How would you change the FCPS boundary maps?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There needs to be a comprehensive, district-wide boundary study. Change needs to be widespread rather than piecemeal in order to have a chance of being passed.

Everyone feels entitled and uses property values to argue against change. If the whole county gets shaken up and redrawn all at once, it will be like wiping the slate clean and starting afresh.

Tell a Hayfield family they’re now zoned for MT Vernon and see if they ever vote for your party again

Oh please. I would not switch political over parties over this. I would, however, move.

[Anonymous]

I am pretty sure that the two big reasons Shrevewood is getting screwed is because the white Timber Lane parents are worried that they will be zoned out of McLean into Marshall and the Stenwood parents don't want little brown kids in their school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am pretty sure that the two big reasons Shrevewood is getting screwed is because the white Timber Lane parents are worried that they will be zoned out of McLean into Marshall and the Stenwood parents don't want little brown kids in their school.

Nope. The only reason Shrevewood is getting screwed is because Karl Frisch decided saving a dog park in Oakton patronized by his friends was more important than quickly relieving the overcrowding at Shrevewood. It makes no sense to suggest white parents at a majority Hispanic Title I school (Timber Lane) would have a problem with a high school (Marshall) that is less diverse than their elementary school, or that Stenwood parents have any ability to dictate who goes to Stenwood or Shrevewood.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There needs to be a comprehensive, district-wide boundary study. Change needs to be widespread rather than piecemeal in order to have a chance of being passed.

Everyone feels entitled and uses property values to argue against change. If the whole county gets shaken up and redrawn all at once, it will be like wiping the slate clean and starting afresh.

Tell a Hayfield family they’re now zoned for MT Vernon and see if they ever vote for your party again

Oh please. I would not switch political over parties over this. I would, however, move.

And sell your house for how much less than it would have been worth prior?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There needs to be a comprehensive, district-wide boundary study. Change needs to be widespread rather than piecemeal in order to have a chance of being passed.

Everyone feels entitled and uses property values to argue against change. If the whole county gets shaken up and redrawn all at once, it will be like wiping the slate clean and starting afresh.

+1

+100 but it will never happen.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would aim to minimize changes. People bought expecting to be able to go to a certain school. Or if you need to make massive change I would phase them in SLowly so those in school now age out before the changes happen.

I would keep existing attendance islands. I think they are used to diversify.
I would try to eliminate split feeders as that sucks for kids.

If you are capable of buying a house, you are capable of understanding that school boundaries can change. You should never, ever buy your house JUST because of the schools. That's stupid.

Agreed. Also every 25 years or so, there needs to be countywide revaluation and adjustments.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There needs to be a comprehensive, district-wide boundary study. Change needs to be widespread rather than piecemeal in order to have a chance of being passed.

Everyone feels entitled and uses property values to argue against change. If the whole county gets shaken up and redrawn all at once, it will be like wiping the slate clean and starting afresh.

+1

+100 but it will never happen.

Certainly not as long as there is an elected school board. The last county-wide review of boundaries was in the mid-80s when the board members were appointed, rather than elected.

[Anonymous]

There is zero political upside to anything other than an incremental, butts-in-seats approach.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Given that these are the boundary maps for FCPS:

High School - https://www.fcps.edu/sites/default/files/media/pdf/SY%202021-22%20High%20School%20Boundaries.pdf

Middle School - https://www.fcps.edu/sites/default/files/media/pdf/SY%202021-22%20Middle%20School%20Boundaries_0.pdf

Elementary School - https://www.fcps.edu/sites/default/files/media/pdf/SY%202021-22%20Elementary%20School%20Boundaries.pdf

AAP Middle School - https://www.fcps.edu/sites/default/files/media/pdf/SY%202021-22%20Middle%20Schools%20by%20Middle%20School.pdf

AAP Elementary School - https://www.fcps.edu/sites/default/files/media/pdf/SY%202021-22%20Elementary%20Schools.pdf

What would you change about them? I would eliminate attendance islands for any school. As an example, I would make the tendril in Woodson High School part of Fairfax High School so that the Fairfax High School region is connected. I would also get rid of split feeders as much as possible. Everyone from one elementary school should go to the same middle school and everybody from one middle school should go to the same high school. Of course AAP complicates things, but I still think one AAP elementary school should feed into one AAP middle school.

So which middle school(s) are you going to close or which high school are you going to overcrowd? There are 23 middle schools and 22 high schools (along with the 3 secondary schools), and one of those high schools draws from all over the county (TJ).

It would easy to eliminate attendance islands by in some cases redrawing boundaries to attach the island to the core attendance area, but then some people would scream bloody murder if they were redistricted.

If it were easy to create true pyramids it would have been done already.

I think there is a misunderstanding. Multiple elementary schools should be able to feed into one middle school. Multiple middle schools can feed into one high school, if required. But my point is that you should not have a situation where a non AAP ES is sending students to three different non AAP MS. Even an AAP ES should not be sending students to multiple AAP MS.

eliminating centers solves that one pretty easily

+100
Eliminate all centers and return to neighborhood schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:no more AAP and AAP busing

AAP is the pride and joy of FCPS. That won’t be eliminated.

Last year or 2 years ago they basically decided to give each ES and MS a local level IV. Most people assume that will eliminate centers.

Then there’s that pilot math thread down the page with an email that, if real, says FCPS wants to move away from advanced math altogether.

Eliminating advanced math and gifted programs is a dem priority, so with VA being so blue, we can definitely expect those changes to materialize.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There needs to be a comprehensive, district-wide boundary study. Change needs to be widespread rather than piecemeal in order to have a chance of being passed.

Everyone feels entitled and uses property values to argue against change. If the whole county gets shaken up and redrawn all at once, it will be like wiping the slate clean and starting afresh.

Nope.
And nope.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m so glad my kids will soon be done with FCPS.

The system has been coasting on it’s reputation from the 1980’s, but I’ve been underwhelmed by my own kids’ experience. It’s just kind of meh.

I was just going to write exactly this. I attended FCPS during the 80s and it was, indeed, excellent. The FCPS of today bears little resemblance in elementary and middle school. High school is still fantastic though. At any rate, our youngest will graduate this year and we will be SO glad to say goodbye to all of this "equity" nonsense.

[Anonymous]

I agree with you, but what if our kids stick around here, marry, and have children? What will public schools look like, in, say, 2045? I'll be 71 and both of my kids will be in their 40s, hopefully with late elementary or middle schoolers.

[Anonymous]

“ If you are capable of buying a house, you are capable of understanding that school boundaries can change. You should never, ever buy your house JUST because of the schools. That's stupid.”

Yep. I know. Op asked what I would do though and what I would do - and what I am arguing in the survey process - is to minimize movement between HS pyramids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I agree with you, but what if our kids stick around here, marry, and have children? What will public schools look like, in, say, 2045? I'll be 71 and both of my kids will be in their 40s, hopefully with late elementary or middle schoolers.

I doubt it will even be an ok district by then. That is sad because I like my house and would prefer to just stay put long term. But they keep moving in the same direction of watering down and not teaching explicit skills as much as needed.

The reason HS works still is that it is highly ability segmented in ways MS and ES are not now