Saratoga/Key/Lee?

[Anonymous]

No doubt South County is closer, but how can they pull any more kids out of Lee?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Those families were given the option to move to South county 10+ years ago.
The voted to stay at Lee.
Really bad decision.

Neighborhoods don't get to vote themselves into this school or that school. Saratoga was part of the original boundary study area, but it became apparent quickly that way too many neighborhoods wanted to attend South County. Something had to give and Saratoga, a fairly large elementary school at the time, was left out. The Hunt Valley area attending Lee at the time didn't even get sent to South County and they were closer than Saratoga. As it was South County opened as a very overcrowded secondary school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:During the public meetings that were held at Hayfield Secondary when South Co. was being planned, Saratoga residents petitioned to be included in the new school. It soon became clear that they were being pushed out of the process in favor of including the Gunston area and parts of Lorton that attended Hayfield. There was discussion of eventually moving Saratoga to Hayfield - or maybe W. Springfield. I’m not 100% sure as it was in the early 2000’s - before I had kids of my own. Staff was directed to look into redrawing boundaries in that part of the county.

Staff never looked at those boundaries despite being directed to by the School Board. Probably squashed by Lake Braddock and West Springfield neighborhoods.

[Anonymous]

To the OP - Saratoga has a relatively new Principal who is trying to turn things around. This is her third year. I would expect test results to be better this year and next. If it is not turned around after next year (2018-2019) then I would say move on somewhere else.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Honestly, I would be more concerned about whether your kid would even attend Lee. There is talk of closing the school and re-branding it as the regional IB center for a bunch of schools, fwiw.

The talk is just hopes and dreams of some on dcum.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I teach at Key. I may be biased, but I've taught at 3 different schools in the county and the teachers at Key are above and beyond the best I've come across. Your child will be able to find a peer group here, and if they want leadership roles, they will have the opportunity to pursue them here as well.

We are getting a new principal this year (some time, eventually), and I think that will spark even more positive change.

You are no longer able to leave Lee for AP classes. The principal at Lee has begun to offer AP versions of classes, so students have a choice between AP or IB. It's definitely a step in the right direction!

We are from an adjoining pyramid.

There were two amazing teachers who switched from Sangster to Key a few years back.

Any kid would be fortunate to have them as teachers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Honestly, I would be more concerned about whether your kid would even attend Lee. There is talk of closing the school and re-branding it as the regional IB center for a bunch of schools, fwiw.

No, they're not going to do that.

What I think they are considering is whether to turn Lee into an IB only school and turn Key into an IB MYP site exclusively.

I think it would result in shuffling feeders from West Springfield, South County, Hayfield, Lake Braddock (I think?), Annandale, and Edison, IIRC. Students at all of these schools could attend the proposed IB site with the thought that the loss of students to the new IB site would be off-set through boundary adjustments, redistricting, etc.

I don't know how probable this is, fwiw. But it's something to keep in mind around that part of the county.

That's not going to happen. OP doesn't need to think about that at all.

I thought I read that they were looking into this around here recently. I don't know if I would be so certain, PP.

Someone zoned for Lee keeps posting this idea as her pipe dream of what she believes should happen. Each time she posts this idea the shuffling becomes more complicated, with rezoning around a dozen elementary schools and having some elementary schools that high schools sit in the middle of jumping over other elementaries to make her numbers work.

Fcps is not going to rezone over 10,000 elementary students in one fell swoop based off the hopes of a dcumer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:During the public meetings that were held at Hayfield Secondary when South Co. was being planned, Saratoga residents petitioned to be included in the new school. It soon became clear that they were being pushed out of the process in favor of including the Gunston area and parts of Lorton that attended Hayfield. There was discussion of eventually moving Saratoga to Hayfield - or maybe W. Springfield. I’m not 100% sure as it was in the early 2000’s - before I had kids of my own. Staff was directed to look into redrawing boundaries in that part of the county.

It does seem like those students have a long way to go to get to any high school. It can be annoying with traffic and lights to get to the Lee HS area from Saratoga.

South County makes the most sense for Saratoga.

[Anonymous]

I agree with the PP who stated that Saratoga and Key both have good teachers. I don’t have any experience with Lee yet, but I’m sure it does, too. The schools have challenges to educate a very diverse student body, but my children are doing well in the pyramid. I’m not sure they would do any better elsewhere. I’m also glad my children aren’t dealing with the “jetting to Europe for Spring Break is normal” crowd.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I agree with the PP who stated that Saratoga and Key both have good teachers. I don’t have any experience with Lee yet, but I’m sure it does, too. The schools have challenges to educate a very diverse student body, but my children are doing well in the pyramid. I’m not sure they would do any better elsewhere. I’m also glad my children aren’t dealing with the “jetting to Europe for Spring Break is normal” crowd.

Travel to places other than Springfield Mall is probably good for kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I agree with the PP who stated that Saratoga and Key both have good teachers. I don’t have any experience with Lee yet, but I’m sure it does, too. The schools have challenges to educate a very diverse student body, but my children are doing well in the pyramid. I’m not sure they would do any better elsewhere. I’m also glad my children aren’t dealing with the “jetting to Europe for Spring Break is normal” crowd.

Travel to places other than Springfield Mall is probably good for kids.

This is so ignorant. My students travel a lot. They visit family all over the world, in addition to beach trips and vacations to usual places.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Honestly, I would be more concerned about whether your kid would even attend Lee. There is talk of closing the school and re-branding it as the regional IB center for a bunch of schools, fwiw.

No, they're not going to do that.

What I think they are considering is whether to turn Lee into an IB only school and turn Key into an IB MYP site exclusively.

I think it would result in shuffling feeders from West Springfield, South County, Hayfield, Lake Braddock (I think?), Annandale, and Edison, IIRC. Students at all of these schools could attend the proposed IB site with the thought that the loss of students to the new IB site would be off-set through boundary adjustments, redistricting, etc.

I don't know how probable this is, fwiw. But it's something to keep in mind around that part of the county.

That's not going to happen. OP doesn't need to think about that at all.

I thought I read that they were looking into this around here recently. I don't know if I would be so certain, PP.

Someone zoned for Lee keeps posting this idea as her pipe dream of what she believes should happen. Each time she posts this idea the shuffling becomes more complicated, with rezoning around a dozen elementary schools and having some elementary schools that high schools sit in the middle of jumping over other elementaries to make her numbers work.

Fcps is not going to rezone over 10,000 elementary students in one fell swoop based off the hopes of a dcumer.

Wasn't it someone who worked in the Gatehouse who posted this theory? I thought they were claiming that FCPS was looking into this as a solution if Lee goes under state DOE oversight because of failing test scores.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I agree with the PP who stated that Saratoga and Key both have good teachers. I don’t have any experience with Lee yet, but I’m sure it does, too. The schools have challenges to educate a very diverse student body, but my children are doing well in the pyramid. I’m not sure they would do any better elsewhere. I’m also glad my children aren’t dealing with the “jetting to Europe for Spring Break is normal” crowd.

Travel to places other than Springfield Mall is probably good for kids.

This is so ignorant. My students travel a lot. They visit family all over the world, in addition to beach trips and vacations to usual places.

You can’t have it both ways. Either these kids travel to other places like students in other pyramids, or they don’t.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I agree with the PP who stated that Saratoga and Key both have good teachers. I don’t have any experience with Lee yet, but I’m sure it does, too. The schools have challenges to educate a very diverse student body, but my children are doing well in the pyramid. I’m not sure they would do any better elsewhere. I’m also glad my children aren’t dealing with the “jetting to Europe for Spring Break is normal” crowd.

Travel to places other than Springfield Mall is probably good for kids.

This is so ignorant. My students travel a lot. They visit family all over the world, in addition to beach trips and vacations to usual places.

You can’t have it both ways. Either these kids travel to other places like students in other pyramids, or they don’t.

DP. There's a middle ground between vacationing at the Springfield Mall or Europe. Many people prefer that middle ground, not just parents of kids at Lee. If you prefer that your kids go to school with other kids who vacation in Europe, that's fine. Others have different preferences.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I agree with the PP who stated that Saratoga and Key both have good teachers. I don’t have any experience with Lee yet, but I’m sure it does, too. The schools have challenges to educate a very diverse student body, but my children are doing well in the pyramid. I’m not sure they would do any better elsewhere. I’m also glad my children aren’t dealing with the “jetting to Europe for Spring Break is normal” crowd.

Travel to places other than Springfield Mall is probably good for kids.

This is so ignorant. My students travel a lot. They visit family all over the world, in addition to beach trips and vacations to usual places.

You can’t have it both ways. Either these kids travel to other places like students in other pyramids, or they don’t.

DP. There's a middle ground between vacationing at the Springfield Mall or Europe. Many people prefer that middle ground, not just parents of kids at Lee. If you prefer that your kids go to school with other kids who vacation in Europe, that's fine. Others have different preferences.

My students were talking about spring break today. 1 is going to virginia beach/busch gardens, one is visiting family in new york, and one is staying with grandma in florida. Another is staying home to watch her younger siblings, because she spent winter break in Guatemala visiting her grandmothers. Several more are staying home and stayed home for winter break too--but hey, I did too. Travel well beyond springfield mall, but certainly not "jet setting to europe for spring break".