Anyone know what is going on a Woodson?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I laugh when I see the area around Woodson referred to as blue collar or middle class. We could have afforded other areas but wanted to have good commutes, good schools and not be surrounded by assholes. We are a two SES household and do just fine on our 400k combined income. We save for college, go on vacations and our children do not suffer from our lost salaries.

It is middle class. No one said blue collar, and no one said middle class in a negative way. Middle class doesn't mean no vacations. Many families make significantly less than you do in that area, and may have a harder time saving for college, especially if they have multiple kids. I also don't think people calling the area middle class are being assholes. They are trying to figure out what could be an underlying cause for the suicides to see what can be done to help to prevent any more.

It's common for people to claim test scores are correlated with housing prices and/or income levels. Woodson has test scores similar to Madison and Oakton, where the housing is more expensive, and single-family housing prices similar to South Lakes, Robinson and Centreville, where the test scores are lower. Should that gap be viewed merely as a source of pride, or is it related to factors that have led Woodson to experience far more suicides than any other high school in NoVa? The only assholes on display are those who try to shut down the questions before they are asked, even as the tragedies continue.

Single family homes is the key phrase here. Woodson is almost entirely single family homes, with few townhouses/apartments in the boundary. South Lakes, Robinson, and Centreville have lots of townhouses. South Lakes has a lot of apartments/condos as well. I would suspect Oakton has far more townhouses and apartments/condos than Woodson. I've never understood why Oakton was considered so desirable, as the townhouses and condos around Blake Lane never looked very nice to me. I guess the parts further away are nicer.

What does the condo/townhouses has to do with the school scores?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I laugh when I see the area around Woodson referred to as blue collar or middle class. We could have afforded other areas but wanted to have good commutes, good schools and not be surrounded by assholes. We are a two SES household and do just fine on our 400k combined income. We save for college, go on vacations and our children do not suffer from our lost salaries.

It is middle class. No one said blue collar, and no one said middle class in a negative way. Middle class doesn't mean no vacations. Many families make significantly less than you do in that area, and may have a harder time saving for college, especially if they have multiple kids. I also don't think people calling the area middle class are being assholes. They are trying to figure out what could be an underlying cause for the suicides to see what can be done to help to prevent any more.

I have seen other threads where the area is referred to as blue collar. We live in the neighborhood too and I don't find any parents over the top or pushing their kids for test scores. One neighbor's kid is going to UVA and another to Mason- everyone thinks both aregreat for the kids. The suicides are terrible and I wish the school would reflect on their atmosphere. We are considering private for high school because of the pressure cooker reputation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I laugh when I see the area around Woodson referred to as blue collar or middle class. We could have afforded other areas but wanted to have good commutes, good schools and not be surrounded by assholes. We are a two SES household and do just fine on our 400k combined income. We save for college, go on vacations and our children do not suffer from our lost salaries.

It is middle class. No one said blue collar, and no one said middle class in a negative way. Middle class doesn't mean no vacations. Many families make significantly less than you do in that area, and may have a harder time saving for college, especially if they have multiple kids. I also don't think people calling the area middle class are being assholes. They are trying to figure out what could be an underlying cause for the suicides to see what can be done to help to prevent any more.

I have seen other threads where the area is referred to as blue collar. We live in the neighborhood too and I don't find any parents over the top or pushing their kids for test scores. One neighbor's kid is going to UVA and another to Mason- everyone thinks both aregreat for the kids. The suicides are terrible and I wish the school would reflect on their atmosphere. We are considering private for high school because of the pressure cooker reputation.

Good call.

[Anonymous]

Good luck with the plan that privates are less stressful. Absolutely not our experience. If anything, privates are worse.

https://www.washingtonian.com/2011/10/09/snowplow-parents-and-the-pressure-at-top-private-schools/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Good luck with the plan that privates are less stressful. Absolutely not our experience. If anything, privates are worse.

https://www.washingtonian.com/2011/10/09/snowplow-parents-and-the-pressure-at-top-private-schools/

Note the 'top' before private

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Good luck with the plan that privates are less stressful. Absolutely not our experience. If anything, privates are worse.

https://www.washingtonian.com/2011/10/09/snowplow-parents-and-the-pressure-at-top-private-schools/

+1000
I've never understood parents who actually believe there is less stress at a $40,000 private, where parents are absolutely paying for a guarantee that their kids will go to a top college. Far more pressure than even a high-demographic public.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What are the theories on why there are more suicides there? Has there been any change?

So odd how this is ignored. Can't just keep calling the stress card without specifics, or this will continue in FCPS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What are the theories on why there are more suicides there? Has there been any change?

So odd how this is ignored. Can't just keep calling the stress card without specifics, or this will continue in FCPS.

The stress is likely to do with the number of AP classes and extracurricular activities needed to get into even run of the mill colleges. There is nothing FCPS can do about that. If they limit the number of APs students can take, the same people saying something needs to be done would be complaining and moving their kids to a "better" school district. Privates can not offer APs or limit them, but given the parents in this area, FCPS would basically tank the property tax base, and see tremendous flight from the schools if it ever had the courage to limit APs. It also doesn't help that a big chunk of the NoVA slots for UVA goes to TJ kids because that school encourages uber competitiveness, so to stack up at another school against those kids is difficult. The AAP/TJ train has set FCPS on a path it can't get off of without huge backlash from both an economic and a school ranking perspective.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What are the theories on why there are more suicides there? Has there been any change?

So odd how this is ignored. Can't just keep calling the stress card without specifics, or this will continue in FCPS.

The stress is likely to do with the number of AP classes and extracurricular activities needed to get into even run of the mill colleges. There is nothing FCPS can do about that. If they limit the number of APs students can take, the same people saying something needs to be done would be complaining and moving their kids to a "better" school district. Privates can not offer APs or limit them, but given the parents in this area, FCPS would basically tank the property tax base, and see tremendous flight from the schools if it ever had the courage to limit APs. It also doesn't help that a big chunk of the NoVA slots for UVA goes to TJ kids because that school encourages uber competitiveness, so to stack up at another school against those kids is difficult. The AAP/TJ train has set FCPS on a path it can't get off of without huge backlash from both an economic and a school ranking perspective.

None of those issues are unique to Woodson. These may be your issues but they are not Woodson's issues.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What are the theories on why there are more suicides there? Has there been any change?

So odd how this is ignored. Can't just keep calling the stress card without specifics, or this will continue in FCPS.

The stress is likely to do with the number of AP classes and extracurricular activities needed to get into even run of the mill colleges. There is nothing FCPS can do about that. If they limit the number of APs students can take, the same people saying something needs to be done would be complaining and moving their kids to a "better" school district. Privates can not offer APs or limit them, but given the parents in this area, FCPS would basically tank the property tax base, and see tremendous flight from the schools if it ever had the courage to limit APs. It also doesn't help that a big chunk of the NoVA slots for UVA goes to TJ kids because that school encourages uber competitiveness, so to stack up at another school against those kids is difficult. The AAP/TJ train has set FCPS on a path it can't get off of without huge backlash from both an economic and a school ranking perspective.

None of those issues are unique to Woodson. These may be your issues but they are not Woodson's issues.

The preponderance of upteenth AP classes/exams at Woodson is part of the problem. And yes, this is a Woodson issue.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What are the theories on why there are more suicides there? Has there been any change?

So odd how this is ignored. Can't just keep calling the stress card without specifics, or this will continue in FCPS.

The stress is likely to do with the number of AP classes and extracurricular activities needed to get into even run of the mill colleges. There is nothing FCPS can do about that. If they limit the number of APs students can take, the same people saying something needs to be done would be complaining and moving their kids to a "better" school district. Privates can not offer APs or limit them, but given the parents in this area, FCPS would basically tank the property tax base, and see tremendous flight from the schools if it ever had the courage to limit APs. It also doesn't help that a big chunk of the NoVA slots for UVA goes to TJ kids because that school encourages uber competitiveness, so to stack up at another school against those kids is difficult. The AAP/TJ train has set FCPS on a path it can't get off of without huge backlash from both an economic and a school ranking perspective.

This, exactly. I would be thrilled if FCPS had a limit on AP classes. Colleges evaluate students in the context of what their high schools offer, course wise. So students aren't penalized for only taking a few AP classes if that's all that is offered/allowed to them. It's FCPS that needs to start enforcing strict limits.

That would go a long way in alleviating the academic stress.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What are the theories on why there are more suicides there? Has there been any change?

So odd how this is ignored. Can't just keep calling the stress card without specifics, or this will continue in FCPS.

The stress is likely to do with the number of AP classes and extracurricular activities needed to get into even run of the mill colleges. There is nothing FCPS can do about that. If they limit the number of APs students can take, the same people saying something needs to be done would be complaining and moving their kids to a "better" school district. Privates can not offer APs or limit them, but given the parents in this area, FCPS would basically tank the property tax base, and see tremendous flight from the schools if it ever had the courage to limit APs. It also doesn't help that a big chunk of the NoVA slots for UVA goes to TJ kids because that school encourages uber competitiveness, so to stack up at another school against those kids is difficult. The AAP/TJ train has set FCPS on a path it can't get off of without huge backlash from both an economic and a school ranking perspective.

None of those issues are unique to Woodson. These may be your issues but they are not Woodson's issues.

Not the PP, but I think s/he was saying these problems are FCPS-wide. And probably MCPS-wide as well. Any large, well-regarded school system is going to have these issues in common.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What are the theories on why there are more suicides there? Has there been any change?

So odd how this is ignored. Can't just keep calling the stress card without specifics, or this will continue in FCPS.

The stress is likely to do with the number of AP classes and extracurricular activities needed to get into even run of the mill colleges. There is nothing FCPS can do about that. If they limit the number of APs students can take, the same people saying something needs to be done would be complaining and moving their kids to a "better" school district. Privates can not offer APs or limit them, but given the parents in this area, FCPS would basically tank the property tax base, and see tremendous flight from the schools if it ever had the courage to limit APs. It also doesn't help that a big chunk of the NoVA slots for UVA goes to TJ kids because that school encourages uber competitiveness, so to stack up at another school against those kids is difficult. The AAP/TJ train has set FCPS on a path it can't get off of without huge backlash from both an economic and a school ranking perspective.

None of those issues are unique to Woodson. These may be your issues but they are not Woodson's issues.

Ok, Woodson is immune from these issues. Keep telling yourself that.

[Anonymous]

Interesting and tragic insight into suicide clusters in Palo Alto:

https://www.pri.org/stories/2016-05-02/cdc-investigating-cluster-teen-suicides-palo-alto

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Interesting and tragic insight into suicide clusters in Palo Alto:

https://www.pri.org/stories/2016-05-02/cdc-investigating-cluster-teen-suicides-palo-alto

Very interesting article. Thank you for sharing.

I recall when I read "Tiger Mom", there were aspects I identified with strongly as a first generation child of immigrants. My cultural background is very different than an Asian one, so the specific stress points are different, but there was this idea of feeling caught between two cultures, one foot on each side and not truly in one or the other that really resonated with me. I think there's a uniqueness that comes from that which can't be ignored.