Boundary Review Meetings

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My favorite part of the evening was a Cardinal Forest mom who complained that everyone looks down on Cardinal Forest (?) and that the community would not support residency checks (??).

Arguing in favor of residency fraud in an open meeting with FCPS staff and school board members is a real choice.

It wasn’t a bad meeting. There’s just a lot of upset Cardinal Forest moms.

I agree with you on the CF mom, but disagree that it wasn't a bad meeting. Sandy totally avoided a question on Rolling Valley, jumped all over a mom who held up a sign (and then Kyle jumped in to mansplain his kids were there and no one should shout (no one was), told the room to stop shitting on other schools (which no one was doing), and I walked away thinking-what the heck is going to happen in 27 and then again in 2030. At one point Sandy said if you want equity 'sell your house to a minority'. I heard nothing about how the school board is actually helping out kids.

I can’t believe I’m here defending Sandy. But she was responding to a speaker complaining that the school board didnt use economic inequalities as a basis for boundary changes and moving middle class and poor kids around to accomplish equity goals. And Sandy said that wasn’t legal. Which is true.

It’s not illegal. It would only be illegal if clearly demonstrated to be a proxy for race.

The MAGAs have gotten into your heads and convinced you that any effort to balance schools economically is “illegal.” That’s not the case, and MCPS, for example, has clearly articulated that it may look at economic demographics when conducting a boundary study.

There is plenty of video footage from school board meetings and work sessions pre November 2024 with members and Dr. Reid openly stating that every bit of rezoning would be centered on One Fairfax and "equity"

And fyi, bussing like that is illegal.

It is not illegal unless someone can prove it was done based on race rather than economics. They clearly aren’t doing that, but it’s because they are politicians acutely aware of who has the loudest voices and the most money, not because it’s illegal.

One fairfax is explicity about things like race and ethnicity.

It is a fairly low hanging fruit to prove since the School Board and Reid have mentioned One Fairfax as the driver for rezoning repeatedly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My favorite part of the evening was a Cardinal Forest mom who complained that everyone looks down on Cardinal Forest (?) and that the community would not support residency checks (??).

Arguing in favor of residency fraud in an open meeting with FCPS staff and school board members is a real choice.

It wasn’t a bad meeting. There’s just a lot of upset Cardinal Forest moms.

I agree with you on the CF mom, but disagree that it wasn't a bad meeting. Sandy totally avoided a question on Rolling Valley, jumped all over a mom who held up a sign (and then Kyle jumped in to mansplain his kids were there and no one should shout (no one was), told the room to stop shitting on other schools (which no one was doing), and I walked away thinking-what the heck is going to happen in 27 and then again in 2030. At one point Sandy said if you want equity 'sell your house to a minority'. I heard nothing about how the school board is actually helping out kids.

I can’t believe I’m here defending Sandy. But she was responding to a speaker complaining that the school board didnt use economic inequalities as a basis for boundary changes and moving middle class and poor kids around to accomplish equity goals. And Sandy said that wasn’t legal. Which is true.

It’s not illegal. It would only be illegal if clearly demonstrated to be a proxy for race.

The MAGAs have gotten into your heads and convinced you that any effort to balance schools economically is “illegal.” That’s not the case, and MCPS, for example, has clearly articulated that it may look at economic demographics when conducting a boundary study.

There is plenty of video footage from school board meetings and work sessions pre November 2024 with members and Dr. Reid openly stating that every bit of rezoning would be centered on One Fairfax and "equity"

And fyi, bussing like that is illegal.

It is not illegal unless someone can prove it was done based on race rather than economics. They clearly aren’t doing that, but it’s because they are politicians acutely aware of who has the loudest voices and the most money, not because it’s illegal.

One fairfax is explicity about things like race and ethnicity.

It is a fairly low hanging fruit to prove since the School Board and Reid have mentioned One Fairfax as the driver for rezoning repeatedly.

A plaintiff would need to prove a lot more than that there were references to One Fairfax.

Y’all pretend that any boundary change that might reduce rather than aggravate economic disparities between neighboring schools would be illegal. That’s not the case at all.

But in any event it’s amusing you’re still so worked up when it’s clear this School Board is a bunch of bumblers who talk equity and back down as soon as someone says “boo.” I get that you’re annoyed that they still plan to look at more boundaries over the next few years when it was held out as five-year reviews, but the result will likely be the same.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The Cardinal Forest rezoning happened at the last minute because Reid was trying to pull back the map 4 recommendations that moved and fixed that ridiculous Keene Mill island, Shannon Station, to the school they should be attending, White Oaks.

The only way she could avoid rezoning Shannon Station to White Oaks/Lake Braddock was to create a convoluted rezoning of them to Cardinal Forest, which then snowballed into the ridiculous rezoning of walkable Cardinal Forest neighborhoods to Keene Mill.

Shannon Station should have been rezoned to White Oaks and Lake Braddock.

Why Dr. Reid did not adopt that specific part of Map 4 sending Shannon Station to White Oaks and Lake Braddock is a complete mystery to everyone at WSHS.

I generally agree with this, with the following caveat: Using the 1 mile walk standard for elementary school, there actually are a number of homes along Carrleigh that could be walkers to either CFES or KMES (a lot of the parts in SPA 7917 west of Greeley, including Carrleigh, most of Langbrook, and parts of Dabney). In my opinion, the Cardinal Forest HOA and Charleston HOA homes on Carrleigh Forrester-to-Greeley are within 1 mile (and fairly equidistant to) both CFES and KMES, so it could make sense to move them to either school. It certainly did not make sense to split up 7917 while sending CFES to 108 percent and KMES to 88 percent.

Under all of the boundary proposals to change KMES, the vast majority of the students could be walkers to KMES, to the point where they could probably use a single bus for their local non-walker students. Rectifying a weird split-feeder attendance island to save money on transportation seems like a lost opportunity for FCPS and the school board to have an easy "win" in the boundary review process (which seem few and far between). I have no idea what FCPS and the Board is going to do to "study" this change for a year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would be upset with that last minute change to increase capacity. They do have all the reasons to be frustrated. That being said, many of their grievances spiraled into things that appear to be school admin specific decisions.

I agree. Cardinal Forest has had trouble getting kids through the lunch line during lunch for years even when it wasn't overcrowded. While overcrowding certainly doesn't help, the fact that a 102% CFES can't provide lunches during lunch while a 107% KMES can suggests that Cardinal Forest is perhaps not run well. Which was reinforced by the discussion about the Cardinal Forest principal stating that they could not hire a permanent 5th grade teacher due to a hiring freeze, which Dr. Reid said was not actually true.

The whole description of the boundary review process is just frustrating. 18 months of community input and BRAC leads to a series of proposals that eliminate a split-feeder attendance island while evening out attendance for three elementaries, which Dr. Reid then alters at the last minute to drastically increase Cardinal Forest students and drastically decrease Keene Mill students. A BRAC rep last night stated that she had no input in and was surprised by Dr. Reid's change, and Dr. Reid didn't seem to know why she made that change, other than some Cardinal Forest walkers were displaced (who might well have also been Keene Mill walkers). As a result, FCPS and the Board is just going to study the issue for a year, which is likely going to result in Cardinal Forest suffering the exact same problems for another year.

And if Dr. Reid is just going to change recommendations at the last minute on a whim, what even is the point of BRAC or community involvement? It just seems like FCPS is doing whatever it feels like under the veneer of community involvement, while also annoying its families by creating an extended time period of uncertainty.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My favorite part of the evening was a Cardinal Forest mom who complained that everyone looks down on Cardinal Forest (?) and that the community would not support residency checks (??).

Arguing in favor of residency fraud in an open meeting with FCPS staff and school board members is a real choice.

It wasn’t a bad meeting. There’s just a lot of upset Cardinal Forest moms.

I agree with you on the CF mom, but disagree that it wasn't a bad meeting. Sandy totally avoided a question on Rolling Valley, jumped all over a mom who held up a sign (and then Kyle jumped in to mansplain his kids were there and no one should shout (no one was), told the room to stop shitting on other schools (which no one was doing), and I walked away thinking-what the heck is going to happen in 27 and then again in 2030. At one point Sandy said if you want equity 'sell your house to a minority'. I heard nothing about how the school board is actually helping out kids.

I can’t believe I’m here defending Sandy. But she was responding to a speaker complaining that the school board didnt use economic inequalities as a basis for boundary changes and moving middle class and poor kids around to accomplish equity goals. And Sandy said that wasn’t legal. Which is true.

It’s not illegal. It would only be illegal if clearly demonstrated to be a proxy for race.

The MAGAs have gotten into your heads and convinced you that any effort to balance schools economically is “illegal.” That’s not the case, and MCPS, for example, has clearly articulated that it may look at economic demographics when conducting a boundary study.

There is plenty of video footage from school board meetings and work sessions pre November 2024 with members and Dr. Reid openly stating that every bit of rezoning would be centered on One Fairfax and "equity"

And fyi, bussing like that is illegal.

It is not illegal unless someone can prove it was done based on race rather than economics. They clearly aren’t doing that, but it’s because they are politicians acutely aware of who has the loudest voices and the most money, not because it’s illegal.

One fairfax is explicity about things like race and ethnicity.

It is a fairly low hanging fruit to prove since the School Board and Reid have mentioned One Fairfax as the driver for rezoning repeatedly.

A plaintiff would need to prove a lot more than that there were references to One Fairfax.

Y’all pretend that any boundary change that might reduce rather than aggravate economic disparities between neighboring schools would be illegal. That’s not the case at all.

But in any event it’s amusing you’re still so worked up when it’s clear this School Board is a bunch of bumblers who talk equity and back down as soon as someone says “boo.” I get that you’re annoyed that they still plan to look at more boundaries over the next few years when it was held out as five-year reviews, but the result will likely be the same.

DP. Isn’t One Fairfax official policy still? I’m not sure you’d need much else.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would be upset with that last minute change to increase capacity. They do have all the reasons to be frustrated. That being said, many of their grievances spiraled into things that appear to be school admin specific decisions.

I agree. Cardinal Forest has had trouble getting kids through the lunch line during lunch for years even when it wasn't overcrowded. While overcrowding certainly doesn't help, the fact that a 102% CFES can't provide lunches during lunch while a 107% KMES can suggests that Cardinal Forest is perhaps not run well. Which was reinforced by the discussion about the Cardinal Forest principal stating that they could not hire a permanent 5th grade teacher due to a hiring freeze, which Dr. Reid said was not actually true.

The whole description of the boundary review process is just frustrating. 18 months of community input and BRAC leads to a series of proposals that eliminate a split-feeder attendance island while evening out attendance for three elementaries, which Dr. Reid then alters at the last minute to drastically increase Cardinal Forest students and drastically decrease Keene Mill students. A BRAC rep last night stated that she had no input in and was surprised by Dr. Reid's change, and Dr. Reid didn't seem to know why she made that change, other than some Cardinal Forest walkers were displaced (who might well have also been Keene Mill walkers). As a result, FCPS and the Board is just going to study the issue for a year, which is likely going to result in Cardinal Forest suffering the exact same problems for another year.

And if Dr. Reid is just going to change recommendations at the last minute on a whim, what even is the point of BRAC or community involvement? It just seems like FCPS is doing whatever it feels like under the veneer of community involvement, while also annoying its families by creating an extended time period of uncertainty.

If Cardinal Forest has a front office that can't fix issues like long lunch lines or hire replacement teachers, I fail to see how that's a symptom of the boundary process or could be fixed by it? Maybe take up these issues via your PTA and talk to the local superintendent.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My favorite part of the evening was a Cardinal Forest mom who complained that everyone looks down on Cardinal Forest (?) and that the community would not support residency checks (??).

Arguing in favor of residency fraud in an open meeting with FCPS staff and school board members is a real choice.

It wasn’t a bad meeting. There’s just a lot of upset Cardinal Forest moms.

I agree with you on the CF mom, but disagree that it wasn't a bad meeting. Sandy totally avoided a question on Rolling Valley, jumped all over a mom who held up a sign (and then Kyle jumped in to mansplain his kids were there and no one should shout (no one was), told the room to stop shitting on other schools (which no one was doing), and I walked away thinking-what the heck is going to happen in 27 and then again in 2030. At one point Sandy said if you want equity 'sell your house to a minority'. I heard nothing about how the school board is actually helping out kids.

I can’t believe I’m here defending Sandy. But she was responding to a speaker complaining that the school board didnt use economic inequalities as a basis for boundary changes and moving middle class and poor kids around to accomplish equity goals. And Sandy said that wasn’t legal. Which is true.

It’s not illegal. It would only be illegal if clearly demonstrated to be a proxy for race.

The MAGAs have gotten into your heads and convinced you that any effort to balance schools economically is “illegal.” That’s not the case, and MCPS, for example, has clearly articulated that it may look at economic demographics when conducting a boundary study.

There is plenty of video footage from school board meetings and work sessions pre November 2024 with members and Dr. Reid openly stating that every bit of rezoning would be centered on One Fairfax and "equity"

And fyi, bussing like that is illegal.

It is not illegal unless someone can prove it was done based on race rather than economics. They clearly aren’t doing that, but it’s because they are politicians acutely aware of who has the loudest voices and the most money, not because it’s illegal.

One fairfax is explicity about things like race and ethnicity.

It is a fairly low hanging fruit to prove since the School Board and Reid have mentioned One Fairfax as the driver for rezoning repeatedly.

A plaintiff would need to prove a lot more than that there were references to One Fairfax.

Y’all pretend that any boundary change that might reduce rather than aggravate economic disparities between neighboring schools would be illegal. That’s not the case at all.

But in any event it’s amusing you’re still so worked up when it’s clear this School Board is a bunch of bumblers who talk equity and back down as soon as someone says “boo.” I get that you’re annoyed that they still plan to look at more boundaries over the next few years when it was held out as five-year reviews, but the result will likely be the same.

DP. Isn’t One Fairfax official policy still? I’m not sure you’d need much else.

It is one thing to move kids because of proximity and overcrowding.
It is another thing to move kids to achieve "equity." Especially, when "in boundary" families are pupil placing their kids out of the school.

I am not in the Springfield area. But, moving kids into Lewis when there is wholesale pupil placing out is kind of hard to justify.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would be upset with that last minute change to increase capacity. They do have all the reasons to be frustrated. That being said, many of their grievances spiraled into things that appear to be school admin specific decisions.

I agree. Cardinal Forest has had trouble getting kids through the lunch line during lunch for years even when it wasn't overcrowded. While overcrowding certainly doesn't help, the fact that a 102% CFES can't provide lunches during lunch while a 107% KMES can suggests that Cardinal Forest is perhaps not run well. Which was reinforced by the discussion about the Cardinal Forest principal stating that they could not hire a permanent 5th grade teacher due to a hiring freeze, which Dr. Reid said was not actually true.

The whole description of the boundary review process is just frustrating. 18 months of community input and BRAC leads to a series of proposals that eliminate a split-feeder attendance island while evening out attendance for three elementaries, which Dr. Reid then alters at the last minute to drastically increase Cardinal Forest students and drastically decrease Keene Mill students. A BRAC rep last night stated that she had no input in and was surprised by Dr. Reid's change, and Dr. Reid didn't seem to know why she made that change, other than some Cardinal Forest walkers were displaced (who might well have also been Keene Mill walkers). As a result, FCPS and the Board is just going to study the issue for a year, which is likely going to result in Cardinal Forest suffering the exact same problems for another year.

And if Dr. Reid is just going to change recommendations at the last minute on a whim, what even is the point of BRAC or community involvement? It just seems like FCPS is doing whatever it feels like under the veneer of community involvement, while also annoying its families by creating an extended time period of uncertainty.

In January 2027, Shannon Station should be moved from Keene Mill Elementary to White Oaks/Lake Braddock as presented in Map 4.

Of all the changes recommended across all schools in FCPS, Shannon Station to White Oaks/Lake Braddock is one of the few changes that should without a doubt made it to the final maps.

That the Shannon Station neighborhood rezoning not only did not happen, but also that it was rezoned to CF resulting in much closer walkers getting rezoned out of CF is absolutely ridiculous.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would be upset with that last minute change to increase capacity. They do have all the reasons to be frustrated. That being said, many of their grievances spiraled into things that appear to be school admin specific decisions.

I agree. Cardinal Forest has had trouble getting kids through the lunch line during lunch for years even when it wasn't overcrowded. While overcrowding certainly doesn't help, the fact that a 102% CFES can't provide lunches during lunch while a 107% KMES can suggests that Cardinal Forest is perhaps not run well. Which was reinforced by the discussion about the Cardinal Forest principal stating that they could not hire a permanent 5th grade teacher due to a hiring freeze, which Dr. Reid said was not actually true.

The whole description of the boundary review process is just frustrating. 18 months of community input and BRAC leads to a series of proposals that eliminate a split-feeder attendance island while evening out attendance for three elementaries, which Dr. Reid then alters at the last minute to drastically increase Cardinal Forest students and drastically decrease Keene Mill students. A BRAC rep last night stated that she had no input in and was surprised by Dr. Reid's change, and Dr. Reid didn't seem to know why she made that change, other than some Cardinal Forest walkers were displaced (who might well have also been Keene Mill walkers). As a result, FCPS and the Board is just going to study the issue for a year, which is likely going to result in Cardinal Forest suffering the exact same problems for another year.

And if Dr. Reid is just going to change recommendations at the last minute on a whim, what even is the point of BRAC or community involvement? It just seems like FCPS is doing whatever it feels like under the veneer of community involvement, while also annoying its families by creating an extended time period of uncertainty.

In January 2027, Shannon Station should be moved from Keene Mill Elementary to White Oaks/Lake Braddock as presented in Map 4.

Of all the changes recommended across all schools in FCPS, Shannon Station to White Oaks/Lake Braddock is one of the few changes that should without a doubt made it to the final maps.

That the Shannon Station neighborhood rezoning not only did not happen, but also that it was rezoned to CF resulting in much closer walkers getting rezoned out of CF is absolutely ridiculous.

This was, and always will be, a crappy game of musical chairs negatively impacting students’ mental health.

Shame on the school board, and screw their future five-year chaotic, disruptive, and unnecessary reviews.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My favorite part of the evening was a Cardinal Forest mom who complained that everyone looks down on Cardinal Forest (?) and that the community would not support residency checks (??).

Arguing in favor of residency fraud in an open meeting with FCPS staff and school board members is a real choice.

It wasn’t a bad meeting. There’s just a lot of upset Cardinal Forest moms.

I agree with you on the CF mom, but disagree that it wasn't a bad meeting. Sandy totally avoided a question on Rolling Valley, jumped all over a mom who held up a sign (and then Kyle jumped in to mansplain his kids were there and no one should shout (no one was), told the room to stop shitting on other schools (which no one was doing), and I walked away thinking-what the heck is going to happen in 27 and then again in 2030. At one point Sandy said if you want equity 'sell your house to a minority'. I heard nothing about how the school board is actually helping out kids.

I can’t believe I’m here defending Sandy. But she was responding to a speaker complaining that the school board didnt use economic inequalities as a basis for boundary changes and moving middle class and poor kids around to accomplish equity goals. And Sandy said that wasn’t legal. Which is true.

It’s not illegal. It would only be illegal if clearly demonstrated to be a proxy for race.

The MAGAs have gotten into your heads and convinced you that any effort to balance schools economically is “illegal.” That’s not the case, and MCPS, for example, has clearly articulated that it may look at economic demographics when conducting a boundary study.

There is plenty of video footage from school board meetings and work sessions pre November 2024 with members and Dr. Reid openly stating that every bit of rezoning would be centered on One Fairfax and "equity"

And fyi, bussing like that is illegal.

It is not illegal unless someone can prove it was done based on race rather than economics. They clearly aren’t doing that, but it’s because they are politicians acutely aware of who has the loudest voices and the most money, not because it’s illegal.

One fairfax is explicity about things like race and ethnicity.

It is a fairly low hanging fruit to prove since the School Board and Reid have mentioned One Fairfax as the driver for rezoning repeatedly.

A plaintiff would need to prove a lot more than that there were references to One Fairfax.

Y’all pretend that any boundary change that might reduce rather than aggravate economic disparities between neighboring schools would be illegal. That’s not the case at all.

But in any event it’s amusing you’re still so worked up when it’s clear this School Board is a bunch of bumblers who talk equity and back down as soon as someone says “boo.” I get that you’re annoyed that they still plan to look at more boundaries over the next few years when it was held out as five-year reviews, but the result will likely be the same.

DP. Isn’t One Fairfax official policy still? I’m not sure you’d need much else.

So are you saying a Marshall parent upset at the boundary changes can challenge them because there were prior references to One Fairfax, even though the impact of these changes is to make a wealthier and whiter school (Madison) even wealthier and whiter and the more diverse school (Marshall) less affluent and more diverse?

Or are you claiming One Fairfax is only relevant if a boundary change reduces disparities between nearby schools, even if FCPS could readily point to “neutral” factors such as reducing overcrowding at one school and adding kids to an under-enrolled school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would be upset with that last minute change to increase capacity. They do have all the reasons to be frustrated. That being said, many of their grievances spiraled into things that appear to be school admin specific decisions.

I agree. Cardinal Forest has had trouble getting kids through the lunch line during lunch for years even when it wasn't overcrowded. While overcrowding certainly doesn't help, the fact that a 102% CFES can't provide lunches during lunch while a 107% KMES can suggests that Cardinal Forest is perhaps not run well. Which was reinforced by the discussion about the Cardinal Forest principal stating that they could not hire a permanent 5th grade teacher due to a hiring freeze, which Dr. Reid said was not actually true.

The whole description of the boundary review process is just frustrating. 18 months of community input and BRAC leads to a series of proposals that eliminate a split-feeder attendance island while evening out attendance for three elementaries, which Dr. Reid then alters at the last minute to drastically increase Cardinal Forest students and drastically decrease Keene Mill students. A BRAC rep last night stated that she had no input in and was surprised by Dr. Reid's change, and Dr. Reid didn't seem to know why she made that change, other than some Cardinal Forest walkers were displaced (who might well have also been Keene Mill walkers). As a result, FCPS and the Board is just going to study the issue for a year, which is likely going to result in Cardinal Forest suffering the exact same problems for another year.

And if Dr. Reid is just going to change recommendations at the last minute on a whim, what even is the point of BRAC or community involvement? It just seems like FCPS is doing whatever it feels like under the veneer of community involvement, while also annoying its families by creating an extended time period of uncertainty.

In January 2027, Shannon Station should be moved from Keene Mill Elementary to White Oaks/Lake Braddock as presented in Map 4.

Of all the changes recommended across all schools in FCPS, Shannon Station to White Oaks/Lake Braddock is one of the few changes that should without a doubt made it to the final maps.

That the Shannon Station neighborhood rezoning not only did not happen, but also that it was rezoned to CF resulting in much closer walkers getting rezoned out of CF is absolutely ridiculous.

This was, and always will be, a crappy game of musical chairs negatively impacting students’ mental health.

Shame on the school board, and screw their future five-year chaotic, disruptive, and unnecessary reviews.

And they don’t understand why people are anxious. Instead they told us to not tell our kids too much to worry them. I’m sorry—- I sort of had to have a conversation with my child when we didn’t know where they would be enrolling for high school next year.

[Anonymous]

Vote Sandy out, replace with someone who focuses on actually improving schools, supporting families, students, and educators, and doesn't treat their constituents as if they are her enemy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My favorite part of the evening was a Cardinal Forest mom who complained that everyone looks down on Cardinal Forest (?) and that the community would not support residency checks (??).

Arguing in favor of residency fraud in an open meeting with FCPS staff and school board members is a real choice.

It wasn’t a bad meeting. There’s just a lot of upset Cardinal Forest moms.

I agree with you on the CF mom, but disagree that it wasn't a bad meeting. Sandy totally avoided a question on Rolling Valley, jumped all over a mom who held up a sign (and then Kyle jumped in to mansplain his kids were there and no one should shout (no one was), told the room to stop shitting on other schools (which no one was doing), and I walked away thinking-what the heck is going to happen in 27 and then again in 2030. At one point Sandy said if you want equity 'sell your house to a minority'. I heard nothing about how the school board is actually helping out kids.

I can’t believe I’m here defending Sandy. But she was responding to a speaker complaining that the school board didnt use economic inequalities as a basis for boundary changes and moving middle class and poor kids around to accomplish equity goals. And Sandy said that wasn’t legal. Which is true.

Meren is very much on board with making all things equitable, she isn’t happy with the new school because it is new and nice and shiny and other schools are not. She has complained that the boundary review did nothing for equity and complained about the different language programs that are not equally available. She didn’t mention the IB/AP inequity, which is used to move out of poorer schools to better off schools.

Oh, please. If Meren was in favor of making all things equitable, she would be objecting to making Thoreau and Madison wealthier at the expense of Kilmer and Marshall. Maybe I’m wrong, but it seemed like she is a cheerleader for the wealthy parents wanting to bail on Kilmer and Marshall.

Meren speaks equity and practices self-interest. You think she’s an equity warrior because she wants to protect South Lakes, but that doesn’t mean she cares about equity across the board.

Absolutely. Meren is a joke who is just out to win votes and the expense of what is best for all students.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My favorite part of the evening was a Cardinal Forest mom who complained that everyone looks down on Cardinal Forest (?) and that the community would not support residency checks (??).

Arguing in favor of residency fraud in an open meeting with FCPS staff and school board members is a real choice.

It wasn’t a bad meeting. There’s just a lot of upset Cardinal Forest moms.

I agree with you on the CF mom, but disagree that it wasn't a bad meeting. Sandy totally avoided a question on Rolling Valley, jumped all over a mom who held up a sign (and then Kyle jumped in to mansplain his kids were there and no one should shout (no one was), told the room to stop shitting on other schools (which no one was doing), and I walked away thinking-what the heck is going to happen in 27 and then again in 2030. At one point Sandy said if you want equity 'sell your house to a minority'. I heard nothing about how the school board is actually helping out kids.

I can’t believe I’m here defending Sandy. But she was responding to a speaker complaining that the school board didnt use economic inequalities as a basis for boundary changes and moving middle class and poor kids around to accomplish equity goals. And Sandy said that wasn’t legal. Which is true.

Meren is very much on board with making all things equitable, she isn’t happy with the new school because it is new and nice and shiny and other schools are not. She has complained that the boundary review did nothing for equity and complained about the different language programs that are not equally available. She didn’t mention the IB/AP inequity, which is used to move out of poorer schools to better off schools.

Oh, please. If Meren was in favor of making all things equitable, she would be objecting to making Thoreau and Madison wealthier at the expense of Kilmer and Marshall. Maybe I’m wrong, but it seemed like she is a cheerleader for the wealthy parents wanting to bail on Kilmer and Marshall.

Meren speaks equity and practices self-interest. You think she’s an equity warrior because she wants to protect South Lakes, but that doesn’t mean she cares about equity across the board.

Absolutely. Meren is a joke who is just out to win votes and the expense of what is best for all students.

Agree! This is her letter she is sending around.

As the Superintendent works to conclude the 18-month long comprehensive boundary review work, I recognize that much attention is on the forthcoming January 22 School Board vote on the recommendation changes. Thank you for sharing your thoughts about the school boundary proposal. Allow me to share these thoughts:

I plan to support the recommended changes shared by the Superintendent publicly at the January 8 School Board meeting. I do not plan to bring any amendments to the Superintendent’s final proposal. To do so at this time would be too last-minute.

I think the recommended changes do a good job of reducing split feeders and addressing some overcapacity issues within Hunter Mill District. I am glad a slower approach to change is being utilized by the Superintendent. I’ve maintained throughout this process that changes should avoid creating massive amounts of anxiety and last-minute change for students and families.

Of note:

By including Wolftrap neighborhoods and SPA 3914 (Tysons Woods Park) into Thoreau Middle School and Madison High School, school capacity is more balanced throughout the area. This also adjusts a long-time desire for Wolftrap ES students to be fully in the Madison pyramid. I’m really pleased about this!

The proposal will reduce split feeders at Westbriar, Colvin Run, and Crossfield elementary schools. Reducing split feeders is what is best for kids, year over year. Town of Vienna addresses remain zoned for Madison HS, an important factor for the community.

Regarding Oakton Elementary School and Flint Hill Elementary School with the Wayside and Tamarack neighborhoods: the Superintendent did not adopt my recommendation to adjust these attendance islands. I continue to hear mixed feelings on this from residents, but the proposed boundary map is what I expect will stand.

Lastly, Coates Elementary School was severely over capacity, and these changes will alleviate that problem by utilizing open capacity at the Floris, Herndon, and the McNair elementary schools.

[Anonymous]

It’s amazing to see how they are just ignoring the fact that the Kilmer capacity numbers were wrong to justify changes that strengthen Madison at Marshall’s expense. It’s a textbook example of how a school that’s split between multiple magisterial districts and has no champion on the School Board gets screwed.