Sandy Anderson email
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Anonymous
+1. She’s trying ever so hard to pretend, despite what the democrats on the board have been laser focused on for the last five years. It’s kinda pathetic. I’m sure the SB has been told because of recent Supreme Court decisions that they can’t say equity, but to try to carry that water on this thread is pathetic. |
Anonymous
You’re such a shill for the school board. Equitable = “having or exhibiting equity”. Receipts from merriam Webster below. Just give up your puny little campaign here. The SB is focused on equity. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/equitable#:~:text=eq%C2%B7%25E2%2580%258Bui%C2%B7%25E2%2580%258Bta,and%2520equally%2520with%2520all%2520concerned |
Anonymous
These equity moves only reduce the % of FARMS within the school's population, the moves do not lessen the FARMS numbers or help the existing FARMS population. One of two things will happen when high SES kids are cut over to Lewis as tribute: 1) They will immediately start taking opportunities that existing Lewis kids previously had like leadership/sports/club positions, to the detriment of the current Lewis population, or 2) Non-assimilation of the new 'rich kids', the face of which will be the white population. Lewis had 196 white students in 2023. The equity move will increase this number to 396, assuming an entire ES is moved over (4 HS grades, 100 students per grade, 50% white). It will be no secret to the entire student body, and particularly a 63% FARMS population that 'rich kids' were imported to make the failing school better, and the face of the imported 'rich kids' will be the white population that doubles in size from 10% to 20%. And yes, WSHS area is not Vienna/McLean/Tysons 'rich', but even small things like driving a car to school and having premium sports equipment makes one a target of resent. If I was a non-white and/or FARMS student I would resent these new kids and treat them differently, and with good reason. The message that the SB is unintentionally sending to these Lewis students (88% non-white) is that they are not good enough, so bring in the rich kids to make things better. And because of the existing Lewis population and the population that's projected to move over, the white kids will be seen as the 'rich kids'. In any case, this is going to be a highly consequential social experiment within the school and a social and socioeconomic experience for whatever community is given as tribute to Lewis. I believe it will achieve equity goals for making living in West Springfield more on par with Springfield. Over the next 10 years you will see a yet-to-be-determined West Springfield neighborhood area decline at the community level in both property values and the quality of people living in the community. Think some areas of Woodbridge circa 2008 housing crash and the decline of those areas as new populations flooded in. This boundary transaction will be the example pointed to as families pay a premium for proximity to high schools that are not adjacent to urban population centers with section 8 housing and apartment dense areas. |
Anonymous
Well said. |
Anonymous
The mental gymnastics people attempt to justify the commute is insane. It doesn't make any sense on any level for any reason to do this. |
Anonymous
They can't say race, but they can say socioeconomic status. |
Anonymous
Just wow. Flabbergasted that you actually posted that. Just because you have insecurities and prejudices against those who are wealthier and/or culturally different from you doesn't mean that all kids do. Especially Gen Z and Gen Alpha kids who see much less "color" than you do. |
Anonymous
Why is the debate surrounding Hunt Valley elementary? It’s a slow day at work so I just looked at the maps since I live in the area. West Springfield elementary is closer to Lewis than Hunt Valley. Saratoga zoned for Lewis makes sense and I can see why that was done when South County was built. It’s cut off from the other areas due to Pohick Creek. Hunt Valley doesn’t make sense. However, the boundaries of West Springfield are compact and it doesn’t make sense to transfer kids from a successful school closer to their home to help improve a poorly performing school. |
Anonymous
| Because people are speculating and making up scenarios instead of waiting for what is proposed. |
Anonymous
I think the issue is that rolling valley, Keane mill , cardinal forest, and WSES are so close including walkers I believe to at least Irving and WSHS. Orange Hunt would create an island. WSES seems like the only alternative if you have to pick one and could work but they are right next to Irving and then there’s the name. HV shares boundaries with Lewis and are already on a bus. Not that I agree with it but I think that’s the logic. And yes I understand that a longer commute goes against statements about boundary change purpose. That same argument works for WSES as well wrt to Key and Lewis. The compact boundaries make it really hard to move any school without feeling like it doesn’t make sense. |
Anonymous
The 200 white kids at Lewis will get it for sure. They will definitely have thoughts on WSHS kids being moved to their school if it’s the only other HS affected by boundary changes to switch to Lewis. |
Anonymous
+1 there’s no current gerrymandering in WSHS boundaries. There IS some weirdness they could clean up at the ES level, but that would be just within the pyramid and would not affect the high school. |
Anonymous
At the meeting Reid said she saw more changes happening at the elementary level than other levels. |
Anonymous
I am PP and could have left "non-white" out of the bolded statement, because this is haves vs have nots. I am non-white person who grew up poor in a Richmond school much like Lewis, so was speaking for myself and from my own experience. It is simply human nature to have feelings when you see your peers with things you don't have and wonder why the world is unfair. My point is that the move is going to amplify the faces of the haves at Lewis as mainly white students, and the message I would receive as a non-white student at Lewis is "your kind aren't good enough so we are sending white people in to fix a problem". There will certainly be asian, black, and hispanic students moved as well, but because of existing demographics none of their populations will double, while the white population will. Again this is a social experiment. Although Gen Z and A kids see less color this could actually cause them to see things more in terms of color. |
Anonymous
Even with those compact boundaries, if a move needs happen, SCHS makes much more sense if we are really looking at enrollment and transportation costs. Lewis and SCHS are both under enrolled by a very similar amount (at 86% and 88% capacity last school year) My HVES neighborhood is 3.5 miles and 8 minutes to SCHS along neighborhood roads, whereas Lewis 6 miles and 12 minutes using the Parkway and traversing the mess and congestion around the mixing bowl area. Note these times are from right now, other times of the day would tell a different story, especially for the Lewis commute. West Springfield High School is 4.7 miles away and can be reached by neighborhood roads. The commute is a major quality of life issue. It's the difference between driving to an event or activity vs fighting traffic to get to an event or activity. I really hope a traffic study is part of this process. |