy and curriculum decisions based on the fringe cases.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What exactly is the goal here- is it to raise enrollment at Lewis or is it to decrease enrollment at WSHS? Or both?

I live near Hunt Valley- in a part I assume will stay with WSHS- but if we do get rezoned to Lewis, I’ll send my kids to private school. I’d rather them go to South County which is definitely closer than Lewis.

There is poster that had kids in Satatoga who was (and apparently still is) bitterly resentful that Hunt Valley along Gambril was rezoned to West Springfield 20 years ago when South County opened and that area was rezoned to fill the new school.

They have posted here for years, vengefully arguing that this 20 year old redistricting ruined Lewis (then Lee) and that all of Hunt Valley needs to be rezoned back to Lewis to right a decades old slight, even though of all of the WSHS schools, except for that small Sangster neighborhood, HV is the farthest away from Lewis. No matter which way you drive, Hunt Valley students would pass by every single WSHS elementary school (except Sangster) to get to Lewis. Geographically, HV makes the least sense (except Sangster) to rezone to Lewis.

Her goal is a vengeance rezoning, not based on sense, finances, commute or logic. One can only hope that she does not have the ear of the school board.

That would be part of the plan. It would decrease enrollment at WSHS.

And not true. You hop on the Parkway and drive towards "Springfield Mall"; just like they used to do. Half of HV lives next to the parkway.

They did not kill Lewis with any one decision, but a number of things combined by 2010 or so to make it unattractive to many people. The 2005 decision was probably the breaking point because between moving students to South County and West Springfield (a last minute change) they reduced the enrollment by 300 students. They also botched the F/R lunch increase at Lee. They said it would only increase a little from somewhere around 26.8% to 28.9%. In reality it shot to about 40% by 2010 and never recovered. The planning folks had to know this would happen by looking at the F/R lunch rates of the feeder elementary schools and Key. Brad Center, the Lee District School Board member at the time, tried to stop the HV to West Springfield change but the change passed 7-5. After that they were supposed to do a comprehensive boundary study involving LB, WS and Lee, but never did.

With the decrease in enrollment and the higher poverty (and ESL rates) classes started dropping, e.g., Japanese. The liberal pupil placement policy allowed students to leave for other schools. Add in Great Schools and it just spiraled down from there.