Anyone else educated by FCPS and sees the decline?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:FCPS should expand free preK.

Yes. And prioritize the high ESL schools.

They already do that. Lots more money per student and smaller classes. And then when they claim to be overcrowded when they have trailers because their regular classrooms only have 15 kids they get priority for new schools and expansions (Bailey’s Upper, Justice addition) and boundary studies (Glen Forest, Coates, Parklawn).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Graduated from FCPA in the 80s, went elementary through high school. Kids in FCPS now.

FCPS students always did well back then because of the parents. My brother had a teacher who would sneak out to the parking lot to drink multiple times a day. In some pockets, I still contend thats the case. Parents hire tutors and work with their kids to make sure their student gets what they need if FCPS is failing them in a certain area. I think in recent times, parents are too stressed in other areas to provide these extra supports. As a result, FCPS’ glowing test scores, etc are going down. Combine that with FCPS wanting to teach to the lowest common denominator and one Fairfax concept, FCPS is headed straight for the bottom.

FCPS is increasingly eliminating homework and has watered down the AAP program.

Their number one priority is not academics. Their number one priority is: racial equity.

And FCPS is clearly trying to “close the racial achievement gap from the top down” by removing opportunities for the top-performing students (who generally tend to be Asian, BTW).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The quality of the education I received 25 years ago was far superior to what is being offered now. Anyone else notice this?

I read similar comments when my older children were in elementary school in the early 2000’s. It has been common topic thread - ever since chat boards came on the internet.

What I have found, with my children- both older (graduated ten + years ago) and now (graduated last year) is that they have been extremely well and better prepared for college than their peers. That has not declined. All of them took more APs and went further along in math than either my DH or me. When I talk with other parents, I hear similar things.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The quality of the education I received 25 years ago was far superior to what is being offered now. Anyone else notice this?

I read similar comments when my older children were in elementary school in the early 2000’s. It has been common topic thread - ever since chat boards came on the internet.

What I have found, with my children- both older (graduated ten + years ago) and now (graduated last year) is that they have been extremely well and better prepared for college than their peers. That has not declined. All of them took more APs and went further along in math than either my DH or me. When I talk with other parents, I hear similar things.

The FCPS of 10+ years ago is not the same as today. You have no idea what you’re talking about. The decline is real.

[Anonymous]

I will add that I see a huge difference in my kids that are 5 years apart. I saw the decline every year with the older kid (now in college), and then things like homework were phased out by the time my younger one was in 4th grade. Older kid had an excellent experience in middle school that provided a solid foundation for the expectations of high school. Those expectations eroded and disappeared during her time in high school. Younger kid never had the same experience as homework was optional in middle school or not assigned at all. Now our school replaces quarter grades when kids do better the next quarter; no retakes needed. No need to go back and learn what you missed. Just move along….go to college…figure it out there I guess.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The quality of the education I received 25 years ago was far superior to what is being offered now. Anyone else notice this?

I read similar comments when my older children were in elementary school in the early 2000’s. It has been common topic thread - ever since chat boards came on the internet.

What I have found, with my children- both older (graduated ten + years ago) and now (graduated last year) is that they have been extremely well and better prepared for college than their peers. That has not declined. All of them took more APs and went further along in math than either my DH or me. When I talk with other parents, I hear similar things.

The FCPS of 10+ years ago is not the same as today. You have no idea what you’re talking about. The decline is real.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Graduated from FCPA in the 80s, went elementary through high school. Kids in FCPS now.

FCPS students always did well back then because of the parents. My brother had a teacher who would sneak out to the parking lot to drink multiple times a day. In some pockets, I still contend thats the case. Parents hire tutors and work with their kids to make sure their student gets what they need if FCPS is failing them in a certain area. I think in recent times, parents are too stressed in other areas to provide these extra supports. As a result, FCPS’ glowing test scores, etc are going down. Combine that with FCPS wanting to teach to the lowest common denominator and one Fairfax concept, FCPS is headed straight for the bottom.

FCPS is increasingly eliminating homework and has watered down the AAP program.

Their number one priority is not academics. Their number one priority is: racial equity.

And FCPS is clearly trying to “close the racial achievement gap from the top down” by removing opportunities for the top-performing students (who generally tend to be Asian, BTW).

This is changing.
We see DEI being less fashionable and people are recognizing that we need an educated populace more than we need an indoctrinated populace.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Graduated from FCPA in the 80s, went elementary through high school. Kids in FCPS now.

FCPS students always did well back then because of the parents. My brother had a teacher who would sneak out to the parking lot to drink multiple times a day. In some pockets, I still contend thats the case. Parents hire tutors and work with their kids to make sure their student gets what they need if FCPS is failing them in a certain area. I think in recent times, parents are too stressed in other areas to provide these extra supports. As a result, FCPS’ glowing test scores, etc are going down. Combine that with FCPS wanting to teach to the lowest common denominator and one Fairfax concept, FCPS is headed straight for the bottom.

FCPS is increasingly eliminating homework and has watered down the AAP program.

Their number one priority is not academics. Their number one priority is: racial equity.

And FCPS is clearly trying to “close the racial achievement gap from the top down” by removing opportunities for the top-performing students (who generally tend to be Asian, BTW).

This is changing.
We see DEI being less fashionable and people are recognizing that we need an educated populace more than we need an indoctrinated populace.

I so wish this to be true.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Graduated from FCPA in the 80s, went elementary through high school. Kids in FCPS now.

FCPS students always did well back then because of the parents. My brother had a teacher who would sneak out to the parking lot to drink multiple times a day. In some pockets, I still contend thats the case. Parents hire tutors and work with their kids to make sure their student gets what they need if FCPS is failing them in a certain area. I think in recent times, parents are too stressed in other areas to provide these extra supports. As a result, FCPS’ glowing test scores, etc are going down. Combine that with FCPS wanting to teach to the lowest common denominator and one Fairfax concept, FCPS is headed straight for the bottom.

FCPS is increasingly eliminating homework and has watered down the AAP program.

Their number one priority is not academics. Their number one priority is: racial equity.

And FCPS is clearly trying to “close the racial achievement gap from the top down” by removing opportunities for the top-performing students (who generally tend to be Asian, BTW).

This is changing.
We see DEI being less fashionable and people are recognizing that we need an educated populace more than we need an indoctrinated populace.

I so wish this to be true.

Can’t come quick enough for Fairfax. I’m all for non-discrimination, but the school board and board of supervisors are looking to drag us all down to the LCD with this equity nonsense.

I did not vote for Youngkin three years ago (used to vote blue). Now I plan to campaign for his R replacement.

Comprehensive boundary review changed me. It will change others too.

[Anonymous]

It's because Fairfax doesn't spend enough money on its public schools.

The information is easily available.

Spending per pupil in states with the best schools, like NY, is typically in the low 20K's to the high 30K's. In fact, MOST districts, good or bad, spend more than FCPS per pupil. FCPS is a poor, underfunded school district in a wealthy county.

Jeff McKay and the other democrats tried hard to change that by passing a restaurant tax. For a few pennies per meal (literally) you could have had fewer kids per class. But no, massive public campaigns opposed it so it didn't pass, so now we are stuck with an underfunded school district.

Unless, of course, you can afford to send your kids to private.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's because Fairfax doesn't spend enough money on its public schools.

The information is easily available.

Spending per pupil in states with the best schools, like NY, is typically in the low 20K's to the high 30K's. In fact, MOST districts, good or bad, spend more than FCPS per pupil. FCPS is a poor, underfunded school district in a wealthy county.

Jeff McKay and the other democrats tried hard to change that by passing a restaurant tax. For a few pennies per meal (literally) you could have had fewer kids per class. But no, massive public campaigns opposed it so it didn't pass, so now we are stuck with an underfunded school district.

Unless, of course, you can afford to send your kids to private.

Ha, right. It’s totally not because they’re trying to bring everyone down to an equal level. We trust you 🙄

[Anonymous]

This is changing.
We see DEI being less fashionable and people are recognizing that we need an educated populace more than we need an indoctrinated populace.

Where? I live in New England and what I see mirrors what I read on DCUM about DMV schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's because Fairfax doesn't spend enough money on its public schools.

The information is easily available.

Spending per pupil in states with the best schools, like NY, is typically in the low 20K's to the high 30K's. In fact, MOST districts, good or bad, spend more than FCPS per pupil. FCPS is a poor, underfunded school district in a wealthy county.

Jeff McKay and the other democrats tried hard to change that by passing a restaurant tax. For a few pennies per meal (literally) you could have had fewer kids per class. But no, massive public campaigns opposed it so it didn't pass, so now we are stuck with an underfunded school district.

Unless, of course, you can afford to send your kids to private.

You think NY schools are good? Check out the spending per pupil in Chicago.

It is not the amount of money that matters--it is how the money is spent.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm shocked by how little my kids are learning. Also by all the distruptions caused by kids who probably aren't being well served by a general ed classroom. One kid wears headphones all day because he gets stressed by the noise and starts throwing a fit when he is stressed. Why would you put him in a classroom of 30+ kids? He can't hear what the teacher is saying at all.

I've taught since 1994, and the idea that the mainstream classroom is the "least restrictive environment" for every child with an IEP is one of the most deleterious changes I've seen over 30 years. That child with headphones who is so constantly overstimulated might do amazingly well in a self-contained classroom with 5 peers rather than 27, 12 of whom also have IEP's and very complex needs. An easily dysregulated child around THAT many other children all day is NOT the least restrictive environment at all. But when I suggest that a self-contained classroom might actually be less restrictive for some kids...meaning, it would better allow them to access and engage with the curriculum, I am treated by admin and coaches and advocates like I am an evil pariah who hates children with special needs.

What I hate is seeing children suffer from inappropriate placements, and it feels like that's what I see all day now as a specials teacher. Most of our classes have 25-30 kids and 1 or 2 classes at each grade level have the students with IEP's. And unlike "mainstreaming" in the 90's when we might have had 1-3 students with IEP's in a class of 20-24 kids, now we have 12-16 kids with IEP's in a class of 28 kids. That's not mainstreaming. It's a special ed class with more kids shoved in, just enough so that no one is being served.

But I am the hater when I say it was SO much better when kids with very high needs were able to be in very small classes with direct support form at least 2 adults. I do not deny that there were some schools where there were low expectations of special education students and where low expectations kept very capable students trapped in self-contained classes without full access to grade level curricula. But I did not see that directly. Teaching in Arlington, I saw exceptional special education teachers do amazing work. I saw kids who were supported in very small classes and who were mainstreamed with LOTS of support, slowly, with scaffolds, over time. And mainstream was truly mainstreaming, with only a few special education students at most in a regular ed class.

The pendulum has swung so far in the other direction that more students than not are being disserviced. A class where half or more oc the students receive special education services is not truly "mainstreaming" anyone. It's just theater. Because the other parents aren't told how many other special education students are in that class. They don't know that it's a way more restrictive environment for their kid, who will be overstimulated and get WAY less attention than in a self-contained classes. It breaks my heart. It makes me rage for those kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's because Fairfax doesn't spend enough money on its public schools.

The information is easily available.

Spending per pupil in states with the best schools, like NY, is typically in the low 20K's to the high 30K's. In fact, MOST districts, good or bad, spend more than FCPS per pupil. FCPS is a poor, underfunded school district in a wealthy county.

Jeff McKay and the other democrats tried hard to change that by passing a restaurant tax. For a few pennies per meal (literally) you could have had fewer kids per class. But no, massive public campaigns opposed it so it didn't pass, so now we are stuck with an underfunded school district.

Unless, of course, you can afford to send your kids to private.

It has more to do with FCPS misallocating the resources available to it than not having enough resources, and a county government that couldn’t be doing more to attract high-need, low-achieving students and less to retain high-achieving students and families who pay their fair share.

Enough with your left-wing propaganda. If we gave you more money you’d find a way to waste it, too. More school name changes, more mandatory DEI/SEL lessons for staff, and more wasteful capital projects such as Karl Frisch’s boondoggle in Dunn Loring.