Please SOUND OFF if you think FCPS is in decline!

[Anonymous]

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

The reputation is based off of wealthy families and their test scores. The actual school system is horrible.

[Anonymous]

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

NJ suburbs have small, township-based school systems, so of course no single system there will attract as much attention as FCPS.

And the poorer systems in NJ really suffer, because they aren’t subsidized by the wealthier areas.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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

NJ suburbs have small, township-based school systems, so of course no single system there will attract as much attention as FCPS.

And the poorer systems in NJ really suffer, because they aren’t subsidized by the wealthier areas.

No they are subsidized due to court decisions. Camden and Newark in particular.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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

NJ suburbs have small, township-based school systems, so of course no single system there will attract as much attention as FCPS.

And the poorer systems in NJ really suffer, because they aren’t subsidized by the wealthier areas.

No they are subsidized due to court decisions. Camden and Newark in particular.

Nobody in Fairfax county gives a sh*t about New Jersey schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our School Board is a great example of the problem. Look where their focus is. It's not on education.

People have to cross party lines. Most of the Democrats on the School Board are left-wing nut jobs and horrible stewards of public resources. The Republicans on the Board may be more conservative than the typical county resident, but at least they are focused on education and fiscal responsibility.

This!
When was the last time they even tried to address anything academic?! It’s al about social engineering and signaling wokeness. So bizarre to make <3% of the population the central focus of every school board mtg.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our School Board is a great example of the problem. Look where their focus is. It's not on education.

People have to cross party lines. Most of the Democrats on the School Board are left-wing nut jobs and horrible stewards of public resources. The Republicans on the Board may be more conservative than the typical county resident, but at least they are focused on education and fiscal responsibility.

This!
When was the last time they even tried to address anything academic?! It’s al about social engineering and signaling wokeness. So bizarre to make <3% of the population the central focus of every school board mtg.

+1,000

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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

NJ suburbs have small, township-based school systems, so of course no single system there will attract as much attention as FCPS.

And the poorer systems in NJ really suffer, because they aren’t subsidized by the wealthier areas.

No they are subsidized due to court decisions. Camden and Newark in particular.

Nobody in Fairfax county gives a sh*t about New Jersey schools.

I live in Fairfax and I do. The education here is worse than what I got as a kid in wealthy suburban NJ, but it seems that the teaching style today and the subject matter covered is much different than what I had as a kid as well. Maybe the current style is better for most of the student population, but k-2 doesn't seem nearly challenging enough.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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

NJ suburbs have small, township-based school systems, so of course no single system there will attract as much attention as FCPS.

And the poorer systems in NJ really suffer, because they aren’t subsidized by the wealthier areas.

No they are subsidized due to court decisions. Camden and Newark in particular.

Nobody in Fairfax county gives a sh*t about New Jersey schools.

I live in Fairfax and I do. The education here is worse than what I got as a kid in wealthy suburban NJ, but it seems that the teaching style today and the subject matter covered is much different than what I had as a kid as well. Maybe the current style is better for most of the student population, but k-2 doesn't seem nearly challenging enough.

Then Go back to Jersey, and quit comparing apples and oranges.

[Anonymous]

Good teachers and mediocre teachers are in every system.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Good teachers and mediocre teachers are in every system.

+1
a teacher who taught in three different systems

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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

NJ suburbs have small, township-based school systems, so of course no single system there will attract as much attention as FCPS.

And the poorer systems in NJ really suffer, because they aren’t subsidized by the wealthier areas.

No they are subsidized due to court decisions. Camden and Newark in particular.

Nobody in Fairfax county gives a sh*t about New Jersey schools.

I live in Fairfax and I do. The education here is worse than what I got as a kid in wealthy suburban NJ, but it seems that the teaching style today and the subject matter covered is much different than what I had as a kid as well. Maybe the current style is better for most of the student population, but k-2 doesn't seem nearly challenging enough.

Then Go back to Jersey, and quit comparing apples and oranges.

I prefer higher standards. I don't understand why FCPS is so highly regarded.

They never even taught penmanship. No instruction on how to letters properly with correct stroke order. They sure know how to draw on a computer and listen to stories on an ipad though!

No actual tests? No mad minutes? No quizzes on reading? No feedback on actual comprehension of reading? There's no actual objective feedback that lets me know what progress my child is making in school. Report cards are entirely subjective and worthless. Progress reports provide minimal textual feedback on challenges and successes. No notes coming home from the teacher saying good or bad feedback.

No required summer reading so far in elementary.

I have to spend money on weekends and get my kid to do workbooks on their own to give them a more challenging education. If I have to determine on my own what my child is learning in school, how well they're learning it, and challenging my own kids so they actually learn something new why the heck are they in school for 7 hours a day?

The only reasons I can see so far why the system is highly rated is because you have a lot of educated wealthy parents, and a relatively large recent immigrant demographic that takes learning seriously outside of school. This means you have a large number of engaged parents, a lot of support, and a more highly intelligent school cohort than the nation at large.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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

NJ suburbs have small, township-based school systems, so of course no single system there will attract as much attention as FCPS.

And the poorer systems in NJ really suffer, because they aren’t subsidized by the wealthier areas.

No they are subsidized due to court decisions. Camden and Newark in particular.

Nobody in Fairfax county gives a sh*t about New Jersey schools.

I live in Fairfax and I do. The education here is worse than what I got as a kid in wealthy suburban NJ, but it seems that the teaching style today and the subject matter covered is much different than what I had as a kid as well. Maybe the current style is better for most of the student population, but k-2 doesn't seem nearly challenging enough.

Then Go back to Jersey, and quit comparing apples and oranges.

I prefer higher standards. I don't understand why FCPS is so highly regarded.

They never even taught penmanship. No instruction on how to letters properly with correct stroke order. They sure know how to draw on a computer and listen to stories on an ipad though!

No actual tests? No mad minutes? No quizzes on reading? No feedback on actual comprehension of reading? There's no actual objective feedback that lets me know what progress my child is making in school. Report cards are entirely subjective and worthless. Progress reports provide minimal textual feedback on challenges and successes. No notes coming home from the teacher saying good or bad feedback.

No required summer reading so far in elementary.

I have to spend money on weekends and get my kid to do workbooks on their own to give them a more challenging education. If I have to determine on my own what my child is learning in school, how well they're learning it, and challenging my own kids so they actually learn something new why the heck are they in school for 7 hours a day?

The only reasons I can see so far why the system is highly rated is because you have a lot of educated wealthy parents, and a relatively large recent immigrant demographic that takes learning seriously outside of school. This means you have a large number of engaged parents, a lot of support, and a more highly intelligent school cohort than the nation at large.

Yawn. Feel free to go back to whatever exit off the Turnpike or Parkway you called home. I went to an Ivy with a lot of kids from New Jersey and was generally just as well prepared coming from FCPS as they were.

[Anonymous]

^ Do you even hear yourself? An education is inferior because there aren't enough quizzes and handwriting instruction?

That is so antiquated. Your basic argument is "things have changed, and change is bad."

Go ahead and find some of the tests you took in 3rd grade. Compare them to what 3rd graders are learning now.

I grew up in NJ in Princeton. Went to catholic elem and public MS and high school there.

It was a great education for its time, but kids in FCPS are way ahead of where I was for each grade.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:^ Do you even hear yourself? An education is inferior because there aren't enough quizzes and handwriting instruction?

That is so antiquated. Your basic argument is "things have changed, and change is bad."

Go ahead and find some of the tests you took in 3rd grade. Compare them to what 3rd graders are learning now.

I grew up in NJ in Princeton. Went to catholic elem and public MS and high school there.

It was a great education for its time, but kids in FCPS are way ahead of where I was for each grade.

Well, NJ schools are better than VA schools

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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

NJ suburbs have small, township-based school systems, so of course no single system there will attract as much attention as FCPS.

And the poorer systems in NJ really suffer, because they aren’t subsidized by the wealthier areas.

No they are subsidized due to court decisions. Camden and Newark in particular.

Nobody in Fairfax county gives a sh*t about New Jersey schools.

I live in Fairfax and I do. The education here is worse than what I got as a kid in wealthy suburban NJ, but it seems that the teaching style today and the subject matter covered is much different than what I had as a kid as well. Maybe the current style is better for most of the student population, but k-2 doesn't seem nearly challenging enough.

Then Go back to Jersey, and quit comparing apples and oranges.

I prefer higher standards. I don't understand why FCPS is so highly regarded.

They never even taught penmanship. No instruction on how to letters properly with correct stroke order. They sure know how to draw on a computer and listen to stories on an ipad though!

No actual tests? No mad minutes? No quizzes on reading? No feedback on actual comprehension of reading? There's no actual objective feedback that lets me know what progress my child is making in school. Report cards are entirely subjective and worthless. Progress reports provide minimal textual feedback on challenges and successes. No notes coming home from the teacher saying good or bad feedback.

No required summer reading so far in elementary.

I have to spend money on weekends and get my kid to do workbooks on their own to give them a more challenging education. If I have to determine on my own what my child is learning in school, how well they're learning it, and challenging my own kids so they actually learn something new why the heck are they in school for 7 hours a day?

The only reasons I can see so far why the system is highly rated is because you have a lot of educated wealthy parents, and a relatively large recent immigrant demographic that takes learning seriously outside of school. This means you have a large number of engaged parents, a lot of support, and a more highly intelligent school cohort than the nation at large.

Ding ding ding! Sooo glad I took my kids out and put them in private.