Fairfax County Schools -- Is there a deterioration?

[Anonymous]

I used to consider the Fairfax County Public Schools a model of the best in American public education. It was the reason we chose to live in the County, and a great driver in the economic attractiveness of the region. However, lately I am beginning to read and hear that many of the problems which plague public schools throughout the country (underfunding, overcrowding, pressured atmosphere, lack of character development and ethical lapses, teaching to the exams) are alive and well in our schools as well. Is this your perception as well? How can we seize the moment to make sure that today's manageable issues do not become tomorrow's crippling problems for local schools?

[Anonymous]

The budgetary issues are concerning.

[Anonymous]

I grew up here and FCPS was never the land flowing with milk and honey that many newcomers believe it to be. It has always had these issues.

[Anonymous]

this is a glass-half-empty kind of a post.
Are Arlington County schools any better?
How about Alexandria?
Montgomery county has all those issues
D.C. even worse from everything I read.
So maybe it's all relative.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:this is a glass-half-empty kind of a post.
Are Arlington County schools any better?
How about Alexandria?
Montgomery county has all those issues
D.C. even worse from everything I read.
So maybe it's all relative.

Yes, and that is an excellent question. If I am a highly educated young family, do I choose to move my family here or elsewhere? If I am deciding where to locate my business and its employees, do I choose this region or elsewhere? The excellent public schools in the DC region generally have historically been very attractive in bringing educated young families and employers to this region. If the entire region is backsliding in this respect, then other places start to look equally, or even more, attractive.

[Anonymous]

Arlington definitely has less budgetary issues.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I grew up here and FCPS was never the land flowing with milk and honey that many newcomers believe it to be. It has always had these issues.

+1
I'm always amused by this "world-class" reputation Fx. Co. schools has. I also grew up here and while the schools were fine, they were never that great. I'm sure there are better school systems that manage to cut out a lot of the waste and unnecessary programs FCPS continues to pay for.

[Anonymous]

Familiarity breeds contempt. Everything seems better from a distance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I grew up here and FCPS was never the land flowing with milk and honey that many newcomers believe it to be. It has always had these issues.

+1
I'm always amused by this "world-class" reputation Fx. Co. schools has. I also grew up here and while the schools were fine, they were never that great. I'm sure there are better school systems that manage to cut out a lot of the waste and unnecessary programs FCPS continues to pay for.

It's an affluent, resource-rich, and organized school system, especially for its size and challenges. I received a great education, went on to a good college, and have a well-paying job. FCPS is certainly not perfect, but I feel that it served me (and from what I can tell, my peers, several of whom now teach for the county) well.

The accolades didn't come from nowhere. What exactly do you feel is lacking that other systems do better? The major complaints I read on this board are AAP-related.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Arlington definitely has less budgetary issues.

It has its own issues, including major redistricting on the horizon and no more room to build traditional schools.

If you look at the top ranked schools in the state, FCPS still comes out ahead.

http://www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools/virginia/rankings?schooltypepublic=y&int=c0b4c1&schooltypemagnet=y&state=VA&schooltypecharter=y

[Anonymous]

Yes I don't understand how FCPS managed to put the name the world class education and the best education system in the nation . FCPS has a big ethical issue with administration and bullying has Ben a culture, Administrators bullying teachers , teachers bullying students , a lot of bureaucracy and cover ups. Once you get to know the inside, it is very bad. I wonder if this exists in Mcps and Arlington.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I used to consider the Fairfax County Public Schools a model of the best in American public education. It was the reason we chose to live in the County, and a great driver in the economic attractiveness of the region. However, lately I am beginning to read and hear that many of the problems which plague public schools throughout the country (underfunding, overcrowding, pressured atmosphere, lack of character development and ethical lapses, teaching to the exams) are alive and well in our schools as well. Is this your perception as well? How can we seize the moment to make sure that today's manageable issues do not become tomorrow's crippling problems for local schools?

Absolutely including bullying !

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Arlington definitely has less budgetary issues.

It has its own issues, including major redistricting on the horizon and no more room to build traditional schools.

If you look at the top ranked schools in the state, FCPS still comes out ahead.

http://www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools/virginia/rankings?schooltypepublic=y&int=c0b4c1&schooltypemagnet=y&state=VA&schooltypecharter=y

You do realize how FCPS plays those rankings, right?
The rankings are largely based on the number of AP and IB tests taken by the students at a given school.
Not only do they pay for all AP and IB tests (while many other school systems do not), but they also require all students who take an AP or IB class to take the test (while many other school systems do not).
If you've ever lived anywhere else, you would know that FCPS is good, but not necessarily among the best.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I grew up here and FCPS was never the land flowing with milk and honey that many newcomers believe it to be. It has always had these issues.

+1
I'm always amused by this "world-class" reputation Fx. Co. schools has. I also grew up here and while the schools were fine, they were never that great. I'm sure there are better school systems that manage to cut out a lot of the waste and unnecessary programs FCPS continues to pay for.

I disagree. They are still renowned. I confirmed this with my west coast SLAC. It considered Langley and McLean to be as good as any of the local privates (and this was by an assigned rep. who had grown up in this area). All but three in my DC's class of 500 went on to an institution of higher education except for two young men going on a Mormon mission and one "undecided". For a public school taking all comers, that is an extraordinary accomplishment. However, the social issues continue to plague the schools and the budget issues reduce faculty morale. But I haven't seen any of this have a direct impact yet. In fact, I see the opposite = more and more Asian American families trying to rent or buy in the areas so they can use FCPS to get into TJ or stay with Langley or McLean. My DC even had a kid in her class who had his own apartment (with McLean address) that he stayed in during the week so he could attend Langley. Asian American. If you look at what Langley and McLean offer for AP courses in the sciences and math, it is astounding (go to the website and look at the actual courses). But your kid has to be a self-achiever and motivated to excel.

[Anonymous]

I think the number of lower SES kids is growing exponentially relative to the number of higher SES kids, which is helping to fuel the budget crisis. The number of kids in the system is growing at a very fast pace, but the real estate tax base is not moving in the same direction because many of the new families live in apartments. The county will have to figure out how to meet the growing needs without sacrificing quality, which is a very difficult task.