SPLIT FCPC FROM VA PUBLIC SCHOOLS?

[Anonymous]

jsteele wrote:I am also open for suggestions for a new name for the AAP forum. That forum was created due to user request when AAP discussions were dominating the VA Public Schools forum. I don't know anything about Virginia schools so I don't know what other counties call their programs (other than I think Alexandria calls their TAG since that sometimes gets mixed up with DC TAG which is something entirely different).

Maybe something like “Advanced / Gifted Programs: to include FCPS’s Advanced Academic Program (AAP) Level 4, and similar programs in other districts sometimes labeled “Talented and Gifted (TaG)”.

I’m sure someone can come up with a better description. I don’t know if middle school honors is considered advanced enough for some these days, but I could make an argument for including them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think it's a good idea

+1

The FCPS posts overwhelm this forum.

[Anonymous]

It is a good idea. FCPS posters have this tendency of assuming any reference to what a VA system is doing = FCPS and then the conversation gets derailed. It’s like they don’t recognize people can be talking about ACPS, APS, FCCPS, LCPS, etc. Also, honestly, FCPS posters are the most caustic, negative, combative, hateful posters in the schools forum and not having to see their comments in every single thread would really help.

[Anonymous]

This APS poster would love that. Our posts get buried under the weight of FCPS. I get it. It’s the largest district, but it would be great if it broke off.

[Anonymous]

Yes, I agree. There are many posters who seem to think that’s FCPS = Virginia Public schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:FCPS is dominating right now since they shocked everyone this week. I just went back to a few random pages in the 400s and there were a mix of topics. I don’t think right now is a good time to determine if they should be their own forum. Often questions are asked comparing FCPS to APS, ACPS or Loudoun.

This statement is part of the problem. FCPS didn’t shock everyone this week. Most other districts in NOVA had already chosen 100% virtual. Fairfax County was actually Johnny come lately’s in regards to this. The fact that Fairfax County parents don’t seem to realize this and are behaving as if this is some sort of unique situation for them is why they should have their own forum. The same thing was done for Montgomery County, I think it should be done here as well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:i think it's fine the way it is. most people just go to the recent topics page first anyway i assume.

No it’s annoying. I got in an argument with a poster who kept making remarks about what DL was like in the spring without saying that she was specifically referring to FCPS. When I pointed out that not all districts had the same policy, she said that since this was the Virginia public schools forum, I should have known she was referring to FCPS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:FCPS is dominating right now since they shocked everyone this week. I just went back to a few random pages in the 400s and there were a mix of topics. I don’t think right now is a good time to determine if they should be their own forum. Often questions are asked comparing FCPS to APS, ACPS or Loudoun.

Yes, this. It should settle down...eventually.

FCPS always dominates this board and 100% virtual shouldn’t be a factor in it, because most of the other districts have already switched to 100% virtual. This being portrayed as a Uniquely FCPS issue highlights why there should be a separate board.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No thanks. Seems like this will settle down soon

+1

Why would it settle down soon. It’s always like this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:FCPS is dominating right now since they shocked everyone this week. I just went back to a few random pages in the 400s and there were a mix of topics. I don’t think right now is a good time to determine if they should be their own forum. Often questions are asked comparing FCPS to APS, ACPS or Loudoun.

This statement is part of the problem. FCPS didn’t shock everyone this week. Most other districts in NOVA had already chosen 100% virtual. Fairfax County was actually Johnny come lately’s in regards to this. The fact that Fairfax County parents don’t seem to realize this and are behaving as if this is some sort of unique situation for them is why they should have their own forum. The same thing was done for Montgomery County, I think it should be done here as well.

Amen. It was mind-blowing to me to see them acting like this was some completely unforeseeable event, as if the rest of VA Public Schools simply don't exist (and as if they weren't posting in the APS threads on the DL change with misinformation based on their FCPS experience).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Keep it all in one VA fora. We're not in FCPS, and I find it useful to have one place to look at what local districts are doing. If it's something so FCPS-specific that it's entirely irrelevant, I just skip it.

I think there would be more participation from posters outside of Fairfax County because they would have a board to go to where they didn’t have to filter through all the FCPS stuff.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think that 80% of the conversations here are typically about FCPS. Arlington comes in second, followed at a distance by Loudon, but it is rare to see anything about Falls Church City, Alexandria, Prince William, Manassas, etc.

I think it’s overwhelming right now, but it’s no different than 99% of the threads on the health and medicine board being about covid since March. It will calm back down eventually.

It’s different though because Covid is a huge issue that pertains to everyone. FCPS issues are not things that pertain to people living in other districts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:FCPS is dominating right now since they shocked everyone this week. I just went back to a few random pages in the 400s and there were a mix of topics. I don’t think right now is a good time to determine if they should be their own forum. Often questions are asked comparing FCPS to APS, ACPS or Loudoun.

This statement is part of the problem. FCPS didn’t shock everyone this week. Most other districts in NOVA had already chosen 100% virtual. Fairfax County was actually Johnny come lately’s in regards to this. The fact that Fairfax County parents don’t seem to realize this and are behaving as if this is some sort of unique situation for them is why they should have their own forum. The same thing was done for Montgomery County, I think it should be done here as well.

Amen. It was mind-blowing to me to see them acting like this was some completely unforeseeable event, as if the rest of VA Public Schools simply don't exist (and as if they weren't posting in the APS threads on the DL change with misinformation based on their FCPS experience).

It honestly seems as if FCPS parents don’t realize that 100% virtual is something many other districts decided on before them. I’ve seen posts saying that FCPS are the laughing stock of the nation because of the decision to do virtual schooling? WTF, why would FCPS be. A laughing stock? Look around at your neighbors, they made this decision before you did.

[Anonymous]

It would be odd to have APS in the same forum as LCPS and PWCPS, but not FCPS.

People considering North Arlington schools often are considering schools in McLean, Vienna and Falls Church as well. People considering schools in South Arlington often are also considering schools in Alexandria, Falls Church and Annandale. People considering schools in western Fairfax often are also considering schools in eastern Loudoun and western Prince William. I’d suspect you’ll end up with posters posting in multiple forums or making arbitrary decisions about which forum to post in.

I suspect the main impetus for separate forums is coming from Arlington posters who don’t like the volume of recent Fairfax threads, but there have been periods when the most active threads were all about APS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It would be odd to have APS in the same forum as LCPS and PWCPS, but not FCPS.

People considering North Arlington schools often are considering schools in McLean, Vienna and Falls Church as well. People considering schools in South Arlington often are also considering schools in Alexandria, Falls Church and Annandale. People considering schools in western Fairfax often are also considering schools in eastern Loudoun and western Prince William. I’d suspect you’ll end up with posters posting in multiple forums or making arbitrary decisions about which forum to post in.

I suspect the main impetus for separate forums is coming from Arlington posters who don’t like the volume of recent Fairfax threads, but there have been periods when the most active threads were all about APS.

One forum for all other VA systems. One for FCPS. It makes a lot of sense.