Anyone else educated by FCPS and sees the decline?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The downfall is the focus on equity instead of academic excellence. FcpS will fund the undesirable schools lucratively but choke off the better schools. it's a form of reverse bussing.

You want school systems to stop putting so much emphasis on equity? You need to change federal law and how funding works. You fools keep screaming about the school board but this goes way above the SB or FCPS. You want a school system that doesn’t have to worry about equity? Move to a white UMC area with a small/town system. Boom. Problem solved.

DP. Worrying about equity by dumbing down classes, making classes easier and graduation requirements lower, lowering standards when some students do not do the work (that's why there's no more homework), etc. is not good for anyone. A school district can focus on both excellence and equity, one does not need to be sacrificed for the other. That's foolish.

I don’t disagree but when you penalize schools for not being able to close the gap, you get this BS. They should try to close it, but the gap exists bc of factors outside the school system.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The downfall is the focus on equity instead of academic excellence. FcpS will fund the undesirable schools lucratively but choke off the better schools. it's a form of reverse bussing.

You want school systems to stop putting so much emphasis on equity? You need to change federal law and how funding works. You fools keep screaming about the school board but this goes way above the SB or FCPS. You want a school system that doesn’t have to worry about equity? Move to a white UMC area with a small/town system. Boom. Problem solved.

DP. Worrying about equity by dumbing down classes, making classes easier and graduation requirements lower, lowering standards when some students do not do the work (that's why there's no more homework), etc. is not good for anyone. A school district can focus on both excellence and equity, one does not need to be sacrificed for the other. That's foolish.

I don’t disagree but when you penalize schools for not being able to close the gap, you get this BS. They should try to close it, but the gap exists bc of factors outside the school system.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The downfall is the focus on equity instead of academic excellence. FcpS will fund the undesirable schools lucratively but choke off the better schools. it's a form of reverse bussing.

You want school systems to stop putting so much emphasis on equity? You need to change federal law and how funding works. You fools keep screaming about the school board but this goes way above the SB or FCPS. You want a school system that doesn’t have to worry about equity? Move to a white UMC area with a small/town system. Boom. Problem solved.

DP. Worrying about equity by dumbing down classes, making classes easier and graduation requirements lower, lowering standards when some students do not do the work (that's why there's no more homework), etc. is not good for anyone. A school district can focus on both excellence and equity, one does not need to be sacrificed for the other. That's foolish.

I don’t disagree but when you penalize schools for not being able to close the gap, you get this BS. They should try to close it, but the gap exists bc of factors outside the school system.

No, the school board really is focused on equity more than excellence. Remember how the previous superintendent saying that the main thing (teaching/educating) is the main thing - and then he stopped saying that and started focusing on equity.

As for penalizing schools for not being able to close the gap - are you referring to Greastschools? VA DOE at one time threatened to remove the accreditation of one of the Fairfax high schools that was scoring poorly and then changed the accrediting requirements so that threat is gone now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The downfall is the focus on equity instead of academic excellence. FcpS will fund the undesirable schools lucratively but choke off the better schools. it's a form of reverse bussing.

Please point out specifically how schools like Annandale, Mount Vernon, and Lewis are being funded lucratively. Each of these schools has a high-SES neighbor pyramid that has received far more lucrative facilities. West Springfield, Woodson, and West Potomac. Just stop with the nonsense that poor schools are being treated better because of equity. Sure, Falls Church HS and Justice HS are coincidentally getting renovations. That doesn't mean all poorer schools get the luxury treatment.
.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The downfall is the focus on equity instead of academic excellence. FcpS will fund the undesirable schools lucratively but choke off the better schools. it's a form of reverse bussing.

Please point out specifically how schools like Annandale, Mount Vernon, and Lewis are being funded lucratively. Each of these schools has a high-SES neighbor pyramid that has received far more lucrative facilities. West Springfield, Woodson, and West Potomac. Just stop with the nonsense that poor schools are being treated better because of equity. Sure, Falls Church HS and Justice HS are coincidentally getting renovations. That doesn't mean all poorer schools get the luxury treatment.
.

Not PP but FCPS has an operating budget and a capital budget. Facilities enhancements come out of the capital budget and largely but not entirely are based on a renovation queue established in 2008. The allocation of funding to schools in the operating budget gets less attention but the spending per student at schools with more poverty in the operating budget is higher than the spending per student at schools with less poverty. It’s primarily driven by the staffing ratios and the number of additional administrators and specialists at some schools.

When it comes to facilities, just about any of the older schools built in the 1950s will be in worse shape than schools built and renovated later, although Justice and Madison got or are getting additions while other older schools did not. Falls Church was built later and was due for (and is now getting) a full renovation. Justice is not getting a full renovation, but is getting an addition. A lot of the focus on the “equity” of facilities enhancements lately has centered around McLean, which is older and more overcrowded than both Justice and Madison but has been denied an addition. But it’s hard to generalize from these situations precisely because there’s no obvious rhyme or reason to when FCPS decides to favor some schools that weren’t otherwise scheduled for a full renovation with an addition.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The downfall is the focus on equity instead of academic excellence. FcpS will fund the undesirable schools lucratively but choke off the better schools. it's a form of reverse bussing.

You want school systems to stop putting so much emphasis on equity? You need to change federal law and how funding works. You fools keep screaming about the school board but this goes way above the SB or FCPS. You want a school system that doesn’t have to worry about equity? Move to a white UMC area with a small/town system. Boom. Problem solved.

DP. Worrying about equity by dumbing down classes, making classes easier and graduation requirements lower, lowering standards when some students do not do the work (that's why there's no more homework), etc. is not good for anyone. A school district can focus on both excellence and equity, one does not need to be sacrificed for the other. That's foolish.

I don’t disagree but when you penalize schools for not being able to close the gap, you get this BS. They should try to close it, but the gap exists bc of factors outside the school system.

No, the school board really is focused on equity more than excellence. Remember how the previous superintendent saying that the main thing (teaching/educating) is the main thing - and then he stopped saying that and started focusing on equity.

As for penalizing schools for not being able to close the gap - are you referring to Greastschools? VA DOE at one time threatened to remove the accreditation of one of the Fairfax high schools that was scoring poorly and then changed the accrediting requirements so that threat is gone now.

I’m not taking about GS. Who cares about GS. I’m talking about funding.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The downfall is the focus on equity instead of academic excellence. FcpS will fund the undesirable schools lucratively but choke off the better schools. it's a form of reverse bussing.

You want school systems to stop putting so much emphasis on equity? You need to change federal law and how funding works. You fools keep screaming about the school board but this goes way above the SB or FCPS. You want a school system that doesn’t have to worry about equity? Move to a white UMC area with a small/town system. Boom. Problem solved.

DP. Worrying about equity by dumbing down classes, making classes easier and graduation requirements lower, lowering standards when some students do not do the work (that's why there's no more homework), etc. is not good for anyone. A school district can focus on both excellence and equity, one does not need to be sacrificed for the other. That's foolish.

I don’t disagree but when you penalize schools for not being able to close the gap, you get this BS. They should try to close it, but the gap exists bc of factors outside the school system.

No, the school board really is focused on equity more than excellence. Remember how the previous superintendent saying that the main thing (teaching/educating) is the main thing - and then he stopped saying that and started focusing on equity.

As for penalizing schools for not being able to close the gap - are you referring to Greastschools? VA DOE at one time threatened to remove the accreditation of one of the Fairfax high schools that was scoring poorly and then changed the accrediting requirements so that threat is gone now.

That was just public relations. FCPS is so racist, he was trying to cover it up be saying he was focused on equity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The downfall is the focus on equity instead of academic excellence. FcpS will fund the undesirable schools lucratively but choke off the better schools. it's a form of reverse bussing.

You want school systems to stop putting so much emphasis on equity? You need to change federal law and how funding works. You fools keep screaming about the school board but this goes way above the SB or FCPS. You want a school system that doesn’t have to worry about equity? Move to a white UMC area with a small/town system. Boom. Problem solved.

DP. Worrying about equity by dumbing down classes, making classes easier and graduation requirements lower, lowering standards when some students do not do the work (that's why there's no more homework), etc. is not good for anyone. A school district can focus on both excellence and equity, one does not need to be sacrificed for the other. That's foolish.

I don’t disagree but when you penalize schools for not being able to close the gap, you get this BS. They should try to close it, but the gap exists bc of factors outside the school system.

No, the school board really is focused on equity more than excellence. Remember how the previous superintendent saying that the main thing (teaching/educating) is the main thing - and then he stopped saying that and started focusing on equity.

As for penalizing schools for not being able to close the gap - are you referring to Greastschools? VA DOE at one time threatened to remove the accreditation of one of the Fairfax high schools that was scoring poorly and then changed the accrediting requirements so that threat is gone now.

So true.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The downfall is the focus on equity instead of academic excellence. FcpS will fund the undesirable schools lucratively but choke off the better schools. it's a form of reverse bussing.

You want school systems to stop putting so much emphasis on equity? You need to change federal law and how funding works. You fools keep screaming about the school board but this goes way above the SB or FCPS. You want a school system that doesn’t have to worry about equity? Move to a white UMC area with a small/town system. Boom. Problem solved.

DP. Worrying about equity by dumbing down classes, making classes easier and graduation requirements lower, lowering standards when some students do not do the work (that's why there's no more homework), etc. is not good for anyone. A school district can focus on both excellence and equity, one does not need to be sacrificed for the other. That's foolish.

I don’t disagree but when you penalize schools for not being able to close the gap, you get this BS. They should try to close it, but the gap exists bc of factors outside the school system.

No, the school board really is focused on equity more than excellence. Remember how the previous superintendent saying that the main thing (teaching/educating) is the main thing - and then he stopped saying that and started focusing on equity.

As for penalizing schools for not being able to close the gap - are you referring to Greastschools? VA DOE at one time threatened to remove the accreditation of one of the Fairfax high schools that was scoring poorly and then changed the accrediting requirements so that threat is gone now.

I’m not taking about GS. Who cares about GS. I’m talking about funding.

Failing schools get more funding - not less.

You're talking about GS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The downfall is the focus on equity instead of academic excellence. FcpS will fund the undesirable schools lucratively but choke off the better schools. it's a form of reverse bussing.

You want school systems to stop putting so much emphasis on equity? You need to change federal law and how funding works. You fools keep screaming about the school board but this goes way above the SB or FCPS. You want a school system that doesn’t have to worry about equity? Move to a white UMC area with a small/town system. Boom. Problem solved.

DP. Worrying about equity by dumbing down classes, making classes easier and graduation requirements lower, lowering standards when some students do not do the work (that's why there's no more homework), etc. is not good for anyone. A school district can focus on both excellence and equity, one does not need to be sacrificed for the other. That's foolish.

I don’t disagree but when you penalize schools for not being able to close the gap, you get this BS. They should try to close it, but the gap exists bc of factors outside the school system.

No, the school board really is focused on equity more than excellence. Remember how the previous superintendent saying that the main thing (teaching/educating) is the main thing - and then he stopped saying that and started focusing on equity.

As for penalizing schools for not being able to close the gap - are you referring to Greastschools? VA DOE at one time threatened to remove the accreditation of one of the Fairfax high schools that was scoring poorly and then changed the accrediting requirements so that threat is gone now.

So true.

TC Williams (now Alexandria City HS) was the local high school most at risk of losing state accreditation but it is not an FCPS school.

I believe Justice, which is an FCPS high school, was "accredited with warning" for a while due primarily to its absenteeism and dropout rate. It and Whitman MS are only "accredited with conditions" now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DH and I are both FCPS graduates from the mid 1980s.

Parents of FCPS students from 2005-present.

DH was one of the early GT program participants, as was one of my siblings. GT program was initially a pull out enrichment and quasi socialization opportunity for the then often socially maligned bright students to form friendships and be challenged academically - together. GT teachers enjoyed their relatively small group of 5th-6th grade students. GT students met for a class period to work on enrichment projects and accept challenging homework projects.

FCPS thought was that these highly intelligent students would be so utterly bored in upper ES that they’d begin to act out and completely lose interest and pursue a life of delinquency or just about as terrible, not attend college.

Overlay all with a steep population decline particularly in older suburbs, leading to formerly “neighborhood” ES (all walked) and suddenly FCPS had to confront closing schools.

Some did close or get converted to admin or municipal offices.

But circa late 1980s, there was a wave of boundary changes and every ES formerly on chopping block needed a “hook” to boost population and keep the infrastructure viable. Examples include GT/AAP Centers (and levels), TJHSST, Head Start, academies, language immersion, AP v. IB.

I’ve been called overly dramatic when I’ve PP on similar threads, but clearly FCPS newest initiative to view schools through an equity lens means that academic excellence is no longer important; becoming world citizens or other such blather is emphasized. Read a few principal-written mission statements on the official school websites and tell me I’m wrong.

This is what gifted was for me too - in Florida in the 90s. I don't remember ever getting any sort of advanced coursework in regular classes but once a week, every week, we'd go to the gifted room and do brain teasers, enrichment projects, Odyssey of the Mind, etc. It's actually interesting that they've shifted from that to providing advanced work in actual core subjects - I don't know which is "better" - but is there a reason so many school districts shifted away from this model?

All kids benefit from a small class session if brain teaser, enrichment, and Odyssey of the Mind, so savvy parents tried to get their non-gifted kids in.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DH and I are both FCPS graduates from the mid 1980s.

Parents of FCPS students from 2005-present.

DH was one of the early GT program participants, as was one of my siblings. GT program was initially a pull out enrichment and quasi socialization opportunity for the then often socially maligned bright students to form friendships and be challenged academically - together. GT teachers enjoyed their relatively small group of 5th-6th grade students. GT students met for a class period to work on enrichment projects and accept challenging homework projects.

FCPS thought was that these highly intelligent students would be so utterly bored in upper ES that they’d begin to act out and completely lose interest and pursue a life of delinquency or just about as terrible, not attend college.

Overlay all with a steep population decline particularly in older suburbs, leading to formerly “neighborhood” ES (all walked) and suddenly FCPS had to confront closing schools.

Some did close or get converted to admin or municipal offices.

But circa late 1980s, there was a wave of boundary changes and every ES formerly on chopping block needed a “hook” to boost population and keep the infrastructure viable. Examples include GT/AAP Centers (and levels), TJHSST, Head Start, academies, language immersion, AP v. IB.

I’ve been called overly dramatic when I’ve PP on similar threads, but clearly FCPS newest initiative to view schools through an equity lens means that academic excellence is no longer important; becoming world citizens or other such blather is emphasized. Read a few principal-written mission statements on the official school websites and tell me I’m wrong.

This is what gifted was for me too - in Florida in the 90s. I don't remember ever getting any sort of advanced coursework in regular classes but once a week, every week, we'd go to the gifted room and do brain teasers, enrichment projects, Odyssey of the Mind, etc. It's actually interesting that they've shifted from that to providing advanced work in actual core subjects - I don't know which is "better" - but is there a reason so many school districts shifted away from this model?

All kids benefit from a small class session if brain teaser, enrichment, and Odyssey of the Mind, so savvy parents tried to get their non-gifted kids in.

The once a week pull-out programs do not meet the needs of advanced learners. They are just a nice "add-on" to all education.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DH and I are both FCPS graduates from the mid 1980s.

Parents of FCPS students from 2005-present.

DH was one of the early GT program participants, as was one of my siblings. GT program was initially a pull out enrichment and quasi socialization opportunity for the then often socially maligned bright students to form friendships and be challenged academically - together. GT teachers enjoyed their relatively small group of 5th-6th grade students. GT students met for a class period to work on enrichment projects and accept challenging homework projects.

FCPS thought was that these highly intelligent students would be so utterly bored in upper ES that they’d begin to act out and completely lose interest and pursue a life of delinquency or just about as terrible, not attend college.

Overlay all with a steep population decline particularly in older suburbs, leading to formerly “neighborhood” ES (all walked) and suddenly FCPS had to confront closing schools.

Some did close or get converted to admin or municipal offices.

But circa late 1980s, there was a wave of boundary changes and every ES formerly on chopping block needed a “hook” to boost population and keep the infrastructure viable. Examples include GT/AAP Centers (and levels), TJHSST, Head Start, academies, language immersion, AP v. IB.

I’ve been called overly dramatic when I’ve PP on similar threads, but clearly FCPS newest initiative to view schools through an equity lens means that academic excellence is no longer important; becoming world citizens or other such blather is emphasized. Read a few principal-written mission statements on the official school websites and tell me I’m wrong.

This is what gifted was for me too - in Florida in the 90s. I don't remember ever getting any sort of advanced coursework in regular classes but once a week, every week, we'd go to the gifted room and do brain teasers, enrichment projects, Odyssey of the Mind, etc. It's actually interesting that they've shifted from that to providing advanced work in actual core subjects - I don't know which is "better" - but is there a reason so many school districts shifted away from this model?

All kids benefit from a small class session if brain teaser, enrichment, and Odyssey of the Mind, so savvy parents tried to get their non-gifted kids in.

The once a week pull-out programs do not meet the needs of advanced learners. They are just a nice "add-on" to all education.

You are kidding yourself if you think all the kids selected for AAP are advanced learners. If they all are so advanced, none should get below a 500 on an SOL and if they do, they should be removed from AAP the following year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The downfall is the focus on equity instead of academic excellence. FcpS will fund the undesirable schools lucratively but choke off the better schools. it's a form of reverse bussing.

You want school systems to stop putting so much emphasis on equity? You need to change federal law and how funding works. You fools keep screaming about the school board but this goes way above the SB or FCPS. You want a school system that doesn’t have to worry about equity? Move to a white UMC area with a small/town system. Boom. Problem solved.

DP. Worrying about equity by dumbing down classes, making classes easier and graduation requirements lower, lowering standards when some students do not do the work (that's why there's no more homework), etc. is not good for anyone. A school district can focus on both excellence and equity, one does not need to be sacrificed for the other. That's foolish.

I don’t disagree but when you penalize schools for not being able to close the gap, you get this BS. They should try to close it, but the gap exists bc of factors outside the school system.

No, the school board really is focused on equity more than excellence. Remember how the previous superintendent saying that the main thing (teaching/educating) is the main thing - and then he stopped saying that and started focusing on equity.

As for penalizing schools for not being able to close the gap - are you referring to Greastschools? VA DOE at one time threatened to remove the accreditation of one of the Fairfax high schools that was scoring poorly and then changed the accrediting requirements so that threat is gone now.

At one point the SB’s priority was immigration reform. It’s baffling.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No meaningful homework. Or graded homework. No novels. Test retakes. Minimum grading for breathing. No discipline allowed. LRE allowing truly troubled kids to become the other children’s responsibility vs the parents. The list goes on and on. Add in the spike of post Covid child behavioral issues. Sad.

This +100 plus add in the whole One Fairfax and focusing too much on educational issues that don't belong in schools. Plus overcrowded schools.