Mount Vernon?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Another option is to get rid of AP except for students taking 9 or more AP courses and the capstone course.

AP is very popular with a majority of families.

IB is popular with some families and seen as a drawback by many families.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Here is a crazy, crazy idea. Make Lee the sole IB school in the county. Include bussing from anywhere. Redistribute the students from Lee to neighboring schools.

One reason why I think it would work is that if you took the whole county's IB participation, it would likely only fill a single school. So why bother spreading it around. That way demand matches the usage. And the building is used.

This is actually a very sound idea.

I could be wrong, but my sense is that both Marshall and South Lakes are very invested in their IB programs. They get pupil placements from surrounding AP schools that boost their enrollments and test scores, and people in both communities would fight very hard to keep IB. Robinson has a big IB program, too, but I'd bet most (not all) parents there would favor having a full menu of AP courses over IB and a handful of AP courses, which is what they have currently. Fairfax Station and Clifton are fairly conservative areas, and areas like that tend to prefer AP over IB given a choice.

As for the other five schools, shrinking IB from five to one or two schools would make sense. I'd keep IB at Lee, since Edison has the Edison Academy, and maybe Stuart, but get rid of it at Annandale, Edison and Mount Vernon. It would attract more IB students to Lee and stem pupil placements from the other IB schools to AP schools like Woodson, Lake Braddock and West Potomac.

But this is FCPS, so none of this will ever be up for reconsideration. It would be tantamount to conceding that FCPS made a bad decision installing IB at so many schools, and FCPS never acknowledges mistakes.

That's a good point. I do think if it was built as a cost cutting measure, they might try this. I don't know what IB participation rates at Marshall and South Lakes looks like, but I do think you could probably get away with a single IB school (i.e. Lee) to serve South County, Lake Braddock, West Springfield, Mount Vernon, West Potomac, Edison, Annadale, Woodson. I imagine if you were to limit the school to solely IB, you could probably even absorb capacity from Robinson (many parents would likely have their kids switch to AP to avoid bussing).

Having the 3 IB schools (South Lakes, Marshall, and ONE in the eastern/northern part of the county - not the cluster of Edison/Lee/Annandale/Stuart/Mount Vernon which are all pretty close to one another) would make a lot of sense. Then turn the rest of them into AP. If you keep IB at Lee, maybe students from those areas would pupil place and improve the school as a whole.

But seriously, it makes no sense that Lee and Edison are both IB. They are on the same damn road.

I completely agree (and put up the crazy idea). I think the whole point is that if we could turn Lee into a higher performing "choice" school would be a great way to utilize an underused school that is surrounded by schools that either have space or could accommodate space if Lee is turned into a choice school. I agree, keeping South Lakes and Marshall makes sense. But I would send kids from Stuart, Robinson, Lake Braddock, South County, West Springfield, Mount Vernon, Edison, West Potomac, Annadale, Woodson, and Hayfield who want to pursue IB coursework to a single school.

I disagree. As posted up thread, the numbers are too great to fit them all in a single school.

There were 502 diploma candidates in the Class of 2013. I'm not sure if FCPS has made that information available for later years.

Obviously you could not fit all the kids taking at least IB course into one high school (duh). You could possibly fit all the IB diploma candidates into one school, although it might be difficult to identify the pre-IB diploma students who are freshmen and sophomores. A lot of kids start out at IB high schools now thinking they may do the full diploma program, and then bail on it with no consequences.

However you slice it, there is no need for eight IB high schools in FCPS when the number of actual diploma candidates would fit in one school.

IB is more than just the IB Diploma. As long as IB is treated the same way AP is, I think it is equitable.

There is no real point to IB without the diploma as it is intended to be an integrated course of studies. And treating IB the same would mean spending less per student and getting rid of the full-time IB coordinators and AP does not impose a similar requirement on schools that offer AP courses. IB is too expensive to have at so many schools for what FCPS is getting in return.

There are IB certificate programs and there are IB course options that can be partnered together to make an interdisciplinary solution that AP cannot replicate. The IB coordinators are paid to cover the IB diploma candidates anyway, so there is no additional cost for their apportionment over certificate and individual courses.

There is no real point to AP, either, especially since more and more colleges are not offering college credit for 4s and 5s as exam scores.

If you say so. You do realize this thread exists because there are so many people unhappy with their assigned IB schools.

[Anonymous]

IB probably wouldn't be viewed so negatively if it wasn't so correlated with the poorest performing schools in the county.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:IB probably wouldn't be viewed so negatively if it wasn't so correlated with the poorest performing schools in the county.

Even though there are many successful IB students from "the poorest performing schools in the county" heading off to excellent colleges and universities (such as MIT, Stanford, Brown, UVA, etc.).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You do realize this thread exists because there are so many people unhappy with their assigned IB schools.

No, I did not realize that as I thought the thread existed due to a question about the quality of the administration at Mount Vernon HS.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:IB probably wouldn't be viewed so negatively if it wasn't so correlated with the poorest performing schools in the county.

Even though there are many successful IB students from "the poorest performing schools in the county" heading off to excellent colleges and universities (such as MIT, Stanford, Brown, UVA, etc.).

Many? Not even close. But as long as a few IB parents and bureaucrats keep pushing the IB Kool-Aid, we'll keep throwing money at low-performing. declining IB schools like Mount Vernon and Lee. At least you can transfer...

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:IB probably wouldn't be viewed so negatively if it wasn't so correlated with the poorest performing schools in the county.

Even though there are many successful IB students from "the poorest performing schools in the county" heading off to excellent colleges and universities (such as MIT, Stanford, Brown, UVA, etc.).

Many? Not even close. But as long as a few IB parents and bureaucrats keep pushing the IB Kool-Aid, we'll keep throwing money at low-performing. declining IB schools like Mount Vernon and Lee. At least you can transfer...

So glad you know these specifics! Please post a listing of the graduates of FCPS high schools, what program they were enrolled in, and where they attend college. Thank you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:IB probably wouldn't be viewed so negatively if it wasn't so correlated with the poorest performing schools in the county.

Even though there are many successful IB students from "the poorest performing schools in the county" heading off to excellent colleges and universities (such as MIT, Stanford, Brown, UVA, etc.).

Many? Not even close. But as long as a few IB parents and bureaucrats keep pushing the IB Kool-Aid, we'll keep throwing money at low-performing. declining IB schools like Mount Vernon and Lee. At least you can transfer...

Totally agree. Most of these kids at Mount Vernon and Lee are just going to end up in blue collar service jobs. Why even spend money to educate them? We'd be better off starting them in vocational training for professions like maid service, landscaping, and 7/11 day laborers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:IB probably wouldn't be viewed so negatively if it wasn't so correlated with the poorest performing schools in the county.

Even though there are many successful IB students from "the poorest performing schools in the county" heading off to excellent colleges and universities (such as MIT, Stanford, Brown, UVA, etc.).

Many? Not even close. But as long as a few IB parents and bureaucrats keep pushing the IB Kool-Aid, we'll keep throwing money at low-performing. declining IB schools like Mount Vernon and Lee. At least you can transfer...

Totally agree. Most of these kids at Mount Vernon and Lee are just going to end up in blue collar service jobs. Why even spend money to educate them? We'd be better off starting them in vocational training for professions like maid service, landscaping, and 7/11 day laborers.

No one is saying that.

Fewer IB programs. Change several of those IB schools to AP.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:IB probably wouldn't be viewed so negatively if it wasn't so correlated with the poorest performing schools in the county.

Even though there are many successful IB students from "the poorest performing schools in the county" heading off to excellent colleges and universities (such as MIT, Stanford, Brown, UVA, etc.).

Many? Not even close. But as long as a few IB parents and bureaucrats keep pushing the IB Kool-Aid, we'll keep throwing money at low-performing. declining IB schools like Mount Vernon and Lee. At least you can transfer...

Totally agree. Most of these kids at Mount Vernon and Lee are just going to end up in blue collar service jobs. Why even spend money to educate them? We'd be better off starting them in vocational training for professions like maid service, landscaping, and 7/11 day laborers.

No one is saying that.

Fewer IB programs. Change several of those IB schools to AP.

To be honest, I really don't care that much. Just keep those kids out of my school pyramid and in the low performing pyramid in which they belong.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:IB probably wouldn't be viewed so negatively if it wasn't so correlated with the poorest performing schools in the county.

Even though there are many successful IB students from "the poorest performing schools in the county" heading off to excellent colleges and universities (such as MIT, Stanford, Brown, UVA, etc.).

Many? Not even close. But as long as a few IB parents and bureaucrats keep pushing the IB Kool-Aid, we'll keep throwing money at low-performing. declining IB schools like Mount Vernon and Lee. At least you can transfer...

Totally agree. Most of these kids at Mount Vernon and Lee are just going to end up in blue collar service jobs. Why even spend money to educate them? We'd be better off starting them in vocational training for professions like maid service, landscaping, and 7/11 day laborers.

No one is saying that.

Fewer IB programs. Change several of those IB schools to AP.

To be honest, I really don't care that much. Just keep those kids out of my school pyramid and in the low performing pyramid in which they belong.

Yes! Let's build a wall -- and make THEM pay for it!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:IB probably wouldn't be viewed so negatively if it wasn't so correlated with the poorest performing schools in the county.

Even though there are many successful IB students from "the poorest performing schools in the county" heading off to excellent colleges and universities (such as MIT, Stanford, Brown, UVA, etc.).

Many? Not even close. But as long as a few IB parents and bureaucrats keep pushing the IB Kool-Aid, we'll keep throwing money at low-performing. declining IB schools like Mount Vernon and Lee. At least you can transfer...

Totally agree. Most of these kids at Mount Vernon and Lee are just going to end up in blue collar service jobs. Why even spend money to educate them? We'd be better off starting them in vocational training for professions like maid service, landscaping, and 7/11 day laborers.

No one is saying that.

Fewer IB programs. Change several of those IB schools to AP.

To be honest, I really don't care that much. Just keep those kids out of my school pyramid and in the low performing pyramid in which they belong.

Yes! Let's build a wall -- and make THEM pay for it!

Now that's a great idea! Let's make Fairfax County great again! (Or, at least the parts that aren't garbage like Lee and amount Vernon)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:IB probably wouldn't be viewed so negatively if it wasn't so correlated with the poorest performing schools in the county.

Even though there are many successful IB students from "the poorest performing schools in the county" heading off to excellent colleges and universities (such as MIT, Stanford, Brown, UVA, etc.).

Many? Not even close. But as long as a few IB parents and bureaucrats keep pushing the IB Kool-Aid, we'll keep throwing money at low-performing. declining IB schools like Mount Vernon and Lee. At least you can transfer...

Totally agree. Most of these kids at Mount Vernon and Lee are just going to end up in blue collar service jobs. Why even spend money to educate them? We'd be better off starting them in vocational training for professions like maid service, landscaping, and 7/11 day laborers.

No one is saying that.

Fewer IB programs. Change several of those IB schools to AP.

To be honest, I really don't care that much. Just keep those kids out of my school pyramid and in the low performing pyramid in which they belong.

Yes! Let's build a wall -- and make THEM pay for it!

Now that's a great idea! Let's make Fairfax County great again! (Or, at least the parts that aren't garbage like Lee and amount Vernon)

Your trolling does not make you look clever.

It does not make any of the other posters look bad.

It just makes you look like an asshole with a poor sense of humor.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:IB probably wouldn't be viewed so negatively if it wasn't so correlated with the poorest performing schools in the county.

Even though there are many successful IB students from "the poorest performing schools in the county" heading off to excellent colleges and universities (such as MIT, Stanford, Brown, UVA, etc.).

They are the exception. The vast majority of students at the IB schools are not doing nearly so well. You're very lucky if your student is one of the few successful students.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:IB probably wouldn't be viewed so negatively if it wasn't so correlated with the poorest performing schools in the county.

Even though there are many successful IB students from "the poorest performing schools in the county" heading off to excellent colleges and universities (such as MIT, Stanford, Brown, UVA, etc.).

Many? Not even close. But as long as a few IB parents and bureaucrats keep pushing the IB Kool-Aid, we'll keep throwing money at low-performing. declining IB schools like Mount Vernon and Lee. At least you can transfer...

Totally agree. Most of these kids at Mount Vernon and Lee are just going to end up in blue collar service jobs. Why even spend money to educate them? We'd be better off starting them in vocational training for professions like maid service, landscaping, and 7/11 day laborers.

No one is saying that.

Fewer IB programs. Change several of those IB schools to AP.

^This. IB was an experiment when it replaced AP at Mount Vernon and Lee.

Let's be honest and admit it didn't stop the flow of white kids out of those schools and is a waste of money. If we can use those schools as labs to test the appeal of IB, we can also use them as labs to test whether having fewer IB schools is better.