Happier After Move Away from FCPS/Fairfax County?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:LOL. My sister moved to Alabama bc she didn’t like things being “forced on her kids” by the schools.

Now they have Christmas music performances and watch Jesus films. (They don’t even attend church…yet) They have to take agriculture classes. And their schools are 97% white.

I’ll take FCPS any day.

Christmas music performances sound awesome...

If you are Christian, maybe. But I happen to believe in separation of church and state.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are so many options in FCPS. Our kids were in private schools so we did not even focus on public, until we did. We went to just take a look (Robinson) and the option our kids had at their disposal was astounding. One is still at Terra Center and 2 in HS and we could not be happier. We have hard all the negatives and complaints but they do not affect our kids. We have found teachers and administrators are responsive when issues arise. Overall happy and saving $$

Wrong thread.

Former Robinson parent who had to move away.

We are in a southern state and it is not great academically. It is more white, but there is a much, much larger amount of poverty, people who don't care about school, lack of resources for activities and sports. It is more conservative, which we thought would be nice, but really in execution means I pay for supplementing my kids academically and in terms of activities.

There are private schools but they are very expensive 20-30K a year per kid. They claim to offer "aid" but are very dodgy about the income limits. Friends say, it's more of a discount program for the right kind of families who are connected or play certain sports. We are neither.

I cannot wait to return back to the Pentagon. It was a better post for us than here.

Thanks for sharing. I’m thinking we’d be happier in PA, MA, NJ, or NY in a smaller school system, even if warmer weather would be nice. I know the taxes would be higher but maybe we’d get more in return. In general I feel the county and FCPS spend the bare minimum on services in our area so even though the taxes are lower than in some other states it still feels like we’re paying for nothing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:LOL. My sister moved to Alabama bc she didn’t like things being “forced on her kids” by the schools.

Now they have Christmas music performances and watch Jesus films. (They don’t even attend church…yet) They have to take agriculture classes. And their schools are 97% white.

I’ll take FCPS any day.

Christmas music performances sound awesome...

If you are Christian, maybe. But I happen to believe in separation of church and state.

Don't kids here also play "Christmas music"? DD has been in her school orchestra since 4th grade, and every year around Christmas, they play music we're all familiar with. They're not specifically religious, but there have been a time or two where that was incorporated, and there were no issues with it (I'm non-Christian)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:LOL. My sister moved to Alabama bc she didn’t like things being “forced on her kids” by the schools.

Now they have Christmas music performances and watch Jesus films. (They don’t even attend church…yet) They have to take agriculture classes. And their schools are 97% white.

I’ll take FCPS any day.

you sound like a nasty woman!

[Anonymous]

Another person who moved. Great plains state.

The schools are not great. It's a short week (4 days) and there are bare bones extra sports or clubs. We pay for private and the private school, which is better but costs 20K per kid and is still not as substantively academic as FCPS. In a weird way, we miss the rigor, the culture of kids who do well because they want to be the best. Yes, we lived in a high achieving area (McLean feeder) but it really was cool when the kids had things like Science olympiad, etc. Gifted education is a joke. My kids are two years ahead in math and here would basically be your middle of the road AAP student.

I supplement heavily. We have more money to do this since it is cheaper here.

People wise, they aren't as well off and the parents are just not into academics in the way people are here. They care way more about social issues. Our city was planning on incorporating a closing system that had a lot of hispanics into our public system (which is mediocre but white). People went nuts. Like nuts, nuts nuts. They ended up turning the closing system into lottery charter schools. I think the state took over?

I do like not working anymore. I have more time to be hands on. But I wonder if the costs were worth it...my kids definitely talk fondly about elementary school and middle school. They are meh about their high schools.

I do think they will do well in college admissions. Both have high scores, good grades and we live in a state with less competition.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Looking for anecdotes from people who moved out of Fairfax County specifically to avoid FCPS and the politics of FCPS. Increasingly, I find myself despondent about living in this county with its wretchedly bad county government and schools system, and thinking we'd be happier elsewhere.

Or is every school system/School Board as bad (incompetent, hypocritical, etc.) as the Fairfax County School Board? Comparisons with other specific jurisdictions would be most welcome.

I feel like you haven't lived in a lot of places if you are despondent about living in one of the richest counties in the US, with its historically good school system filled with educators with masters and PhDs.

Of course, it's not perfect, but nothing is.

You sound like someone who will be continually disappointed no matter where you go.

Well, no, I was happy in many other places we lived although we didn’t have kids yet, and I was reasonably happy here until the last few years.

It sounds like you’re threatened that anyone wouldn’t think this area and school system are great, but don’t take it personally. I just think the leadership of the county and FCPS right now really sucks and am thinking there have to be places that are better managed and less impersonal.

I honestly don't care if you stay or go. I think using the word "despondent" in relation to an area with a high quality of life by any objective measure indicates a lack of perspective. I don't feel personally attacked though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a senior and sophomore in high school right now. They go to two separate high schools. Both schools are with FCPS. What issues are there? Senior is doing just great. Played sports. Good academics to get him into MOST of the schools of his choice. Didn't get into UVA but did get into the others. Waiting on Va Tech. Happy kid. Likes school in general. Sophomore is even happier. Lots of friends. Plays sports. Social. In a club. Good grades. Likes his teachers and APs. The only thing that frustrated us but really didn't affect us was that Hayfield football scandal. Other than that, everything is just fine. What bothers you? Maybe my head is just in the sand.

Please do not clutter up this thread with posts that are not responsive. We are fed up and want to hear about people who specifically moved to get away from FCPS.

Hahaha. And here we see the problem.

[Anonymous]

If you don't like it, leave - no one is invested in you staying.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I honestly think you have to ask WHY you want to move away - is it the (local) school environment? Curriculum? Overall School System (and then you can get into size, number of students, teacher experience, etc). I grew up in the Midwest, Small Town, Excellent school system (4 Elem, 1 Middle, 1 HS). Generally, a well-rounded, high achieving school with a traditional education.

I feel strongly that my kids could be getting a better education in that district vs. what they are receiving in FCPS. The academic pressure and competitiveness here are the major drawbacks for me. It's like people can't even see what their kids MIGHT be good at or how they can be a well-rounded person because they are so focused on getting a 4.5, taking 12APs and being President of 4 clubs just for their resume/college application.

Yes, I feel the School Board is one issue to look at, but I would focus on what a place is actually doing academically. What are the foundations in the early years - literacy, phonics, reading, math, etc - and how are they taught/what methods are being used. How much testing is going on during the school year (as it takes time away from actual learning).

It, for example, felt really crappy to realize my kids had never been taught Phonics based on the curriculum FCPS was using at the time, not to mention the way reading and literacy was being crammed down their throats for what amounts to some metrics. That's a lifelong issue they are going to have to deal with - and I have kids who H A T E reading as a result. Did I do all the things I was supposed to at home? Yes, I did. And let's not even mention the writing skills (not being taught).....

I’d say we’re reasonably happy with the local schools. It’s just this sense that the leadership is terrible, wastes money, and is driving FCPS into a ditch. The specter of boundary changes doesn’t help and our School Board member is awful (like dealing with a brick wall). I guess I’m feeling like a smaller system that is less bureaucratic, where you wouldn’t have to worry about money being wasted or where your kids will go to school in a few years, would be an upgrade.

I am no FCPS booster, at all, but if you are happy with the actual school your kids attend, it's pretty silly to move them because of "a sense the leadership is terrible and wastes money." Your actual kids are fine, according to you. If school boundaries change, you can move then.

If you are not already involved in the PTO and school board, getting involved there seems more relevant to your concerns. If nothing else, you might understand more about where the money goes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Another person who moved. Great plains state.

The schools are not great. It's a short week (4 days) and there are bare bones extra sports or clubs. We pay for private and the private school, which is better but costs 20K per kid and is still not as substantively academic as FCPS. In a weird way, we miss the rigor, the culture of kids who do well because they want to be the best. Yes, we lived in a high achieving area (McLean feeder) but it really was cool when the kids had things like Science olympiad, etc. Gifted education is a joke. My kids are two years ahead in math and here would basically be your middle of the road AAP student.

I supplement heavily. We have more money to do this since it is cheaper here.

People wise, they aren't as well off and the parents are just not into academics in the way people are here. They care way more about social issues. Our city was planning on incorporating a closing system that had a lot of hispanics into our public system (which is mediocre but white). People went nuts. Like nuts, nuts nuts. They ended up turning the closing system into lottery charter schools. I think the state took over?

I do like not working anymore. I have more time to be hands on. But I wonder if the costs were worth it...my kids definitely talk fondly about elementary school and middle school. They are meh about their high schools.

I do think they will do well in college admissions. Both have high scores, good grades and we live in a state with less competition.

Thank you for sharing your experience.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you don't like it, leave - no one is invested in you staying.

Bless your heart. Believe me, there are, or we'd be gone already.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:LOL. My sister moved to Alabama bc she didn’t like things being “forced on her kids” by the schools.

Now they have Christmas music performances and watch Jesus films. (They don’t even attend church…yet) They have to take agriculture classes. And their schools are 97% white.

I’ll take FCPS any day.

you sound like a nasty woman!

Agree...mean. We live in a Southern State, not AL, but my son loves his argiculture classes. It's something he would have never been able to do in FCPS or any of the districts around DC. There's something to be said for non competetive schooling and not overscheduled kids. Life is better here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I honestly think you have to ask WHY you want to move away - is it the (local) school environment? Curriculum? Overall School System (and then you can get into size, number of students, teacher experience, etc). I grew up in the Midwest, Small Town, Excellent school system (4 Elem, 1 Middle, 1 HS). Generally, a well-rounded, high achieving school with a traditional education.

I feel strongly that my kids could be getting a better education in that district vs. what they are receiving in FCPS. The academic pressure and competitiveness here are the major drawbacks for me. It's like people can't even see what their kids MIGHT be good at or how they can be a well-rounded person because they are so focused on getting a 4.5, taking 12APs and being President of 4 clubs just for their resume/college application.

Yes, I feel the School Board is one issue to look at, but I would focus on what a place is actually doing academically. What are the foundations in the early years - literacy, phonics, reading, math, etc - and how are they taught/what methods are being used. How much testing is going on during the school year (as it takes time away from actual learning).

It, for example, felt really crappy to realize my kids had never been taught Phonics based on the curriculum FCPS was using at the time, not to mention the way reading and literacy was being crammed down their throats for what amounts to some metrics. That's a lifelong issue they are going to have to deal with - and I have kids who H A T E reading as a result. Did I do all the things I was supposed to at home? Yes, I did. And let's not even mention the writing skills (not being taught).....

I’d say we’re reasonably happy with the local schools. It’s just this sense that the leadership is terrible, wastes money, and is driving FCPS into a ditch. The specter of boundary changes doesn’t help and our School Board member is awful (like dealing with a brick wall). I guess I’m feeling like a smaller system that is less bureaucratic, where you wouldn’t have to worry about money being wasted or where your kids will go to school in a few years, would be an upgrade.

I am no FCPS booster, at all, but if you are happy with the actual school your kids attend, it's pretty silly to move them because of "a sense the leadership is terrible and wastes money." Your actual kids are fine, according to you. If school boundaries change, you can move then.

If you are not already involved in the PTO and school board, getting involved there seems more relevant to your concerns. If nothing else, you might understand more about where the money goes.

Points to consider, thanks. If anything, if we stay, I think I'll disengage from the PTO, and any civic engagement with the School Board, and just keep my head down and focus on my kids' experience. It's not that different from how some are responding to Trump (the whole "tend my garden for four years" thing), but from the other end of the political spectrum. My problem is that I grew up in the county and remember when it was known for good government and an excellent school system, and we don't have that any more. And talking to our local School Board member is like talking to a brick wall - I honestly think she's on the spectrum.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are so many options in FCPS. Our kids were in private schools so we did not even focus on public, until we did. We went to just take a look (Robinson) and the option our kids had at their disposal was astounding. One is still at Terra Center and 2 in HS and we could not be happier. We have hard all the negatives and complaints but they do not affect our kids. We have found teachers and administrators are responsive when issues arise. Overall happy and saving $$

Wrong thread.

Former Robinson parent who had to move away.

We are in a southern state and it is not great academically. It is more white, but there is a much, much larger amount of poverty, people who don't care about school, lack of resources for activities and sports. It is more conservative, which we thought would be nice, but really in execution means I pay for supplementing my kids academically and in terms of activities.

There are private schools but they are very expensive 20-30K a year per kid. They claim to offer "aid" but are very dodgy about the income limits. Friends say, it's more of a discount program for the right kind of families who are connected or play certain sports. We are neither.

I cannot wait to return back to the Pentagon. It was a better post for us than here.

Thanks for sharing. I’m thinking we’d be happier in PA, MA, NJ, or NY in a smaller school system, even if warmer weather would be nice. I know the taxes would be higher but maybe we’d get more in return. In general I feel the county and FCPS spend the bare minimum on services in our area so even though the taxes are lower than in some other states it still feels like we’re paying for nothing.

A great feature of New England schools is that they typically are specific to the town, so there is none of this crap about moving kids for FARMS purposes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I honestly think you have to ask WHY you want to move away - is it the (local) school environment? Curriculum? Overall School System (and then you can get into size, number of students, teacher experience, etc). I grew up in the Midwest, Small Town, Excellent school system (4 Elem, 1 Middle, 1 HS). Generally, a well-rounded, high achieving school with a traditional education.

I feel strongly that my kids could be getting a better education in that district vs. what they are receiving in FCPS. The academic pressure and competitiveness here are the major drawbacks for me. It's like people can't even see what their kids MIGHT be good at or how they can be a well-rounded person because they are so focused on getting a 4.5, taking 12APs and being President of 4 clubs just for their resume/college application.

Yes, I feel the School Board is one issue to look at, but I would focus on what a place is actually doing academically. What are the foundations in the early years - literacy, phonics, reading, math, etc - and how are they taught/what methods are being used. How much testing is going on during the school year (as it takes time away from actual learning).

It, for example, felt really crappy to realize my kids had never been taught Phonics based on the curriculum FCPS was using at the time, not to mention the way reading and literacy was being crammed down their throats for what amounts to some metrics. That's a lifelong issue they are going to have to deal with - and I have kids who H A T E reading as a result. Did I do all the things I was supposed to at home? Yes, I did. And let's not even mention the writing skills (not being taught).....

I’d say we’re reasonably happy with the local schools. It’s just this sense that the leadership is terrible, wastes money, and is driving FCPS into a ditch. The specter of boundary changes doesn’t help and our School Board member is awful (like dealing with a brick wall). I guess I’m feeling like a smaller system that is less bureaucratic, where you wouldn’t have to worry about money being wasted or where your kids will go to school in a few years, would be an upgrade.

I am no FCPS booster, at all, but if you are happy with the actual school your kids attend, it's pretty silly to move them because of "a sense the leadership is terrible and wastes money." Your actual kids are fine, according to you. If school boundaries change, you can move then.

If you are not already involved in the PTO and school board, getting involved there seems more relevant to your concerns. If nothing else, you might understand more about where the money goes.

Points to consider, thanks. If anything, if we stay, I think I'll disengage from the PTO, and any civic engagement with the School Board, and just keep my head down and focus on my kids' experience. It's not that different from how some are responding to Trump (the whole "tend my garden for four years" thing), but from the other end of the political spectrum. My problem is that I grew up in the county and remember when it was known for good government and an excellent school system, and we don't have that any more. And talking to our local School Board member is like talking to a brick wall - I honestly think she's on the spectrum.

The sad thing is that I honestly don’t know which member you are talking about. Can really only whittle it down based on you saying she is female.