School board reckoning?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Anyone else get that email from McKay today - I laughed that the Dems are trying to do damage control! (I am a Dem - but that was totally trying to damage control - but I am glad that they kinda of know it's their fault that the Rs won because they closed school for so long).

I didn't. could you copy paste it here

He has a whole newsletter you can sign up for if you want. But this was the intro today.

To the Fairfax County Community,

Tuesday was a big Election Day in Virginia and I want to first thank the hundreds of election workers who stepped up and served on Election Day and the 431,525 County residents who took the time to exercise their democratic right to vote. Clearly all the progress to make voting easier was appreciated by so many voters!

Second, I want congratulate our Governor-Elect Glenn Youngkin, Lieutenant Governor-Elect Winsome Sears, Attorney General-Elect Jason Miyares, and our entire House of Delegates delegation that represents Fairfax County.

Certainly schools were one of the big issues this election and education is the most important priority in Fairfax County. While the School Board makes operational and curriculum based decisions on schools, Fairfax County Public Schools makes up over half of the Fairfax County budget. We know that our schools are a key driver to our economic success and a critical reason many people choose to live here. FCPS has also always been a place of parental involvement and engagement. Whether its the PTA, the booster club, parent surveys and stakeholder groups, room parents, or direct communication with our world class teachers and administrators - parents always have access to their schools. I know this because I am the proud parent of two FCPS students myself.

That collaboration is a key reason our schools are among the best in the US. We also recognize that our teachers are professionals, know what they are doing, love their students, and are always open to parental input.

Central to the culture of both the Board of Supervisors and School Board is parental and resident engagement. No decision is ever final without the input of our community. While this culture doesn't exist everywhere, we are proud it exists here and know it is one of the many things that makes us successful in Fairfax County.

Now that the election is over, as Chairman I will be working with this new administration and the General Assembly, as I always have, to advocate for Fairfax County's most important issues.

Wow. So much spin and 1/2 truths in this. There are deep problems with FCPS and this just glosses over it. Parents aren’t buying it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Anyone else get that email from McKay today - I laughed that the Dems are trying to do damage control! (I am a Dem - but that was totally trying to damage control - but I am glad that they kinda of know it's their fault that the Rs won because they closed school for so long).

I didn't. could you copy paste it here

He has a whole newsletter you can sign up for if you want. But this was the intro today.

To the Fairfax County Community,

Tuesday was a big Election Day in Virginia and I want to first thank the hundreds of election workers who stepped up and served on Election Day and the 431,525 County residents who took the time to exercise their democratic right to vote. Clearly all the progress to make voting easier was appreciated by so many voters!

Second, I want congratulate our Governor-Elect Glenn Youngkin, Lieutenant Governor-Elect Winsome Sears, Attorney General-Elect Jason Miyares, and our entire House of Delegates delegation that represents Fairfax County.

Certainly schools were one of the big issues this election and education is the most important priority in Fairfax County. While the School Board makes operational and curriculum based decisions on schools, Fairfax County Public Schools makes up over half of the Fairfax County budget. We know that our schools are a key driver to our economic success and a critical reason many people choose to live here. FCPS has also always been a place of parental involvement and engagement. Whether its the PTA, the booster club, parent surveys and stakeholder groups, room parents, or direct communication with our world class teachers and administrators - parents always have access to their schools. I know this because I am the proud parent of two FCPS students myself.

That collaboration is a key reason our schools are among the best in the US. We also recognize that our teachers are professionals, know what they are doing, love their students, and are always open to parental input.

Central to the culture of both the Board of Supervisors and School Board is parental and resident engagement. No decision is ever final without the input of our community. While this culture doesn't exist everywhere, we are proud it exists here and know it is one of the many things that makes us successful in Fairfax County.

Now that the election is over, as Chairman I will be working with this new administration and the General Assembly, as I always have, to advocate for Fairfax County's most important issues.

Wow. So much spin and 1/2 truths in this. There are deep problems with FCPS and this just glosses over it. Parents aren’t buying it.

By listening to parents...did they mean lining up some parents to speak on an issue they plan to rubberstamp? The SBs know they cost the Democrats the election and like every political party that loses, they're now in revisionist mode.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I am all in favor of a redistricting across the entire county. Lets shift all the boundaries so that over enrolled schools see relief and under enrolled schools see their seats being used. Families who are unhappy with their new schools are welcome to move to Private but the boundaries, as they stand right now, are bullshit.


Mass chaos. I suspect you have never been through a redistricting. Bad idea.


For who? The parents of kids that are in the higher income families maybe but better for the rest of the county. We have schools with declining population and schools that are bursting at the seems. We can alleviate a good amount of that by shifting the boundaries. We won't because the wealthy families will scream bloody murder and will contribute to whatever campaign they have to so that their kids don't have to attend school with kids who are under privileged.

When a school with a declining population is losing 200 kids to AP, that is a problem with the school--not the boundaries. So, your solution is to send other kids there?

And, it may surprise you to know that even people in lower income schools do not necessarily wish to be sent to higher income schools. Case in point: neighborhoods sent from Chantilly to Oakton in 2008. At that time, Oakton was rated significantly higher than Chantilly. Yet, the neighborhood wished to stay where they were. So much that years later, when Kathy Smith was running for Supervisor that a parent was charged with attacking Smith when she was door knocking.

Redistricting is not just about home values. It is also about the community that is developed around the school--sports, band, drama, etc. It is about students and their families.

It is extremely disruptive to families and neighborhoods--and actually pits neighborhoods against neighborhoods within a community. (Neighborhoods fight to stay within the school's boundary over other competing neighborhoods. It is not pretty. )

Families end up with kids in different schools. Two PTA's, two different event schedules, two different Open Houses, two different venues for just about all activities.

The hard work is to make the schools stronger. That is what the SB refuses to acknowledge. And, changing names does not change the culture.

I believe that South Lakes show how an infusion of stronger students can improver and bolster a school. Test scores and graduations rates have been improving more then number of kids added by the boundary change rates.

Yes, it will negatively effect some property rates while improving others. And yes, there will be some inconvenience for families. But you can’t allow over crowded schools to continue to be over crowded and under utilized schools to shrink. Arguing that some kids deserve to have over crowded schools so your house maintains its property value is selfish bullshit and you know it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I am all in favor of a redistricting across the entire county. Lets shift all the boundaries so that over enrolled schools see relief and under enrolled schools see their seats being used. Families who are unhappy with their new schools are welcome to move to Private but the boundaries, as they stand right now, are bullshit.


Mass chaos. I suspect you have never been through a redistricting. Bad idea.


For who? The parents of kids that are in the higher income families maybe but better for the rest of the county. We have schools with declining population and schools that are bursting at the seems. We can alleviate a good amount of that by shifting the boundaries. We won't because the wealthy families will scream bloody murder and will contribute to whatever campaign they have to so that their kids don't have to attend school with kids who are under privileged.

When a school with a declining population is losing 200 kids to AP, that is a problem with the school--not the boundaries. So, your solution is to send other kids there?

And, it may surprise you to know that even people in lower income schools do not necessarily wish to be sent to higher income schools. Case in point: neighborhoods sent from Chantilly to Oakton in 2008. At that time, Oakton was rated significantly higher than Chantilly. Yet, the neighborhood wished to stay where they were. So much that years later, when Kathy Smith was running for Supervisor that a parent was charged with attacking Smith when she was door knocking.

Redistricting is not just about home values. It is also about the community that is developed around the school--sports, band, drama, etc. It is about students and their families.

It is extremely disruptive to families and neighborhoods--and actually pits neighborhoods against neighborhoods within a community. (Neighborhoods fight to stay within the school's boundary over other competing neighborhoods. It is not pretty. )

Families end up with kids in different schools. Two PTA's, two different event schedules, two different Open Houses, two different venues for just about all activities.

The hard work is to make the schools stronger. That is what the SB refuses to acknowledge. And, changing names does not change the culture.

I believe that South Lakes show how an infusion of stronger students can improver and bolster a school. Test scores and graduations rates have been improving more then number of kids added by the boundary change rates.

Yes, it will negatively effect some property rates while improving others. And yes, there will be some inconvenience for families. But you can’t allow over crowded schools to continue to be over crowded and under utilized schools to shrink. Arguing that some kids deserve to have over crowded schools so your house maintains its property value is selfish bullshit and you know it.

I am okay with selfish bullshit. I am not okay with using kids as pawns to “improve and bolster a school.”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Anyone else get that email from McKay today - I laughed that the Dems are trying to do damage control! (I am a Dem - but that was totally trying to damage control - but I am glad that they kinda of know it's their fault that the Rs won because they closed school for so long).

I didn't. could you copy paste it here

He has a whole newsletter you can sign up for if you want. But this was the intro today.

To the Fairfax County Community,

Tuesday was a big Election Day in Virginia and I want to first thank the hundreds of election workers who stepped up and served on Election Day and the 431,525 County residents who took the time to exercise their democratic right to vote. Clearly all the progress to make voting easier was appreciated by so many voters!

Second, I want congratulate our Governor-Elect Glenn Youngkin, Lieutenant Governor-Elect Winsome Sears, Attorney General-Elect Jason Miyares, and our entire House of Delegates delegation that represents Fairfax County.

Certainly schools were one of the big issues this election and education is the most important priority in Fairfax County. While the School Board makes operational and curriculum based decisions on schools, Fairfax County Public Schools makes up over half of the Fairfax County budget. We know that our schools are a key driver to our economic success and a critical reason many people choose to live here. FCPS has also always been a place of parental involvement and engagement. Whether its the PTA, the booster club, parent surveys and stakeholder groups, room parents, or direct communication with our world class teachers and administrators - parents always have access to their schools. I know this because I am the proud parent of two FCPS students myself.

That collaboration is a key reason our schools are among the best in the US. We also recognize that our teachers are professionals, know what they are doing, love their students, and are always open to parental input.

Central to the culture of both the Board of Supervisors and School Board is parental and resident engagement. No decision is ever final without the input of our community. While this culture doesn't exist everywhere, we are proud it exists here and know it is one of the many things that makes us successful in Fairfax County.

Now that the election is over, as Chairman I will be working with this new administration and the General Assembly, as I always have, to advocate for Fairfax County's most important issues.

Wow. So much spin and 1/2 truths in this. There are deep problems with FCPS and this just glosses over it. Parents aren’t buying it.

By listening to parents...did they mean lining up some parents to speak on an issue they plan to rubberstamp? The SBs know they cost the Democrats the election and like every political party that loses, they're now in revisionist mode.

Don’t buy it, folks. Apart from McLaughlin, every current School Board member needs to be removed in 2023. And because a few of them are from districts where a Democratic incumbent will always win, like Mason, it is that much more important to replace the rest of them. The damage they have been doing is almost incalculable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I am all in favor of a redistricting across the entire county. Lets shift all the boundaries so that over enrolled schools see relief and under enrolled schools see their seats being used. Families who are unhappy with their new schools are welcome to move to Private but the boundaries, as they stand right now, are bullshit.


Mass chaos. I suspect you have never been through a redistricting. Bad idea.


For who? The parents of kids that are in the higher income families maybe but better for the rest of the county. We have schools with declining population and schools that are bursting at the seems. We can alleviate a good amount of that by shifting the boundaries. We won't because the wealthy families will scream bloody murder and will contribute to whatever campaign they have to so that their kids don't have to attend school with kids who are under privileged.

When a school with a declining population is losing 200 kids to AP, that is a problem with the school--not the boundaries. So, your solution is to send other kids there?

And, it may surprise you to know that even people in lower income schools do not necessarily wish to be sent to higher income schools. Case in point: neighborhoods sent from Chantilly to Oakton in 2008. At that time, Oakton was rated significantly higher than Chantilly. Yet, the neighborhood wished to stay where they were. So much that years later, when Kathy Smith was running for Supervisor that a parent was charged with attacking Smith when she was door knocking.

Redistricting is not just about home values. It is also about the community that is developed around the school--sports, band, drama, etc. It is about students and their families.

It is extremely disruptive to families and neighborhoods--and actually pits neighborhoods against neighborhoods within a community. (Neighborhoods fight to stay within the school's boundary over other competing neighborhoods. It is not pretty. )

Families end up with kids in different schools. Two PTA's, two different event schedules, two different Open Houses, two different venues for just about all activities.

The hard work is to make the schools stronger. That is what the SB refuses to acknowledge. And, changing names does not change the culture.

I believe that South Lakes show how an infusion of stronger students can improver and bolster a school. Test scores and graduations rates have been improving more then number of kids added by the boundary change rates.

Yes, it will negatively effect some property rates while improving others. And yes, there will be some inconvenience for families. But you can’t allow over crowded schools to continue to be over crowded and under utilized schools to shrink. Arguing that some kids deserve to have over crowded schools so your house maintains its property value is selfish bullshit and you know it.

I am okay with selfish bullshit. I am not okay with using kids as pawns to “improve and bolster a school.”

No one is using anyone else’s kids. I agree that boundaries shouldn’t be changed just for diversity but yes for overcrowding. That’s nothing new. It’s not a guarantee that you will stick to the same schools when you buy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No way.

At the last work session, Megan McLaughlin announced she wanted to pull all homeschooled kids away from their parents (if they were being homeschooled for religious purposes) and question the kids to ensure the children held the same belief as the parents.

Fcps is ultra liberal and there is no turning back.

TF?

Timestamp?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Virginia GOP proved that it can whip up racist white enthusiasm, and win at the ballot box, without Donald Trump.

Virginians just elected a black woman and Latino guy. Yes, must be racist white enthusiasts who voted them in. Democrats fail to recognize that there are much more educated AA now.

yeah and one of the ads has that woman holding an AK-47 rifle. Just what VA needs.

You just hate the military.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Virginia GOP proved that it can whip up racist white enthusiasm, and win at the ballot box, without Donald Trump.

Yes, it's always the other person that's the problem. You are perfect.

Unbelievable!

As the other PP pointed out, what's the Dem strategy to target moderates like me?

It can be both, you know? Yes, there were many failings on one side; but it is also true that Youngkin whipped up white racist enthusiasm.

As far as moderates like you: there has been plenty of things that McAuliffe (very much a moderate) and the current governor did that should appeal to you. Strong economy, elimination of rape kit back log (HUGE). Expanding medicaid. Leader in education, much as people would have you believe otherwise.

Youngkin is opposed to gay marriage, is not pro choice, and will reduce everything to pure dollars and cents. He will have ZERO affect on local school board issues or FCPS. This scenario is not something that typically appeals to moderates. If you are one, you should be concerned about what you just voted for.

How about he whipped blacks and hispanics enthusiasm? Did you see the number of AA and hispanic votes that went to Youngkin? I was a poll watcher in the heavy hispanic community and their enthusiasm for Miyares was amazing! They don't care about gay marriages, they don't care about climate change. All blacks are in shock this morning that NONE of the media covering success of the black woman immigrant. How you can possibly not acknowledge her?

The real news is that Youngkin got more black women than Trump, twice as much iirc.

We need to figure out how Youngkin is making all these bw racist.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just read the Standards of Learning. No mention of CRT or CRT concepts in it.

I think what people are all up in arms about is training for teachers on pedagogy. Not curriculum.

Well yes, is that not obvious to people? I'm so confused when people don't seem to understand.

Remember all their “equity lens” talk lol

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I am all in favor of a redistricting across the entire county. Lets shift all the boundaries so that over enrolled schools see relief and under enrolled schools see their seats being used. Families who are unhappy with their new schools are welcome to move to Private but the boundaries, as they stand right now, are bullshit.


Mass chaos. I suspect you have never been through a redistricting. Bad idea.


For who? The parents of kids that are in the higher income families maybe but better for the rest of the county. We have schools with declining population and schools that are bursting at the seems. We can alleviate a good amount of that by shifting the boundaries. We won't because the wealthy families will scream bloody murder and will contribute to whatever campaign they have to so that their kids don't have to attend school with kids who are under privileged.

When a school with a declining population is losing 200 kids to AP, that is a problem with the school--not the boundaries. So, your solution is to send other kids there?

And, it may surprise you to know that even people in lower income schools do not necessarily wish to be sent to higher income schools. Case in point: neighborhoods sent from Chantilly to Oakton in 2008. At that time, Oakton was rated significantly higher than Chantilly. Yet, the neighborhood wished to stay where they were. So much that years later, when Kathy Smith was running for Supervisor that a parent was charged with attacking Smith when she was door knocking.

Redistricting is not just about home values. It is also about the community that is developed around the school--sports, band, drama, etc. It is about students and their families.

It is extremely disruptive to families and neighborhoods--and actually pits neighborhoods against neighborhoods within a community. (Neighborhoods fight to stay within the school's boundary over other competing neighborhoods. It is not pretty. )

Families end up with kids in different schools. Two PTA's, two different event schedules, two different Open Houses, two different venues for just about all activities.

The hard work is to make the schools stronger. That is what the SB refuses to acknowledge. And, changing names does not change the culture.

I believe that South Lakes show how an infusion of stronger students can improver and bolster a school. Test scores and graduations rates have been improving more then number of kids added by the boundary change rates.

Yes, it will negatively effect some property rates while improving others. And yes, there will be some inconvenience for families. But you can’t allow over crowded schools to continue to be over crowded and under utilized schools to shrink. Arguing that some kids deserve to have over crowded schools so your house maintains its property value is selfish bullshit and you know it.

I am okay with selfish bullshit. I am not okay with using kids as pawns to “improve and bolster a school.”

No one is using anyone else’s kids. I agree that boundaries shouldn’t be changed just for diversity but yes for overcrowding. That’s nothing new. It’s not a guarantee that you will stick to the same schools when you buy.

+1. And who’s to say kids now at Lewis aren’t being used as “pawns” to keep West Springfield parents fat and happy?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Virginia GOP proved that it can whip up racist white enthusiasm, and win at the ballot box, without Donald Trump.

Yeah, that's exactly why Winsome Sears and Jason Miyares won, isn't it. /s

She is no more black than Clarence Thomas. An Uncle Tom.

Dear white people: Stop using the term ‘Uncle Tom’
You don’t get to decide who’s a race traitor.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/dear-white-people-stop-using-the-term-uncle-tom/2018/11/15/8a68e9c0-e84e-11e8-a939-9469f1166f9d_story.html

I'm black. She's not one of us.

I’m black. She most certainly is.

I know she’s dark skinned with 4c hair and hasn’t jailed a bunch of black people like our strong black queen Kamala Harris, but she’s still black.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not PP but having different opinions doesn’t mean someone is out of touch, it means they do not agree with you. I’m not happy with the SB either but I think right wingers completely astroturfed social media-including this forum-and convinced parents Democrats alone are responsible for the fall of education. Ignoring the changing demographics that contribute to local systems being overwhelmed. Ignoring that Republican led states often completely undermine public education and do not have good outcomes. Ignoring that CRT is not a thing. And that outsiders were brought in to stir crap up. That charter schools and vouchers have failed miserably in most cases bc they are not held to any standards.
You can call me names, be patronizing, etc, I still do not agree with you PPs. And yes, I am paying attention. I will vote for SB who are focused on academics in 2023. But this? Sticking it to the Dems when there is so much more at stake? Nah.

What demographic changes are overwhelming the system and who is encouraging them?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The O day concept is crap. It's a whole day of doing nothing. They can't teach new concepts, they can't test.

They need to walk this one back and say it was an experiment which failed.

Not sure what you are talking about (or you must be in a shitty HS pyramid). Today is O day for Diwali. We are Hindus. My kid went to school. He has a full/regular class schedule. Had homework yesterday and assignments due today.

Maybe it's time to scrap ALL religious holidays/observances including Christmas and Thanksgiving as well as the backdoor Good Friday holiday that magically seems to be rolled into Spring Break each year. I'd rather have a week or two off late Feb when it typically snows anyways..

Thanksgiving is not a religious holiday.

Christmas is a federal holiday because so many people take it off. I actually would be fine with the winter break being moved to the end of the second quarter but that will lead to a lot of absences since so many people travel for Christmas. That week between Christmas an New Years would be lost due to Teachers requesting vacation time and kids not attending because families travel.

I am thrilled that Spring Break is not tied to Easter this year and would be happy if they set a specific week for Spring Break and keep it there.

No one has an issue with O Days if it was only no testing and no long term products due but Teachers have been told, and many Teachers are following, that they cannot teach new material, review for exams, or other similar activities. That is the objection. The fact that AP exams have been shifted and learning is impacted is problematic.

Your comment about your kids being in school only points to the reality that most kids are attending school on O days. I am Catholic and never missed school because of Good Friday. I can't think of anyone who didn't go to school on Good Friday. I doubt that a large number of Hispanic kids missed school to celebrate the Day of the Dead. It is good to have a policy in place to allow people to take those days but the current policy needs to be adjusted so that it has less of a direct impact on everyone.

No, pp is right. Now that we have so many people who aren’t Christian it’s time to scrap our old traditions and norms.

Hopefully the next President and First Spouse do away with the National Christmas tree and decking out the White House.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The O day concept is crap. It's a whole day of doing nothing. They can't teach new concepts, they can't test.

They need to walk this one back and say it was an experiment which failed.

Not sure what you are talking about (or you must be in a shitty HS pyramid). Today is O day for Diwali. We are Hindus. My kid went to school. He has a full/regular class schedule. Had homework yesterday and assignments due today.

Maybe it's time to scrap ALL religious holidays/observances including Christmas and Thanksgiving as well as the backdoor Good Friday holiday that magically seems to be rolled into Spring Break each year. I'd rather have a week or two off late Feb when it typically snows anyways..

Thanksgiving is not a religious holiday.

Christmas is a federal holiday because so many people take it off. I actually would be fine with the winter break being moved to the end of the second quarter but that will lead to a lot of absences since so many people travel for Christmas. That week between Christmas an New Years would be lost due to Teachers requesting vacation time and kids not attending because families travel.

I am thrilled that Spring Break is not tied to Easter this year and would be happy if they set a specific week for Spring Break and keep it there.

No one has an issue with O Days if it was only no testing and no long term products due but Teachers have been told, and many Teachers are following, that they cannot teach new material, review for exams, or other similar activities. That is the objection. The fact that AP exams have been shifted and learning is impacted is problematic.

Your comment about your kids being in school only points to the reality that most kids are attending school on O days. I am Catholic and never missed school because of Good Friday. I can't think of anyone who didn't go to school on Good Friday. I doubt that a large number of Hispanic kids missed school to celebrate the Day of the Dead. It is good to have a policy in place to allow people to take those days but the current policy needs to be adjusted so that it has less of a direct impact on everyone.

No, pp is right. Now that we have so many people who aren’t Christian it’s time to scrap our old traditions and norms.

Hopefully the next President and First Spouse do away with the National Christmas tree and decking out the White House.

What sad trolling.