Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The included stats don't even show how many kids leave KGES. Those would be good stats to show. The school has the highest rate of people who leave.

According to the FCPS Dashboard, Kent Gardens has the same number of student transfers out as Flint Hill ES.

http://www.fcps.edu/fts/dashboard/10-11dashboard.html

Flint Hill is not in McLean. Here's the tranfer OUT rates for the McLean Schools. Kent Gardens has 10 more than the next highest school.

Spinghill 6
Churchill 6
Chesterbrook 7
Franklin Sherman 13
Haycock 14
Great Falls 16
Kent Gardens 26


If you think she wants respect or fame, this is exactly why you put everything else before the education of children. You people are not even going to know each other in ten years. Put your kids first, not your desire for fame or respect.

I don't have time for this spinning-with-statistics stuff.

First the comparison population is defined as the Top 100 schools, which is NOT "all ES in northern Virginia", and then the comparison population is defined as the ES in McLean.

If you have a beef with the principal, just state it that way. Don't try this spinning-with-statistics approach.

These are several comments about the school that point to "management" so it isn't just the opinion of this one parent. And, anyone who knows anything about blogs or human nature knows that if one person has the balls to say it, there are 10 others that wish they did. Let's do the math: negative comments + high transfer rates + lowest SOL scores = TIME 4 CHANGE


Anonymous said...
I just want to say I think the site is a good idea. We think the school is doing pretty well for our kids, though not all teachers are awesome. But I think a site like this will help cut through the happy-smiley-face facade and bring about change when needed.

I just hope the posts don't get too ugly.

October 28, 2010 8:40 AM
Anonymous said...
Good for you for having the courage to speak out! This school is toxic. I know. We went there for three years before pulling our kids out. The turnover rate at this school says it all. DO NOT GO TO KENT GARDENS. The administration is TERRIBLE!

November 14, 2010 9:19 AM
Anonymous said...
The leaders of this school have set the tone. Unfortunately, the tone is punitive and offers zero transparency. It has created distrust and animosity between parents and teachers/administrators. There needs to be a change in the administration or the strategies it is using as soon as possible.

January 6, 2011 1:47 PM
Anonymous said...
Dr. Hooker has had the same problems with her leadership at KGES for decades. The program titles change but there is nothing different in the problems and the band-aid solutions that are put on them.

Every school has some problems. Growth comes from overcoming those challenges. Dr. Hooker has never overcome the challenges at Kent Gardens. She stands in the way of allowing parents to be part of a solution.

We are all "Anonymous" because Dr. Hooker uses intimidation that leads parents to fear for the well being of our children in the school. If you speak out your child might get removed from the French immersion program, overlooked for the help a parent feels the student needs or the parent might be pushed out of involvement in the school. Dr. Hooker has cut off and shut-up parents who raise concerns during Parent Teacher Association (PTA) meetings. She has had closed door meetings with PTA board members to squeeze out parental efforts to effect positive change.

Dr. Hooker is the problem with KGES. Unfortunately, Fairfax County turns a blind eye to her poor performance. The success that students achieve at KGES, allbeit not on par with neighboring schools, is in spite of Dr. Hooker's leadership not because of it.

February 23, 2011 10:53 PM
Anonymous said...
Dr. Hooker uses flattery to get others to support this image that she is doing something great. If Peggy Fox does a news report on KGES and says anything to the effect that Dr. Hooker has, in any way, made a positive difference at KGES, the report is short-sighted at best.

February 23, 2011 11:09 PM
Posted 11/10/2010 06:56 Subject: Kent Gardens Elementary School in Mclean
Anonymous

Up until a few days ago, I would have agreed that KGES is a good school albeit it a large one. But the way our IEP has been handled is beyond appaling. I would not feel confident sending a child with sn there. just my experience and I am sure there are parents who have a different experience but my own experience has been not positive.


Posted April 9, 2009
This school is not the best school iv ever been to. The french teachers are not very pleasant. The drama department is not very fair and there are too many cliques. The dress code is ridiculous. The french immersion program is a good experience but the don't teach GRAMMAR!!!! When my daughter got to middle school she was unprepared. THis school is only doing the minimum.
Submitted by a parent



Posted March 25, 2010
We had a terrible experience at this school. Our child 'had' a reading problem that the staff was not addressing. The staff seemed to be fighting us more than trying to address the issue. Long story short. Their solution was retention and special Ed. Our solution was private school and reading glasses. She is now reading at grade level and excelling in school. My opinion is if your child is excelling they will be bored at Kent Gardens and if there is a problem good luck.
Submitted by a parent

Posted October 6, 2008
My experience with Kent Gardens has been more unfavorable than favorable. There is a tremendous lack of communication from the administration and individual teachers. E-mail to administrators and teachers on pertinent questions have gone completely unanswered. A few times, after e-mails have not been answered, I have tried to ask questions in person, either at the beginning or the end of the school day, only to be brushed aside with my concerns left unaddressed. My experience has been that parental involvement is discouraged, or relegated to routine chores such as photocopying. So far my child has had native French speakers as teachers, but many classmates have not had the same experience and it shows in their inability to speak or understand French. Classes are large, around 25 students per section, and it seems to me that students are getting lost in the shuffle. I would not recommend this program.
Submitted by a parent



Posted April 16, 2008
Although the students and teacher were very nice, the french program was awful. Many of my daughters friends couldn't even read french in sixth grade!!! Longfellow Middle School french program was much harder then Kent Gardens. I felt my daughter was unprepared for the huge increase in French work. Overall, my daughter had a wonderful experience. I just wish the program was better.
Submitted by a parent


Posted by a teacher on 12/20/08
This is my 3rd year at Spring Hill and I have had a lot of fun! It is a great school! I used to teach at Kent Gardens , a nearby Elementary school and all I can say is that Spring Hill is 100x better than the nearby E.S.

286 schools provided data to the washington post. The Post chose the school with the highest Pass Adv percentages on reading and math SOL results. Then they ranked the top 100. Of those top 100 in Northern, VA, all of these schools (83 of them) scored better than Kent Gardens. Churchill, Haycock, Springhill and Great Falls are all in the top 13 schools in Northern Virginia of this list of 100 Top schools. Kent Gardens is number 84.

If you don't think that's bad and that something is wrong or that someone is trying to "spin" facts then that's your problem, but don't try to make it someone else's problem. Blame the Post before you blame Pomme Sauvage.

1. McKinley Elementary 49% 79%
2. Key Center School 64% 77%

3. Churchill Road Elementary 55% 77%
4. Greenbriar West Elementary 47% 77%

5. Louise Archer Elementary 64% 76%
6. Haycock Elementary 53% 76%

7. Willow Springs Elementary 44% 75%
8. Sunrise Valley Elementary 53% 74%

9. Waterford Elementary 42% 74%
10. Colvin Run Elementary N/A 73%

11. Arlington Traditional 62% 73%
12. Spring Hill Elementary 35% 73%

13. Great Falls Elementary 44% 72%
14. Waples Mill Elementary 47% 71%

15. Hunters Woods Elementary 52% 71%
16. Oak Hill Elementary 45% 70%

17. Canterbury Woods 45% 69%
18. Floris Elementary 42% 69%

19. Westbriar Elementary 44% 69%
20. Arlington Science Focus 39% 69%

21. Aldie Elementary 30% 68%
22. Lincoln Elementary 35% 67%

23. Wolftrap Elementary 47% 67%
24. Jamestown Elementary 53% 66%

25. Stratford Landing 48% 66%
26. Mantua Elementary 42% 66%

27. Forest Edge Elementary 55% 65%
28. Nottingham Elementary 42% 65%

29. Ashlawn Elementary 44% 65%
30. White Oaks Elementary 42% 65%

31. Sangster Elementary 38% 65%
32. Mountain View Elementary 37% 64%

33. Little River Elementary 54% 64%
34. Taylor Elementary 42% 64%

35. Flint Hill Elementary 40% 64%
36. Oakton Elementary 38% 64%

37. Lowes Island Elementary 40% 63%
38. Clifton Elementary 39% 63%

39. Wakefield Forest Elementary 48% 63%
40. Springwoods Elementary 34% 63%

41. Frances Hazel Reid Elementary N/A 63%
42. Forestville Elementary 34% 63%

43. Fox Mill Elementary 41% 63%
44. Pinebrook Elementary N/A 62%

45. West Springfield Elementary 39% 62%
46. Union Mill Elementary 45% 62%

47. Belmont Station Elementary N/A 61%
48. Tuckahoe Elementary 44% 61%

49. Mosby Woods Elementary 22% 61%
50. Mary G. Porter Traditional N/A 61%

51. George Mason Elementary 30% 61%
52. Leesburg Elementary 36% 61%

53. Chesterbrook Elementary 39% 61%
54. Belvedere Elementary 45% 61%

55. George Carr Round Elementary 34% 61%
56. Cherry Run Elementary 39% 61%

57. Mill Run Elementary 33% 61%
58. Hunt Valley Elementary School 39% 61%

59. Lucketts Elementary 26% 61%
60. A. Scott Crossfield Elementary 26% 60%

61. Vienna Elementary 33% 60%
62. Navy Elementary 44% 60%

63. Mary Ellen Henderson N/A 60
64. Hamilton Elementary 32% 60%

65. Stenwood Elementary 45% 59%
66. Lees Corner Elementary 29% 59%

67. Long Branch Elementary 29% 59%
68. Evergreen Mill Elementary 31% 59%

69. Ashburn Elementary 33% 59%
70. Mountain View Elementary N/A 59%

71. Fairhill Elementary 34% 59%
72. Sanders Corner 43% 58%

73. Banneker Elementary 32% 58%
74. Westlawn Elementary School 18% 58%

75. Clermont Elementary School 29% 58%
76. Belle View Elementary 22% 58%

77. Fairview Elementary School 29% 58%
78. Westridge Elementary 31% 58%

79. Seldens Landing Elementary 28% 58%
80. Franklin Sherman Elementary School 35% 58%

81. Round Hill Elementary 29% 58%
82. Emerick Elementary 36% 57%

83. Clearview Elementary 24% 57%

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The included stats don't even show how many kids leave KGES. Those would be good stats to show. The school has the highest rate of people who leave.

According to the FCPS Dashboard, Kent Gardens has the same number of student transfers out as Flint Hill ES.

http://www.fcps.edu/fts/dashboard/10-11dashboard.html

Flint Hill is not in McLean. Here's the tranfer OUT rates for the McLean Schools. Kent Gardens has 10 more than the next highest school.

Spinghill 6
Churchill 6
Chesterbrook 7
Franklin Sherman 13
Haycock 14
Great Falls 16
Kent Gardens 26


If you think she wants respect or fame, this is exactly why you put everything else before the education of children. You people are not even going to know each other in ten years. Put your kids first, not your desire for fame or respect.

Anonymous wrote:What does the top 100 list really have to do with it?

The important fact is the KGES is the lowest peforming school in all of McLean and has been for way too long. There is no reason for it except bad managment. Parents should not have to accept last place all the time.

She doesn't need to talk about the Principal. The stats are the stats. In fact, the Principal should resign in shame. Hooker doesn't want GT because then she'd have even smarter parents who wouldn't put up with this crap.

The included stats don't even show how many kids leave KGES. Those would be good stats to show. The school has the highest rate of people who leave.

It was "Pomme Sauvage" who asserted on her web site that, based on the top 100 list, KGES was among the lowest-performing schools in NoVa. That has been shown to be demonstrably false.

If parents are unhappy with the KGES principal, they certainly should express their concerns. When a particular parent or two asserts that their concerns are universally shared, when they are not, they lose credibility. When they repeat the same exaggerated concerns at every turn, constantly searching out different venues to do so, they gain notoriety but not respect.

Anonymous wrote:The included stats don't even show how many kids leave KGES. Those would be good stats to show. The school has the highest rate of people who leave.

According to the FCPS Dashboard, Kent Gardens has the same number of student transfers out as Flint Hill ES.

http://www.fcps.edu/fts/dashboard/10-11dashboard.html

What does the top 100 list really have to do with it?

The important fact is the KGES is the lowest peforming school in all of McLean and has been for way too long. There is no reason for it except bad managment. Parents should not have to accept last place all the time.

She doesn't need to talk about the Principal. The stats are the stats. In fact, the Principal should resign in shame. Hooker doesn't want GT because then she'd have even smarter parents who wouldn't put up with this crap.

The included stats don't even show how many kids leave KGES. Those would be good stats to show. The school has the highest rate of people who leave.

Anonymous wrote:
Actually, the link that the blogger references as the "Top 100 schools" shows the total number of elementary schools that provided data -- 286!

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/metro/education/vafull/va.html

So that means KGES was in the top third of NoVa schools.

I understand that the top third may not be good enough for someone from McLean, but she should at least be honest about her expectations and the basis for her comparisons.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Corrected:

I guess you have problems with the principal. OK. That's does NOT excuse your perpetuating the myth that there are only 100 NoVa elementary schools. The #84 ranking was pulled off a list of the 100 elementary schools in NoVa with the highest SOL scores. Dozens of schools weren't on that list at all.

Thanks for posting this! ITA!

Actually, the link that the blogger references as the "Top 100 schools" shows the total number of elementary schools that provided data -- 286!

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/metro/education/vafull/va.html

Anonymous wrote:
Corrected:

I guess you have problems with the principal. OK. That's does NOT excuse your perpetuating the myth that there are only 100 NoVa elementary schools. The #84 ranking was pulled off a list of the 100 elementary schools in NoVa with the highest SOL scores. Dozens of schools weren't on that list at all.

Thanks for posting this! ITA!

Anonymous wrote:You can't be suggesting the KGES has the highest amount of Free Reduced Lunch (FRl) students can you? Or, that this has any bearing on the fact the school has the lowest SOL scores of all McLean schools and scores #84 in all 100 NOVA schools? KGES isn't a Title 1 school and many of them do better than this school. The principal is taking advantage of the rich McLean parents and FCPS is allowing it to happen. The principal is not part of the community. She doesn't care about the students. If she does care, she cares the minimal amount. Most of it is covering her butt and collecting her 6 figure salary and laughing all the way to the bank. It is a shame.

I guess you have problems with the principal. OK. That's does excuse your perpetuating the myth that there are only 100 NoVa elementary schools. The #84 ranking was pulled off a list of the 100 elementary schools in NoVa with the highest SOL scores. Dozens of schools weren't on that list at all.

Why don't you just come out and say you have had it with the principal vs. trying to spin tales with statistics?

Anonymous wrote:Move to Churchill district. I won't say that everything at the school is perfect, but the academic programs are amazing and it is mostly great.

Based on the data, a move anywhere is better than KGES. But, is that really the answer? Why don't families have a right to make their school the best it can be? Ignoring the data is not the way to do it. If you look at all the factors, no single thing can be blamed for the school's failure............except one.................leadership.

Move to Churchill district. I won't say that everything at the school is perfect, but the academic programs are amazing and it is mostly great.