Is there any VA school distric that is NOT a dumpster fire?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Second FCCPS. It's a much smaller district too. Is the new high school finished yet?

Yes, the high school is finished and it's beautiful. There will be construction going on nearby for the commercial developments for a few years, though.

We are in Falls Church and love it. Teachers are almost universally great, leadership is great, and I feel like everyone is very responsive to parents and kids. That said, the downsides are:

- fewer offerings than some bigger districts in terms of electives, activities, and foreign languages
- small student body (this has upsides -- easy to make sports teams!! - and downsides -- hopefully you can find your crowd in a class of 175 kids or so.

This is what I hear from FCCPS parents. We seriously considered moving there and I talked to a lot of people.

Great for your kid if it's great for your kid. If it's not great for your kid, no options.

Everyone is in your business. Very cliquey. Some people love that. Some people don't.

The locations of their middle school/high school are not ideal. On top of the highway, in the middle of commercial development, on the far edge of falls church city, with terrible parking. If one of your goals is to be part of a walkable community, that's not doing it.

It's also very homogenous, which is on purpose. They separated themselves from Fairfax however long ago to get away from the students that are harder to serve. If you're the type that cares about these things.

I have to disagree with your final two points. The location of the MS/HS are fine - and will be even better when there is commercial development there. Yes, it would be better if it were smack dab in the middle of the school, but a solid 30-40 percent of kids at the schools (I would guess) live within a 20 minute walk of the schools.

It's not that homogeneous and is becoming even less so. 30-40 percent of the kids in my 5th grader's class are nonwhite and that's been consistent every year. Most people do have educated parents who care about education, but that's why they moved to FCC in the first place (and many are willing to live in smaller houses and/or condos/apartments to be there).

3 percent African American
8 percent on free and reduced lunch

Please.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Op I hear you. We had similar experience in MCPS. We bit the bullet and found a smaller town. Found exactly the community we were looking for - caring. When it gets big in America, it gets corrupt. At least FCPS doesn’t have the sexual predators like MCPS. To the Georgia PP - dude, we spend 10xs for WORSE NAEP scores. Georgia (218) beat Maryland (220) by 2 points on NAEP in 2019.

I have a bridge to sell you. Idiot

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You all have ZERO perspective it’s incredible. Try an actually had school district like the one I grew up in in Georgia. You’d be crying for your highly funded nova district. You’re such losers. Seriously. Get a grip.

Can you share? I’m honestly struggling with my disappointment in APS. I grew up in a suburb outside NYC and there didn’t seem to be the same strife as there is here. Granted, I grew up before social media. The colleges that kids go to from APS are always so unimpressive. And they seem to be cutting back on very good programs like spanish enrichment in elementary. Also teachers are not paid as well as they were in my hometown. So as someone that was raised in a truly great public school district, I feel there’s a lot to be desired here. I have friends from growing up raising their kids in my hometown and they all are VERY happy and say quality is still great. What gives?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I hear the most positive things consistently about Falls Church City Public Schools.

This is correct. Some will say the district is too white. The schools are 63% white. A tiny bit higher than Langley in Great Falls. Some also love to say FCC is too white because that's the way they want it. So not true. People are talking about what happened 70 years ago. Not applicable now any more than any other 63% white school district or school pyramid in the NoVa area. It is, however, a tough school district to get into for many because it has a good reputation and the city itself is a desirable location for many reasons and therefore prices are high and available housing is low.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I hear the most positive things consistently about Falls Church City Public Schools.

This is correct. Some will say the district is too white. The schools are 63% white. A tiny bit higher than Langley in Great Falls. Some also love to say FCC is too white because that's the way they want it. So not true. People are talking about what happened 70 years ago. Not applicable now any more than any other 63% white school district or school pyramid in the NoVa area. It is, however, a tough school district to get into for many because it has a good reputation and the city itself is a desirable location for many reasons and therefore prices are high and available housing is low.

I don’t consistently hear good things about FCCPS that aren’t obviously coming from people just trying to protect their property values.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I hear the most positive things consistently about Falls Church City Public Schools.

This is correct. Some will say the district is too white. The schools are 63% white. A tiny bit higher than Langley in Great Falls. Some also love to say FCC is too white because that's the way they want it. So not true. People are talking about what happened 70 years ago. Not applicable now any more than any other 63% white school district or school pyramid in the NoVa area. It is, however, a tough school district to get into for many because it has a good reputation and the city itself is a desirable location for many reasons and therefore prices are high and available housing is low.

I don’t consistently hear good things about FCCPS that aren’t obviously coming from people just trying to protect their property values.

You are in denial about cause and effect. You think people are unhappy with FCCPS but just say they like it so they can sell their house for more? Okay, whatever. I don't live there but I do know you have some kind of a weird grudge, it's obvious.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You all have ZERO perspective it’s incredible. Try an actually had school district like the one I grew up in in Georgia. You’d be crying for your highly funded nova district. You’re such losers. Seriously. Get a grip.

Can you share? I’m honestly struggling with my disappointment in APS. I grew up in a suburb outside NYC and there didn’t seem to be the same strife as there is here. Granted, I grew up before social media. The colleges that kids go to from APS are always so unimpressive. And they seem to be cutting back on very good programs like spanish enrichment in elementary. Also teachers are not paid as well as they were in my hometown. So as someone that was raised in a truly great public school district, I feel there’s a lot to be desired here. I have friends from growing up raising their kids in my hometown and they all are VERY happy and say quality is still great. What gives?

The suburbs of NYC are some of the best, highest rated schools in the country. They’re very wealthy. Your perspective of what is normal and possible for public school is off. APS is not a bad district. Not even close. You have the expectation it is capable of giving you suburban NYC public education though. It isn’t. It’s a very good district. I’m telling you, bad districts are the Carolinas, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi. No funding. Awful infrastructure. Barely licensed teachers because the pay is horrendous, not livable. Curriculum that is old and garbage. Subpar facilities. You truly do not know a bad school district if you send your kids anywhere in northern Virginia. If is ludicrous to claim otherwise.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I hear the most positive things consistently about Falls Church City Public Schools.

This is correct. Some will say the district is too white. The schools are 63% white. A tiny bit higher than Langley in Great Falls. Some also love to say FCC is too white because that's the way they want it. So not true. People are talking about what happened 70 years ago. Not applicable now any more than any other 63% white school district or school pyramid in the NoVa area. It is, however, a tough school district to get into for many because it has a good reputation and the city itself is a desirable location for many reasons and therefore prices are high and available housing is low.

I don’t consistently hear good things about FCCPS that aren’t obviously coming from people just trying to protect their property values.

You are in denial about cause and effect. You think people are unhappy with FCCPS but just say they like it so they can sell their house for more? Okay, whatever. I don't live there but I do know you have some kind of a weird grudge, it's obvious.

The good things said about FCCPS tend to be very generic and not really about the schools themselves. It's obviously there are many people just boosting where they live simply because that's where they live.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You all have ZERO perspective it’s incredible. Try an actually had school district like the one I grew up in in Georgia. You’d be crying for your highly funded nova district. You’re such losers. Seriously. Get a grip.

Can you share? I’m honestly struggling with my disappointment in APS. I grew up in a suburb outside NYC and there didn’t seem to be the same strife as there is here. Granted, I grew up before social media. The colleges that kids go to from APS are always so unimpressive. And they seem to be cutting back on very good programs like spanish enrichment in elementary. Also teachers are not paid as well as they were in my hometown. So as someone that was raised in a truly great public school district, I feel there’s a lot to be desired here. I have friends from growing up raising their kids in my hometown and they all are VERY happy and say quality is still great. What gives?

The suburbs of NYC are some of the best, highest rated schools in the country. They’re very wealthy. Your perspective of what is normal and possible for public school is off. APS is not a bad district. Not even close. You have the expectation it is capable of giving you suburban NYC public education though. It isn’t. It’s a very good district. I’m telling you, bad districts are the Carolinas, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi. No funding. Awful infrastructure. Barely licensed teachers because the pay is horrendous, not livable. Curriculum that is old and garbage. Subpar facilities. You truly do not know a bad school district if you send your kids anywhere in northern Virginia. If is ludicrous to claim otherwise.

This. Try South Carolina where the county is dominated by retirees who don't care about schools and will vote against any tax. You end up with over crowded and severely underfunded schools. Academic expectations are non-existent and the results match the expectations.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You all have ZERO perspective it’s incredible. Try an actually had school district like the one I grew up in in Georgia. You’d be crying for your highly funded nova district. You’re such losers. Seriously. Get a grip.

Can you share? I’m honestly struggling with my disappointment in APS. I grew up in a suburb outside NYC and there didn’t seem to be the same strife as there is here. Granted, I grew up before social media. The colleges that kids go to from APS are always so unimpressive. And they seem to be cutting back on very good programs like spanish enrichment in elementary. Also teachers are not paid as well as they were in my hometown. So as someone that was raised in a truly great public school district, I feel there’s a lot to be desired here. I have friends from growing up raising their kids in my hometown and they all are VERY happy and say quality is still great. What gives?

The suburbs of NYC are some of the best, highest rated schools in the country. They’re very wealthy. Your perspective of what is normal and possible for public school is off. APS is not a bad district. Not even close. You have the expectation it is capable of giving you suburban NYC public education though. It isn’t. It’s a very good district. I’m telling you, bad districts are the Carolinas, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi. No funding. Awful infrastructure. Barely licensed teachers because the pay is horrendous, not livable. Curriculum that is old and garbage. Subpar facilities. You truly do not know a bad school district if you send your kids anywhere in northern Virginia. If is ludicrous to claim otherwise.

This. Try South Carolina where the county is dominated by retirees who don't care about schools and will vote against any tax. You end up with over crowded and severely underfunded schools. Academic expectations are non-existent and the results match the expectations.

But shouldn’t this area be more like the NYC suburbs than the south? I’m not arguing that we are on par with the south. We are not, thank god. But why are we so far from NYC suburbs? APS spends over 20k per student which is comparable $$.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You all have ZERO perspective it’s incredible. Try an actually had school district like the one I grew up in in Georgia. You’d be crying for your highly funded nova district. You’re such losers. Seriously. Get a grip.

Can you share? I’m honestly struggling with my disappointment in APS. I grew up in a suburb outside NYC and there didn’t seem to be the same strife as there is here. Granted, I grew up before social media. The colleges that kids go to from APS are always so unimpressive. And they seem to be cutting back on very good programs like spanish enrichment in elementary. Also teachers are not paid as well as they were in my hometown. So as someone that was raised in a truly great public school district, I feel there’s a lot to be desired here. I have friends from growing up raising their kids in my hometown and they all are VERY happy and say quality is still great. What gives?

Okay as somebody who does whine about APS, PP has an excellent point. We compare our schools to private schools and the ideal schools we have experienced or concoct in our heads, but if you compare APS to other schools around the country, hello, APS looks great.

I personally am so glad they got rid of Spanish. That class was so bad that my kids are forever turned off Spanish, and while a few parents liked the program, I have heard multiple parents complain that their kids also now hate Spanish. It was good in theory but the execution was usually terrible.

As far as college admissions go, which public schools have you seen that do a better job with placement? One issue is that this area is full of white UMC high achieving kids colleges don’t exactly want more of those (unless they need money and the kids is full pay).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You all have ZERO perspective it’s incredible. Try an actually had school district like the one I grew up in in Georgia. You’d be crying for your highly funded nova district. You’re such losers. Seriously. Get a grip.

Can you share? I’m honestly struggling with my disappointment in APS. I grew up in a suburb outside NYC and there didn’t seem to be the same strife as there is here. Granted, I grew up before social media. The colleges that kids go to from APS are always so unimpressive. And they seem to be cutting back on very good programs like spanish enrichment in elementary. Also teachers are not paid as well as they were in my hometown. So as someone that was raised in a truly great public school district, I feel there’s a lot to be desired here. I have friends from growing up raising their kids in my hometown and they all are VERY happy and say quality is still great. What gives?

The suburbs of NYC are some of the best, highest rated schools in the country. They’re very wealthy. Your perspective of what is normal and possible for public school is off. APS is not a bad district. Not even close. You have the expectation it is capable of giving you suburban NYC public education though. It isn’t. It’s a very good district. I’m telling you, bad districts are the Carolinas, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi. No funding. Awful infrastructure. Barely licensed teachers because the pay is horrendous, not livable. Curriculum that is old and garbage. Subpar facilities. You truly do not know a bad school district if you send your kids anywhere in northern Virginia. If is ludicrous to claim otherwise.

This. Try South Carolina where the county is dominated by retirees who don't care about schools and will vote against any tax. You end up with over crowded and severely underfunded schools. Academic expectations are non-existent and the results match the expectations.

But shouldn’t this area be more like the NYC suburbs than the south? I’m not arguing that we are on par with the south. We are not, thank god. But why are we so far from NYC suburbs? APS spends over 20k per student which is comparable $$.

Those districts are more like 30k per pupil and they are small enough to exclude economically disadvantaged students who require more resources (that's the real reason behind and benefit of small districts)

[Anonymous]

Hey Loudoun poster, how 'bout those MAP scores? Atrocious, so happy we fled.

Cue "test scores don't matter" or "scores are a function of students' SES" postings...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You all have ZERO perspective it’s incredible. Try an actually had school district like the one I grew up in in Georgia. You’d be crying for your highly funded nova district. You’re such losers. Seriously. Get a grip.

Can you share? I’m honestly struggling with my disappointment in APS. I grew up in a suburb outside NYC and there didn’t seem to be the same strife as there is here. Granted, I grew up before social media. The colleges that kids go to from APS are always so unimpressive. And they seem to be cutting back on very good programs like spanish enrichment in elementary. Also teachers are not paid as well as they were in my hometown. So as someone that was raised in a truly great public school district, I feel there’s a lot to be desired here. I have friends from growing up raising their kids in my hometown and they all are VERY happy and say quality is still great. What gives?

+1. And also went to PS in suburban NY. Very disappointed with things here in what I thought was supposed to be a good system.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:FCPS has some of the best ranked high schools in the state. If you want small with personalized attention and an easier academic experience go very rural and find a high school that hasn't been consolidated yet. Good luck, most of the very small schools have long since been merged into bigger ones

Those rankings are not based on anything that FCPS does. It happens to have a lot of rich, educated folks living in it. But those of us who live here rely on outside tutoring and helping our kids ourselves, because the schools themselves are nothing special, and some of them really suck.

Agree 100%. I have to spend lots of extra money supplementing my kid’s education.

As a thought experiment, consider whether the quality of education provided by FCPS (or APS or FCCPS), or the rating of the school, would change if all the current administrators and teachers were replaced with the administrators and teachers of a poorly performing school district.