Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You get the school district you vote for

Keep voting lockstep with teAM bLuE!11 because of some irrelevant political issues that the hacks are using to manipulate you into turning your $3.2B annual FCPS budget over to a bunch of political hacks who aren't interested in educating YOUR children or preserving YOUR property values.

Are you joking? "Team blue" so far has been a conservative's dream come true. No boundary changes along with allowing worsening conditions at the undesirable schools has catapulted property values at the "good" schools. A republican candidate who goes on about removing useless equity policies and truly taking action for equality might actually have to do something that hurts property values.

The school board often rezoned for capacity when it was run by republicans.

Somehow they managed to do this without tanking property values.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There’s not a single member of the current School Board with an ounce of courage. They pick soft targets (Asian immigrants hoping their kids will get into TJ) but they’d never take on vocal parents like the white parents at Langley or West Springfield.

Why do you keep dragging West Springfield into your discussion about overenrolled schools when WSHS is around the average enrollment capacity of the majority of fcps high schools? Why do you call WS a "white" school when it is majority minority with one of the highest percentages of African American students in all of FCPS?

It is such a bizarre fixation to have this strange focus on one school that is not over enrolled and has one of the most compact boundaries in the county. It is almost as if you are trolling.

What does the "average enrollment capacity of the majority" of schools mean? Like you exclude a bunch of schools and then say West Springfield is then about average?

In any event, West Springfield (2650) has the fifth largest HS enrollment in the county this year, behind only Chantilly (2917), Lake Braddock (2896), West Potomac (2725), and Oakton (2679). Lewis, with which WS shares a large border, has the smallest enrollment (1685). Does anyone think a school with 1685 kids can offer the same classes or the same number of sessions of classes as one with 2650 kids?

Lewis is IB.

Start there.

Lewis teacher here. I know we’re allegedly under capacity, but I don’t see it. The halls are overcrowded during class change, the 4 lunch periods are packed, classrooms are all utilized and I don’t know anyone not teaching an obscure elective who doesn’t have capacity enrollment in their classes. So yeah, sending a couple thousand kids over here— in a building that hasn’t been touched since 2001— is of questionable value.

The sports speak for the under-enrollment. I understand demographics play a role, but even Justice, Annandale, Herndon, and Mount Vernon have some relatively strong sports programs despite their similar demographics. On the other hand, Lewis struggles to have enough players for many of their teams.

The fact that some sports only have JV with no other option, and even the lone JV teams have bare minimum players is just plain depressing. Those kids deserve a full and rich high school experience both academically and with activities.

Lack of JV teams doesn’t mean the building isn’t crowded though.

But 78% of capacity does.

Aren't the low income schools supposed to be smaller?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You get the school district you vote for

Keep voting lockstep with teAM bLuE!11 because of some irrelevant political issues that the hacks are using to manipulate you into turning your $3.2B annual FCPS budget over to a bunch of political hacks who aren't interested in educating YOUR children or preserving YOUR property values.

Are you joking? "Team blue" so far has been a conservative's dream come true. No boundary changes along with allowing worsening conditions at the undesirable schools has catapulted property values at the "good" schools. A republican candidate who goes on about removing useless equity policies and truly taking action for equality might actually have to do something that hurts property values.

It should be apolitical but that’s not going to happen. If we could get moderates who believe in educational standards but also don’t buy into the right wing CRT craziness, they would win. We need a happy medium. Neither side have best interests of kids.

What is “CRT craziness” as opposed to having concerns about, say, the embrace of trendy left-wing pedagogy such as “equitable grading” (now being piloted at some schools)? Can one express any misgivings about the rejection of the idea of academic merit without being accused of “CRT craziness,” even if the various pilot programs seem to reflect the implementation (rather than the teaching) of CRT?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There’s not a single member of the current School Board with an ounce of courage. They pick soft targets (Asian immigrants hoping their kids will get into TJ) but they’d never take on vocal parents like the white parents at Langley or West Springfield.

Why do you keep dragging West Springfield into your discussion about overenrolled schools when WSHS is around the average enrollment capacity of the majority of fcps high schools? Why do you call WS a "white" school when it is majority minority with one of the highest percentages of African American students in all of FCPS?

It is such a bizarre fixation to have this strange focus on one school that is not over enrolled and has one of the most compact boundaries in the county. It is almost as if you are trolling.

What does the "average enrollment capacity of the majority" of schools mean? Like you exclude a bunch of schools and then say West Springfield is then about average?

In any event, West Springfield (2650) has the fifth largest HS enrollment in the county this year, behind only Chantilly (2917), Lake Braddock (2896), West Potomac (2725), and Oakton (2679). Lewis, with which WS shares a large border, has the smallest enrollment (1685). Does anyone think a school with 1685 kids can offer the same classes or the same number of sessions of classes as one with 2650 kids?

Lewis is IB.

Start there.

Lewis teacher here. I know we’re allegedly under capacity, but I don’t see it. The halls are overcrowded during class change, the 4 lunch periods are packed, classrooms are all utilized and I don’t know anyone not teaching an obscure elective who doesn’t have capacity enrollment in their classes. So yeah, sending a couple thousand kids over here— in a building that hasn’t been touched since 2001— is of questionable value.

The sports speak for the under-enrollment. I understand demographics play a role, but even Justice, Annandale, Herndon, and Mount Vernon have some relatively strong sports programs despite their similar demographics. On the other hand, Lewis struggles to have enough players for many of their teams.

The fact that some sports only have JV with no other option, and even the lone JV teams have bare minimum players is just plain depressing. Those kids deserve a full and rich high school experience both academically and with activities.

Lack of JV teams doesn’t mean the building isn’t crowded though.

At Mount Vernon, the sports teams that are under enrolled are strictly due to demographics. The "country club" sports are begging to get kids to join the teams. Other than swimming which requires at least a rudimentary level of experience, you can walk onto the tennis and golf teams having never played the sports before in your life. Our swim team will have events at meets with zero swimmers entered because we don't have enough kids to swim two individual events. But the soccer teams are extremely difficult to make. And the football team has a popular and extremely talented coach who has a winning record so he is able to recruit players.

Anonymous wrote:Looking at the McLean/Langley problem.
1. these schools were redistricted in 1984 and nothing has changed since that time, despite huge numbers of houses being built in the Tysons area that are all districted to Longfellow/McLean.
2. there are multiple neighborhoods in McLean that are much closer (even walkable) to Langley that continue to be sent to McLean - send those back to Langley
3. Great Falls needs its own high school. The vast majority of kids at Langley live in GF (many drive more than 30 minutes to school). Rather than expanding other schools there needs to be a 7-12 school that serves Great Falls.

The boundaries were changed in the mid-80s because Langley was overcrowded and McLean was under-enrolled. A lot changed over the years, and McLean got overcrowded while Langley was chronically under-enrolled. The McLean neighborhoods are generally less expensive and more convenient, so they attract more younger families.

There are far more neighborhoods now assigned to Langley that are closer to McLean than Langley than vice versa. There are a small number of areas assigned to McLean that are closer to Langley, but calling them walkable to Langley is a stretch since almost all are on the other side of 123, a major road.

With Herndon and Langley both renovated and expanded, Great Falls is never going to get a high or secondary school unless there was major development there. In retrospect, it would have been better if Langley were in Great Falls rather than almost in Arlington, but we just invested $80M in the school.

The only things that make sense are to expand McLean and if stays overcrowded do a complete review of the Langley/McLean boundaries, not these ad hoc adjustments.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You get the school district you vote for

Keep voting lockstep with teAM bLuE!11 because of some irrelevant political issues that the hacks are using to manipulate you into turning your $3.2B annual FCPS budget over to a bunch of political hacks who aren't interested in educating YOUR children or preserving YOUR property values.

Are you joking? "Team blue" so far has been a conservative's dream come true. No boundary changes along with allowing worsening conditions at the undesirable schools has catapulted property values at the "good" schools. A republican candidate who goes on about removing useless equity policies and truly taking action for equality might actually have to do something that hurts property values.

It should be apolitical but that’s not going to happen. If we could get moderates who believe in educational standards but also don’t buy into the right wing CRT craziness, they would win. We need a happy medium. Neither side have best interests of kids.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There’s not a single member of the current School Board with an ounce of courage. They pick soft targets (Asian immigrants hoping their kids will get into TJ) but they’d never take on vocal parents like the white parents at Langley or West Springfield.

Why do you keep dragging West Springfield into your discussion about overenrolled schools when WSHS is around the average enrollment capacity of the majority of fcps high schools? Why do you call WS a "white" school when it is majority minority with one of the highest percentages of African American students in all of FCPS?

It is such a bizarre fixation to have this strange focus on one school that is not over enrolled and has one of the most compact boundaries in the county. It is almost as if you are trolling.

What does the "average enrollment capacity of the majority" of schools mean? Like you exclude a bunch of schools and then say West Springfield is then about average?

In any event, West Springfield (2650) has the fifth largest HS enrollment in the county this year, behind only Chantilly (2917), Lake Braddock (2896), West Potomac (2725), and Oakton (2679). Lewis, with which WS shares a large border, has the smallest enrollment (1685). Does anyone think a school with 1685 kids can offer the same classes or the same number of sessions of classes as one with 2650 kids?

Lewis is IB.

Start there.

Lewis teacher here. I know we’re allegedly under capacity, but I don’t see it. The halls are overcrowded during class change, the 4 lunch periods are packed, classrooms are all utilized and I don’t know anyone not teaching an obscure elective who doesn’t have capacity enrollment in their classes. So yeah, sending a couple thousand kids over here— in a building that hasn’t been touched since 2001— is of questionable value.

The sports speak for the under-enrollment. I understand demographics play a role, but even Justice, Annandale, Herndon, and Mount Vernon have some relatively strong sports programs despite their similar demographics. On the other hand, Lewis struggles to have enough players for many of their teams.

The fact that some sports only have JV with no other option, and even the lone JV teams have bare minimum players is just plain depressing. Those kids deserve a full and rich high school experience both academically and with activities.

Lack of JV teams doesn’t mean the building isn’t crowded though.

But 78% of capacity does.

Anonymous wrote:You get the school district you vote for

Keep voting lockstep with teAM bLuE!11 because of some irrelevant political issues that the hacks are using to manipulate you into turning your $3.2B annual FCPS budget over to a bunch of political hacks who aren't interested in educating YOUR children or preserving YOUR property values.

Are you joking? "Team blue" so far has been a conservative's dream come true. No boundary changes along with allowing worsening conditions at the undesirable schools has catapulted property values at the "good" schools. A republican candidate who goes on about removing useless equity policies and truly taking action for equality might actually have to do something that hurts property values.

You get the school district you vote for

Keep voting lockstep with teAM bLuE!11 because of some irrelevant political issues that the hacks are using to manipulate you into turning your $3.2B annual FCPS budget over to a bunch of political hacks who aren't interested in educating YOUR children or preserving YOUR property values.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There’s not a single member of the current School Board with an ounce of courage. They pick soft targets (Asian immigrants hoping their kids will get into TJ) but they’d never take on vocal parents like the white parents at Langley or West Springfield.

Why do you keep dragging West Springfield into your discussion about overenrolled schools when WSHS is around the average enrollment capacity of the majority of fcps high schools? Why do you call WS a "white" school when it is majority minority with one of the highest percentages of African American students in all of FCPS?

It is such a bizarre fixation to have this strange focus on one school that is not over enrolled and has one of the most compact boundaries in the county. It is almost as if you are trolling.

What does the "average enrollment capacity of the majority" of schools mean? Like you exclude a bunch of schools and then say West Springfield is then about average?

In any event, West Springfield (2650) has the fifth largest HS enrollment in the county this year, behind only Chantilly (2917), Lake Braddock (2896), West Potomac (2725), and Oakton (2679). Lewis, with which WS shares a large border, has the smallest enrollment (1685). Does anyone think a school with 1685 kids can offer the same classes or the same number of sessions of classes as one with 2650 kids?

Lewis is IB.

Start there.

Lewis teacher here. I know we’re allegedly under capacity, but I don’t see it. The halls are overcrowded during class change, the 4 lunch periods are packed, classrooms are all utilized and I don’t know anyone not teaching an obscure elective who doesn’t have capacity enrollment in their classes. So yeah, sending a couple thousand kids over here— in a building that hasn’t been touched since 2001— is of questionable value.

The sports speak for the under-enrollment. I understand demographics play a role, but even Justice, Annandale, Herndon, and Mount Vernon have some relatively strong sports programs despite their similar demographics. On the other hand, Lewis struggles to have enough players for many of their teams.

The fact that some sports only have JV with no other option, and even the lone JV teams have bare minimum players is just plain depressing. Those kids deserve a full and rich high school experience both academically and with activities.

Lack of JV teams doesn’t mean the building isn’t crowded though.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There’s not a single member of the current School Board with an ounce of courage. They pick soft targets (Asian immigrants hoping their kids will get into TJ) but they’d never take on vocal parents like the white parents at Langley or West Springfield.

Why do you keep dragging West Springfield into your discussion about overenrolled schools when WSHS is around the average enrollment capacity of the majority of fcps high schools? Why do you call WS a "white" school when it is majority minority with one of the highest percentages of African American students in all of FCPS?

It is such a bizarre fixation to have this strange focus on one school that is not over enrolled and has one of the most compact boundaries in the county. It is almost as if you are trolling.

What does the "average enrollment capacity of the majority" of schools mean? Like you exclude a bunch of schools and then say West Springfield is then about average?

In any event, West Springfield (2650) has the fifth largest HS enrollment in the county this year, behind only Chantilly (2917), Lake Braddock (2896), West Potomac (2725), and Oakton (2679). Lewis, with which WS shares a large border, has the smallest enrollment (1685). Does anyone think a school with 1685 kids can offer the same classes or the same number of sessions of classes as one with 2650 kids?

Lewis is IB.

Start there.

Lewis teacher here. I know we’re allegedly under capacity, but I don’t see it. The halls are overcrowded during class change, the 4 lunch periods are packed, classrooms are all utilized and I don’t know anyone not teaching an obscure elective who doesn’t have capacity enrollment in their classes. So yeah, sending a couple thousand kids over here— in a building that hasn’t been touched since 2001— is of questionable value.

Hmm. I recall the former student School Board representative who definitely went to Lewis complaining about how students at Lewis felt disrespected and how she couldn’t access a challenging math class because so few sections were offered there.

If they removed IB from Lewis and switched to AP, it would help tremendously.

Or get rid of IB at all the other schools in that area, and make Lewis a magnet for IB.

do you think any SB candidates would run on getting rid of IB in most schools?

At large candidates could use budget numbers even down to the per pupil cost for IB v AP. Cost per school plus the extra costs for IB at ES and MS. Translate the extra costs to more $ for schools with similar demographics and no IB. Compare Hutchison detail budget to a similar school like Bailey's [wad of extra for magnet also at Hunters Woods.

Then do comps on extra teachers for programs like immersion on actual used versus whatever junk is manipulated in the program budget.

On a magisterial district level some have zero IB. So if you look at Hutchison to Herndon MD and HS there is a vast wad of more cash flowing to some schools with comparable demographics based on program money.

Uh huh. Then do AAP and TJ. And redistribute those PTA budgets.

Redistribute PTA budgets?

You are crazy.

I would not give a dime to our PTA if they were just going to be sent to some ffx county wide PTA budget.

The county PTA organization is WAY too political.

Parents give to PTA to directly benefit their own kids schools, not to be "redistributed" by people not involved in their local school communities, or used by county PTA leadership to advance partisan political causes.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Looking at the McLean/Langley problem.
1. these schools were redistricted in 1984 and nothing has changed since that time, despite huge numbers of houses being built in the Tysons area that are all districted to Longfellow/McLean.
2. there are multiple neighborhoods in McLean that are much closer (even walkable) to Langley that continue to be sent to McLean - send those back to Langley
3. Great Falls needs its own high school. The vast majority of kids at Langley live in GF (many drive more than 30 minutes to school). Rather than expanding other schools there needs to be a 7-12 school that serves Great Falls.

Why should great falls get its own high school when that is one of the least crowded areas in the entire county?

There were plans for a school but it wasn't limited to Great Falls. Decades ago, maybe about the same time as Aldrin was built, there were plans. Pre-Aldrin I think most of those students went to Forestville. A secondary school was planned for the Baron Cameron site. Later some thought there would be a North Reston area secondary school or co located MS-HS like Hughes-South Lakes or what now id South County MS-HS [didn't exist then].

So who did people think would go to that? Old Forest Edge AAP assigned schools less schools in the town of Herndon limits. Some schools were Lake Anne, Forest Edge, Aldrin, Armstrong, Forestville, Dranesville [non town], Great Falls. I guess it would alo be parts of what now are Colvin Run which has weird boundaries.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There’s not a single member of the current School Board with an ounce of courage. They pick soft targets (Asian immigrants hoping their kids will get into TJ) but they’d never take on vocal parents like the white parents at Langley or West Springfield.

Why do you keep dragging West Springfield into your discussion about overenrolled schools when WSHS is around the average enrollment capacity of the majority of fcps high schools? Why do you call WS a "white" school when it is majority minority with one of the highest percentages of African American students in all of FCPS?

It is such a bizarre fixation to have this strange focus on one school that is not over enrolled and has one of the most compact boundaries in the county. It is almost as if you are trolling.

What does the "average enrollment capacity of the majority" of schools mean? Like you exclude a bunch of schools and then say West Springfield is then about average?

In any event, West Springfield (2650) has the fifth largest HS enrollment in the county this year, behind only Chantilly (2917), Lake Braddock (2896), West Potomac (2725), and Oakton (2679). Lewis, with which WS shares a large border, has the smallest enrollment (1685). Does anyone think a school with 1685 kids can offer the same classes or the same number of sessions of classes as one with 2650 kids?

Lewis is IB.

Start there.

Lewis teacher here. I know we’re allegedly under capacity, but I don’t see it. The halls are overcrowded during class change, the 4 lunch periods are packed, classrooms are all utilized and I don’t know anyone not teaching an obscure elective who doesn’t have capacity enrollment in their classes. So yeah, sending a couple thousand kids over here— in a building that hasn’t been touched since 2001— is of questionable value.

Hmm. I recall the former student School Board representative who definitely went to Lewis complaining about how students at Lewis felt disrespected and how she couldn’t access a challenging math class because so few sections were offered there.

If they removed IB from Lewis and switched to AP, it would help tremendously.

Or get rid of IB at all the other schools in that area, and make Lewis a magnet for IB.

do you think any SB candidates would run on getting rid of IB in most schools?

At large candidates could use budget numbers even down to the per pupil cost for IB v AP. Cost per school plus the extra costs for IB at ES and MS. Translate the extra costs to more $ for schools with similar demographics and no IB. Compare Hutchison detail budget to a similar school like Bailey's [wad of extra for magnet also at Hunters Woods.

Then do comps on extra teachers for programs like immersion on actual used versus whatever junk is manipulated in the program budget.

On a magisterial district level some have zero IB. So if you look at Hutchison to Herndon MD and HS there is a vast wad of more cash flowing to some schools with comparable demographics based on program money.

Uh huh. Then do AAP and TJ. And redistribute those PTA budgets.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There’s not a single member of the current School Board with an ounce of courage. They pick soft targets (Asian immigrants hoping their kids will get into TJ) but they’d never take on vocal parents like the white parents at Langley or West Springfield.

Why do you keep dragging West Springfield into your discussion about overenrolled schools when WSHS is around the average enrollment capacity of the majority of fcps high schools? Why do you call WS a "white" school when it is majority minority with one of the highest percentages of African American students in all of FCPS?

It is such a bizarre fixation to have this strange focus on one school that is not over enrolled and has one of the most compact boundaries in the county. It is almost as if you are trolling.

What does the "average enrollment capacity of the majority" of schools mean? Like you exclude a bunch of schools and then say West Springfield is then about average?

In any event, West Springfield (2650) has the fifth largest HS enrollment in the county this year, behind only Chantilly (2917), Lake Braddock (2896), West Potomac (2725), and Oakton (2679). Lewis, with which WS shares a large border, has the smallest enrollment (1685). Does anyone think a school with 1685 kids can offer the same classes or the same number of sessions of classes as one with 2650 kids?

Lewis is IB.

Start there.

Lewis teacher here. I know we’re allegedly under capacity, but I don’t see it. The halls are overcrowded during class change, the 4 lunch periods are packed, classrooms are all utilized and I don’t know anyone not teaching an obscure elective who doesn’t have capacity enrollment in their classes. So yeah, sending a couple thousand kids over here— in a building that hasn’t been touched since 2001— is of questionable value.

Hmm. I recall the former student School Board representative who definitely went to Lewis complaining about how students at Lewis felt disrespected and how she couldn’t access a challenging math class because so few sections were offered there.

If they removed IB from Lewis and switched to AP, it would help tremendously.

Or get rid of IB at all the other schools in that area, and make Lewis a magnet for IB.

do you think any SB candidates would run on getting rid of IB in most schools?

Lol. It’s like a right wing fever dream.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There’s not a single member of the current School Board with an ounce of courage. They pick soft targets (Asian immigrants hoping their kids will get into TJ) but they’d never take on vocal parents like the white parents at Langley or West Springfield.

Why do you keep dragging West Springfield into your discussion about overenrolled schools when WSHS is around the average enrollment capacity of the majority of fcps high schools? Why do you call WS a "white" school when it is majority minority with one of the highest percentages of African American students in all of FCPS?

It is such a bizarre fixation to have this strange focus on one school that is not over enrolled and has one of the most compact boundaries in the county. It is almost as if you are trolling.

What does the "average enrollment capacity of the majority" of schools mean? Like you exclude a bunch of schools and then say West Springfield is then about average?

In any event, West Springfield (2650) has the fifth largest HS enrollment in the county this year, behind only Chantilly (2917), Lake Braddock (2896), West Potomac (2725), and Oakton (2679). Lewis, with which WS shares a large border, has the smallest enrollment (1685). Does anyone think a school with 1685 kids can offer the same classes or the same number of sessions of classes as one with 2650 kids?

Lewis is IB.

Start there.

Lewis teacher here. I know we’re allegedly under capacity, but I don’t see it. The halls are overcrowded during class change, the 4 lunch periods are packed, classrooms are all utilized and I don’t know anyone not teaching an obscure elective who doesn’t have capacity enrollment in their classes. So yeah, sending a couple thousand kids over here— in a building that hasn’t been touched since 2001— is of questionable value.

Hmm. I recall the former student School Board representative who definitely went to Lewis complaining about how students at Lewis felt disrespected and how she couldn’t access a challenging math class because so few sections were offered there.

If they removed IB from Lewis and switched to AP, it would help tremendously.

Or get rid of IB at all the other schools in that area, and make Lewis a magnet for IB.

Yes! There was an interesting article in the Post recently by Jay Matthews discussing how math teachers at Justice HS had basically had to work around some of the constraints of the IB math sequences to offer courses that made sense for students at that school.

Dr. Reid is big on the slogan “imagine the possibilities” but when it comes to Lewis it’s mostly been “imagine doing more of the same.”

She literally just inherited it. Maybe give her a whole school year before you irrationally drag her?