What can we do to stop the boundary change?

[Anonymous]

I don't want to talk particulars of the different boundaries like the other threads. Just how to we, as individuals and groups, push the issue?

Letter writing? Collect and hire legal counsel for a class action? Picket?

I know there are some pretty smart people on here. What are the best courses of action?

[Anonymous]

Why would you want to do that?
Some people are supportive, maybe if you articulate your reasoning, people wpuld be willing to assist.

[Anonymous]

Smaller, more balanced classes with shorter student commutes benefit teachers and students, the school district snd the community. Curious your reasoning, OP?

[Anonymous]

Honestly, I think they changed and lessened the scope. When this first started, they seemed to be pressing for so big changes. Parents speaking out and federal changes bringing about declining population has make it into tweaks instead of revamping.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Smaller, more balanced classes with shorter student commutes benefit teachers and students, the school district snd the community. Curious your reasoning, OP?

Not taking a position here, but you don't get smaller, more balanced classes with boundary changes. You may have better utilization of buildings, but you will not get smaller classes.

Shorter commutes do benefit students--but teachers do not commute according to boundaries.
That has nothing to do with boundaries.

[Anonymous]

You know they just bought a high school. This is actually a good time for boundary changes. Whatever you try, it will be an uphill battle at this stage.

[Anonymous]

All true but teachers benefit from students being less tired after unnecessarily long bus rides with earlier bus times. And could be wrong but I’d think in the most overcrowded schools, cutting #s should be a benefit to disproportionately lg class sizes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Honestly, I think they changed and lessened the scope. When this first started, they seemed to be pressing for so big changes. Parents speaking out and federal changes bringing about declining population has make it into tweaks instead of revamping.

+1 They definitely had big plans at the beginning but if you read between the lines, it was obviously cut back in scope due to the federal changes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't want to talk particulars of the different boundaries like the other threads. Just how to we, as individuals and groups, push the issue?

Letter writing? Collect and hire legal counsel for a class action? Picket?

I know there are some pretty smart people on here. What are the best courses of action?

Best thing you can do is reach out to your school board reps (all 4) to let them know you oppose the boundary changes. Make it personal, but avoid talking about property value - the school board members don’t care about property values even though school quality is linked to them.

Next is organize a campaign to contact school board members. Timber Lane had a big campaign to stay at McLean instead of being moved, and they were vindicated today when the new maps were released.

Next, longer term, is don’t just vote for these clowns because they have a D next to their names. I say that as someone who just filled out my mail in ballot voting for the Ds at the statewide level, but opposed the school bond, which I used to vote for. You are just one vote, but if the school board members fear for their jobs or funding then the boundary change crap will disappear mighty quick.

There is at least one organization, fairfact matters that appears to generally be against the boundary changes. You should consider reaching out to them to see if there are other things.

[Anonymous]

And could be wrong but I’d think in the most overcrowded schools, cutting #s should be a benefit to disproportionately lg class sizes.

Schools get staff according to the membership. It has nothing to do with the size of the classes. That is a fact.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

And could be wrong but I’d think in the most overcrowded schools, cutting #s should be a benefit to disproportionately lg class sizes.

Schools get staff according to the membership. It has nothing to do with the size of the classes. That is a fact.

Principal here: It is about both membership AND the size of classes. That’s why I and all of my colleagues have to submit a biweekly—wait for it—-CLASS SIZE REPORT over the summer to Human Resources ahead of their staffing meetings. We have to show how many classes there are at each grade level and the current numbers.
That’s a fact.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't want to talk particulars of the different boundaries like the other threads. Just how to we, as individuals and groups, push the issue?

Letter writing? Collect and hire legal counsel for a class action? Picket?

I know there are some pretty smart people on here. What are the best courses of action?

Best thing you can do is reach out to your school board reps (all 4) to let them know you oppose the boundary changes. Make it personal, but avoid talking about property value - the school board members don’t care about property values even though school quality is linked to them.

Next is organize a campaign to contact school board members. Timber Lane had a big campaign to stay at McLean instead of being moved, and they were vindicated today when the new maps were released.

Next, longer term, is don’t just vote for these clowns because they have a D next to their names. I say that as someone who just filled out my mail in ballot voting for the Ds at the statewide level, but opposed the school bond, which I used to vote for. You are just one vote, but if the school board members fear for their jobs or funding then the boundary change crap will disappear mighty quick.

There is at least one organization, fairfact matters that appears to generally be against the boundary changes. You should consider reaching out to them to see if there are other things.

Ridiculous. I can't take anything you said seriously because you opposed the school bond.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't want to talk particulars of the different boundaries like the other threads. Just how to we, as individuals and groups, push the issue?

Letter writing? Collect and hire legal counsel for a class action? Picket?

I know there are some pretty smart people on here. What are the best courses of action?

Best thing you can do is reach out to your school board reps (all 4) to let them know you oppose the boundary changes. Make it personal, but avoid talking about property value - the school board members don’t care about property values even though school quality is linked to them.

Next is organize a campaign to contact school board members. Timber Lane had a big campaign to stay at McLean instead of being moved, and they were vindicated today when the new maps were released.

Next, longer term, is don’t just vote for these clowns because they have a D next to their names. I say that as someone who just filled out my mail in ballot voting for the Ds at the statewide level, but opposed the school bond, which I used to vote for. You are just one vote, but if the school board members fear for their jobs or funding then the boundary change crap will disappear mighty quick.

There is at least one organization, fairfact matters that appears to generally be against the boundary changes. You should consider reaching out to them to see if there are other things.

Ridiculous. I can't take anything you said seriously because you opposed the school bond.

DP. Why should people vote for this school bond? Enrollment is declining yet they want to open new schools and expand existing ones when they could be making current facilities nicer. They aren’t good stewards of taxpayer money.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't want to talk particulars of the different boundaries like the other threads. Just how to we, as individuals and groups, push the issue?

Letter writing? Collect and hire legal counsel for a class action? Picket?

I know there are some pretty smart people on here. What are the best courses of action?

Best thing you can do is reach out to your school board reps (all 4) to let them know you oppose the boundary changes. Make it personal, but avoid talking about property value - the school board members don’t care about property values even though school quality is linked to them.

Next is organize a campaign to contact school board members. Timber Lane had a big campaign to stay at McLean instead of being moved, and they were vindicated today when the new maps were released.

Next, longer term, is don’t just vote for these clowns because they have a D next to their names. I say that as someone who just filled out my mail in ballot voting for the Ds at the statewide level, but opposed the school bond, which I used to vote for. You are just one vote, but if the school board members fear for their jobs or funding then the boundary change crap will disappear mighty quick.

There is at least one organization, fairfact matters that appears to generally be against the boundary changes. You should consider reaching out to them to see if there are other things.

Ridiculous. I can't take anything you said seriously because you opposed the school bond.

TBH, I was pretty torn about the no vote. I’ve always voted for the bond before - have historically been a big supporter of public schools.

But like many many others I’m angered that FCPS thinks that they can just move our kids around like pawns with impunity.

Until the boundary review and future boundary reviews shrink down to just the urgent needs (e.g. Coates), then I can’t in good faith continue to vote to fund their nonsense. And if it means that I have to send my kids private because the schools start to really suck, we can afford to do so. I don’t want to, but the school board does not get my rubber stamp vote. It shouldn’t get anybody’s vote like that. They need to understand that this disaster of a process drives families like mine away from and against the school system entirely.

[Anonymous]

I’m pro boundary changes and I don’t understand why it takes them so long to do them. School boundaries should be more dynamic. My elementary school is currently very overcrowded because they opened a new development. But the other two elementary schools which are 1/4 mile and 1 mile away are under enrolled.

What we need is a neutral boundary change process that depends on data and not humans to do it. I’m sick of Gerrymandered boundaries.