FCPS comprehensive boundary review

[Anonymous]

Comments were turned off for this thread and redirected here https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/15/1243778.page

Guessing the moderator thought it was redundant. This comment was pretty on point on what we are dealing with

"You only have to listen to the citizen participation at last night's School Board meeting to know there's a lot of discontent with FCPS leadership and the School Board across a host of issues. It raises fundamental issues about public trust and the competence and integrity of those running FCPS.

But, they are so aligned with the Fairfax Democrats that any criticism is treated as treason and they can count on loyalists to try and ridicule any critics. I quit the Fairfax Democrats when one mild, semi-public criticism of a former School Board member endorsed by the FCDC prompted a multi-paragraph, stinging rebuke about how we needed to support the School Board and any criticism was playing into the hands of MAGA types. You simply couldn't have an honest conversation."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Comments were turned off for this thread and redirected here https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/15/1243778.page

Guessing the moderator thought it was redundant. This comment was pretty on point on what we are dealing with

"You only have to listen to the citizen participation at last night's School Board meeting to know there's a lot of discontent with FCPS leadership and the School Board across a host of issues. It raises fundamental issues about public trust and the competence and integrity of those running FCPS.

But, they are so aligned with the Fairfax Democrats that any criticism is treated as treason and they can count on loyalists to try and ridicule any critics. I quit the Fairfax Democrats when one mild, semi-public criticism of a former School Board member endorsed by the FCDC prompted a multi-paragraph, stinging rebuke about how we needed to support the School Board and any criticism was playing into the hands of MAGA types. You simply couldn't have an honest conversation."

I'm the OP of that thread. I am honestly wanting to know what is the most straightforward way to put this nonsense to a stop? I am not even conservative but I loathe the way the school board is using their power to further political goals even if it means turning people's lives upside down. It's not right.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Comments were turned off for this thread and redirected here https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/15/1243778.page

Guessing the moderator thought it was redundant. This comment was pretty on point on what we are dealing with

"You only have to listen to the citizen participation at last night's School Board meeting to know there's a lot of discontent with FCPS leadership and the School Board across a host of issues. It raises fundamental issues about public trust and the competence and integrity of those running FCPS.

But, they are so aligned with the Fairfax Democrats that any criticism is treated as treason and they can count on loyalists to try and ridicule any critics. I quit the Fairfax Democrats when one mild, semi-public criticism of a former School Board member endorsed by the FCDC prompted a multi-paragraph, stinging rebuke about how we needed to support the School Board and any criticism was playing into the hands of MAGA types. You simply couldn't have an honest conversation."

I'm the OP of that thread. I am honestly wanting to know what is the most straightforward way to put this nonsense to a stop? I am not even conservative but I loathe the way the school board is using their power to further political goals even if it means turning people's lives upside down. It's not right.

You can attend the regional boundary meetings.

You can email School Board members. Maybe email Board of Supervisors members as well since the BOS approves the county transfer to FCPS.

If you're in an area with a citizens association that takes an interest in education matters, you can get involved with those committees and try and convince them to express a point of view. It always helps when elected officials think they are dealing with people who represent more voters.

There may be specialized Facebook pages or threads on Next Door where you can make contact with others who have similar concerns.

Overall, no one knows yet what will happen with this boundary review. They could swing big or they could swing small. One of the big issues that remains unresolved is the grandfathering or phasing in of boundary changes. People do NOT want their kids in high school to have to switch schools, which suggests generous grandfathering. But if there is generous grandfathering, that limits the number of boundaries they can change and still provide transportation. So they may end up making fewer changes than people fear. Probably the nightmare scenario for many would be they change lots of boundaries, provide little grandfathering, and tell kids it will be character-building and an opportunity for them to show amazing resilience if they attend new schools once already in high school.

That's all I have for you. Others might have other or better ideas.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
I went and listened to this week’s BOD mtg. Maybe the road map is Vanessa H. She was around 43 minutes in.

She signaled she is strongly Democratic at the start end and a bit throughout and then positioned the boundary moves most people don’t want to see as clearly not truthful and bad rumors the SB should shut down.

In other words, she's fine if they change other school boundaries for the fake reasons proffered by the School Board but wants to reiterate that Mantua should be unscathed.

What a phony.

I copied this from the shutdown thread. I though Vanessa H was brilliant. I loved how she flattered the SB then listed the ridiculous "rumors" circulating in her neighborhood: high-performing kids will be moved into low performing schools to make those schools look better. She managed to confront them with what we all think is the true motivation of the SB and also pointed out their lack of transparency at the same time. I saw it as satire.

[Anonymous]

If you're in an area with a citizens association that takes an interest in education matters, you can get involved with those committees and try and convince them to express a point of view. It always helps when elected officials think they are dealing with people who represent more voters.

This is a good idea. It seems that even neighborhood HOAs could play a role. It would also let voters without kids or empty nesters know what is going on with SB.

[Anonymous]

If you're in an area with a citizens association that takes an interest in education matters, you can get involved with those committees and try and convince them to express a point of view. It always helps when elected officials think they are dealing with people who represent more voters.

This is a good idea. It seems that even neighborhood HOAs could play a role. It would also let voters without kids or empty nesters know what is going on with SB.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
I went and listened to this week’s BOD mtg. Maybe the road map is Vanessa H. She was around 43 minutes in.

She signaled she is strongly Democratic at the start end and a bit throughout and then positioned the boundary moves most people don’t want to see as clearly not truthful and bad rumors the SB should shut down.

In other words, she's fine if they change other school boundaries for the fake reasons proffered by the School Board but wants to reiterate that Mantua should be unscathed.

What a phony.

I copied this from the shutdown thread. I though Vanessa H was brilliant. I loved how she flattered the SB then listed the ridiculous "rumors" circulating in her neighborhood: high-performing kids will be moved into low performing schools to make those schools look better. She managed to confront them with what we all think is the true motivation of the SB and also pointed out their lack of transparency at the same time. I saw it as satire.

Probably the healthiest way to interpret it. The alternative was to view it as an exercise in extreme flattery intended to buy a pass for her own neighborhood from any rezoning consideration. But performance art is often easier to stomach than hypocrisy.

[Anonymous]

Vanessa H last night was a real example of why this will fail or be politically disastrous. She is an extreme equity warrior, but was furious at a rumor that her school might be affected.

She came off as a real hypocrite.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Vanessa H last night was a real example of why this will fail or be politically disastrous. She is an extreme equity warrior, but was furious at a rumor that her school might be affected.

She came off as a real hypocrite.

Nah- she was playing the school board on itself in an attempt to hold them to higher ideals.

Basically, she was saying ‘You up there on the board have higher ideals than to just move kids around to make it look good to VDOE. In fact, you have spoken against the new VDOE standards as being too simplistic and made to forward the republican agenda. That has been your argument (St John-cunning’s sent out a newsletter saying this, IDK if others have) , so of COURSE you wouldn’t change course now and decide you need to move kids to make your schools meet these standards you have already denigrated. You KNOW the standards suck, so you aren’t going to move our kids just so you are going to meet these self-proclaimed crappy standards”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Vanessa H last night was a real example of why this will fail or be politically disastrous. She is an extreme equity warrior, but was furious at a rumor that her school might be affected.

She came off as a real hypocrite.

Nah- she was playing the school board on itself in an attempt to hold them to higher ideals.

Basically, she was saying ‘You up there on the board have higher ideals than to just move kids around to make it look good to VDOE. In fact, you have spoken against the new VDOE standards as being too simplistic and made to forward the republican agenda. That has been your argument (St John-cunning’s sent out a newsletter saying this, IDK if others have) , so of COURSE you wouldn’t change course now and decide you need to move kids to make your schools meet these standards you have already denigrated. You KNOW the standards suck, so you aren’t going to move our kids just so you are going to meet these self-proclaimed crappy standards”

Same thing. She'd redistrict in a heartbeat if it involved someone else's school and was expressly characterized as intended to align with the equity goals of One Fairfax.

They'd never say they were redistricting to achieve greater compliance with VDOE benchmarks, precisely because they are hard-wired to object to anything Youngkin's administration comes up with.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Vanessa H last night was a real example of why this will fail or be politically disastrous. She is an extreme equity warrior, but was furious at a rumor that her school might be affected.

She came off as a real hypocrite.

Nah- she was playing the school board on itself in an attempt to hold them to higher ideals.

Basically, she was saying ‘You up there on the board have higher ideals than to just move kids around to make it look good to VDOE. In fact, you have spoken against the new VDOE standards as being too simplistic and made to forward the republican agenda. That has been your argument (St John-cunning’s sent out a newsletter saying this, IDK if others have) , so of COURSE you wouldn’t change course now and decide you need to move kids to make your schools meet these standards you have already denigrated. You KNOW the standards suck, so you aren’t going to move our kids just so you are going to meet these self-proclaimed crappy standards”

Same thing. She'd redistrict in a heartbeat if it involved someone else's school and was expressly characterized as intended to align with the equity goals of One Fairfax.

They'd never say they were redistricting to achieve greater compliance with VDOE benchmarks, precisely because they are hard-wired to object to anything Youngkin's administration comes up with.

Exactly. Feels like we’re twisting ourselves into pretzels to try to defend a hypocrite who seems fine with boundary changes as long as they aren’t her own kids.

[Anonymous]

OMG only dissatisfied people are vocal. People who are super happy don't make a lot of noise. There are more of us than you, you just don't know it, sweetie pies.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OMG only dissatisfied people are vocal. People who are super happy don't make a lot of noise. There are more of us than you, you just don't know it, sweetie pies.

But you post all the time. You are your own counter example.🤷‍♂️

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OMG only dissatisfied people are vocal. People who are super happy don't make a lot of noise. There are more of us than you, you just don't know it, sweetie pies.

The irony....

[Anonymous]

Having gone through a boundary review in the past, I can tell you that it is an awful experience.

It pits neighborhood against neighborhood. Hard feelings among community members result.

It divides families into different schools. This costs money to families--contributing to the events and fundraising at additional schools. Creating transportation issues for after school activities, etc. I know one family whose kids went to three different high schools without moving.

No redistricting should be considered until other options are exhausted. Begin by eliminating IB--it gives families option of pupil placing that would not exist otherwise.

Be more vigilant about residency. The Hayfield fiasco--while based on a different scheme--is a great example of abuse. But, this abuse has gone on for years. Other school has a better team? My kid needs to take "X" language. Or, He has social issues at current school. He has anxiety and all his friends go to the other high school.

High schools create communities and people don't like change.

Take IB out of South Lakes and Lewis and pupil placement into South Lakes from Herndon would go down. Pupil placement out of Lewis would also decrease. Look at the numbers. That is an easy fix. No need to move boundaries.