Trump's new educational secretary nominee, Betsy DeVos, have a reaching affect on VA Public Schools?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would not put all the new roads, parks, libraries, schools in one area. I would make sure there was investment throughout the entire county and help improve areas that are declining.

Regarding Arlington (I assume we are talking about Arlington?), the issue is not new roads, parks, libraries, or schools. The county is affluent and the infrastructure improvements are not concentrated -- the issue is housing/zoning. This is also true in Fairfax, btw.

In a generation or two, these issues can be addressed by planning at the city or county level. By then, the issues may be totally different anyway, as neighborhoods change.

Yeah... that infrastructure on Columbia Pike turned out great. I just love taking the street car...oh wait...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is what happens when you concentrate poverty. I hope south Arlington parents do fight for charters. I'll be right there with them. My kid is just as deserving as a kid at Jamestown. A day of reckoning is at hand.

I don't really understand the issues in Arlington, so am asking for clarification because to me Arlington represents a very successful county that has integrated schools all under one supervisory administration with a lot of variation and lottery placement without the use of Charters. It's one I look up to as a successfully run county school system. It's also a very wealthy county with a well reputed school system overall. Living in Fairfax, I'd take any school in Arlington over Fairfax's lowest performing schools any day.

The concentration of poverty is primarily a zoning/land use issue that people often don't realize affects school so they take their fight to the school level when really they should be taking their fight to land use. Charters can provide some redistribution of wealth in schools, but to make it better for all parts of living, land use is the better mechanism. Any over concentration of apartments especially those that are built at the same time will in time result in a concentration of poverty as those properties deteriorate. So if there are natural pockets of poverty, it is likely that it was created by land use decisions that kept some northern single family areas devoid of apartments and concentrated apartments in the southern area of Arlington. Lax laws and enforcement of overcrowding in housing especially when an area is inviting to illegal immigrants furthers this unevenness.

What I see in Arlington at the school level is a great effort to provide variety in school choice through lottery process. All schools in Arlington seem to have at least four choices to attend. At least 8 schools out of 20 just at the elementary level seem to be lottery schools. These include immersion, traditional, science focus, Montessori and then even with the other schools there are focusses on year round calendars, arts, and sciences. At the middle and high school level there are also lotteries and the option of applying to Thomas Jefferson which is a top rated school in the nation. Practically all of Arlington's schools have received awards and the budget per pupil is the envy of all the surrounding school systems.

If Arlington can't make their school system work without charters, I'm not sure there is any hope for the rest of the country. Do you really want money to be siphoned off for private schools or do you just want less concentration of poverty in the county?

Very good post, PP. You are right. It's all about land use.
As far as the choices- APS was designed this way, yes, but with the very significant overcrowding there are very few, if any, choices left, because all schools are so full. Of course, this is again a land use, county issue. And bad housing policy.
Arlington wants to evermore increase density in parts of central and south Arlington, and totally disregards the effects on the schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I can't imagine her appointment having a huge impact on VA schools. For one, we don't have any charter schools in VA. Secondly, most FCPS schools are functioning so there's no reason for vouchers. I think most educational efforts are focused on reforming Title 1 and innercity schools. VA has been left pretty much unscathed by this wave of education reform and NCLB that's been going on for over a decade.

You obviously don't work in a school. I started working in an FCPS elementary school a few years before NCLB and the current reform wave began. The scathing has been extreme. I eventually quite because of it. What we are doing in FCPS today is not good for kids, and it is all a direct result of school reform. Perhaps some schools were less affected, but I've been in quite a few so far and they were all completely transformed in a very negative way.

[Anonymous]

In the interview, an audio recording, which was obtained by POLITICO, the [DeVos] couple is candid about how their Christian faith drives their efforts to reform American education.

School choice, they say, leads to “greater Kingdom gain.” The two also lament that public schools have “displaced” the Church as the center of communities, and they cite school choice as a way to reverse that troubling trend.


http://www.politico.com/story/2016/12/betsy-devos-education-trump-religion-232150

[Anonymous]

These people don't understand the separation of church and state. They aren't looking for better schools. They are looking for grouo Bible classes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:These people don't understand the separation of church and state. They aren't looking for better schools. They are looking for grouo Bible classes.

Are religious schools exempt from paying taxes? I know that churches aren't taxed. What a racket.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:These people don't understand the separation of church and state. They aren't looking for better schools. They are looking for grouo Bible classes.

Are religious schools exempt from paying taxes? I know that churches aren't taxed. What a racket.

Yes, many are. But furthermore, why do we want taxpayer dollars going to these schools? Isn't it enough that many are tax exempt and that we give freedom for children to go there? Is it fair for tax dollars to go to schools that promote a religion that others don't participate in? Why should any tax dollars go towards promoting religion?

[Anonymous]

Yes, many are. But furthermore, why do we want taxpayer dollars going to these schools? Isn't it enough that many are tax exempt and that we give freedom for children to go there? Is it fair for tax dollars to go to schools that promote a religion that others don't participate in? Why should any tax dollars go towards promoting religion?

I am a strong public schools supporter. DH and I are both products of public schools as are our college graduate children--public all the way. DH's grad school was prestigious private.

However, if people live where there is a failing public school and want to send their kids to a private--why not let them use the money that would be spent sending them to public? And, just because you find churches offensive, what is wrong with free choice?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Yes, many are. But furthermore, why do we want taxpayer dollars going to these schools? Isn't it enough that many are tax exempt and that we give freedom for children to go there? Is it fair for tax dollars to go to schools that promote a religion that others don't participate in? Why should any tax dollars go towards promoting religion?

I am a strong public schools supporter. DH and I are both products of public schools as are our college graduate children--public all the way. DH's grad school was prestigious private.

However, if people live where there is a failing public school and want to send their kids to a private--why not let them use the money that would be spent sending them to public? And, just because you find churches offensive, what is wrong with free choice?

If you support charters or vouchers, you are not a strong public schools supporter. Those both allow money to be funneled to schools that can cherry-pick the easiest-to-educate students without requiring the same level of inclusion public schools have.

A lot of "failing schools" are actually just locations where the failure of the social safety net is easily observable. Jesus and multilevel marketing won't help.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Yes, many are. But furthermore, why do we want taxpayer dollars going to these schools? Isn't it enough that many are tax exempt and that we give freedom for children to go there? Is it fair for tax dollars to go to schools that promote a religion that others don't participate in? Why should any tax dollars go towards promoting religion?

I am a strong public schools supporter. DH and I are both products of public schools as are our college graduate children--public all the way. DH's grad school was prestigious private.

However, if people live where there is a failing public school and want to send their kids to a private--why not let them use the money that would be spent sending them to public? And, just because you find churches offensive, what is wrong with free choice?

If you support charters or vouchers, you are not a strong public schools supporter. Those both allow money to be funneled to schools that can cherry-pick the easiest-to-educate students without requiring the same level of inclusion public schools have.

A lot of "failing schools" are actually just locations where the failure of the social safety net is easily observable. Jesus and multilevel marketing won't help.

Yes so let's keep spending money on the failing school (???? wtf????? smh?????) instead of giving people in the neighborhood an option to attend a better performing school

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Yes, many are. But furthermore, why do we want taxpayer dollars going to these schools? Isn't it enough that many are tax exempt and that we give freedom for children to go there? Is it fair for tax dollars to go to schools that promote a religion that others don't participate in? Why should any tax dollars go towards promoting religion?

I am a strong public schools supporter. DH and I are both products of public schools as are our college graduate children--public all the way. DH's grad school was prestigious private.

However, if people live where there is a failing public school and want to send their kids to a private--why not let them use the money that would be spent sending them to public? And, just because you find churches offensive, what is wrong with free choice?

Because not all the kids who live there will get vouchers, and the kids left behind will be stuck in a school with even fewer resources. You know this. Fix the failing school. Don't hobble it even further.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Yes, many are. But furthermore, why do we want taxpayer dollars going to these schools? Isn't it enough that many are tax exempt and that we give freedom for children to go there? Is it fair for tax dollars to go to schools that promote a religion that others don't participate in? Why should any tax dollars go towards promoting religion?

I am a strong public schools supporter. DH and I are both products of public schools as are our college graduate children--public all the way. DH's grad school was prestigious private.

However, if people live where there is a failing public school and want to send their kids to a private--why not let them use the money that would be spent sending them to public? And, just because you find churches offensive, what is wrong with free choice?

If you support charters or vouchers, you are not a strong public schools supporter. Those both allow money to be funneled to schools that can cherry-pick the easiest-to-educate students without requiring the same level of inclusion public schools have.

A lot of "failing schools" are actually just locations where the failure of the social safety net is easily observable. Jesus and multilevel marketing won't help.

Yes so let's keep spending money on the failing school (???? wtf????? smh?????) instead of giving people in the neighborhood an option to attend a better performing school

How about this instead: allow kids in "failing" schools to transfer into the elite public schools nearby. Since this is the VA Schools forum, I would guess most of us are in Fairfax, Arlington, or Loudoun. If you are a student in a "failing" school who would qualify for a voucher, instead, you should be allowed to transfer into a school within your jurisdiction that is not failing. And transportation is provided.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Yes, many are. But furthermore, why do we want taxpayer dollars going to these schools? Isn't it enough that many are tax exempt and that we give freedom for children to go there? Is it fair for tax dollars to go to schools that promote a religion that others don't participate in? Why should any tax dollars go towards promoting religion?

I am a strong public schools supporter. DH and I are both products of public schools as are our college graduate children--public all the way. DH's grad school was prestigious private.

However, if people live where there is a failing public school and want to send their kids to a private--why not let them use the money that would be spent sending them to public? And, just because you find churches offensive, what is wrong with free choice?

If you support charters or vouchers, you are not a strong public schools supporter. Those both allow money to be funneled to schools that can cherry-pick the easiest-to-educate students without requiring the same level of inclusion public schools have.

A lot of "failing schools" are actually just locations where the failure of the social safety net is easily observable. Jesus and multilevel marketing won't help.

Yes so let's keep spending money on the failing school (???? wtf????? smh?????) instead of giving people in the neighborhood an option to attend a better performing school

How about this instead: allow kids in "failing" schools to transfer into the elite public schools nearby. Since this is the VA Schools forum, I would guess most of us are in Fairfax, Arlington, or Loudoun. If you are a student in a "failing" school who would qualify for a voucher, instead, you should be allowed to transfer into a school within your jurisdiction that is not failing. And transportation is provided.

Exactly. Many of the public schools in Fairfax are excellent. Why would they need vouchers for other schools outside FCPS or outside public school? Isn't that the way it's already being done through NCLB?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Yes, many are. But furthermore, why do we want taxpayer dollars going to these schools? Isn't it enough that many are tax exempt and that we give freedom for children to go there? Is it fair for tax dollars to go to schools that promote a religion that others don't participate in? Why should any tax dollars go towards promoting religion?

I am a strong public schools supporter. DH and I are both products of public schools as are our college graduate children--public all the way. DH's grad school was prestigious private.

However, if people live where there is a failing public school and want to send their kids to a private--why not let them use the money that would be spent sending them to public? And, just because you find churches offensive, what is wrong with free choice?

If you support charters or vouchers, you are not a strong public schools supporter. Those both allow money to be funneled to schools that can cherry-pick the easiest-to-educate students without requiring the same level of inclusion public schools have.

A lot of "failing schools" are actually just locations where the failure of the social safety net is easily observable. Jesus and multilevel marketing won't help.

Yes so let's keep spending money on the failing school (???? wtf????? smh?????) instead of giving people in the neighborhood an option to attend a better performing school

How about this instead: allow kids in "failing" schools to transfer into the elite public schools nearby. Since this is the VA Schools forum, I would guess most of us are in Fairfax, Arlington, or Loudoun. If you are a student in a "failing" school who would qualify for a voucher, instead, you should be allowed to transfer into a school within your jurisdiction that is not failing. And transportation is provided.

Exactly. Many of the public schools in Fairfax are excellent. Why would they need vouchers for other schools outside FCPS or outside public school? Isn't that the way it's already being done through NCLB?

LOL. Ok starting tomorrow everyone in South Arlington can go to any school in North Arlington they want, Anyone living along the Route 1 corridor can pick a school in McLean.

Seriously, I actually agree with you in spirit. Can you imagine what the people living in North Arlington/McLean would say or do if this stuff started happening.

I'll give you a hint complain, lobby to end it, move or go private and taking their valuable tax dollars which fund the bulk of local school funding with them

[Anonymous]

And people at Potomac School, Flint Hill, St. Luke's etc. wouldn't? If a school is failing now per state requirements for a couple of years, don't the kids have the option to attend a different school? Isn't that current policy?