Boundary Review Meetings

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is it possible for a candidate with rational pragmatic views to win anymore or is it wishful thinking?

Wishful thinking.

The Braddock Dem primary results are proof of this

So we are basically San Fransico with bad weather

Our streets are cleaner, we have fewer homeless, no open air drug markets/prostitution, and lower crime.

But other than that, yes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is it possible for a candidate with rational pragmatic views to win anymore or is it wishful thinking?

Wishful thinking.

The Braddock Dem primary results are proof of this

I disagree. Braddock folks liked Rachna, and Tom was her appointed successor. Alexa never stood a chance. People in Region 4 despise Anderson. I say someone has a shot.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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!

time stamp for the speaker?

Around 2:20:21

That’s not her. That’s mid talk from a Herndon mom

She starts around 0:38:00

Dang. She ripped Sandy a new one. Anyone know her party affiliation?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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!

time stamp for the speaker?

Around 2:20:21

That’s not her. That’s mid talk from a Herndon mom

She starts around 0:38:00

Dang. She ripped Sandy a new one. Anyone know her party affiliation?

I bet she’s a dem. But I’d encourage her to run as an independent as people are sick of the current dems on the school board and she seems at least more moderate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is it possible for a candidate with rational pragmatic views to win anymore or is it wishful thinking?

Wishful thinking.

The Braddock Dem primary results are proof of this

So we are basically San Fransico with bad weather

Honestly yes and no. As a Braddock voter, it has been HARD to keep voting and voting. It feels like we have had elections for forever. This past election, the only reason we knew about it is I signed up for text messages. I didn’t even know the dem candidates until a week or so ago and book it was time to sign up for the primary. Hopefully, in a regular voting cycle, voter fatigue won’t hit quite as hard and some other dem candidates can get more traction.

[Anonymous]

I think we all agree that lots can be done

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do you think school board will amend with new changes from Reid’s proposal or just remove some of her changes? I hope nothing new - maybe just add to list of things to look at in future?

They might put some of the Map 4 changes back into play (WSHS comes to mind)

There are some very upset Cardinal Forest families at Reid's last minute changes that switched that Keene Mill island down near White Oaks, Shannon Station, from getting rezoned to White Oaks elementary and Lake Braddock in Map 4, to Reid rezoning them to Cardinal Forest, putting Cardinal Forest well over capacity, and also rezoning walkable Cardinal Forest neighborhoods from Cardinal Forest to farther away Keene Mill elementary.

Moving Shannon Station to White Oaks in Map 4 eliminated an attendance island and decreased West Springfield High School by around 100 students. It also lowered transportation costs by sending them to a closer school, and sent Shannon Station to equivalent schools with the same programs. The Shannon Station move was low hanging fruit and met every last one of the four rezoning mandates given to the BRAC committee by the school board.

Reid's map keeps everyone at WSHS. Reid keeps the recommendation from Map 4 to move two SPAs from Rolling Valley to Saratoga, but leaves one Rolling Valley SPA from the Parkway area at status quo (Rolling Valley > Key > Lewis), which means that instead of being a roughly 60/40 split feeder between WSHS and Lewis, Rolling Valley is now less than 10% split going to Lewis.

What Reid did to the WSHS maps by keeping Emerald Chase at WSHS and rezoning Rolling Valley the way that she did, puts a huge target on WSHS for mid cycle rezoning in the next year or two.

Sandy Anderson openly stated this at the school board meeting last week. Anderson's term goes through 2028. Rezoning WSHS has been her consistent, stated goal since soon after she was sworn in. If she can find a way to rezone neighborhoods out of WSHS in an off cycle rezoning before her term ends, and move RV into WSHS, then she will definitely try.

If you know the history and follow the process, it is clear that Reid's map, trying to keep everyone happy, is the worst case scenario for WSHS as it means continuous, mid cycle rezoning.

I sincerely hope that the school board adopts Map 4 for WSHS, for at least Shannon Station. Or, if they leave Shannon Station at WSHS, then I hope they rezone SPA 8922 along the Parkway to Saratoga, along with the rest of the Rolling Valley Lewis schools.

In my opinion, that is the best way to protect WSHS from mid cycle rezoning.

Thanks for this summary. I think it's crazy that with all the changes proposed in the various scenarios for scenario 4, what she ended up proposing is completely new. Ridiculous.
When is Sandy Anderson up for reelection?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do you think school board will amend with new changes from Reid’s proposal or just remove some of her changes? I hope nothing new - maybe just add to list of things to look at in future?

They might put some of the Map 4 changes back into play (WSHS comes to mind)

There are some very upset Cardinal Forest families at Reid's last minute changes that switched that Keene Mill island down near White Oaks, Shannon Station, from getting rezoned to White Oaks elementary and Lake Braddock in Map 4, to Reid rezoning them to Cardinal Forest, putting Cardinal Forest well over capacity, and also rezoning walkable Cardinal Forest neighborhoods from Cardinal Forest to farther away Keene Mill elementary.

Moving Shannon Station to White Oaks in Map 4 eliminated an attendance island and decreased West Springfield High School by around 100 students. It also lowered transportation costs by sending them to a closer school, and sent Shannon Station to equivalent schools with the same programs. The Shannon Station move was low hanging fruit and met every last one of the four rezoning mandates given to the BRAC committee by the school board.

Reid's map keeps everyone at WSHS. Reid keeps the recommendation from Map 4 to move two SPAs from Rolling Valley to Saratoga, but leaves one Rolling Valley SPA from the Parkway area at status quo (Rolling Valley > Key > Lewis), which means that instead of being a roughly 60/40 split feeder between WSHS and Lewis, Rolling Valley is now less than 10% split going to Lewis.

What Reid did to the WSHS maps by keeping Emerald Chase at WSHS and rezoning Rolling Valley the way that she did, puts a huge target on WSHS for mid cycle rezoning in the next year or two.

Sandy Anderson openly stated this at the school board meeting last week. Anderson's term goes through 2028. Rezoning WSHS has been her consistent, stated goal since soon after she was sworn in. If she can find a way to rezone neighborhoods out of WSHS in an off cycle rezoning before her term ends, and move RV into WSHS, then she will definitely try.

If you know the history and follow the process, it is clear that Reid's map, trying to keep everyone happy, is the worst case scenario for WSHS as it means continuous, mid cycle rezoning.

I sincerely hope that the school board adopts Map 4 for WSHS, for at least Shannon Station. Or, if they leave Shannon Station at WSHS, then I hope they rezone SPA 8922 along the Parkway to Saratoga, along with the rest of the Rolling Valley Lewis schools.

In my opinion, that is the best way to protect WSHS from mid cycle rezoning.

One correction to my post.

School board elections are odd years in FairfaxCounty, 2019, 2023, 2027...

The term ends in January 2028, while the election is November 2027, roughly 22 months from now.

This school board has roughly 2 years to continue to make their mark on our kids' education. I think they are counting on voters completely forgetting about this rezoning mess by the next election.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do you think school board will amend with new changes from Reid’s proposal or just remove some of her changes? I hope nothing new - maybe just add to list of things to look at in future?

They might put some of the Map 4 changes back into play (WSHS comes to mind)

There are some very upset Cardinal Forest families at Reid's last minute changes that switched that Keene Mill island down near White Oaks, Shannon Station, from getting rezoned to White Oaks elementary and Lake Braddock in Map 4, to Reid rezoning them to Cardinal Forest, putting Cardinal Forest well over capacity, and also rezoning walkable Cardinal Forest neighborhoods from Cardinal Forest to farther away Keene Mill elementary.

Moving Shannon Station to White Oaks in Map 4 eliminated an attendance island and decreased West Springfield High School by around 100 students. It also lowered transportation costs by sending them to a closer school, and sent Shannon Station to equivalent schools with the same programs. The Shannon Station move was low hanging fruit and met every last one of the four rezoning mandates given to the BRAC committee by the school board.

Reid's map keeps everyone at WSHS. Reid keeps the recommendation from Map 4 to move two SPAs from Rolling Valley to Saratoga, but leaves one Rolling Valley SPA from the Parkway area at status quo (Rolling Valley > Key > Lewis), which means that instead of being a roughly 60/40 split feeder between WSHS and Lewis, Rolling Valley is now less than 10% split going to Lewis.

What Reid did to the WSHS maps by keeping Emerald Chase at WSHS and rezoning Rolling Valley the way that she did, puts a huge target on WSHS for mid cycle rezoning in the next year or two.

Sandy Anderson openly stated this at the school board meeting last week. Anderson's term goes through 2028. Rezoning WSHS has been her consistent, stated goal since soon after she was sworn in. If she can find a way to rezone neighborhoods out of WSHS in an off cycle rezoning before her term ends, and move RV into WSHS, then she will definitely try.

If you know the history and follow the process, it is clear that Reid's map, trying to keep everyone happy, is the worst case scenario for WSHS as it means continuous, mid cycle rezoning.

I sincerely hope that the school board adopts Map 4 for WSHS, for at least Shannon Station. Or, if they leave Shannon Station at WSHS, then I hope they rezone SPA 8922 along the Parkway to Saratoga, along with the rest of the Rolling Valley Lewis schools.

In my opinion, that is the best way to protect WSHS from mid cycle rezoning.

One correction to my post.

School board elections are odd years in FairfaxCounty, 2019, 2023, 2027...

The term ends in January 2028, while the election is November 2027, roughly 22 months from now.

This school board has roughly 2 years to continue to make their mark on our kids' education. I think they are counting on voters completely forgetting about this rezoning mess by the next election.

Hard to do that when Sandy Anderson promised that this is just the start and they’re planning to continue looking at a variety of schools starting in January from the superintendent’s list.

[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.

You do know about all the changes coming due to Western in June, right?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.”

This was the thinking, however they should have just made the Western boundary changes at the same time as all the rest. Waiting until June is absurd.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.”

This was the thinking, however they should have just made the Western boundary changes at the same time as all the rest. Waiting until June is absurd.

I agree. They could still do the opt-in in Year 1 and opt-out in Year 2, but parents' decisions would be better informed by knowing the future boundaries in advance.

The delay seems to be intended to serve their interests, not those of families.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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!

time stamp for the speaker?

Around 2:20:21

That’s not her. That’s mid talk from a Herndon mom

She starts around 0:38:00

Dang. She ripped Sandy a new one. Anyone know her party affiliation?

I bet she’s a dem. But I’d encourage her to run as an independent as people are sick of the current dems on the school board and she seems at least more moderate.

An independent will not win. Voters are poorly informed and just vote for the candidate endorsed by the democrats. I am a Democrat but am frustrated by this stranglehold the small number of people involved in the local Fairfax democrats have on our school board. There isn’t a lot of focus on who can actually do the job well. This board was just elected about two years ago, including many who were re-elected after presiding over a number of board failures and embarrassments. I don’t believe any of the races were close and there were some independent candidates running. The independents can’t get their name and message out and voters just vote for the person on the blue flyer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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!

time stamp for the speaker?

Around 2:20:21

That’s not her. That’s mid talk from a Herndon mom

She starts around 0:38:00

Dang. She ripped Sandy a new one. Anyone know her party affiliation?

I bet she’s a dem. But I’d encourage her to run as an independent as people are sick of the current dems on the school board and she seems at least more moderate.

An independent will not win. Voters are poorly informed and just vote for the candidate endorsed by the democrats. I am a Democrat but am frustrated by this stranglehold the small number of people involved in the local Fairfax democrats have on our school board. There isn’t a lot of focus on who can actually do the job well. This board was just elected about two years ago, including many who were re-elected after presiding over a number of board failures and embarrassments. I don’t believe any of the races were close and there were some independent candidates running. The independents can’t get their name and message out and voters just vote for the person on the blue flyer.

If people really want to send a message, the Braddock people should vote for Saundra Davis.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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!

time stamp for the speaker?

Around 2:20:21

That’s not her. That’s mid talk from a Herndon mom

She starts around 0:38:00

Dang. She ripped Sandy a new one. Anyone know her party affiliation?

I bet she’s a dem. But I’d encourage her to run as an independent as people are sick of the current dems on the school board and she seems at least more moderate.

An independent will not win. Voters are poorly informed and just vote for the candidate endorsed by the democrats. I am a Democrat but am frustrated by this stranglehold the small number of people involved in the local Fairfax democrats have on our school board. There isn’t a lot of focus on who can actually do the job well. This board was just elected about two years ago, including many who were re-elected after presiding over a number of board failures and embarrassments. I don’t believe any of the races were close and there were some independent candidates running. The independents can’t get their name and message out and voters just vote for the person on the blue flyer.

If people really want to send a message, the Braddock people should vote for Saundra Davis.

Her best shot was as an at-large candidate, and she still couldn't win without an FCDC endorsement. It's a one-party spoils system in Fairfax now, unfortunately, and it even works against the Democrats who show an ounce of independence.