We are in FCPS and the sky isn’t falling here.

I do think it’s falling in arlington, though. They seem to be a mess without a plan. And most of my friends there have hated the iPad policy.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You don't see the sky falling PP because of where you live.

How so?

If the sky isn't falling where you live, then you don't count because it contradicts the OP desired narrative.

OP here. Not my desired narrative. Just the feeling I get reading the numerous negative threads in the public schools forums.

I have been on this forum for a few years now. I have learned that this forum is a bubble, and to take everything with a grain of salt.

When I talk to my friends who have kids in school -- a few different clusters -- they have general complaints but not the sky is falling outlook.

I live in MoCo, used to be on the PTA Board of an ES, have been through multiple clusters. Based on what I've seen/heard- the complaints have been more about the overcrowding/large class sizes- except for the FOCUS and Title one schools where the class sizes stay fairly small. Also, a lot of parents whose neighborhoods could potentially be reassigned to a different school are very concerned that their kids might be reassigned to a "less" desirable school. Lots of complaints from families who are frustrated that MCPS is looking to even out demographics as much as possible when making boundary changes. While there are other folks who bring up other issues in the school forum here, I would say that what I mentioned above is more of the consistent theme when having real life conversations with other parents. Most parents in my opinion are happy with their schools and I've never heard anyone saying that the curriculum has been dumbed down to cater to non English speaking or low performing students. If anything, some parents are frustrated that some of the academic expectations at the ES is a bit much.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You don't see the sky falling PP because of where you live.

How so?

If the sky isn't falling where you live, then you don't count because it contradicts the OP desired narrative.

OP here. Not my desired narrative. Just the feeling I get reading the numerous negative threads in the public schools forums.

I have been on this forum for a few years now. I have learned that this forum is a bubble, and to take everything with a grain of salt.

When I talk to my friends who have kids in school -- a few different clusters -- they have general complaints but not the sky is falling outlook.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You don't see the sky falling PP because of where you live.

How so?

If the sky isn't falling where you live, then you don't count because it contradicts the OP desired narrative.

correct

about half of the former middle class areas in the DMV are going to crap. Most people on DCUM aren't feeling the effects because they are in upper income areas.

No, a number of the people explicitly responded that they are in a "middle of the road" school--not upper income.

they are still in the good ones

honestly are there very many DCUM posters if any who go to schools that are a greatschools 5 or less

and yet i know that's a crappy metric but it's the only universal one we have

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You don't see the sky falling PP because of where you live.

How so?

If the sky isn't falling where you live, then you don't count because it contradicts the OP desired narrative.

OP here. Not my desired narrative. Just the feeling I get reading the numerous negative threads in the public schools forums.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You don't see the sky falling PP because of where you live.

How so?

If the sky isn't falling where you live, then you don't count because it contradicts the OP desired narrative.

correct

about half of the former middle class areas in the DMV are going to crap. Most people on DCUM aren't feeling the effects because they are in upper income areas.

No, a number of the people explicitly responded that they are in a "middle of the road" school--not upper income.

There are a lot of posts on here complaining about MCPS. Are they just from a handful of posters?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You don't see the sky falling PP because of where you live.

How so?

If the sky isn't falling where you live, then you don't count because it contradicts the OP desired narrative.

correct

about half of the former middle class areas in the DMV are going to crap. Most people on DCUM aren't feeling the effects because they are in upper income areas.

No, a number of the people explicitly responded that they are in a "middle of the road" school--not upper income.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You don't see the sky falling PP because of where you live.

How so?

If the sky isn't falling where you live, then you don't count because it contradicts the OP desired narrative.

correct

about half of the former middle class areas in the DMV are going to crap. Most people on DCUM aren't feeling the effects because they are in upper income areas.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You don't see the sky falling PP because of where you live.

How so?

If the sky isn't falling where you live, then you don't count because it contradicts the OP desired narrative.

Anonymous wrote:You don't see the sky falling PP because of where you live.

How so?

You don't see the sky falling PP because of where you live.

We're in MoCo and I don't see the sky falling either. We're at clarksburg and have been very happy with the teachers, staff, and the community. Lots of dedicated students who take their studies seriously but also not to the point where they're uber stressed out. I grew up in MCPS and I don't know, I feel like the stuff my kids are learning now are much more challenging than what I learned here growing up. The schools in the entire DMV area are changing for sure due to population changes (we're getting more students, and we're more diverse). I think many families who see the sky is falling are missing the days when everyone around here was middle class or UMC, white or with a sprinkling of a few Asian and Black kids. That said, there's tons of focus on test scores these days and that's a problem because it's seriously just a small factor when determining how good a school is (or not).

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think we've had huge low income immigrant population shifts here. Our school systems are struggling to handle it.

This.

We have a large generational poverty black class and are building a large generational poverty Hispanic class. Both reproduce at 3-4 children per woman and are net takers in society not net producers. And remitting $3-6 billion a year to Central America from black market cash jobs each year doesn’t help.

agree on large permanent poverty black class

Hispanics like most immigrants have a net track record of improving generation to generation

the other main stickler is rural whites who are also a net drain on society with generations of poverty similar to urban blacks

Figuring out what to do with rural schools in areas with declining population is really important. If state-level resources were adjusted to population levels there would be virtually no schools or services in many areas.

My kids went through FCPS AAP. One now at TJ. One at a base school that falls within the top 1/3 in most rankings. Like PP, culturally diverse, highly educated neighborhood. I have been very please with my kids education. You’d expect the TJ kid to have amazing STEM skills— and they do. But both kids are getting a solid humanities grounding, a good understanding of history, civics, politics. Both are being actively taught to write well, which is important to me. I don’t see the sky falling in in FCPS.

Now, we aren’t zoned for Justice, Lee, Mt. Vernon, etc. but we aren’t McLean, Herndon either. You can buy a townhouse zoned for my kids schools for under 300k. A comfortable SFH in a nice neighborhood with sidewalks and kids on bikes and a community pool for 600k.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think we've had huge low income immigrant population shifts here. Our school systems are struggling to handle it.

This.

We have a large generational poverty black class and are building a large generational poverty Hispanic class. Both reproduce at 3-4 children per woman and are net takers in society not net producers. And remitting $3-6 billion a year to Central America from black market cash jobs each year doesn’t help.

agree on large permanent poverty black class

Hispanics like most immigrants have a net track record of improving generation to generation

the other main stickler is rural whites who are also a net drain on society with generations of poverty similar to urban blacks