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

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

People have gotten tired of the obnoxious, entitled Langley families constantly claiming that, if they don’t get their way, they will take all their marbles and go home. Time to call their bluff. Let them move to Ashburn if they can’t handle being part of the same county as Herndon.

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What do you think happened in Herndon? MC and UMC families who were unhappy with the schools for whatever reason moved, went private, or started homeschooling.

I know a woman who loves her neighbors. She lives in one of those areas with beautiful, well-maintained homes with mature trees and nice landscaping. She decided against Herndon schools but didn't want to move, so they stayed put and opted out.

I met a GF resident who is now an obnoxious Langley parent after leaving Herndon (where she was holy I am sure) due to the schools.

Herndon has at least one homeschool group. I guess they are obnoxious and entitled because they refuse to send their children to public school in Herndon. They live in Herndon, so maybe that saves them.

Herndon parents opted out if they decided the school wouldn't work for their children.

Why shouldn't we follow their example?

No one wants to talk about all the "obnoxious, entitled" Herndon parents who actually DID "take all their marbles and go home?"

No. They want to continue to blame Langley and Great Falls as if we plotted the downfall of Herndon schools.

This may come as a shock, but it’s actually not about you at all. We simply want the boundaries redrawn for the sake of equity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There is so much worry and fighting and really nothing material is going to happen until a new high school is built. People need to chill out and save their outrage for something else. I keep seeing dramatic threads on DCUM on this whole Herndon, Langley, One Fairfax drama, but really nothing is going to happen for like...15-18 years? So, well after kids who are learning how to poop and pee in the potty will be in high school? Possibly after a baby who is currently crowning in INOVA fairfax?

Let's give it a rest and complain about something else. ANYTHING.

You keep saying this, I guess so you can sleep better at night, but you actually don’t know this for a fact at all. There is no reason why FCPS would not redraw boundaries right now. Regardless if a new high school will be built or not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is so much worry and fighting and really nothing material is going to happen until a new high school is built. People need to chill out and save their outrage for something else. I keep seeing dramatic threads on DCUM on this whole Herndon, Langley, One Fairfax drama, but really nothing is going to happen for like...15-18 years? So, well after kids who are learning how to poop and pee in the potty will be in high school? Possibly after a baby who is currently crowning in INOVA fairfax?

Let's give it a rest and complain about something else. ANYTHING.

You keep saying this, I guess so you can sleep better at night, but you actually don’t know this for a fact at all. There is no reason why FCPS would not redraw boundaries right now. Regardless if a new high school will be built or not.

Redraw which boundaries? Obviously there is no good reason to delay adjusting the Langley-McLean boundaries, but why should they touch the Herndon boundaries when those boundaries are relatively compact, we’re all footing the bill for the school’s expansion, and the school is expected to be about full after its expansion based on the current boundaries.

With those factors you’ll have to come up with something better than “because...equity” to justify redrawing those boundaries.

[Anonymous]

You keep saying this, I guess so you can sleep better at night, but you actually don’t know this for a fact at all. There is no reason why FCPS would not redraw boundaries right now. Regardless if a new high school will be built or not.

Do you know anything about logistics?

[Anonymous]

The School Board cannot even to manage a simple transfer of kids from an overcrowded school (McLean) to an underenrolled school (Langley). The schools are almost nextdoor to each other. And, you think they are going to redraw boundaries soon?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is so much worry and fighting and really nothing material is going to happen until a new high school is built. People need to chill out and save their outrage for something else. I keep seeing dramatic threads on DCUM on this whole Herndon, Langley, One Fairfax drama, but really nothing is going to happen for like...15-18 years? So, well after kids who are learning how to poop and pee in the potty will be in high school? Possibly after a baby who is currently crowning in INOVA fairfax?

Let's give it a rest and complain about something else. ANYTHING.

You keep saying this, I guess so you can sleep better at night, but you actually don’t know this for a fact at all. There is no reason why FCPS would not redraw boundaries right now. Regardless if a new high school will be built or not.

They were working on a few elementary schools I think.

Boundary studies were paused until they could revise and adopt a new policy for how to do it.

The plan was do new boundaries county wide after that was done.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is so much worry and fighting and really nothing material is going to happen until a new high school is built. People need to chill out and save their outrage for something else. I keep seeing dramatic threads on DCUM on this whole Herndon, Langley, One Fairfax drama, but really nothing is going to happen for like...15-18 years? So, well after kids who are learning how to poop and pee in the potty will be in high school? Possibly after a baby who is currently crowning in INOVA fairfax?

Let's give it a rest and complain about something else. ANYTHING.

You keep saying this, I guess so you can sleep better at night, but you actually don’t know this for a fact at all. There is no reason why FCPS would not redraw boundaries right now. Regardless if a new high school will be built or not.

They were working on a few elementary schools I think.

Boundary studies were paused until they could revise and adopt a new policy for how to do it.

The plan was do new boundaries county wide after that was done.

They aren't going to do any meaningful boundary changes for high schools until that new high school is built. There's no point.

What is weird is how much people are riled up about something that will have zero impact on their children's lives. I get the whole freak out about property values, I guess, but there is a whole lot of drama and complaining over something that is not happening any time soon. I agree with the first PP. Find something to complain about that is actually a real problem now. There's a ton of things to choose from.

[Anonymous]

What is weird is how much people are riled up about something that will have zero impact on their children's lives. I get the whole freak out about property values, I guess, but there is a whole lot of drama and complaining over something that is not happening any time soon. I agree with the first PP. Find something to complain about that is actually a real problem now. There's a ton of things to choose from.

The new policy being considered by our School Board could definitely affect students' lives and the lives of their neighborhood friends. Do you really think that only high schools are being considered for new boundaries? Do you want your neighborhood school to have new boundaries drawn according to SES/FARMs or do you want it to be drawn according to the community around it?

Lots of people in my area do not trust the School Board. In the past, these things happen without awareness on the part of the communities. Most people don't pay attention until after it is a done deal. When a new school is built, most people are aware and accept the fact that there will be a redistricting. But, having gone through the South Lakes redistricting, it took much of the community by surprise untili shortly before it was accomplished. Yes, the community became very involved, but the initiation of the change was in the works long before they knew about it. These items are slipped in without awareness.

Most people would not be paying attention now were it not for the overcrowding at McLean. When people could not understand why such an easy adjustment was not initiated by Braband, we learned about the new policy. Sure, the policy was already in the works, but the ramifications of it were not noticed until Braband explained why he wouldn't move McLean kids. Then people started researching and watching. That youtube video illustrates.

[Anonymous]

The idea that they wouldn't do new boundaries so everyone should settle down is ridiculous.

They SAID they were going to do new boundaries. In meetings, which are on video, and to the public. Brabrand told McLean no relief for them until they made a plan for the entire county.

What was NOT made clear was the new guiding light for boundary decisions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The idea that they wouldn't do new boundaries so everyone should settle down is ridiculous.

They SAID they were going to do new boundaries. In meetings, which are on video, and to the public. Brabrand told McLean no relief for them until they made a plan for the entire county.

What was NOT made clear was the new guiding light for boundary decisions.

And, I'm pretty sure that Moon said in one of the meetings that this policy must be firmed up by December. That means they will waffle until after the election and then vote on it before a new Board is in power. Covers all bases for the current Board, just in case......

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The idea that they wouldn't do new boundaries so everyone should settle down is ridiculous.

They SAID they were going to do new boundaries. In meetings, which are on video, and to the public. Brabrand told McLean no relief for them until they made a plan for the entire county.

What was NOT made clear was the new guiding light for boundary decisions.

Brabrand dug himself into a giant hole by assuming the Board had the ability and willingness to complete revisions to the boundary policy even with an election coming up. As a result, he unnecessarily consigned McLean kids to trailers when there was room at Langley and he had the authority to do something about it.

Now the Board is about to step in and direct staff to begin a boundary study for those two schools. That will make Brabrand’s prior decision look even worse in hindsight. It was one thing for him to tell off another round of parents at under-enrolled Lee wanting to move to West Springfield. It was another thing to cross his arms and do nothing for McLean after FCPS had spent $78 million to renovate and expand Langley, three miles away.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The idea that they wouldn't do new boundaries so everyone should settle down is ridiculous.

They SAID they were going to do new boundaries. In meetings, which are on video, and to the public. Brabrand told McLean no relief for them until they made a plan for the entire county.

What was NOT made clear was the new guiding light for boundary decisions.

Brabrand dug himself into a giant hole by assuming the Board had the ability and willingness to complete revisions to the boundary policy even with an election coming up. As a result, he unnecessarily consigned McLean kids to trailers when there was room at Langley and he had the authority to do something about it.

Now the Board is about to step in and direct staff to begin a boundary study for those two schools. That will make Brabrand’s prior decision look even worse in hindsight. It was one thing for him to tell off another round of parents at under-enrolled Lee wanting to move to West Springfield. It was another thing to cross his arms and do nothing for McLean after FCPS had spent $78 million to renovate and expand Langley, three miles away.

He was rude to the Lee parents?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The idea that they wouldn't do new boundaries so everyone should settle down is ridiculous.

They SAID they were going to do new boundaries. In meetings, which are on video, and to the public. Brabrand told McLean no relief for them until they made a plan for the entire county.

What was NOT made clear was the new guiding light for boundary decisions.

Brabrand dug himself into a giant hole by assuming the Board had the ability and willingness to complete revisions to the boundary policy even with an election coming up. As a result, he unnecessarily consigned McLean kids to trailers when there was room at Langley and he had the authority to do something about it.

Now the Board is about to step in and direct staff to begin a boundary study for those two schools. That will make Brabrand’s prior decision look even worse in hindsight. It was one thing for him to tell off another round of parents at under-enrolled Lee wanting to move to West Springfield. It was another thing to cross his arms and do nothing for McLean after FCPS had spent $78 million to renovate and expand Langley, three miles away.

He was rude to the Lee parents?

It was in response to Rolling Valley parents who wanted to move from Lee to West Springfield (on the heels of Daventry parents getting reassigned in 2015) that Brabrand said he wouldn’t make any administrative boundary changes until the School Board had overhauled its boundary policy to align with One Fairfax.

All he needed to do was say there was no reason to move more kids out of Lee, which remains below capacity. And then acknowledge there was good reason to address the McLean overcrowding. Instead, he just created more buzz that One Fairfax was going to lead to “seismic” boundary changes (the word used by Pat Hynes) across the entire county.

[Anonymous]

All he needed to do was say there was no reason to move more kids out of Lee, which remains below capacity. And then acknowledge there was good reason to address the McLean overcrowding. Instead, he just created more buzz that One Fairfax was going to lead to “seismic” boundary changes (the word used by Pat Hynes) across the entire county.

This is not necessary. Lots of schools may need adjustment, but seismic? They would be a lot better off by making adjustments as needed. There will never be a perfect, stable solution. Schools and enrollments are constantly in change.

No wonder the Langley and McLean parents are upset. Looking at maps, there really is no other suitable solution than to move McLean kids to Langley. And, for now, it's pretty obvious that Great Falls likely needs to stay there for some time to come.

They need to start addressing underenrollment at Mt. Vernon. They also need to address achievement of minority students where they are. Moving them just for the sake of optics is not going to help.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

All he needed to do was say there was no reason to move more kids out of Lee, which remains below capacity. And then acknowledge there was good reason to address the McLean overcrowding. Instead, he just created more buzz that One Fairfax was going to lead to “seismic” boundary changes (the word used by Pat Hynes) across the entire county.

This is not necessary. Lots of schools may need adjustment, but seismic? They would be a lot better off by making adjustments as needed. There will never be a perfect, stable solution. Schools and enrollments are constantly in change.

No wonder the Langley and McLean parents are upset. Looking at maps, there really is no other suitable solution than to move McLean kids to Langley. And, for now, it's pretty obvious that Great Falls likely needs to stay there for some time to come.

They need to start addressing underenrollment at Mt. Vernon. They also need to address achievement of minority students where they are. Moving them just for the sake of optics is not going to help.

+1