Boundary Review Meetings

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:After watching the meeting on YouTube, there is a familiar dynamic at work.

White, seemingly-UMC women zoned to Herndon stood up to advocate for more boundary changes based on equity. They were the women who stood up and clamored that the school board didn’t go big enough. Meanwhile, a POC mom from the area stood up to argue that they shouldn’t move Coates kids to Herndon Elementary, even though the school has capacity.

It’s just a really stark reminder that the people pushing for the larger boundary moves are often at odds with POC in those very communities.

As Marcia St. John Cunning mentioned the other night at the school board meeting, her area told her that they don’t want people at their school if they don’t want to be there.

There is a fundamental disconnect between the UMC whites in these areas, and the people who they claim to be trying to “help” with larger boundary changes.

Speaking directly about Marcia St John Cunning and Lewis - many Lewis pyramid parents spoke during the meeting about feeling the inequity at Lewis. One parent mentioned that fewer students at the school means less opportunities and named specific examples about classes and clubs being cancelled as a direct result of low enrollment. Something that changing boundaries to add more students to the school could directly resolve.
And I don’t see how being a POC matters for that statement, but yes we are a POC family and I fully agree with the Lewis parents

I’m a WSHS parent and here is where the board went sideways with the Lewis/WSHS thing. They didn’t allow for grandfathering from the get go and STILL aren’t promising transportation. I have a current freshman and a 6th grader. I am EXTREMELY opposed to moving kids in the middle of high school to a new high school. Particularly one which won’t offer the same AP courses when my kid would not be able to start IB in the middle of their high school. So I fought and fought the process.
Now, if my 6th grader who hasn’t started middle school with the crew she would go to high school with were to switch pyramids next year and start 7th at Key/Lewis, that is fine with me. Or even if they move kids when they start high school, again, I wouldn’t have fought so much.

Dr. Anderson stood up for this at the 8130 board meeting and she was dead on.
But they didn’t do this. At all.

Just wanted to add that as a parent and teacher, I was looking for them to say “we are putting kids first. We need to rebalance, kids are missing out, but we are going to make sure your individual students don’t pay the price for this rebalancing by ensuring grandfathering and consistency.”

They didn’t. But they ask their teacher to go out and do that every day. The process was a MESS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:After watching the meeting on YouTube, there is a familiar dynamic at work.

White, seemingly-UMC women zoned to Herndon stood up to advocate for more boundary changes based on equity. They were the women who stood up and clamored that the school board didn’t go big enough. Meanwhile, a POC mom from the area stood up to argue that they shouldn’t move Coates kids to Herndon Elementary, even though the school has capacity.

It’s just a really stark reminder that the people pushing for the larger boundary moves are often at odds with POC in those very communities.

As Marcia St. John Cunning mentioned the other night at the school board meeting, her area told her that they don’t want people at their school if they don’t want to be there.

There is a fundamental disconnect between the UMC whites in these areas, and the people who they claim to be trying to “help” with larger boundary changes.

Speaking directly about Marcia St John Cunning and Lewis - many Lewis pyramid parents spoke during the meeting about feeling the inequity at Lewis. One parent mentioned that fewer students at the school means less opportunities and named specific examples about classes and clubs being cancelled as a direct result of low enrollment. Something that changing boundaries to add more students to the school could directly resolve.
And I don’t see how being a POC matters for that statement, but yes we are a POC family and I fully agree with the Lewis parents

Questions: Did any address IB? If they really want more kids, would that not be a place to start? Well over 200 kids transferring out--and that excludes the ones going to TJ.

It’s the big elephant in the room, but they just won’t admit that having so many IB schools is a failure.

You could turn around Lewis and give it a FARMS rate and enrollment comparable to other schools (still on the smaller side but you could get it to 2000-2200) by: giving it a nice renovation, moving in Bren Mar Park from Edison to boost enrollment and relieve Edison, start MS AAP at Key, move Saratoga ES AAP to Springfield Estates and Key instead of Lorton Station and Lake Braddock, and dumping IB for a full slate of AP classes. I’d also add some kind of elective program that’s not the weirdly vague “leadership academy.”

There are nice homes and areas in Springfield. The Saratoga neighborhoods have basically exactly the same housing stock as West Springfield, with 3 bedroom 3 level TH’s for families and 3/4 bedroom SFH in quiet neighborhoods. The areas around Backlick and Amherst and heading toward Lake Accotink have older but still decent brick SFH and some teardowns and redevelopment. Springfield is convenient to shopping and transit. Everyone comes to Springfield to shop and it’s never felt like, wow better make sure my doors and windows are locked, but I do sometimes feel like that driving down Rt. 1.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:After watching the meeting on YouTube, there is a familiar dynamic at work.

White, seemingly-UMC women zoned to Herndon stood up to advocate for more boundary changes based on equity. They were the women who stood up and clamored that the school board didn’t go big enough. Meanwhile, a POC mom from the area stood up to argue that they shouldn’t move Coates kids to Herndon Elementary, even though the school has capacity.

It’s just a really stark reminder that the people pushing for the larger boundary moves are often at odds with POC in those very communities.

As Marcia St. John Cunning mentioned the other night at the school board meeting, her area told her that they don’t want people at their school if they don’t want to be there.

There is a fundamental disconnect between the UMC whites in these areas, and the people who they claim to be trying to “help” with larger boundary changes.

Speaking directly about Marcia St John Cunning and Lewis - many Lewis pyramid parents spoke during the meeting about feeling the inequity at Lewis. One parent mentioned that fewer students at the school means less opportunities and named specific examples about classes and clubs being cancelled as a direct result of low enrollment. Something that changing boundaries to add more students to the school could directly resolve.
And I don’t see how being a POC matters for that statement, but yes we are a POC family and I fully agree with the Lewis parents

While she brought up some good points, the class example she used, AP music theory was not a good one.

Many FCPS high schools, including large schools and those with robust high level music programs, do not have the critical mass of high level music students interested in AP music theory to offer that class or offer it every year.

Many high schools can only offer it every other year, or they offer it online remote, linking the kids with a neighboring high school that offers it

Not being able to take AP music theory except remotely is not unique to Lewis. Even adjacent schools have the same issue with that specific class.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:After watching the meeting on YouTube, there is a familiar dynamic at work.

White, seemingly-UMC women zoned to Herndon stood up to advocate for more boundary changes based on equity. They were the women who stood up and clamored that the school board didn’t go big enough. Meanwhile, a POC mom from the area stood up to argue that they shouldn’t move Coates kids to Herndon Elementary, even though the school has capacity.

It’s just a really stark reminder that the people pushing for the larger boundary moves are often at odds with POC in those very communities.

As Marcia St. John Cunning mentioned the other night at the school board meeting, her area told her that they don’t want people at their school if they don’t want to be there.

There is a fundamental disconnect between the UMC whites in these areas, and the people who they claim to be trying to “help” with larger boundary changes.

Speaking directly about Marcia St John Cunning and Lewis - many Lewis pyramid parents spoke during the meeting about feeling the inequity at Lewis. One parent mentioned that fewer students at the school means less opportunities and named specific examples about classes and clubs being cancelled as a direct result of low enrollment. Something that changing boundaries to add more students to the school could directly resolve.
And I don’t see how being a POC matters for that statement, but yes we are a POC family and I fully agree with the Lewis parents

WSHS only offers AP Music Theory every other year, and they have a huge music program. The past 3 years, they were only able to offer it remotely via Lake Braddock, instead of every other year like they usually offer it, not because of overcrowding, but to save the guitar classes.

Sometimes the schools simply cannot offer the specialized classes or can only offer them remotely, for reasons that have nothing to do with low enrollment like Lewis, or overenrollment like WSHS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:After watching the meeting on YouTube, there is a familiar dynamic at work.

White, seemingly-UMC women zoned to Herndon stood up to advocate for more boundary changes based on equity. They were the women who stood up and clamored that the school board didn’t go big enough. Meanwhile, a POC mom from the area stood up to argue that they shouldn’t move Coates kids to Herndon Elementary, even though the school has capacity.

It’s just a really stark reminder that the people pushing for the larger boundary moves are often at odds with POC in those very communities.

As Marcia St. John Cunning mentioned the other night at the school board meeting, her area told her that they don’t want people at their school if they don’t want to be there.

There is a fundamental disconnect between the UMC whites in these areas, and the people who they claim to be trying to “help” with larger boundary changes.

Speaking directly about Marcia St John Cunning and Lewis - many Lewis pyramid parents spoke during the meeting about feeling the inequity at Lewis. One parent mentioned that fewer students at the school means less opportunities and named specific examples about classes and clubs being cancelled as a direct result of low enrollment. Something that changing boundaries to add more students to the school could directly resolve.
And I don’t see how being a POC matters for that statement, but yes we are a POC family and I fully agree with the Lewis parents

Questions: Did any address IB? If they really want more kids, would that not be a place to start? Well over 200 kids transferring out--and that excludes the ones going to TJ.

It’s the big elephant in the room, but they just won’t admit that having so many IB schools is a failure.

You could turn around Lewis and give it a FARMS rate and enrollment comparable to other schools (still on the smaller side but you could get it to 2000-2200) by: giving it a nice renovation, moving in Bren Mar Park from Edison to boost enrollment and relieve Edison, start MS AAP at Key, move Saratoga ES AAP to Springfield Estates and Key instead of Lorton Station and Lake Braddock, and dumping IB for a full slate of AP classes. I’d also add some kind of elective program that’s not the weirdly vague “leadership academy.”

There are nice homes and areas in Springfield. The Saratoga neighborhoods have basically exactly the same housing stock as West Springfield, with 3 bedroom 3 level TH’s for families and 3/4 bedroom SFH in quiet neighborhoods. The areas around Backlick and Amherst and heading toward Lake Accotink have older but still decent brick SFH and some teardowns and redevelopment. Springfield is convenient to shopping and transit. Everyone comes to Springfield to shop and it’s never felt like, wow better make sure my doors and windows are locked, but I do sometimes feel like that driving down Rt. 1.

They need to do all of this.

The Lewis homes along the parkway are nice, really nice, particularly the huge newer homes and the Rolling Valley houses getting moved to Saratoga. Many of them are nicer than anything available in the WSHS boundaries, except maybe Daventry, Middle Run and Sangster homes.

There is no excuse for FCPS allowing the quality of Lewis and its feeder schools to deteriorate to the point that they have nearly 300 upper middle class students transferring to other high schools.

[Anonymous]

Annandale and then McLean would need to be renovated before Lewis.

[Anonymous]

At least 5 IB schools to many. Easy fix but beyond the simpletons to see.

[Anonymous]

I have sent emails to the Franconia school board rep asking these specific questions on how she plans to help Lewis and have mentioned IB. Only responses have been generic garbage from her aids.

[Anonymous]

So nothing to reduce the insane overcrowding at Chantilly. Nice. Why does that school get ignored. My kid is graduating, he can’t even move in the hallways.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:After watching the meeting on YouTube, there is a familiar dynamic at work.

White, seemingly-UMC women zoned to Herndon stood up to advocate for more boundary changes based on equity. They were the women who stood up and clamored that the school board didn’t go big enough. Meanwhile, a POC mom from the area stood up to argue that they shouldn’t move Coates kids to Herndon Elementary, even though the school has capacity.

It’s just a really stark reminder that the people pushing for the larger boundary moves are often at odds with POC in those very communities.

As Marcia St. John Cunning mentioned the other night at the school board meeting, her area told her that they don’t want people at their school if they don’t want to be there.

There is a fundamental disconnect between the UMC whites in these areas, and the people who they claim to be trying to “help” with larger boundary changes.

Speaking directly about Marcia St John Cunning and Lewis - many Lewis pyramid parents spoke during the meeting about feeling the inequity at Lewis. One parent mentioned that fewer students at the school means less opportunities and named specific examples about classes and clubs being cancelled as a direct result of low enrollment. Something that changing boundaries to add more students to the school could directly resolve.
And I don’t see how being a POC matters for that statement, but yes we are a POC family and I fully agree with the Lewis parents

WSHS only offers AP Music Theory every other year, and they have a huge music program. The past 3 years, they were only able to offer it remotely via Lake Braddock, instead of every other year like they usually offer it, not because of overcrowding, but to save the guitar classes.

Sometimes the schools simply cannot offer the specialized classes or can only offer them remotely, for reasons that have nothing to do with low enrollment like Lewis, or overenrollment like WSHS.

Or, they have five or ten extra kids who want to take a class and cannot get in because they don't have enough for two of that class.
Or, two classes a student wants are taught at the same time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:After watching the meeting on YouTube, there is a familiar dynamic at work.

White, seemingly-UMC women zoned to Herndon stood up to advocate for more boundary changes based on equity. They were the women who stood up and clamored that the school board didn’t go big enough. Meanwhile, a POC mom from the area stood up to argue that they shouldn’t move Coates kids to Herndon Elementary, even though the school has capacity.

It’s just a really stark reminder that the people pushing for the larger boundary moves are often at odds with POC in those very communities.

As Marcia St. John Cunning mentioned the other night at the school board meeting, her area told her that they don’t want people at their school if they don’t want to be there.

There is a fundamental disconnect between the UMC whites in these areas, and the people who they claim to be trying to “help” with larger boundary changes.

Speaking directly about Marcia St John Cunning and Lewis - many Lewis pyramid parents spoke during the meeting about feeling the inequity at Lewis. One parent mentioned that fewer students at the school means less opportunities and named specific examples about classes and clubs being cancelled as a direct result of low enrollment. Something that changing boundaries to add more students to the school could directly resolve.
And I don’t see how being a POC matters for that statement, but yes we are a POC family and I fully agree with the Lewis parents

Adding more students to Lewis is right out of the five-part New York Times podcast from last decade called Nice White Parents. The argument of adding more affluent students to Lewis to increase opportunities is almost exactly the situation discussed in the NYC school in that series.

I’m just saying this is our version of that. It is worth a listen for anyone who is advocating for the school board to go bigger with its aims. You’ll quickly learn why that won’t work.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So nothing to reduce the insane overcrowding at Chantilly. Nice. Why does that school get ignored. My kid is graduating, he can’t even move in the hallways.

They are spending over $200 million on Western to relieve overcrowding at Chantilly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So nothing to reduce the insane overcrowding at Chantilly. Nice. Why does that school get ignored. My kid is graduating, he can’t even move in the hallways.

They are spending over $200 million on Western to relieve overcrowding at Chantilly.

but, Reid thinks the "opt in" option will solve it.

The logical solution was to have determined the new boundaries by now. This just defies common sense. I just don't get her thinking.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I liked the speaker who addressed the West Springfield rep directly.and was like thanks for not touching my kids now don't touch anyone elses. She gave off a mama bear vibe, but for like her whole region.

I told that speaker about this post! We are trying to convince her to run against Sandy!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I liked the speaker who addressed the West Springfield rep directly.and was like thanks for not touching my kids now don't touch anyone elses. She gave off a mama bear vibe, but for like her whole region.

I told that speaker about this post! We are trying to convince her to run against Sandy!

DP. I dislike Sandy. If she runs I would contribute