please educate me about the proposed FCPS charter school
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Anonymous
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http://www.fcps.edu/news/charter.shtml
I just saw this on the FCPS website and I know little or nothing about charter schools in general, other than the fact that their record is mixed in other jurisdictions and that there is some concern about them siphoning off a disproportionate amount of resources from the regular schools budget? What do people who are more informed about this topic think of this proposal? |
Anonymous
Anonymous
Not sure that's the inference I'd draw. When both Barbara Comstock and Jim Moran support the same thing, as is the case here, you might conclude there is considerable support. The primary opponents are people at Falls Church HS who worry that the charter school will attract students from their school, delay its renovation (since the renovation schedule takes into account, among other things, whether a school is above or below capacity) and/or be perceived as a sign that Falls Church isn't doing a good job with its at-risk students. The charter school would be housed in what's currently Graham Road ES, which is within the Falls Church HS district. FCPS plans to move the elementary students at that school to a new building that is also on Graham Road, but closer to Lee Highway. |
Anonymous
I would not agree that either of them are "more informed about the proposal." It seems to me that area parents, teachers and FCPS staff are more informed than either Ms. Comstock or Mr. Moran. |
Anonymous
So, going back to the OP's question, your point is that the people at Falls Church HS who oppose the proposal are "people who are more informed about the topic"? Maybe - I don't know whether or not they are the most informed group of people about the charter school proposal. They are certainly the loudest in their opposition. However, the charter school proposal also has some heavyweight proponents, including Kaye Kory, Tina Hone and the current and former FCPS teachers who support its creation. The school would be open to students in the entire county, and "marketed" to students in the Annandale and Stuart HS districts as well, so I'm not sure that a group of parents in the Falls Church HS district should be given veto rights over the matter. I would try to give people at Falls Church assurances that, if this school is opened, it would not have any adverse impact on the timing of Falls Church's renovation. |
Anonymous
| Still, just as an outsider I can see why they are saying a charter school geared to academics isn't really the way to go to address something different than what exists now nor addressing needs of low income children since they wouldn't have the transportation to it. I like the idea of a solid general academic school with an even stronger vocational school. That seems more important since there aren't many of these classes around anymore. It could even supplement Falls Church high school and would help with the close of the Pimmit Hills Center too. |
Anonymous
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It will serve our local community, and serve it well. There will be transportation, and parents at our elementary school have expressed considerable interest in it. It fills a need in our community that is currently not being met. This isn't for the kids who will likely make it through HS successfully. This is for the kiddo who has to take a ESOL class and that eats up their only available elective that would otherwise have been a college prep or college credit course, for example. This is for the kiddo who isn't currently succeeding at their local HS - not a brain drain of any sort. The number of kids from any one particular HS will be small, and FLA has said that they will work with elementary schools to identify kids who would benefit from this type of program. The thing that I really like is the inclusion of wrap around services, and the recognition that while FCPS is doing a pretty decent job of educating this particular population, the issues surrounding poverty are still there, and still a hinderance to the potential for some students to be able to not only finish HS but also go on to college. This doesn't take anything away from any local HS's, but allows FLA to create a program that will provide the services and education to a group that is harder to educate. And I've seen folks ask why doesn't FCPS just do this? The answer comes down to money. FLA has the ability to go after dollars that FCPS cannot, and they have the ability to structure their school day and year in a way that FCPS cannot (or chose to cut simply because of tight funds). Like I said, as someone living in a community that could benefit greatly from this school, I'm very excited about it as are a good chunk of our parents.
And the folks I've spoken to at FCHS (those who are opposed) seem to be more opposed to the location than the idea of the school itself. I obviously haven't spoken to everyone, but there seems to be a little disconnect between their "let's fix out building" focus, and them opposing FLA. While they are passionate about their building and their kids (as they absolutely should be), they need to realize that there are other children outside of FCHS that would benefit greatly from a model like this, and by combining the two issues they are losing focus on their real fight - to get the CIP list adjusted. |
Anonymous
| Falls church high school failed. this is a partial solution to save the high performing pows of the school |
Anonymous
| If FCPS manages to start a charter school, that will mark a sea change. NoVa liberals in general don't support charters. |
Anonymous
| Stuart and Falls Church are not proposed to be overcrowded for some time. Why could there not be more intervention through the existing schools around that area? Fairfax though is proposed to be overcrowded along with Oakton, South Lakes, and Centerville. Whatever happened to creating a TJ of sorts for Western Fairfax or perhaps a charter school there? Seems it would alleviate some overcrowding in the western portion of the county. |
Anonymous
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Jay Matthews thinks the charter should be allowed to bloom:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/class-struggle/post/let-charters-bloom-let-teachers-be-creative/2012/08/05/2304834e-df21-11e1-8fc5-a7dcf1fc161d_blog.html?hpid=z9 |
Anonymous
Stuart is projected to be over-capacity in four years. FCPS is not going to open up another "TJ of sorts" for Western Fairfax. The current TJHSST gives them enough headaches. |
Anonymous
Building a new "Oak Hill" HS in Western Fairfax would alleviate overcrowding. Turning an existing school into a new magnet or a charter would not. |
Anonymous
You could fit everything that Jay Matthews really knows about FCPS in the top of your pinkie, and still have plenty of room to spare. |
Anonymous
| 17:47: Yes, I was referring to a new school in western Fairfax. 17:45: Stuart is proposed to be at 104% capacity in 2017. Hardly overcrowded so much to need a new school right now. The schools surrounding it will either be at or under capacity as well. Western Fairfax has the most overcrowded high schools within FCPS. South Lakes is proposed to be at 139%, Herndon at 121%, Oakton at 113%, Fairfax at 127% and Centerville at 119%. All of the schools surrounding these will also be at or over capacity so FCPS can't redistrict these students easily to other high schools. It seems there needs to be more done in Western Fairfax than just adding on small additions. Whether a charter school is good for the Stuart area or not is up for debate, but I don't think it should be approved to alleviate overcrowding in the eastern part of the County. Overcrowding at the high school level needs to be dealt with in Western Fairfax before the school board worries about Eastern Fairfax. |