The Carmel HS Video Vs. FCPS

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Has anyone seen the video of the facilities at Carmel HS that is making the rounds?

https://www.indystar.com/story/news/local/hamilton-county/carmel/2023/02/13/carmel-high-school-students-tiktok-videos-natatorium-stadium-auditorium-studios-auto-shop/69899563007/

I know that what happens inside a building is more important than the building itself but the disparities between the facilities at that school and some of the run-down facilities in FCPS really make me feel guilty for living in a school district like FCPS that spends so much time on abstract discussions about “equity” yet pays so little attention to the condition of its facilities that trailers and cheap modulars are now just taken for granted.

Shame on Fairfax County and shame on FCPS! For a supposedly wealthy county, we don’t even come close to a random suburb of a mid-sized city in the Midwest when it comes to providing for our kids.

Random? It’s one of the wealthiest suburbs in the Midwest.

[Anonymous]

The median income is $109K. In Indiana that's a lot of money.

[Anonymous]

It's been said before, but the student population dwarfs FCPS schools. The more students = the more money.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Have you considered that facilities are a facet of equity? I'm guessing you're at one of the pyramids that are great academically but behind in facilities, like McLean or Chantilly. Maybe you're jealous of Madison, Oakton, and WSHS that have state-of-the-art facilities but are high SES. "Equity" is certainly not the culprit for those schools being renovated. You can blame the Board and former facilities manager Platenberg. So how exactly is equity hurting you? I don't see Lewis and Mt Vernon getting unnecessary brand new labs and classrooms.

My impression is that the School Board spends next to no time discussing the poor condition of many facilities because they (1) prefer to schedule work sessions to talk about equity instead and (2) are happy to have left everything up to people like Platenberg (himself a West Springfield grad) so they can blame him when schools like West Springfield end up with very facilitated and older schools like Lewis are left with crappy facilities.

But, for sure, if your school is in relatively decent shape, maybe you don’t care that schools like Carmel are so nice. Sadly, quite a few schools in FCPS are in crappy shape and/or overcrowded. Or maybe we don’t like to admit we pay so much to live in the DC area but have schools that don’t hold a candle to those in a Midwestern suburb.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Has anyone seen the video of the facilities at Carmel HS that is making the rounds?

https://www.indystar.com/story/news/local/hamilton-county/carmel/2023/02/13/carmel-high-school-students-tiktok-videos-natatorium-stadium-auditorium-studios-auto-shop/69899563007/

I know that what happens inside a building is more important than the building itself but the disparities between the facilities at that school and some of the run-down facilities in FCPS really make me feel guilty for living in a school district like FCPS that spends so much time on abstract discussions about “equity” yet pays so little attention to the condition of its facilities that trailers and cheap modulars are now just taken for granted.

Shame on Fairfax County and shame on FCPS! For a supposedly wealthy county, we don’t even come close to a random suburb of a mid-sized city in the Midwest when it comes to providing for our kids.

Random? It’s one of the wealthiest suburbs in the Midwest.

OK, maybe not totally random but also far from unique in the Midwest.

[Anonymous]

We have been to a lot of different middle and high schools for travel basketball this season, and the condition of most of the schools is kind of depressing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's been said before, but the student population dwarfs FCPS schools. The more students = the more money.

That makes no sense. FCPS has almost 180,000 kids. The district to which Carmel HS belongs has fewer than 20,000.

Someone did point out this school has over 5000 kids, so it’s bigger than even Lake Braddock SS at its peak. And Lake Braddock also has a comparatively nice facility for FCPS, but nothing like Carmel HS.

[Anonymous]

Carmel is similar to Falls Church City in wealth and diversity - go look at the new FCC high school. They have a coffee bar.

[Anonymous]

Saw it on TikTok

[Anonymous]

You are comparing applies to oranges OP. FCPS is much bigger and has much greater diversity of SES.

[Anonymous]

People are angry about high schools with 2 or 3 thousand students in FCPS and now you want to double it to get a second ceramics room?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:People are angry about high schools with 2 or 3 thousand students in FCPS and now you want to double it to get a second ceramics room?

Hah. A school like Carmel has multiple ceramics rooms and FCPS has “art on a cart.”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Has anyone seen the video of the facilities at Carmel HS that is making the rounds?

https://www.indystar.com/story/news/local/hamilton-county/carmel/2023/02/13/carmel-high-school-students-tiktok-videos-natatorium-stadium-auditorium-studios-auto-shop/69899563007/

I know that what happens inside a building is more important than the building itself but the disparities between the facilities at that school and some of the run-down facilities in FCPS really make me feel guilty for living in a school district like FCPS that spends so much time on abstract discussions about “equity” yet pays so little attention to the condition of its facilities that trailers and cheap modulars are now just taken for granted.

Shame on Fairfax County and shame on FCPS! For a supposedly wealthy county, we don’t even come close to a random suburb of a mid-sized city in the Midwest when it comes to providing for our kids.

I can't take your griping seriously when you say things like "abstract discussions about equity." Equity may not be important to you but it is to those who benefit from it. Just because YOU don't understand it, doesn't mean it is "abstract."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Carmel is similar to Falls Church City in wealth and diversity - go look at the new FCC high school. They have a coffee bar.

The new Meridian HS building is very nice.

I wonder whether this will play out over time with Republicans trying to make it easier for areas to split off and self-incorporate and Democrats doubling down on moratoriums on new towns and cities and the idea of “One Fairfax.” Used to like the idea that a larger tax base would lead to greater efficiencies and allow for more consistent services throughout the entire county. Now it feels like one giant sinking ship, led by people who want to hold others hostage until the entire ship is submerged.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Has anyone seen the video of the facilities at Carmel HS that is making the rounds?

https://www.indystar.com/story/news/local/hamilton-county/carmel/2023/02/13/carmel-high-school-students-tiktok-videos-natatorium-stadium-auditorium-studios-auto-shop/69899563007/

I know that what happens inside a building is more important than the building itself but the disparities between the facilities at that school and some of the run-down facilities in FCPS really make me feel guilty for living in a school district like FCPS that spends so much time on abstract discussions about “equity” yet pays so little attention to the condition of its facilities that trailers and cheap modulars are now just taken for granted.

Shame on Fairfax County and shame on FCPS! For a supposedly wealthy county, we don’t even come close to a random suburb of a mid-sized city in the Midwest when it comes to providing for our kids.

I can't take your griping seriously when you say things like "abstract discussions about equity." Equity may not be important to you but it is to those who benefit from it. Just because YOU don't understand it, doesn't mean it is "abstract."

The discussions may be about real issues but they are abstract in the sense that there is far more talk than action, and the intent seems to be to take credit for merely talking about problems rather than solving them.