FCPS Boundary Review Updates

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Actually I just saw on Reddit that Connolly is endorsing James Walkinshaw of the BoS for his seat. Hopefully they avoid a nasty primary.

I wondered about that when Walkinshaw was posting a nice letter to Connolly and reminding everyone he used to be Connolly's chief of staff on socials.

Funny. I was just at a Fairfax Democrats gathering over the weekend where walkinshaw spoke and he mentioned he was gerry connelly’s former chief of staff at least twice.

Did anyone mention to the new guy that he’s about to have some major turbulence due to the school board’s comprehensive boundary changes?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Actually I just saw on Reddit that Connolly is endorsing James Walkinshaw of the BoS for his seat. Hopefully they avoid a nasty primary.

I wondered about that when Walkinshaw was posting a nice letter to Connolly and reminding everyone he used to be Connolly's chief of staff on socials.

Funny. I was just at a Fairfax Democrats gathering over the weekend where walkinshaw spoke and he mentioned he was gerry connelly’s former chief of staff at least twice.

Did anyone mention to the new guy that he’s about to have some major turbulence due to the school board’s comprehensive boundary changes?

They are not going to significantly impact the election for a seat in Congress. You can complain about school boundaries all you want but in a few months there will be major shortages of basic goods in this country courtesy of Trump’s idiotic “policies.”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Actually I just saw on Reddit that Connolly is endorsing James Walkinshaw of the BoS for his seat. Hopefully they avoid a nasty primary.

I wondered about that when Walkinshaw was posting a nice letter to Connolly and reminding everyone he used to be Connolly's chief of staff on socials.

Funny. I was just at a Fairfax Democrats gathering over the weekend where walkinshaw spoke and he mentioned he was gerry connelly’s former chief of staff at least twice.

Did anyone mention to the new guy that he’s about to have some major turbulence due to the school board’s comprehensive boundary changes?

They are not going to significantly impact the election for a seat in Congress. You can complain about school boundaries all you want but in a few months there will be major shortages of basic goods in this country courtesy of Trump’s idiotic “policies.”

The pride cometh before the fall.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The biggest IB defenders are
Parents who use it to escape their zoned IB
Schools

We are at SLHS and most of the people in my neighborhood are happy there and think that it is crazy that we are thinking about principal placing to an AP school. Some have kids working on the diploma. Some just don't get the idea of leaving the school and friends for a different school because "IB is fine." I think most fall into the latter category. They are ok with their kids taking a few IB classes and honors classes. I think the reality is that most of the IB schools are places where a significant percentage of the population are not fully engaged in school as it is and the kids are mainly in gen ed classes. The kids who are really academically engaged or motivated will go for the diploma or transfer out. The other families are happy with what the IB offers and where their kids go to college and don't have a strong feeling.

I would guess then that you would have 10% of the population being very supportive of IB, 10% wanting a change to AP, 50% not caring, and 30 percent happy and unconcerned.

But I do have friends who think that IB is great and is better than AP. I have friends who just want our kid to stay at the base school with his friends because they are friends. Most of our neighbors think moving for AP is extreme and don't think that it matters that Calculus is taught as its own class or that IB physics is algebra based and not calculus based.

Are you "in boundary?"

Yes, SLHS is our base school. Most of our neighbors are very happy at the school and have no problem with the IB classes. Kids take the IB classes as if they were AP classes and people are fine with it. We have some friends who love the IB program and have kids working on the diploma. Most the people seem to treat IB as if it is the same concept as AP and kids take the classes that they want. The idea of moving has not crossed their mind. And that is totalyl fine. I just don't think that there is a huge ground swell of "We want AP" and the IB schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The biggest IB defenders are
Parents who use it to escape their zoned IB
Schools

We are at SLHS and most of the people in my neighborhood are happy there and think that it is crazy that we are thinking about principal placing to an AP school. Some have kids working on the diploma. Some just don't get the idea of leaving the school and friends for a different school because "IB is fine." I think most fall into the latter category. They are ok with their kids taking a few IB classes and honors classes. I think the reality is that most of the IB schools are places where a significant percentage of the population are not fully engaged in school as it is and the kids are mainly in gen ed classes. The kids who are really academically engaged or motivated will go for the diploma or transfer out. The other families are happy with what the IB offers and where their kids go to college and don't have a strong feeling.

I would guess then that you would have 10% of the population being very supportive of IB, 10% wanting a change to AP, 50% not caring, and 30 percent happy and unconcerned.

But I do have friends who think that IB is great and is better than AP. I have friends who just want our kid to stay at the base school with his friends because they are friends. Most of our neighbors think moving for AP is extreme and don't think that it matters that Calculus is taught as its own class or that IB physics is algebra based and not calculus based.

Are you "in boundary?"

Yes, SLHS is our base school. Most of our neighbors are very happy at the school and have no problem with the IB classes. Kids take the IB classes as if they were AP classes and people are fine with it. We have some friends who love the IB program and have kids working on the diploma. Most the people seem to treat IB as if it is the same concept as AP and kids take the classes that they want. The idea of moving has not crossed their mind. And that is totalyl fine. I just don't think that there is a huge ground swell of "We want AP" and the IB schools.

Makes sense. There is some self-selection involved. Of course there are plenty who won’t consider a house zoned to an IB school, and others who simply adjust to what’s offered. So they shouldn’t assume they can just redistrict people into IB schools without a backlash.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Actually I just saw on Reddit that Connolly is endorsing James Walkinshaw of the BoS for his seat. Hopefully they avoid a nasty primary.

I wondered about that when Walkinshaw was posting a nice letter to Connolly and reminding everyone he used to be Connolly's chief of staff on socials.

Funny. I was just at a Fairfax Democrats gathering over the weekend where walkinshaw spoke and he mentioned he was gerry connelly’s former chief of staff at least twice.

Did anyone mention to the new guy that he’s about to have some major turbulence due to the school board’s comprehensive boundary changes?

They are not going to significantly impact the election for a seat in Congress. You can complain about school boundaries all you want but in a few months there will be major shortages of basic goods in this country courtesy of Trump’s idiotic “policies.”

The pride cometh before the fall.

No pride, just a reflection that what matters in an election to Congress differs from what matters in a local or even state election.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Actually I just saw on Reddit that Connolly is endorsing James Walkinshaw of the BoS for his seat. Hopefully they avoid a nasty primary.

I wondered about that when Walkinshaw was posting a nice letter to Connolly and reminding everyone he used to be Connolly's chief of staff on socials.

Funny. I was just at a Fairfax Democrats gathering over the weekend where walkinshaw spoke and he mentioned he was gerry connelly’s former chief of staff at least twice.

Did anyone mention to the new guy that he’s about to have some major turbulence due to the school board’s comprehensive boundary changes?

No. Rachna sizemore heizer was also there and I really wanted to ask her about this but i didn’t. Felt a little off topic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The biggest IB defenders are
Parents who use it to escape their zoned IB
Schools

We are at SLHS and most of the people in my neighborhood are happy there and think that it is crazy that we are thinking about principal placing to an AP school. Some have kids working on the diploma. Some just don't get the idea of leaving the school and friends for a different school because "IB is fine." I think most fall into the latter category. They are ok with their kids taking a few IB classes and honors classes. I think the reality is that most of the IB schools are places where a significant percentage of the population are not fully engaged in school as it is and the kids are mainly in gen ed classes. The kids who are really academically engaged or motivated will go for the diploma or transfer out. The other families are happy with what the IB offers and where their kids go to college and don't have a strong feeling.

I would guess then that you would have 10% of the population being very supportive of IB, 10% wanting a change to AP, 50% not caring, and 30 percent happy and unconcerned.

But I do have friends who think that IB is great and is better than AP. I have friends who just want our kid to stay at the base school with his friends because they are friends. Most of our neighbors think moving for AP is extreme and don't think that it matters that Calculus is taught as its own class or that IB physics is algebra based and not calculus based.

Are you "in boundary?"

Yes, SLHS is our base school. Most of our neighbors are very happy at the school and have no problem with the IB classes. Kids take the IB classes as if they were AP classes and people are fine with it. We have some friends who love the IB program and have kids working on the diploma. Most the people seem to treat IB as if it is the same concept as AP and kids take the classes that they want. The idea of moving has not crossed their mind. And that is totalyl fine. I just don't think that there is a huge ground swell of "We want AP" and the IB schools.

Makes sense. There is some self-selection involved. Of course there are plenty who won’t consider a house zoned to an IB school, and others who simply adjust to what’s offered. So they shouldn’t assume they can just redistrict people into IB schools without a backlash.

Agreed.

And I am not certain that there would be a large backlash if they switched to AP. Most families are usign IB as if it was AP so it really isn't going to affect them. I don't know how much backlash there would be if they left IB in place for the kids finishing the program. Heck, there might be backlash from the people who move to Oakton for AP and Japanese because they prefer Oakton to SLHS and are using the IB/Language to leave. It wouldn't influence the people who were moving to Langley for Russian. The kids going to Herndon for AP would probably be fine staying at SLHS.

I am guessing wildly on numbers, I have not done a poll, I am Just reflecting on conversations with friends and neighbors. I know three families I would say are fully invested in IB and think it is better than AP. I know a bunch of people whose kids have done some IB classes but have no interest in the diploma and are only taking one or two SL classes. And I know people who transferred to Herndon and Oakton, none to Langley though.

The percentage of kids at IB schools completing the diploma, which is the whole point of the IB program, is stupidly low. Many people treat the IB program as if it was AP and take classes ala carte, which is not what the program is supposed to be. If people are not aiming for the diploma, then AP is a less expensive program that meets the needs for the people at IB schools. I don't think there are 300 kids who complete the IB diploma in all of FCPS most years. It is an expensive program that is underutilized. There is a budget short fall and boundary issues, cutting an expensive, underutilized program, that would return kids to their base schools strikes me as a great idea.

I also would prefer not to have to drive my kid to a different school for an AP program so I have my biases.

[Anonymous]

Split Feeder (western fairfax)

Coates becomes smaller; Herndon ES expands southward.
Oak Hill ES takes Navy Island and loses upper area to Fox Mill.
Nothing about Carsons middle

[Anonymous]

Eastern end of Vienna ES to Freedom Hill ES

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Eastern end of Vienna ES to Freedom Hill ES

Where are you seeing this? Doesn’t look like slides have been posted yet

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Split Feeder (western fairfax)

Coates becomes smaller; Herndon ES expands southward.
Oak Hill ES takes Navy Island and loses upper area to Fox Mill.
Nothing about Carsons middle

Can you post a URL to the slides?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:News today that Gerry Connolly will not run for re-election in Virginia's 11th District (health reasons).

Will Karl Frisch try to run for his seat? If so, maybe they'll delay boundary changes. Karl is very much a political animal and won't want blowback from unpopular boundary changes interfering with his electoral aspirations.

I have no doubt Frisch wants that seat. He cares not at all about education.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Split Feeder (western fairfax)

Coates becomes smaller; Herndon ES expands southward.
Oak Hill ES takes Navy Island and loses upper area to Fox Mill.
Nothing about Carsons middle

Herndon ES is overwhelmed and struggling as it is. It is a school that should become smaller not bigger unless the SB wants to widen the disparities in the district. ES has the best chance helping kids down the road.

I’m sure other ES are in a similar boat. The high schools are obnoxiously large, but the impact of a larger school on teens isn’t the same as larger schools (and classes) as ES. Thank goodness my kids are out of ES.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do you think the three boundary adjustments will be combined? I’m trying to figure out how boundary adjustments for attendance islands, split feeders and population with work in the end. For example, if by eliminating an attendance island and split feeder creates over capacity for a MS or HS, then what? A certain portion of those neighborhoods are sent to a different nearby school?

The main thing people are waiting to see is if there are separate analyses around (1) attendance islands, (2) split feeders, and (3) capacity issues, or whether it's iterative, with refinements based on the feedback received on the prior scenarios.

If they are separate analyses, then people won't really know the direction in which they are heading (i.e., what their real priorities are), but if the analysis is iterative it will seem like whatever final recommendation emerges is essentially a fait accompli.

And I think most people still question the need for this entire exercise - the proverbial "is the juice worth the squeeze" at a time of flat enrollments with likely declines on the horizon.

It's iterative. Otherwise the BRAC would continually have to go back to the drawing board. The slides telegraph Thru/FCPS' intentions. For example, Halley attendance island could have easily gone to Laurel Hill and would have been closeby to South County MS/HS and put capacity in high 90s taking into account the added Sangster island. Then the South County pyramid would be settled with no more changes needed. Instead, Halley placed to Lorton Station, now going further away to Hayfield. This keeps South County MS/HS in low 90s/high 80s. Which nearby Region 4 ES will be used to fill them out? Stay tuned for the capacity meeting. (spoiler alert, not Lorton Station)