Herndon high - what’s going on?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I know they got rid of their French Immersion program and switched it to Spanish, if it still exists at all.

At this point simply going to Herndon MS/HS counts as Spanish immersion.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PP and the stupid equity lens is myopic! Woe to the average, native language speaker without a 504. You know who gets left behind? The “unlabeled” quiet, well-mannered, respectful DC with equally polite and engaged parents.

These are the students who get no additional support, guidance or almighty, nebulous “resources” or even attention. These kids fall through the cracks.

Why? The teachers, admins, counselors, social workers, front office admins, SROs are all in crisis mode and there’s literally no time for your bright DC (not bright enough for AAP though) who needs help with …anything. As I’ve been told, “average is absolutely fine” or, “DC is doing just fine and doesn’t need anything else - she’ll pick it up eventually” or “let’s wait until next year - sometimes boys mature later” or “no conference needed - no issues.”

You as the parent, however, will do kitchen-table teaching and tutoring all throughout ES. You’ll teach your own DC how to read, administer spelling tests, teach geography, make vocabulary and math facts flash cards.

You’ll also need to hire a professional tutor for higher level math and science around freshman year. Plan to do intensive SAT prep to include test-taking strategies and DC will likely learn more from SAT prep than from class subjects.

Mom of 2 FCPS graduates: one college graduate and one rising college senior.

Don't try and pin this on Special Needs kids. You don't know just how lucky you are to get to deal with "average" without complications. And the result is a college graduate--and I assume another going to college? Big old middle finger to that attitude.

Put down your middle finger. I was directly criticizing the carefully orchestrate 504 plans that savvy parents know to get and game the system. Same for gaining admission to AAP (go to the right child psychologist, go to the correct tutoring center, join the THHSST study group). My “expert” relative did extensive research to get her neurotypical DC a 504 that allows for additional testing time and some very specific supports.

When every other student has a 504, you can understand how this gamesmanship ends up undermining those students who have a genuine and legal right and need. We’ve gummed up the system.

An entire generation of FCPS parents arrive to register their DC in Head Start or peek with their hands out and ready to avail themselves of all resources.

A pregnant teen FCPS student gets showered with “resources” and all the help and services you can imagine - ok, great, nice but ask for some help with the very basics or if your kid slips behind-no worries. Average is just fine.

See also thread re: FCPS graduations. Everyone graduates.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:PP and the stupid equity lens is myopic! Woe to the average, native language speaker without a 504. You know who gets left behind? The “unlabeled” quiet, well-mannered, respectful DC with equally polite and engaged parents.

These are the students who get no additional support, guidance or almighty, nebulous “resources” or even attention. These kids fall through the cracks.

Why? The teachers, admins, counselors, social workers, front office admins, SROs are all in crisis mode and there’s literally no time for your bright DC (not bright enough for AAP though) who needs help with …anything. As I’ve been told, “average is absolutely fine” or, “DC is doing just fine and doesn’t need anything else - she’ll pick it up eventually” or “let’s wait until next year - sometimes boys mature later” or “no conference needed - no issues.”

You as the parent, however, will do kitchen-table teaching and tutoring all throughout ES. You’ll teach your own DC how to read, administer spelling tests, teach geography, make vocabulary and math facts flash cards.

You’ll also need to hire a professional tutor for higher level math and science around freshman year. Plan to do intensive SAT prep to include test-taking strategies and DC will likely learn more from SAT prep than from class subjects.

Mom of 2 FCPS graduates: one college graduate and one rising college senior.

I understand where you're coming from, but as a former teacher at a relatively high-SES school, I can tell you that your kid will be equally ignored everywhere in large public schools. There isn't a magical situation where teachers have all the time in the world to attend to the "average" kids. Even classrooms with all native English speakers have a significantly wide spectrum of ability (I've had ELL immigrant kds from Africa and South America be much better at math than some kids born in the US!).

If your kid is naturally very middle of the pack, then that's just how it's going to be. If you feel the need to supplement and push them beyond that then that is very normal for parents to take on.
I think you're looking for small private school environments or Montessori style. I suspect no large public school is going to satisfy you, and you're blaming "equity" for the wrong reason.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know they got rid of their French Immersion program and switched it to Spanish, if it still exists at all.

At this point simply going to Herndon MS/HS counts as Spanish immersion.

This is a really ignorant post.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know they got rid of their French Immersion program and switched it to Spanish, if it still exists at all.

At this point simply going to Herndon MS/HS counts as Spanish immersion.

😆 I’ve heard my hometown referred to as Hernandez!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know they got rid of their French Immersion program and switched it to Spanish, if it still exists at all.

At this point simply going to Herndon MS/HS counts as Spanish immersion.

This is a really ignorant post.

https://schoolquality.virginia.gov/schools/herndon-high#fndtn-desktopTabs-enrollment

53% Hispanic and growing fast. 70% of whom are English learners.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Pretty funny. SBG was designed to bring the top down and the bottom up. Looks like it works to me. What’s the problem?

Exactly. This is "equity," playing out in real time. I hope all of you who voted for this are happy with yourselves?

Next election cycle, find some legitimate conservatives to run for school board instead of a bunch of MAGA clowns and I'll be glad to vote for one of them.

I don’t think a moderate conservative can overcome the non-parent voter who will just vote blue down the line. Dems will always win in this area and these problems are theirs alone to solve.

Unfortunately, this is true. Might be nice to have only parents vote for school board.

DP. I have long advocated for this, but was called all kinds of names here on good ol' DCUM when I brought it up. There is zero reason anyone who is not a parent should get to vote on the school board. Zero.

I mean, I think people who live in fairfax with pre-elem aged kids might have a fair bit of interest in the matter...

Those are parents, yes? We're talking about people who are NOT parents having any say on the SB.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Pretty funny. SBG was designed to bring the top down and the bottom up. Looks like it works to me. What’s the problem?

Exactly. This is "equity," playing out in real time. I hope all of you who voted for this are happy with yourselves?

Next election cycle, find some legitimate conservatives to run for school board instead of a bunch of MAGA clowns and I'll be glad to vote for one of them.

I don’t think a moderate conservative can overcome the non-parent voter who will just vote blue down the line. Dems will always win in this area and these problems are theirs alone to solve.

Unfortunately, this is true. Might be nice to have only parents vote for school board.

DP. I have long advocated for this, but was called all kinds of names here on good ol' DCUM when I brought it up. There is zero reason anyone who is not a parent should get to vote on the school board. Zero.

BS. First, the public pays taxes that are used for the public schools. We have a say and how that money is spent via our elected officials. Second, the public depends on an educated population, otherwise why should we pay for anyone to go to school. Maybe you think we should return to a feudal system and keep the masses dumb so that a (dumber) aristocracy can rule them?

What an incredible overreaction. People who are not parents should not be able to impose their politics on our schools. Which is no doubt why our SB is always a clown car of LWNJs - because so many people with no kids vote for left-wing candidates. Not sure where you're getting the rest of your bizarre, hyperbolic rant, but you do absolutely make the point.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

They can vote when their kids hit K. Also school board should be up for reelection every 2 years, not 4, and they need to eliminate the at large positions.

Oh, and a requirement to be on the board should be that you have a child enrolled in an FCPS school at the time you're sworn in. No more childless communists on the board who are only interested in protecting their favorite dog park.

+100

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t understand why parents aren’t doing more about this?

What would you do if it were your kids’ school?

Obviously change the way you vote. And encourage others to stop voting for democrats on the school board.

Beyond that though, either pay for private or move someplace else.

Obviously the Republican party should run candidates that might win. Running candidates who support book banning, anti-LGBTQ, and the like is not going to get you elected. Try running moderates instead of MAGA type candidates. Hell, try a traditional conservative candidate. Plenty of people would be happy to vote for someone who was not a Democrat if they actually campaigned on real issues.

The Republican candidate who was looking for votes outside my voting area had a van covered in posters anti-trans. That was it. Why in the world would I vote for someone who was only discussing keeping trans kids out of the locker room and off the sports team?

Pick sensible candidates and give people a choice. But when you only put out one issue candidates who are just mean then don’t be surprised if I hold my nose and vote for the progressive candidate. I might not even vote for that position if I didn’t look at the other candidate and see that all they were doing is spewing hate.

DP. Let's not pretend for even one minute that any "traditional conservative candidate" wouldn't be labeled "MAGA" by people like you. We see that every there's a SB election. Anyone who isn't endorsed by Fairfax Democrats, or who has an R next to their name, is smeared as some kind of extremist. Maybe you liberals should mull that over and do better.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: Obviously the Republican party should run candidates that might win. Running candidates who support book banning, anti-LGBTQ, and the like is not going to get you elected. Try running moderates instead of MAGA type candidates. Hell, try a traditional conservative candidate. Plenty of people would be happy to vote for someone who was not a Democrat if they actually campaigned on real issues.

Part of the problem is that the leftists have defined the terms. Pulling sexually explicit material from school libraries isn't "book banning". Being against puberty blockers, childhood transition, and allowing men in women's bathrooms and on women's sports teams (and vice versa, although that's much less common) isn't anti gay, it's common sense and it's backed up by the science. Europe of all places is leading the way on this.

And yeah, I agree the republicans in Fairfax need to get with the times and support smart candidates that will campaign on sensible issues. But there are far too many people who will just walk up to the polls, take the blue voting guide, and fill in the blanks as instructed.

+ a million

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:PP and the stupid equity lens is myopic! Woe to the average, native language speaker without a 504. You know who gets left behind? The “unlabeled” quiet, well-mannered, respectful DC with equally polite and engaged parents.

These are the students who get no additional support, guidance or almighty, nebulous “resources” or even attention. These kids fall through the cracks.

Why? The teachers, admins, counselors, social workers, front office admins, SROs are all in crisis mode and there’s literally no time for your bright DC (not bright enough for AAP though) who needs help with …anything. As I’ve been told, “average is absolutely fine” or, “DC is doing just fine and doesn’t need anything else - she’ll pick it up eventually” or “let’s wait until next year - sometimes boys mature later” or “no conference needed - no issues.”

You as the parent, however, will do kitchen-table teaching and tutoring all throughout ES. You’ll teach your own DC how to read, administer spelling tests, teach geography, make vocabulary and math facts flash cards.

You’ll also need to hire a professional tutor for higher level math and science around freshman year. Plan to do intensive SAT prep to include test-taking strategies and DC will likely learn more from SAT prep than from class subjects.

Mom of 2 FCPS graduates: one college graduate and one rising college senior.

Exactly this ^^^. This precisely describes our experiences with FCPS. Three kids and I used to call our dining room the "little red schoolhouse" because it's where I worked with ALL of them throughout K-12 on every subject. I often wonder how they would have fared had I not been able to help them, because the schools sure didn't do anything for them. My youngest graduates this year, and I can't tell you how utterly relieved we are.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PP and the stupid equity lens is myopic! Woe to the average, native language speaker without a 504. You know who gets left behind? The “unlabeled” quiet, well-mannered, respectful DC with equally polite and engaged parents.

These are the students who get no additional support, guidance or almighty, nebulous “resources” or even attention. These kids fall through the cracks.

Why? The teachers, admins, counselors, social workers, front office admins, SROs are all in crisis mode and there’s literally no time for your bright DC (not bright enough for AAP though) who needs help with …anything. As I’ve been told, “average is absolutely fine” or, “DC is doing just fine and doesn’t need anything else - she’ll pick it up eventually” or “let’s wait until next year - sometimes boys mature later” or “no conference needed - no issues.”

You as the parent, however, will do kitchen-table teaching and tutoring all throughout ES. You’ll teach your own DC how to read, administer spelling tests, teach geography, make vocabulary and math facts flash cards.

You’ll also need to hire a professional tutor for higher level math and science around freshman year. Plan to do intensive SAT prep to include test-taking strategies and DC will likely learn more from SAT prep than from class subjects.

Mom of 2 FCPS graduates: one college graduate and one rising college senior.

Don't try and pin this on Special Needs kids. You don't know just how lucky you are to get to deal with "average" without complications. And the result is a college graduate--and I assume another going to college? Big old middle finger to that attitude.

Put down your middle finger. I was directly criticizing the carefully orchestrate 504 plans that savvy parents know to get and game the system. Same for gaining admission to AAP (go to the right child psychologist, go to the correct tutoring center, join the THHSST study group). My “expert” relative did extensive research to get her neurotypical DC a 504 that allows for additional testing time and some very specific supports.

When every other student has a 504, you can understand how this gamesmanship ends up undermining those students who have a genuine and legal right and need. We’ve gummed up the system.

An entire generation of FCPS parents arrive to register their DC in Head Start or peek with their hands out and ready to avail themselves of all resources.

A pregnant teen FCPS student gets showered with “resources” and all the help and services you can imagine - ok, great, nice but ask for some help with the very basics or if your kid slips behind-no worries. Average is just fine.

See also thread re: FCPS graduations. Everyone graduates.

Nope, leaving it up. A kid who got into college and graduated was prepared. I don’t think anyone considers that falling through the cracks. Seems solidly average or above. Where were you shortchanged? How do you know the detailed medical histories of all these 504 moochers? And IQs of AAP kids? Yes, average is just fine, why all the animosity towards those who researched and were able to use a resource?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know they got rid of their French Immersion program and switched it to Spanish, if it still exists at all.

At this point simply going to Herndon MS/HS counts as Spanish immersion.

This is a really ignorant post.

https://schoolquality.virginia.gov/schools/herndon-high#fndtn-desktopTabs-enrollment

53% Hispanic and growing fast. 70% of whom are English learners.

My kids are HES-HMS-HHS. Your comment that going to these schools is equivalent to Spanish immersion isn’t true. Nearly all the children who spoke Spanish at home were already bilingual when they arrived at school. The language of the playground was English. My kids were in the Spanish immersion program and only 2 kids did not speak English.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know they got rid of their French Immersion program and switched it to Spanish, if it still exists at all.

At this point simply going to Herndon MS/HS counts as Spanish immersion.

This is a really ignorant post.

https://schoolquality.virginia.gov/schools/herndon-high#fndtn-desktopTabs-enrollment

53% Hispanic and growing fast. 70% of whom are English learners.

My kids are HES-HMS-HHS. Your comment that going to these schools is equivalent to Spanish immersion isn’t true. Nearly all the children who spoke Spanish at home were already bilingual when they arrived at school. The language of the playground was English. My kids were in the Spanish immersion program and only 2 kids did not speak English.

Don’t stop believing!