McLean to Explore Separating from FC & FCPS

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wonder about the timing - if McLean HS is in desperate need of a $100 million + renovation, is that the first bill you are going to ask a new city to pay? Or can the issue be solved by redistricting with Langley alone?

McLean isn't in desperate need of a $100M renovation. However, FCPS has stuck McLean with shitty trailers and a second-hand modular, when it is spending $20M to build additions at schools that are LESS overcrowded than McLean and were built AFTER McLean. It is also spending $40M for an even bigger addition at West Potomac, even though much of the overcrowding at West Potomac could be addressed by redistricting kids to under-enrolled Mount Vernon and the size of West Potomac following this addition (3000 kids) is well over what FCPS previously has said should be the maximum size of a high school. The Board of Supervisors is aware of these disparities - Jeff McKay and at least other member of BOS pointed out the absurdity when reviewing the FCPS budget a couple of years ago - but otherwise just rolls its eyes at the mismanagement.

They can alleviate some of the overcrowding at McLean by moving some kids to Langley. But the timing of that boundary change is uncertain, it won't alleviate all of the overcrowding, and both Langley and McLean could gain kids if FCPS moves to a lottery system for TJ that caps the number of students from Cooper and Longfellow who can attend TJ. Right now they run a high risk of messing it up: if they move too many kids, they'll turn McLean into the runt of FCPS (and it will have to shed electives and teachers), but if there is renewed growth in the area once we emerge from Covid-19 both Langley and McLean could end up over-crowded in a few years.

FCPS lied to McLean parents years ago and told them they'd build an addition at McLean before any kids were moved to Langley. Then they deviated from the numbers that had been in their Capital Improvement Plans for years, and expanded Langley during its renovation far more than had previously been disclosed (from an expansion to 2100 seats to over 2350 seats). After Langley's renovation/expansion was finished, School Board members blocked an initial attempt to authorize a Langley/McLean boundary study in 2018, citing the need for a "holistic review" of boundaries across the entire county. When some families took that to mean FCPS was considering a new county-wide busing scheme, the School Board reversed course and authorized the boundary study in 2019 shortly before the fall School Board elections, because the Democrats stood to lose several seats if they didn't do something. But then the boundary study stalled, first because they realized they'd given no thought to the middle school assignments in addition to the high school assignments, and then due to all the challenges associated with Covid-19.

Many of us are just fed up with how bad the planning has been, and the failure to have dealt with the challenges transparently. The School Board spends hours and hours on TJ admissions, but very little time focusing on growth in the county and the upcoming Capital Improvement Plans. By the time they do look at the CIPs, they are typically behind schedule, the reviews are perfunctory, and very little is changed from the draft prepared by FCPS staff. And the motivation of FCPS staff isn't always to do what makes the most sense, but rather what makes their own lives easiest.

In a smaller system, with fewer schools to manage, it seems like the schools could get more attention on a timely basis. They certainly couldn't do a worse job of managing their facilities than FCPS has done in recent years.

Among the School Board members who blocked the boundary study back then (without budgeting any funds for a McLean addition similar to the additions now getting built at Justice, Madison, and West Potomac) were Corbett-Sanders, Derenak Kaufax, and Keys Gamarra.

They are still around, and openly hostile to the northern part of the county.

Corbett Sanders: Getting huge addition for West Potomac, her neighborhood school

Derenak Kaufax: Currently pushing expensive new academy program for Lewis in her district

Keys Gamarra: Kids went to Madison


See the pattern. Why shouldn't people in northern Fairfax want to run their own schools without these people constantly screwing them over?

you do know you have voting representatives too? Maybe vote for people who run on platforms of helping their local schools- that was Corbett Sanders' pitch when she was knocking on doors

Don't usually do this, but

This is like Abrar Omeish telling McLean parents in 2019 action would have been taken on the overcrowding if only they'd organized. As if parents had not been advocating before FCPS for years and been lied to and then ignored.

And it doesn't matter if you have a representative who wants to help their local schools, if the other members form a block to shut you down. Corbett Sanders et a shut down Janie Strauss in 2018, and the current group that controls FCPS is shutting down Elaine Tholen in 2020 and will continue to do so in 2021, 2022, and 2023.

We are just expected to write the checks, but treating us fairly doesn't help promote their equity agenda. Our best recourse is to hope for a "McExit," as otherwise we're just going to keep getting screwed.

I like "McLExit" better, "McExit" is harder to pronounce.

[Anonymous]

Big incentive for Mclean homeowners is a decent bump in property values - a'la Falls Church City. Falls Church prices above similar closer in Arlington properties, and I'd imagine Mclean would become more valuable than the northern part of Arlington as well in this scenario.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wonder about the timing - if McLean HS is in desperate need of a $100 million + renovation, is that the first bill you are going to ask a new city to pay? Or can the issue be solved by redistricting with Langley alone?

McLean isn't in desperate need of a $100M renovation. However, FCPS has stuck McLean with shitty trailers and a second-hand modular, when it is spending $20M to build additions at schools that are LESS overcrowded than McLean and were built AFTER McLean. It is also spending $40M for an even bigger addition at West Potomac, even though much of the overcrowding at West Potomac could be addressed by redistricting kids to under-enrolled Mount Vernon and the size of West Potomac following this addition (3000 kids) is well over what FCPS previously has said should be the maximum size of a high school. The Board of Supervisors is aware of these disparities - Jeff McKay and at least other member of BOS pointed out the absurdity when reviewing the FCPS budget a couple of years ago - but otherwise just rolls its eyes at the mismanagement.

They can alleviate some of the overcrowding at McLean by moving some kids to Langley. But the timing of that boundary change is uncertain, it won't alleviate all of the overcrowding, and both Langley and McLean could gain kids if FCPS moves to a lottery system for TJ that caps the number of students from Cooper and Longfellow who can attend TJ. Right now they run a high risk of messing it up: if they move too many kids, they'll turn McLean into the runt of FCPS (and it will have to shed electives and teachers), but if there is renewed growth in the area once we emerge from Covid-19 both Langley and McLean could end up over-crowded in a few years.

FCPS lied to McLean parents years ago and told them they'd build an addition at McLean before any kids were moved to Langley. Then they deviated from the numbers that had been in their Capital Improvement Plans for years, and expanded Langley during its renovation far more than had previously been disclosed (from an expansion to 2100 seats to over 2350 seats). After Langley's renovation/expansion was finished, School Board members blocked an initial attempt to authorize a Langley/McLean boundary study in 2018, citing the need for a "holistic review" of boundaries across the entire county. When some families took that to mean FCPS was considering a new county-wide busing scheme, the School Board reversed course and authorized the boundary study in 2019 shortly before the fall School Board elections, because the Democrats stood to lose several seats if they didn't do something. But then the boundary study stalled, first because they realized they'd given no thought to the middle school assignments in addition to the high school assignments, and then due to all the challenges associated with Covid-19.

Many of us are just fed up with how bad the planning has been, and the failure to have dealt with the challenges transparently. The School Board spends hours and hours on TJ admissions, but very little time focusing on growth in the county and the upcoming Capital Improvement Plans. By the time they do look at the CIPs, they are typically behind schedule, the reviews are perfunctory, and very little is changed from the draft prepared by FCPS staff. And the motivation of FCPS staff isn't always to do what makes the most sense, but rather what makes their own lives easiest.

In a smaller system, with fewer schools to manage, it seems like the schools could get more attention on a timely basis. They certainly couldn't do a worse job of managing their facilities than FCPS has done in recent years.

Among the School Board members who blocked the boundary study back then (without budgeting any funds for a McLean addition similar to the additions now getting built at Justice, Madison, and West Potomac) were Corbett-Sanders, Derenak Kaufax, and Keys Gamarra.

They are still around, and openly hostile to the northern part of the county.

Corbett Sanders: Getting huge addition for West Potomac, her neighborhood school

Derenak Kaufax: Currently pushing expensive new academy program for Lewis in her district

Keys Gamarra: Kids went to Madison


See the pattern. Why shouldn't people in northern Fairfax want to run their own schools without these people constantly screwing them over?

you do know you have voting representatives too? Maybe vote for people who run on platforms of helping their local schools- that was Corbett Sanders' pitch when she was knocking on doors

Don't usually do this, but

This is like Abrar Omeish telling McLean parents in 2019 action would have been taken on the overcrowding if only they'd organized. As if parents had not been advocating before FCPS for years and been lied to and then ignored.

And it doesn't matter if you have a representative who wants to help their local schools, if the other members form a block to shut you down. Corbett Sanders et a shut down Janie Strauss in 2018, and the current group that controls FCPS is shutting down Elaine Tholen in 2020 and will continue to do so in 2021, 2022, and 2023.

We are just expected to write the checks, but treating us fairly doesn't help promote their equity agenda. Our best recourse is to hope for a "McExit," as otherwise we're just going to keep getting screwed.

You should run for school board, PP. You'll do a better job than Tholen.

Wasn't she tapped to run by the Democrats when Alicia Plerhoples decided to run for BOS Chair instead? I'm not sure she has enough fire in her belly to take on other Board members. Sometimes you can't take no for an answer if you actually want to get something done.

[Anonymous]

school board reps need to be singleminded pick an issue to two and be relentless, that's how westpo got funded

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:school board reps need to be singleminded pick an issue to two and be relentless, that's how westpo got funded

Wow, that scared of Mount Vernon? How woke!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:school board reps need to be singleminded pick an issue to two and be relentless, that's how westpo got funded

Wow, that scared of Mount Vernon? How woke!

meh, most voters aren't woke and don't care about being woke. But avoiding the worst school in the county is something voters care about

[Anonymous]

This is a great idea

How can one support and vote for this

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is a great idea

How can one support and vote for this

write to your general assembly rep and ask them to support lifting the moratorium. Write to the governor and ask that the local government commission be stacked with supporters otherwise it's all talk

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is a great idea

How can one support and vote for this

write to your general assembly rep and ask them to support lifting the moratorium. Write to the governor and ask that the local government commission be stacked with supporters otherwise it's all talk

The moratorium expires automatically in 2024.

[Anonymous]

That's the thing, how will this get through the General Assembly?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is a great idea

How can one support and vote for this

write to your general assembly rep and ask them to support lifting the moratorium. Write to the governor and ask that the local government commission be stacked with supporters otherwise it's all talk

The moratorium expires automatically in 2024.

Is there any reason to think it won’t get renewed?

[Anonymous]

Doesn't Terry McAuliffe live in McLean?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Doesn't Terry McAuliffe live in McLean?

His party relies heavily on URM votes. Do you really think he'll support the lilly white rich enclave abandoning Fairfax County resulting in funding cuts for poorer schools?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Doesn't Terry McAuliffe live in McLean?

His party relies heavily on URM votes. Do you really think he'll support the lilly white rich enclave abandoning Fairfax County resulting in funding cuts for poorer schools?

Who knows who has his ear? He probably cares what happens with Tysons. It’s going to hurt the state if there’s an ongoing battle with those living north of Tysons complaining that the local schools are underfunded and that they are being held hostage by others in the county who just want their money. For sure it won’t help attract business to the region.

[Anonymous]

Principauté de McLean, with all the Botox faces, crazy drivers, entitlement, corruption, depressing schools, and horrible buildings. Good luck.