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Anonymous wrote:A lot of “off track” and “needs intensive support” at the elementary level.

And what exactly will be the result of this designation? Are they actually going to GET the "intensive support" that they need? Or is this rating just another way to dump on our poorest schools?

It shouldn't come as any surprise that the most vulnerable populations need "intensive support" to keep up with their peers. If this designation puts them in line for additional resources, I'm all for it. If it's just another label so that the more well-to-do families can avoid them, well....

Fwiw, I'm a relatively high earner but kept my kids in our local Title 1 elementary school, which is labeled Off Track in this report, because we love the community and the school. The admin and teachers are top notch, but of course there is a large segment of the school population that needs real help. Labeling the school to scare people off doesn't help, but some additional resources really would.

They already get extra support. There are smaller class sizes. There are extra reading and math specialists. There are outreach attempts. I am not sure what the schools can do more than what they are doing.

The issue, that the schools cannot solve, is that the population needing the support needs the support at home but doesn’t have it. Many are not read to as babies or toddlers. Many don’t have the supports to deal with school work sent home. Many are hungry and can’t focus at school. And the schools can’t do anything about that. Society can’t fix homes that don’t value education.

Maybe we need to start holding kids back who are not on grade level in early ES, that seems to be working in Mississippi. But it is not like the schools have not been trying to help the kids out, they have been.

These are the kids most impacted by this crazy calendar where their parents are scrambling for childcare for them every week and they're not getting the routine and repetition they need at the early grades.

I expect Reid to take no responsibility.

+1

Everyone loves to be magnanimous about equity but they also love all their days off and snow days and early release and this sh*t box of a calendar without any consideration that the people it is hurting the most are students who will never enjoy a trip to the zoo or hot cocoa and sledding and a trip to see grandma in London or whatever else the rich folks like to do with all the time off.

Some of us have been arguing for year-round school so that kids are in school more consistently and there is less academic slide but then people freak out about swim schedules and needing a long summer and how most of the country doesn't do year-round school.

Have a 2 week break after each quarter. The Teachers would have one week of work, for finishing grades, planning, and professional development. Summer vacation is 6 weeks long. Better consistency, kids in school with shorter breaks, cheaper travel for the families that can/want to travel.

No one, especially teachers, want year round school. They’ve made this very clear. We just want breaks that make sense built in.

+1. The choice isn't between this awful, disjointed calendar and year round school. There is a lot that can be done to fix this Calendar that's middle ground. Stop digging in your heels on this, folks! Fix the Calendar. Speak up to your Reps.

This. The fix is easy, addresses a whole bunch or self-created problems, and even helps children learn which in theory is something FCPS cares about.

Omg, get over the calendar. Feel free to look for other options if it’s that impactful.

Or engage elected officials?

People do engage elected officials and answer surveys and they are ignored.

Have they released the results of the surveys? Because there are many many people who aren't upset about the calendar. Also, I mean, by 2nd grade, most kids should be able to handle a change in schedule. We aren't talking about an infant in daycare who is confused and can't differentiate one day from the next.

I would love year-round school. I guess it wouldn't work without lots of additional money, and it would be a huge transition for teachers, but that would be really great. Kids do not need 10 weeks off from school every summer.

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Anonymous wrote:No public funds should ever go to private schools, and doubly so to anything related to religion.

Why not

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Anonymous wrote:Percentage of "Distinguished" Schools:

FCCPS 100%
LCPS 46.9%
FCPS 38.9%
APS 34.3%
ACPS 5.9%

Percentage of "Off Track/Needs Intensive Support" Schools:

ACPS 76.5%
APS 31.4%
FCPS 23.8%
LCPS 18.4%
FCCPS 0%

So the once great FCPS is now middle of the pack and falling. But keep giving Reid raises and voting in terrible school board members. Clearly a winning strategy.

OMG. Do you have any critical thinking skills? You do know that Falls Church City has a total of FOUR schools with a poverty rate of 4%. FCPS is not “middle of the pack.”

Loudoun County has 13 Title 1 schools while FCPS has 51. If you can’t see how poverty levels impact achievement scores, you’re not very bright.

Poor people are not universally under achievers. I grew up in the projects, graduated at the top of my HS class and went on to earn a bachelor and masters degree from a prestigious university.

The quality of education at FCPS has fallen dramatically over the past two decades. That is a simple fact.

Stories like yours are rare. Most kids who come from poverty do not graduate from college, a large percentage don’t graduate from HS.

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Anonymous wrote:So do schools that are Off Track or Need Intensive Support actually get some support from FCPS or the state? And what does that look like?

Those schools get additional funds and have more support for struggling students. These are schools with the restrictive SPED programs, where kids don’t test well and might not ever be on grade level. It’s the schools that are impoverished where kids are not raised being read to or have someone at home to help with school. There are programs in place.

a lot of these programs are being cut. the grant for high impact tutors runs out this year. they already cut funding for hours and tutors this year. next year not sure what will happen. kids need the intervention but the grant is done

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Anonymous wrote:So do schools that are Off Track or Need Intensive Support actually get some support from FCPS or the state? And what does that look like?

Those schools get additional funds and have more support for struggling students. These are schools with the restrictive SPED programs, where kids don’t test well and might not ever be on grade level. It’s the schools that are impoverished where kids are not raised being read to or have someone at home to help with school. There are programs in place.