Skyview Information for Families of Attending Kids

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thanks for creating this thread, I do think it's helpful for parents of kids attending to share information. Mine has opted in. I have been in contact with several of the administrators and have been very impressed with their responsiveness and their professionalism. There is an excitement that they are trying to do something innovative with this school and I find it refreshing that it's not business as usual but I know it gives others anxiety that not everything is settled yet. I do wish I knew the incoming class size though.

They make a lot of general statements about being innovative but then they aren’t transparent about the size of the incoming freshmen and sophomore classes and how many live in each of the five eligible pyramids.

If it walks like a future magnet and quacks like a future magnet don’t be surprised when it becomes a magnet.

FCPS has all the information they need to set boundaries for Skyview and has had it for quite some time.

FCPS will follow their standard modus operandi and obfuscate, delay, provide dubious information to change direction and do what Reid wanted all along.

Just stop. This thread is for the families of attending kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:That's true that they have not disclosed it but I never asked them directly either. I would imagine they are not authorized to say.

However, I have strong industry expertise in two of the pathways and I can tell you from my discussions with them; they are very working to make the pathways highly relevant and modern and are engaging with industry leaders to help ensure that. While I believe every school should do this, I am particularly impressed with their efforts. It's easier to make something new and modern when you are building it new verus inheriting it but regardless but I see positive developments. The school is a bit of an unknown and surrounded in plenty of controversy and unusual decision making, but the admin team seems to have their heads on straight.

Honestly, this reads like the type of spam you’d expect FCPS to disseminate once it became clear they weren’t going to hit their target for 1000 kids in the fall. They have not even committed to when they will be able to offer the pathways courses.

I'm the poster. Not spam, and they have the pathways 9th and 10th grade classes set and have discussed the 11th and 12th grade design. There are already widely available FCPS courses that feed into the pathways - AP CS, Stem Design, it's not that hard. What will be likely different is the progression of those electives into the 11th and 12th grade classes and they told the parents at the meeting what those would likely consist of. I really don't understand why people have such negative attitudes. You don't have to go if you don't want to. I don't think they really care if they hit their 1000 target- they just want to get it rolling.I'd prefer they keep the school at the 1500 hundred kid range it was designed for so 400 kids or so a class would be fine. No one expects to get a lot of 10th graders opting in- esp with no transport guarantees; they'd have to dislike their current school. If they cared about 1000 kids, they would have zoned them in, they had the power to and choose not to.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:That's true that they have not disclosed it but I never asked them directly either. I would imagine they are not authorized to say.

However, I have strong industry expertise in two of the pathways and I can tell you from my discussions with them; they are very working to make the pathways highly relevant and modern and are engaging with industry leaders to help ensure that. While I believe every school should do this, I am particularly impressed with their efforts. It's easier to make something new and modern when you are building it new verus inheriting it but regardless but I see positive developments. The school is a bit of an unknown and surrounded in plenty of controversy and unusual decision making, but the admin team seems to have their heads on straight.

Honestly, this reads like the type of spam you’d expect FCPS to disseminate once it became clear they weren’t going to hit their target for 1000 kids in the fall. They have not even committed to when they will be able to offer the pathways courses.

I'm the poster. Not spam, and they have the pathways 9th and 10th grade classes set and have discussed the 11th and 12th grade design. There are already widely available FCPS courses that feed into the pathways - AP CS, Stem Design, it's not that hard. What will be likely different is the progression of those electives into the 11th and 12th grade classes and they told the parents at the meeting what those would likely consist of. I really don't understand why people have such negative attitudes. You don't have to go if you don't want to. I don't think they really care if they hit their 1000 target- they just want to get it rolling.I'd prefer they keep the school at the 1500 hundred kid range it was designed for so 400 kids or so a class would be fine. No one expects to get a lot of 10th graders opting in- esp with no transport guarantees; they'd have to dislike their current school. If they cared about 1000 kids, they would have zoned them in, they had the power to and choose not to.

KAA was built as a private school that could accommodate about 1250 kids maximum. FCPS plans for Skyview to operate as a traditional public high school have always referred to "at least 2000 students." It's never been said that KAA/Skyview was "designed for" 1500. If it bothers you that people keep wondering whether Skyview will end up a magnet, you shouldn't be suggesting that it was designed for 1500 kids. That's exactly what someone who is trying to back track on the prior commitment to operate Skyview as a neighborhood school for 2000 or so kids might claim.

Courses for Skyview still seem unclear. It's supposed to open this fall, but there's no 2026-27 course catalog available, like there is for every other high school in the county.

[Anonymous]

I created this thread for parents of kids attending Skyview to share information. Please post complaints about the purchase/lack of info, conspiracy theories, and all the typical anti-Skyview stuff to one of the three or four other threads on the school.

It would be nice for the families attending to have a place to share info.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I created this thread for parents of kids attending Skyview to share information. Please post complaints about the purchase/lack of info, conspiracy theories, and all the typical anti-Skyview stuff to one of the three or four other threads on the school.

It would be nice for the families attending to have a place to share info.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I created this thread for parents of kids attending Skyview to share information. Please post complaints about the purchase/lack of info, conspiracy theories, and all the typical anti-Skyview stuff to one of the three or four other threads on the school.

It would be nice for the families attending to have a place to share info.

Go ahead and report posts that are off topic and explain why you would like them deleted. Jeff is good about removing off topic posts when reported.

[Anonymous]

Why is it off topic to challenge a poster claiming Skyview was designed for 1500 students? That has significant implications for families considering Skyview.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why is it off topic to challenge a poster claiming Skyview was designed for 1500 students? That has significant implications for families considering Skyview.

Reminder: There are two additional buildings that will be fitted for classrooms and other uses.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why is it off topic to challenge a poster claiming Skyview was designed for 1500 students? That has significant implications for families considering Skyview.

Ok I’ll bite.

Let’s say thay Skyview is in fact only going to welcome 1,500 kids? You’re complaining about a small boutique high school now? Is there really a difference between 1500 and 2000 in terms of possible academic outcomes? I guess you can argue sports maybe?

The reality is there are nay naysayers all over this entire website who are rooting for FCPS to fail. And if you’re whining about 1500 or 2000 for a brand new platinum plated school, you’re just out of touch with reality.

[Anonymous]

Would all the people whose kids are NOT attending Skyview, please start a different post?

I'm the one who said the school was designed originally for around 1500 kids. I know FCPS says it will be 2000 but for those are crowing about not having 1000 yet, I'm simply saying the kids that will go there do not care, and frankly it might be nice to have a smaller class.

My older kids went to Chantilly - having sat through a 800 person graduation multiple times, I'm not too worried about my 9th grader having a smaller class. This is an opt in class, and has nothing to do with FCPS future plans, whatever they are.

Here is what I know - they ARE developing curriculum for the pathways, the staff IS excited to be there and they WILL have the AP classes our family cares about, so again, if your child has not opted in, please find another thread to complain on. For those of you who have "significant" concerns about a HS with 1500 kids if that turns out to be what it is (the same parents complain about funding to expand it) you can go to private school if you do not like the FCPS school your kid is zoned to.

The things people complain about is unreal.

[Anonymous]

It’s hard to credit people who claim Skyview is getting off to a great start when they also make up numbers about Skyview’s planned enrollment that appear to have no factual basis.

[Anonymous]

I missed the part at the meeting last night about transportation. Does anyone there know what they said?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I missed the part at the meeting last night about transportation. Does anyone there know what they said?

At the session for rising 10th graders all they said was that there would be some sort of "hub system" where students can take a bus to a nearby school and a second bus from there to Skyview.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Would all the people whose kids are NOT attending Skyview, please start a different post?

I'm the one who said the school was designed originally for around 1500 kids. I know FCPS says it will be 2000 but for those are crowing about not having 1000 yet, I'm simply saying the kids that will go there do not care, and frankly it might be nice to have a smaller class.

My older kids went to Chantilly - having sat through a 800 person graduation multiple times, I'm not too worried about my 9th grader having a smaller class. This is an opt in class, and has nothing to do with FCPS future plans, whatever they are.

Here is what I know - they ARE developing curriculum for the pathways, the staff IS excited to be there and they WILL have the AP classes our family cares about, so again, if your child has not opted in, please find another thread to complain on. For those of you who have "significant" concerns about a HS with 1500 kids if that turns out to be what it is (the same parents complain about funding to expand it) you can go to private school if you do not like the FCPS school your kid is zoned to.

The things people complain about is unreal.

not all teachers are excited about skyview. teachers at westfield are being told they have no choice but to move to skyview and they don’t want to. they are also cutting classes at westfield next year as they move teachers out

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Would all the people whose kids are NOT attending Skyview, please start a different post?

I'm the one who said the school was designed originally for around 1500 kids. I know FCPS says it will be 2000 but for those are crowing about not having 1000 yet, I'm simply saying the kids that will go there do not care, and frankly it might be nice to have a smaller class.

My older kids went to Chantilly - having sat through a 800 person graduation multiple times, I'm not too worried about my 9th grader having a smaller class. This is an opt in class, and has nothing to do with FCPS future plans, whatever they are.

Here is what I know - they ARE developing curriculum for the pathways, the staff IS excited to be there and they WILL have the AP classes our family cares about, so again, if your child has not opted in, please find another thread to complain on. For those of you who have "significant" concerns about a HS with 1500 kids if that turns out to be what it is (the same parents complain about funding to expand it) you can go to private school if you do not like the FCPS school your kid is zoned to.

The things people complain about is unreal.

not all teachers are excited about skyview. teachers at westfield are being told they have no choice but to move to skyview and they don’t want to. they are also cutting classes at westfield next year as they move teachers out

This is total BS. Skyview has finished hiring all of their staff before other schools even started destaffing.