FCPS comprehensive boundary review

[Anonymous]

^Typos. The modeling software is likely working from a blank slate. So input is key.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are two elementary schools closer to my house than the one my children attend. The middle school we are zoned for is the one closest to our house. There are FIVE high schools closer to my house than the one we are zoned for. I would be happy if we got rezoned to the high school closest to us. I would not be happy if they randomly pick a different high school as part of some attempt to achieve similar outcomes by engineering for a specific demographic balance.

If you don’t value demographic balance as a priority then bring that up at the town hall. Same if you are against split feeders, or if you value proximity, etc. These consultants will likely put your input into the computer modeling software they use to create all the school boundaries and recommendations.

They software be modeling from a tabula rasa for all we know, so parent input/feedback would be critical.

I agree that parents should let their opinions be known, but I’ve heard enough from school board members that I believe they have a specific agenda to move particular schools.

I wish it weren’t the case, but I’ve heard that particular school board members single out particular zip codes when they talk privately about the boundary moves. I fear that in the one on ones with the consultant that they will tell the consultant use the data to come up with your moves, but make sure that this school is included.

If so, it’s such a betrayal of public trust.

[Anonymous]

Crazy conspiracy thinking. This is not what’s happening.

[Anonymous]

Wow, Dunne puts out a lot of information and seems to be engaging with his district a lot. Have barely heard from Lady. Her newsletters seem very infrequent.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So I guess we should/could attend the current high school meeting and the high school our kids may attend.

Remember the kids are watching and those minority income kids want to see their ‘white saviors” excited about moving in the middle of high school!

How exactly does the school board believe berating people into feeling bad about wanting high performing schools for their kids will help the kids?

“White Saviors”? Very telling. You do realize there are high SES minority families who will also be impacted right?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I wish they would get this done and over with already. It has been too long. Rip the band aids off. Less talk, more action.

+1000

The sooner they make decisions on this, the faster people can understand the impact and make whatever changes they need/want to make for their families.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wish they would get this done and over with already. It has been too long. Rip the band aids off. Less talk, more action.

+1000

The sooner they make decisions on this, the faster people can understand the impact and make whatever changes they need/want to make for their families.

No one who is going to be impacted by the boundary moves shares that sentiment.

You are the living embodiment of schadenfreude.

[Anonymous]

It's more important they slow down, take stock of what really might benefit families, and avoid unnecessary changes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are two elementary schools closer to my house than the one my children attend. The middle school we are zoned for is the one closest to our house. There are FIVE high schools closer to my house than the one we are zoned for. I would be happy if we got rezoned to the high school closest to us. I would not be happy if they randomly pick a different high school as part of some attempt to achieve similar outcomes by engineering for a specific demographic balance.

If you don’t value demographic balance as a priority then bring that up at the town hall. Same if you are against split feeders, or if you value proximity, etc. These consultants will likely put your input into the computer modeling software they use to create all the school boundaries and recommendations.

They software be modeling from a tabula rasa for all we know, so parent input/feedback would be critical.

I agree that parents should let their opinions be known, but I’ve heard enough from school board members that I believe they have a specific agenda to move particular schools.

I wish it weren’t the case, but I’ve heard that particular school board members single out particular zip codes when they talk privately about the boundary moves. I fear that in the one on ones with the consultant that they will tell the consultant use the data to come up with your moves, but make sure that this school is included.

If so, it’s such a betrayal of public trust.

This makes certain school board members look like “evil” master planners or villains behind the scenes in some movie or documentary. I really hope the consultants are acting independently and objectively. Otherwise why hire consultants in the first place. The board members could just move the chess pieces themselves (i.e. direct staff to draw the boundaries they desire).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wow, Dunne puts out a lot of information and seems to be engaging with his district a lot. Have barely heard from Lady. Her newsletters seem very infrequent.

In the Q&A with the consultant, Dunne appeared to be the only person on the board, including Reid, thst realizes what a bad idea this is and how terrible the execution is and will be.

I suspect he had intended to use the school board as a jumping off point for local or state office, and just realized in real time how this unwanted rezoning will tank his 5 year plan. He is trying to save his future political aspirations.

The rest of them think blue no matter who Ffx County will continue to blindly vote for them no matter what they do on rezoning.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There are two elementary schools closer to my house than the one my children attend. The middle school we are zoned for is the one closest to our house. There are FIVE high schools closer to my house than the one we are zoned for. I would be happy if we got rezoned to the high school closest to us. I would not be happy if they randomly pick a different high school as part of some attempt to achieve similar outcomes by engineering for a specific demographic balance.

Your neighborhood (or one just like your neighborhood) was specifically mentioned by Reid at the September 23 Community Conversation (Newington Elementary) as one of the target neighborhoods for rezoning.

She mentioned it would be moved from the far away assigned high school to one of the nearby ones you pass by to get to your assigned school. *She did not mention the schools involved, just the exact situation you described.

If you want this to happen, you need to organize your neighbors to start making noise now.


Of course, this likely means domino rezoning of all the neighborhoods between yours and your current high school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are two elementary schools closer to my house than the one my children attend. The middle school we are zoned for is the one closest to our house. There are FIVE high schools closer to my house than the one we are zoned for. I would be happy if we got rezoned to the high school closest to us. I would not be happy if they randomly pick a different high school as part of some attempt to achieve similar outcomes by engineering for a specific demographic balance.

If you don’t value demographic balance as a priority then bring that up at the town hall. Same if you are against split feeders, or if you value proximity, etc. These consultants will likely put your input into the computer modeling software they use to create all the school boundaries and recommendations.

They software be modeling from a tabula rasa for all we know, so parent input/feedback would be critical.

I agree that parents should let their opinions be known, but I’ve heard enough from school board members that I believe they have a specific agenda to move particular schools.

I wish it weren’t the case, but I’ve heard that particular school board members single out particular zip codes when they talk privately about the boundary moves. I fear that in the one on ones with the consultant that they will tell the consultant use the data to come up with your moves, but make sure that this school is included.

If so, it’s such a betrayal of public trust.

This makes certain school board members look like “evil” master planners or villains behind the scenes in some movie or documentary. I really hope the consultants are acting independently and objectively. Otherwise why hire consultants in the first place. The board members could just move the chess pieces themselves (i.e. direct staff to draw the boundaries they desire).

DP. Are you really that naive?

The consultants are hired because they will say they bring independent and objective judgment to the process.

And then, when you look at their work plan, it says it will entail weekly meetings with FCPS staff - who of course speak regularly with Board members. The Board members have the same ability to influence the outcome that they'd have without a consultant, but they get an added layer of deniability - "we're just following the consultant's recommendations."

This has always been the plan, and it's SOP when it comes to hiring most consultants. They know who they are reporting to, and it's not families in FCPS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wow, Dunne puts out a lot of information and seems to be engaging with his district a lot. Have barely heard from Lady. Her newsletters seem very infrequent.

In the Q&A with the consultant, Dunne appeared to be the only person on the board, including Reid, thst realizes what a bad idea this is and how terrible the execution is and will be.

I suspect he had intended to use the school board as a jumping off point for local or state office, and just realized in real time how this unwanted rezoning will tank his 5 year plan. He is trying to save his future political aspirations.

The rest of them think blue no matter who Ffx County will continue to blindly vote for them no matter what they do on rezoning.

Mount Vernon District is a path to higher office for sure. Dan Storck was on the SB before he was on the BoS and I’m sure he’ll be on the very short list for Congress if Connolly or Beyer decide to retire (I’m not sure where exactly Storck resides and it could be in either district). Connolly himself sat on the BoS but from a different district before being elected to Congress.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wow, Dunne puts out a lot of information and seems to be engaging with his district a lot. Have barely heard from Lady. Her newsletters seem very infrequent.

In the Q&A with the consultant, Dunne appeared to be the only person on the board, including Reid, thst realizes what a bad idea this is and how terrible the execution is and will be.

I suspect he had intended to use the school board as a jumping off point for local or state office, and just realized in real time how this unwanted rezoning will tank his 5 year plan. He is trying to save his future political aspirations.

The rest of them think blue no matter who Ffx County will continue to blindly vote for them no matter what they do on rezoning.

Mount Vernon District is a path to higher office for sure. Dan Storck was on the SB before he was on the BoS and I’m sure he’ll be on the very short list for Congress if Connolly or Beyer decide to retire (I’m not sure where exactly Storck resides and it could be in either district). Connolly himself sat on the BoS but from a different district before being elected to Congress.

Doubt it very much. The heart of the 8th Congressional District, which includes Mount Vernon, is Arlington and Alexandria, and Beyer's successor will more likely come from those areas.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are two elementary schools closer to my house than the one my children attend. The middle school we are zoned for is the one closest to our house. There are FIVE high schools closer to my house than the one we are zoned for. I would be happy if we got rezoned to the high school closest to us. I would not be happy if they randomly pick a different high school as part of some attempt to achieve similar outcomes by engineering for a specific demographic balance.

If you don’t value demographic balance as a priority then bring that up at the town hall. Same if you are against split feeders, or if you value proximity, etc. These consultants will likely put your input into the computer modeling software they use to create all the school boundaries and recommendations.

They software be modeling from a tabula rasa for all we know, so parent input/feedback would be critical.

I agree that parents should let their opinions be known, but I’ve heard enough from school board members that I believe they have a specific agenda to move particular schools.

I wish it weren’t the case, but I’ve heard that particular school board members single out particular zip codes when they talk privately about the boundary moves. I fear that in the one on ones with the consultant that they will tell the consultant use the data to come up with your moves, but make sure that this school is included.

If so, it’s such a betrayal of public trust.

This makes certain school board members look like “evil” master planners or villains behind the scenes in some movie or documentary. I really hope the consultants are acting independently and objectively. Otherwise why hire consultants in the first place. The board members could just move the chess pieces themselves (i.e. direct staff to draw the boundaries they desire).

DP. Are you really that naive?

The consultants are hired because they will say they bring independent and objective judgment to the process.

And then, when you look at their work plan, it says it will entail weekly meetings with FCPS staff - who of course speak regularly with Board members. The Board members have the same ability to influence the outcome that they'd have without a consultant, but they get an added layer of deniability - "we're just following the consultant's recommendations."

This has always been the plan, and it's SOP when it comes to hiring most consultants. They know who they are reporting to, and it's not families in FCPS.

Thanks. This needed to be explained.