Anyone know what is going on a Woodson?

[Anonymous]

Maybe it's not the school directly, but the other kids. I went to a top 10 law school and I witnessed kids going through real depression (not to the point of suicide) b/c they perceived themselves to be failures based on how they were stacking up against the other kids (i.e. how many interviews did you get, which ones, how many offers for summer jobs, how many offers from high paying firms for permanent employment).

The stress was crazy. It wasn't put out by the administration directly, but by the "fish bowl" world that said "you are a loser if you don't have an offer from a big city firm."

Re: woodson, maybe kids see only a single path to success. If they feel they can't measure up to that standard, then they have no hope. Maybe there is some protective aspect to being in a school where there are kids less perfect than you.

[Anonymous]

Did it actually happen at Woodson? Is that why there was so much police?

[Anonymous]

It's coming from the schools because parents are demanding it. God forbid your house be zoned to anything less than a great school 8.
I get it. It's not everyone- but it's enough of us.
I don't know how to change it.
My family is moving to the mid west for a better job opportunity. I'm relieved my kids won't be here for this.
You all have my good thoughts. I wish I could help be the change, but I fear the horse has left the barn.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Did it actually happen at Woodson? Is that why there was so much police?

That is my understanding.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Did it actually happen at Woodson? Is that why there was so much police?

That is my understanding.

Close to the school but not on school property

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's coming from the schools because parents are demanding it. God forbid your house be zoned to anything less than a great school 8.
I get it. It's not everyone- but it's enough of us.
I don't know how to change it.
My family is moving to the mid west for a better job opportunity. I'm relieved my kids won't be here for this.
You all have my good thoughts. I wish I could help be the change, but I fear the horse has left the barn.

We're looking for a house right now and will probably end up buying in Woodson, but I'm sending my kids to Catholic for elementary, and if things continue as they are, will probably find a way to pay for catholic high school as well.

[Anonymous]

Homework and projects have gotten out of control across the board. Our culture has also become very judgmental and mean spirited. If you read some of the TJ and AAP threads on this forum, you'll see how frequently the threads devolve into insults. I feel like the standards for success are so much higher now than when I was a teenager. Makes me sad for this generation of kids.

[Anonymous]

It's also this area. Neither my DH nor I are from here, and we do not get the school culture at all. Our nephew who goes to high school in a different area of the country is still getting a good education but without the hyper-competitive BS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Homework and projects have gotten out of control across the board. Our culture has also become very judgmental and mean spirited. If you read some of the TJ and AAP threads on this forum, you'll see how frequently the threads devolve into insults. I feel like the standards for success are so much higher now than when I was a teenager. Makes me sad for this generation of kids.

This. I went to a very good public school, but my experience seems nothing like what it is now. Makes me sad, and honestly s but scared for my kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Question is, how does this originate?

It's presented as an option. In the media, in movies, in the books their own teachers assign for them to read.

Are you kidding me? It originates here in these very threads.
Make sure your kid is AAP! Funnel them into that TJ feeder! Are 10 AP classes enough? Should I be pushing DC for 12? God forbid they end up at JMU. Only an elite school is acceptable. If you aren't on top you're a loser.
It might not be happening in your home, but it's the hive.
Search your souls people


* paraphrased from an earlier post that should never have been taken down.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Question is, how does this originate?

It's presented as an option. In the media, in movies, in the books their own teachers assign for them to read.

Are you kidding me? It originates here in these very threads.
Make sure your kid is AAP! Funnel them into that TJ feeder! Are 10 AP classes enough? Should I be pushing DC for 12? God forbid they end up at JMU. Only an elite school is acceptable. If you aren't on top you're a loser.
It might not be happening in your home, but it's the hive.
Search your souls people


* paraphrased from an earlier post that should never have been taken down.

have you ever been on naviance and looked at the GPAs required to get in state schools? we have way too much competition. ANd it is because we have a huge supply of people and students and we just let more and more and more come into fairfax. We have huge huge increases in immigration that has changed the culture in NOVA area. TJ should be shut down and the money distributed to other high schools. We need to encourage people that want this competition and ivy's to go somewhere else. They are not enhancing NOVA, they are bringing it down with their focus on self interest.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's also this area. Neither my DH nor I are from here, and we do not get the school culture at all. Our nephew who goes to high school in a different area of the country is still getting a good education but without the hyper-competitive BS.

Yep. We moved away when my kids entered high school. We moved back after they graduated. It only took one year of high school for us to realize that we would not put our kids through high school anywhere in this area. Blaming the schools is a cop out. This comes from parents. You are the ones driving the schools. For heaven's sake, just read this board. Hyper focus on money, power, job title, and climbing the social ladder. The bullying of anyone who doesn't live up to some ridiculous definition of success. My kids are high achievers. I have a national merit scholar who went to college on a full academic scholarship. Lake Braddock was tough even for her. It's not just the horrific suicides. How many of your kids are suffering from anxiety disorders or depression? How many in therapy? On medication? Between school, homework, camps, tutoring, sports, music,....when do they rest? When do they just hang out? Every second of their lives is scheduled. Just like their parents. That is no way to live.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's also this area. Neither my DH nor I are from here, and we do not get the school culture at all. Our nephew who goes to high school in a different area of the country is still getting a good education but without the hyper-competitive BS.

Yep. We moved away when my kids entered high school. We moved back after they graduated. It only took one year of high school for us to realize that we would not put our kids through high school anywhere in this area. Blaming the schools is a cop out. This comes from parents. You are the ones driving the schools. For heaven's sake, just read this board. Hyper focus on money, power, job title, and climbing the social ladder. The bullying of anyone who doesn't live up to some ridiculous definition of success. My kids are high achievers. I have a national merit scholar who went to college on a full academic scholarship. Lake Braddock was tough even for her. It's not just the horrific suicides. How many of your kids are suffering from anxiety disorders or depression? How many in therapy? On medication? Between school, homework, camps, tutoring, sports, music,....when do they rest? When do they just hang out? Every second of their lives is scheduled. Just like their parents. That is no way to live.

I went to LB in the 90's. It wasn't always like that. There was a thread about the low performing schools in FFX. I imagine any of the " unacceptable " schools would be a healthier environment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's also this area. Neither my DH nor I are from here, and we do not get the school culture at all. Our nephew who goes to high school in a different area of the country is still getting a good education but without the hyper-competitive BS.

Yep. We moved away when my kids entered high school. We moved back after they graduated. It only took one year of high school for us to realize that we would not put our kids through high school anywhere in this area. Blaming the schools is a cop out. This comes from parents. You are the ones driving the schools. For heaven's sake, just read this board. Hyper focus on money, power, job title, and climbing the social ladder. The bullying of anyone who doesn't live up to some ridiculous definition of success. My kids are high achievers. I have a national merit scholar who went to college on a full academic scholarship. Lake Braddock was tough even for her. It's not just the horrific suicides. How many of your kids are suffering from anxiety disorders or depression? How many in therapy? On medication? Between school, homework, camps, tutoring, sports, music,....when do they rest? When do they just hang out? Every second of their lives is scheduled. Just like their parents. That is no way to live.

I went to LB in the 90's. It wasn't always like that. There was a thread about the low performing schools in FFX. I imagine any of the " unacceptable " schools would be a healthier environment.

My younger sister graduated from Robinson in the early 90s and it wasn't like that either. But the inmates are running the asylum now. This is a problem created by parents.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's also this area. Neither my DH nor I are from here, and we do not get the school culture at all. Our nephew who goes to high school in a different area of the country is still getting a good education but without the hyper-competitive BS.

Yep. We moved away when my kids entered high school. We moved back after they graduated. It only took one year of high school for us to realize that we would not put our kids through high school anywhere in this area. Blaming the schools is a cop out. This comes from parents. You are the ones driving the schools. For heaven's sake, just read this board. Hyper focus on money, power, job title, and climbing the social ladder. The bullying of anyone who doesn't live up to some ridiculous definition of success. My kids are high achievers. I have a national merit scholar who went to college on a full academic scholarship. Lake Braddock was tough even for her. It's not just the horrific suicides. How many of your kids are suffering from anxiety disorders or depression? How many in therapy? On medication? Between school, homework, camps, tutoring, sports, music,....when do they rest? When do they just hang out? Every second of their lives is scheduled. Just like their parents. That is no way to live.

I went to LB in the 90's. It wasn't always like that. There was a thread about the low performing schools in FFX. I imagine any of the " unacceptable " schools would be a healthier environment.

My younger sister graduated from Robinson in the early 90s and it wasn't like that either. But the inmates are running the asylum now. This is a problem created by parents.

The Bush Immigration law that opened up immigration to millions from Asia was passed in 1990, the volumes started happening in early 2000's. Largely concentrating in urban areas, fairfax and loudoun have huge numbers of immigrants. TJ is over 70% asian even though asians account for only 18% in Fairfax County. Asian families start the competition before kindergarten.

see - http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/demogrph/gendemo.htm