Why is Lewis such an undesirable high school?

[Anonymous]

The zone for Lewis are areas surround I-95 south of the mixing bowl interexchange. Lots of high density housing meaning lower income and transient households. It just have challenging student body.

[Anonymous]

There's an old asian proverb "it is better to be the head of the snake than the tail of the dragon." Lewis is a snake school and some students have better outcomes if the measure is choice college acceptance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There's an old asian proverb "it is better to be the head of the snake than the tail of the dragon." Lewis is a snake school and some students have better outcomes if the measure is choice college acceptance.

The problem is that this argument is not accompanied by facts, and people worry that, with a weaker peer group, Lewis students won't progress as much by the time they are seniors as students at other schools. Lewis typically doesn't have any National Merit Semifinalists, average test scores are low, and there's no indication that any sizable number of Lewis students are getting IB diplomas.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My child goes to Lewis. Is in all honors classes, extracurricular sports, etc. Has a similar cohort that hangs together. They are all motivated and college bound. I tell them they can do great things at Lewis and stand out when they apply for college instead of competing with all the other high stress schools in this area. Your child will find their peeps no matter what school they go to... don't let DCUM influence you. Most have no clue about Region 6.

What is the experience for kids who aren't in all honors? We're WSHS. I have a junior who's super motivated, in all APs for core classes, etc. I wouldn't be worried about her should she go to Lewis (and obviously timing-wise, she will graduate from WS, so moot point really).

On the other hand, I have a freshman who very much struggles with motivation and effort. He may only take one AP his whole HS career if he's lucky. We're minorities but only speak English. How would someone like him fare at Lewis?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There's an old asian proverb "it is better to be the head of the snake than the tail of the dragon." Lewis is a snake school and some students have better outcomes if the measure is choice college acceptance.

More accurately, it's better to buy the smallest, cheapest house in an expensive neighborhood than vice versa.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There's an old asian proverb "it is better to be the head of the snake than the tail of the dragon." Lewis is a snake school and some students have better outcomes if the measure is choice college acceptance.

The problem is that this argument is not accompanied by facts, and people worry that, with a weaker peer group, Lewis students won't progress as much by the time they are seniors as students at other schools. Lewis typically doesn't have any National Merit Semifinalists, average test scores are low, and there's no indication that any sizable number of Lewis students are getting IB diplomas.

you are 100% correct. They will be underprepared for college and will not perform as well. But there are certainly instances each year where a Lewis student of a particularly ethnicity is accepted to UVa, for example, while his/her peer with equal and perhaps higher marks at WSHS is not accepted to UVa. So in this case I would argue the Lewis student has a better outcome by being the head of the snake.

[Anonymous]

Very low income
Few extra curricular activities
No parental volunteers
The school is basically a crime scene.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My child goes to Lewis. Is in all honors classes, extracurricular sports, etc. Has a similar cohort that hangs together. They are all motivated and college bound. I tell them they can do great things at Lewis and stand out when they apply for college instead of competing with all the other high stress schools in this area. Your child will find their peeps no matter what school they go to... don't let DCUM influence you. Most have no clue about Region 6.

What is the experience for kids who aren't in all honors? We're WSHS. I have a junior who's super motivated, in all APs for core classes, etc. I wouldn't be worried about her should she go to Lewis (and obviously timing-wise, she will graduate from WS, so moot point really).

On the other hand, I have a freshman who very much struggles with motivation and effort. He may only take one AP his whole HS career if he's lucky. We're minorities but only speak English. How would someone like him fare at Lewis?

He would be fine honestly. Yes Lewis gets poopooed but it’s got good teachers, a great principal, and a good community.

Lewis is not Stuart and even Stuart isn’t the worst ever

Compare the lowest performing fcps school to a dc school and well yea

The issues that you identified in your own child are common in others.

Going to WSHS versus LHS isn’t going to change his own intrinsic motivation.

Just be encouraging and involved but not a helicopter. And encourage him to seek help as soon as he needs it and not see it as a bad thing. Oh hey you didn’t do well or are falling behind. Talk to your teacher and ask what you can do and work with them.

I find schools like Lewis minority majority also tend to have faculty that are aware of the outside perception and bend over backwards to help kids be successful to prove the common belief wrong

[Anonymous]

Why go to Lee when you can go to Edison? Sports, vocational training.

[Anonymous]

Tell me you haven't been to Lewis without telling me you ......

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My child goes to Lewis. Is in all honors classes, extracurricular sports, etc. Has a similar cohort that hangs together. They are all motivated and college bound. I tell them they can do great things at Lewis and stand out when they apply for college instead of competing with all the other high stress schools in this area. Your child will find their peeps no matter what school they go to... don't let DCUM influence you. Most have no clue about Region 6.

What is the experience for kids who aren't in all honors? We're WSHS. I have a junior who's super motivated, in all APs for core classes, etc. I wouldn't be worried about her should she go to Lewis (and obviously timing-wise, she will graduate from WS, so moot point really).

On the other hand, I have a freshman who very much struggles with motivation and effort. He may only take one AP his whole HS career if he's lucky. We're minorities but only speak English. How would someone like him fare at Lewis?

He would be fine honestly. Yes Lewis gets poopooed but it’s got good teachers, a great principal, and a good community.

Lewis is not Stuart and even Stuart isn’t the worst ever

Compare the lowest performing fcps school to a dc school and well yea

The issues that you identified in your own child are common in others.

Going to WSHS versus LHS isn’t going to change his own intrinsic motivation.

Just be encouraging and involved but not a helicopter. And encourage him to seek help as soon as he needs it and not see it as a bad thing. Oh hey you didn’t do well or are falling behind. Talk to your teacher and ask what you can do and work with them.

I find schools like Lewis minority majority also tend to have faculty that are aware of the outside perception and bend over backwards to help kids be successful to prove the common belief wrong

Justice (formerly Stuart) has more low-income Hispanic kids but also a larger cohort of high-performing kids than Lewis. A significantly higher number of Justice kids do the full IB program.

Almost every high school in FCPS in majority minority now. Langley, Madison, and Robinson are probably the only majority white schools left and Langley will likely be majority minority starting next year.

But it’s good to know Lewis has some very dedicated teachers, as does every school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Tell me you haven't been to Lewis without telling me you ......

+1

[Anonymous]

Ok OP- why Keene mill? The school with the highest minority population in the WSHS area and the school that has the middle school feeder plopped right in the middle of its boundary area probably isn’t their first choice.

Lewis is in a bad location and it has a very high low income minority population. It also has IB and teachers with little experience in teaching AP. Many parents flee becuase they don’t want IB. As someone who started college as a sophomore with ap credits, I don’t want IB for my kids either. I want the AP credits/

[Anonymous]

Pull out wealthier students, allow liberal pupil placement, and allow unfettered immigration and Lewis is what you get. FCPS has screwed Lewis and the local community.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My child goes to Lewis. Is in all honors classes, extracurricular sports, etc. Has a similar cohort that hangs together. They are all motivated and college bound. I tell them they can do great things at Lewis and stand out when they apply for college instead of competing with all the other high stress schools in this area. Your child will find their peeps no matter what school they go to... don't let DCUM influence you. Most have no clue about Region 6.

What is the experience for kids who aren't in all honors? We're WSHS. I have a junior who's super motivated, in all APs for core classes, etc. I wouldn't be worried about her should she go to Lewis (and obviously timing-wise, she will graduate from WS, so moot point really).

On the other hand, I have a freshman who very much struggles with motivation and effort. He may only take one AP his whole HS career if he's lucky. We're minorities but only speak English. How would someone like him fare at Lewis?

He would be fine honestly. Yes Lewis gets poopooed but it’s got good teachers, a great principal, and a good community.

Lewis is not Stuart and even Stuart isn’t the worst ever

Compare the lowest performing fcps school to a dc school and well yea

The issues that you identified in your own child are common in others.

Going to WSHS versus LHS isn’t going to change his own intrinsic motivation.

Just be encouraging and involved but not a helicopter. And encourage him to seek help as soon as he needs it and not see it as a bad thing. Oh hey you didn’t do well or are falling behind. Talk to your teacher and ask what you can do and work with them.

I find schools like Lewis minority majority also tend to have faculty that are aware of the outside perception and bend over backwards to help kids be successful to prove the common belief wrong

Justice (formerly Stuart) has more low-income Hispanic kids but also a larger cohort of high-performing kids than Lewis. A significantly higher number of Justice kids do the full IB program.

Almost every high school in FCPS in majority minority now. Langley, Madison, and Robinson are probably the only majority white schools left and Langley will likely be majority minority starting next year.

But it’s good to know Lewis has some very dedicated teachers, as does every school.

Sure there are more senior IB candidates at Justice than Lewis but Lewis is 2nd to Robinson in numbers taking 1 or more AP exams. 2022-23. Lewis is also 3rd in dual enrollment for any school with IB after Robinson and Edison so IB may not be desireable but other stuff is:
Robinson Secondary 428
Lewis High 274
Mount Vernon High 126
Marshall High 30