Boundaries assessment update 2023

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Will be interesting to see what the next Board does. Langley won’t have Tholen to be its lapdog any longer.

How about leave Elaine alone.

She only ran for the post because she was called upon.

If you care so damn much go protest outside Gatehouse.

[Anonymous]

Easy to see from the last string of posts that Tholen has been a weak DINO and a tool of Great Falls residents (mostly GOP) who fight tooth and nail to preserve their segregated high school and other privileges.

Things may yet change.

[Anonymous]

“The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice.”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Easy to see from the last string of posts that Tholen has been a weak DINO and a tool of Great Falls residents (mostly GOP) who fight tooth and nail to preserve their segregated high school and other privileges.

Things may yet change.

While Great Falls may be slightly more Republican than other parts of Fairfax, I'm pretty sure it still is mostly blue. At most it is purple.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If they take a fresh look at how they are spending the capital budget and whether a 3% FARMS high school with a boundary adjacent to a 50% FARMS high school is even remotely consistent with their commitment to equity, it will be an improvement.

Also, they would gain instant credibility if they dealt with the "plan" for a "new western HS" once and for all. Kill it if it's not happening and take it out of the next Capital Improvement Program entirely; set up a dedicated web page that tracks the steps being taken to make it happen if it's not a joke.

No one has yet shown how this could be done.

Agree on the rest of your comment. But, I think the big cog in the wheel was when they gave away the Carson site for the Western High school.
And, then came up with Hutchison site which is absolutely a terrible, terrible idea on so many levels.

Maybe that's part of the issue. They didn't want to admit they screwed the pooch by transferring the site near Carson to the Saudis so they've engaged in the fiction for years they'll be able to find some other suitable site. Meanwhile they continue to expand schools, which makes it less likely a new school is needed, and it only becomes harder over time to identify an appropriate alternative site. And by the time they deal with reality those responsible for the transfer will be drawing a pension and/or enjoying life on a beach.

I suspect there was GREAT pressure to release the Carson site to the Saudis from way above the School Board. It was supposed to be built in Burke and the community reacted. When they gave the Carson site to the Saudis there was NO community involvement for those living near Carson. NONE! I suspect the BOS made the decision--not the SB. And, I wouldn't be surprised if the State Dept did not play a hand in this.

Well any BOS and SB from Mount Vernon and Lee wanted the Saudis out of the Old Mount Vernon HS so it could be turned into a community center. Corbett Sanders worked on that pre running the school board. Gross-D-Mason BOS was the only one to say where's the special tax district? Chantilly- based on location people are stuck politically since the school is in Springfield and mst students are from Sully. Forestville Elementary and the Langley feed? Forestville has many feeder streets with Herndon addresses as well as Reston and maybe still some Vienna. It's not just those with Great Falls addresses especially the west of Georgetown Pike intersection with 7 access roads.

Funny thng happened years ago- new developement with Vienna P.O. Sent to a South Lakes pyramid school. Snow plowing necessitated removiing the concrete barricade in the street tthat was extended for the new homes- after that could drive in older dev to new dev. Older ended up at Colvin Run from Forestville.

So, you are suggesting that they make Forestville a split feeder?

That is not what I suggested. Look at maps of boundaries and school locations. Pre construction Aldrin sending area went to Forestville. Colvin Run had dominoes and it's location can also serve more from stuff closer to Tysons. East to west dominoes. It all starts with elementary boundaries. Weird FCPS fact that happened under Tholen is the Covance Toll Bros at 7 and Towlston going to SH and not Colvin Run. Tholen did not assign the new Herndon PO address to Forestville-Langley. Commenters on the Mclean boundary change wanted it assigned to Langley to fit the prior pattern of non town Herndon stuff.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If they take a fresh look at how they are spending the capital budget and whether a 3% FARMS high school with a boundary adjacent to a 50% FARMS high school is even remotely consistent with their commitment to equity, it will be an improvement.

Also, they would gain instant credibility if they dealt with the "plan" for a "new western HS" once and for all. Kill it if it's not happening and take it out of the next Capital Improvement Program entirely; set up a dedicated web page that tracks the steps being taken to make it happen if it's not a joke.

No one has yet shown how this could be done.

Agree on the rest of your comment. But, I think the big cog in the wheel was when they gave away the Carson site for the Western High school.
And, then came up with Hutchison site which is absolutely a terrible, terrible idea on so many levels.

Maybe that's part of the issue. They didn't want to admit they screwed the pooch by transferring the site near Carson to the Saudis so they've engaged in the fiction for years they'll be able to find some other suitable site. Meanwhile they continue to expand schools, which makes it less likely a new school is needed, and it only becomes harder over time to identify an appropriate alternative site. And by the time they deal with reality those responsible for the transfer will be drawing a pension and/or enjoying life on a beach.

I suspect there was GREAT pressure to release the Carson site to the Saudis from way above the School Board. It was supposed to be built in Burke and the community reacted. When they gave the Carson site to the Saudis there was NO community involvement for those living near Carson. NONE! I suspect the BOS made the decision--not the SB. And, I wouldn't be surprised if the State Dept did not play a hand in this.

Well any BOS and SB from Mount Vernon and Lee wanted the Saudis out of the Old Mount Vernon HS so it could be turned into a community center. Corbett Sanders worked on that pre running the school board. Gross-D-Mason BOS was the only one to say where's the special tax district? Chantilly- based on location people are stuck politically since the school is in Springfield and mst students are from Sully. Forestville Elementary and the Langley feed? Forestville has many feeder streets with Herndon addresses as well as Reston and maybe still some Vienna. It's not just those with Great Falls addresses especially the west of Georgetown Pike intersection with 7 access roads.

Funny thng happened years ago- new developement with Vienna P.O. Sent to a South Lakes pyramid school. Snow plowing necessitated removiing the concrete barricade in the street tthat was extended for the new homes- after that could drive in older dev to new dev. Older ended up at Colvin Run from Forestville.

So, you are suggesting that they make Forestville a split feeder?

That is not what I suggested. Look at maps of boundaries and school locations. Pre construction Aldrin sending area went to Forestville. Colvin Run had dominoes and it's location can also serve more from stuff closer to Tysons. East to west dominoes. It all starts with elementary boundaries. Weird FCPS fact that happened under Tholen is the Covance Toll Bros at 7 and Towlston going to SH and not Colvin Run. Tholen did not assign the new Herndon PO address to Forestville-Langley. Commenters on the Mclean boundary change wanted it assigned to Langley to fit the prior pattern of non town Herndon stuff.

Many Westbriar families drive past Colvin Run on their way to Westbriar all because some Langley families wanted to make sure they weren’t moved to Marshall when Colvin Run opened. Strauss protected them, and then Tholen and Meren did nothing to clean it up.

Eliminating split feeders and attendance islands is treated as important when it’s advantageous to Langley. When it isn’t convenient to Langley, they are fine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Easy to see from the last string of posts that Tholen has been a weak DINO and a tool of Great Falls residents (mostly GOP) who fight tooth and nail to preserve their segregated high school and other privileges.

Things may yet change.

Pfft.

Elaine couldn’t have passed the boundary change by herself.

Face it, the all Dem school board will deliver school name changes, trans rights to bathroom choice, and tampon machines but they won’t give you the Langley boundary change you desire.

Vote blue for what they do differently than republicans, because this matter will be the same no matter which party dominates.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If they take a fresh look at how they are spending the capital budget and whether a 3% FARMS high school with a boundary adjacent to a 50% FARMS high school is even remotely consistent with their commitment to equity, it will be an improvement.

Also, they would gain instant credibility if they dealt with the "plan" for a "new western HS" once and for all. Kill it if it's not happening and take it out of the next Capital Improvement Program entirely; set up a dedicated web page that tracks the steps being taken to make it happen if it's not a joke.

No one has yet shown how this could be done.

Agree on the rest of your comment. But, I think the big cog in the wheel was when they gave away the Carson site for the Western High school.
And, then came up with Hutchison site which is absolutely a terrible, terrible idea on so many levels.

Maybe that's part of the issue. They didn't want to admit they screwed the pooch by transferring the site near Carson to the Saudis so they've engaged in the fiction for years they'll be able to find some other suitable site. Meanwhile they continue to expand schools, which makes it less likely a new school is needed, and it only becomes harder over time to identify an appropriate alternative site. And by the time they deal with reality those responsible for the transfer will be drawing a pension and/or enjoying life on a beach.

I suspect there was GREAT pressure to release the Carson site to the Saudis from way above the School Board. It was supposed to be built in Burke and the community reacted. When they gave the Carson site to the Saudis there was NO community involvement for those living near Carson. NONE! I suspect the BOS made the decision--not the SB. And, I wouldn't be surprised if the State Dept did not play a hand in this.

Well any BOS and SB from Mount Vernon and Lee wanted the Saudis out of the Old Mount Vernon HS so it could be turned into a community center. Corbett Sanders worked on that pre running the school board. Gross-D-Mason BOS was the only one to say where's the special tax district? Chantilly- based on location people are stuck politically since the school is in Springfield and mst students are from Sully. Forestville Elementary and the Langley feed? Forestville has many feeder streets with Herndon addresses as well as Reston and maybe still some Vienna. It's not just those with Great Falls addresses especially the west of Georgetown Pike intersection with 7 access roads.

Funny thng happened years ago- new developement with Vienna P.O. Sent to a South Lakes pyramid school. Snow plowing necessitated removiing the concrete barricade in the street tthat was extended for the new homes- after that could drive in older dev to new dev. Older ended up at Colvin Run from Forestville.

So, you are suggesting that they make Forestville a split feeder?

That is not what I suggested. Look at maps of boundaries and school locations. Pre construction Aldrin sending area went to Forestville. Colvin Run had dominoes and it's location can also serve more from stuff closer to Tysons. East to west dominoes. It all starts with elementary boundaries. Weird FCPS fact that happened under Tholen is the Covance Toll Bros at 7 and Towlston going to SH and not Colvin Run. Tholen did not assign the new Herndon PO address to Forestville-Langley. Commenters on the Mclean boundary change wanted it assigned to Langley to fit the prior pattern of non town Herndon stuff.

Many Westbriar families drive past Colvin Run on their way to Westbriar all because some Langley families wanted to make sure they weren’t moved to Marshall when Colvin Run opened. Strauss protected them, and then Tholen and Meren did nothing to clean it up.

Eliminating split feeders and attendance islands is treated as important when it’s advantageous to Langley. When it isn’t convenient to Langley, they are fine.

Facts is was not just Westbriar families who got the shaft. One part of that island got moved - north of 7. FYI some ex Forestville areas were sent to Great Falls and some Forestville to Colvin Run. So look at maps. Strauss ran a very limited boundary process and one thing out of consideration was moving immersion- new school administration and the dominant community, Shouse, did not want it but were very happy to open an AAP center. That could also be one factor in why FCPS came up with the convoluted rational of mega years on a new French immersion relieving Kent Gardens.

Those boundaries for the most part have not been reviewed in about 20 years so there could be some common sense solutions based on open capacity at other pyramid schools like Herndon [Aldrin, Armstrong, Dranesville] and South Lakes mainly Forest Edge. IDK.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Easy to see from the last string of posts that Tholen has been a weak DINO and a tool of Great Falls residents (mostly GOP) who fight tooth and nail to preserve their segregated high school and other privileges.

Things may yet change.

Pfft.

Elaine couldn’t have passed the boundary change by herself.

Face it, the all Dem school board will deliver school name changes, trans rights to bathroom choice, and tampon machines but they won’t give you the Langley boundary change you desire.

Vote blue for what they do differently than republicans, because this matter will be the same no matter which party dominates.

It will be the same until it isn’t.

People said they’d never take another look at TJ admissions. They did.

Guess we’ll see when a future board has the courage to take on the monied interests in Great Falls. It will happen some day.

[Anonymous]

The only two active boundary studies right now are (1) Glasgow MS and (2) Kent Gardens ES. Anything else is speculative.

Glasgow MS:

* Large middle school that had 1783 kids last year, including 114 transfers in for AAP from Holmes and Poe.
* Could obtain immediate relief by moving AAP kids from Holmes and Poe back to those schools (some Holmes and Poe kids also attend the Frost AAP center).
* Otherwise, absent other boundary changes at the HS level, will possibly turn Holmes into a three-way split feeder (Annandale, Edison, Justice) or Poe into a three-way split feeder (Annandale, Falls Church, and Justice).
* In percentage terms, the school is not that overcrowded, yet it has a reputation for being chaotic and Ricardy Anderson wants to reduce its enrollment.

Kent Gardens ES:

* Large elementary school that had 1023 kids last year, including 181 kids for language immersion (French).
* Could obtain immediate relief by adjusting boundaries with Chesterbrook, Franklin Sherman and/or Haycock (Chesterbrook and FS have the most extra capacity).
* Longer-term solution could involve opening a second French immersion program at another school (FCPS claims this requires 2-3 years of advance legwork).
* In general, should be one of the easier boundary changes to adopt and implement, since it can be limited to schools within the same MS/HS pyramid.

[Anonymous]

A 1700 student middle school? What a nightmare. That poor principal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Easy to see from the last string of posts that Tholen has been a weak DINO and a tool of Great Falls residents (mostly GOP) who fight tooth and nail to preserve their segregated high school and other privileges.

Things may yet change.

Pfft.

Elaine couldn’t have passed the boundary change by herself.

Face it, the all Dem school board will deliver school name changes, trans rights to bathroom choice, and tampon machines but they won’t give you the Langley boundary change you desire.

Vote blue for what they do differently than republicans, because this matter will be the same no matter which party dominates.

It will be the same until it isn’t.

People said they’d never take another look at TJ admissions. They did.

Guess we’ll see when a future board has the courage to take on the monied interests in Great Falls. It will happen some day.

When you wish upon a star…

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Easy to see from the last string of posts that Tholen has been a weak DINO and a tool of Great Falls residents (mostly GOP) who fight tooth and nail to preserve their segregated high school and other privileges.

Things may yet change.

Pfft.

Elaine couldn’t have passed the boundary change by herself.

Face it, the all Dem school board will deliver school name changes, trans rights to bathroom choice, and tampon machines but they won’t give you the Langley boundary change you desire.

Vote blue for what they do differently than republicans, because this matter will be the same no matter which party dominates.

It will be the same until it isn’t.

People said they’d never take another look at TJ admissions. They did.

Guess we’ll see when a future board has the courage to take on the monied interests in Great Falls. It will happen some day.

When you wish upon a star…

We could use a few stars on the School Board.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If they take a fresh look at how they are spending the capital budget and whether a 3% FARMS high school with a boundary adjacent to a 50% FARMS high school is even remotely consistent with their commitment to equity, it will be an improvement.

Also, they would gain instant credibility if they dealt with the "plan" for a "new western HS" once and for all. Kill it if it's not happening and take it out of the next Capital Improvement Program entirely; set up a dedicated web page that tracks the steps being taken to make it happen if it's not a joke.

No one has yet shown how this could be done.

Agree on the rest of your comment. But, I think the big cog in the wheel was when they gave away the Carson site for the Western High school.
And, then came up with Hutchison site which is absolutely a terrible, terrible idea on so many levels.

Maybe that's part of the issue. They didn't want to admit they screwed the pooch by transferring the site near Carson to the Saudis so they've engaged in the fiction for years they'll be able to find some other suitable site. Meanwhile they continue to expand schools, which makes it less likely a new school is needed, and it only becomes harder over time to identify an appropriate alternative site. And by the time they deal with reality those responsible for the transfer will be drawing a pension and/or enjoying life on a beach.

I suspect there was GREAT pressure to release the Carson site to the Saudis from way above the School Board. It was supposed to be built in Burke and the community reacted. When they gave the Carson site to the Saudis there was NO community involvement for those living near Carson. NONE! I suspect the BOS made the decision--not the SB. And, I wouldn't be surprised if the State Dept did not play a hand in this.

Well any BOS and SB from Mount Vernon and Lee wanted the Saudis out of the Old Mount Vernon HS so it could be turned into a community center. Corbett Sanders worked on that pre running the school board. Gross-D-Mason BOS was the only one to say where's the special tax district? Chantilly- based on location people are stuck politically since the school is in Springfield and mst students are from Sully. Forestville Elementary and the Langley feed? Forestville has many feeder streets with Herndon addresses as well as Reston and maybe still some Vienna. It's not just those with Great Falls addresses especially the west of Georgetown Pike intersection with 7 access roads.

Funny thng happened years ago- new developement with Vienna P.O. Sent to a South Lakes pyramid school. Snow plowing necessitated removiing the concrete barricade in the street tthat was extended for the new homes- after that could drive in older dev to new dev. Older ended up at Colvin Run from Forestville.

So, you are suggesting that they make Forestville a split feeder?

Oh no, a split feeder!

Move all of Forestville to Herndon and there won’t be a split feeder.

And, Herndon will be overcrowded and Langley even less enrolled. But, "equity."

Move areas closer to Langley in Reston and Tysons there. Common sense.

That would still leave Herndon overcrowded. And, are you suggesting that you move kids from Reston to a school that is farther away? That makes no sense at all.

What makes the least sense of all is continuing to bus kids all the way across the county to Langley.

Where do your kids go to school and how does this affect you? Funny how you refuse to answer that question.

Crickets, as usual...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Easy to see from the last string of posts that Tholen has been a weak DINO and a tool of Great Falls residents (mostly GOP) who fight tooth and nail to preserve their segregated high school and other privileges.

Things may yet change.