Please SOUND OFF if you think FCPS is in decline!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Justice HS is the poorest, most heavily Hispanic high school in FCPS and has almost 40 more freshmen now than in had when school started last September.

If you don't think the constant influx of non-English speaking ESOL/FARMS kids doesn't disrupt the school and impact school quality, I don't know what to tell you. And I hope you don't think these "freshmen" are all 13 or 14, either.

Stuart HS used to be a very good high school. Justice HS is a social services center that also hands out diplomas.

Stuart HS a year ago had the same issues that Justice currently has, so it too was a social services center. In fact, Stuart was one of the worst school in the county for many years prior to the name change. Let's not be revisionist. If you're talking about 25 years ago, it was a better school. The name change had nothing to do with its demise.

[Anonymous]

How much $$$ did that name change cost? It’s clear where the Board’s priorities are and they’re not on serious issues that affect students daily.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't think people realize that most ESOL students were born in the U.S. which makes them U.S. citizens. Whether their parents are here illegally is a moot point. There is an increase in these students because Hispanics tend to have more children. They are here to stay.

Born in the US or not (and legal or illegal), they are at a disadvantage. If their parents do not speak English then they are not being read to in English - and this is proven to improve education outcomes.

Kids born here do at least start school at 5 and therefore are getting an entire elementary education in English.

Unfortunately other students are dropped into the system at a later age with little formal education in their native country or language. It is a tough road for them and their schools/teachers.

Some FCPS pyramids are being crushed by this burden and many posters on this board don't seem to understand the connection to our current immigration system. Now that the School Board is actually talking about doing what they have been saying (with One Fairfax) everyone is freaking that their boundaries might change and they might either be sent to one of these pyramids or might have to absorb students from these pyramids.

None of this is racist, just factual. Drop some poor English speaking white kids into El Salvador with little formal education and the results would be similar.

[Anonymous]

the racist posts are just trolls but if they are somehow legit all you are doing is helping Trump get an extra term

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How much $$$ did that name change cost? It’s clear where the Board’s priorities are and they’re not on serious issues that affect students daily.

This. I think it cost close to $1million. They did get some donations to defray--but, nothing like what was promised.

And, I agree, Stuart a year ago was the same. So, why change the name? They could have just dropped Jeb over time when things were replaced.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Justice HS is the poorest, most heavily Hispanic high school in FCPS and has almost 40 more freshmen now than in had when school started last September.

If you don't think the constant influx of non-English speaking ESOL/FARMS kids doesn't disrupt the school and impact school quality, I don't know what to tell you. And I hope you don't think these "freshmen" are all 13 or 14, either.

Stuart HS used to be a very good high school. Justice HS is a social services center that also hands out diplomas.

Stuart HS a year ago had the same issues that Justice currently has, so it too was a social services center. In fact, Stuart was one of the worst school in the county for many years prior to the name change. Let's not be revisionist. If you're talking about 25 years ago, it was a better school. The name change had nothing to do with its demise.

It was not always good as Stuart but it was only good as Stuart.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I heard that expelled and other problem students can be sent to a different school. Is that true? If so, wouldn't FCPS need to provide transportation?

It's called involuntary transfer. I don't know about transportation.

As you might imagine, it typically knocks students off the diploma track.

Not really concerned about their diploma. So you can threaten someone at one school and get sent to another? I wonder if they use the AAP buses for shipping off the problems.

I didn't think you would be. Of course, even UMC kids get caught up in this system. Not your kid. But maybe his friend?

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/suicide-turns-attention-to-fairfax-discipline-procedures/2011/02/14/AB9UtxH_story.html?utm_term=.ca58c1b8eeb4

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/fairfax-schools-discipline-under-scrutiny-after-teens-suspension-for-medication/2011/03/08/ABZBiZQ_story.html?utm_term=.1b32ae53ea1d

https://wtop.com/virginia/2015/05/fewer-students-expelled-fairfax-county-ends-zero-tolerance-policy/

Pp here: Yes, this involved an older student who befriended and showed interest in my student early in the school year. This person allegedly threatened another love interest at school and has not been seen since. Word was expulsion and rightfully so! We dodged a bullet. I don't care what happened to the expelled student. I do not want that person around. And yet I'm hearing (don't know for sure this person's situation) that expelled and problem students are transferred out. I guess they wouldn't be sitting at home but now are possibly someone else's problem.

Yes, the person in the direct relationship should be charged in context. However, no school has any right to take matters out of context, or wrongly accuse, for any reason. Parents need to be aware of this.

What about students who commit assault, and there is accurate record of it - should they not have ramifications? Or should they stay in the school as if nothing ever happened?

To me, assault is one of the most serious offenses, if not the most serious, a student can commit. Why would a school system allow an assailant to stay in the school? Genuinely curious., as I have seen this happen.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I taught many years ago in a Title I school. Maybe things have changed, but the behavior of the kids I taught left an awful lot to be desired. These were young children who constantly fought with each other. Most of them lived in projects and knew one another at home, as well. It was common to walk by another kid and swat him. Then, there would be a reaction......

The kids were sweet at heart, but it was a very difficult learning environment. Fighting was like drinking water to them.

I have noticed Hispanic title 1 kids are well behaved (new poster).

[Anonymous]

What about students who commit assault, and there is accurate record of it - should they not have ramifications? Or should they stay in the school as if nothing ever happened?

One Fairfax ..........

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Justice HS is the poorest, most heavily Hispanic high school in FCPS and has almost 40 more freshmen now than in had when school started last September.

If you don't think the constant influx of non-English speaking ESOL/FARMS kids doesn't disrupt the school and impact school quality, I don't know what to tell you. And I hope you don't think these "freshmen" are all 13 or 14, either.

Stuart HS used to be a very good high school. Justice HS is a social services center that also hands out diplomas.

Stuart HS a year ago had the same issues that Justice currently has, so it too was a social services center. In fact, Stuart was one of the worst school in the county for many years prior to the name change. Let's not be revisionist. If you're talking about 25 years ago, it was a better school. The name change had nothing to do with its demise.

It was not always good as Stuart but it was only good as Stuart.

It was crappy as Stuart for two decades. I wouldn't try to brag about how much better it was under the Stuart name. Twenty years of poor performance negates bragging rights for everything before that. If you want to say the name change was a waste of money, fine, but to imply there is some qualitative difference between the Stuart of the past twenty years and Justice now is ridiculous.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

What about students who commit assault, and there is accurate record of it - should they not have ramifications? Or should they stay in the school as if nothing ever happened?

One Fairfax ..........

Because UMC white kids never commit assault

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Justice HS is the poorest, most heavily Hispanic high school in FCPS and has almost 40 more freshmen now than in had when school started last September.

If you don't think the constant influx of non-English speaking ESOL/FARMS kids doesn't disrupt the school and impact school quality, I don't know what to tell you. And I hope you don't think these "freshmen" are all 13 or 14, either.

Stuart HS used to be a very good high school. Justice HS is a social services center that also hands out diplomas.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't think people realize that most ESOL students were born in the U.S. which makes them U.S. citizens. Whether their parents are here illegally is a moot point. There is an increase in these students because Hispanics tend to have more children. They are here to stay.

Born in the US or not (and legal or illegal), they are at a disadvantage. If their parents do not speak English then they are not being read to in English - and this is proven to improve education outcomes.

Kids born here do at least start school at 5 and therefore are getting an entire elementary education in English.

Unfortunately other students are dropped into the system at a later age with little formal education in their native country or language. It is a tough road for them and their schools/teachers.

Some FCPS pyramids are being crushed by this burden and many posters on this board don't seem to understand the connection to our current immigration system. Now that the School Board is actually talking about doing what they have been saying (with One Fairfax) everyone is freaking that their boundaries might change and they might either be sent to one of these pyramids or might have to absorb students from these pyramids.

None of this is racist, just factual. Drop some poor English speaking white kids into El Salvador with little formal education and the results would be similar.

This.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Justice HS is the poorest, most heavily Hispanic high school in FCPS and has almost 40 more freshmen now than in had when school started last September.

If you don't think the constant influx of non-English speaking ESOL/FARMS kids doesn't disrupt the school and impact school quality, I don't know what to tell you. And I hope you don't think these "freshmen" are all 13 or 14, either.

Stuart HS used to be a very good high school. Justice HS is a social services center that also hands out diplomas.

+1

-1 Stuart was just as terrible as Justice. Why are there all these revisionist posts about Stuart? The school was called Stuart a year ago and had pretty much the same demographics.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:the racist posts are just trolls but if they are somehow legit all you are doing is helping Trump get an extra term

Anyone who would vote for trump isn't voting for him because of anything posted on this thread. They were that way inclined anyway. I would suggest you stop calling people trolls and racists though, because that helps distance people from the Democratic Party. That might get people to not show up to the polls because they can't vote for Trump and the democrats call them racists for pointing out legitimate issues that need to be addressed. I'll go vote because I think Trump is a terrible human being, but I certainly am not seeing a home in the extreme leftward lurching Democratic Party that's emerging. I'm a bleeding heart liberal, but I can't get behind silencing legitimate concerns because we don't want to potentially offend anyone. If my kids' school is struggling because Fairfax County only puts low income housing in one part of the county and then doesn't enforce the housing laws, making the overcrowding worse, what am I to do? The Republicans win because the low income housing isn't in their neighborhoods, and the Democrats tell me to shut up about the issues otherwise I'm racist and helping to reelect Trump. I guess I should just shut up an take my lumps? There are solutions like not putting more low income housing in certain areas, like adding some in other areas, but we aren't allowed to discuss any of this because that is "racist." If Trump wasn't so god awful, I'd say F the Democratic Party.