Hearing Testimony on FCPS Proposed CIP

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:First of all, Annandale is under capacity. It can definitely take on a feeder or two, particularly when you consider IB seats moving to the IB school.

Second of all, the West Springfield poster. No, obviously all of Lee's feeders aren't going to West Springfield. Rolling Valley is in the slow process of essentially becoming a WS feeder. Two, maybe three, might be added. But what about the current schools?

White Oaks would go to Robinson, Sangster would either go to Robinson or South County (more likely). Cardinal Forest and Orange Hunt would go to Lake Braddock. Based on the current under capacity, suddenly you have seats.

Another point. People seem to forget that there was a census and essentially pulling South County, Hayfield, Edison, Annandale, West Springfield and Lee IB seats would be sufficient to fill an entire school. That would fix the capacity issue, fwiw. All of these schools would be losing students to the HB Woodlawn IB model school. That would make moving feeders around more easy.

And yes, Lee was chosen because it's a perfect storm. Its demographics indicate that it's will run into state oversight and it's centrally located among all of these schools.

And to follow up, don't be shocked if other feeders are moved to Annandale (Mason Crest and Woodson feeders). Avoiding state oversight and failing schools is a big deal for the county. Don't be surprised is a bigger shuffling is included if this plan take off running.

Mason Crest splits to Stuart and Falls Church. Pulling SFH neighborhoods out of Stuart so they can go to Annandale is like rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic.

Yep


That person listing all those boundary change issues does not know what they are talking about.

Almost all of Sangster feeds into LB already. Only one small neighborhood feeds into WS.

White Oaks does not feed into West Springfield. White Oaks feeds into LB.

WSHS Sits in the middle of Cardinal Forest boundaries. You literally walk out of the HS parking lot and are in the C.F. zone.

FCPS is not going to do what that person suggests. It makes zero sense.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The longer term solution is to reduce poverty in the Central Springfield area. If not, the poverty will expand west into West Springfield feeders (such as Cardinal Forest, Rolling Valley, and Keene Mill), east into Edison feeders, and south into South County feeders.

The Federal government must get control of our borders. Even if immigrants work hard and move up out of poverty, our current situation just allows more poverty to back fill in. There is a never ending supply of people who would like to be in the United States. We cannot take them all.

You are a moron apparently. PP said Rolling Valley is basically a west Springfield feeder and Cardinal Forest would be moving to Lake Braddock.

Knee Mill is an AAP center that is essentially akin to Springfield Estates.

As someone who's on the other side of the county, I am popping popcorn for this drama.

How am I a moron? I was making a statement about the expansion of poverty in the general Springfield area if it is not brought under control (if we don't stop importing poverty).

Rolling Valley is a West Springfield feeder. The homes in the Rolling Valley area are relatively inexpensive and it would be a logical next place for poorer immigrants to inhabit. Same goes for the apartments in the Cardinal Forest area and the relatively inexpensive homes in the Keene Mill neighborhoods (it is not AAP exclusively, but has regular students as well). Do you know where Cardinal Forest is? It is actually the closest elementary to West Springfield High School, so it will not likely be moved to Lake Braddock.

You are dumb because you are a bigot. Almost all of these children are in this country legally. FWIW if you want to talk about undocumented minors, Justice High feeders seem to be impacted the most. Research has been done on this point.

The people who are immigrants in the Lee feeder are working class people who are in this country legally for the most part (although the county does have a pilot program for those students between 18-22 who are seeking a high school diploma and are an immigrant -- ya got me there). You seem much more worried about West Springfield turning into Herndon or South Lakes than you do about the idea PP is speaking about.

Who knows? Maybe your kids will get into that IB program, lol.

You do realize the whole reason this conversation about closing Lee is happening is because the FCPS administrators at Gatehouse are concerned that the large ESOL population at Lee may cause the school to fail SOL tests several years in a row (partially because of new testing rules). So there should be concern about concentrating ESOL immigrants at particular schools - and if more and more ESOL students enroll in Fairfax will other schools eventually become problems as well? Mt. Vernon, Herndon, Annandale, Falls Church, Stuart, Lee - when does it become a problem to you? Not picking on any individual students, as I have witnessed some who achieved great things, but it becomes a game of numbers. Why do you think FCPS is planning on gaming the system to avoid oversight?

[Anonymous]

^^^ Rezoning and distributing those low performing schools into neighboring schools does not work. It just creates a domino effect where where high performing families move out, creating two or three low performing schools where there was once only one. It is a domino effect.

They need to thing in a different way with Lee instead of rezoning. That has been proven over and over to not work and just creates more low schools.

Most of those kids are not on the VA tech track. A large percentage of Lee's student body will probably go into trades type careers (something we need as a society). They should do away with the failed IB program at Lee and switch to only AP, so higher achieving and tansitional students can pick classes a la carte.

Then they need to bring more academy classes into that school, perhaps soliciting corporate involvement, to give those kids real life skills in technology and trades that can translate well into job and life skills after graduation. This will meet the needs of the students at Lee.

IB obviously is not meeting their needs, even remotely. The traditional fcps model is not either as evidenced by their test scores. AP will provide a place for academically minded kids, and quality tech and trades classes will give the other kids, a large portion of their population, pride in their school along with real life skills. If it is done well, with corporate partnerships, I bet we will see a change in the achievement at Lee.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:First of all, Annandale is under capacity. It can definitely take on a feeder or two, particularly when you consider IB seats moving to the IB school.

Second of all, the West Springfield poster. No, obviously all of Lee's feeders aren't going to West Springfield. Rolling Valley is in the slow process of essentially becoming a WS feeder. Two, maybe three, might be added. But what about the current schools?

White Oaks would go to Robinson, Sangster would either go to Robinson or South County (more likely). Cardinal Forest and Orange Hunt would go to Lake Braddock. Based on the current under capacity, suddenly you have seats.

Another point. People seem to forget that there was a census and essentially pulling South County, Hayfield, Edison, Annandale, West Springfield and Lee IB seats would be sufficient to fill an entire school. That would fix the capacity issue, fwiw. All of these schools would be losing students to the HB Woodlawn IB model school. That would make moving feeders around more easy.

And yes, Lee was chosen because it's a perfect storm. Its demographics indicate that it's will run into state oversight and it's centrally located among all of these schools.

And to follow up, don't be shocked if other feeders are moved to Annandale (Mason Crest and Woodson feeders). Avoiding state oversight and failing schools is a big deal for the county. Don't be surprised is a bigger shuffling is included if this plan take off running.

Mason Crest splits to Stuart and Falls Church. Pulling SFH neighborhoods out of Stuart so they can go to Annandale is like rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic.

Yep


That person listing all those boundary change issues does not know what they are talking about.

Almost all of Sangster feeds into LB already. Only one small neighborhood feeds into WS.

White Oaks does not feed into West Springfield. White Oaks feeds into LB.

WSHS Sits in the middle of Cardinal Forest boundaries. You literally walk out of the HS parking lot and are in the C.F. zone.

FCPS is not going to do what that person suggests. It makes zero sense.

You obviously have reading issues. The PP is pointing out West Springfield or Lake Braddock feeders that would be moved to make capacity. Sangster moving wouldn't impact WS, it would open capacity so Orange Hunt or some other feeder could be moved in. White Oaks feeds into Lake Braddock. Same story. The whole point is that some shifts would result in WS having the capacity to absorb the Lee feeders assigned to it it seems. The net-net would result in West Springfield being compliant but a middle of the road school like Herndon or West Potomac or South Lakes.

And only a small portion of Mason Crest goes to Stuart (the portion, btw that encompasses many apartments and multi-family units).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:First of all, Annandale is under capacity. It can definitely take on a feeder or two, particularly when you consider IB seats moving to the IB school.

Second of all, the West Springfield poster. No, obviously all of Lee's feeders aren't going to West Springfield. Rolling Valley is in the slow process of essentially becoming a WS feeder. Two, maybe three, might be added. But what about the current schools?

White Oaks would go to Robinson, Sangster would either go to Robinson or South County (more likely). Cardinal Forest and Orange Hunt would go to Lake Braddock. Based on the current under capacity, suddenly you have seats.

Another point. People seem to forget that there was a census and essentially pulling South County, Hayfield, Edison, Annandale, West Springfield and Lee IB seats would be sufficient to fill an entire school. That would fix the capacity issue, fwiw. All of these schools would be losing students to the HB Woodlawn IB model school. That would make moving feeders around more easy.

And yes, Lee was chosen because it's a perfect storm. Its demographics indicate that it's will run into state oversight and it's centrally located among all of these schools.

And to follow up, don't be shocked if other feeders are moved to Annandale (Mason Crest and Woodson feeders). Avoiding state oversight and failing schools is a big deal for the county. Don't be surprised is a bigger shuffling is included if this plan take off running.

Mason Crest splits to Stuart and Falls Church. Pulling SFH neighborhoods out of Stuart so they can go to Annandale is like rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic.

Yep


That person listing all those boundary change issues does not know what they are talking about.

Almost all of Sangster feeds into LB already. Only one small neighborhood feeds into WS.

White Oaks does not feed into West Springfield. White Oaks feeds into LB.

WSHS Sits in the middle of Cardinal Forest boundaries. You literally walk out of the HS parking lot and are in the C.F. zone.

FCPS is not going to do what that person suggests. It makes zero sense.

You obviously have reading issues. The PP is pointing out West Springfield or Lake Braddock feeders that would be moved to make capacity. Sangster moving wouldn't impact WS, it would open capacity so Orange Hunt or some other feeder could be moved in. White Oaks feeds into Lake Braddock. Same story. The whole point is that some shifts would result in WS having the capacity to absorb the Lee feeders assigned to it it seems. The net-net would result in West Springfield being compliant but a middle of the road school like Herndon or West Potomac or South Lakes.

And only a small portion of Mason Crest goes to Stuart (the portion, btw that encompasses many apartments and multi-family units).

Most of those proposals defy logic, especially rezoning Cardnial Forest, the elementary zone WS is located writhing, to LB.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:^^^ Rezoning and distributing those low performing schools into neighboring schools does not work. It just creates a domino effect where where high performing families move out, creating two or three low performing schools where there was once only one. It is a domino effect.

They need to thing in a different way with Lee instead of rezoning. That has been proven over and over to not work and just creates more low schools.

Most of those kids are not on the VA tech track. A large percentage of Lee's student body will probably go into trades type careers (something we need as a society). They should do away with the failed IB program at Lee and switch to only AP, so higher achieving and tansitional students can pick classes a la carte.

Then they need to bring more academy classes into that school, perhaps soliciting corporate involvement, to give those kids real life skills in technology and trades that can translate well into job and life skills after graduation. This will meet the needs of the students at Lee.

IB obviously is not meeting their needs, even remotely. The traditional fcps model is not either as evidenced by their test scores. AP will provide a place for academically minded kids, and quality tech and trades classes will give the other kids, a large portion of their population, pride in their school along with real life skills. If it is done well, with corporate partnerships, I bet we will see a change in the achievement at Lee.

Actually, what needs to happen is to spread out affordable housing so that it is more equitable throughout the county instead of concentrated where it is. Then there would be no need for ridiculous contorted boundaries.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:^^^ Rezoning and distributing those low performing schools into neighboring schools does not work. It just creates a domino effect where where high performing families move out, creating two or three low performing schools where there was once only one. It is a domino effect.

They need to thing in a different way with Lee instead of rezoning. That has been proven over and over to not work and just creates more low schools.

Most of those kids are not on the VA tech track. A large percentage of Lee's student body will probably go into trades type careers (something we need as a society). They should do away with the failed IB program at Lee and switch to only AP, so higher achieving and tansitional students can pick classes a la carte.

Then they need to bring more academy classes into that school, perhaps soliciting corporate involvement, to give those kids real life skills in technology and trades that can translate well into job and life skills after graduation. This will meet the needs of the students at Lee.

IB obviously is not meeting their needs, even remotely. The traditional fcps model is not either as evidenced by their test scores. AP will provide a place for academically minded kids, and quality tech and trades classes will give the other kids, a large portion of their population, pride in their school along with real life skills. If it is done well, with corporate partnerships, I bet we will see a change in the achievement at Lee.

It would be one thing if they made Lee the only IB school in FCPS. Then it would be a big draw. But schools like Marshall whose scores are propped up by transfers from AP schools would object.

So just dump IB at Lee and do as PP suggests. AP would save money and better serve students at Lee. It would also cut down dramatically on the ability of students to pupil place to AP schools.

If that doesn't work, go to Plan B. But they at least ought to try something that has a chance to work and saves less money before closing the school because school closings usually come back to bite FCPS in the ass.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^^^ Rezoning and distributing those low performing schools into neighboring schools does not work. It just creates a domino effect where where high performing families move out, creating two or three low performing schools where there was once only one. It is a domino effect.

They need to thing in a different way with Lee instead of rezoning. That has been proven over and over to not work and just creates more low schools.

Most of those kids are not on the VA tech track. A large percentage of Lee's student body will probably go into trades type careers (something we need as a society). They should do away with the failed IB program at Lee and switch to only AP, so higher achieving and tansitional students can pick classes a la carte.

Then they need to bring more academy classes into that school, perhaps soliciting corporate involvement, to give those kids real life skills in technology and trades that can translate well into job and life skills after graduation. This will meet the needs of the students at Lee.

IB obviously is not meeting their needs, even remotely. The traditional fcps model is not either as evidenced by their test scores. AP will provide a place for academically minded kids, and quality tech and trades classes will give the other kids, a large portion of their population, pride in their school along with real life skills. If it is done well, with corporate partnerships, I bet we will see a change in the achievement at Lee.

Actually, what needs to happen is to spread out affordable housing so that it is more equitable throughout the county instead of concentrated where it is. Then there would be no need for ridiculous contorted boundaries.

You are assuming all the Hispanic families at Lee want to live somewhere else. They might not. People tend to want to live in a neighborhood where they feel comfortable and have a sense of community, and where they have the least painful commute. If those folks have roots in their neighborhood and school they might not be interested in living somewhere else or having their kids rezoned away from their neighborhood and communities.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^^^ Rezoning and distributing those low performing schools into neighboring schools does not work. It just creates a domino effect where where high performing families move out, creating two or three low performing schools where there was once only one. It is a domino effect.

They need to thing in a different way with Lee instead of rezoning. That has been proven over and over to not work and just creates more low schools.

Most of those kids are not on the VA tech track. A large percentage of Lee's student body will probably go into trades type careers (something we need as a society). They should do away with the failed IB program at Lee and switch to only AP, so higher achieving and tansitional students can pick classes a la carte.

Then they need to bring more academy classes into that school, perhaps soliciting corporate involvement, to give those kids real life skills in technology and trades that can translate well into job and life skills after graduation. This will meet the needs of the students at Lee.

IB obviously is not meeting their needs, even remotely. The traditional fcps model is not either as evidenced by their test scores. AP will provide a place for academically minded kids, and quality tech and trades classes will give the other kids, a large portion of their population, pride in their school along with real life skills. If it is done well, with corporate partnerships, I bet we will see a change in the achievement at Lee.

It would be one thing if they made Lee the only IB school in FCPS. Then it would be a big draw. But schools like Marshall whose scores are propped up by transfers from AP schools would object.

So just dump IB at Lee and do as PP suggests. AP would save money and better serve students at Lee. It would also cut down dramatically on the ability of students to pupil place to AP schools.

If that doesn't work, go to Plan B. But they at least ought to try something that has a chance to work and saves less money before closing the school because school closings usually come back to bite FCPS in the ass.

Honestly, bringing traditional AP classes at Lee then devoting resspurces into turning that school into a showcase for quality trades and technology type classes could be an amazing thing for fcps and Lee in particular.

Fcps is clearly not meeting the needs of those kids. The district serves the TJ crowd and upper middle class college bound kids quite well. But they keep trying to pound square pegs into round holes by pushing this whole IB and fcps upper middle class model onto kids who are not ready to or interested in following this path. Fcps is failing these kids by just using the formula that worked when the district was almost exclusively middle and upper middle class, educated, natural born citizens, federal workers,etc.

That model does not work for the community at Lee. If it did, all of those resources and money poured into their elementary feeders would be yielding different results. IB would be yielding different results. But they aren't. Results keep getting lower in spite of extra money, extra resources, and quality teachers.

Why not try something entirely different that actually meets the kids where they are at? Give them tech ology classes that teach them how to use the latest machinery. Give them expansive hands on tech labs. Give them basic classes in things like autoshop, woodworking and electricity, along with business classes. Give science classes focused on things they will need to become medical and health workers. Teach programming. All of this can be done while also working on a standard diploma.

In short, parent the child you have vs the child you have over at Langley.

If there is overflow space, those programs can be a magnet application style program.

With all the technology we have up near Dulles surely fcps could build some really successful corporate partnerships to make a program like this very successful and positive for these kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^^^ Rezoning and distributing those low performing schools into neighboring schools does not work. It just creates a domino effect where where high performing families move out, creating two or three low performing schools where there was once only one. It is a domino effect.

They need to thing in a different way with Lee instead of rezoning. That has been proven over and over to not work and just creates more low schools.

Most of those kids are not on the VA tech track. A large percentage of Lee's student body will probably go into trades type careers (something we need as a society). They should do away with the failed IB program at Lee and switch to only AP, so higher achieving and tansitional students can pick classes a la carte.

Then they need to bring more academy classes into that school, perhaps soliciting corporate involvement, to give those kids real life skills in technology and trades that can translate well into job and life skills after graduation. This will meet the needs of the students at Lee.

IB obviously is not meeting their needs, even remotely. The traditional fcps model is not either as evidenced by their test scores. AP will provide a place for academically minded kids, and quality tech and trades classes will give the other kids, a large portion of their population, pride in their school along with real life skills. If it is done well, with corporate partnerships, I bet we will see a change in the achievement at Lee.

It would be one thing if they made Lee the only IB school in FCPS. Then it would be a big draw. But schools like Marshall whose scores are propped up by transfers from AP schools would object.

So just dump IB at Lee and do as PP suggests. AP would save money and better serve students at Lee. It would also cut down dramatically on the ability of students to pupil place to AP schools.

If that doesn't work, go to Plan B. But they at least ought to try something that has a chance to work and saves less money before closing the school because school closings usually come back to bite FCPS in the ass.

Honestly, bringing traditional AP classes at Lee then devoting resspurces into turning that school into a showcase for quality trades and technology type classes could be an amazing thing for fcps and Lee in particular.

Fcps is clearly not meeting the needs of those kids. The district serves the TJ crowd and upper middle class college bound kids quite well. But they keep trying to pound square pegs into round holes by pushing this whole IB and fcps upper middle class model onto kids who are not ready to or interested in following this path. Fcps is failing these kids by just using the formula that worked when the district was almost exclusively middle and upper middle class, educated, natural born citizens, federal workers,etc.

That model does not work for the community at Lee. If it did, all of those resources and money poured into their elementary feeders would be yielding different results. IB would be yielding different results. But they aren't. Results keep getting lower in spite of extra money, extra resources, and quality teachers.

Why not try something entirely different that actually meets the kids where they are at? Give them tech ology classes that teach them how to use the latest machinery. Give them expansive hands on tech labs. Give them basic classes in things like autoshop, woodworking and electricity, along with business classes. Give science classes focused on things they will need to become medical and health workers. Teach programming. All of this can be done while also working on a standard diploma.

In short, parent the child you have vs the child you have over at Langley.

If there is overflow space, those programs can be a magnet application style program.

With all the technology we have up near Dulles surely fcps could build some really successful corporate partnerships to make a program like this very successful and positive for these kids.

Also, Lee is heavily ESOL.

There must be some really bright kids over there who are falling through the tracks because they not able to take advantage of the IB program due to the heavy writing and language component.

Eliminating IB and switching to AP would give those kids a chance to push and challenge themselves in areas like math and science, even if their English language and writing skills are not quite there yet.

Why fcps would put such a rigorous writing heavy program in a school whose population is heavily ESOL defies logic.

There must be many very smart kids who simply slip through the cracks due to Lee (and Mount Vernon) being IB schools.

Fcps needs to start using their brains on things that are obvious, as well as thinking creatively to address the needs of this demographic they are failing.

Rezoning just shifts the problem around, creating larger numbers of sub par schools, overcrowding other schools, and sets those ESOL and free lunch kids up for even more failure.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^^^ Rezoning and distributing those low performing schools into neighboring schools does not work. It just creates a domino effect where where high performing families move out, creating two or three low performing schools where there was once only one. It is a domino effect.

They need to thing in a different way with Lee instead of rezoning. That has been proven over and over to not work and just creates more low schools.

Most of those kids are not on the VA tech track. A large percentage of Lee's student body will probably go into trades type careers (something we need as a society). They should do away with the failed IB program at Lee and switch to only AP, so higher achieving and tansitional students can pick classes a la carte.

Then they need to bring more academy classes into that school, perhaps soliciting corporate involvement, to give those kids real life skills in technology and trades that can translate well into job and life skills after graduation. This will meet the needs of the students at Lee.

IB obviously is not meeting their needs, even remotely. The traditional fcps model is not either as evidenced by their test scores. AP will provide a place for academically minded kids, and quality tech and trades classes will give the other kids, a large portion of their population, pride in their school along with real life skills. If it is done well, with corporate partnerships, I bet we will see a change in the achievement at Lee.

It would be one thing if they made Lee the only IB school in FCPS. Then it would be a big draw. But schools like Marshall whose scores are propped up by transfers from AP schools would object.

So just dump IB at Lee and do as PP suggests. AP would save money and better serve students at Lee. It would also cut down dramatically on the ability of students to pupil place to AP schools.

If that doesn't work, go to Plan B. But they at least ought to try something that has a chance to work and saves less money before closing the school because school closings usually come back to bite FCPS in the ass.

Honestly, bringing traditional AP classes at Lee then devoting resspurces into turning that school into a showcase for quality trades and technology type classes could be an amazing thing for fcps and Lee in particular.

Fcps is clearly not meeting the needs of those kids. The district serves the TJ crowd and upper middle class college bound kids quite well. But they keep trying to pound square pegs into round holes by pushing this whole IB and fcps upper middle class model onto kids who are not ready to or interested in following this path. Fcps is failing these kids by just using the formula that worked when the district was almost exclusively middle and upper middle class, educated, natural born citizens, federal workers,etc.

That model does not work for the community at Lee. If it did, all of those resources and money poured into their elementary feeders would be yielding different results. IB would be yielding different results. But they aren't. Results keep getting lower in spite of extra money, extra resources, and quality teachers.

Why not try something entirely different that actually meets the kids where they are at? Give them tech ology classes that teach them how to use the latest machinery. Give them expansive hands on tech labs. Give them basic classes in things like autoshop, woodworking and electricity, along with business classes. Give science classes focused on things they will need to become medical and health workers. Teach programming. All of this can be done while also working on a standard diploma.

In short, parent the child you have vs the child you have over at Langley.

If there is overflow space, those programs can be a magnet application style program.

With all the technology we have up near Dulles surely fcps could build some really successful corporate partnerships to make a program like this very successful and positive for these kids.

FCPS has some excellent Academy programs - just not at Lee. Lee gets IB, which serves a few kids and is a "ticket out" for those who want to pupil place to West Springfield or Lake Braddock.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^^^ Rezoning and distributing those low performing schools into neighboring schools does not work. It just creates a domino effect where where high performing families move out, creating two or three low performing schools where there was once only one. It is a domino effect.

They need to thing in a different way with Lee instead of rezoning. That has been proven over and over to not work and just creates more low schools.

Most of those kids are not on the VA tech track. A large percentage of Lee's student body will probably go into trades type careers (something we need as a society). They should do away with the failed IB program at Lee and switch to only AP, so higher achieving and tansitional students can pick classes a la carte.

Then they need to bring more academy classes into that school, perhaps soliciting corporate involvement, to give those kids real life skills in technology and trades that can translate well into job and life skills after graduation. This will meet the needs of the students at Lee.

IB obviously is not meeting their needs, even remotely. The traditional fcps model is not either as evidenced by their test scores. AP will provide a place for academically minded kids, and quality tech and trades classes will give the other kids, a large portion of their population, pride in their school along with real life skills. If it is done well, with corporate partnerships, I bet we will see a change in the achievement at Lee.

It would be one thing if they made Lee the only IB school in FCPS. Then it would be a big draw. But schools like Marshall whose scores are propped up by transfers from AP schools would object.

So just dump IB at Lee and do as PP suggests. AP would save money and better serve students at Lee. It would also cut down dramatically on the ability of students to pupil place to AP schools.

If that doesn't work, go to Plan B. But they at least ought to try something that has a chance to work and saves less money before closing the school because school closings usually come back to bite FCPS in the ass.

Honestly, bringing traditional AP classes at Lee then devoting resspurces into turning that school into a showcase for quality trades and technology type classes could be an amazing thing for fcps and Lee in particular.

Fcps is clearly not meeting the needs of those kids. The district serves the TJ crowd and upper middle class college bound kids quite well. But they keep trying to pound square pegs into round holes by pushing this whole IB and fcps upper middle class model onto kids who are not ready to or interested in following this path. Fcps is failing these kids by just using the formula that worked when the district was almost exclusively middle and upper middle class, educated, natural born citizens, federal workers,etc.

That model does not work for the community at Lee. If it did, all of those resources and money poured into their elementary feeders would be yielding different results. IB would be yielding different results. But they aren't. Results keep getting lower in spite of extra money, extra resources, and quality teachers.

Why not try something entirely different that actually meets the kids where they are at? Give them tech ology classes that teach them how to use the latest machinery. Give them expansive hands on tech labs. Give them basic classes in things like autoshop, woodworking and electricity, along with business classes. Give science classes focused on things they will need to become medical and health workers. Teach programming. All of this can be done while also working on a standard diploma.

In short, parent the child you have vs the child you have over at Langley.

If there is overflow space, those programs can be a magnet application style program.

With all the technology we have up near Dulles surely fcps could build some really successful corporate partnerships to make a program like this very successful and positive for these kids.

Also, Lee is heavily ESOL.

There must be some really bright kids over there who are falling through the tracks because they not able to take advantage of the IB program due to the heavy writing and language component.

Eliminating IB and switching to AP would give those kids a chance to push and challenge themselves in areas like math and science, even if their English language and writing skills are not quite there yet.

Why fcps would put such a rigorous writing heavy program in a school whose population is heavily ESOL defies logic.

There must be many very smart kids who simply slip through the cracks due to Lee (and Mount Vernon) being IB schools.

Fcps needs to start using their brains on things that are obvious, as well as thinking creatively to address the needs of this demographic they are failing.

Rezoning just shifts the problem around, creating larger numbers of sub par schools, overcrowding other schools, and sets those ESOL and free lunch kids up for even more failure.

Aaand... I bet if you talk to the teachers at those two schools there are indeed many smart kids who are not doing IB due to language deficiencies, who would loved to be challenged in other areas like math and science through AP classes.

The only benefit of IB in those two schools is to give smart kids a way to transfer out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^^^ Rezoning and distributing those low performing schools into neighboring schools does not work. It just creates a domino effect where where high performing families move out, creating two or three low performing schools where there was once only one. It is a domino effect.

They need to thing in a different way with Lee instead of rezoning. That has been proven over and over to not work and just creates more low schools.

Most of those kids are not on the VA tech track. A large percentage of Lee's student body will probably go into trades type careers (something we need as a society). They should do away with the failed IB program at Lee and switch to only AP, so higher achieving and tansitional students can pick classes a la carte.

Then they need to bring more academy classes into that school, perhaps soliciting corporate involvement, to give those kids real life skills in technology and trades that can translate well into job and life skills after graduation. This will meet the needs of the students at Lee.

IB obviously is not meeting their needs, even remotely. The traditional fcps model is not either as evidenced by their test scores. AP will provide a place for academically minded kids, and quality tech and trades classes will give the other kids, a large portion of their population, pride in their school along with real life skills. If it is done well, with corporate partnerships, I bet we will see a change in the achievement at Lee.

It would be one thing if they made Lee the only IB school in FCPS. Then it would be a big draw. But schools like Marshall whose scores are propped up by transfers from AP schools would object.

So just dump IB at Lee and do as PP suggests. AP would save money and better serve students at Lee. It would also cut down dramatically on the ability of students to pupil place to AP schools.

If that doesn't work, go to Plan B. But they at least ought to try something that has a chance to work and saves less money before closing the school because school closings usually come back to bite FCPS in the ass.

Honestly, bringing traditional AP classes at Lee then devoting resspurces into turning that school into a showcase for quality trades and technology type classes could be an amazing thing for fcps and Lee in particular.

Fcps is clearly not meeting the needs of those kids. The district serves the TJ crowd and upper middle class college bound kids quite well. But they keep trying to pound square pegs into round holes by pushing this whole IB and fcps upper middle class model onto kids who are not ready to or interested in following this path. Fcps is failing these kids by just using the formula that worked when the district was almost exclusively middle and upper middle class, educated, natural born citizens, federal workers,etc.

That model does not work for the community at Lee. If it did, all of those resources and money poured into their elementary feeders would be yielding different results. IB would be yielding different results. But they aren't. Results keep getting lower in spite of extra money, extra resources, and quality teachers.

Why not try something entirely different that actually meets the kids where they are at? Give them tech ology classes that teach them how to use the latest machinery. Give them expansive hands on tech labs. Give them basic classes in things like autoshop, woodworking and electricity, along with business classes. Give science classes focused on things they will need to become medical and health workers. Teach programming. All of this can be done while also working on a standard diploma.

In short, parent the child you have vs the child you have over at Langley.

If there is overflow space, those programs can be a magnet application style program.

With all the technology we have up near Dulles surely fcps could build some really successful corporate partnerships to make a program like this very successful and positive for these kids.

FCPS has some excellent Academy programs - just not at Lee. Lee gets IB, which serves a few kids and is a "ticket out" for those who want to pupil place to West Springfield or Lake Braddock.

The academy programs are great, yes. So put them in Lee and devote resources into making that school a showcase for the academy programs. That serves the neighborhood population much more effectively than turning Lee into an IB magnet.

[Anonymous]

Yeah...isn't the point that all of these ESOL students wouldn't be in an IB school and that the school would meet state benchmarks?

I assume the IB only school would be crazy competitive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yeah...isn't the point that all of these ESOL students wouldn't be in an IB school and that the school would meet state benchmarks?

I assume the IB only school would be crazy competitive.

Not really.

IB has such a bad reputation in fcps based off how they implemented it and also the restrictions of IB.

It would not be crazy competitive to get into an IB magnet, especially in that half of the county. It is a niche program that is not in demand or that highly regarded by most of fcps.

Plus, an IB magnet would require displacement of almost all of Lee's population. A tech magnet would not.