FCPS comprehensive boundary review

[Anonymous]

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Question: Has any "suggestions" been made about particular moves? Or is everyone just confused?

Do we have theories on who would be moved?

So the starting point would be the schools that are severely overcrowded. Taking those schools and trying to shift those populations to schools not as crowded.

https://www.fcps.edu/sites/default/files/media/pdf/Proposed-FCPS-FY-2025-29-CIP.pdf

Langley at 98% capacity and Herndon at 71% should have great falls worried

You’re using last year’s numbers. Enrollment is down a lot at Langley, they can absorb the McLean attendance island without going above capacity.

There are two Mclean attendance islands, and they are most definitely on the block to be absorbed.

I know, but the one to its south isn’t going to Langley because that’d be an even worse attendance island.

The one should go to Falls Church HS, then they might actually put some money in that school and it would raise its performance overall. The other should go to Marshall. The would be help in equity.

Makes no sense. One island, if moved, would go to Langley and the other to Falls Church or Marshall.

Moving the southern island to Falls Church would be neutral in terms of FCHS’s performance. It basically has the same overall demographics as Falls Church. It’s poorer than Marshall and moving it there would reduce Marshall’s overall academic scores.

I don’t have any objection to the McLean attendance island going to Langley. It doesn’t put Langley over capacity, even without any other moves.

Your issue isn't going to be whether you "consent" to the McLean attendance island going to Langley. It's whether it becomes the pretext to move a chunk of Great Falls to Herndon. They have the authority to do that regardless of whether Langley is then sitting at 95% capacity, 99% capacity, or 101% capacity, if they're projecting Herndon will be at 71% capacity in five years.

As you know, the issue isn’t Herndon High, is Herndon Middle, which would be significantly overcapacity with that move.

And I’m not sure why the school board would want to pick a fight with residents by moving a school that isn’t crowded.

I'm not going to argue with you. You're at their disposal, not mine, but some of them would likely relish picking a fight with you.

Would love to know who and why they would relish a “fight” with constituents especially when it involved impacting children.

Have you really not been paying attention?

First, eight of the Board members (a 2/3 majority) don't consider you to be their constituents and some of them think it will enhance their reputation with their constituents if they move McLean and Langley kids around.

Second, two of the four who should be viewing you as their constituents (Lady and McDaniel) seem all-in on boundary changes. Moon and McElveen seem much less enthusiastic about county-wide changes, but will they go to bat for people or just distance themselves from what's happening around them?

Pretty messed up to enhance their reputation by sticking it to a bunch of kids for no reason. But maybe I’ve come to expect too much from elected officials in Fairfax county.

They will have a grab bag of justifications if they so choose. In terms of reasons, claiming that they are shortening commutes and avoiding 29% under-enrollment at HHS will stack up nicely with eliminating an attendance island, which was OK to have around for 40 years not doing anyone any harm (and perhaps doing some kids some good) but is now apparently intolerable.

The whole study is a mess borne of a desire to avoid accountability and now spiraling into something potentially much worse.

Just to reiterate though, Herndon middle is the one that’ll be overcrowded. And by their own hand-picked study (provided to the boundary review advisory committee on December 6), only commutes over an hour has any detrimental impact on academics or sleep. It’ll be a move made in spite and would likely cause political damage to the school board and its party.

You don't think shifting around the rest of the county including sending kids from good schools to bad schools while leaving Langley (with no poor kids and one of the most affluent student bodies in the state) alone wouldn't be even worse for their political careers?

I think there are really only two or three areas in their sights, so there is a world, as others have mentioned, where they fix the split feeders and call it a day.

Way better outcome all around (including for their political careers) than moves for the sake of sticking it to people based on stereotypes of perceived wealth.

Politically, the best move would be to live boundaries alone and make it easier for families zoned for bad schools to easily transfer

You are literally arguing to deal these schools their finally blow. The state could then get involved and direct other changes that could include distribution of those students to surrounding schools.

And what of the students that can't transfer?

FCPS needs to do everything possible to stop the transfers.

If those schools have to reorganize as academies or magnets, good. Kids shouldn’t be zoned to failing schools in a district that has some of the best schools in the state

[Anonymous]

Why are split feeders so bad and the need to eliminate them. I don't get it.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:

Question: Has any "suggestions" been made about particular moves? Or is everyone just confused?

Do we have theories on who would be moved?

So the starting point would be the schools that are severely overcrowded. Taking those schools and trying to shift those populations to schools not as crowded.

https://www.fcps.edu/sites/default/files/media/pdf/Proposed-FCPS-FY-2025-29-CIP.pdf

They need to work on improving those schools with real instruction--not "fake" academies and name changes. The money spent on renaming could have been better used elsewhere. They could have dropped the "Robert E" and just called it Lee.

Get rid of IB.

How often does the SB talk about improving instruction in the high schools? Seriously.

Moving affluent students into the school when you are allowing kids to PP out, makes no sense.

Just look at what happened after South Lakes redistricting. You helped one high school and another high sschool lost a lot of high achievers--maybe two schools lost.

Langley at 98% capacity and Herndon at 71% should have great falls worried

You’re using last year’s numbers. Enrollment is down a lot at Langley, they can absorb the McLean attendance island without going above capacity.

There are two Mclean attendance islands, and they are most definitely on the block to be absorbed.

I know, but the one to its south isn’t going to Langley because that’d be an even worse attendance island.

The one should go to Falls Church HS, then they might actually put some money in that school and it would raise its performance overall. The other should go to Marshall. The would be help in equity.

Makes no sense. One island, if moved, would go to Langley and the other to Falls Church or Marshall.

Moving the southern island to Falls Church would be neutral in terms of FCHS’s performance. It basically has the same overall demographics as Falls Church. It’s poorer than Marshall and moving it there would reduce Marshall’s overall academic scores.

I don’t have any objection to the McLean attendance island going to Langley. It doesn’t put Langley over capacity, even without any other moves.

Your issue isn't going to be whether you "consent" to the McLean attendance island going to Langley. It's whether it becomes the pretext to move a chunk of Great Falls to Herndon. They have the authority to do that regardless of whether Langley is then sitting at 95% capacity, 99% capacity, or 101% capacity, if they're projecting Herndon will be at 71% capacity in five years.

As you know, the issue isn’t Herndon High, is Herndon Middle, which would be significantly overcapacity with that move.

And I’m not sure why the school board would want to pick a fight with residents by moving a school that isn’t crowded.

I'm not going to argue with you. You're at their disposal, not mine, but some of them would likely relish picking a fight with you.

Would love to know who and why they would relish a “fight” with constituents especially when it involved impacting children.

Have you really not been paying attention?

First, eight of the Board members (a 2/3 majority) don't consider you to be their constituents and some of them think it will enhance their reputation with their constituents if they move McLean and Langley kids around.

Second, two of the four who should be viewing you as their constituents (Lady and McDaniel) seem all-in on boundary changes. Moon and McElveen seem much less enthusiastic about county-wide changes, but will they go to bat for people or just distance themselves from what's happening around them?

Pretty messed up to enhance their reputation by sticking it to a bunch of kids for no reason. But maybe I’ve come to expect too much from elected officials in Fairfax county.

They will have a grab bag of justifications if they so choose. In terms of reasons, claiming that they are shortening commutes and avoiding 29% under-enrollment at HHS will stack up nicely with eliminating an attendance island, which was OK to have around for 40 years not doing anyone any harm (and perhaps doing some kids some good) but is now apparently intolerable.

The whole study is a mess borne of a desire to avoid accountability and now spiraling into something potentially much worse.

Just to reiterate though, Herndon middle is the one that’ll be overcrowded. And by their own hand-picked study (provided to the boundary review advisory committee on December 6), only commutes over an hour has any detrimental impact on academics or sleep. It’ll be a move made in spite and would likely cause political damage to the school board and its party.

You don't think shifting around the rest of the county including sending kids from good schools to bad schools while leaving Langley (with no poor kids and one of the most affluent student bodies in the state) alone wouldn't be even worse for their political careers?

I think there are really only two or three areas in their sights, so there is a world, as others have mentioned, where they fix the split feeders and call it a day.

Way better outcome all around (including for their political careers) than moves for the sake of sticking it to people based on stereotypes of perceived wealth.

Politically, the best move would be to live boundaries alone and make it easier for families zoned for bad schools to easily transfer

You are literally arguing to deal these schools their finally blow. The state could then get involved and direct other changes that could include distribution of those students to surrounding schools.

And what of the students that can't transfer?

FCPS needs to do everything possible to stop the transfers.

If those schools have to reorganize as academies or magnets, good. Kids shouldn’t be zoned to failing schools in a district that has some of the best schools in the state

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why are split feeders so bad and the need to eliminate them. I don't get it.

It's mostly just something they can point to in order to do something else they want to do, since there are a lot of them.

There are some extreme cases where less than 10% of an ES feeds to one MS and over 90% feeds to another, etc. But usually the split feeders are more balanced.

Maybe in a perfect world there would be no split feeders and everyone would continue with the same cohort of ES kids to MS and HS. They won't be able to eliminate all of them just given the distribution and location of schools. And in some cases if they go out of their way to eliminate an ES split feeder, they may increase the distance that kids are commuting to a MS or HS, or end up breaking up a neighborhood and sending it to different MS or HS, or increase socio-economic disparities between nearby schools.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Question: Has any "suggestions" been made about particular moves? Or is everyone just confused?

Do we have theories on who would be moved?

So the starting point would be the schools that are severely overcrowded. Taking those schools and trying to shift those populations to schools not as crowded.

https://www.fcps.edu/sites/default/files/media/pdf/Proposed-FCPS-FY-2025-29-CIP.pdf

Langley at 98% capacity and Herndon at 71% should have great falls worried

You’re using last year’s numbers. Enrollment is down a lot at Langley, they can absorb the McLean attendance island without going above capacity.

There are two Mclean attendance islands, and they are most definitely on the block to be absorbed.

I know, but the one to its south isn’t going to Langley because that’d be an even worse attendance island.

The one should go to Falls Church HS, then they might actually put some money in that school and it would raise its performance overall. The other should go to Marshall. The would be help in equity.

Makes no sense. One island, if moved, would go to Langley and the other to Falls Church or Marshall.

Moving the southern island to Falls Church would be neutral in terms of FCHS’s performance. It basically has the same overall demographics as Falls Church. It’s poorer than Marshall and moving it there would reduce Marshall’s overall academic scores.

I don’t have any objection to the McLean attendance island going to Langley. It doesn’t put Langley over capacity, even without any other moves.

Your issue isn't going to be whether you "consent" to the McLean attendance island going to Langley. It's whether it becomes the pretext to move a chunk of Great Falls to Herndon. They have the authority to do that regardless of whether Langley is then sitting at 95% capacity, 99% capacity, or 101% capacity, if they're projecting Herndon will be at 71% capacity in five years.

As you know, the issue isn’t Herndon High, is Herndon Middle, which would be significantly overcapacity with that move.

And I’m not sure why the school board would want to pick a fight with residents by moving a school that isn’t crowded.

I'm not going to argue with you. You're at their disposal, not mine, but some of them would likely relish picking a fight with you.

Would love to know who and why they would relish a “fight” with constituents especially when it involved impacting children.

Have you really not been paying attention?

First, eight of the Board members (a 2/3 majority) don't consider you to be their constituents and some of them think it will enhance their reputation with their constituents if they move McLean and Langley kids around.

Second, two of the four who should be viewing you as their constituents (Lady and McDaniel) seem all-in on boundary changes. Moon and McElveen seem much less enthusiastic about county-wide changes, but will they go to bat for people or just distance themselves from what's happening around them?

Pretty messed up to enhance their reputation by sticking it to a bunch of kids for no reason. But maybe I’ve come to expect too much from elected officials in Fairfax county.

They will have a grab bag of justifications if they so choose. In terms of reasons, claiming that they are shortening commutes and avoiding 29% under-enrollment at HHS will stack up nicely with eliminating an attendance island, which was OK to have around for 40 years not doing anyone any harm (and perhaps doing some kids some good) but is now apparently intolerable.

The whole study is a mess borne of a desire to avoid accountability and now spiraling into something potentially much worse.

Just to reiterate though, Herndon middle is the one that’ll be overcrowded. And by their own hand-picked study (provided to the boundary review advisory committee on December 6), only commutes over an hour has any detrimental impact on academics or sleep. It’ll be a move made in spite and would likely cause political damage to the school board and its party.

You don't think shifting around the rest of the county including sending kids from good schools to bad schools while leaving Langley (with no poor kids and one of the most affluent student bodies in the state) alone wouldn't be even worse for their political careers?

I think there are really only two or three areas in their sights, so there is a world, as others have mentioned, where they fix the split feeders and call it a day.

Way better outcome all around (including for their political careers) than moves for the sake of sticking it to people based on stereotypes of perceived wealth.

Politically, the best move would be to live boundaries alone and make it easier for families zoned for bad schools to easily transfer

You are literally arguing to deal these schools their finally blow. The state could then get involved and direct other changes that could include distribution of those students to surrounding schools.

And what of the students that can't transfer?

FCPS needs to do everything possible to stop the transfers.

If those schools have to reorganize as academies or magnets, good. Kids shouldn’t be zoned to failing schools in a district that has some of the best schools in the state

People shouldn't refer to "failing" schools without clear, objective, and reasonable metrics for what constitutes "failure" or "success."

Some schools that get tagged as "failing" may have the most dedicated teachers and staff and may be doing more to raise a kid's performance than some of the "top" schools. It all depends on the starting point of the students when they enter the school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What are the odds of any Woodson boundaries moving? I have heard literally nothing, but I know there are a lot of kids on the eastern boundary who are likely closer to Annandale High. Also a lot of kids closer to Lake Braddock.

Popes Head area homes and/or any kids that attend Willow Springs might shift. Maybe to Robinson.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Question: Has any "suggestions" been made about particular moves? Or is everyone just confused?

Do we have theories on who would be moved?

So the starting point would be the schools that are severely overcrowded. Taking those schools and trying to shift those populations to schools not as crowded.

https://www.fcps.edu/sites/default/files/media/pdf/Proposed-FCPS-FY-2025-29-CIP.pdf

Langley at 98% capacity and Herndon at 71% should have great falls worried

You’re using last year’s numbers. Enrollment is down a lot at Langley, they can absorb the McLean attendance island without going above capacity.

There are two Mclean attendance islands, and they are most definitely on the block to be absorbed.

I know, but the one to its south isn’t going to Langley because that’d be an even worse attendance island.

The one should go to Falls Church HS, then they might actually put some money in that school and it would raise its performance overall. The other should go to Marshall. The would be help in equity.

Makes no sense. One island, if moved, would go to Langley and the other to Falls Church or Marshall.

Moving the southern island to Falls Church would be neutral in terms of FCHS’s performance. It basically has the same overall demographics as Falls Church. It’s poorer than Marshall and moving it there would reduce Marshall’s overall academic scores.

I don’t have any objection to the McLean attendance island going to Langley. It doesn’t put Langley over capacity, even without any other moves.

Your issue isn't going to be whether you "consent" to the McLean attendance island going to Langley. It's whether it becomes the pretext to move a chunk of Great Falls to Herndon. They have the authority to do that regardless of whether Langley is then sitting at 95% capacity, 99% capacity, or 101% capacity, if they're projecting Herndon will be at 71% capacity in five years.

As you know, the issue isn’t Herndon High, is Herndon Middle, which would be significantly overcapacity with that move.

And I’m not sure why the school board would want to pick a fight with residents by moving a school that isn’t crowded.

I'm not going to argue with you. You're at their disposal, not mine, but some of them would likely relish picking a fight with you.

Would love to know who and why they would relish a “fight” with constituents especially when it involved impacting children.

Have you really not been paying attention?

First, eight of the Board members (a 2/3 majority) don't consider you to be their constituents and some of them think it will enhance their reputation with their constituents if they move McLean and Langley kids around.

Second, two of the four who should be viewing you as their constituents (Lady and McDaniel) seem all-in on boundary changes. Moon and McElveen seem much less enthusiastic about county-wide changes, but will they go to bat for people or just distance themselves from what's happening around them?

Pretty messed up to enhance their reputation by sticking it to a bunch of kids for no reason. But maybe I’ve come to expect too much from elected officials in Fairfax county.

They will have a grab bag of justifications if they so choose. In terms of reasons, claiming that they are shortening commutes and avoiding 29% under-enrollment at HHS will stack up nicely with eliminating an attendance island, which was OK to have around for 40 years not doing anyone any harm (and perhaps doing some kids some good) but is now apparently intolerable.

The whole study is a mess borne of a desire to avoid accountability and now spiraling into something potentially much worse.

Just to reiterate though, Herndon middle is the one that’ll be overcrowded. And by their own hand-picked study (provided to the boundary review advisory committee on December 6), only commutes over an hour has any detrimental impact on academics or sleep. It’ll be a move made in spite and would likely cause political damage to the school board and its party.

You don't think shifting around the rest of the county including sending kids from good schools to bad schools while leaving Langley (with no poor kids and one of the most affluent student bodies in the state) alone wouldn't be even worse for their political careers?

I think there are really only two or three areas in their sights, so there is a world, as others have mentioned, where they fix the split feeders and call it a day.

Way better outcome all around (including for their political careers) than moves for the sake of sticking it to people based on stereotypes of perceived wealth.

Politically, the best move would be to live boundaries alone and make it easier for families zoned for bad schools to easily transfer

You are literally arguing to deal these schools their finally blow. The state could then get involved and direct other changes that could include distribution of those students to surrounding schools.

And what of the students that can't transfer?

FCPS needs to do everything possible to stop the transfers.

If those schools have to reorganize as academies or magnets, good. Kids shouldn’t be zoned to failing schools in a district that has some of the best schools in the state

People shouldn't refer to "failing" schools without clear, objective, and reasonable metrics for what constitutes "failure" or "success."

Some schools that get tagged as "failing" may have the most dedicated teachers and staff and may be doing more to raise a kid's performance than some of the "top" schools. It all depends on the starting point of the students when they enter the school.

Those are things you say when the test scores are far lower than neighboring schools

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Question: Has any "suggestions" been made about particular moves? Or is everyone just confused?

Do we have theories on who would be moved?

So the starting point would be the schools that are severely overcrowded. Taking those schools and trying to shift those populations to schools not as crowded.

https://www.fcps.edu/sites/default/files/media/pdf/Proposed-FCPS-FY-2025-29-CIP.pdf

Langley at 98% capacity and Herndon at 71% should have great falls worried

You’re using last year’s numbers. Enrollment is down a lot at Langley, they can absorb the McLean attendance island without going above capacity.

There are two Mclean attendance islands, and they are most definitely on the block to be absorbed.

I know, but the one to its south isn’t going to Langley because that’d be an even worse attendance island.

The one should go to Falls Church HS, then they might actually put some money in that school and it would raise its performance overall. The other should go to Marshall. The would be help in equity.

Makes no sense. One island, if moved, would go to Langley and the other to Falls Church or Marshall.

Moving the southern island to Falls Church would be neutral in terms of FCHS’s performance. It basically has the same overall demographics as Falls Church. It’s poorer than Marshall and moving it there would reduce Marshall’s overall academic scores.

I don’t have any objection to the McLean attendance island going to Langley. It doesn’t put Langley over capacity, even without any other moves.

Your issue isn't going to be whether you "consent" to the McLean attendance island going to Langley. It's whether it becomes the pretext to move a chunk of Great Falls to Herndon. They have the authority to do that regardless of whether Langley is then sitting at 95% capacity, 99% capacity, or 101% capacity, if they're projecting Herndon will be at 71% capacity in five years.

As you know, the issue isn’t Herndon High, is Herndon Middle, which would be significantly overcapacity with that move.

And I’m not sure why the school board would want to pick a fight with residents by moving a school that isn’t crowded.

I'm not going to argue with you. You're at their disposal, not mine, but some of them would likely relish picking a fight with you.

Would love to know who and why they would relish a “fight” with constituents especially when it involved impacting children.

Have you really not been paying attention?

First, eight of the Board members (a 2/3 majority) don't consider you to be their constituents and some of them think it will enhance their reputation with their constituents if they move McLean and Langley kids around.

Second, two of the four who should be viewing you as their constituents (Lady and McDaniel) seem all-in on boundary changes. Moon and McElveen seem much less enthusiastic about county-wide changes, but will they go to bat for people or just distance themselves from what's happening around them?

Pretty messed up to enhance their reputation by sticking it to a bunch of kids for no reason. But maybe I’ve come to expect too much from elected officials in Fairfax county.

They will have a grab bag of justifications if they so choose. In terms of reasons, claiming that they are shortening commutes and avoiding 29% under-enrollment at HHS will stack up nicely with eliminating an attendance island, which was OK to have around for 40 years not doing anyone any harm (and perhaps doing some kids some good) but is now apparently intolerable.

The whole study is a mess borne of a desire to avoid accountability and now spiraling into something potentially much worse.

Just to reiterate though, Herndon middle is the one that’ll be overcrowded. And by their own hand-picked study (provided to the boundary review advisory committee on December 6), only commutes over an hour has any detrimental impact on academics or sleep. It’ll be a move made in spite and would likely cause political damage to the school board and its party.

You don't think shifting around the rest of the county including sending kids from good schools to bad schools while leaving Langley (with no poor kids and one of the most affluent student bodies in the state) alone wouldn't be even worse for their political careers?

I think there are really only two or three areas in their sights, so there is a world, as others have mentioned, where they fix the split feeders and call it a day.

Way better outcome all around (including for their political careers) than moves for the sake of sticking it to people based on stereotypes of perceived wealth.

Politically, the best move would be to live boundaries alone and make it easier for families zoned for bad schools to easily transfer

You are literally arguing to deal these schools their finally blow. The state could then get involved and direct other changes that could include distribution of those students to surrounding schools.

And what of the students that can't transfer?

FCPS needs to do everything possible to stop the transfers.

If those schools have to reorganize as academies or magnets, good. Kids shouldn’t be zoned to failing schools in a district that has some of the best schools in the state

People shouldn't refer to "failing" schools without clear, objective, and reasonable metrics for what constitutes "failure" or "success."

Some schools that get tagged as "failing" may have the most dedicated teachers and staff and may be doing more to raise a kid's performance than some of the "top" schools. It all depends on the starting point of the students when they enter the school.

This is true. I taught very poor students and people would be shocked at how little they knew. This was first grade. But, they can learn with a lot of well planned and direct instruction. Can they catch up? Some can. But it takes work and expectancy. I'm not sure the School Board understands that they need to address the kids' needs and not scream about "equity."

My philosophy: take every kid where he is and push and pull him as far as you can. This goes for struggling kids and those who are high achiever. There should be no stagnancy. But, expecting struggling kids to enroll in high level calculus is unreasonable. But, remember, all poor kids are not struggling academically.

And, instead of working to cover up poor scores, let's work on improving them--and that doesn't help by pushing other kids down.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Question: Has any "suggestions" been made about particular moves? Or is everyone just confused?

Do we have theories on who would be moved?

So the starting point would be the schools that are severely overcrowded. Taking those schools and trying to shift those populations to schools not as crowded.

https://www.fcps.edu/sites/default/files/media/pdf/Proposed-FCPS-FY-2025-29-CIP.pdf

Langley at 98% capacity and Herndon at 71% should have great falls worried

You’re using last year’s numbers. Enrollment is down a lot at Langley, they can absorb the McLean attendance island without going above capacity.

There are two Mclean attendance islands, and they are most definitely on the block to be absorbed.

I know, but the one to its south isn’t going to Langley because that’d be an even worse attendance island.

The one should go to Falls Church HS, then they might actually put some money in that school and it would raise its performance overall. The other should go to Marshall. The would be help in equity.

Makes no sense. One island, if moved, would go to Langley and the other to Falls Church or Marshall.

Moving the southern island to Falls Church would be neutral in terms of FCHS’s performance. It basically has the same overall demographics as Falls Church. It’s poorer than Marshall and moving it there would reduce Marshall’s overall academic scores.

I don’t have any objection to the McLean attendance island going to Langley. It doesn’t put Langley over capacity, even without any other moves.

Your issue isn't going to be whether you "consent" to the McLean attendance island going to Langley. It's whether it becomes the pretext to move a chunk of Great Falls to Herndon. They have the authority to do that regardless of whether Langley is then sitting at 95% capacity, 99% capacity, or 101% capacity, if they're projecting Herndon will be at 71% capacity in five years.

As you know, the issue isn’t Herndon High, is Herndon Middle, which would be significantly overcapacity with that move.

And I’m not sure why the school board would want to pick a fight with residents by moving a school that isn’t crowded.

I'm not going to argue with you. You're at their disposal, not mine, but some of them would likely relish picking a fight with you.

Would love to know who and why they would relish a “fight” with constituents especially when it involved impacting children.

Have you really not been paying attention?

First, eight of the Board members (a 2/3 majority) don't consider you to be their constituents and some of them think it will enhance their reputation with their constituents if they move McLean and Langley kids around.

Second, two of the four who should be viewing you as their constituents (Lady and McDaniel) seem all-in on boundary changes. Moon and McElveen seem much less enthusiastic about county-wide changes, but will they go to bat for people or just distance themselves from what's happening around them?

Pretty messed up to enhance their reputation by sticking it to a bunch of kids for no reason. But maybe I’ve come to expect too much from elected officials in Fairfax county.

They will have a grab bag of justifications if they so choose. In terms of reasons, claiming that they are shortening commutes and avoiding 29% under-enrollment at HHS will stack up nicely with eliminating an attendance island, which was OK to have around for 40 years not doing anyone any harm (and perhaps doing some kids some good) but is now apparently intolerable.

The whole study is a mess borne of a desire to avoid accountability and now spiraling into something potentially much worse.

Just to reiterate though, Herndon middle is the one that’ll be overcrowded. And by their own hand-picked study (provided to the boundary review advisory committee on December 6), only commutes over an hour has any detrimental impact on academics or sleep. It’ll be a move made in spite and would likely cause political damage to the school board and its party.

You don't think shifting around the rest of the county including sending kids from good schools to bad schools while leaving Langley (with no poor kids and one of the most affluent student bodies in the state) alone wouldn't be even worse for their political careers?

I think there are really only two or three areas in their sights, so there is a world, as others have mentioned, where they fix the split feeders and call it a day.

Way better outcome all around (including for their political careers) than moves for the sake of sticking it to people based on stereotypes of perceived wealth.

Politically, the best move would be to live boundaries alone and make it easier for families zoned for bad schools to easily transfer

You are literally arguing to deal these schools their finally blow. The state could then get involved and direct other changes that could include distribution of those students to surrounding schools.

And what of the students that can't transfer?

FCPS needs to do everything possible to stop the transfers.

If those schools have to reorganize as academies or magnets, good. Kids shouldn’t be zoned to failing schools in a district that has some of the best schools in the state

People shouldn't refer to "failing" schools without clear, objective, and reasonable metrics for what constitutes "failure" or "success."

Some schools that get tagged as "failing" may have the most dedicated teachers and staff and may be doing more to raise a kid's performance than some of the "top" schools. It all depends on the starting point of the students when they enter the school.

Agreed. People unfairly critique these schools without thought that the students at schools like Lewis and Herndon are starting from a very different point than the students at West Springfield and Langley. Much of which is because the county schools, county zoning board, and population have segregated the poor and ESL off into certain schools. So the schools are unfairly criticized when the results don't look the same, but as currently segregated they could never be the same.

I don't hold out much hope for this county. The situation was allowed to fester way too long.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Question: Has any "suggestions" been made about particular moves? Or is everyone just confused?

Do we have theories on who would be moved?

So the starting point would be the schools that are severely overcrowded. Taking those schools and trying to shift those populations to schools not as crowded.

https://www.fcps.edu/sites/default/files/media/pdf/Proposed-FCPS-FY-2025-29-CIP.pdf

Langley at 98% capacity and Herndon at 71% should have great falls worried

You’re using last year’s numbers. Enrollment is down a lot at Langley, they can absorb the McLean attendance island without going above capacity.

There are two Mclean attendance islands, and they are most definitely on the block to be absorbed.

I know, but the one to its south isn’t going to Langley because that’d be an even worse attendance island.

The one should go to Falls Church HS, then they might actually put some money in that school and it would raise its performance overall. The other should go to Marshall. The would be help in equity.

Makes no sense. One island, if moved, would go to Langley and the other to Falls Church or Marshall.

Moving the southern island to Falls Church would be neutral in terms of FCHS’s performance. It basically has the same overall demographics as Falls Church. It’s poorer than Marshall and moving it there would reduce Marshall’s overall academic scores.

I don’t have any objection to the McLean attendance island going to Langley. It doesn’t put Langley over capacity, even without any other moves.

Your issue isn't going to be whether you "consent" to the McLean attendance island going to Langley. It's whether it becomes the pretext to move a chunk of Great Falls to Herndon. They have the authority to do that regardless of whether Langley is then sitting at 95% capacity, 99% capacity, or 101% capacity, if they're projecting Herndon will be at 71% capacity in five years.

As you know, the issue isn’t Herndon High, is Herndon Middle, which would be significantly overcapacity with that move.

And I’m not sure why the school board would want to pick a fight with residents by moving a school that isn’t crowded.

I'm not going to argue with you. You're at their disposal, not mine, but some of them would likely relish picking a fight with you.

Would love to know who and why they would relish a “fight” with constituents especially when it involved impacting children.

Have you really not been paying attention?

First, eight of the Board members (a 2/3 majority) don't consider you to be their constituents and some of them think it will enhance their reputation with their constituents if they move McLean and Langley kids around.

Second, two of the four who should be viewing you as their constituents (Lady and McDaniel) seem all-in on boundary changes. Moon and McElveen seem much less enthusiastic about county-wide changes, but will they go to bat for people or just distance themselves from what's happening around them?

Pretty messed up to enhance their reputation by sticking it to a bunch of kids for no reason. But maybe I’ve come to expect too much from elected officials in Fairfax county.

They will have a grab bag of justifications if they so choose. In terms of reasons, claiming that they are shortening commutes and avoiding 29% under-enrollment at HHS will stack up nicely with eliminating an attendance island, which was OK to have around for 40 years not doing anyone any harm (and perhaps doing some kids some good) but is now apparently intolerable.

The whole study is a mess borne of a desire to avoid accountability and now spiraling into something potentially much worse.

Just to reiterate though, Herndon middle is the one that’ll be overcrowded. And by their own hand-picked study (provided to the boundary review advisory committee on December 6), only commutes over an hour has any detrimental impact on academics or sleep. It’ll be a move made in spite and would likely cause political damage to the school board and its party.

You don't think shifting around the rest of the county including sending kids from good schools to bad schools while leaving Langley (with no poor kids and one of the most affluent student bodies in the state) alone wouldn't be even worse for their political careers?

I think there are really only two or three areas in their sights, so there is a world, as others have mentioned, where they fix the split feeders and call it a day.

Way better outcome all around (including for their political careers) than moves for the sake of sticking it to people based on stereotypes of perceived wealth.

Politically, the best move would be to live boundaries alone and make it easier for families zoned for bad schools to easily transfer

You are literally arguing to deal these schools their finally blow. The state could then get involved and direct other changes that could include distribution of those students to surrounding schools.

And what of the students that can't transfer?

FCPS needs to do everything possible to stop the transfers.

If those schools have to reorganize as academies or magnets, good. Kids shouldn’t be zoned to failing schools in a district that has some of the best schools in the state

People shouldn't refer to "failing" schools without clear, objective, and reasonable metrics for what constitutes "failure" or "success."

Some schools that get tagged as "failing" may have the most dedicated teachers and staff and may be doing more to raise a kid's performance than some of the "top" schools. It all depends on the starting point of the students when they enter the school.

Those are things you say when the test scores are far lower than neighboring schools

You clearly don't understand demographics. I question your education.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Question: Has any "suggestions" been made about particular moves? Or is everyone just confused?

Do we have theories on who would be moved?

So the starting point would be the schools that are severely overcrowded. Taking those schools and trying to shift those populations to schools not as crowded.

https://www.fcps.edu/sites/default/files/media/pdf/Proposed-FCPS-FY-2025-29-CIP.pdf

Langley at 98% capacity and Herndon at 71% should have great falls worried

You’re using last year’s numbers. Enrollment is down a lot at Langley, they can absorb the McLean attendance island without going above capacity.

There are two Mclean attendance islands, and they are most definitely on the block to be absorbed.

I know, but the one to its south isn’t going to Langley because that’d be an even worse attendance island.

The one should go to Falls Church HS, then they might actually put some money in that school and it would raise its performance overall. The other should go to Marshall. The would be help in equity.

Makes no sense. One island, if moved, would go to Langley and the other to Falls Church or Marshall.

Moving the southern island to Falls Church would be neutral in terms of FCHS’s performance. It basically has the same overall demographics as Falls Church. It’s poorer than Marshall and moving it there would reduce Marshall’s overall academic scores.

I don’t have any objection to the McLean attendance island going to Langley. It doesn’t put Langley over capacity, even without any other moves.

Your issue isn't going to be whether you "consent" to the McLean attendance island going to Langley. It's whether it becomes the pretext to move a chunk of Great Falls to Herndon. They have the authority to do that regardless of whether Langley is then sitting at 95% capacity, 99% capacity, or 101% capacity, if they're projecting Herndon will be at 71% capacity in five years.

As you know, the issue isn’t Herndon High, is Herndon Middle, which would be significantly overcapacity with that move.

And I’m not sure why the school board would want to pick a fight with residents by moving a school that isn’t crowded.

I'm not going to argue with you. You're at their disposal, not mine, but some of them would likely relish picking a fight with you.

Would love to know who and why they would relish a “fight” with constituents especially when it involved impacting children.

Have you really not been paying attention?

First, eight of the Board members (a 2/3 majority) don't consider you to be their constituents and some of them think it will enhance their reputation with their constituents if they move McLean and Langley kids around.

Second, two of the four who should be viewing you as their constituents (Lady and McDaniel) seem all-in on boundary changes. Moon and McElveen seem much less enthusiastic about county-wide changes, but will they go to bat for people or just distance themselves from what's happening around them?

Pretty messed up to enhance their reputation by sticking it to a bunch of kids for no reason. But maybe I’ve come to expect too much from elected officials in Fairfax county.

They will have a grab bag of justifications if they so choose. In terms of reasons, claiming that they are shortening commutes and avoiding 29% under-enrollment at HHS will stack up nicely with eliminating an attendance island, which was OK to have around for 40 years not doing anyone any harm (and perhaps doing some kids some good) but is now apparently intolerable.

The whole study is a mess borne of a desire to avoid accountability and now spiraling into something potentially much worse.

Just to reiterate though, Herndon middle is the one that’ll be overcrowded. And by their own hand-picked study (provided to the boundary review advisory committee on December 6), only commutes over an hour has any detrimental impact on academics or sleep. It’ll be a move made in spite and would likely cause political damage to the school board and its party.

You don't think shifting around the rest of the county including sending kids from good schools to bad schools while leaving Langley (with no poor kids and one of the most affluent student bodies in the state) alone wouldn't be even worse for their political careers?

I think there are really only two or three areas in their sights, so there is a world, as others have mentioned, where they fix the split feeders and call it a day.

Way better outcome all around (including for their political careers) than moves for the sake of sticking it to people based on stereotypes of perceived wealth.

Politically, the best move would be to live boundaries alone and make it easier for families zoned for bad schools to easily transfer

You are literally arguing to deal these schools their finally blow. The state could then get involved and direct other changes that could include distribution of those students to surrounding schools.

And what of the students that can't transfer?

FCPS needs to do everything possible to stop the transfers.

If those schools have to reorganize as academies or magnets, good. Kids shouldn’t be zoned to failing schools in a district that has some of the best schools in the state

People shouldn't refer to "failing" schools without clear, objective, and reasonable metrics for what constitutes "failure" or "success."

Some schools that get tagged as "failing" may have the most dedicated teachers and staff and may be doing more to raise a kid's performance than some of the "top" schools. It all depends on the starting point of the students when they enter the school.

Those are things you say when the test scores are far lower than neighboring schools

You clearly don't understand demographics. I question your education.

Demographics are destiny for schools. The schools are objectively bad and parents who don’t want that for their kids should have a way out

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why are split feeders so bad and the need to eliminate them. I don't get it.

FCPS wants to rezone high performing high schools to low performing high schools based on One Fairfax (google One Fairfax and watch the October 8th work session to the end.) Eliminating elementary school split feeders is an excuse to do a county wide rezoning if high schools every 5 years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Question: Has any "suggestions" been made about particular moves? Or is everyone just confused?

Do we have theories on who would be moved?

So the starting point would be the schools that are severely overcrowded. Taking those schools and trying to shift those populations to schools not as crowded.

https://www.fcps.edu/sites/default/files/media/pdf/Proposed-FCPS-FY-2025-29-CIP.pdf

Langley at 98% capacity and Herndon at 71% should have great falls worried

You’re using last year’s numbers. Enrollment is down a lot at Langley, they can absorb the McLean attendance island without going above capacity.

There are two Mclean attendance islands, and they are most definitely on the block to be absorbed.

I know, but the one to its south isn’t going to Langley because that’d be an even worse attendance island.

The one should go to Falls Church HS, then they might actually put some money in that school and it would raise its performance overall. The other should go to Marshall. The would be help in equity.

Makes no sense. One island, if moved, would go to Langley and the other to Falls Church or Marshall.

Moving the southern island to Falls Church would be neutral in terms of FCHS’s performance. It basically has the same overall demographics as Falls Church. It’s poorer than Marshall and moving it there would reduce Marshall’s overall academic scores.

I don’t have any objection to the McLean attendance island going to Langley. It doesn’t put Langley over capacity, even without any other moves.

Your issue isn't going to be whether you "consent" to the McLean attendance island going to Langley. It's whether it becomes the pretext to move a chunk of Great Falls to Herndon. They have the authority to do that regardless of whether Langley is then sitting at 95% capacity, 99% capacity, or 101% capacity, if they're projecting Herndon will be at 71% capacity in five years.

As you know, the issue isn’t Herndon High, is Herndon Middle, which would be significantly overcapacity with that move.

And I’m not sure why the school board would want to pick a fight with residents by moving a school that isn’t crowded.

I'm not going to argue with you. You're at their disposal, not mine, but some of them would likely relish picking a fight with you.

Would love to know who and why they would relish a “fight” with constituents especially when it involved impacting children.

Have you really not been paying attention?

First, eight of the Board members (a 2/3 majority) don't consider you to be their constituents and some of them think it will enhance their reputation with their constituents if they move McLean and Langley kids around.

Second, two of the four who should be viewing you as their constituents (Lady and McDaniel) seem all-in on boundary changes. Moon and McElveen seem much less enthusiastic about county-wide changes, but will they go to bat for people or just distance themselves from what's happening around them?

Pretty messed up to enhance their reputation by sticking it to a bunch of kids for no reason. But maybe I’ve come to expect too much from elected officials in Fairfax county.

They will have a grab bag of justifications if they so choose. In terms of reasons, claiming that they are shortening commutes and avoiding 29% under-enrollment at HHS will stack up nicely with eliminating an attendance island, which was OK to have around for 40 years not doing anyone any harm (and perhaps doing some kids some good) but is now apparently intolerable.

The whole study is a mess borne of a desire to avoid accountability and now spiraling into something potentially much worse.

Just to reiterate though, Herndon middle is the one that’ll be overcrowded. And by their own hand-picked study (provided to the boundary review advisory committee on December 6), only commutes over an hour has any detrimental impact on academics or sleep. It’ll be a move made in spite and would likely cause political damage to the school board and its party.

You don't think shifting around the rest of the county including sending kids from good schools to bad schools while leaving Langley (with no poor kids and one of the most affluent student bodies in the state) alone wouldn't be even worse for their political careers?

I think there are really only two or three areas in their sights, so there is a world, as others have mentioned, where they fix the split feeders and call it a day.

Way better outcome all around (including for their political careers) than moves for the sake of sticking it to people based on stereotypes of perceived wealth.

Politically, the best move would be to live boundaries alone and make it easier for families zoned for bad schools to easily transfer

You are literally arguing to deal these schools their finally blow. The state could then get involved and direct other changes that could include distribution of those students to surrounding schools.

And what of the students that can't transfer?

FCPS needs to do everything possible to stop the transfers.

If those schools have to reorganize as academies or magnets, good. Kids shouldn’t be zoned to failing schools in a district that has some of the best schools in the state

People shouldn't refer to "failing" schools without clear, objective, and reasonable metrics for what constitutes "failure" or "success."

Some schools that get tagged as "failing" may have the most dedicated teachers and staff and may be doing more to raise a kid's performance than some of the "top" schools. It all depends on the starting point of the students when they enter the school.

Those are things you say when the test scores are far lower than neighboring schools

You clearly don't understand demographics. I question your education.

Do you assume some people are predisposed to do poorly in school based on their demographics?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Question: Has any "suggestions" been made about particular moves? Or is everyone just confused?

Do we have theories on who would be moved?

So the starting point would be the schools that are severely overcrowded. Taking those schools and trying to shift those populations to schools not as crowded.

https://www.fcps.edu/sites/default/files/media/pdf/Proposed-FCPS-FY-2025-29-CIP.pdf

Langley at 98% capacity and Herndon at 71% should have great falls worried

You’re using last year’s numbers. Enrollment is down a lot at Langley, they can absorb the McLean attendance island without going above capacity.

There are two Mclean attendance islands, and they are most definitely on the block to be absorbed.

I know, but the one to its south isn’t going to Langley because that’d be an even worse attendance island.

The one should go to Falls Church HS, then they might actually put some money in that school and it would raise its performance overall. The other should go to Marshall. The would be help in equity.

Makes no sense. One island, if moved, would go to Langley and the other to Falls Church or Marshall.

Moving the southern island to Falls Church would be neutral in terms of FCHS’s performance. It basically has the same overall demographics as Falls Church. It’s poorer than Marshall and moving it there would reduce Marshall’s overall academic scores.

I don’t have any objection to the McLean attendance island going to Langley. It doesn’t put Langley over capacity, even without any other moves.

Your issue isn't going to be whether you "consent" to the McLean attendance island going to Langley. It's whether it becomes the pretext to move a chunk of Great Falls to Herndon. They have the authority to do that regardless of whether Langley is then sitting at 95% capacity, 99% capacity, or 101% capacity, if they're projecting Herndon will be at 71% capacity in five years.

As you know, the issue isn’t Herndon High, is Herndon Middle, which would be significantly overcapacity with that move.

And I’m not sure why the school board would want to pick a fight with residents by moving a school that isn’t crowded.

I'm not going to argue with you. You're at their disposal, not mine, but some of them would likely relish picking a fight with you.

Would love to know who and why they would relish a “fight” with constituents especially when it involved impacting children.

Have you really not been paying attention?

First, eight of the Board members (a 2/3 majority) don't consider you to be their constituents and some of them think it will enhance their reputation with their constituents if they move McLean and Langley kids around.

Second, two of the four who should be viewing you as their constituents (Lady and McDaniel) seem all-in on boundary changes. Moon and McElveen seem much less enthusiastic about county-wide changes, but will they go to bat for people or just distance themselves from what's happening around them?

Pretty messed up to enhance their reputation by sticking it to a bunch of kids for no reason. But maybe I’ve come to expect too much from elected officials in Fairfax county.

They will have a grab bag of justifications if they so choose. In terms of reasons, claiming that they are shortening commutes and avoiding 29% under-enrollment at HHS will stack up nicely with eliminating an attendance island, which was OK to have around for 40 years not doing anyone any harm (and perhaps doing some kids some good) but is now apparently intolerable.

The whole study is a mess borne of a desire to avoid accountability and now spiraling into something potentially much worse.

Just to reiterate though, Herndon middle is the one that’ll be overcrowded. And by their own hand-picked study (provided to the boundary review advisory committee on December 6), only commutes over an hour has any detrimental impact on academics or sleep. It’ll be a move made in spite and would likely cause political damage to the school board and its party.

You don't think shifting around the rest of the county including sending kids from good schools to bad schools while leaving Langley (with no poor kids and one of the most affluent student bodies in the state) alone wouldn't be even worse for their political careers?

I think there are really only two or three areas in their sights, so there is a world, as others have mentioned, where they fix the split feeders and call it a day.

Way better outcome all around (including for their political careers) than moves for the sake of sticking it to people based on stereotypes of perceived wealth.

Politically, the best move would be to live boundaries alone and make it easier for families zoned for bad schools to easily transfer

You are literally arguing to deal these schools their finally blow. The state could then get involved and direct other changes that could include distribution of those students to surrounding schools.

And what of the students that can't transfer?

FCPS needs to do everything possible to stop the transfers.

If those schools have to reorganize as academies or magnets, good. Kids shouldn’t be zoned to failing schools in a district that has some of the best schools in the state

People shouldn't refer to "failing" schools without clear, objective, and reasonable metrics for what constitutes "failure" or "success."

Some schools that get tagged as "failing" may have the most dedicated teachers and staff and may be doing more to raise a kid's performance than some of the "top" schools. It all depends on the starting point of the students when they enter the school.

Agreed. People unfairly critique these schools without thought that the students at schools like Lewis and Herndon are starting from a very different point than the students at West Springfield and Langley. Much of which is because the county schools, county zoning board, and population have segregated the poor and ESL off into certain schools. So the schools are unfairly criticized when the results don't look the same, but as currently segregated they could never be the same.

I don't hold out much hope for this county. The situation was allowed to fester way too long.

Even if all the advanced kids are taking IB, and average kids taking AP, a 10% pass rate in AP classes means that the math funnel into AP calculus is grossly deficient and will not serve the kids who are rezoned from a high performing school to the low performing school, especially not the average students.

Unclog the funnel before considering rezoning, even if it takes several years to fix it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Question: Has any "suggestions" been made about particular moves? Or is everyone just confused?

Do we have theories on who would be moved?

So the starting point would be the schools that are severely overcrowded. Taking those schools and trying to shift those populations to schools not as crowded.

https://www.fcps.edu/sites/default/files/media/pdf/Proposed-FCPS-FY-2025-29-CIP.pdf

Langley at 98% capacity and Herndon at 71% should have great falls worried

You’re using last year’s numbers. Enrollment is down a lot at Langley, they can absorb the McLean attendance island without going above capacity.

There are two Mclean attendance islands, and they are most definitely on the block to be absorbed.

I know, but the one to its south isn’t going to Langley because that’d be an even worse attendance island.

The one should go to Falls Church HS, then they might actually put some money in that school and it would raise its performance overall. The other should go to Marshall. The would be help in equity.

Makes no sense. One island, if moved, would go to Langley and the other to Falls Church or Marshall.

Moving the southern island to Falls Church would be neutral in terms of FCHS’s performance. It basically has the same overall demographics as Falls Church. It’s poorer than Marshall and moving it there would reduce Marshall’s overall academic scores.

I don’t have any objection to the McLean attendance island going to Langley. It doesn’t put Langley over capacity, even without any other moves.

Your issue isn't going to be whether you "consent" to the McLean attendance island going to Langley. It's whether it becomes the pretext to move a chunk of Great Falls to Herndon. They have the authority to do that regardless of whether Langley is then sitting at 95% capacity, 99% capacity, or 101% capacity, if they're projecting Herndon will be at 71% capacity in five years.

As you know, the issue isn’t Herndon High, is Herndon Middle, which would be significantly overcapacity with that move.

And I’m not sure why the school board would want to pick a fight with residents by moving a school that isn’t crowded.

I'm not going to argue with you. You're at their disposal, not mine, but some of them would likely relish picking a fight with you.

Would love to know who and why they would relish a “fight” with constituents especially when it involved impacting children.

Have you really not been paying attention?

First, eight of the Board members (a 2/3 majority) don't consider you to be their constituents and some of them think it will enhance their reputation with their constituents if they move McLean and Langley kids around.

Second, two of the four who should be viewing you as their constituents (Lady and McDaniel) seem all-in on boundary changes. Moon and McElveen seem much less enthusiastic about county-wide changes, but will they go to bat for people or just distance themselves from what's happening around them?

Pretty messed up to enhance their reputation by sticking it to a bunch of kids for no reason. But maybe I’ve come to expect too much from elected officials in Fairfax county.

They will have a grab bag of justifications if they so choose. In terms of reasons, claiming that they are shortening commutes and avoiding 29% under-enrollment at HHS will stack up nicely with eliminating an attendance island, which was OK to have around for 40 years not doing anyone any harm (and perhaps doing some kids some good) but is now apparently intolerable.

The whole study is a mess borne of a desire to avoid accountability and now spiraling into something potentially much worse.

Just to reiterate though, Herndon middle is the one that’ll be overcrowded. And by their own hand-picked study (provided to the boundary review advisory committee on December 6), only commutes over an hour has any detrimental impact on academics or sleep. It’ll be a move made in spite and would likely cause political damage to the school board and its party.

You don't think shifting around the rest of the county including sending kids from good schools to bad schools while leaving Langley (with no poor kids and one of the most affluent student bodies in the state) alone wouldn't be even worse for their political careers?

I think there are really only two or three areas in their sights, so there is a world, as others have mentioned, where they fix the split feeders and call it a day.

Way better outcome all around (including for their political careers) than moves for the sake of sticking it to people based on stereotypes of perceived wealth.

Politically, the best move would be to live boundaries alone and make it easier for families zoned for bad schools to easily transfer

You are literally arguing to deal these schools their finally blow. The state could then get involved and direct other changes that could include distribution of those students to surrounding schools.

And what of the students that can't transfer?

FCPS needs to do everything possible to stop the transfers.

If those schools have to reorganize as academies or magnets, good. Kids shouldn’t be zoned to failing schools in a district that has some of the best schools in the state

People shouldn't refer to "failing" schools without clear, objective, and reasonable metrics for what constitutes "failure" or "success."

Some schools that get tagged as "failing" may have the most dedicated teachers and staff and may be doing more to raise a kid's performance than some of the "top" schools. It all depends on the starting point of the students when they enter the school.

Those are things you say when the test scores are far lower than neighboring schools

You clearly don't understand demographics. I question your education.

Do you assume some people are predisposed to do poorly in school based on their demographics?

I mean, yes? How are you expecting a recent arrival 12 year old who has no English, and possibly no Spanish either (some of the arrivals from Central and South America speak a tribal language), and little in the way of formal education with parents who also have no formal education, to perform at the level of a US-born, native English speaking 12 year old of any background?