Why is the McLean high pyramid over crowded with crappy buildings and teachers but pays high tax

[Anonymous]

The area near Mclean HS is very dense with families. The closest ES is the most overcrowded in the county. There needs to be a HS in that area or you’d be bussing kids all over (also lots of traffic).

I have and have had kids at Mclean HS. The physical plant is a dump but it’s a great school. At some point, the deterioration is going to really reach an inflection point. It doesn’t impact my kids much on a day to day basis but they notice when they go to other schools for events that they are all much nicer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why is it that the one of the most highly taxed school pyramids has such a dumpy middle and high school building. not to mention overcrowded elementary schools?

Should this be the priority over all else? I mean cooper and langley are / have gotten major renovations and expansions ?

Mclean high looks like a 3rd work slum school

OP has asked a simple question: “why?”

Eleven pages of discussion in response to OP's question, and virtually no one will answer the question, "why?"

The McLean pyramid has crappy buildings because the FCPS school board is dominated by extreme-progressives who look down on the McLean pyramid as benefitting from "white privilege" or "Asian privilege." Therefore, they consciously deprive McLean of resources and keep pushing it down the renovation queue, since they believe over-privileged Mclean does not deserve to be renovated.

The county superintendent is in ideological lock-step with the school board's extreme progressive view.

And everyone at Gatehouse views McLean the same way: rich and privileged Asian and white McLean does not deserve any resources, nor the renovation it desperately needs.

This is what the SB, Reid, and Gatehouse mean when they repeatedly say: “we put equity first and above all else.” Their interpretation of equity means McLean comes last in all things they control.

Now you know “why.”

You are voting against your own interests if you live in the McLean pyramid and vote for a democrat for school board this November.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The area near Mclean HS is very dense with families. The closest ES is the most overcrowded in the county. There needs to be a HS in that area or you’d be bussing kids all over (also lots of traffic).

I have and have had kids at Mclean HS. The physical plant is a dump but it’s a great school. At some point, the deterioration is going to really reach an inflection point. It doesn’t impact my kids much on a day to day basis but they notice when they go to other schools for events that they are all much nicer.

Is the school kept clean? That goes a long way in an old school.

I was a teacher. I taught in a very old school. The teachers were great and dedicated. That is what counts.

If the school is not clean, that falls on administration.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The area near Mclean HS is very dense with families. The closest ES is the most overcrowded in the county. There needs to be a HS in that area or you’d be bussing kids all over (also lots of traffic).

I have and have had kids at Mclean HS. The physical plant is a dump but it’s a great school. At some point, the deterioration is going to really reach an inflection point. It doesn’t impact my kids much on a day to day basis but they notice when they go to other schools for events that they are all much nicer.

Is the school kept clean? That goes a long way in an old school.

I was a teacher. I taught in a very old school. The teachers were great and dedicated. That is what counts.

If the school is not clean, that falls on administration.

There is no better administrative and custodial staff in the county. They still need to invest more in the physical plant to accommodate the number of kids there.

[Anonymous]

20% of Langley kids are actually closer to Herndon high. Send those kids to Herndon and send kids on the western side of McLean and those off of Dolly Madison to Langley.

Move all Herndon kids (even “Oak Hill” and “Franklin Farms” which are actually Herndon addresses) to Herndon and move all the Reston kids that go to Herndon to South Lakes.

Problem solved.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:20% of Langley kids are actually closer to Herndon high. Send those kids to Herndon and send kids on the western side of McLean and those off of Dolly Madison to Langley.

Move all Herndon kids (even “Oak Hill” and “Franklin Farms” which are actually Herndon addresses) to Herndon and move all the Reston kids that go to Herndon to South Lakes.

Problem solved.

I’m not sure what problem you think you’re trying to solve there.

Kids in western McLean and off the north side of Dolley Madison already go to Langley.

You would apparently move kids from Langley, Oakton, and Chantilly to Herndon and move two Herndon feeders to South Lakes. South Lakes would have well over 3000 kids.

If you were actually talking about McLean, the solution might be:

Build an addition.

Rezone the area south of Lewinsville between Route 7 and 123 from Langley to McLean and the Spring Gate apartments from Marshall to McLean.

Reassign the Timber Lane area from McLean to Falls Church.

Result: adds capacity and results in contiguous boundaries w/no attendance island(s).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:20% of Langley kids are actually closer to Herndon high. Send those kids to Herndon and send kids on the western side of McLean and those off of Dolly Madison to Langley.

Move all Herndon kids (even “Oak Hill” and “Franklin Farms” which are actually Herndon addresses) to Herndon and move all the Reston kids that go to Herndon to South Lakes.

Problem solved.

I see Herndon mom is back who thinks that zip codes denote neighborhoods.

So, she wants everyone with a Herndon address to go to Herndon High--good grief, I bet that would put Herndon at 4000 students. This would take kids from Oakton, Westfield, South Lakes, and Chantilly. Not counting those who already go to Herndon--I guess they'd take out the ones with the Reston zip. So, she wants the following elementary schools to attend Herndon in addition to those who have a Herndon address: McNair, Floris, Fox Mill, Coates, most of Crossfield, most of Navy, and Oak Hill. Not only that, while she thinks "Oak Hill" addresses should go to Herndon since it is considered a "Herndon" zip, she also wants Great Falls kids. Maybe, Herndon would hit 4500 students with any luck.

No matter that most of the Oak Hill kids live much closer to their current high schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The area near Mclean HS is very dense with families. The closest ES is the most overcrowded in the county. There needs to be a HS in that area or you’d be bussing kids all over (also lots of traffic).

I have and have had kids at Mclean HS. The physical plant is a dump but it’s a great school. At some point, the deterioration is going to really reach an inflection point. It doesn’t impact my kids much on a day to day basis but they notice when they go to other schools for events that they are all much nicer.

+1000. That is all that ever needs to be said on this subject.

Great school, great location, and a building overdue for an addition and renovation.

[Anonymous]

When my kid started daycare I thought new facility meant it was in some way better than the daycare at a 20 year old facility. I learned very quickly that it’s the opposite. Let’s start a go fund me for a renovation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why is it that the one of the most highly taxed school pyramids has such a dumpy middle and high school building. not to mention overcrowded elementary schools?

Should this be the priority over all else? I mean cooper and langley are / have gotten major renovations and expansions ?

Mclean high looks like a 3rd work slum school

OP has asked a simple question: “why?”

Eleven pages of discussion in response to OP's question, and virtually no one will answer the question, "why?"

The McLean pyramid has crappy buildings because the FCPS school board is dominated by extreme-progressives who look down on the McLean pyramid as benefitting from "white privilege" or "Asian privilege." Therefore, they consciously deprive McLean of resources and keep pushing it down the renovation queue, since they believe over-privileged Mclean does not deserve to be renovated.

The county superintendent is in ideological lock-step with the school board's extreme progressive view.

And everyone at Gatehouse views McLean the same way: rich and privileged Asian and white McLean does not deserve any resources, nor the renovation it desperately needs.

This is what the SB, Reid, and Gatehouse mean when they repeatedly say: “we put equity first and above all else.” Their interpretation of equity means McLean comes last in all things they control.

Now you know “why.”

You are voting against your own interests if you live in the McLean pyramid and vote for a democrat for school board this November.

You keep repeating this about an attack on privileged McLean, but the examples of beautifully renovated and expanded Langley, West Springfield, Oakton, and Madison facilities completely refute your argument. There is obviously no attack on privileged White/Asian families when 40% of the top 10 wealthiest and best pyramids of FCPS have been given extravagant and cutting-edge facilities. Please.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why is it that the one of the most highly taxed school pyramids has such a dumpy middle and high school building. not to mention overcrowded elementary schools?

Should this be the priority over all else? I mean cooper and langley are / have gotten major renovations and expansions ?

Mclean high looks like a 3rd work slum school

OP has asked a simple question: “why?”

Eleven pages of discussion in response to OP's question, and virtually no one will answer the question, "why?"

The McLean pyramid has crappy buildings because the FCPS school board is dominated by extreme-progressives who look down on the McLean pyramid as benefitting from "white privilege" or "Asian privilege." Therefore, they consciously deprive McLean of resources and keep pushing it down the renovation queue, since they believe over-privileged Mclean does not deserve to be renovated.

The county superintendent is in ideological lock-step with the school board's extreme progressive view.

And everyone at Gatehouse views McLean the same way: rich and privileged Asian and white McLean does not deserve any resources, nor the renovation it desperately needs.

This is what the SB, Reid, and Gatehouse mean when they repeatedly say: “we put equity first and above all else.” Their interpretation of equity means McLean comes last in all things they control.

Now you know “why.”

You are voting against your own interests if you live in the McLean pyramid and vote for a democrat for school board this November.

You keep repeating this about an attack on privileged McLean, but the examples of beautifully renovated and expanded Langley, West Springfield, Oakton, and Madison facilities completely refute your argument. There is obviously no attack on privileged White/Asian families when 40% of the top 10 wealthiest and best pyramids of FCPS have been given extravagant and cutting-edge facilities. Please.

DP. All those projects were funded before the current School Board was elected. And Madison wasn’t fully renovated - it got an addition, like McLean, at a minimum, needs now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why is it that the one of the most highly taxed school pyramids has such a dumpy middle and high school building. not to mention overcrowded elementary schools?

Should this be the priority over all else? I mean cooper and langley are / have gotten major renovations and expansions ?

Mclean high looks like a 3rd work slum school

OP has asked a simple question: “why?”

Eleven pages of discussion in response to OP's question, and virtually no one will answer the question, "why?"

The McLean pyramid has crappy buildings because the FCPS school board is dominated by extreme-progressives who look down on the McLean pyramid as benefitting from "white privilege" or "Asian privilege." Therefore, they consciously deprive McLean of resources and keep pushing it down the renovation queue, since they believe over-privileged Mclean does not deserve to be renovated.

The county superintendent is in ideological lock-step with the school board's extreme progressive view.

And everyone at Gatehouse views McLean the same way: rich and privileged Asian and white McLean does not deserve any resources, nor the renovation it desperately needs.

This is what the SB, Reid, and Gatehouse mean when they repeatedly say: “we put equity first and above all else.” Their interpretation of equity means McLean comes last in all things they control.

Now you know “why.”

You are voting against your own interests if you live in the McLean pyramid and vote for a democrat for school board this November.

You keep repeating this about an attack on privileged McLean, but the examples of beautifully renovated and expanded Langley, West Springfield, Oakton, and Madison facilities completely refute your argument. There is obviously no attack on privileged White/Asian families when 40% of the top 10 wealthiest and best pyramids of FCPS have been given extravagant and cutting-edge facilities. Please.

DP. The oldest schools built in the 1950s got cheap renovations in the early 00s when FCPS was being relatively austere. Schools built in the 1960s got much more expensive renovations over the past 15 years.

That magnified the disparities in the quality of HS facilities. In some cases they sought to remedy that in part by building additions to schools built in the 1950s like Madison and Justice.

However, the current School Board won’t lift a finger to treat McLean equally even though it was built before Justice and Madison and is more overcrowded. You can argue about whether it’s because they resent McLean families or the school’s academic success, or because they are too busy doing other things (changing school names, revising TJ admissions, adopting resolutions on “truth in education”) to pay attention to facilities, but either way the result is that MHS has not been treated equitably.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:20% of Langley kids are actually closer to Herndon high. Send those kids to Herndon and send kids on the western side of McLean and those off of Dolly Madison to Langley.

Move all Herndon kids (even “Oak Hill” and “Franklin Farms” which are actually Herndon addresses) to Herndon and move all the Reston kids that go to Herndon to South Lakes.

Problem solved.

This is the obvious answer. But Langley and great falls parents are too powerful.

[Anonymous]

To prove that the learning that goes in inside the building is not dependent upon the outside aesthetics? Maybe it is a good lesson for kids who are used to manicured lawns?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:To prove that the learning that goes in inside the building is not dependent upon the outside aesthetics? Maybe it is a good lesson for kids who are used to manicured lawns?

Everyone knows that already. McLean is the top-ranked neighborhood high school in Virginia in 2023 per US News.

Even so, there comes a time when you need to treat schools equitably in terms of capital investment, unless your goal is simply to degrade the system.