When your public school is supposed to be one of the best but sucks

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My experience is the opposite. My kids’ public school is supposed to be one of the “worst” in FCPS. It’s consistently ranked at the bottom of the GreatSchools list, but I think it’s excellent. Class sizes are small, the Principal is great, and there isn’t crazy pressure to keep up with the Joneses.

Arent the scores based on standardize test scores?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My experience is the opposite. My kids’ public school is supposed to be one of the “worst” in FCPS. It’s consistently ranked at the bottom of the GreatSchools list, but I think it’s excellent. Class sizes are small, the Principal is great, and there isn’t crazy pressure to keep up with the Joneses.

+1

OP here. This is exactly what I am talking about, I hear this all the time. For all the ("A,B,C) or bust" posts, you can keep it, really. If you want specifics, these kids are supposed to getting ready for college, yet can't even get into the appropriate classes - too crowded. Not to mention, any assistance with college prep (choosing classes and applying to college) is next to zero - again, too crowded. This is just two of many rather significant examples.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My experience is the opposite. My kids’ public school is supposed to be one of the “worst” in FCPS. It’s consistently ranked at the bottom of the GreatSchools list, but I think it’s excellent. Class sizes are small, the Principal is great, and there isn’t crazy pressure to keep up with the Joneses.

I work in one of the “worst” and the people that work there make it awesome. It starts with the principal and assistant principal. I’d send my kid there if I could and he is at one of the higher rated schools. We had one at a lower rated school and it was awful too, so it really does depend on who is running the school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My experience is the opposite. My kids’ public school is supposed to be one of the “worst” in FCPS. It’s consistently ranked at the bottom of the GreatSchools list, but I think it’s excellent. Class sizes are small, the Principal is great, and there isn’t crazy pressure to keep up with the Joneses.

Ha ha. These schools are under crazy pressure to get their kids to pass the SOLs. If that's a non-issue for your kids, there's less pressure, but eventually they realize that peers at other schools are better prepared.

[Anonymous]

Yup. The admin act like they’re doing you a favor when you’ve paid a s*** ton in property taxes. Sorry OP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My experience is the opposite. My kids’ public school is supposed to be one of the “worst” in FCPS. It’s consistently ranked at the bottom of the GreatSchools list, but I think it’s excellent. Class sizes are small, the Principal is great, and there isn’t crazy pressure to keep up with the Joneses.

Arent the scores based on standardize test scores?

Yes. Ratings are based on standardized test scores, however my ES is a Comprehensive Services Site and provides enhanced services for students with disabilities and at-risk students. It’s great that these services are available for kids who need them, although the CSS designation probably means that we have a larger number of high-needs students. Therefore, our standardized test scores and rating are likely lower than they would be otherwise. There are also plenty of students at the school who are scoring very well and being appropriately challenged. I’m very satisfied with my ES.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We have to guess. I'll go first with ASFS.

I'm pretty sure no one ever confused Science Focus with being "the best."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:By best, most people means "full of kids from families with money." Even the "best" schools can be overcrowded since everyone wants their kids to go there.

Yep. We have an influx of kids who dont live in our neighborhood because ours is one of the best.

We even had a parent drop his kid off in a Maserati ... Our neighborhood is affluent but not Maserati level. At least borrow a Lexus for drop off if you want to stay under the radar.

Oh puhleeze, our private had all the expensive cars . . . especially those driven by newly-divorced wealthy dads.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:By best, most people means "full of kids from families with money." Even the "best" schools can be overcrowded since everyone wants their kids to go there.

Yep. We have an influx of kids who dont live in our neighborhood because ours is one of the best.

We even had a parent drop his kid off in a Maserati ... Our neighborhood is affluent but not Maserati level. At least borrow a Lexus for drop off if you want to stay under the radar.

Anyone can lease a car. Those Maseratis aren't that expensive.

There's a dad in the Jamestown district who drives a Lambourghini and another with a Ferrari tho.

[Anonymous]

Great Falls ES???u

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My experience is the opposite. My kids’ public school is supposed to be one of the “worst” in FCPS. It’s consistently ranked at the bottom of the GreatSchools list, but I think it’s excellent. Class sizes are small, the Principal is great, and there isn’t crazy pressure to keep up with the Joneses.

+1

OP here. This is exactly what I am talking about, I hear this all the time. For all the ("A,B,C) or bust" posts, you can keep it, really. If you want specifics, these kids are supposed to getting ready for college, yet can't even get into the appropriate classes - too crowded. Not to mention, any assistance with college prep (choosing classes and applying to college) is next to zero - again, too crowded. This is just two of many rather significant examples.

My kids went to a Title 1 ES in FCPS. Their MS/HS is routinely bashed in this forum. Yet, they've been fabulous. Sure, there are a number of kids who do really poorly/struggle or drop out - my 9th grader had an 11th grader in his Algebra class. But, we've had no problems with getting support from the counselors, no problems getting classes, etc.

[Anonymous]

I went to FCPS for k-8 and DCPS for 9-12. I hated fcps. Even though dcps had less money, less fancy buildings, and just less in general and is always bashed, I thrived there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My experience is the opposite. My kids’ public school is supposed to be one of the “worst” in FCPS. It’s consistently ranked at the bottom of the GreatSchools list, but I think it’s excellent. Class sizes are small, the Principal is great, and there isn’t crazy pressure to keep up with the Joneses.

+1

OP here. This is exactly what I am talking about, I hear this all the time. For all the ("A,B,C) or bust" posts, you can keep it, really. If you want specifics, these kids are supposed to getting ready for college, yet can't even get into the appropriate classes - too crowded. Not to mention, any assistance with college prep (choosing classes and applying to college) is next to zero - again, too crowded. This is just two of many rather significant examples.

My kids went to a Title 1 ES in FCPS. Their MS/HS is routinely bashed in this forum. Yet, they've been fabulous. Sure, there are a number of kids who do really poorly/struggle or drop out - my 9th grader had an 11th grader in his Algebra class. But, we've had no problems with getting support from the counselors, no problems getting classes, etc.

Many families do not think a high number of kids taking Algebra in 9th and others taking Algebra in 11th are the marks of a good high school.

[Anonymous]

OP's complaint seems to relate to over-crowding. That's a problem almost everywhere in FCPS.
What's your proposed solution to that OP.
(No dog in this fight; we went private).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP's complaint seems to relate to over-crowding. That's a problem almost everywhere in FCPS.
What's your proposed solution to that OP.
(No dog in this fight; we went private).

I think there would be less overcrowding if fcps would allow military families to register with official orders instead of waiting until the families move into their houses.

We are in an area with lots of military families, and the schools always get slammed with students in mid to late August. They get a bunch of kids in mid July with the early PCSes, enough for them to get tentative staffing.

They can't really predict how many and which grades of kids are going to register at the last minute, and which grades are going to get tipped over the maximum student count. Sometimes they have to add several teachers. Other times this causes huge classes.

It looks like disorganization, but really fcps policy on when you can register is the reason for this problem.