Key Middle School -Springfield - High Shool Plans?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Move
Go private

This is a troll response.


Send your kids to Lee. If you have faith in your parenting and your kids, they will do well. If not, I don't know what to tell you. FCPS provides solid resources for all of its schools.

We won't move but we would go private if TJ is not an option. Why is that a troll response?

Probably because no thought is put into it.

What is your specific issue with the school and have you experienced it first hand in any way?

Should FCPS just close Lee?

My biggest issue with Lee is that my child would be going to a school named after Robet E. Lee and the ugliness of WHY it is named after him.

The test scores are terrible and a family friend who went there recently decsribed it as an awful experience that he couldn't wait to get out of. Why do I need to have first hand experience to determine that it wouldn't be a good fit? Red flags everywhere. We have the resources to avoid it and will.

I have no allegiance to the name and don't really care if they rename it. In no way, however, should it be your biggest concern. The day to day impact of the name on students is nil. They are all Lancers. It does not impact student performance. I just don't hear students saying, "Darn, I would have done better in that class, but that damn Robert E. Lee!"

Test scores - I don't suppose you should be shocked that, in one of the poorest schools in the county with one of the highest ESL populations, that test scores won't be through the roof. Remember, however, that your student is an individual. I know a number of students, including my own children, who score quite well at Lee.

Based on your second paragraph, it doesn't seem as if the name is really your biggest concern. In other words, if they changed the name (your supposed biggest concern), it does not appear you would then be willing to send your kids to Lee. Let's face it, you say you have the means to avoid it and will, which is basically saying you can avoid the 'poors'. This just feeds the self-fulfilling cycle that Lee is trapped in as it gets poorer and poorer.

So, should they close Lee? Or do the surrounding schools want it to exist just so it can absorb the 'poors'?

I am curious, do you consider yourself more liberal or conservative. The vast majority of posters on this site seem to be liberal, but they don't live what they say.

The name "Robert E. Lee" means nothing to Black children? Okay. And the fact that it was named that in retaliation for Fairfax County being forced to desegregate? Okay.

And yes, the test scores are a major concern. My kid is in the AAP and needs to be challenged. How will that happen if the teachers are busy focusing on ESL and whatever else.

You are reaching with the "poors" nonsense so I wont even address it. I dont care what they do with Lee as it wont be my concern.

I am a liberal but probably more on the conservative side. No sure what that has to do with anything.

I said the name doesn't matter in the day to day lives or performance of the students - black, white, asian, hispanic, you name it. It is a non-factor. It just falls into the background for all Lancers. Go ahead and change it, it won't change the performance of the school and you still won't send your children there. You know what would change the school - not concentrating all of the poor folks there.

Test scores go directly with income and ESL, so your second and third points conflict. You are avoiding the 'poors'. No one said black people are above avoiding the "undesirables".

My point about liberals is they say they are all about the poor and downtrodden, until it might affect them personally, then they take off. Happens all over Fairfax County.

If you are so offended by the name as a black person, why did you buy a house in the Lee boundary?

It was primarily liberal white and black families who lived in the Stuart pyramid and sent their kids there who fought successfully to change the school’s name to Justice HS. Guess that doesn’t fit your “limousine liberal” narrative, does it?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I worked at Lee years ago. I always felt safe and had hard working, motivated students in my classes as well as unmotivated students. The biggest issue was attendance. Many students would not come to school and it was the norm to miss significant amounts with both ESOL and non ESOL students.

I would not send my own children there. I have experienced general ed and honors classes at Lee and at other schools. The standards and rigor are not the same.

This sounds like an argument to close Lee. How can FCPS allow this to continue to spiral downward unless the whole reason is to soak up the poor kids so they don't affect the other schools?

I think that’s exactly the reason why FCPS allows the downward spiral to continue. I wonder what percentage of Lee HS parents are eligible to vote (i.e. US citizens) vs parents at West Springfield? If parents don’t (or can’t) vote, elected officials will ignore them.

West Springfield has nothing to do with Lee.

WS has a lot to do with Lee. The schools are close by in adjacent communities and the WS parents very much want to keep Lee open as a holding pen for poorer kids so those students don’t get sent to WS instead. Everyone knows this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Move
Go private

This is a troll response.


Send your kids to Lee. If you have faith in your parenting and your kids, they will do well. If not, I don't know what to tell you. FCPS provides solid resources for all of its schools.

We won't move but we would go private if TJ is not an option. Why is that a troll response?

Probably because no thought is put into it.

What is your specific issue with the school and have you experienced it first hand in any way?

Should FCPS just close Lee?

My biggest issue with Lee is that my child would be going to a school named after Robet E. Lee and the ugliness of WHY it is named after him.

The test scores are terrible and a family friend who went there recently decsribed it as an awful experience that he couldn't wait to get out of. Why do I need to have first hand experience to determine that it wouldn't be a good fit? Red flags everywhere. We have the resources to avoid it and will.

I have no allegiance to the name and don't really care if they rename it. In no way, however, should it be your biggest concern. The day to day impact of the name on students is nil. They are all Lancers. It does not impact student performance. I just don't hear students saying, "Darn, I would have done better in that class, but that damn Robert E. Lee!"

Test scores - I don't suppose you should be shocked that, in one of the poorest schools in the county with one of the highest ESL populations, that test scores won't be through the roof. Remember, however, that your student is an individual. I know a number of students, including my own children, who score quite well at Lee.

Based on your second paragraph, it doesn't seem as if the name is really your biggest concern. In other words, if they changed the name (your supposed biggest concern), it does not appear you would then be willing to send your kids to Lee. Let's face it, you say you have the means to avoid it and will, which is basically saying you can avoid the 'poors'. This just feeds the self-fulfilling cycle that Lee is trapped in as it gets poorer and poorer.

So, should they close Lee? Or do the surrounding schools want it to exist just so it can absorb the 'poors'?

I am curious, do you consider yourself more liberal or conservative. The vast majority of posters on this site seem to be liberal, but they don't live what they say.

The name "Robert E. Lee" means nothing to Black children? Okay. And the fact that it was named that in retaliation for Fairfax County being forced to desegregate? Okay.

And yes, the test scores are a major concern. My kid is in the AAP and needs to be challenged. How will that happen if the teachers are busy focusing on ESL and whatever else.

You are reaching with the "poors" nonsense so I wont even address it. I dont care what they do with Lee as it wont be my concern.

I am a liberal but probably more on the conservative side. No sure what that has to do with anything.

I said the name doesn't matter in the day to day lives or performance of the students - black, white, asian, hispanic, you name it. It is a non-factor. It just falls into the background for all Lancers. Go ahead and change it, it won't change the performance of the school and you still won't send your children there. You know what would change the school - not concentrating all of the poor folks there.

Test scores go directly with income and ESL, so your second and third points conflict. You are avoiding the 'poors'. No one said black people are above avoiding the "undesirables".

My point about liberals is they say they are all about the poor and downtrodden, until it might affect them personally, then they take off. Happens all over Fairfax County.

If you are so offended by the name as a black person, why did you buy a house in the Lee boundary?

It was primarily liberal white and black families who lived in the Stuart pyramid and sent their kids there who fought successfully to change the school’s name to Justice HS. Guess that doesn’t fit your “limousine liberal” narrative, does it?

There are people who stick to and live their beliefs. More power to them. But the white enrollment at Stuart is only 21%. White folks aren't exactly flooding in - liberal or conservative. Black students only make up 9.4% of the student population. For a county that voted 65% for Hillary Clinton, very few are actually living their beliefs. Instead they are sticking to the wealthier schools or going private.

[Anonymous]

There are people who stick to and live their beliefs. More power to them. But the white enrollment at Stuart is only 21%. White folks aren't exactly flooding in - liberal or conservative. Black students only make up 9.4% of the student population. For a county that voted 65% for Hillary Clinton, very few are actually living their beliefs. Instead they are sticking to the wealthier schools or going private.


Sums it up

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I worked at Lee years ago. I always felt safe and had hard working, motivated students in my classes as well as unmotivated students. The biggest issue was attendance. Many students would not come to school and it was the norm to miss significant amounts with both ESOL and non ESOL students.

I would not send my own children there. I have experienced general ed and honors classes at Lee and at other schools. The standards and rigor are not the same.

This sounds like an argument to close Lee. How can FCPS allow this to continue to spiral downward unless the whole reason is to soak up the poor kids so they don't affect the other schools?

I think that’s exactly the reason why FCPS allows the downward spiral to continue. I wonder what percentage of Lee HS parents are eligible to vote (i.e. US citizens) vs parents at West Springfield? If parents don’t (or can’t) vote, elected officials will ignore them.

West Springfield has nothing to do with Lee.

You miss my point entirely! To put it in simple terms that a child can understand - if parents vote, their school will get attention and resources. If parents don’t vote, elected officials will assume that the parents don’t care or lack political power. So, their schools will get less.

West Springfield parents vote. Lee parents don’t. So, which school do you think the School Board is keeping as the “better” school?

I posted about working there. People always are quick to talk about voting, involved parents and funding. Money was not the issue. I had supplies and resources. The teachers worked very hard but so many kids did not consistently attend school. Forget about having them come outside of school hours for extra help or remediation. IMHO curriculum became watered down because we were only looking at SOLs and always trying to catch up those who were not there. There was not a lot of time for enrichment. I did teach some very hard working students who went above and beyond. There were some involved parents, both who spoke English and some who did not.

[Anonymous]

I remember a couple of years ago. The Springfield Estates staff had tracked the kids who were from SEES and graduating from Lee (those would be the base school kids -- not the AAP kids -- most of whom were ESOL/FARMS). They said every single SEES-based graduate at Lee was going on to college. They were proud that their SEES kids were shooting higher. I don't think the kids from Garfield and Crestwood are achieving as much even in elementary school as those at SEES. They are similar populations, but the results are very different. That just continues in HS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Move
Go private

This is a troll response.


Send your kids to Lee. If you have faith in your parenting and your kids, they will do well. If not, I don't know what to tell you. FCPS provides solid resources for all of its schools.

We won't move but we would go private if TJ is not an option. Why is that a troll response?

Probably because no thought is put into it.

What is your specific issue with the school and have you experienced it first hand in any way?

Should FCPS just close Lee?

My biggest issue with Lee is that my child would be going to a school named after Robet E. Lee and the ugliness of WHY it is named after him.

The test scores are terrible and a family friend who went there recently decsribed it as an awful experience that he couldn't wait to get out of. Why do I need to have first hand experience to determine that it wouldn't be a good fit? Red flags everywhere. We have the resources to avoid it and will.

I have no allegiance to the name and don't really care if they rename it. In no way, however, should it be your biggest concern. The day to day impact of the name on students is nil. They are all Lancers. It does not impact student performance. I just don't hear students saying, "Darn, I would have done better in that class, but that damn Robert E. Lee!"

Test scores - I don't suppose you should be shocked that, in one of the poorest schools in the county with one of the highest ESL populations, that test scores won't be through the roof. Remember, however, that your student is an individual. I know a number of students, including my own children, who score quite well at Lee.

Based on your second paragraph, it doesn't seem as if the name is really your biggest concern. In other words, if they changed the name (your supposed biggest concern), it does not appear you would then be willing to send your kids to Lee. Let's face it, you say you have the means to avoid it and will, which is basically saying you can avoid the 'poors'. This just feeds the self-fulfilling cycle that Lee is trapped in as it gets poorer and poorer.

So, should they close Lee? Or do the surrounding schools want it to exist just so it can absorb the 'poors'?

I am curious, do you consider yourself more liberal or conservative. The vast majority of posters on this site seem to be liberal, but they don't live what they say.

The name "Robert E. Lee" means nothing to Black children? Okay. And the fact that it was named that in retaliation for Fairfax County being forced to desegregate? Okay.

And yes, the test scores are a major concern. My kid is in the AAP and needs to be challenged. How will that happen if the teachers are busy focusing on ESL and whatever else.

You are reaching with the "poors" nonsense so I wont even address it. I dont care what they do with Lee as it wont be my concern.

I am a liberal but probably more on the conservative side. No sure what that has to do with anything.

ESOL kids enroll in ESOL classes . All you have to do is look up test scores by race/ethnicity to see how each performs. I’m sure you’ll find that white/Asian students do just fine there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Move
Go private

This is a troll response.


Send your kids to Lee. If you have faith in your parenting and your kids, they will do well. If not, I don't know what to tell you. FCPS provides solid resources for all of its schools.

We won't move but we would go private if TJ is not an option. Why is that a troll response?

Probably because no thought is put into it.

What is your specific issue with the school and have you experienced it first hand in any way?

Should FCPS just close Lee?

My biggest issue with Lee is that my child would be going to a school named after Robet E. Lee and the ugliness of WHY it is named after him.

The test scores are terrible and a family friend who went there recently decsribed it as an awful experience that he couldn't wait to get out of. Why do I need to have first hand experience to determine that it wouldn't be a good fit? Red flags everywhere. We have the resources to avoid it and will.

I have no allegiance to the name and don't really care if they rename it. In no way, however, should it be your biggest concern. The day to day impact of the name on students is nil. They are all Lancers. It does not impact student performance. I just don't hear students saying, "Darn, I would have done better in that class, but that damn Robert E. Lee!"

Test scores - I don't suppose you should be shocked that, in one of the poorest schools in the county with one of the highest ESL populations, that test scores won't be through the roof. Remember, however, that your student is an individual. I know a number of students, including my own children, who score quite well at Lee.

Based on your second paragraph, it doesn't seem as if the name is really your biggest concern. In other words, if they changed the name (your supposed biggest concern), it does not appear you would then be willing to send your kids to Lee. Let's face it, you say you have the means to avoid it and will, which is basically saying you can avoid the 'poors'. This just feeds the self-fulfilling cycle that Lee is trapped in as it gets poorer and poorer.

So, should they close Lee? Or do the surrounding schools want it to exist just so it can absorb the 'poors'?

I am curious, do you consider yourself more liberal or conservative. The vast majority of posters on this site seem to be liberal, but they don't live what they say.

The name "Robert E. Lee" means nothing to Black children? Okay. And the fact that it was named that in retaliation for Fairfax County being forced to desegregate? Okay.

And yes, the test scores are a major concern. My kid is in the AAP and needs to be challenged. How will that happen if the teachers are busy focusing on ESL and whatever else.

You are reaching with the "poors" nonsense so I wont even address it. I dont care what they do with Lee as it wont be my concern.

I am a liberal but probably more on the conservative side. No sure what that has to do with anything.

ESOL kids enroll in ESOL classes . All you have to do is look up test scores by race/ethnicity to see how each performs. I’m sure you’ll find that white/Asian students do just fine there.

Lee has a large Asian population, primarily Vietnamese. It’s the poorest Asian population in FCPS. When the SAT was still on a 2400-point scale, the average for Asians there was about 300-350 points below the average for Asians at the top high schools in the county.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I remember a couple of years ago. The Springfield Estates staff had tracked the kids who were from SEES and graduating from Lee (those would be the base school kids -- not the AAP kids -- most of whom were ESOL/FARMS). They said every single SEES-based graduate at Lee was going on to college. They were proud that their SEES kids were shooting higher. I don't think the kids from Garfield and Crestwood are achieving as much even in elementary school as those at SEES. They are similar populations, but the results are very different. That just continues in HS.

SEES pulls from SFHs. Garfield and Crestwood (and Lynbrook) get all the apartments on backlick and commerce.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They are totally doubling down on IB. Last I heard, they were looking to spread the MYP downward to the PYP level in feeder elementaries.

Ughhh...

That is too bad.

Why don't the academically minded families zoned for Lee try to find a better advocate to run in the next school board election?

It has been easier in the past for families to transfer or move. Some of the families left behind really like IB. Many others just tolerate it without understanding what is going on. It is hard at a school like Lee to build a coalition. Sad really.

The FCPS Board, however, should know better and should start to correct things. Switch back to AP, put an AAP center at Key, and make the Lee/Key language program more equivalent to other schools. Unfortunately, Tamara is a big proponent of IB. If we can replace her with someone who is not so smitten with the program we might have a chance to be done with IB.

You'll have to get rid of the new principal they just hired this year at key. She's slashing foreign language. The only language offered next year is Spanish (no more French). She's cutting electives in general--next year there will be no chorus or guitar either.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They are totally doubling down on IB. Last I heard, they were looking to spread the MYP downward to the PYP level in feeder elementaries.

Ughhh...

That is too bad.

Why don't the academically minded families zoned for Lee try to find a better advocate to run in the next school board election?

It has been easier in the past for families to transfer or move. Some of the families left behind really like IB. Many others just tolerate it without understanding what is going on. It is hard at a school like Lee to build a coalition. Sad really.

The FCPS Board, however, should know better and should start to correct things. Switch back to AP, put an AAP center at Key, and make the Lee/Key language program more equivalent to other schools. Unfortunately, Tamara is a big proponent of IB. If we can replace her with someone who is not so smitten with the program we might have a chance to be done with IB.

You'll have to get rid of the new principal they just hired this year at key. She's slashing foreign language. The only language offered next year is Spanish (no more French). She's cutting electives in general--next year there will be no chorus or guitar either.

Hold on back that up
No chorus? That can’t be a real thing. I seriously don’t believe that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They are totally doubling down on IB. Last I heard, they were looking to spread the MYP downward to the PYP level in feeder elementaries.

Ughhh...

That is too bad.

Why don't the academically minded families zoned for Lee try to find a better advocate to run in the next school board election?

It has been easier in the past for families to transfer or move. Some of the families left behind really like IB. Many others just tolerate it without understanding what is going on. It is hard at a school like Lee to build a coalition. Sad really.

The FCPS Board, however, should know better and should start to correct things. Switch back to AP, put an AAP center at Key, and make the Lee/Key language program more equivalent to other schools. Unfortunately, Tamara is a big proponent of IB. If we can replace her with someone who is not so smitten with the program we might have a chance to be done with IB.

You'll have to get rid of the new principal they just hired this year at key. She's slashing foreign language. The only language offered next year is Spanish (no more French). She's cutting electives in general--next year there will be no chorus or guitar either.

Hold on back that up
No chorus? That can’t be a real thing. I seriously don’t believe that.

Believe it. No chorus at Key next year. The chorus teacher was destaffed.

[Anonymous]

Are they maybe going to a part time chorus teacher or one that is shared with other schools? Irving had that a couple of years ago when my kid was there. The chorus teacher spent the morning at Irving and the afternoon at another school. I think there were 3 total chorus classes, a boys chorus, 7th grade girls and 8th grade girls.

[Anonymous]

I'm not sure it would be legal for them to do away with the chorus program from an equity point of view. And just one language? They are going the wrong direction.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm not sure it would be legal for them to do away with the chorus program from an equity point of view. And just one language? They are going the wrong direction.

Their website shows 3 music teachers, one is listed as an itinerant instructor. Wouldn't that mean he is part time/shared by schools.?