Anonymous wrote:As an immigrant, I could never understand why there was such a disparity in education quality across the U.S. I couldn't understand why poor black areas had such worse schools compared to more affluent (and usually white) areas. But this thread has been an eye-opener. I understand this much better now. It seems the more affluent folks want their money to benefit only them and their families. They don't see the benefit to society of elevating everyone and giving a good education to all children, regardless of their socioeconomic status. Don't people want the US to succeed long-term? How does keeping poor people less educated benefit a country in the long-run?

Anonymous wrote:As an immigrant, I could never understand why there was such a disparity in education quality across the U.S. I couldn't understand why poor black areas had such worse schools compared to more affluent (and usually white) areas. But this thread has been an eye-opener. I understand this much better now. It seems the more affluent folks want their money to benefit only them and their families. They don't see the benefit to society of elevating everyone and giving a good education to all children, regardless of their socioeconomic status. Don't people want the US to succeed long-term? How does keeping poor people less educated benefit a country in the long-run?

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Anonymous wrote:I think maybe we disagree on what public schools mean in a fundamental way if you believe that the price of the house a child's family can afford should directly determine the quality of their public school education. Maybe you should get a cheaper house and pay for private school.

Or maybe you should acknowledge that FCPS short-changes the public schools in McLean and then takes credit for the high achievement of their students that is a result of the additional resources that the parents there have to fork over on their own.

+1

No one wants McLean schools to get more than other schools in FCPS. They want to be treated equally. I’m not sure you understand what goes on. FCPS regularly puts money into schools in poorer areas and then expects McLean schools to do without. For example, fields at poorer schools are regularly funded by FCPS. If McLean needs money for fields, they are required to fundraise for them. The county will not pay for them. That is just one example.

Citizens of mclean just want to be treated equally, not better than. But they are constantly being treated less than all others in the county because they assume the citizens will just fund it themselves.

But then FCPS is perfectly ready to take credit for the high test scores that come out of the underfunded schools. Even though it is the parents and students that actually are responsible for those phenomenal test scores.

Ummm... maybe the teachers helped also. But they don't live in McLean, I guess.

Sorry - I don't disagree that the teachers help. But McLean is not provided with better teachers than the rest of the county. You can't say that the teachers at McLean/Langley are so much better than the teachers at South Lakes can you? So much so that it makes the difference in all the test scores?

It is generally easier to recruit and retain teachers at McLean/Langley than at many other schools because the teachers don't have to work as hard or deal with as many disciplinary issues, but the flip-side is that the area is expensive and teachers may prefer positions closer to where they live.

If McLean City ran its own schools, it likely could pay higher salaries than FCPS or offer smaller class sizes, both advantages to teachers.

You have no way of knowing this.

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Anonymous wrote:I think maybe we disagree on what public schools mean in a fundamental way if you believe that the price of the house a child's family can afford should directly determine the quality of their public school education. Maybe you should get a cheaper house and pay for private school.

Or maybe you should acknowledge that FCPS short-changes the public schools in McLean and then takes credit for the high achievement of their students that is a result of the additional resources that the parents there have to fork over on their own.

+1

No one wants McLean schools to get more than other schools in FCPS. They want to be treated equally. I’m not sure you understand what goes on. FCPS regularly puts money into schools in poorer areas and then expects McLean schools to do without. For example, fields at poorer schools are regularly funded by FCPS. If McLean needs money for fields, they are required to fundraise for them. The county will not pay for them. That is just one example.

Citizens of mclean just want to be treated equally, not better than. But they are constantly being treated less than all others in the county because they assume the citizens will just fund it themselves.

But then FCPS is perfectly ready to take credit for the high test scores that come out of the underfunded schools. Even though it is the parents and students that actually are responsible for those phenomenal test scores.

Ummm... maybe the teachers helped also. But they don't live in McLean, I guess.

Sorry - I don't disagree that the teachers help. But McLean is not provided with better teachers than the rest of the county. You can't say that the teachers at McLean/Langley are so much better than the teachers at South Lakes can you? So much so that it makes the difference in all the test scores?

It is generally easier to recruit and retain teachers at McLean/Langley than at many other schools because the teachers don't have to work as hard or deal with as many disciplinary issues, but the flip-side is that the area is expensive and teachers may prefer positions closer to where they live.

If McLean City ran its own schools, it likely could pay higher salaries than FCPS or offer smaller class sizes, both advantages to teachers.

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Anonymous wrote:I think maybe we disagree on what public schools mean in a fundamental way if you believe that the price of the house a child's family can afford should directly determine the quality of their public school education. Maybe you should get a cheaper house and pay for private school.

Or maybe you should acknowledge that FCPS short-changes the public schools in McLean and then takes credit for the high achievement of their students that is a result of the additional resources that the parents there have to fork over on their own.

The top schools in Va (after TJ) are Langley and Mclean HS. Langley got a beautiful renovation done recently. Apart from the over-crowding issue at Mclean HS, how exactly are these schools being "short-changed"?

Apart from the shooting, how did you like the play, Mrs. Lincoln?

DP. I don't understand it either. "McLean HS is being held back by mean and bloated FCPS!!!" Umm, how?

Come back when your school is the international poster child for under-investment and lousy facilities.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/jan/27/virginia-teachers-strike-amazon-tax-breaks

...That didn't show being "short-changed".

But it does show the level where McLean and MCA are operating.

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Anonymous wrote:I think maybe we disagree on what public schools mean in a fundamental way if you believe that the price of the house a child's family can afford should directly determine the quality of their public school education. Maybe you should get a cheaper house and pay for private school.

Or maybe you should acknowledge that FCPS short-changes the public schools in McLean and then takes credit for the high achievement of their students that is a result of the additional resources that the parents there have to fork over on their own.

The top schools in Va (after TJ) are Langley and Mclean HS. Langley got a beautiful renovation done recently. Apart from the over-crowding issue at Mclean HS, how exactly are these schools being "short-changed"?

Apart from the shooting, how did you like the play, Mrs. Lincoln?

Langley got got a renovation, now other schools in the county are- should McLean jump in line?

FCPS has not dealt with the over crowding at McLean. There was suppose to be a decision a few years ago about boundary change. They keep kicking the can down the road adding more trailers now a modular. Most of the athletic field are gone, there is no other space to put these outdoor learning facilities but they need more to fit the kids…… Or they need to change the boundaries or build a bigger HS. My understanding is even in 2 years with all the additional trailers/modular, there will not be enough space.

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think maybe we disagree on what public schools mean in a fundamental way if you believe that the price of the house a child's family can afford should directly determine the quality of their public school education. Maybe you should get a cheaper house and pay for private school.

Or maybe you should acknowledge that FCPS short-changes the public schools in McLean and then takes credit for the high achievement of their students that is a result of the additional resources that the parents there have to fork over on their own.

The top schools in Va (after TJ) are Langley and Mclean HS. Langley got a beautiful renovation done recently. Apart from the over-crowding issue at Mclean HS, how exactly are these schools being "short-changed"?

Apart from the shooting, how did you like the play, Mrs. Lincoln?

DP. I don't understand it either. "McLean HS is being held back by mean and bloated FCPS!!!" Umm, how?

Come back when your school is the international poster child for under-investment and lousy facilities.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/jan/27/virginia-teachers-strike-amazon-tax-breaks

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think maybe we disagree on what public schools mean in a fundamental way if you believe that the price of the house a child's family can afford should directly determine the quality of their public school education. Maybe you should get a cheaper house and pay for private school.

Or maybe you should acknowledge that FCPS short-changes the public schools in McLean and then takes credit for the high achievement of their students that is a result of the additional resources that the parents there have to fork over on their own.

The top schools in Va (after TJ) are Langley and Mclean HS. Langley got a beautiful renovation done recently. Apart from the over-crowding issue at Mclean HS, how exactly are these schools being "short-changed"?

Apart from the shooting, how did you like the play, Mrs. Lincoln?

Langley got got a renovation, now other schools in the county are- should McLean jump in line?

FCPS has not dealt with the over crowding at McLean. There was suppose to be a decision a few years ago about boundary change. They keep kicking the can down the road adding more trailers now a modular. Most of the athletic field are gone, there is no other space to put these outdoor learning facilities but they need more to fit the kids…… Or they need to change the boundaries or build a bigger HS. My understanding is even in 2 years with all the additional trailers/modular, there will not be enough space.

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think maybe we disagree on what public schools mean in a fundamental way if you believe that the price of the house a child's family can afford should directly determine the quality of their public school education. Maybe you should get a cheaper house and pay for private school.

Or maybe you should acknowledge that FCPS short-changes the public schools in McLean and then takes credit for the high achievement of their students that is a result of the additional resources that the parents there have to fork over on their own.

The top schools in Va (after TJ) are Langley and Mclean HS. Langley got a beautiful renovation done recently. Apart from the over-crowding issue at Mclean HS, how exactly are these schools being "short-changed"?

Apart from the shooting, how did you like the play, Mrs. Lincoln?

Langley got got a renovation, now other schools in the county are- should McLean jump in line?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think maybe we disagree on what public schools mean in a fundamental way if you believe that the price of the house a child's family can afford should directly determine the quality of their public school education. Maybe you should get a cheaper house and pay for private school.

Or maybe you should acknowledge that FCPS short-changes the public schools in McLean and then takes credit for the high achievement of their students that is a result of the additional resources that the parents there have to fork over on their own.

The top schools in Va (after TJ) are Langley and Mclean HS. Langley got a beautiful renovation done recently. Apart from the over-crowding issue at Mclean HS, how exactly are these schools being "short-changed"?

Apart from the shooting, how did you like the play, Mrs. Lincoln?

DP. I don't understand it either. "McLean HS is being held back by mean and bloated FCPS!!!" Umm, how?

Anonymous wrote:This is predictably what happens when "equity" becomes the primary focus of a school system or county government.

The equity advocates are very clear. "Equity" is about taking all steps possible to produce equal outcomes; "equality" is about similar levels of resource allocation and equal opportunities.

People thought "equity" sounded reasonable, so they supported candidates who endorsed One Fairfax and the "equity" agenda. Now they're seeing that officials will deliberately allocate fewer resources to places like McLean because that might elevate equality over equity, whereas spending more on low-income areas and less in higher-income areas is consistent with an "equity" focus.

This was readily accepted when it wasn't so explicitly stated. Folks in McLean (and Vienna, Burke, Fairfax Station, and similar areas) tacitly agreed that some schools would get more funding, have smaller classes, receive additional teacher's aides, etc. It seemed appropriately designed to give an extra boost to higher-needs students.

But now it's all spelled out explicitly, people are expected to accept it as a matter of faith or else, and the short-changing of higher-income areas isn't treated like a necessary evil, but something that's a moral imperative. As it turns out, people still care about their own kids, and they don't like what they are seeing. Whether McLean can pull off separating from FC remains to be seen, but it's another canary in the coal mine that people weren't quite as "all-in" on the equity bandwagon as some of their recent votes may have suggested.

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think maybe we disagree on what public schools mean in a fundamental way if you believe that the price of the house a child's family can afford should directly determine the quality of their public school education. Maybe you should get a cheaper house and pay for private school.

Or maybe you should acknowledge that FCPS short-changes the public schools in McLean and then takes credit for the high achievement of their students that is a result of the additional resources that the parents there have to fork over on their own.

The top schools in Va (after TJ) are Langley and Mclean HS. Langley got a beautiful renovation done recently. Apart from the over-crowding issue at Mclean HS, how exactly are these schools being "short-changed"?

Apart from the shooting, how did you like the play, Mrs. Lincoln?

Langley got got a renovation, now other schools in the county are- should McLean jump in line?