Boundary Review Meetings

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

The thinking was:

“I want to open this school this fall but it still needs work and only has space for 1000 students, so it will be a soft opening where families can opt in, understanding we’ll only have two grades, aren’t promising transportation, and won’t have VHSL sports.

Maybe it won’t relieve overcrowding too much at first, depending on who opts in, but if we waited to open the school another year or two we wouldn’t be providing overcrowding relief until then, either.

In a couple of years, we’ll have firm boundaries and no more opting out for entering classes, except through the normal student transfer process.”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Instead of moving boundaries to address Lewis, just bring those 300 students back in boundary to Lewis.

This isn’t that hard.

[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!

I’ll contribute to anyone who runs against Sandy Anderson. I don’t have to agree with all their positions. I just want not to see her smirking, arrogant, condescending face on a podium ever again.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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!

I’ll contribute to anyone who runs against Sandy Anderson. I don’t have to agree with all their positions. I just want not to see her smirking, arrogant, condescending face on a podium ever again.

Omg. If you have a connection with that person who spoke against her today, please let her to run. I would also contribute/write postcards/whatever.

[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.

Question: Will kids who will be freshmen in 2026-27 have to move to Western for 27-28 if their home ends up in the boundary? Or do they get to stay put? If they will have to move, I assume the Oak Hill people will opt in so their kids won’t have to change schools after one year. Unless they do sports and really want their kid to be able to do that freshman year. Or maybe they’ll opt in to Western but take the bus to Chantilly for sports that first year? Seems like a mess either way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Question: Will kids who will be freshmen in 2026-27 have to move to Western for 27-28 if their home ends up in the boundary? Or do they get to stay put? If they will have to move, I assume the Oak Hill people will opt in so their kids won’t have to change schools after one year. Unless they do sports and really want their kid to be able to do that freshman year. Or maybe they’ll opt in to Western but take the bus to Chantilly for sports that first year? Seems like a mess either way.

If you don’t opt in but end up within the boundary, you don’t have to attend Western in 2027-28 as a sophomore. Western won’t have a senior class so you can still take the bus to the “old” base school, space permitting. The transportation situation for those students as juniors and seniors is still murky.

They are emphasizing that students looking to opt in as 9th or 10th graders should look at it as a four or three-year commitment to attend Western, even if they ultimately aren’t within the boundary and guaranteed transportation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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!

I’ll contribute to anyone who runs against Sandy Anderson. I don’t have to agree with all their positions. I just want not to see her smirking, arrogant, condescending face on a podium ever again.

Omg. If you have a connection with that person who spoke against her today, please let her to run. I would also contribute/write postcards/whatever.

DP. I didn’t see the speaker today. But based on this thread I’m ready to contribute.

[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!

time stamp for the speaker?

[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.

What’s your motivation? What are you trying to set in place? What’s your position?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

What’s your motivation? What are you trying to set in place? What’s your position?

DP. Sounds to me like they’re making valid suggestions for how to increase Lewis’ enrollment by ensuring it’s providing the curriculum desired by those in its community who currently pupil place to other schools.

[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

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.

Who is saying to add more affluent students?
I think people are saying to add kids period. It’s not like Lewis is in a terrible neighborhood. Have you even driven around that school and the surrounding neighborhoods? I don’t see a stark difference driving in any direction away from Lewis.

[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

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.

Who is saying to add more affluent students?
I think people are saying to add kids period. It’s not like Lewis is in a terrible neighborhood. Have you even driven around that school and the surrounding neighborhoods? I don’t see a stark difference driving in any direction away from Lewis.

Adding more affluent students to under enrolled schools was discussed yesterday by several speakers, including certain UMC white women looking to go bigger. Even when not said out loud that theme underlies the argument that there isn’t enough niche programming at the schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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!

time stamp for the speaker?

Around 2:20:21

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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

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.

Who is saying to add more affluent students?
I think people are saying to add kids period. It’s not like Lewis is in a terrible neighborhood. Have you even driven around that school and the surrounding neighborhoods? I don’t see a stark difference driving in any direction away from Lewis.

Adding more affluent students to under enrolled schools was discussed yesterday by several speakers, including certain UMC white women looking to go bigger. Even when not said out loud that theme underlies the argument that there isn’t enough niche programming at the schools.

I think your projecting a little here.
Weren’t the Lewis parents happy with the idea of adding Bren Mar elementary to Lewis? Great schools says that school is over 50% low income.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Instead of moving boundaries to address Lewis, just bring those 300 students back in boundary to Lewis.

This isn’t that hard.

Exactly. Instead of spending money to address programming at High schools and to look into residency, they instead spent an incredible amount on this consulting company, so that they could blame a third party. Guess what? They didn’t even use Thru’s recommendations in the end. Why? Because Thru made recommendations without knowing neighborhood dynamics or anything about programming.