Haycock class changes

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:From reading this thread, it's apparent that there are a few Haycock parents posting here who are agitated about this policy change. I'm not saying there aren't other parents who oppose the change, but I don't think they are posting. It's just a few posters repeating themselves, and not in especially clear or cogent language.

Haycock is known for this type of behavior by some parents. The good news is that this behavior diminishes over time; as kids get older, the parents start to realize that their kids' futures don't rise or fall depending on their 4th grade teacher assignments. And, in any event the administrators at Longfellow and McLean don't put up with it.

Are you in the Haycock Administration?

No.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:From reading this thread, it's apparent that there are a few Haycock parents posting here who are agitated about this policy change. I'm not saying there aren't other parents who oppose the change, but I don't think they are posting. It's just a few posters repeating themselves, and not in especially clear or cogent language.

Haycock is known for this type of behavior by some parents. The good news is that this behavior diminishes over time; as kids get older, the parents start to realize that their kids' futures don't rise or fall depending on their 4th grade teacher assignments. And, in any event the administrators at Longfellow and McLean don't put up with it.

Just because some parents don't post here, doesn't mean the issues aren't valid. Nor does it make these parent's behavior "bad". They are pointing out something they used to like that is not there anymore. That is all. They have a disagreement with the current principal over a policy that the school used to have that is now being taken away. The school is I'm sure aware of the issue and can choose how to deal with it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:From reading this thread, it's apparent that there are a few Haycock parents posting here who are agitated about this policy change. I'm not saying there aren't other parents who oppose the change, but I don't think they are posting. It's just a few posters repeating themselves, and not in especially clear or cogent language.

Haycock is known for this type of behavior by some parents. The good news is that this behavior diminishes over time; as kids get older, the parents start to realize that their kids' futures don't rise or fall depending on their 4th grade teacher assignments. And, in any event the administrators at Longfellow and McLean don't put up with it.

Just because some parents don't post here, doesn't mean the issues aren't valid. Nor does it make these parent's behavior "bad". They are pointing out something they used to like that is not there anymore. That is all. They have a disagreement with the current principal over a policy that the school used to have that is now being taken away. The school is I'm sure aware of the issue and can choose how to deal with it.

I'll add to the PP's comment that no one here is complaining about their 4th grader teacher assignment. They sound concerned that their teachers are being driven away by the administrator. These are very different.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why would anyone teach at Haycock if she could drive five more minutes and get paid more to teach a much smaller class in Arlington?

LOL. No drama in Arlington at all.

http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/708282.page

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:From reading this thread, it's apparent that there are a few Haycock parents posting here who are agitated about this policy change. I'm not saying there aren't other parents who oppose the change, but I don't think they are posting. It's just a few posters repeating themselves, and not in especially clear or cogent language.

Haycock is known for this type of behavior by some parents. The good news is that this behavior diminishes over time; as kids get older, the parents start to realize that their kids' futures don't rise or fall depending on their 4th grade teacher assignments. And, in any event the administrators at Longfellow and McLean don't put up with it.

Just because some parents don't post here, doesn't mean the issues aren't valid. Nor does it make these parent's behavior "bad". They are pointing out something they used to like that is not there anymore. That is all. They have a disagreement with the current principal over a policy that the school used to have that is now being taken away. The school is I'm sure aware of the issue and can choose how to deal with it.

agree. Regardless of this posting, I think any change will have to happen at the PTA meeting or meetings with the principal. It's nice to see concerned parents getting involved. "Known for this behavior", ha, go see any kid's soccer game on a weekend and witness the lunacy. I much prefer parents who are asking questions about why a policy is changing instead of sitting on their hands.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You are incorrect! Haycock neighbors are not subsidizing the educational system in the rest of the county. The as you move away from that area, homes may be cheaper per area, but the are bigger and cost the same or more, so the tax dollars are the same. Moreso, in areas with less affluent demographics, the parents with more money send their kids to private schools, and double paying for their children's education.

Mire specialized teachers cost more, thus they are costing the county more. Don't be too full of yourself with your property vales! Chesterbrook, Kent Gardens and Franklin Sherman alone have higher lot/property values than Haycock. There are many other neighborhoods with average property values way higher than Haycock.

You want all to be equal, but you like being more equal than others.

Chesterbrook and FS use the AAP at Haycock.

[Anonymous]

First of all, 78% of Fairfax county property taxes subsidizes the rest of the state. Not any particular county.

Only 22% of property taxes come back to FCPS.

The schools aren't equally funded anyway in FCPS. Title I schools get hundreds of thousands of dollars from federal funds and additional state funds based on poverty levels on a sliding scale.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If the county taxes people at the same rate, therefore people pay the same into the educational system, why should Haycocks be different than other elementary schools? Why should this diffetentiation be offered there and not elsewhere? Why should the county go out of its way to retain these teachers at Haycock and not make them available in other schools?

Haycock is not accessible to families outside of the attendance zone, so why should all these resources go to it? The parents that want such special learning can elect private schools, like other parents who do not like public education do! I'm not about not letting people have their way, but why should Haycock be privileged?

Any principal can implement the rotation at his/her elementary school level if needed. It was necessary at Haycock because there are children who are very advanced in math and need special classes. Some of them go to Longfellow for middle school math while they are still in elementary school. Most of the teachers who leave go to N Arlington because it's close and the pay is better. The teachers can work where they want, this is not communist Russia.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You are incorrect! Haycock neighbors are not subsidizing the educational system in the rest of the county. The as you move away from that area, homes may be cheaper per area, but the are bigger and cost the same or more, so the tax dollars are the same. Moreso, in areas with less affluent demographics, the parents with more money send their kids to private schools, and double paying for their children's education.

Mire specialized teachers cost more, thus they are costing the county more. Don't be too full of yourself with your property vales! Chesterbrook, Kent Gardens and Franklin Sherman alone have higher lot/property values than Haycock. There are many other neighborhoods with average property values way higher than Haycock.

You want all to be equal, but you like being more equal than others.

Chesterbrook and FS use the AAP at Haycock.

They do not use the aap at haycock. The AAP is not for haycock alone, but for all 4 schools. It just happens to be located at Haycock, because you have to locate it somewhere.

The point is that the Haycock tax dollars are not covering for the education of other children in the county, but only for their own, and probably some of the county is covering for Haycock, because property values are higher in total in other areas of the county, and a disproportionate percentage of parents take their kids to private schools from FARM areas, thus allowing for more of their tax dollars to go to experiments such as Haycock. I would like to see similar programs throughout the county, be those the Haycock programs or not, but there is no reason why these programs should be so specific to Haycock.

Why don't you fight for these programs to be implemented throughout the county? Because you know it is not financially feasible, and the county can't pay for them everywhere.

[Anonymous]

What are you talking about? These "programs" do not have additional costs. It's merely an agreement among the team of teachers and the school to teach one subject. There is no extra money involved.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If the county taxes people at the same rate, therefore people pay the same into the educational system, why should Haycocks be different than other elementary schools? Why should this diffetentiation be offered there and not elsewhere? Why should the county go out of its way to retain these teachers at Haycock and not make them available in other schools?

Haycock is not accessible to families outside of the attendance zone, so why should all these resources go to it? The parents that want such special learning can elect private schools, like other parents who do not like public education do! I'm not about not letting people have their way, but why should Haycock be privileged?

Any principal can implement the rotation at his/her elementary school level if needed. It was necessary at Haycock because there are children who are very advanced in math and need special classes. Some of them go to Longfellow for middle school math while they are still in elementary school. Most of the teachers who leave go to N Arlington because it's close and the pay is better. The teachers can work where they want, this is not communist Russia.

Is there something in the water in the Haycock boundary zone that makes special children who are very advanced in math and need "special" classes and treatment, more so than in any other elementary school in FCPS?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You are incorrect! Haycock neighbors are not subsidizing the educational system in the rest of the county. The as you move away from that area, homes may be cheaper per area, but the are bigger and cost the same or more, so the tax dollars are the same. Moreso, in areas with less affluent demographics, the parents with more money send their kids to private schools, and double paying for their children's education.

Mire specialized teachers cost more, thus they are costing the county more. Don't be too full of yourself with your property vales! Chesterbrook, Kent Gardens and Franklin Sherman alone have higher lot/property values than Haycock. There are many other neighborhoods with average property values way higher than Haycock.

You want all to be equal, but you like being more equal than others.

Chesterbrook and FS use the AAP at Haycock.

They do not use the aap at haycock. The AAP is not for haycock alone, but for all 4 schools. It just happens to be located at Haycock, because you have to locate it somewhere.

The point is that the Haycock tax dollars are not covering for the education of other children in the county, but only for their own, and probably some of the county is covering for Haycock, because property values are higher in total in other areas of the county, and a disproportionate percentage of parents take their kids to private schools from FARM areas, thus allowing for more of their tax dollars to go to experiments such as Haycock. I would like to see similar programs throughout the county, be those the Haycock programs or not, but there is no reason why these programs should be so specific to Haycock.

Why don't you fight for these programs to be implemented throughout the county? Because you know it is not financially feasible, and the county can't pay for them everywhere.

This is incorrect. In FFX , Haycock and Wolftrap get the lowest amount of $ per child. The highest amount goes to the Title 1 schools. There is no extra cost to this program. The children are grouped by abilities. There is zero incremental cost. You can also request this method to be done at your children's elementary school. This program works at Haycock because there is a need for advanced math.

[Anonymous]

How do you know they do not cost more? Are you one of those teachers?

In order for a teacher to specialize in a subject, he/she needs additional training and education, specialization. These usually come in the form of Master's Degrees, and they do cost money. After a teacher achieves this specialization, s/he demands a higher salary, and rightfully so, because now s/he is more specialized, and can demand higher pay.

Nothing is for free, and don't try to pretend that Haycock is some utopia, where teachers do things only out of their good heart. If so, they'd work for free.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If the county taxes people at the same rate, therefore people pay the same into the educational system, why should Haycocks be different than other elementary schools? Why should this diffetentiation be offered there and not elsewhere? Why should the county go out of its way to retain these teachers at Haycock and not make them available in other schools?

Haycock is not accessible to families outside of the attendance zone, so why should all these resources go to it? The parents that want such special learning can elect private schools, like other parents who do not like public education do! I'm not about not letting people have their way, but why should Haycock be privileged?

Any principal can implement the rotation at his/her elementary school level if needed. It was necessary at Haycock because there are children who are very advanced in math and need special classes. Some of them go to Longfellow for middle school math while they are still in elementary school. Most of the teachers who leave go to N Arlington because it's close and the pay is better. The teachers can work where they want, this is not communist Russia.

Is there something in the water in the Haycock boundary zone that makes special children who are very advanced in math and need "special" classes and treatment, more so than in any other elementary school in FCPS?

I'm not sure of the history, maybe because the elementary school is in walking distance from Longfellow or maybe because lots of parents with STEM professions move in the neighborhoods.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How do you know they do not cost more? Are you one of those teachers?

In order for a teacher to specialize in a subject, he/she needs additional training and education, specialization. These usually come in the form of Master's Degrees, and they do cost money. After a teacher achieves this specialization, s/he demands a higher salary, and rightfully so, because now s/he is more specialized, and can demand higher pay.

Nothing is for free, and don't try to pretend that Haycock is some utopia, where teachers do things only out of their good heart. If so, they'd work for free.

This is a pretty big assumption. It may be the case, but it also may be that out of the 8 6th grade teachers, two are better or have more of a passion about math, two are better or have more of a passion about science, etc. The one who really likes math may hate grammar. It's just playing on their talents and interests, and I don't think there's a requirement for a masters or formal specialization.