School Board is Failing – Central High with 80% Poverty is Blowing McLean and Langley Out of the Water

[Anonymous]

US News College Readiness Index/National Ranking:

Langley High: 72.6 /148

McLean High: 71.7 /218

Central High: N/A (due to absence of advanced courses) /6067

Be gone, troll.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wise County spends $12k per pupil. These costs are in accurate.

Data source?

Not PP, but here you go. Simple 2 second Google search.

https://schoolquality.virginia.gov/divisions/wise-county-public-schools#desktopTabs-5

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:US News College Readiness Index/National Ranking:

Langley High: 72.6 /148

McLean High: 71.7 /218

Central High: N/A (due to absence of advanced courses) /6067

Be gone, troll.

While Langley and McLean rank highly on the US News College Readiness Index, comparing them directly to Central High doesn’t paint the full picture. Central High's lack of advanced courses does affect its ranking, but my point was about SOL performance and resource management, not advanced coursework. FCPS schools have significantly more resources yet still face academic struggles. The rankings don’t change the fact that FCPS is underperforming given its funding and resources. Let's focus on fixing what’s wrong rather than dismissing valid concerns.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Isn’t it pretty likely that the kids in poverty in Wise, VA are native English speakers? And those in poverty in our area are not.

Here you go, demographics of student body in Wise County Va., Demographics of student body in Wise County Va., Hispanic numbers so low they can't be counted.

https://schoolquality.virginia.gov/schools/wise-primary

Numbers are so low, they can't be counted... which last I checked puts them somewhere near 3%. Oh well. Who'd have thunk it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Fairfax County median income is 3x Wise County

Paying only 2x for schools is an incredible bargain! Our wealthier residence can afford to pay more, and are getting fantastic results for their money, for their own kids and for the less wealthy neighbors they are honored to give a hand up to.

Fairfax County’s median income is about 3x higher than Wise County ($144,814 vs. $48,516), but Fairfax is only spending double on students compared to Wise ($10,176 vs. $5,947). So while wealthier families can afford to pay more, the proportional benefit isn’t as big as you’d expect.

Even with all that extra funding, Fairfax schools aren't delivering better outcomes across the board. Schools like Langley and McLean do well, but many FCPS schools are underperforming, showing that money isn’t being used efficiently. If anything, the gap suggests mismanagement, not a fantastic deal for taxpayers.

The question isn't how much Fairfax can pay—it's why that money isn't translating into better results across all schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Isn’t it pretty likely that the kids in poverty in Wise, VA are native English speakers? And those in poverty in our area are not.

Here you go, demographics of student body in Wise County Va., Demographics of student body in Wise County Va., Hispanic numbers so low they can't be counted.

https://schoolquality.virginia.gov/schools/wise-primary

Numbers are so low, they can't be counted... which last I checked puts them somewhere near 3%. Oh well. Who'd have thunk it.

Why does it matter if most kids in Wise County are native English speakers? The issue isn't just language. Fairfax County has double the per-student funding but still struggles in many schools compared to places like Wise, which makes do with less. If language barriers are a challenge here, that just points to a failure in how FCPS is addressing those needs. The real question is: What is FCPS doing with all that extra funding to help English learners succeed? That’s what matters.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:US News College Readiness Index/National Ranking:

Langley High: 72.6 /148

McLean High: 71.7 /218

Central High: N/A (due to absence of advanced courses) /6067

Be gone, troll.

While Langley and McLean rank highly on the US News College Readiness Index, comparing them directly to Central High doesn’t paint the full picture. Central High's lack of advanced courses does affect its ranking, but my point was about SOL performance and resource management, not advanced coursework. FCPS schools have significantly more resources yet still face academic struggles. The rankings don’t change the fact that FCPS is underperforming given its funding and resources. Let's focus on fixing what’s wrong rather than dismissing valid concerns.

Why do you keep repeating the same debunked lies?

[Anonymous]

Obviously this OP is a dedicated troll who doesn't understand vaseox economics like cost of living and purchasing power parity.

For some strange reason, she'd rather sacrificing her children's education (based on whatever secret metrkcs are showing failure) than move to the utopia of Wise County.

[Anonymous]

This data is a little old, but it's showing that local taxes cover only 18% of Wise County Schools and the per student cost is $11,514. Local taxes cover 26% of Fairfax County schools and the per student cost is $17,609. Average state spending is $14,500. Seems to me the costs are in line with other school districts in the state. Wise is slightly less per pupil than the average and Fairfax County is slightly more. Perhaps Fairfax County is spending an extra $300 per student that they would need to show actually improves test scores for their population but generally if Wise is $3000 less than the average and Fairfax is $3100 above the average, that seems to be more of a cost-of-living issue than extra spending per student. Maybe Fairfax County also has a higher percentage of kids with high needs that Wise with 92% White population does not. Wise is still a good school system, but they are very different.

https://schoolquality.virginia.gov/divisions/wise-county-public-schools#desktopTabs-5
https://schoolquality.virginia.gov/divisions/fairfax-county-public-schools#desktopTabs-5

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:US News College Readiness Index/National Ranking:

Langley High: 72.6 /148

McLean High: 71.7 /218

Central High: N/A (due to absence of advanced courses) /6067

Be gone, troll.

While Langley and McLean rank highly on the US News College Readiness Index, comparing them directly to Central High doesn’t paint the full picture. Central High's lack of advanced courses does affect its ranking, but my point was about SOL performance and resource management, not advanced coursework. FCPS schools have significantly more resources yet still face academic struggles. The rankings don’t change the fact that FCPS is underperforming given its funding and resources. Let's focus on fixing what’s wrong rather than dismissing valid concerns.

And FCPS uses their resources to provide classes at all levels whereas central provide great mediocre classes. I'm happy with FCPS

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Isn’t it pretty likely that the kids in poverty in Wise, VA are native English speakers? And those in poverty in our area are not.

Here you go, demographics of student body in Wise County Va., Demographics of student body in Wise County Va., Hispanic numbers so low they can't be counted.

https://schoolquality.virginia.gov/schools/wise-primary

Numbers are so low, they can't be counted... which last I checked puts them somewhere near 3%. Oh well. Who'd have thunk it.

Why does it matter if most kids in Wise County are native English speakers? The issue isn't just language. Fairfax County has double the per-student funding but still struggles in many schools compared to places like Wise, which makes do with less. If language barriers are a challenge here, that just points to a failure in how FCPS is addressing those needs. The real question is: What is FCPS doing with all that extra funding to help English learners succeed? That’s what matters.

Is English your native language? Just curious because that might help your inability to grasp they big picture key concepts. Like they spend just as much money per pupil as the underperforming HSs in FCPS, for all of their HSs, but without the need to teach to young adults, who may live in homes where the parents are illiterate, which means they themselves are most likely illiterate, how to read, and write in not only English but often times their native languages as well. 40% of the student body at Justice is labeled English Learner, and 15% are Special Education. 40% are English Learners in HS, which means that they are more than likely recent arrivals, not to mention those that entered the system in ES school who do to demographics may be proficient enough to pass a standardized test, but just barely.

Comparing a homogenous school district comprised of majority white students, where everyone speaks English, to one where approximately 40% are English learners is apples to oranges.

I took 4 years of HS French, but if you had given me an SOL in any subject written in French and not English, on the first day of instruction year 1 and repeated the same on the last day of the last year of instruction year 4, I would have had the same dismal results... fail. Don't underestimate the benefit of being having your native language be English, and having literate parents.

You can teach any dummy to read in their native language well enough to pass a SOL test. And if their parents are native English speakers and not illiterate themselves this isn't a high bar at all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Isn’t it pretty likely that the kids in poverty in Wise, VA are native English speakers? And those in poverty in our area are not.

Here you go, demographics of student body in Wise County Va., Demographics of student body in Wise County Va., Hispanic numbers so low they can't be counted.

https://schoolquality.virginia.gov/schools/wise-primary

Numbers are so low, they can't be counted... which last I checked puts them somewhere near 3%. Oh well. Who'd have thunk it.

Why does it matter if most kids in Wise County are native English speakers? The issue isn't just language. Fairfax County has double the per-student funding but still struggles in many schools compared to places like Wise, which makes do with less. If language barriers are a challenge here, that just points to a failure in how FCPS is addressing those needs. The real question is: What is FCPS doing with all that extra funding to help English learners succeed? That’s what matters.

Is English your native language? Just curious because that might help your inability to grasp they big picture key concepts. Like they spend just as much money per pupil as the underperforming HSs in FCPS, for all of their HSs, but without the need to teach to young adults, who may live in homes where the parents are illiterate, which means they themselves are most likely illiterate, how to read, and write in not only English but often times their native languages as well. 40% of the student body at Justice is labeled English Learner, and 15% are Special Education. 40% are English Learners in HS, which means that they are more than likely recent arrivals, not to mention those that entered the system in ES school who do to demographics may be proficient enough to pass a standardized test, but just barely.

Comparing a homogenous school district comprised of majority white students, where everyone speaks English, to one where approximately 40% are English learners is apples to oranges.

I took 4 years of HS French, but if you had given me an SOL in any subject written in French and not English, on the first day of instruction year 1 and repeated the same on the last day of the last year of instruction year 4, I would have had the same dismal results... fail. Don't underestimate the benefit of being having your native language be English, and having literate parents.

You can teach any dummy to read in their native language well enough to pass a SOL test. And if their parents are native English speakers and not illiterate themselves this isn't a high bar at all.

Let’s address the points without resorting to insults or name-calling.

First, FCPS spends significantly more per student—around $10,176—compared to Wise County's $5,947. Yet, Fairfax County struggles to outperform schools with far fewer resources. That's not just about language barriers; it’s a management issue. If language challenges are well-known, then why isn’t FCPS using its extra funding more effectively to address them?

Second, while 40% of Justice High students are English learners, that’s no excuse for poor outcomes. Schools like Langley and McLean, with fewer ESOL students, still outperform many other schools in the district. So, blaming demographics alone doesn’t hold water when the real issue is how FCPS is using its resources. If Central High can perform well despite high poverty, then FCPS has no excuse with its higher funding.

In the end, if the district can't turn its massive funding into better results, the problem isn’t just about ESOL students—it’s about how poorly FCPS is managing resources and failing to serve all students. Instead of dismissing legitimate concerns with insults, we should be talking about why the district isn’t delivering the outcomes we’re paying for.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Obviously this OP is a dedicated troll who doesn't understand vaseox economics like cost of living and purchasing power parity.

For some strange reason, she'd rather sacrificing her children's education (based on whatever secret metrkcs are showing failure) than move to the utopia of Wise County.

Calling me a "dedicated troll" just dodges the issue and doesn’t contribute to the conversation. I’m not here to make anyone mad—I'm raising real concerns about FCPS underperforming relative to its resources. Ignoring the fact that FCPS spends far more per student than places like Wise County, yet some schools still struggle, is worth discussing.

Yes, Fairfax County has a higher cost of living, but that doesn’t excuse the lack of results. The point isn't about moving somewhere else; it's about holding FCPS accountable for how it uses its resources and why it isn’t doing better. Shutting down this conversation with insults won’t solve the problem.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Fairfax County median income is 3x Wise County

Paying only 2x for schools is an incredible bargain! Our wealthier residence can afford to pay more, and are getting fantastic results for their money, for their own kids and for the less wealthy neighbors they are honored to give a hand up to.

Fairfax County’s median income is about 3x higher than Wise County ($144,814 vs. $48,516), but Fairfax is only spending double on students compared to Wise ($10,176 vs. $5,947). So while wealthier families can afford to pay more, the proportional benefit isn’t as big as you’d expect.

Even with all that extra funding, Fairfax schools aren't delivering better outcomes across the board. Schools like Langley and McLean do well, but many FCPS schools are underperforming, showing that money isn’t being used efficiently. If anything, the gap suggests mismanagement, not a fantastic deal for taxpayers.

The question isn't how much Fairfax can pay—it's why that money isn't translating into better results across all schools.

Bc school performance is highly correlated to SES and number of ESL students. It’s the main reason FCPS isn’t “delivering great outcomes across the board.” Bc it’s not the school or the teachers—it’s the kids. It’s why some kids in “not great” FCPS still take advanced courses and go to decent colleges.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Obviously this OP is a dedicated troll who doesn't understand vaseox economics like cost of living and purchasing power parity.

For some strange reason, she'd rather sacrificing her children's education (based on whatever secret metrkcs are showing failure) than move to the utopia of Wise County.

Calling me a "dedicated troll" just dodges the issue and doesn’t contribute to the conversation. I’m not here to make anyone mad—I'm raising real concerns about FCPS underperforming relative to its resources. Ignoring the fact that FCPS spends far more per student than places like Wise County, yet some schools still struggle, is worth discussing.

Yes, Fairfax County has a higher cost of living, but that doesn’t excuse the lack of results. The point isn't about moving somewhere else; it's about holding FCPS accountable for how it uses its resources and why it isn’t doing better. Shutting down this conversation with insults won’t solve the problem.

What lack of results? FCPS has some of the best schools in the state