Losing faith in the public school system and feeling bad about it.

[Anonymous]

Testing started with the SOL's which created a uniform curriculum. NCLB has national performance standards and sanctions. I had a child in FCPS when SOL's were first administered and the Supt Domenech called them minimum competency tests at a meeting.

He was correct. I see nothing wrong with objective assessment.

FCPS issues are the result of local politics, boundary issues, and extremely petty.

[Anonymous]

We were not happy with the elementary curriculum or our school in FCPS, because it didn't serve out kids' needs (very bright, but not "gifted"). So, we went private for upper elementary, middle school. Now we're back in public high school, and are pleased with the levels offered: general, honors, IB/AP. So, kids can find a fit in subjects they either need to be challenged in, or stay in the regular class if that suits them.

[Anonymous]

I went to Fairfax County Public schools and I have always been a HUGE supporter of a public education. But as the years have passed, I am losing faith. Classes have gotten bigger, test scores have gone down, more resources going to kids who are just learning English. Now I am considering sending my kid to private school and i can't believe I am doing it! Does anyone else feel this way?

Watch out, or you may soon start wondering if unions really are all that great, if school vouchers really are such a bad idea and if tea party folks really are all just a bunch of dumb racist rednecks. If you are not careful, you might soon be shunned by your neighbors and friends...

[Anonymous]

Yes. My son is in a shockingly bad middle school. I was, overall, pleased with elementary school, but I can tell the middle school years will be a total waste. I can't believe the bad element at this age in FCPS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think when there is a high concentration of poverty in one school pyramid, that those neighborhoods should be split and distributed into various higher performing schools. It's just not fair to burden one school with a high numbers of poor kids and ESOL kids. Then you get these situations where others flee the schools. It's a shame.

Well it sure ain't fair to burden gifted kids with raising scores in an underperforming school.

[Anonymous]

Well it sure ain't fair to burden gifted kids with raising scores in an underperforming school.

Sure it is, it is called distributing the wealth and making sure that those that have less have a little bit more. It is a fundamental principle of Progressive politics. It works the same way with test scores the same way it does with income.

[Anonymous]

There have been studies done that attending a socioeconomically diverse school is important to test scores and achievement for poor students. My earlier point about Brown v. Board stands - there are large pockets of our country that are hugely segregated, just not as much on racial lines.

If I knew how to fix this, I would. But there are many communities/schools getting the short end of the stick who will NEVER catch up, just because they aren't born into the right area.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There have been studies done that attending a socioeconomically diverse school is important to test scores and achievement for poor students. My earlier point about Brown v. Board stands - there are large pockets of our country that are hugely segregated, just not as much on racial lines.

If I knew how to fix this, I would. But there are many communities/schools getting the short end of the stick who will NEVER catch up, just because they aren't born into the right area.

The problem is that attending school with poor achievers is detrimental or at best neutral to learning for high-achieving students. So school systems have a tough sell for those parents.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There have been studies done that attending a socioeconomically diverse school is important to test scores and achievement for poor students. My earlier point about Brown v. Board stands - there are large pockets of our country that are hugely segregated, just not as much on racial lines.

If I knew how to fix this, I would. But there are many communities/schools getting the short end of the stick who will NEVER catch up, just because they aren't born into the right area.

The problem is that attending school with poor achievers is detrimental or at best neutral to learning for high-achieving students. So school systems have a tough sell for those parents.

That is only if you throw the high income kids into the poor school and don't have a range of income levels. The goal is to have an economically (and then usually ethnically and ability-wise) diverse student body. Not "Let's send some rich kids to the poor school" or vice versa. But of course, we do not live in a utopian society and we tend to segregate ourselves into enclaves. Which is why the Reston situation makes me so sad - the founder had a vision of an economically diverse community.

I just truly believe it is inherently unfair to have a school with nearly 70% poverty in an area like ours when there are schools elsewhere in the county with close to zero. How to fix it, I have no idea. If I had all the answers to these deep problems and divisions in our society, I would have won a Nobel.

[Anonymous]

I have three kids at a FCPS that is a majority-minority school, lots of LEP and lots of FARM kids. It's not a Title 1 school but it is a Priority school. We couldn't be happier. One of my kids has LD, one is advanced and the other is LD/advanced. There isn't a school or a system in the world that's going to please every parent. FCPS is the gold standard but the key to your child's success is you. Every single child has ample educational opportunities at every single FCPS school. If a FCPS isn't working for you, it's probably not the school's fault.

BTW - DH went to private school in NOVA. He and his parents think the quality of our local school is better than his private elementary school that some people rave about here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: Every single child has ample educational opportunities at every single FCPS school. If a FCPS isn't working for you, it's probably not the school's fault.

That's right. It's the cliques of Spanish-speaking girls that ostracized some of the minority of non-Spanish speaking girls in 1st and 2nd grade.

[Anonymous]

Who says that FCPS is the gold standard? I keep hearing statements like this and I'd like to know where it comes from and what it means? Is it the gold standard of the country? Of the state? Or what? What is gold standard measured by? This is a serious question. I keep seeing comments like this, and I'd like to know what we are comparing FCPS to?

For the record, I have two children in FCPS. And so far, I have been OK with it. Most of it comes down to the teacher your child has, and secondly peer group. We've had great teachers and some not-so-great. And we went through one year where there were some students with behaviorial problems that ruined the whole year (with an excellent, experienced teacer). Our school is overcrowded and only getting worse. There are trailers galore. If FCPS is the gold standard, I'd hate to see the bronze.

[Anonymous]

It's not the "gold standard" for me when my 2nd grader has 30 kids in her class and only one teacher.

Not the gold standard for me when my 1st grader only has ONE small group meeting with the teacher for reading each week. The rest of the week s/he is self-entertaining at stations.

No homework packets sent home in first grade or kindergarten.

No homework at all until Oct. in 2nd grade.

Not the gold standard for me when the average SAT score for kids at my designated HS is about average for the nation.

Pockets of top notch exist, but to say that all of Fairfax is "gold" is just incorrect. I know there are other schools in Ffx and other systems that do things better. And, FWIW, my kids are not in a low-income, low-tier school. The SOL scores met or exceeded Ffx cnty on every test this past year.... but, I do not feel like I have a "gold standard" school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Who says that FCPS is the gold standard? I keep hearing statements like this and I'd like to know where it comes from and what it means? Is it the gold standard of the country? Of the state? Or what? What is gold standard measured by? This is a serious question. I keep seeing comments like this, and I'd like to know what we are comparing FCPS to?

For the record, I have two children in FCPS. And so far, I have been OK with it. Most of it comes down to the teacher your child has, and secondly peer group. We've had great teachers and some not-so-great. And we went through one year where there were some students with behaviorial problems that ruined the whole year (with an excellent, experienced teacer). Our school is overcrowded and only getting worse. There are trailers galore. If FCPS is the gold standard, I'd hate to see the bronze.

yep. we've had some good ones, and one not good one. It was the same in private school though.
If I compare it to my childhood education, DC is about where we were or a little ahead at the same age.
DC's shortcomings are his/her own, so I don't blame the school too much (except for the large (30) class size).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's not the "gold standard" for me when my 2nd grader has 30 kids in her class and only one teacher.

Not the gold standard for me when my 1st grader only has ONE small group meeting with the teacher for reading each week. The rest of the week s/he is self-entertaining at stations.

No homework packets sent home in first grade or kindergarten.

No homework at all until Oct. in 2nd grade.

Not the gold standard for me when the average SAT score for kids at my designated HS is about average for the nation.

Pockets of top notch exist, but to say that all of Fairfax is "gold" is just incorrect. I know there are other schools in Ffx and other systems that do things better. And, FWIW, my kids are not in a low-income, low-tier school. The SOL scores met or exceeded Ffx cnty on every test this past year.... but, I do not feel like I have a "gold standard" school.

You think homework is an indication of how good a school is? Research increasingly shows there is no value in doing homework until the upper grades. If you think your child isn't learning and is only 'self-entertaining' at stations then why don't you contact the teacher and find out what your child is doing? I guarantee that your DC is doing far more than you know. It sounds like your concern is the school isn't doing things the way you want them done. Doesn't surprise me since you seem to think SAT score are the autoritative indicator of school quality. How many schools systems have 91.7% of their graduates go on to college? It's highly likely more than 91.7% are taking the SATs. How many school systems have that may kids seriously thinking about going to college? None where I grew up.

Look at some of these statistics and you'll see why FCPS is the gold standard http://www.fcps.edu/about/overview.htm . It's not perfect but it doesn't get much better - even if you have 30 kids in a classroom.