Anonymous wrote:I am the OP, thanks for feedback. How much does administration affect kids' experiences? In other words, if there are good teachers, programs, etc. will it really matter to my kids if the principal isn't the best? Honestly asking. I'm more concerned at this point about the high school, hadn't realized South Lakes didn't offer AP classes, but we might end up there anyway. Fairfax school district and schools are way bigger than what we're used to, but can't afford private.

Administration is a huge factor especially at the secondary level. Bad administration will drive out good staff, gut programs, and prioritize pet projects over everything else, often to the detriment of students.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To the OP, I"d try to move into the area in/near Reston that may go to the new western HS. You can then avoid SLHS and IB, plus if you're savvy go to Carson or Robinson for MS? I'm not clear on the MSs and how best to be in Reston (if that's where you need to move for work) but avoid Hughes. My neighbor taught there until last year and said she definitely would not want her own kids to go there, FWIW.

Why would anyone want to avoid IB at South Lakes? Clearly you're not an IB parent there.

1. AP is much more flexible in choices of courses to take.
2. Taking IB a la carte was never the intention of IB.
3. Some math students much prefer the opportunities in AP over IB.

And: for the leadership--Reid has openly admitted at a School Board meeting that IB is more expensive.
Fewer people prefer it--why are we doing this. This is not equitable programming.

I find it puzzling that in points 1) and 2) you accuse IB both of not being flexible enough and of being used in a manner that you judge as being too flexible. And 3), many students are not "math" students.
DC earned their IBDP, was admitted EA at UVA, and had a really good college experience, for which -yes- they were thoroughly prepared.

I will never understand why non-IB parents can't just be happy that their children get to do AP. The vitriol against IB by people on this board is just puzzling. And I never hear IB parents give a second thought to AP. Like, nobody cares. Be happy with your lot and carry on!

SLHS is our base school and I would strongly prefer AP to IB. I shouldn’t have to pupil place and provide transportation for a program that is barely utilized. The IBDP rate is depressingly low. The IB was not meant to be a pick and choose, that is what the AP program does. IB is supposed to be about earning the diploma and all that goes into earning the diploma. SLHS doesn’t have even 10% of the kids completing the diploma. Most kids take 1 or 2 classes and then have to wait until senior year to take the exam. If they are taking the exams the year they take the IB class, then they are not following the program.

IB should be a opt in program at one or two schools so that the kids wanting to complete the IB Diploma can be at school together, encouraging each other. That is how LCPS and APS use IB. Instead it is foisted on schools where most of the students don’t have any interest in the actual program, treat it like AP, and kids who want to take AP are screwed because that is what is offered at their base school.

The fact that the County dropped IB at the schools where the parents are not involved enough to fight it says a lot. Robinson has IB and AP options so there is less concern at Robinson because kids can ignore IB and do AP, but SLHS doesn’t have that option.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To the OP, I"d try to move into the area in/near Reston that may go to the new western HS. You can then avoid SLHS and IB, plus if you're savvy go to Carson or Robinson for MS? I'm not clear on the MSs and how best to be in Reston (if that's where you need to move for work) but avoid Hughes. My neighbor taught there until last year and said she definitely would not want her own kids to go there, FWIW.

Why would anyone want to avoid IB at South Lakes? Clearly you're not an IB parent there.

1. AP is much more flexible in choices of courses to take.
2. Taking IB a la carte was never the intention of IB.
3. Some math students much prefer the opportunities in AP over IB.

And: for the leadership--Reid has openly admitted at a School Board meeting that IB is more expensive.
Fewer people prefer it--why are we doing this. This is not equitable programming.

I find it puzzling that in points 1) and 2) you accuse IB both of not being flexible enough and of being used in a manner that you judge as being too flexible. And 3), many students are not "math" students.
DC earned their IBDP, was admitted EA at UVA, and had a really good college experience, for which -yes- they were thoroughly prepared.

I will never understand why non-IB parents can't just be happy that their children get to do AP. The vitriol against IB by people on this board is just puzzling. And I never hear IB parents give a second thought to AP. Like, nobody cares. Be happy with your lot and carry on!

I am the OP, thanks for feedback. How much does administration affect kids' experiences? In other words, if there are good teachers, programs, etc. will it really matter to my kids if the principal isn't the best? Honestly asking. I'm more concerned at this point about the high school, hadn't realized South Lakes didn't offer AP classes, but we might end up there anyway. Fairfax school district and schools are way bigger than what we're used to, but can't afford private.

Anonymous wrote:Is Hughes IB also? What does that mean in MS, is it mostly supposed to make lower performing more palatable?

I believe Hughes is IB, I have no clue what that means in a MS. I believe Dogwood is an IB ES, I have no clue what that means.

Is Hughes IB also? What does that mean in MS, is it mostly supposed to make lower performing more palatable?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To the OP, I"d try to move into the area in/near Reston that may go to the new western HS. You can then avoid SLHS and IB, plus if you're savvy go to Carson or Robinson for MS? I'm not clear on the MSs and how best to be in Reston (if that's where you need to move for work) but avoid Hughes. My neighbor taught there until last year and said she definitely would not want her own kids to go there, FWIW.

Why would anyone want to avoid IB at South Lakes? Clearly you're not an IB parent there.

1. AP is much more flexible in choices of courses to take.
2. Taking IB a la carte was never the intention of IB.
3. Some math students much prefer the opportunities in AP over IB.

And: for the leadership--Reid has openly admitted at a School Board meeting that IB is more expensive.
Fewer people prefer it--why are we doing this. This is not equitable programming.

The SLHS families I know who love IB have bought into the "it prepares students better for college" advertisement. The fact that so many AP kids go on to do well in college and are not bemoaning the lack of preperation, eludes them. The program seems to feel special and the few people who have kids working the diploma love it. Most of the others in the neighborhood that are not looking for AP are families that have kids who would take a few AP classes but not a lot. They are not worried about decreasing college class load. The ones who prefer AP pupil place to Herndon, Oakton (with Japanese), or Langley (Russian). I know rising Juniors and Seniors who want to move to KAA for AP and are disappointed that they cannot.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To the OP, I"d try to move into the area in/near Reston that may go to the new western HS. You can then avoid SLHS and IB, plus if you're savvy go to Carson or Robinson for MS? I'm not clear on the MSs and how best to be in Reston (if that's where you need to move for work) but avoid Hughes. My neighbor taught there until last year and said she definitely would not want her own kids to go there, FWIW.

Why would anyone want to avoid IB at South Lakes? Clearly you're not an IB parent there.

IB was meant to be a diploma program, not an ala carte program. SLHS treats, actually all the FCPS HSs, treat IB as if it is similar to AP when it is not. You should not be taking IB classes individually, you should be taking IB classes to complete the diploma.

Even with that, the IB Science classes, even the HL ones, are not as challenging as the AP versions, for example, there is no equivalent to AP Physics C, the IB Physics HL is algebra based.

Also, taking all the IB exams as a senior, which is required to earn the diploma, means piling on tests for one year. So kids who are interested in IB Bio, Chem, Physics, Math, English, Foreign Language, and History have how many tests to study for as a Senior? That might be acceptable in Europe, but it is not a great idea. I also think that most European kids are not taking as many of the STEM based classes so they have fewer tests.

A STEM kid can take multiple AP science and math classes and take the tests when they complete the class. And they have better class options.

IB is not a welcome program. If it was as amazing as the few people who think it is special think it is, families in Langley, McLean, and Oakton would be demanding it at their schools. They are not. It was placed at one or two MC HS but mainly at high FARMs HS to try and attract high achieving students to the schools, the only people who bit were kids leaving Herndon for SLHS. Those are kids moving from a high FARMs school to a less impoverished school that is nearby.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To the OP, I"d try to move into the area in/near Reston that may go to the new western HS. You can then avoid SLHS and IB, plus if you're savvy go to Carson or Robinson for MS? I'm not clear on the MSs and how best to be in Reston (if that's where you need to move for work) but avoid Hughes. My neighbor taught there until last year and said she definitely would not want her own kids to go there, FWIW.

Why would anyone want to avoid IB at South Lakes? Clearly you're not an IB parent there.

1. AP is much more flexible in choices of courses to take.
2. Taking IB a la carte was never the intention of IB.
3. Some math students much prefer the opportunities in AP over IB.

And: for the leadership--Reid has openly admitted at a School Board meeting that IB is more expensive.
Fewer people prefer it--why are we doing this. This is not equitable programming.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To the OP, I"d try to move into the area in/near Reston that may go to the new western HS. You can then avoid SLHS and IB, plus if you're savvy go to Carson or Robinson for MS? I'm not clear on the MSs and how best to be in Reston (if that's where you need to move for work) but avoid Hughes. My neighbor taught there until last year and said she definitely would not want her own kids to go there, FWIW.

Why would anyone want to avoid IB at South Lakes? Clearly you're not an IB parent there.

You can’t be serious?!

Anonymous wrote:To the OP, I"d try to move into the area in/near Reston that may go to the new western HS. You can then avoid SLHS and IB, plus if you're savvy go to Carson or Robinson for MS? I'm not clear on the MSs and how best to be in Reston (if that's where you need to move for work) but avoid Hughes. My neighbor taught there until last year and said she definitely would not want her own kids to go there, FWIW.

Why would anyone want to avoid IB at South Lakes? Clearly you're not an IB parent there.

Likely personality conflicts. (And worse if the AP gossip is true)

Don't really know more, just that my daughter is also super bummed about chorus and plays being affected. They have a great drama teacher but the music side had been getting stronger. Haven't had much interaction with the principal but am now asking around for sure...

Anonymous wrote:I'm curious if this is true too. The very popular chorus teacher also left very suddenly a couple weeks ago (DD is crushed), reportedly after falling out with the principal. As a parent I'd rather the teacher had stayed and the principal left. And no information has been shared with the community about the AP. Does anyone know more?

The one that does summer plays? What is controversial about chorus to cause a fall out?

I'm curious if this is true too. The very popular chorus teacher also left very suddenly a couple weeks ago (DD is crushed), reportedly after falling out with the principal. As a parent I'd rather the teacher had stayed and the principal left. And no information has been shared with the community about the AP. Does anyone know more?

Is it true or not? That’s hella scary gossip