FCPS has been such a disappointments - not sure what to do

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We moved to NoVa from DC because we thought FCPS would be a great school system. If we knew how horrible it was going to be we would have stayed in DC and sent our kids to private. Now we bought out in NoVa and are still going to have to send our kids to private. I cannot believe how disappointed I am in this school system. In the next 2 weeks they have like 5 total days of school! I don’t think my kids are learning anything this year other than how to change the background on their computer screen!

Nobody is getting the same education they would have - pre covid-right now. I would suggest you move. Its a seller's market in FCPS- you will probably make money- and you can move to where you want and then send them to private. If its because they have too many days off - during January- that's a stupid reason to make the move- but... its a reason for you. If you don't know what your kids are learning- I would spend some time and figure that out.

[Anonymous]

Education continues being reinvented and made more ineffective over time. Then, you’re told it’s not the 80s any more and you don’t understand. True, and neither do the kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s not just FCPS. It’s any diverse school system. We can’t afford private so we supplement.

+ Go read the MCPS forum. It’s the same.

Yes, read all of schools forums, no one is happy with publics in this area. FCPS sounds better than MCPS or DCPS (Of course, all of the complainers post here more than people who are happy).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We need an education overhaul across the whole country. I’m ready to start from scratch. So many things wrong. And I would agree that they aren’t handling diversity well at all. Why is there not a separate system for getting esol kids up to speed in English? They’re just failing those students by keeping them in mainstream when they don’t understand.

I subbed in a high school that has a large esol population. Some of these kids are coming in so poorly prepared that they have dedicated classes for them in other subjects (e.g. math) that take two periods to teach a year's worth of material. One problem is that when the population gets large enough and they don't speak English, they all hang out with peers who speak their native language and all end up in the same classes with those peers, so they learn very little English no matter what you do.

I also subbed in a MS and during one of the teacher's planning periods, another teacher brought a student in for a one on one in the empty classroom. She sat with the kid and they spent the period reviewing the alphabet (I kid you not).

That said, there are some esol kids who come in very well prepared (sometimes far better prepared than American peers the same age) in subjects other than English. And when they do they also have a much better attitude, better work ethic and more respect for learning and teachers than their American peers as well. Those kids are fine in a mainstream environment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s not just FCPS. It’s any diverse school system. We can’t afford private so we supplement.

+ Go read the MCPS forum. It’s the same.

Yes, read all of schools forums, no one is happy with publics in this area. FCPS sounds better than MCPS or DCPS (Of course, all of the complainers post here more than people who are happy).

I’m happy with the publics in this area because I grew up going to ACTUALLY bad schools and know these aren’t even close.

[Anonymous]

Go spend some time on the DCUM private school forum so you can be prepared for when you spend money to educate your kids and get to complain about how you're not getting your money's worth. No one is happy. Everyone needs something to complain about.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s not just FCPS. It’s any diverse school system. We can’t afford private so we supplement.

+ Go read the MCPS forum. It’s the same.

Yes, read all of schools forums, no one is happy with publics in this area. FCPS sounds better than MCPS or DCPS (Of course, all of the complainers post here more than people who are happy).

I’m happy with the publics in this area because I grew up going to ACTUALLY bad schools and know these aren’t even close.

+1

[Anonymous]

FCPS is a weird simulacrum of its former self.

[Anonymous]

OP, I’m paying to send one child to private school (the other is in FCPS) and they also have had numerous days off this month, with wonky schedules continuing for the next few weeks. January and February are always a mess of holidays and end of quarter work days and snow days and...

If you aren’t happy, then likely nothing anyone types will change that. But I assure you the schedules are crazy everywhere, covid learning is rough anywhere, and FCPS is actually pretty darn good compared to a LOT of schools. As a military family we have lived a lot of places, and FCPS has a lot going for it that other places lack.

I’d also think about they cost of private. We found a “cheap” one at $20k, but that money could be spent on so many enrichment classes, family vacations, and things that would enhance my children’s education outside the classroom. Once FCPS is back in person, we are pulling from private because the education isn’t that much better and the financial opportunity cost is large.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We need an education overhaul across the whole country. I’m ready to start from scratch. So many things wrong. And I would agree that they aren’t handling diversity well at all. Why is there not a separate system for getting esol kids up to speed in English? They’re just failing those students by keeping them in mainstream when they don’t understand.

I subbed in a high school that has a large esol population. Some of these kids are coming in so poorly prepared that they have dedicated classes for them in other subjects (e.g. math) that take two periods to teach a year's worth of material. One problem is that when the population gets large enough and they don't speak English, they all hang out with peers who speak their native language and all end up in the same classes with those peers, so they learn very little English no matter what you do.

I also subbed in a MS and during one of the teacher's planning periods, another teacher brought a student in for a one on one in the empty classroom. She sat with the kid and they spent the period reviewing the alphabet (I kid you not).

That said, there are some esol kids who come in very well prepared (sometimes far better prepared than American peers the same age) in subjects other than English. And when they do they also have a much better attitude, better work ethic and more respect for learning and teachers than their American peers as well. Those kids are fine in a mainstream environment.

Similar experience as a substitute.

Also, it’s shameful and infuriating that FCPS has HS students (to include 18 year old freshmen) who can’t speak ANY English and instead demand translation services. I’m talking about a student who is unable to understand a request to state his/her name. My observations are that this is typical of Spanish speaking students. Not so Urdu, Farsi, Arabic.

And spot on observation about how the ESOL students (Spanish) all hang together. So much for inclusion and equity.

[Anonymous]

Substitutes pretending they have any idea how any of this works because they babysit kids sometimes kill me.

[Anonymous]

I was an ESL student in MCPS in the 90s and learn English . The Spanish speaking students didn’t because they would just hang out with each other. It hasn’t changed at all. I wish fellow Latinos would see how it holds them back.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I despise FCPS January schedule, there are far too many days off. At least this year we are less likely to deal with snow and cold days.

January calendar is a mess every year. on the plus side there aren't any snow days. I remember last year there was so much complaining on Facebook about January. They were multiple snow days and the kids were in school for like 8 days the whole month.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Substitutes pretending they have any idea how any of this works because they babysit kids sometimes kill me.

LOL, Yep.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Substitutes pretending they have any idea how any of this works because they babysit kids sometimes kill me.

You are woefully ignorant; I’ve been a LT substitute for over 10 years. I know what I’m talking about and I’m more than a babysitter.