Please SOUND OFF if you think FCPS is in decline!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our elementary schools can't continue to be absolutely everything to everyone; FARMS to include backpack or weekend subsistence, clothing closets, food pantries, PTA subsidized school supplies, field trips, instrument provision, ESOL, translators for parent meetings and conferences or even a simple emergency call to home, holiday gift distribution...and the list goes on.

And before I get pummeled for daring to mention these issues, I speak from experience and have given my time and money to quietly support FCPS, but I have donor fatigue.

It's rough to send your average, non gifted, English speaking child with two college educated parents to FCPS kindergarten and I've done it four times.

Your solidly average student will quite frankly be lost in the shuffle. I'm convinced that the uptick in IEPs and parent referral to AAP and legions of twice exceptional students is actually a well played, strategic move by savvy and smart FCPS parents. So, if your kid doesn't have a "hook," forget it.
Move your kid to the head of the class if there's an IEP, kid is 2E, ESL, AAP, homeless, pregnant, FARMs, legally emancipated, parent incarcerated or deported, no computer in the home. Help and programs and services will be on the way!

Plan now to teach the basics; handwriting, spelling, math facts, reading comprehension, grammar, pre-algebra skills, geography, to name a few.

Set aside money for private tutors now if you aren't up to the task or never took chemistry, or can't remember geometry.

Also speaking from experience, I don’t think it’s that “rough” at all. Our kids were still privileged and they went on to do quite well in college, even though they did not go to an AAP center.

Most of the beefs with FCPS come from upper middle class white parents upset that poor brown kids receive supplemental assistance and middle class Asian kids win more academic awards. But the 1950s are not coming back. Preparing white kids for the real world in the 21st Century is a good thing. Your kids can still be the center of your world, but the rest of the world does not revolve around them.

Thank you for bringing some real insight. MCPS parents need to read this as well.

[Anonymous]

It’s the way they do things that’s so damaging. They hope the passage of time and breaks will distract parents but it’s just insulting. We are teachers and parents and we see what they’re trying to do. It’s really quite childish. Just watch schools like Lake Braddock and you can see FCPS’s attempts at problem solving.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can't say if they're in decline, but the reputation seems overblown compared to affluent NJ suburbs.

NJ suburbs have small, township-based school systems, so of course no single system there will attract as much attention as FCPS.

And the poorer systems in NJ really suffer, because they aren’t subsidized by the wealthier areas.

No they are subsidized due to court decisions. Camden and Newark in particular.

Nobody in Fairfax county gives a sh*t about New Jersey schools.

I live in Fairfax and I do. The education here is worse than what I got as a kid in wealthy suburban NJ, but it seems that the teaching style today and the subject matter covered is much different than what I had as a kid as well. Maybe the current style is better for most of the student population, but k-2 doesn't seem nearly challenging enough.

Then Go back to Jersey, and quit comparing apples and oranges.

I prefer higher standards. I don't understand why FCPS is so highly regarded.



No required summer reading so far in elementary.

It took me about 10 seconds to find this: https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/library/2019-summer-reading-adventure

It's called "parenting". Give it a try.

Not required. Not the same thing as “read this book, write a report about it, and we’ll have a test on it the first week of school”.

That's a good thing!

I disagree. Summer homework is an important data point. We just back tracked last year for a report to our program director. It turns out that, with one exception, the students who didn’t turn in the summer homework were the ones who had low hw completion all year impacting not only their grades, but their preparation for in class activities. Students who completed the summer homework poorly we’re also the ones we were already giving additional intervention in late September and setting up parent conferences about in mid-October. It was a canary in the coal mine.

The upper middle class student who is too busy with a $3k soccer camp to read one on-grade level book and write a paragraph over two months likely needs immediate support in balancing homework and ECs.

The working class immigrant student who had time but couldn’t get a book might need family support with getting a library card.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s the way they do things that’s so damaging. They hope the passage of time and breaks will distract parents but it’s just insulting. We are teachers and parents and we see what they’re trying to do. It’s really quite childish. Just watch schools like Lake Braddock and you can see FCPS’s attempts at problem solving.

Yeah, I watched the situation at LBSS. An excellent school that went through some administrative turmoil and emerged...still an excellent school. And then on DCUM one poster, who was a big booster of a particular administrator who was replaced, went off the rails.

[Anonymous]

Too many entitled snowflakes being raised by permissive, indulgent parents. Your kid can't handle constructive criticism and most certainly can't deal with the word no.

Far easier to medicate than to instill structure and discipline and limits. And, teachers really need to stop armchair diagnosing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Too many entitled snowflakes being raised by permissive, indulgent parents. Your kid can't handle constructive criticism and most certainly can't deal with the word no.

Far easier to medicate than to instill structure and discipline and limits. And, teachers really need to stop armchair diagnosing.

Nothing presages a ridiculous post from a grumpy old fart better than the word “snowflake” in the first four or five words.

Go drink your wine cooler, grandma.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Too many entitled snowflakes being raised by permissive, indulgent parents. Your kid can't handle constructive criticism and most certainly can't deal with the word no.

Far easier to medicate than to instill structure and discipline and limits. And, teachers really need to stop armchair diagnosing.

Nothing presages a ridiculous post from a grumpy old fart better than the word “snowflake” in the first four or five words.

Go drink your wine cooler, grandma.

Nothing concludes a ridiculous post from a snarky young twit better than the ageist "grandma" slur in the closing sentence. You're disgusting.

[Anonymous]

Illegal immigration has destroyed fcps

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Too many entitled snowflakes being raised by permissive, indulgent parents. Your kid can't handle constructive criticism and most certainly can't deal with the word no.

Far easier to medicate than to instill structure and discipline and limits. And, teachers really need to stop armchair diagnosing.

Nothing presages a ridiculous post from a grumpy old fart better than the word “snowflake” in the first four or five words.

Go drink your wine cooler, grandma.

Nothing concludes a ridiculous post from a snarky young twit better than the ageist "grandma" slur in the closing sentence. You're disgusting.

Ha. Now we find out who is really easily triggered, and it’s not the kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Illegal immigration has destroyed fcps

True! And the school board is well aware and wants to instead talk about equity...well, illegal immigration is draining school resources and pulling the schools down. Parents are illiterate in their native language and aren't learning English. But, you are racist if you mention this (cue the posts that will label me as such) or articulate your concerns. We have 18 year old high school freshmen who are legally emancipated. Pregnant middle school girls. Sorry, but illegal immigration is precisely WHY FCPS are circling the drain. Look at Falls Church HS, Herndon HS, Luther Jackson MS, Hutchison ES as examples of schools on the edge. I would move before sending my DC to these schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Illegal immigration has destroyed fcps

True! And the school board is well aware and wants to instead talk about equity...well, illegal immigration is draining school resources and pulling the schools down. Parents are illiterate in their native language and aren't learning English. But, you are racist if you mention this (cue the posts that will label me as such) or articulate your concerns. We have 18 year old high school freshmen who are legally emancipated. Pregnant middle school girls. Sorry, but illegal immigration is precisely WHY FCPS are circling the drain. Look at Falls Church HS, Herndon HS, Luther Jackson MS, Hutchison ES as examples of schools on the edge. I would move before sending my DC to these schools.

Go ahead and move. You are not that special and will not be missed.

And there were girls in middle and high school getting pregnant back when the schools had virtually no ESOL kids.

[Anonymous]

When one elementary school with a high ESOL percentage gets over 30 additional kids since September, there is no question that the new kids are draining the system. That has nothing to do with pregnant girls--I have no idea what that stat is. I do know that there are plenty of adult kids in the ESOL programs in the high schools.

Of course, the kids need to be in school. But, anyone who does not know that this is draining FCPS resources, is deceiving themselves. These kids are not only additional numbers in our system, but they cost lots and lots of money for special services in addition to ESOL services.

So, when you complain about not getting services in schools, please remember where your tax dollars are going.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When one elementary school with a high ESOL percentage gets over 30 additional kids since September, there is no question that the new kids are draining the system. That has nothing to do with pregnant girls--I have no idea what that stat is. I do know that there are plenty of adult kids in the ESOL programs in the high schools.

Of course, the kids need to be in school. But, anyone who does not know that this is draining FCPS resources, is deceiving themselves. These kids are not only additional numbers in our system, but they cost lots and lots of money for special services in addition to ESOL services.

So, when you complain about not getting services in schools, please remember where your tax dollars are going.

The purpose of schools is to educate young people. When your kids were in school, did you call them a “drain” on the county’s resources? Probably not.

The right-wing politics of exclusion is what’s sapping the soul of this country and ruining its reputation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Illegal immigration has destroyed fcps

True! And the school board is well aware and wants to instead talk about equity...well, illegal immigration is draining school resources and pulling the schools down. Parents are illiterate in their native language and aren't learning English. But, you are racist if you mention this (cue the posts that will label me as such) or articulate your concerns. We have 18 year old high school freshmen who are legally emancipated. Pregnant middle school girls. Sorry, but illegal immigration is precisely WHY FCPS are circling the drain. Look at Falls Church HS, Herndon HS, Luther Jackson MS, Hutchison ES as examples of schools on the edge. I would move before sending my DC to these schools.

I don’t think you’re racist. I think you have the guts to talk about what has and is going on in the school system. A LOT of kids are getting left behind and it’s time we came together as a community to find a solution.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Illegal immigration has destroyed fcps

True! And the school board is well aware and wants to instead talk about equity...well, illegal immigration is draining school resources and pulling the schools down. Parents are illiterate in their native language and aren't learning English. But, you are racist if you mention this (cue the posts that will label me as such) or articulate your concerns. We have 18 year old high school freshmen who are legally emancipated. Pregnant middle school girls. Sorry, but illegal immigration is precisely WHY FCPS are circling the drain. Look at Falls Church HS, Herndon HS, Luther Jackson MS, Hutchison ES as examples of schools on the edge. I would move before sending my DC to these schools.

I don’t think you’re racist. I think you have the guts to talk about what has and is going on in the school system. A LOT of kids are getting left behind and it’s time we came together as a community to find a solution.

I think you’re both anti-immigrant racists who post on an anonymous forum because you know your views are regressive and outdated.