School board results?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Another all democratic board

Race to the bottom, cracks are already showing in the rankings even for tj

[Anonymous]

I'll never vote for another R again in any capacity. J6 an Roe are too much, and they don't repudiate it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't care about whether they are R or D but hate that the trajectory seems to be dumbing down education for "equity," and forcing teachers to deal with untenable classroom situations. We'll do the best we can to support our kids's education by providing them with as much supplemental education as we can. Sadly, we can't afford "private" as we're trying to save for four college educations, nor can we move as our jobs are based in Fairfax Mk. We'll survive, but it would be nice to see the schools start focus on educating again instead of spending money on wasteful renaming projects, consultants, etc.

^!My thoughts exactly. Im liberal BUT I just don’t like the trajectory our schools are going. HOW can we change that?

Keep voting for the people that put FCPS on the wrong trajectory.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't care about whether they are R or D but hate that the trajectory seems to be dumbing down education for "equity," and forcing teachers to deal with untenable classroom situations. We'll do the best we can to support our kids's education by providing them with as much supplemental education as we can. Sadly, we can't afford "private" as we're trying to save for four college educations, nor can we move as our jobs are based in Fairfax Mk. We'll survive, but it would be nice to see the schools start focus on educating again instead of spending money on wasteful renaming projects, consultants, etc.

^!My thoughts exactly. Im liberal BUT I just don’t like the trajectory our schools are going. HOW can we change that?

Keep voting for the people that put FCPS on the wrong trajectory.

How do these people not understand that their vote changes the trajectory more than anything else?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I voted R to keep AAP intact and to stop E3 math. I also voted R to restore normal discipline in schools. I voted R to stop SBG. I voted R to bring back homework. I don’t know many average liberal parents who actually support these efforts when they actually know what they entail. Sadly, most just don’t know about these things in any detail.

Don’t care about any of the culture war issues and voted D elsewhere.

I'm a parent with students who have piloted E3 math in 4th grade and mandatory standards based grading in middle school for all subjects. I'm very liberal, but voted for a few independent candidates. I hope the new school board focuses on raising academic standards and moves away from what people are calling equity grading.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'll never vote for another R again in any capacity. J6 an Roe are too much, and they don't repudiate it.

Trump has said he will pardon -WITH APOLOGIES TO THEM- those convicted for J6. Including the Proud Boys.

He has also said he will use the Insurrection Act to quell public protests. And purge the government ranks and instill loyalists.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I voted R to keep AAP intact and to stop E3 math. I also voted R to restore normal discipline in schools. I voted R to stop SBG. I voted R to bring back homework. I don’t know many average liberal parents who actually support these efforts when they actually know what they entail. Sadly, most just don’t know about these things in any detail.

Don’t care about any of the culture war issues and voted D elsewhere.

I'm a parent with students who have piloted E3 math in 4th grade and mandatory standards based grading in middle school for all subjects. I'm very liberal, but voted for a few independent candidates. I hope the new school board focuses on raising academic standards and moves away from what people are calling equity grading.

You will hope in vain

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Fairfax voters are willingly Baltimoring the schools. Sure, some good pockets will remain, but an increasing number of schools are avoided. People with means are going private or leaving. FR Lunch will continue to rise.

Definition of insanity...

Every kid I met while in college who grew up in Baltimore went to private school

[Anonymous]

I remember the board's opinion from long ago that Moon was kind of a turnip, but now he is the Angel of Hope. Turnips aren't so bad, we feel. Quite a nutritious food.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't care about whether they are R or D but hate that the trajectory seems to be dumbing down education for "equity," and forcing teachers to deal with untenable classroom situations. We'll do the best we can to support our kids's education by providing them with as much supplemental education as we can. Sadly, we can't afford "private" as we're trying to save for four college educations, nor can we move as our jobs are based in Fairfax. We'll survive, but it would be nice to see the schools start focus on educating again instead of spending money on wasteful renaming projects, consultants, etc.

Oh come on, the schools focus on education--this is the vast majority of what they do. How exactly are they "dumbing down" education? I haven't seen it. I think they are focusing on equity and excellence. I've had 1 kid go through FCPS and 2 still in it and they all have received/are receiving solid educations. The eldest is succeeding at UVA now--well-prepared. And we didn't do any supplementing except for private music lessons and outdoorsy summer camps. There are nationwide teacher shortages and FCPS is handling staffing better than most districts. I honestly don't understand all the griping.

SPED kids are in desperate need of more Teachers, better trained Teachers, and county run programs for the kids with higher ED and learning needs.

ESL kids needs ESL classes that start in ES and not to be sent into a Gen Ed class room that they are not prepared for. You cannot expect success for a 9 year old who has barely been to school in their life and doesn’t speak the language when you put them in a Gen Ed 3rd grade classroom. But that is what we do. And then the Teachers need to get that child up to grade level so their focus os on that child and not the rst of the class. ESL classes are needed to meet the kids where they are. Help them learn English and build their skills and when they are ready they can move into Gen Ed classes.

We needed classes with fewer levels in them. Asking a Teacher to teach to 25 kids when some kids are 2 grade levels behind, some are a bit behind, some are on grade level, and some are a year ahead is ridiculous. Not one of those groups of kids is getting the attention they need. we need smaller classes for kids who are behind, a class for kids who are close to grade level, on grade level, and a bit ahead. The rest belong in LIV type classes. We don’t like the optics of it so we throw all of the kids in one class and wonder why parents are clamoring to get into LIV.

We have defined equity as everyone scoring well on the SOL and iReady and have lost the idea that equity should mean classes that meet the child's needs and help the child learn and get to a place where they can pass the SOL. We are so afraid of people visually seeing what we all know exists that we try and hide it behind Gen Ed classes. We all know that the education gap exists. We all know that it is mainly poor Black and Hispanic kids whoa re lagging behind and Asian and White kids who are on grade level or ahead. But we fear putting kids in classes based on ability and showing that gap.

And these issues are widespread and not just FCPS problems. The whole thing needs an overhaul.

I agree with some of this and not others. But this point is wrong though. The reason students aren't "tracked" by ability by class is that it was shown to be really detrimental to the lower groups often with only tiny or no gains for the higher group when compared to flexible grouping--students who came to school less enriched but with academic potential found themselves trapped by early placement in lower classes which went slower, which meant that they rarely could catch up and switch groups. It has been replaced by flexible grouping which study after study shows works better both for academic growth and equity. The data when we used to track weren't as widely public and discussed, so people were generally less aware of these trends unless your kid was trapped in a lower group. No Child Left Behind--for all its flaws--was motivated by the extreme inequity along race, income level and disability status there was when we used to track by ability--far more than there is now.

I think we need to go all in on supporting teachers better with flexible grouping--including using specialists who form temporary class sessions for targeted whole class instruction--both for better instruction and some lessening of teachers' burdens. For instance, instead of data that goes nowhere, the specialists would use data to form groups that teach a group of kids x concept if iready or whatever shows they need it. This would go across classes and maybe even grades. For instance--the reading specialist identifies all kids who the data shows need targeted work on fluency and they are pulled out and taught that as a whole class while the remaining kids who don't have that issue have their free reading time/discussion groups/reading work with their classroom teacher. The next day might be phonemic awareness etc. where whoever needs work on that gets targeted help again in a whole class setting with the specialist aimed at that skill. There could be a targeted session for advanced learners on a particular skill--to focus on deeper comprehension, while their class was working on the concept on grade level. The current practice pulls out individual kids/small groups from a single class and expects the teacher to differentiate for the rest and there's just not enough staffing to get to all the kids' needs. The specialist could teach 1 or 2 large group pull outs of targeted instruction each day and then continue with their usual practice of individualized and small group instruction for kids who need more intensive supports. The reading specialist groups could collaborate to craft really masterful lessons on these topics and tweak them based on what is shown to be effective in their context.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't care about whether they are R or D but hate that the trajectory seems to be dumbing down education for "equity," and forcing teachers to deal with untenable classroom situations. We'll do the best we can to support our kids's education by providing them with as much supplemental education as we can. Sadly, we can't afford "private" as we're trying to save for four college educations, nor can we move as our jobs are based in Fairfax. We'll survive, but it would be nice to see the schools start focus on educating again instead of spending money on wasteful renaming projects, consultants, etc.

Oh come on, the schools focus on education--this is the vast majority of what they do. How exactly are they "dumbing down" education? I haven't seen it. I think they are focusing on equity and excellence. I've had 1 kid go through FCPS and 2 still in it and they all have received/are receiving solid educations. The eldest is succeeding at UVA now--well-prepared. And we didn't do any supplementing except for private music lessons and outdoorsy summer camps. There are nationwide teacher shortages and FCPS is handling staffing better than most districts. I honestly don't understand all the griping.

SPED kids are in desperate need of more Teachers, better trained Teachers, and county run programs for the kids with higher ED and learning needs.

ESL kids needs ESL classes that start in ES and not to be sent into a Gen Ed class room that they are not prepared for. You cannot expect success for a 9 year old who has barely been to school in their life and doesn’t speak the language when you put them in a Gen Ed 3rd grade classroom. But that is what we do. And then the Teachers need to get that child up to grade level so their focus os on that child and not the rst of the class. ESL classes are needed to meet the kids where they are. Help them learn English and build their skills and when they are ready they can move into Gen Ed classes.

We needed classes with fewer levels in them. Asking a Teacher to teach to 25 kids when some kids are 2 grade levels behind, some are a bit behind, some are on grade level, and some are a year ahead is ridiculous. Not one of those groups of kids is getting the attention they need. we need smaller classes for kids who are behind, a class for kids who are close to grade level, on grade level, and a bit ahead. The rest belong in LIV type classes. We don’t like the optics of it so we throw all of the kids in one class and wonder why parents are clamoring to get into LIV.

We have defined equity as everyone scoring well on the SOL and iReady and have lost the idea that equity should mean classes that meet the child's needs and help the child learn and get to a place where they can pass the SOL. We are so afraid of people visually seeing what we all know exists that we try and hide it behind Gen Ed classes. We all know that the education gap exists. We all know that it is mainly poor Black and Hispanic kids whoa re lagging behind and Asian and White kids who are on grade level or ahead. But we fear putting kids in classes based on ability and showing that gap.

Well that would be segregation so no nobody is going to do that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I voted R to keep AAP intact and to stop E3 math. I also voted R to restore normal discipline in schools. I voted R to stop SBG. I voted R to bring back homework. I don’t know many average liberal parents who actually support these efforts when they actually know what they entail. Sadly, most just don’t know about these things in any detail.

Don’t care about any of the culture war issues and voted D elsewhere.

Where is E3 math? In a wide range of schools or just schools with many kids who are struggling with math?

E3 math is a pilot program in 3rd and 4th grade classrooms at 20-ish schools. My student did it and his 5th grade advanced math teacher says his whole group is way behind and she's having to teach them all the 5th grade curriculum in addition to the 6th grade curriculum they should be learning to take the 6th grade SOL this year. Not impressed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't care about whether they are R or D but hate that the trajectory seems to be dumbing down education for "equity," and forcing teachers to deal with untenable classroom situations. We'll do the best we can to support our kids's education by providing them with as much supplemental education as we can. Sadly, we can't afford "private" as we're trying to save for four college educations, nor can we move as our jobs are based in Fairfax Mk. We'll survive, but it would be nice to see the schools start focus on educating again instead of spending money on wasteful renaming projects, consultants, etc.

^!My thoughts exactly. Im liberal BUT I just don’t like the trajectory our schools are going. HOW can we change that?

Keep voting for the people that put FCPS on the wrong trajectory.

How do these people not understand that their vote changes the trajectory more than anything else?

Does it matter?

I’ve accepted it and am just going to protect my own family and make money on the decline.

If this is what people really want they are welcome to it.

[Anonymous]

Combined vote share Dem candidates, 2019:61.6%
Combined vote share Rep candidates, 2019: 38.2%

Combined vote share Dem candidates, 2023:58.3%
Combined vote share Rep candidates, 2023:33%

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Fairfax voters are willingly Baltimoring the schools. Sure, some good pockets will remain, but an increasing number of schools are avoided. People with means are going private or leaving. FR Lunch will continue to rise.

Definition of insanity...

Every kid I met while in college who grew up in Baltimore went to private school

FCPS recruited Baltimore schools' policy makers already.