Underwhelmed by FCPS

[Anonymous]

We are in the Langley pyramid and have been pleasantly surprised by our experience. None of my kids are in AAP, but they do take AAP classes they qualify for (like AAP reading and accelerated math).

Our class sized have been under 25, homework has been manageable, and everything gets graded.

Aside from the academic work, I've been very happy with how the school prepare the kids for middle and high school: initiative, self-advocacy, writing, etc.

I have no complaints (yet!)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are in the Langley pyramid and have been pleasantly surprised by our experience. None of my kids are in AAP, but they do take AAP classes they qualify for (like AAP reading and accelerated math).

Our class sized have been under 25, homework has been manageable, and everything gets graded.

Aside from the academic work, I've been very happy with how the school prepare the kids for middle and high school: initiative, self-advocacy, writing, etc.

I have no complaints (yet!)

How is it that Langley pyramid always manages lately to have fewer class size problems? This has been going on for many years while other school areas seem to struggle.

[Anonymous]

Like a couple of other PPs, I also grew up here and attended FCPS. At the time, they really were wonderful schools. There was a huge emphasis on writing, which has paid dividends throughout my life. We also moved back here so our kids could have the same experience. Sadly, the "world-class" schools FCPS loves to brag about are no more. They've been coasting on their reputation for far too long, with little to back it up.

My 7th grader is in Honors English. Her assignments so far include making a group video talking about a "classroom of the future" (?) and a book project which consisted of presenting the book she read as a movie poster (?). No writing, just some pretty pictures. In fact, there has been no writing instruction at all this year, and next to none in elementary school. To say we are disappointed is an understatement. If we could afford it, we would absolutely go private.

[Anonymous]

We're in the Robinson pyramid and haven't experienced this. However, it doesn't surprise me that people are starting to see the school system slip. They're underfunded. Teachers have been trying to tell everyone for years...if we don't pay them more, they will leave. Well, guess what...they left. Not only are the good ones retiring or leaving for other counties or other jobs altogether, but the number of teachers entering the workforce is rapidly declining. This means the best of the best are few and far between now and they're going elsewhere to get paid more.

[Anonymous]

We have had very good experiences in the McLean pyramid. A few teachers have been duds, but most have been very good. We did feel like the amount of writing and the attention to writing quality increased a good bit in high school.

[Anonymous]

Too many "mom" teaching who want the hours and time off. Not enough true educators. I'm so completely appalled by the low quality of FCPS. So disappointed.

[Anonymous]

We are in the Springfield area, my son is in AAP. I get emails from his teacher, complaining that my son has not turned in this and that..and she would even tell me she would even pull some of her students during lunch time just to complete the task at hand. Having her said that, I was thinking that she was over-loading her students with a lot of task to do at school then. So being in AAP is not all that good I think if you get a teacher who overworks you. Sometimes I do regret sending him to full time AAP because he sometimes just falls asleep after getting off from the bus. Just pray you go to a teacher that is good and at the same time does not treat you as such.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I grew up in FCPS, so naturally, I bought a house here so I could send my kids to "the best schools in the country." Some years were ok, one was good, but most were awful. Even in the AAP program, at a highly regarded AAP center, content and expectations are weak, and instruction is mediocre at best. We switched our younger son to private after 4th, but our older son insisted on staying with friends for high school. In high school, it only gets worse. His English teacher literally said that only the outgoing kids are going to get As in her class. His math teacher is always marking questions wrong that are right and admitted that she lets her 7th grader grade the tests because she doesn't have time, the Latin teacher literally changes how he grades on a monthly basis...I could go on. I would say he has one teacher this year who is both qualified and actually enjoys teaching.

I have no idea who decided that these are great schools, but I can't wait until we are done with this nonsense. My son at a private school is learning so much more, from teachers who are truly invested.

You just posted the exact same thing on Fairfaxunderground. You can't stir up enough discussion on one message board?

[Anonymous]

We are in the West Springfield pyramid and so far the teachers have been exceptional, with the exception of one middle school electives teachers, an two different elementary specials teachers.

We have had kids in kindergarten through high school, at 2 different elementary schools (base and center).

[Anonymous]

We are at the end of our time with FCPS. So, I have the long view.

We are in one of the top 5 DCUM HS and one of the ES that gets mentioned quite a bit as "highly regarded". Our eldest is a sophomore in college and we found that he was extremely well prepared for his college (He was not in AAP, but was in the advanced math classes in ES, ending with AP BC Calc his senior year). Talking to other parents in his class over break this year- we are not alone in feeling this way. He is at a top ten engineering school and has made the dean's list every semester so far and has a GPA higher than his HS GPA (which was weighted). He was not at the top of his class - around 80th percentile (we know because he just missed the cutoff for an award at graduation). Our second child is a senior in HS and doing better than the first.

The foundation they received in ES, served them well in MS. The foundation they received in MS served them well in HS. The foundation they received in HS is serving them well in college.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I grew up in FCPS, so naturally, I bought a house here so I could send my kids to "the best schools in the country." Some years were ok, one was good, but most were awful. Even in the AAP program, at a highly regarded AAP center, content and expectations are weak, and instruction is mediocre at best. We switched our younger son to private after 4th, but our older son insisted on staying with friends for high school. In high school, it only gets worse. His English teacher literally said that only the outgoing kids are going to get As in her class. His math teacher is always marking questions wrong that are right and admitted that she lets her 7th grader grade the tests because she doesn't have time, the Latin teacher literally changes how he grades on a monthly basis...I could go on. I would say he has one teacher this year who is both qualified and actually enjoys teaching.

I have no idea who decided that these are great schools, but I can't wait until we are done with this nonsense. My son at a private school is learning so much more, from teachers who are truly invested.

You just posted the exact same thing on Fairfaxunderground. You can't stir up enough discussion on one message board?

Ha ha! I noticed that too. Clearly a troll post.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Like a couple of other PPs, I also grew up here and attended FCPS. At the time, they really were wonderful schools. There was a huge emphasis on writing, which has paid dividends throughout my life. We also moved back here so our kids could have the same experience. Sadly, the "world-class" schools FCPS loves to brag about are no more. They've been coasting on their reputation for far too long, with little to back it up.

My 7th grader is in Honors English. Her assignments so far include making a group video talking about a "classroom of the future" (?) and a book project which consisted of presenting the book she read as a movie poster (?). No writing, just some pretty pictures. In fact, there has been no writing instruction at all this year, and next to none in elementary school. To say we are disappointed is an understatement. If we could afford it, we would absolutely go private.

I'm not sure the reason for this is coasting. I think this is in part due to the whole project based learning emphasis and the backlash against homework and standardized testing. Also class size issues make it difficult to complete writing assignments well. When people advocate for changes and additions to the school day, I wish they'd take into consideration what that change or addition will replace and how each year builds on the previous toward an end goal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Too many "mom" teaching who want the hours and time off. Not enough true educators. I'm so completely appalled by the low quality of FCPS. So disappointed.

Agree. Can't stand the moms volunteering in the hallways and nosing around my kids reading levels instead of teaching values to their own kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Too many "mom" teaching who want the hours and time off. Not enough true educators. I'm so completely appalled by the low quality of FCPS. So disappointed.

Agree. Can't stand the moms volunteering in the hallways and nosing around my kids reading levels instead of teaching values to their own kids.

Well as a parent with a kid in a large class size, I could care less about this issue. I welcome the help. There are worse issues being discussed among mom cliques than reading levels.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Too many "mom" teaching who want the hours and time off. Not enough true educators. I'm so completely appalled by the low quality of FCPS. So disappointed.

Agree. Can't stand the moms volunteering in the hallways and nosing around my kids reading levels instead of teaching values to their own kids.

I think the PP was implying that the majority of teachers are people who chose teaching purely for time off, vs. wanting to teach--which I completely disagree with based on my experience.