World Language transfer request for HS
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Anonymous
The solution is not to tell a student that they cannot pursue their chosen language simply because the district has decided to be inflexible about offering it—whether in person or online. That approach is absurd. It’s like telling a student who wants to be a neuroscientist that they can’t take a neuroscience class and should instead consider becoming a teacher. Applying that kind of logic makes little sense, especially when the stated rationale behind recent FCPS changes is “equity.” Yet, in practice, equity seems to become negotiable when it’s inconvenient. |
Anonymous
OP here. I have two kids. One is at McLean and is being denied online course options that other FCPS schools (like the Chantilly mom was noting above) are allowing. The rules are clearly not being applied consistently. My son (the one at Longfellow) wants to take Russian for specific academic and career reasons. He’s already taking Spanish and will be fluent by graduation, so he’s intentionally doubling up. Telling a student to abandon a carefully planned future because of arbitrary FCPS barriers is not something any parent should accept. I’m willing to enroll him in an accredited online program, but McLean counselors are making it extremely difficult to get online credits approved. Most districts accept outside credit when they can’t provide the course themselves. FCPS, apparently, does not want to promote an equitable arrangement across all schools. |
Anonymous
The high schooler should be given flexibility, since it affects college admissions. The 8th grader needs to pick a different language offered at his neighborhood high school. |
Anonymous
Life gives you disappointments. The high school students currently enrolled in the language should be worked with to finish 4 years of their language. For the 8th grader, it is not a hardship or much more than a little bit of an inconvenience if he has to chose from one of the other 3 to 5 languages offered at his neighborhood school. The high school issue is a legitimate issue that needs to be resolved favorably for the students currently taking the language. The 8th grader issue, especially since the kid is not coming from 9 years of language immersion in Russian, sounds like a completely unreasonable demand. One student has a legit case. The other needs to roll with the disappointment, pick an available language, and move on to his zoned neighborhood high school. |
Anonymous
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I emailed Gatehouse (student transfers) about this issue (I have a high schooler who needs to stick with a language she started but wants to switch to AP, her language not available at closest AP school.) and they were completely dismissive. Basically too bad, so sad, go talk to your school counselor (who had already advised us to email Gatehouse)
Who can I escalate to? |
Anonymous
I don't think it is going to change. They realized that kids are using languages to transfer out of lower ranked schools to higher ranked schools. It will be interesting to see how the number of transfers drop at Langley, Oakton, WSHS, and the like. I know people used language to transfer from Herndon to Langley, those kids will have to stay at Herndon unless they transfer to SLHS for IB. SLHS sent kids to Langley, Westfield, and Oakton for AP and language, I would guess that those kids will now be told they have to go to Herndon. The point is to decrease the number of students at schools close to capacity and stop kids from transferring out of lower ranked schools. They did not close the IB to AP loop hole but removing the language alters what schools can move to from IB for AP, no idea if that will make transferring less interesting. |
Anonymous
| So what are we saying--that a student who enrolled last year as a freshman for a particular a language at a different school will not be able to pupil place into that school this upcoming year as a sophomore to continue the language? Is that what FCPS is saying? If so, shouldnt they send out this email to all parents since it's a major change? |
Anonymous
You must have some terrible DE teachers at your high school, because it is not like that at ours. In any case, students who take DE courses are more likely to get credit for those courses in college than AP students. |
Anonymous
That is an unknown. Rising 9th graders are not being given the option, that is what is being reported at the moment. |
Anonymous
But students haven't been allowed to transfer to schools at or exceeding capacity in the past either. If a school has capacity, who cares if students are transferring in? Is it worth punishing some 15 year old? |
Anonymous
What do you mean it's an "unknown"?! Shouldn't FCPS know already what it plans to do? My point is, shouldn't they be clear with guidance on this to ALL students who are affected or potentially could be affected? Isn't it crazy that this is being done without proper socialization to parents and students??? |
Anonymous
Yes, but recall they just adopted boundary changes that affect hundreds of students without providing any clarity as to whether grandfathered students will receive transportation. Michelle Reid and the current School Board are, without question, the most incompetent folks FCPS has ever had when it comes to making operating decisions. They are completely clueless about the implications of what they are doing 95% of the time. |
Anonymous
i think the boundary review may have opened some people’s eyes to transfers. especially now that some changes put schools at higher capacities. i think if a kid is in 9th and in the language they should be able to continue (same with immersion kids). but for kids who haven’t reached high school and just have an interest in a language shouldn’t get to switch schools for one class |
Anonymous
I thought with the new boundary changes, Langley will now be at capacity? |
Anonymous
Why? They are encouraging pupil placements for the Lewis Leadership Program, which is a hell of a lot less rigorous than learning Russian. |