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

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:671 posts have an opinion on this subject and we all think we know what’s best. Let’s hope that in ten years HMS and HHS will be back to its glory.

+1

I would love it if all the top public schools in the state were in Fairfax County.

Sadly, FCPS was great about 15 years ago. The folks from MD and DC moved into NOVA to flee their terrible schools and high taxes. They bought their liberal ideas with them and now we have mediocre schools and much higher taxes.

Well, looks like homeschooling and private schools in the county are about to increase.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:671 posts have an opinion on this subject and we all think we know what’s best. Let’s hope that in ten years HMS and HHS will be back to its glory.

+1

I would love it if all the top public schools in the state were in Fairfax County.

Sadly, FCPS was great about 15 years ago. The folks from MD and DC moved into NOVA to flee their terrible schools and high taxes. They bought their liberal ideas with them and now we have mediocre schools and much higher taxes.

Well, looks like homeschooling and private schools in the county are about to increase.

How so? Has a boundary decision been made yet?

[Anonymous]

New poster.
I have been advocating for separate “catch up” schools on this board for a while. Disadvantaged kids have a different set of needs and a regular school is not best equipped to deal with them.
Since the schools will be for any disadvantaged kids, not just ELLs, that will ensure language acquisition. Plus, of course parents are free to send their middle class kids there. I am sure many forward thinking, liberal families will do just that.
It will free up the teachers’ plates so that in “regular” schools they can teach non-disadvantaged kids, instead of taking on roles or social workers and crisis counselors.
Win win!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You are correct the SB does have an obligation to educate all children. That doesn't give the federal and state government the right to plop illegals into schools with no notice or preparation. It is not fair to anyone regardless of where they live.

IMHO it is not wrong to have learning centers for illegals so they can get up to speed on the English language and culture so they can better assimilate into our schools. Dragging down the academics of the general population is not valuable to anyone.

How much are each of us willing to pay in increased taxes and lowered property values to care for illegal aliens?

Again, more questions than answers, but slinging mud at each other on this board is not constructive.

I am almost certain separate but equal is unconstitutional.

Seems to me a lot of those kids you want to set up in separate educational environments will need to be educated in institutions outside of their neighborhoods, sort of like a magnet school for non-english speakers. So is busing those kids outside of their neighborhoods for x number of years until they become fluent a good idea then, I mean you aren't against busing them out of certain schools as long as they don't get bused into segregated non-english speaker schools. I.E. not your school.

As long as they get bused into segregated non-english speaker schools it's okay?

I actually think an argument could be made that these non-native English speakers have more of a right to be bused across the county to receive education in less diverse schools, because their need is real, it isn't just about preservation of property values. The English language is most easily acquired when students are surrounded by those who speak English fluently. I honestly do not think that protection of property values should outweigh these students rights to be taught English quickly and efficiently (which happens to be in an environment where they are surrounded by majority of native English speakers). I think there would be much to be gained from taking these children out of their over-burdened base schools and placing them in an environment like Langley. If you have to remove native English speakers from Langley or any other school in order to make the numbers work, then so be it.

x1,000. Completely agree with this post. However, be careful. Those Great Falls residents are rabid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You are correct the SB does have an obligation to educate all children. That doesn't give the federal and state government the right to plop illegals into schools with no notice or preparation. It is not fair to anyone regardless of where they live.

IMHO it is not wrong to have learning centers for illegals so they can get up to speed on the English language and culture so they can better assimilate into our schools. Dragging down the academics of the general population is not valuable to anyone.

How much are each of us willing to pay in increased taxes and lowered property values to care for illegal aliens?

Again, more questions than answers, but slinging mud at each other on this board is not constructive.

I am almost certain separate but equal is unconstitutional.

Seems to me a lot of those kids you want to set up in separate educational environments will need to be educated in institutions outside of their neighborhoods, sort of like a magnet school for non-english speakers. So is busing those kids outside of their neighborhoods for x number of years until they become fluent a good idea then, I mean you aren't against busing them out of certain schools as long as they don't get bused into segregated non-english speaker schools. I.E. not your school.

As long as they get bused into segregated non-english speaker schools it's okay?

I actually think an argument could be made that these non-native English speakers have more of a right to be bused across the county to receive education in less diverse schools, because their need is real, it isn't just about preservation of property values. The English language is most easily acquired when students are surrounded by those who speak English fluently. I honestly do not think that protection of property values should outweigh these students rights to be taught English quickly and efficiently (which happens to be in an environment where they are surrounded by majority of native English speakers). I think there would be much to be gained from taking these children out of their over-burdened base schools and placing them in an environment like Langley. If you have to remove native English speakers from Langley or any other school in order to make the numbers work, then so be it.

There is no high school in FCPS that doesn’t have a substantial number of English speakers. I think you’d have a significant burden in establishing that moving kids out of, say, Herndon or Justice to Langley would actually improve their ability to acquire fluency in English. They are going to be even less likely to be in the same classes as the other students and the greater distance might make them even more likely to drop out.

Keep drinking the cool aid! Herndon has 50% Spanish speakers next to Langley's 2% foreign language speakers. Idiot.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You are correct the SB does have an obligation to educate all children. That doesn't give the federal and state government the right to plop illegals into schools with no notice or preparation. It is not fair to anyone regardless of where they live.

IMHO it is not wrong to have learning centers for illegals so they can get up to speed on the English language and culture so they can better assimilate into our schools. Dragging down the academics of the general population is not valuable to anyone.

How much are each of us willing to pay in increased taxes and lowered property values to care for illegal aliens?

Again, more questions than answers, but slinging mud at each other on this board is not constructive.

I am almost certain separate but equal is unconstitutional.

Seems to me a lot of those kids you want to set up in separate educational environments will need to be educated in institutions outside of their neighborhoods, sort of like a magnet school for non-english speakers. So is busing those kids outside of their neighborhoods for x number of years until they become fluent a good idea then, I mean you aren't against busing them out of certain schools as long as they don't get bused into segregated non-english speaker schools. I.E. not your school.

As long as they get bused into segregated non-english speaker schools it's okay?

I actually think an argument could be made that these non-native English speakers have more of a right to be bused across the county to receive education in less diverse schools, because their need is real, it isn't just about preservation of property values. The English language is most easily acquired when students are surrounded by those who speak English fluently. I honestly do not think that protection of property values should outweigh these students rights to be taught English quickly and efficiently (which happens to be in an environment where they are surrounded by majority of native English speakers). I think there would be much to be gained from taking these children out of their over-burdened base schools and placing them in an environment like Langley. If you have to remove native English speakers from Langley or any other school in order to make the numbers work, then so be it.

There is no high school in FCPS that doesn’t have a substantial number of English speakers. I think you’d have a significant burden in establishing that moving kids out of, say, Herndon or Justice to Langley would actually improve their ability to acquire fluency in English. They are going to be even less likely to be in the same classes as the other students and the greater distance might make them even more likely to drop out.

Keep drinking the cool aid! Herndon has 50% Spanish speakers next to Langley's 2% foreign language speakers. Idiot.

So 50% or so of kids at Herndon speak English then? I know that what is "substantial" may vary according to opinion but I have never before seen anyone say that 50% is not.

Generally half of anything is considered worth noting. I know I would notice if I dropped half my bodyweight (because I would be dead), or if half of clothes were missing at the cleaners, or if half the neighborhood stopped mowing their lawns.

All that said. If the esol group were small enough moving to a school where only English is spoken might really help with acquiring it.

[Anonymous]

All that said. If the esol group were small enough moving to a school where only English is spoken might really help with acquiring it.

But, it is not small enough. And, you would have far more dropouts and truancy if you bus them out of their community.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

All that said. If the esol group were small enough moving to a school where only English is spoken might really help with acquiring it.

But, it is not small enough. And, you would have far more dropouts and truancy if you bus them out of their community.

You know that.

I know that.

The school board seems more concerned with demographic uniformity among schools than what would actually help children.

[Anonymous]

Perfect solution to fill the vacancies at Langley!

https://patch.com/virginia/herndon/s/gsw4p/feds-seek-northern-va-space-unaccompanied-immigrant-kids?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=social&utm_term=politics+%26+government&utm_campaign=autopost&utm_content=herndon

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Perfect solution to fill the vacancies at Langley!

https://patch.com/virginia/herndon/s/gsw4p/feds-seek-northern-va-space-unaccompanied-immigrant-kids?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=social&utm_term=politics+%26+government&utm_campaign=autopost&utm_content=herndon

Too bad they'll put them in Sterling, Annandale, or Herndon.

Maybe south Arlington.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Perfect solution to fill the vacancies at Langley!

https://patch.com/virginia/herndon/s/gsw4p/feds-seek-northern-va-space-unaccompanied-immigrant-kids?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=social&utm_term=politics+%26+government&utm_campaign=autopost&utm_content=herndon

Too bad they'll put them in Sterling, Annandale, or Herndon.

Maybe south Arlington.

24/7 care sounds like they teach them in house?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Perfect solution to fill the vacancies at Langley!

https://patch.com/virginia/herndon/s/gsw4p/feds-seek-northern-va-space-unaccompanied-immigrant-kids?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=social&utm_term=politics+%26+government&utm_campaign=autopost&utm_content=herndon

Too bad they'll put them in Sterling, Annandale, or Herndon.

Maybe south Arlington.

This is unbelievable. They will most likely end up at a school like Herndon where they are supposedly equipped to deal with these kids. They've already implemented the high school EL program where they're pushing more EL kids into base high school classes. Initially, there weren't enough counselors to meet the needs of these kids and central support didn't staff enough. The existing counselors needed to take on more. Parents complained that upper level classes weren't running. Principals are trying to do what they can. They complained for more resources but I don't know if it ever made it into the budget.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:New poster.
I have been advocating for separate “catch up” schools on this board for a while. Disadvantaged kids have a different set of needs and a regular school is not best equipped to deal with them.
Since the schools will be for any disadvantaged kids, not just ELLs, that will ensure language acquisition. Plus, of course parents are free to send their middle class kids there. I am sure many forward thinking, liberal families will do just that.
It will free up the teachers’ plates so that in “regular” schools they can teach non-disadvantaged kids, instead of taking on roles or social workers and crisis counselors.
Win win!

I am with you. In fact, I consider some already existing public schools like the one I am zoned for, Hutchison, to be a de facto catch-up school. I do not even begrudge anything about it. These kids DO need a lot of services and help. My kids need *other* services so I put mine in private, which I can afford with some spit and shoe leather, so I do not compete tooth and nail for the public services provided by FCPS. That seems unseemly, because these folks need it more badly than my kids do. And their families do not have the resources for any other alternative.

The only thing I regret about this is the drag on property values, even though our neighborhood is really a very nice little “island.” But, what can ya do? You cannot have everything in life.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Perfect solution to fill the vacancies at Langley!

https://patch.com/virginia/herndon/s/gsw4p/feds-seek-northern-va-space-unaccompanied-immigrant-kids?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=social&utm_term=politics+%26+government&utm_campaign=autopost&utm_content=herndon

Too bad they'll put them in Sterling, Annandale, or Herndon.

Maybe south Arlington.

This is unbelievable. They will most likely end up at a school like Herndon where they are supposedly equipped to deal with these kids. They've already implemented the high school EL program where they're pushing more EL kids into base high school classes. Initially, there weren't enough counselors to meet the needs of these kids and central support didn't staff enough. The existing counselors needed to take on more. Parents complained that upper level classes weren't running. Principals are trying to do what they can. They complained for more resources but I don't know if it ever made it into the budget.

Herndon Middle's poverty has grown by 8% in just 2 years (2016-2018). How many more does it need to take?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:New poster.
I have been advocating for separate “catch up” schools on this board for a while. Disadvantaged kids have a different set of needs and a regular school is not best equipped to deal with them.
Since the schools will be for any disadvantaged kids, not just ELLs, that will ensure language acquisition. Plus, of course parents are free to send their middle class kids there. I am sure many forward thinking, liberal families will do just that.
It will free up the teachers’ plates so that in “regular” schools they can teach non-disadvantaged kids, instead of taking on roles or social workers and crisis counselors.
Win win!

We need something. Many of the kids from Central America or any refugee fleeing war/crime/famine are coming to the US have likely missed years of schools in their home country and are likely not fluent in English. Placing them in a grade that does not match their educational level is detrimental to them and their classmates. You cannot place a child based only on their age because a 10 year old who has not been to school in 2-3 years is at a totally different place then a 10 year old who has been in school. It is so glaringly obvious and yet we are tossing the 10 year old, or whatever the age, who has missed years of school in a classroom with kids who have been in school.

It is not the childs fault or the teachers fault that said child cannot keep up with the classwork. There should be a way to test kids and make sure that they are ready to be placed in a regular classroom, ie they are on grade level or very close to it and can catch up.

But creating a school for kids who are in this position will upset people because it will be seen as some form of segregation instead of a logical placement for kids who are years behind their classmates, dealing with the fall out from their immigration, and whatever other economic difficulties that their families are having.

The system that we have now is not helping these kids and it is hurting kids who have been attending school regularly and whose needs are not being met as teachers are trying to help kids who are years behind catch up.