When are Herndon Middle and Herndon High going to get a break?!??

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most people don’t care how poor or rich are the kids sitting next to their kid, nor what race they are, but people do care very much about the quality of education their kids are receiving. If you try to put my kid in a bad school, I’ll switch him to private school and will vote “no” on every school bond vote to come, since you literally forced my hand. How would that help a school with poor performance? If you are so interested in improving a school by rezoning other people’s kids, put your own kid in a bad school and then discuss how the quality of his education is unchanged.

I love these threats! Please go! You’re kid is not some gift to the world.

I invite all the angry great falls parents to leave for private school. I DARE YOU. Hahaha. You’ll never do it. Most of you are waaaaaay too cheap.

Go away and come back when your kids are attending the worst schools in fcps!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most people don’t care how poor or rich are the kids sitting next to their kid, nor what race they are, but people do care very much about the quality of education their kids are receiving. If you try to put my kid in a bad school, I’ll switch him to private school and will vote “no” on every school bond vote to come, since you literally forced my hand. How would that help a school with poor performance? If you are so interested in improving a school by rezoning other people’s kids, put your own kid in a bad school and then discuss how the quality of his education is unchanged.

I love these threats! Please go! You’re kid is not some gift to the world.

I invite all the angry great falls parents to leave for private school. I DARE YOU. Hahaha. You’ll never do it. Most of you are waaaaaay too cheap.

Go away and come back when your kids are attending the worst schools in fcps!

NP here. I just want to point out that the metrics for the higher-income kids at Herndon (SAT scores and AP participation/performance) are pretty solid. If the rich kid from Langley isn’t necessarily going to give a poor kid from Herndon a big boost on his SOLs, neither is there reason to think the wealthier kid would nose dive if attending Herndon rather than Langley.

[Anonymous]

NP here. I just want to point out that the metrics for the higher-income kids at Herndon (SAT scores and AP participation/performance) are pretty solid. If the rich kid from Langley isn’t necessarily going to give a poor kid from Herndon a big boost on his SOLs, neither is there reason to think the wealthier kid would nose dive if attending Herndon rather than Langley.

Agree.
There are a lot of things to be considered when doing boundary issues, but, to me, capacity and then time and distance are the primary factors. Right now, until there is a new high school, shifting kids around does not seem to make sense.

However, the situation with McLean/Langley may be different. Langley is underenrolled and, it seems to me that it makes sense to move some of the McLean kids--but, I don't know the details of time and distance in those neighborhoods. To me, Langley and McLean are both in the same area--but, I don't live anywhere near there.

[Anonymous]

I can only speak for myself and the Great Falls neighbors that I have talked to but here are the concerns. One is that real estate agents will tell you that a house zoned to Langley carries a financial premium because of the reputation of the school (right or wrong). There are many families who saved and sacrificed to be able to purchase a home in that school district so their kids could attend Langley because education was a family priority. For most people, their home is their single greatest financial asset. Facing the possibility of losing 20-30% of your home's value due to a capricious boundary change AND having your child now zoned for a school that is demonstrably weaker (graduation rates, SAT scores, SOL pass//pass advanced rates, reported behavior incidents, college matriculation....) is upsetting. No one I have talked to cares about the skin color or socioeconomic status of their kid's classmates. Another is frustration at the hubris of our School Board to think that their social engineering will fix the problems that they have been unable to address to date. They won't. Moving kids around simply masks the problems with the law of averages. Instead of spending money importing higher SOL/SAT scores, we should be spending the money to actually help the kids who need more. This is about the School Board making themselves look good not about actually helping kids that need help. Lastly, Great Falls is a small, close knit community. We see the benefits of having a community feed into one high school - the pride of alums, involvement of parents and support of businesses and community organizations. There is a synergy that develops over time. The school is not the building but the families, teachers and staff that are in the building. Changing boundaries disrupts that synergy - it can be rebuilt but it does disrupt.

Langley is currently under-enrolled. I have not talked to one Langley parent who is against opening up the school to bring in more students from outside their current boundaries. The concern is only if it will disrupt the synergy of the kids/families already there. Please don't misinterpret our concern for anything more than that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This comes up periodically but realistically there is a difference between busing kids whose families suppprt their attending an AAP center or TJ and busing Hispanic kids further away from schools closer to their residences because whites in Herndon think there are too many poor Hispanics in their pyramid.

It's not ideal, sure. But there are not many other solutions. It is a solution and it will help alleviate the burden on Herndon middle and Herndon high.

Anecdotally -- my white neighbors have remained, but the South Americans (Argentinians, Peruvians, Uruguayans, Venezuelan) have moved ... to Reston and Oakton (Madison).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This comes up periodically but realistically there is a difference between busing kids whose families suppprt their attending an AAP center or TJ and busing Hispanic kids further away from schools closer to their residences because whites in Herndon think there are too many poor Hispanics in their pyramid.

It's not ideal, sure. But there are not many other solutions. It is a solution and it will help alleviate the burden on Herndon middle and Herndon high.

Anecdotally -- my white neighbors have remained, but the South Americans (Argentinians, Peruvians, Uruguayans, Venezuelan) have moved ... to Reston and Oakton (Madison).

Forgot to say that the South Americans say they have left for better schools. Some (not all) go out of their way to distinguish themselves from Central Americans, who also tend to stay. I think once the young Latino population are educated and become parents here, things will improve. Many parents want to help their kids but lack the education (from their native schools let alone in American ones), time and resources to help a lot. The kids though are great.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I can only speak for myself and the Great Falls neighbors that I have talked to but here are the concerns. One is that real estate agents will tell you that a house zoned to Langley carries a financial premium because of the reputation of the school (right or wrong). There are many families who saved and sacrificed to be able to purchase a home in that school district so their kids could attend Langley because education was a family priority. For most people, their home is their single greatest financial asset. Facing the possibility of losing 20-30% of your home's value due to a capricious boundary change AND having your child now zoned for a school that is demonstrably weaker (graduation rates, SAT scores, SOL pass//pass advanced rates, reported behavior incidents, college matriculation....) is upsetting. No one I have talked to cares about the skin color or socioeconomic status of their kid's classmates. Another is frustration at the hubris of our School Board to think that their social engineering will fix the problems that they have been unable to address to date. They won't. Moving kids around simply masks the problems with the law of averages. Instead of spending money importing higher SOL/SAT scores, we should be spending the money to actually help the kids who need more. This is about the School Board making themselves look good not about actually helping kids that need help. Lastly, Great Falls is a small, close knit community. We see the benefits of having a community feed into one high school - the pride of alums, involvement of parents and support of businesses and community organizations. There is a synergy that develops over time. The school is not the building but the families, teachers and staff that are in the building. Changing boundaries disrupts that synergy - it can be rebuilt but it does disrupt.

Langley is currently under-enrolled. I have not talked to one Langley parent who is against opening up the school to bring in more students from outside their current boundaries. The concern is only if it will disrupt the synergy of the kids/families already there. Please don't misinterpret our concern for anything more than that.

Kids in Herndon go to four high schools. Kids in McLean go to three high schools. Kids in Vienna go to seven high schools.

If Great Falls split between Langley and McLean, or Langley and Madison, no one in Great Falls would bat an eye. It’s only the prospect of some kids attending Herndon, with its substantially higher ESOL/FARMS rates, that has the Great Falls parents up in arms. It has nothing to do with synergies or being an especially close knit community, and everything to do with real estate values and a mistrust of poorer families.

[Anonymous]

What about the large chunk of us Herndon homeowners who bought our homes ten years ago with the intention of sending our kids to a strong pyramid (back when FARM Rates were 1/3 what it is now!) Life is a bitch - make the best of it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I can only speak for myself and the Great Falls neighbors that I have talked to but here are the concerns. One is that real estate agents will tell you that a house zoned to Langley carries a financial premium because of the reputation of the school (right or wrong). There are many families who saved and sacrificed to be able to purchase a home in that school district so their kids could attend Langley because education was a family priority. For most people, their home is their single greatest financial asset. Facing the possibility of losing 20-30% of your home's value due to a capricious boundary change AND having your child now zoned for a school that is demonstrably weaker (graduation rates, SAT scores, SOL pass//pass advanced rates, reported behavior incidents, college matriculation....) is upsetting. No one I have talked to cares about the skin color or socioeconomic status of their kid's classmates. Another is frustration at the hubris of our School Board to think that their social engineering will fix the problems that they have been unable to address to date. They won't. Moving kids around simply masks the problems with the law of averages. Instead of spending money importing higher SOL/SAT scores, we should be spending the money to actually help the kids who need more. This is about the School Board making themselves look good not about actually helping kids that need help. Lastly, Great Falls is a small, close knit community. We see the benefits of having a community feed into one high school - the pride of alums, involvement of parents and support of businesses and community organizations. There is a synergy that develops over time. The school is not the building but the families, teachers and staff that are in the building. Changing boundaries disrupts that synergy - it can be rebuilt but it does disrupt.

Langley is currently under-enrolled. I have not talked to one Langley parent who is against opening up the school to bring in more students from outside their current boundaries. The concern is only if it will disrupt the synergy of the kids/families already there. Please don't misinterpret our concern for anything more than that.

Kids in Herndon go to four high schools. Kids in McLean go to three high schools. Kids in Vienna go to seven high schools.

If Great Falls split between Langley and McLean, or Langley and Madison, no one in Great Falls would bat an eye. It’s only the prospect of some kids attending Herndon, with its substantially higher ESOL/FARMS rates, that has the Great Falls parents up in arms. It has nothing to do with synergies or being an especially close knit community, and everything to do with real estate values and a mistrust of poorer families.

Can you tell me why someone should accept having their kids move from a great high school to a high school with a reputation for significant gang activity and a poor reputation (and scores)? And also accept the drop in property values? Because ... Fairness? Equity?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I can only speak for myself and the Great Falls neighbors that I have talked to but here are the concerns. One is that real estate agents will tell you that a house zoned to Langley carries a financial premium because of the reputation of the school (right or wrong). There are many families who saved and sacrificed to be able to purchase a home in that school district so their kids could attend Langley because education was a family priority. For most people, their home is their single greatest financial asset. Facing the possibility of losing 20-30% of your home's value due to a capricious boundary change AND having your child now zoned for a school that is demonstrably weaker (graduation rates, SAT scores, SOL pass//pass advanced rates, reported behavior incidents, college matriculation....) is upsetting. No one I have talked to cares about the skin color or socioeconomic status of their kid's classmates. Another is frustration at the hubris of our School Board to think that their social engineering will fix the problems that they have been unable to address to date. They won't. Moving kids around simply masks the problems with the law of averages. Instead of spending money importing higher SOL/SAT scores, we should be spending the money to actually help the kids who need more. This is about the School Board making themselves look good not about actually helping kids that need help. Lastly, Great Falls is a small, close knit community. We see the benefits of having a community feed into one high school - the pride of alums, involvement of parents and support of businesses and community organizations. There is a synergy that develops over time. The school is not the building but the families, teachers and staff that are in the building. Changing boundaries disrupts that synergy - it can be rebuilt but it does disrupt.

Langley is currently under-enrolled. I have not talked to one Langley parent who is against opening up the school to bring in more students from outside their current boundaries. The concern is only if it will disrupt the synergy of the kids/families already there. Please don't misinterpret our concern for anything more than that.

Kids in Herndon go to four high schools. Kids in McLean go to three high schools. Kids in Vienna go to seven high schools.

If Great Falls split between Langley and McLean, or Langley and Madison, no one in Great Falls would bat an eye. It’s only the prospect of some kids attending Herndon, with its substantially higher ESOL/FARMS rates, that has the Great Falls parents up in arms. It has nothing to do with synergies or being an especially close knit community, and everything to do with real estate values and a mistrust of poorer families.

Can you tell me why someone should accept having their kids move from a great high school to a high school with a reputation for significant gang activity and a poor reputation (and scores)? And also accept the drop in property values? Because ... Fairness? Equity?

Ummm... how about it’s 10+ miles closer? Does that work for you?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What about the large chunk of us Herndon homeowners who bought our homes ten years ago with the intention of sending our kids to a strong pyramid (back when FARM Rates were 1/3 what it is now!) Life is a bitch - make the best of it.

No, liberals are a bitch - that's who changed the demographics of Herndon, deliberately I might add. I have no issues relocating these individuals into North Arlington schools.

[Anonymous]

Langley is currently underenrolled. Well, we can fix that with some apartment complexes in Herndon!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I can only speak for myself and the Great Falls neighbors that I have talked to but here are the concerns. One is that real estate agents will tell you that a house zoned to Langley carries a financial premium because of the reputation of the school (right or wrong). There are many families who saved and sacrificed to be able to purchase a home in that school district so their kids could attend Langley because education was a family priority. For most people, their home is their single greatest financial asset. Facing the possibility of losing 20-30% of your home's value due to a capricious boundary change AND having your child now zoned for a school that is demonstrably weaker (graduation rates, SAT scores, SOL pass//pass advanced rates, reported behavior incidents, college matriculation....) is upsetting. No one I have talked to cares about the skin color or socioeconomic status of their kid's classmates. Another is frustration at the hubris of our School Board to think that their social engineering will fix the problems that they have been unable to address to date. They won't. Moving kids around simply masks the problems with the law of averages. Instead of spending money importing higher SOL/SAT scores, we should be spending the money to actually help the kids who need more. This is about the School Board making themselves look good not about actually helping kids that need help. Lastly, Great Falls is a small, close knit community. We see the benefits of having a community feed into one high school - the pride of alums, involvement of parents and support of businesses and community organizations. There is a synergy that develops over time. The school is not the building but the families, teachers and staff that are in the building. Changing boundaries disrupts that synergy - it can be rebuilt but it does disrupt.

Langley is currently under-enrolled. I have not talked to one Langley parent who is against opening up the school to bring in more students from outside their current boundaries. The concern is only if it will disrupt the synergy of the kids/families already there. Please don't misinterpret our concern for anything more than that.

Kids in Herndon go to four high schools. Kids in McLean go to three high schools. Kids in Vienna go to seven high schools.

If Great Falls split between Langley and McLean, or Langley and Madison, no one in Great Falls would bat an eye. It’s only the prospect of some kids attending Herndon, with its substantially higher ESOL/FARMS rates, that has the Great Falls parents up in arms. It has nothing to do with synergies or being an especially close knit community, and everything to do with real estate values and a mistrust of poorer families.

Can you tell me why someone should accept having their kids move from a great high school to a high school with a reputation for significant gang activity and a poor reputation (and scores)? And also accept the drop in property values? Because ... Fairness? Equity?

Ummm... how about it’s 10+ miles closer? Does that work for you?

Considering the school board and the county said that demographics is not a reason for a boundary shift, no. That's no reason.

I'm going to ask you again - why should Great Falls parents (or any parent for that matter) accept the loss in property values and the hit on their childrens' education?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Langley is currently underenrolled. Well, we can fix that with some apartment complexes in Herndon!

We have some folk in Langley from Herndon already. All along Sugarland Rd off FFX Cty. Parkway. We can also fix it with McLean students and students from the Western part of Tysons corner.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I can only speak for myself and the Great Falls neighbors that I have talked to but here are the concerns. One is that real estate agents will tell you that a house zoned to Langley carries a financial premium because of the reputation of the school (right or wrong). There are many families who saved and sacrificed to be able to purchase a home in that school district so their kids could attend Langley because education was a family priority. For most people, their home is their single greatest financial asset. Facing the possibility of losing 20-30% of your home's value due to a capricious boundary change AND having your child now zoned for a school that is demonstrably weaker (graduation rates, SAT scores, SOL pass//pass advanced rates, reported behavior incidents, college matriculation....) is upsetting. No one I have talked to cares about the skin color or socioeconomic status of their kid's classmates. Another is frustration at the hubris of our School Board to think that their social engineering will fix the problems that they have been unable to address to date. They won't. Moving kids around simply masks the problems with the law of averages. Instead of spending money importing higher SOL/SAT scores, we should be spending the money to actually help the kids who need more. This is about the School Board making themselves look good not about actually helping kids that need help. Lastly, Great Falls is a small, close knit community. We see the benefits of having a community feed into one high school - the pride of alums, involvement of parents and support of businesses and community organizations. There is a synergy that develops over time. The school is not the building but the families, teachers and staff that are in the building. Changing boundaries disrupts that synergy - it can be rebuilt but it does disrupt.

Langley is currently under-enrolled. I have not talked to one Langley parent who is against opening up the school to bring in more students from outside their current boundaries. The concern is only if it will disrupt the synergy of the kids/families already there. Please don't misinterpret our concern for anything more than that.

Kids in Herndon go to four high schools. Kids in McLean go to three high schools. Kids in Vienna go to seven high schools.

If Great Falls split between Langley and McLean, or Langley and Madison, no one in Great Falls would bat an eye. It’s only the prospect of some kids attending Herndon, with its substantially higher ESOL/FARMS rates, that has the Great Falls parents up in arms. It has nothing to do with synergies or being an especially close knit community, and everything to do with real estate values and a mistrust of poorer families.

Can you tell me why someone should accept having their kids move from a great high school to a high school with a reputation for significant gang activity and a poor reputation (and scores)? And also accept the drop in property values? Because ... Fairness? Equity?

Ummm... how about it’s 10+ miles closer? Does that work for you?

Considering the school board and the county said that demographics is not a reason for a boundary shift, no. That's no reason.

I'm going to ask you again - why should Great Falls parents (or any parent for that matter) accept the loss in property values and the hit on their childrens' education?

Dear entitled a**hole, why exactly should anyone give a sh*t about your property values?

Signed, the world