FCPS Boundary Review Updates

[Anonymous]

And coming up with a real plan to make it happen is precisely what I'm suggesting we allow the school board to do, as part of the comprehensive boundary review or outside of it. My background isn't in school district logistics, but I'd be happy to pitch in if it would be helpful.

It took years and years to get Full Day K. They began by putting it in the schools that had a certain percentage of poverty. (Kathy Smith was famously responsible for redistricting a lower income community into her affluent school in order to get Full Day K. Shortly after all schools got Full Day K, she kicked the poor neighborhood out. So much for our caring Democrat reps.)

I would think that UPK would start in the high poverty elementary schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

So you don’t think removing 25% of likely umc students had or will have an effect on the rest of the kids? Because all I hear about from your comrades is that high farms supposedly really cripples opportunities for those schools.

At some point you’re arguing for a system that is equitized at really high farms level. The SJWs and the far right have gone so far extreme that they have now joined together at the other end of the circle. I wish you luck in that system, but you’ll lose a lot of us along the way, and don’t expect us to support taking more of our resources to realize your equity vision.

The research I've seen has suggested a "tipping point" of somewhere between 20-40% FARMS rate at any given school negatively affecting test score outcomes for ALL students. So it would really depend on exactly what the makeup of those left in the school would wind up being. Given our districtwide FARMS rate of 35%, it becomes clear that while comprehensive redistricting could move the needle at some schools, it would be impossible to get every single school below that tipping point mark.

Which is why I suggested above that there are much better and more effective solutions. Like Universal Pre-K! That can actually help lift children out of poverty (by allowing their mothers to work) while creating a strong foundation for later learning! And it's on the table at FCPS, suddenly! It's an evidence based solution that can help families up and down the economic spectrum, but it is dismissed as "impossible" and "unnecessary". Especially since we might need to move some things around to make it happen. So let's just keep fighting for the status quo for YOUR kids. Yay.

Coincidentally, Universal Free Lunch and Breakfast is another program that has been proven to improve educational outcomes, but we just had a proposal for Universal Free Breakfast shot down in the VA General Assembly once again.

This is the kind of rhetoric that gives away someone who just loves to virtue signal.

You think universal pre-K is a great idea. Fine. Then come up with a REAL plan to make it happen, and make sure you're the first in line to pay the additional taxes it would entail.

Right now we have a lot of folks just pretending we can turn all the ES into pre-K to 5 schools, and all the middle schools into 6-8 schools (and secondary schools into 6-12 schools). That's a huge logistical challenge and financial commitment, but you pretend that the only impediment is people who only care about their own kids.

It's the combination of empty virtue signaling and horrendous planning that is likely going to sink FCPS unless they clean up their act. They want to do brain surgery on the system, and they've yet to demonstrate that they can take care of a few hangnails.

You call this virtual signaling because YOU don't want to pay for it. I happily would. But it would be even better if we could get the 1% to pay for it. Gotta ramp up that progressive taxation.

And coming up with a real plan to make it happen is precisely what I'm suggesting we allow the school board to do, as part of the comprehensive boundary review or outside of it. My background isn't in school district logistics, but I'd be happy to pitch in if it would be helpful.

Ah, so when challenged you just double down on the progressive wish list. Sure, let's have Zuckerberg and Bezos pay for it - problem solved.

Meanwhile, those of us living in the real world, especially those who are familiar with FCPS's current inventory of buildings, know this would be very expensive and massively disruptive. The idea that the School Board is going to come up with a viable plan soon, much less one developed as part of the ongoing boundary review, betrays your superficial appreciation of the challenges.

[Anonymous]

I mean I don’t want my kids’ high school to change either. And yes we are at an IB school. BUT, I feel like with everything going on, boundary changes might be the least of our worries?! DOGE is going to cut the federal work force and by default, many of the private sector jobs. It’s going to devastate the economy in this area. FCPS will not get nearly as much funding. There will be cuts at the federal level. The FARMS rate will increase almost in every school. Youngkin will sell his soul to stay on Trump’s good side. And don’t get me started on the whole “patriotic education” BS that’s floating around as a requirement for schools. So I understand that people are nervous about boundaries, but things are going to get so much worse at this rate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I mean I don’t want my kids’ high school to change either. And yes we are at an IB school. BUT, I feel like with everything going on, boundary changes might be the least of our worries?! DOGE is going to cut the federal work force and by default, many of the private sector jobs. It’s going to devastate the economy in this area. FCPS will not get nearly as much funding. There will be cuts at the federal level. The FARMS rate will increase almost in every school. Youngkin will sell his soul to stay on Trump’s good side. And don’t get me started on the whole “patriotic education” BS that’s floating around as a requirement for schools. So I understand that people are nervous about boundaries, but things are going to get so much worse at this rate.

That's a fairly strong argument, whether intended or not, as a reason to pause this boundary review when (1) the enrollment numbers could change for reasons totally outside FCPS's control; and (2) people may have so much else going on to deal with.

If you just want to complain about Trump, DOGE, or Youngkin, there's an entire Politics forum for that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I mean I don’t want my kids’ high school to change either. And yes we are at an IB school. BUT, I feel like with everything going on, boundary changes might be the least of our worries?! DOGE is going to cut the federal work force and by default, many of the private sector jobs. It’s going to devastate the economy in this area. FCPS will not get nearly as much funding. There will be cuts at the federal level. The FARMS rate will increase almost in every school. Youngkin will sell his soul to stay on Trump’s good side. And don’t get me started on the whole “patriotic education” BS that’s floating around as a requirement for schools. So I understand that people are nervous about boundaries, but things are going to get so much worse at this rate.

And, you think spending money on shifting boundaries will help?

I'd suggest cutting the extra funds spent on IB for starters.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I mean I don’t want my kids’ high school to change either. And yes we are at an IB school. BUT, I feel like with everything going on, boundary changes might be the least of our worries?! DOGE is going to cut the federal work force and by default, many of the private sector jobs. It’s going to devastate the economy in this area. FCPS will not get nearly as much funding. There will be cuts at the federal level. The FARMS rate will increase almost in every school. Youngkin will sell his soul to stay on Trump’s good side. And don’t get me started on the whole “patriotic education” BS that’s floating around as a requirement for schools. So I understand that people are nervous about boundaries, but things are going to get so much worse at this rate.

That's a fairly strong argument, whether intended or not, as a reason to pause this boundary review when (1) the enrollment numbers could change for reasons totally outside FCPS's control; and (2) people may have so much else going on to deal with.

If you just want to complain about Trump, DOGE, or Youngkin, there's an entire Politics forum for that.

You totally missed the point. I’m not pro boundary changes but I think we are going to have much bigger issues. It’s funny how you think it’s just about complaining about Trump when I’m saying I’m worried that FCPS will be decimated. I was making the point—which you totally seem to have missed-that boundaries might end up being the least of our worries.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I mean I don’t want my kids’ high school to change either. And yes we are at an IB school. BUT, I feel like with everything going on, boundary changes might be the least of our worries?! DOGE is going to cut the federal work force and by default, many of the private sector jobs. It’s going to devastate the economy in this area. FCPS will not get nearly as much funding. There will be cuts at the federal level. The FARMS rate will increase almost in every school. Youngkin will sell his soul to stay on Trump’s good side. And don’t get me started on the whole “patriotic education” BS that’s floating around as a requirement for schools. So I understand that people are nervous about boundaries, but things are going to get so much worse at this rate.

That's a fairly strong argument, whether intended or not, as a reason to pause this boundary review when (1) the enrollment numbers could change for reasons totally outside FCPS's control; and (2) people may have so much else going on to deal with.

If you just want to complain about Trump, DOGE, or Youngkin, there's an entire Politics forum for that.

You totally missed the point. I’m not pro boundary changes but I think we are going to have much bigger issues. It’s funny how you think it’s just about complaining about Trump when I’m saying I’m worried that FCPS will be decimated. I was making the point—which you totally seem to have missed-that boundaries might end up being the least of our worries.

I understood your “point” completely. I tried to relate it to the thread to help you out, since the alternative would have been asking Jeff to delete your post as off-topic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I mean I don’t want my kids’ high school to change either. And yes we are at an IB school. BUT, I feel like with everything going on, boundary changes might be the least of our worries?! DOGE is going to cut the federal work force and by default, many of the private sector jobs. It’s going to devastate the economy in this area. FCPS will not get nearly as much funding. There will be cuts at the federal level. The FARMS rate will increase almost in every school. Youngkin will sell his soul to stay on Trump’s good side. And don’t get me started on the whole “patriotic education” BS that’s floating around as a requirement for schools. So I understand that people are nervous about boundaries, but things are going to get so much worse at this rate.

That's a fairly strong argument, whether intended or not, as a reason to pause this boundary review when (1) the enrollment numbers could change for reasons totally outside FCPS's control; and (2) people may have so much else going on to deal with.

If you just want to complain about Trump, DOGE, or Youngkin, there's an entire Politics forum for that.

If any mention of how the federal government might impact local schools needs to be reserved for the politics forum, can we make it a rule that discussion of boundaries be kept to this thread vs permeating any discussion on the FCPS forum?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I mean I don’t want my kids’ high school to change either. And yes we are at an IB school. BUT, I feel like with everything going on, boundary changes might be the least of our worries?! DOGE is going to cut the federal work force and by default, many of the private sector jobs. It’s going to devastate the economy in this area. FCPS will not get nearly as much funding. There will be cuts at the federal level. The FARMS rate will increase almost in every school. Youngkin will sell his soul to stay on Trump’s good side. And don’t get me started on the whole “patriotic education” BS that’s floating around as a requirement for schools. So I understand that people are nervous about boundaries, but things are going to get so much worse at this rate.

That's a fairly strong argument, whether intended or not, as a reason to pause this boundary review when (1) the enrollment numbers could change for reasons totally outside FCPS's control; and (2) people may have so much else going on to deal with.

If you just want to complain about Trump, DOGE, or Youngkin, there's an entire Politics forum for that.

You totally missed the point. I’m not pro boundary changes but I think we are going to have much bigger issues. It’s funny how you think it’s just about complaining about Trump when I’m saying I’m worried that FCPS will be decimated. I was making the point—which you totally seem to have missed-that boundaries might end up being the least of our worries.

I understood your “point” completely. I tried to relate it to the thread to help you out, since the alternative would have been asking Jeff to delete your post as off-topic.

But it’s not off topic?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I mean I don’t want my kids’ high school to change either. And yes we are at an IB school. BUT, I feel like with everything going on, boundary changes might be the least of our worries?! DOGE is going to cut the federal work force and by default, many of the private sector jobs. It’s going to devastate the economy in this area. FCPS will not get nearly as much funding. There will be cuts at the federal level. The FARMS rate will increase almost in every school. Youngkin will sell his soul to stay on Trump’s good side. And don’t get me started on the whole “patriotic education” BS that’s floating around as a requirement for schools. So I understand that people are nervous about boundaries, but things are going to get so much worse at this rate.

That's a fairly strong argument, whether intended or not, as a reason to pause this boundary review when (1) the enrollment numbers could change for reasons totally outside FCPS's control; and (2) people may have so much else going on to deal with.

If you just want to complain about Trump, DOGE, or Youngkin, there's an entire Politics forum for that.

You totally missed the point. I’m not pro boundary changes but I think we are going to have much bigger issues. It’s funny how you think it’s just about complaining about Trump when I’m saying I’m worried that FCPS will be decimated. I was making the point—which you totally seem to have missed-that boundaries might end up being the least of our worries.

DP. Your whataboutism is contrived. Akin to saying well there will already be massive upheaval, so this addition will just be piling onto that upheaval. Someone is stealing from you, so let these other people steal from you too at the same time.

I will hold the SB as responsible for the upheaval. They get no free passes from my family. I’m not alone in that sentiment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I mean I don’t want my kids’ high school to change either. And yes we are at an IB school. BUT, I feel like with everything going on, boundary changes might be the least of our worries?! DOGE is going to cut the federal work force and by default, many of the private sector jobs. It’s going to devastate the economy in this area. FCPS will not get nearly as much funding. There will be cuts at the federal level. The FARMS rate will increase almost in every school. Youngkin will sell his soul to stay on Trump’s good side. And don’t get me started on the whole “patriotic education” BS that’s floating around as a requirement for schools. So I understand that people are nervous about boundaries, but things are going to get so much worse at this rate.

That's a fairly strong argument, whether intended or not, as a reason to pause this boundary review when (1) the enrollment numbers could change for reasons totally outside FCPS's control; and (2) people may have so much else going on to deal with.

If you just want to complain about Trump, DOGE, or Youngkin, there's an entire Politics forum for that.

If any mention of how the federal government might impact local schools needs to be reserved for the politics forum, can we make it a rule that discussion of boundaries be kept to this thread vs permeating any discussion on the FCPS forum?

It’s an important enough topic that it’s going to go where I’d going to go.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I mean I don’t want my kids’ high school to change either. And yes we are at an IB school. BUT, I feel like with everything going on, boundary changes might be the least of our worries?! DOGE is going to cut the federal work force and by default, many of the private sector jobs. It’s going to devastate the economy in this area. FCPS will not get nearly as much funding. There will be cuts at the federal level. The FARMS rate will increase almost in every school. Youngkin will sell his soul to stay on Trump’s good side. And don’t get me started on the whole “patriotic education” BS that’s floating around as a requirement for schools. So I understand that people are nervous about boundaries, but things are going to get so much worse at this rate.

That's a fairly strong argument, whether intended or not, as a reason to pause this boundary review when (1) the enrollment numbers could change for reasons totally outside FCPS's control; and (2) people may have so much else going on to deal with.

If you just want to complain about Trump, DOGE, or Youngkin, there's an entire Politics forum for that.

If any mention of how the federal government might impact local schools needs to be reserved for the politics forum, can we make it a rule that discussion of boundaries be kept to this thread vs permeating any discussion on the FCPS forum?

Your premise is false, as a discussion of boundaries is not really “permeating” other threads. Sometimes it is germane.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I mean I don’t want my kids’ high school to change either. And yes we are at an IB school. BUT, I feel like with everything going on, boundary changes might be the least of our worries?! DOGE is going to cut the federal work force and by default, many of the private sector jobs. It’s going to devastate the economy in this area. FCPS will not get nearly as much funding. There will be cuts at the federal level. The FARMS rate will increase almost in every school. Youngkin will sell his soul to stay on Trump’s good side. And don’t get me started on the whole “patriotic education” BS that’s floating around as a requirement for schools. So I understand that people are nervous about boundaries, but things are going to get so much worse at this rate.

That's a fairly strong argument, whether intended or not, as a reason to pause this boundary review when (1) the enrollment numbers could change for reasons totally outside FCPS's control; and (2) people may have so much else going on to deal with.

If you just want to complain about Trump, DOGE, or Youngkin, there's an entire Politics forum for that.

You totally missed the point. I’m not pro boundary changes but I think we are going to have much bigger issues. It’s funny how you think it’s just about complaining about Trump when I’m saying I’m worried that FCPS will be decimated. I was making the point—which you totally seem to have missed-that boundaries might end up being the least of our worries.

DP. Your whataboutism is contrived. Akin to saying well there will already be massive upheaval, so this addition will just be piling onto that upheaval. Someone is stealing from you, so let these other people steal from you too at the same time.

I will hold the SB as responsible for the upheaval. They get no free passes from my family. I’m not alone in that sentiment.

Bingo. “Stop talking about boundaries because we have bigger fish to fry and you should all focus on my issues instead.”

Not going to happen. PP can start a different thread here or take it to Politics.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I mean I don’t want my kids’ high school to change either. And yes we are at an IB school. BUT, I feel like with everything going on, boundary changes might be the least of our worries?! DOGE is going to cut the federal work force and by default, many of the private sector jobs. It’s going to devastate the economy in this area. FCPS will not get nearly as much funding. There will be cuts at the federal level. The FARMS rate will increase almost in every school. Youngkin will sell his soul to stay on Trump’s good side. And don’t get me started on the whole “patriotic education” BS that’s floating around as a requirement for schools. So I understand that people are nervous about boundaries, but things are going to get so much worse at this rate.

That's a fairly strong argument, whether intended or not, as a reason to pause this boundary review when (1) the enrollment numbers could change for reasons totally outside FCPS's control; and (2) people may have so much else going on to deal with.

If you just want to complain about Trump, DOGE, or Youngkin, there's an entire Politics forum for that.

You totally missed the point. I’m not pro boundary changes but I think we are going to have much bigger issues. It’s funny how you think it’s just about complaining about Trump when I’m saying I’m worried that FCPS will be decimated. I was making the point—which you totally seem to have missed-that boundaries might end up being the least of our worries.

DP. Your whataboutism is contrived. Akin to saying well there will already be massive upheaval, so this addition will just be piling onto that upheaval. Someone is stealing from you, so let these other people steal from you too at the same time.

I will hold the SB as responsible for the upheaval. They get no free passes from my family. I’m not alone in that sentiment.

I am not saying I’m pro boundary changes. No I don't think now is a great time to mix things up. I was just venting that I’m scared of how everything that is going on (go to my OP) might end up making this whole boundary discussion seem pointless if it all comes crashing down? Like just freaking pondering out loud. Looking at the bigger picture?

[Anonymous]

From another DCUM thread: https://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/1260247.page

Department of Education launched an “End DEI” portal today: https://www.ed.gov/about/news/press-release/us-department-of-education-launches-end-dei-portal

What would Ol’ Musky think of FCPS?