Please SOUND OFF if you think FCPS is in decline!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I have a feeling a huge percentage of FCPS high school students are far enough away from their schools to qualify for a bus ride. If boundaries could be adjusted in certain areas so that a poorer student rode a few miles further to a wealthier high school I'm sure FCPS could make that happen. They wouldn't even have to be islands. Nobody is talking about busing students across the county (except for Great Falls parents near the Loudoun border - they are already bused across the county to Langley and none of them seem to mind).

Boundaries should be realistic. And, there is a big difference between a ten minute bus ride and a thirty minute bus ride. There is also expense in additional costs to transportation.

I agree that it is ridiculous that kids on the Loudoun line are being bused to Langley--but, right now, Langley is underserved and Herndon is not. Where would you send the Herndon kids? Which kids would you put into Langley? Those at Lee?

I'd love to see your suggestions.

Some Marshall and McLean kids, right off the bat, could be moved to Langley (and there are some poorer kids among them). After all, Langley's F/R lunch rate sits at 2% so it would not take much, nor would it be harmful, to see that number go up a bit. Nothing will turn it into Justice.

With the new Western High School the Great Falls Langley kids near the Loudoun border could be sent to Herndon.

West Springfield and Lee could definitely swap some students. West Potomac needs to send some kids to Mount Vernon. Some Woodson and Lake Braddock students should be returned to Annandale. Some of these would just be undoing some boundary changes where FCPS moved wealthier students out of poorer schools.

Let me finally say this - if something does not stop this DECLINE (as is the title of this thread) the number of unattractive FCPS pyramids will only grow. West Potomac - poverty growing; Westfield - poverty growing; Centreville - poverty growing. Those precious GreatSchools scores will drop for these schools, causing more people to avoid them. It generally does not happen overnight, but it slowly creeps in and then it is too late.

[Anonymous]

Some Marshall and McLean kids, right off the bat, could be moved to Langley (and there are some poorer kids among them). After all, Langley's F/R lunch rate sits at 2% so it would not take much, nor would it be harmful, to see that number go up a bit. Nothing will turn it into Justice.

With the new Western High School the Great Falls Langley kids near the Loudoun border could be sent to Herndon.

West Springfield and Lee could definitely swap some students. West Potomac needs to send some kids to Mount Vernon. Some Woodson and Lake Braddock students should be returned to Annandale. Some of these would just be undoing some boundary changes where FCPS moved wealthier students out of poorer schools.

Let me finally say this - if something does not stop this DECLINE (as is the title of this thread) the number of unattractive FCPS pyramids will only grow. West Potomac - poverty growing; Westfield - poverty growing; Centreville - poverty growing. Those precious GreatSchools scores will drop for these schools, causing more people to avoid them. It generally does not happen overnight, but it slowly creeps in and then it is too late.

By the time the new high school gets built, demographics could have gone topsy turvy. We don't even know where they are going to build it. Once that is determined, it will still likely be years away.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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

PP here. It damn well was a white kid that committed the assault, but the "prestigious" public high school doesn't want the stats.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I have a feeling a huge percentage of FCPS high school students are far enough away from their schools to qualify for a bus ride. If boundaries could be adjusted in certain areas so that a poorer student rode a few miles further to a wealthier high school I'm sure FCPS could make that happen. They wouldn't even have to be islands. Nobody is talking about busing students across the county (except for Great Falls parents near the Loudoun border - they are already bused across the county to Langley and none of them seem to mind).

Boundaries should be realistic. And, there is a big difference between a ten minute bus ride and a thirty minute bus ride. There is also expense in additional costs to transportation.

I agree that it is ridiculous that kids on the Loudoun line are being bused to Langley--but, right now, Langley is underserved and Herndon is not. Where would you send the Herndon kids? Which kids would you put into Langley? Those at Lee?

I'd love to see your suggestions.

Some Marshall and McLean kids, right off the bat, could be moved to Langley (and there are some poorer kids among them). After all, Langley's F/R lunch rate sits at 2% so it would not take much, nor would it be harmful, to see that number go up a bit. Nothing will turn it into Justice.

With the new Western High School the Great Falls Langley kids near the Loudoun border could be sent to Herndon.

West Springfield and Lee could definitely swap some students. West Potomac needs to send some kids to Mount Vernon. Some Woodson and Lake Braddock students should be returned to Annandale. Some of these would just be undoing some boundary changes where FCPS moved wealthier students out of poorer schools.

Let me finally say this - if something does not stop this DECLINE (as is the title of this thread) the number of unattractive FCPS pyramids will only grow. West Potomac - poverty growing; Westfield - poverty growing; Centreville - poverty growing. Those precious GreatSchools scores will drop for these schools, causing more people to avoid them. It generally does not happen overnight, but it slowly creeps in and then it is too late.

I don't see them doing anything to the western part of the Langley district until the new high school is built. In the interim they can move multi-family housing in Tysons out of McLean and Marshall to Langley. They should have done that already. The only high schools in the county smaller than Langley now are TJ and Lee.

It would be great if they fixed the mess they've created at Lee, Annandale and Mount Vernon. The School Board members are way too cowardly and hypocritical to admit their mistakes and fix them; they'll need the cover of some big study that says that's the right thing to do first.

West Potomac is fairly stable because of its location close to DC and the river. It's not seeing any big jumps in poverty like Herndon, even though some of the elementary schools that feed into it are very poor.

Centreville should be fine in the long term. The wealthy Willow Springs area logically should move there from Fairfax HS once the new high school is built.

There's not much FCPS can do for Westfield, given its location near the county border. Builders are still building expensive new SFHs and townhouses out there, but some of the townhouses are not very nice and some people in that general area want the smaller schools in Loudoun. Building the new high school could help Westfield, too.

[Anonymous]

Neither liberal or conservative white people are sending their kids to these schools. The way I see it, this mostly blue leaning county won't understand what is going on until they have to feel it in their schools. So if two-thirds of the county is going to vote for policies that support the importation of more poverty, then they should have to share it. Please convince your liberal friends and neighbors to stop voting blue.


Can you please explain what a Republican would do differently? How will voting Republican translate into better schools? I'm curious because in general, Republicans tend not to favor spending money on education. And aren't most red state public schools pretty bad compared to FCPS? Do you really think ESL students will go away if Republicans take over Fairfax County?

If voters will stop voting Blue at all levels then perhaps the rate of immigration can be slowed which would help communities across the country, not to mention Fairfax. Honestly, people around here just throw up their hands and say, "Can't win, don't ry".

As for the schools themselves - Republicans could refocus on the basics, ensure their are enough text books, kill off programs like IB, and stop the obsession with social justice issues. ESOL costs have gone way up in the last 15 years - some of this money could be spent in other areas if this tide of non-English speakers was at least slowed down.


What the hay bells are you on about? Our president is Republican, our senate is Republican and until just recently our house was republican. Legal border crossings (amnesty seekers) are at an all time high... hasn't been this high since come to think of it George Bush was in office... yep you guessed it another Republican. What makes you think people who live safely tucked away in gated communities, far far away from the rif raf, care one iota about you and your having to live elbow to elbow with those you deem undesirable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I do not vote for Democrats. But 64% of Fairfax County did vote for them in the last election. I actually believe they are mostly limousine liberals. They are voting one way and living another - they are not in the schools that are seeing the troubles.

Annandale - 15.4% White (45% Hispanic)
Lee - 15.8% White (43.7% Hispanic)
Falls Church - 18% White (50% Hispanic)
Mount Vernon - 19% White (44% Hispanic)
Justice - 22% White (54.6% Hispanic)

Neither liberal or conservative white people are sending their kids to these schools. The way I see it, this mostly blue leaning county won't understand what is going on until they have to feel it in their schools. So if two-thirds of the county is going to vote for policies that support the importation of more poverty, then they should have to share it. Please convince your liberal friends and neighbors to stop voting blue.

I've taught ALL kinds of kids. Do you know which schools work best? Those schools which foster a sense of community for all their students. (And, TJ is a far different story.) We don't need busing! It does not work. I taught back in the day when busing was used to integrate schools.

I don't have the answer, but you cannot do it with social engineering.

I have a feeling a huge percentage of FCPS high school students are far enough away from their schools to qualify for a bus ride. If boundaries could be adjusted in certain areas so that a poorer student rode a few miles further to a wealthier high school I'm sure FCPS could make that happen. They wouldn't even have to be islands. Nobody is talking about busing students across the county (except for Great Falls parents near the Loudoun border - they are already bused across the county to Langley and none of them seem to mind).

This. There are a whole lot of students being bused around this county so they don't have to go to their more diverse schools. Let the county start with that simple and easy fix. Why are students being bused from Herndon to Oakton? If the only way you can afford to buy a house is to buy one way out in the middle of no wheresville, where the land is cheaper, so it is cheaper to build affordable housing, then what is your problem. You should have known what you were signing up for.

[Anonymous]

This. There are a whole lot of students being bused around this county so they don't have to go to their more diverse schools. Let the county start with that simple and easy fix. Why are students being bused from Herndon to Oakton? If the only way you can afford to buy a house is to buy one way out in the middle of no wheresville, where the land is cheaper, so it is cheaper to build affordable housing, then what is your problem. You should have known what you were signing up for.

Bcause they live closer to Oakton, maybe? No one from Herndon zip goes to Oakton. Some from Oak Hill--which used to have a Herndon zip-- go there. Actually, some live very close to Chantilly, and were very angry when they were redistricted to Oakton because kids who formerly went to Oakton were redistricted to South Lakes.

Nevertheless, those Oakton kids from "Herndon" live closer to Oakton than to Herndon. Look at a map.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

This. There are a whole lot of students being bused around this county so they don't have to go to their more diverse schools. Let the county start with that simple and easy fix. Why are students being bused from Herndon to Oakton? If the only way you can afford to buy a house is to buy one way out in the middle of no wheresville, where the land is cheaper, so it is cheaper to build affordable housing, then what is your problem. You should have known what you were signing up for.

Bcause they live closer to Oakton, maybe? No one from Herndon zip goes to Oakton. Some from Oak Hill--which used to have a Herndon zip-- go there. Actually, some live very close to Chantilly, and were very angry when they were redistricted to Oakton because kids who formerly went to Oakton were redistricted to South Lakes.

Nevertheless, those Oakton kids from "Herndon" live closer to Oakton than to Herndon. Look at a map.

The other thing is Madison, Oakton, Fairfax and Woodson are all fairly close to each other, so most of their boundaries have to extend further west.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Neither liberal or conservative white people are sending their kids to these schools. The way I see it, this mostly blue leaning county won't understand what is going on until they have to feel it in their schools. So if two-thirds of the county is going to vote for policies that support the importation of more poverty, then they should have to share it. Please convince your liberal friends and neighbors to stop voting blue.

Can you please explain what a Republican would do differently? How will voting Republican translate into better schools? I'm curious because in general, Republicans tend not to favor spending money on education. And aren't most red state public schools pretty bad compared to FCPS? Do you really think ESL students will go away if Republicans take over Fairfax County?

If voters will stop voting Blue at all levels then perhaps the rate of immigration can be slowed which would help communities across the country, not to mention Fairfax. Honestly, people around here just throw up their hands and say, "Can't win, don't ry".

As for the schools themselves - Republicans could refocus on the basics, ensure their are enough text books, kill off programs like IB, and stop the obsession with social justice issues. ESOL costs have gone way up in the last 15 years - some of this money could be spent in other areas if this tide of non-English speakers was at least slowed down.


What the hay bells are you on about? Our president is Republican, our senate is Republican and until just recently our house was republican. Legal border crossings (amnesty seekers) are at an all time high... hasn't been this high since come to think of it George Bush was in office... yep you guessed it another Republican. What makes you think people who live safely tucked away in gated communities, far far away from the rif raf, care one iota about you and your having to live elbow to elbow with those you deem undesirable.

Do you expect Gerry Connolly or Don Beyer are going to help the situation? Or Jennifer Wexton? Or Sharon Bulova (or her replacement)? Or Sheriff Kincaid? Please tell me who is going to help? Ralph Northam? Senators Kaine or Warner?

Not happy that the Republicans didn't do more. They were not helpful to the President. Then again many Republicans don't want him to succeed in this area. He really is more like an independent with no friends in Washington (not that he helps himself in that area lots of the time). I think the only reason he won the 2016 election is because he was the only one who came out with a hard stand on immigration. And I am not against immigration, I just think it needs to be controlled/managed. Right now it is a cluster where the laws work against our own best interest.

Meanwhile, FCPS will continue to sink. People are skipping it for Arlington, Loudoun, or private schools. FCPS enrollment actually dropped this year.

[Anonymous]

Fairfax schools regularly outperform schools in Arlington and Loudoun, and FCPS saves money when county residents pay taxes but send their kids to privates. We get it, you’re frustrated this isn’t MAGA territory, but neither is any other jurisdiction in the region.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Fairfax schools regularly outperform schools in Arlington and Loudoun, and FCPS saves money when county residents pay taxes but send their kids to privates. We get it, you’re frustrated this isn’t MAGA territory, but neither is any other jurisdiction in the region.

FCPAS is losing teachers to Arlington and Loudon, left and right.

[Anonymous]

Public schools are more and more hopeless.

[Anonymous]

We were unique and special. Now we are a pit of social justice warriors and kids on either end. Middle performing kids are over looked.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We were unique and special. Now we are a pit of social justice warriors and kids on either end. Middle performing kids are over looked.

Boo hoo. MFGA.

[Anonymous]

Can't say if they're in decline, but the reputation seems overblown compared to affluent NJ suburbs.