Trump's new educational secretary nominee, Betsy DeVos, have a reaching affect on VA Public Schools?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I can't imagine her appointment having a huge impact on VA schools. For one, we don't have any charter schools in VA. Secondly, most FCPS schools are functioning so there's no reason for vouchers. I think most educational efforts are focused on reforming Title 1 and innercity schools. VA has been left pretty much unscathed by this wave of education reform and NCLB that's been going on for over a decade.

Don't be so complacent. This blowhard spent years trying to establish a charter school in Falls Church.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/why-is-fairfax-county-afraid-of-a-little-charter-school/2015/02/08/ce46801c-ae2d-11e4-ad71-7b9eba0f87d6_story.html

And in Mason District, a Ms. Jessica Swanson, DCPS employee, and bankrolled by Teach for America affiliated super PAC "Leadership for Educational Equity" ran against Penny Gross in the democratic primaries for BOS last year. DCPS and Teach for America are both ardently pro-charter.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/dc-politics/fairfax-election-heats-up-over-seven-corners-plan-and-school-funding/2015/06/04/afde472e-0934-11e5-95fd-d580f1c5d44e_story.html

I really don't care for Penny Gross, but I voted for her in the primaries so that Ms. Swanson would not have a fighting chance of establishing charters in Fairfax County.

Do you have kids in the Stuart pyramid? This charter school was supported by many parents. The current system is not working for a lot of students.

And that was a smear campaign by Penny Gross. Jessica Swanson supported looking into this charter school as an option. So did many FCPS teachers and administrators. Jessica Swanson would have been a much better advocate for Mason Distruct schools than Penny Gross.

Yes, yes I do. And I do not support school "choice" or vouchers. There is plenty of choice and opting out of Stuart pyramid schools currently, even without charters and vouchers.

Dp- really? Have you opted you kids out? To where?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

FCPS is already basically divided into the haves and have nots. If you live in one of the garbage pyramids like I do, you would be all for vouchers. Let's face it. If you're in certain FCPS pyramids, your schools are failing and not getting any better. The ESL and FARM students just keep coming, and middle class families avoid your pyramid like the plague. Give me my tax dollars back so I can send my kids to a school that isn't failing.

Should those without children get a rebate, too? What about people whose kids are too young for school? Too old for school?

No, no, and no. You don't pay taxes for "your" kids. You pay taxes because we live in a society, and providing a free education to all members of that society is good for the country as a whole. You should neither get "your" tax dollars back for going private than I should get "my" tax dollars back for not driving, or my neighbor should get "her" tax dollars back because she doesn't use the library.

That's your opinion. Thankfully, we will now have a President and Secretary of Education that doesn't buy into your liberal bs.

No, this is not liberal BS. This is the price of living in civilized society. Your vision of the world ends in a Mad Max-like hellscape.

Unless you are secretly a billionaire, you're going to wind up just as screwed as those you're intent on crapping on. There will be no middle, no upper middle. The winners are going to take all for themselves, and leave the rest of us to fight like dogs in the street. And in case you haven't noticed, you are not one of the winners. If you were you wouldn't be on here with the rest of us plebeians.

I wholeheartedly agree, free education is good for society. And since we're worrying about it, I'd add "importation of low-skilled, low-wage labor" and "importation of ESL and FARMS students" to my list of things that are not good for society for assorted reasons. Surely you'd agree, since you're worried about the good of society and all.

[Anonymous]

Yes, her appointment will make it more likely that your kid will get into UVA.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

FCPS is already basically divided into the haves and have nots. If you live in one of the garbage pyramids like I do, you would be all for vouchers. Let's face it. If you're in certain FCPS pyramids, your schools are failing and not getting any better. The ESL and FARM students just keep coming, and middle class families avoid your pyramid like the plague. Give me my tax dollars back so I can send my kids to a school that isn't failing.

Should those without children get a rebate, too? What about people whose kids are too young for school? Too old for school?

No, no, and no. You don't pay taxes for "your" kids. You pay taxes because we live in a society, and providing a free education to all members of that society is good for the country as a whole. You should neither get "your" tax dollars back for going private than I should get "my" tax dollars back for not driving, or my neighbor should get "her" tax dollars back because she doesn't use the library.

That's your opinion. Thankfully, we will now have a President and Secretary of Education that doesn't buy into your liberal bs.

No, this is not liberal BS. This is the price of living in civilized society. Your vision of the world ends in a Mad Max-like hellscape.

Unless you are secretly a billionaire, you're going to wind up just as screwed as those you're intent on crapping on. There will be no middle, no upper middle. The winners are going to take all for themselves, and leave the rest of us to fight like dogs in the street. And in case you haven't noticed, you are not one of the winners. If you were you wouldn't be on here with the rest of us plebeians.

I wholeheartedly agree, free education is good for society. And since we're worrying about it, I'd add "importation of low-skilled, low-wage labor" and "importation of ESL and FARMS students" to my list of things that are not good for society for assorted reasons. Surely you'd agree, since you're worried about the good of society and all.

Surely we do not agree. Those "ESL and FARMS students" are members of our society, too. Most of them are legal US citizens, and are entitled to free public education, just like your little Larlo. If I were you, I'd focus on teaching Larlo a second language so that he can compete with all these bilingual kids. Larlo is going to be at a real disadvantage if he can only speak English.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

FCPS is already basically divided into the haves and have nots. If you live in one of the garbage pyramids like I do, you would be all for vouchers. Let's face it. If you're in certain FCPS pyramids, your schools are failing and not getting any better. The ESL and FARM students just keep coming, and middle class families avoid your pyramid like the plague. Give me my tax dollars back so I can send my kids to a school that isn't failing.

Should those without children get a rebate, too? What about people whose kids are too young for school? Too old for school?

No, no, and no. You don't pay taxes for "your" kids. You pay taxes because we live in a society, and providing a free education to all members of that society is good for the country as a whole. You should neither get "your" tax dollars back for going private than I should get "my" tax dollars back for not driving, or my neighbor should get "her" tax dollars back because she doesn't use the library.

That's your opinion. Thankfully, we will now have a President and Secretary of Education that doesn't buy into your liberal bs.

No, this is not liberal BS. This is the price of living in civilized society. Your vision of the world ends in a Mad Max-like hellscape.

Unless you are secretly a billionaire, you're going to wind up just as screwed as those you're intent on crapping on. There will be no middle, no upper middle. The winners are going to take all for themselves, and leave the rest of us to fight like dogs in the street. And in case you haven't noticed, you are not one of the winners. If you were you wouldn't be on here with the rest of us plebeians.

I wholeheartedly agree, free education is good for society. And since we're worrying about it, I'd add "importation of low-skilled, low-wage labor" and "importation of ESL and FARMS students" to my list of things that are not good for society for assorted reasons. Surely you'd agree, since you're worried about the good of society and all.

Surely we do not agree. Those "ESL and FARMS students" are members of our society, too. Most of them are legal US citizens, and are entitled to free public education, just like your little Larlo. If I were you, I'd focus on teaching Larlo a second language so that he can compete with all these bilingual kids. Larlo is going to be at a real disadvantage if he can only speak English.

Larlo will be just fine once we deport these ESL students and put up the wall to keep them out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

FCPS is already basically divided into the haves and have nots. If you live in one of the garbage pyramids like I do, you would be all for vouchers. Let's face it. If you're in certain FCPS pyramids, your schools are failing and not getting any better. The ESL and FARM students just keep coming, and middle class families avoid your pyramid like the plague. Give me my tax dollars back so I can send my kids to a school that isn't failing.

Should those without children get a rebate, too? What about people whose kids are too young for school? Too old for school?

No, no, and no. You don't pay taxes for "your" kids. You pay taxes because we live in a society, and providing a free education to all members of that society is good for the country as a whole. You should neither get "your" tax dollars back for going private than I should get "my" tax dollars back for not driving, or my neighbor should get "her" tax dollars back because she doesn't use the library.

That's your opinion. Thankfully, we will now have a President and Secretary of Education that doesn't buy into your liberal bs.

No, this is not liberal BS. This is the price of living in civilized society. Your vision of the world ends in a Mad Max-like hellscape.

Unless you are secretly a billionaire, you're going to wind up just as screwed as those you're intent on crapping on. There will be no middle, no upper middle. The winners are going to take all for themselves, and leave the rest of us to fight like dogs in the street. And in case you haven't noticed, you are not one of the winners. If you were you wouldn't be on here with the rest of us plebeians.

I wholeheartedly agree, free education is good for society. And since we're worrying about it, I'd add "importation of low-skilled, low-wage labor" and "importation of ESL and FARMS students" to my list of things that are not good for society for assorted reasons. Surely you'd agree, since you're worried about the good of society and all.

Surely we do not agree. Those "ESL and FARMS students" are members of our society, too. Most of them are legal US citizens, and are entitled to free public education, just like your little Larlo. If I were you, I'd focus on teaching Larlo a second language so that he can compete with all these bilingual kids. Larlo is going to be at a real disadvantage if he can only speak English.

Larlo will be just fine once we deport these ESL students and put up the wall to keep them out.

Well, if you believe that's going to happen, I have a bridge to sell you. No, make that a wall. Wait, no, you already bought that line of bu!!$h!t from someone else.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I can't imagine her appointment having a huge impact on VA schools. For one, we don't have any charter schools in VA. Secondly, most FCPS schools are functioning so there's no reason for vouchers. I think most educational efforts are focused on reforming Title 1 and innercity schools. VA has been left pretty much unscathed by this wave of education reform and NCLB that's been going on for over a decade.

Don't be so complacent. This blowhard spent years trying to establish a charter school in Falls Church.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/why-is-fairfax-county-afraid-of-a-little-charter-school/2015/02/08/ce46801c-ae2d-11e4-ad71-7b9eba0f87d6_story.html

And in Mason District, a Ms. Jessica Swanson, DCPS employee, and bankrolled by Teach for America affiliated super PAC "Leadership for Educational Equity" ran against Penny Gross in the democratic primaries for BOS last year. DCPS and Teach for America are both ardently pro-charter.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/dc-politics/fairfax-election-heats-up-over-seven-corners-plan-and-school-funding/2015/06/04/afde472e-0934-11e5-95fd-d580f1c5d44e_story.html

I really don't care for Penny Gross, but I voted for her in the primaries so that Ms. Swanson would not have a fighting chance of establishing charters in Fairfax County.

Do you have kids in the Stuart pyramid? This charter school was supported by many parents. The current system is not working for a lot of students.

And that was a smear campaign by Penny Gross. Jessica Swanson supported looking into this charter school as an option. So did many FCPS teachers and administrators. Jessica Swanson would have been a much better advocate for Mason Distruct schools than Penny Gross.

Yes, yes I do. And I do not support school "choice" or vouchers. There is plenty of choice and opting out of Stuart pyramid schools currently, even without charters and vouchers.

I hate the idea of charters in FCPS. However, I also hate FCPS inflicting IB on so many of the poorer schools in the county, where it isn't needed and attracts few diploma students, and then sticking everyone in the county with the cost, when AP wouldn't cost as much. Maybe the possibility that parents might have more alternatives to crappy IB programs will serve as a wake-up call. It's

[Anonymous]

There are many ways to get rid of IB schools without charters although it's elimination would be a gradual process. It's likely to even be done this year with the tax cuts. Have you even brought your concern to the entire school board at public meetings and in writing? Do you know anyone at those schools who support the change? It should be instigated by the parents at those schools if possible

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think this could seriously affect Arlington Schools.

The superintendent would love to be freed from the last vestiges of APS' moribund commitment to a public school system that works for all students, from all backgrounds. I was hoping he'd leave to go work for some ed reform organization.

Explain, please.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:FCPS is already basically divided into the haves and have nots. If you live in one of the garbage pyramids like I do, you would be all for vouchers. Let's face it. If you're in certain FCPS pyramids, your schools are failing and not getting any better. The ESL and FARM students just keep coming, and middle class families avoid your pyramid like the plague. Give me my tax dollars back so I can send my kids to a school that isn't failing.

You can homeschool. That is the option and you should feel lucky that it (and "unschooling" in VA) is allowed under law.

What you aren't allowed to do is avoid paying taxes just because you don't like your public school.

Just imagine the bureaucracy that would be necessary if everyone were allowed to skip out on portions of their taxes by claiming they don't need this or that public service.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:FCPS is already basically divided into the haves and have nots. If you live in one of the garbage pyramids like I do, you would be all for vouchers. Let's face it. If you're in certain FCPS pyramids, your schools are failing and not getting any better. The ESL and FARM students just keep coming, and middle class families avoid your pyramid like the plague. Give me my tax dollars back so I can send my kids to a school that isn't failing.

You can homeschool. That is the option and you should feel lucky that it (and "unschooling" in VA) is allowed under law.

What you aren't allowed to do is avoid paying taxes just because you don't like your public school.

Just imagine the bureaucracy that would be necessary if everyone were allowed to skip out on portions of their taxes by claiming they don't need this or that public service.

Yeah let's all makes sure McLean and Langley stay excellent...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:FCPS is already basically divided into the haves and have nots. If you live in one of the garbage pyramids like I do, you would be all for vouchers. Let's face it. If you're in certain FCPS pyramids, your schools are failing and not getting any better. The ESL and FARM students just keep coming, and middle class families avoid your pyramid like the plague. Give me my tax dollars back so I can send my kids to a school that isn't failing.

You can homeschool. That is the option and you should feel lucky that it (and "unschooling" in VA) is allowed under law.

What you aren't allowed to do is avoid paying taxes just because you don't like your public school.

Just imagine the bureaucracy that would be necessary if everyone were allowed to skip out on portions of their taxes by claiming they don't need this or that public service.

Yeah let's all makes sure McLean and Langley stay excellent...

LOL I am a teacher, not a concerned parent. And I have never lived in VA.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:FCPS is already basically divided into the haves and have nots. If you live in one of the garbage pyramids like I do, you would be all for vouchers. Let's face it. If you're in certain FCPS pyramids, your schools are failing and not getting any better. The ESL and FARM students just keep coming, and middle class families avoid your pyramid like the plague. Give me my tax dollars back so I can send my kids to a school that isn't failing.

You can homeschool. That is the option and you should feel lucky that it (and "unschooling" in VA) is allowed under law.

What you aren't allowed to do is avoid paying taxes just because you don't like your public school.

Just imagine the bureaucracy that would be necessary if everyone were allowed to skip out on portions of their taxes by claiming they don't need this or that public service.

Yeah let's all makes sure McLean and Langley stay excellent...

LOL I am a teacher, not a concerned parent. And I have never lived in VA.

Well I sure hope you are rolling up your sleeves and teaching in a majority FARMS and ESOL school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There are many ways to get rid of IB schools without charters although it's elimination would be a gradual process. It's likely to even be done this year with the tax cuts. Have you even brought your concern to the entire school board at public meetings and in writing? Do you know anyone at those schools who support the change? It should be instigated by the parents at those schools if possible

No interest in getting rid of IB in favor of AP at my local HS. Why do you think I would want that?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are many ways to get rid of IB schools without charters although it's elimination would be a gradual process. It's likely to even be done this year with the tax cuts. Have you even brought your concern to the entire school board at public meetings and in writing? Do you know anyone at those schools who support the change? It should be instigated by the parents at those schools if possible

No interest in getting rid of IB in favor of AP at my local HS. Why do you think I would want that?

Hated IB at our school. Lots of busy work; full of slogans like turning kids into "global citizens"; and very much divided the school into two camps - the small fraction of students doing full IB and everyone else. But FCPS is incapable of admitting mistakes or cutting costs, so our only recourse was to pupil place or move.