Anonymous wrote:

palshi wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Avoid FCPS. It is completely mismanaged and no one knows what programs or school boundaries will be in a few years. This School Board is both incompetent and hypocritical and we deeply regret buying in Fairfax.

Would you mind sharing more details if possible? I keep on reading that FCPS is not as wonderful as it was 20 years ago. At the same time, FCPS schools are ranked much higher than any LCPS schools (high schools speficially). I am just hoping to get best possible information before making the decision.

FCPS has a School Board that is simultaneously big on "equity," yet also lazy and stupid, so there's just a constant state of uncertainty.

They seem to want to downgrade the AAP program by getting rid of AAP centers, which would be fine in wealthier areas like McLean and Great Falls, and not so great in other areas where there are fewer advanced kids.

They have launched a massive county-wide boundary study that could change school boundaries at every level (elementary, middle, and high), yet they seem oblivious to the fact different schools offer different programs and parents may have deliberately selected specific schools for their kids.

The Superintendent is incredibly weak and totally mismanaged the one situation where she could have exercised leadership - an investigation of improprieties involving the Hayfield HS football program. For the most part, she's just a smiling face who signs onto whatever she thinks the School Board wants. It's more like having a press secretary than a functioning superintendent.

Many people are unhappy about the direction of FCPS. Look elsewhere.

This is just individual opinion attacking a personal FCPS employee. This is not an answer to OP question, unless they can specifically name where is the "elsewhere".
Before I moved to FCPS, I spent alot of time researching and look at the data. I have 2 gifted kids and one is 2e. FCPS is not perfect, but it does served my kids well enough. I do not care about Hayfield or the board's salary, or how do they smile, they don't impact my kids wellbeing.

The lcps program requires your kid to be pulled out of class and miss class. My friend’s son had to go to another school a day a week and then make up work. He eventually dropped the program.

I had a friend who had a gifted child and they specifically moved from loudoun to fcps for AAP.

I do think fcps>lcps academically.

palshi wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Avoid FCPS. It is completely mismanaged and no one knows what programs or school boundaries will be in a few years. This School Board is both incompetent and hypocritical and we deeply regret buying in Fairfax.

Would you mind sharing more details if possible? I keep on reading that FCPS is not as wonderful as it was 20 years ago. At the same time, FCPS schools are ranked much higher than any LCPS schools (high schools speficially). I am just hoping to get best possible information before making the decision.

FCPS has a School Board that is simultaneously big on "equity," yet also lazy and stupid, so there's just a constant state of uncertainty.

They seem to want to downgrade the AAP program by getting rid of AAP centers, which would be fine in wealthier areas like McLean and Great Falls, and not so great in other areas where there are fewer advanced kids.

They have launched a massive county-wide boundary study that could change school boundaries at every level (elementary, middle, and high), yet they seem oblivious to the fact different schools offer different programs and parents may have deliberately selected specific schools for their kids.

The Superintendent is incredibly weak and totally mismanaged the one situation where she could have exercised leadership - an investigation of improprieties involving the Hayfield HS football program. For the most part, she's just a smiling face who signs onto whatever she thinks the School Board wants. It's more like having a press secretary than a functioning superintendent.

Many people are unhappy about the direction of FCPS. Look elsewhere.

They gave the head of FCPS a huge raise. That’s how great the program is. Otherwise why would the head of school be paid more than the president?

Anonymous wrote:Avoid FCPS. It is completely mismanaged and no one knows what programs or school boundaries will be in a few years. This School Board is both incompetent and hypocritical and we deeply regret buying in Fairfax.

palshi wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Avoid FCPS. It is completely mismanaged and no one knows what programs or school boundaries will be in a few years. This School Board is both incompetent and hypocritical and we deeply regret buying in Fairfax.

Would you mind sharing more details if possible? I keep on reading that FCPS is not as wonderful as it was 20 years ago. At the same time, FCPS schools are ranked much higher than any LCPS schools (high schools specifically). I am just hoping to get best possible information before making the decision.

If FCPS decline, and if does true, so does others district around the country and maybe they even worse, there is not reason only FCPS that decline, this area has a lot of money and still full of high education families.
Also depends on your kid. My high achieving kid thrived at AAP Center in McLean/Langley area, the cohort was very strong.
I don't have the experience for LCPS.

palshi wrote:Hello,

Our older DD is in second grade and attends FCPS school as of now. Her NNAT was 124 and CogAT was 142. We got an email that she was referred to be screened for Full-Time AAP program. She is enthusiastic, kind kid who does a lot of extracurricular activities. Given this, we are wondering if there are advantages of her going through FCPS AAP program. One of the reason, we would like to seek your opinion is to understand if FCPS AAP education is better than LCPS GT program. We are planning to buy a house. For many reasons (better house, proximity to schools) we liked LCPS Briar woods pyramid. We can buy a house in Langley pyramid in FCPS but we won't be close to school (long commute for kids). I do wonder what do parents think about this situation. We are involved parents, who want to provide best education for our kids in addition to well rounded upbringing. Any thoughts you could share, I will really appreciate it. Thank you!

Academically FCPS AAP is far superior than LCPS GT program, which is non-academic, and it is called a GT program but it is far from it. Students are given printouts of suduko puzzles or similar, and that's about it.
Of course the peer group in FCPS especially at TJ, Langley, Oakton, & McLean are farther ahead academically compared to the LCPS top school Briar Woods where the college readiness factor is less than a Marshall HS or Madison HS.
Yes, housing options are much better in Loudoun as the county continues to expand with large majority being on the affluent side especially around Ashburn, Aldie, etc. In LCPS, Briar Woods is alright but the newer Rock Ridge HS and Independence HS have much better academic options, and are improving at a faster rate. There is the Academies of Loudoun which is a part time program for Math, Science, & Tech courses only, unlike TJ which is a full time school.

The teaching quality has dropped. E.g. Teaching kids with ‘Gizmo’ instead of real microscopes. No grammar in elementary through middle.

FCPS has gone down hill and parents are supplementing like crazy to address gaps, hence, the explosion of Mathnasium, RSM, Kumon, Tutoring Clubs, Varsity Tutors, etc. all over Arlington, Falls Church, McLean, Vienna, etc.

Anonymous wrote:Poor schools have very smart kids too. And just because English is a second language for some kids does not mean they are not smart.

Not saying that there are not smart poor kids and non-English speaking kids. There is a lot of research that demonstrates that poverty is correlated with lower test scores and performance in school. Generational poverty is one of the biggest issues tied to the education gap.

Like it or not, the high performing schools in FCPS are the schools with the lowest FARMS rate and the worst performing schools are the ones with the highest FARMs rate. It has less to do with native intelligence and more to do with parental supports and resources.

Poor schools have very smart kids too. And just because English is a second language for some kids does not mean they are not smart.

palshi wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Avoid FCPS. It is completely mismanaged and no one knows what programs or school boundaries will be in a few years. This School Board is both incompetent and hypocritical and we deeply regret buying in Fairfax.

Would you mind sharing more details if possible? I keep on reading that FCPS is not as wonderful as it was 20 years ago. At the same time, FCPS schools are ranked much higher than any LCPS schools (high schools speficially). I am just hoping to get best possible information before making the decision.

Twenty years ago FCPS had fewer kids living in or near poverty and fewer English Language Learners. Test scores, which are highly correlated with family income, were higher.

Middle and Upper Middle Class schools still have high test scores. Poor schools have lower test scores.

Anonymous wrote:Avoid FCPS. It is completely mismanaged and no one knows what programs or school boundaries will be in a few years. This School Board is both incompetent and hypocritical and we deeply regret buying in Fairfax.

Would you mind sharing more details if possible? I keep on reading that FCPS is not as wonderful as it was 20 years ago. At the same time, FCPS schools are ranked much higher than any LCPS schools (high schools speficially). I am just hoping to get best possible information before making the decision.

Parents who are involved tend to have kids who have good experiences with schools. Obviously this isn’t 100% true but tends to be true.

Your kid would be fine in either school district. AAP is needed, really needed, for kids at Title 1 schools, outside of that AAP is nice but not mandatory. And AAP doesn’t fill the needs for kids who are ahead or gifted. DS was bored in math, even with the accelerated pace. He was challenged only when we enrolled him in math competition classes, we use RSM.

Don’t overthink this. Buy a house that you can afford where you want to live and be prepared to supplement.

Also know that LCPS frequently redistricts. The County is growing quickly and has the space to build new schools. We have friends there who talk about kids shifting schools frequently. FCPS is looking at boundaries now so expect those to shift.

Avoid FCPS. It is completely mismanaged and no one knows what programs or school boundaries will be in a few years. This School Board is both incompetent and hypocritical and we deeply regret buying in Fairfax.

FCPS full time AAP is either a dedicated classroom or cluster model (depending on whether you choose the center or local program and the local school's model). Full time AAP begins in 3rd grade.

LCPS is a limited weekly pull out and begins in 4th.

Which program is better depends on the school and what you hope to gain from the program.

Hello,

Our older DD is in second grade and attends FCPS school as of now. Her NNAT was 124 and CogAT was 142. We got an email that she was referred to be screened for Full-Time AAP program. She is enthusiastic, kind kid who does a lot of extracurricular activities. Given this, we are wondering if there are advantages of her going through FCPS AAP program. One of the reason, we would like to seek your opinion is to understand if FCPS AAP education is better than LCPS GT program. We are planning to buy a house. For many reasons (better house, proximity to schools) we liked LCPS Briar woods pyramid. We can buy a house in Langley pyramid in FCPS but we won't be close to school (long commute for kids). I do wonder what do parents think about this situation. We are involved parents, who want to provide best education for our kids in addition to well rounded upbringing. Any thoughts you could share, I will really appreciate it. Thank you!