Fairfax County General :
Fairfax Underground
Welcome to Fairfax Underground, a project site designed to improve communication among residents of Fairfax County, VA. Feel free to post anything Northern Virginia residents would find interesting.
Welcome to Fairfax Underground, a project site designed to improve communication among residents of Fairfax County, VA. Feel free to post anything Northern Virginia residents would find interesting.
FCPS seeks changes Re=Groping high school
Posted by:
Washington post
()
Date: May 17, 2014 11:01AM
airfax County Schools Superintendent Karen Garza plans to implement sweeping changes to the system’s organization, a shake-up that will create new executive leadership positions and will regroup schools to pair high-achieving high schools with those that are struggling.
The new hierarchy and realignment would significantly alter the structure of Virginia’s largest school division, which at 185,500 students is also one of the largest in the nation. The shift represents Garza’s most visible change to the schools since she arrived in July.
See the new schools 'region' map
Map
Karen Garza on Friday plans to announce major administrative changes for the school system, including redrawn "regions" for the county's schools. Read it.
More news about education
Fairfax school system to see administrative reorganization
Fairfax school system to see administrative reorganization
T. Rees Shapiro MAY 16
The leadership structure will change, and high schools will be grouped in new ‘regions’ aimed at more equity.
Fairfax school board budget woes continue
T. Rees Shapiro MAY 16
The school board held a budget meeting Thursday that left more questions unanswered.
D.C. education budget heads to full council for approval
Emma Brown MAY 15
The D.C. Council’s education committee unanimously approved the spending plan.
Read more
Click here to subscribe.
The reorganization, which will take effect July 1, aims to improve the administration’s efficiency and establish clearer lines of authority between schools and the central office, according to Garza and three schools officials who have been briefed on her plan. It also will help the district cope with the county’s rapidly changing demographics by grouping different schools together.
Administrators hope the new school “regions” will create more equity across the system, allowing schools that typically have lower-achieving students and more poverty to work more closely — and share resources with — schools that tend to do better academically and have wealthier student populations.
“Organizations change and evolve, and our needs changed, and so I felt like for us to be more aligned, we had to change the way we manage decision-making to be more streamlined,” Garza said in an interview Friday. “Our hope is that this will make us more effective.”
For the most part, the transition will appear seamless to most involved in the school system, Garza said.
“This is simply an administrative decision,” Garza said. “It won’t affect the majority of our employees, parents or students.”
Garza began telling schools officials about the changes early Friday, and she announced the plan to employees in an e-mail Friday afternoon, saying that the new structure will “facilitate stronger and more differentiated support of our schools.”
“I am pleased to report that this new design is also cost effective and will create significant budgetary savings, once fully implemented,” Garza wrote in the message.
The restructuring would collapse the current eight geographic school “clusters” into five “regions.” The move will realign the district’s 22 high schools into new groupings that disregard physical location in the county and instead promote a more equal distribution of resources to eliminate “pockets of excellence,” said one schools official who had been briefed on the plan.
Where before top high schools Langley and McLean shared a cluster — both high-achieving schools in wealthy areas of the county — they soon will be split into different regions.
Falls Church High School PTA President Joan Daly said the new organization might help the administration better address income inequality across the county, but that the wide demographic variation across the large jurisdiction will still exist under any system.
“You’ll still have schools with different demographics than others,” regardless of which cluster or region they are in, Daly said.
The plan also calls for significant administrative staffing changes within the school system.
The eight cluster assistant superintendent positions will be reduced to five regional assistant superintendents. The former title of cluster director, seen by some administrators as a mid-grade position without much authority under the cluster superintendents, will be transformed into the elevated role of “executive principal.” The new position will exert more influence on the daily operations of schools within each region and provide better accountability for principals, schools officials said.
To make way for the new organization, several high-level administrators within Garza’s leadership team will leave their current posts and have to reapply for new positions within the school system, schools officials said.
A number of top-ranking positions in the administration will be eliminated, downgraded in prominence or consolidated under new titles, and schools officials said it appears likely that Garza will seek to hire a permanent deputy superintendent from outside the school system.
Garza said she has not made a final decision and that some of the eight candidates for the job are from inside the administration.
Garza’s plan calls for creating at least three new executive-level positions. One will be a chief academic officer to oversee instruction and teaching, a position Garza held in the Houston schools administration from 2005 to 2009.
There also will be a new a chief operations officer to supervise human resources, information technology and finance. A third position will be a chief of staff to oversee communications, government relations and other programs.
Kimberly Adams, president of the Fairfax Education Association, the county’s largest teacher organization, said the changes will be an adjustment.
“It’s going to be a huge culture shift,” Adams said. “More than anything, a teacher in the classroom needs to know where you fall in [the] rank and order of things. It’s about knowing who you report to and how you get your job done and who oversees your work.”
The new schools will be organized into these regions under Garza’s plan:
Region 1: Langley, Madison, Herndon, South Lakes and Oakton; 36,600 students.
Region 2: McLean, Marshall, Stuart, Falls Church, Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, and Annandale; 36,800 students.
Region 3: Edison, Lee, Hayfield Secondary, Mount Vernon and West Potomac; 36,200 students.
Region 4: Robinson Secondary, Lake Braddock Secondary, West Springfield, South County and Centreville; 36,200 students.
Region 5: Woodson, Fairfax, Westfield and Chantilly; 33,000 students
The new hierarchy and realignment would significantly alter the structure of Virginia’s largest school division, which at 185,500 students is also one of the largest in the nation. The shift represents Garza’s most visible change to the schools since she arrived in July.
See the new schools 'region' map
Map
Karen Garza on Friday plans to announce major administrative changes for the school system, including redrawn "regions" for the county's schools. Read it.
More news about education
Fairfax school system to see administrative reorganization
Fairfax school system to see administrative reorganization
T. Rees Shapiro MAY 16
The leadership structure will change, and high schools will be grouped in new ‘regions’ aimed at more equity.
Fairfax school board budget woes continue
T. Rees Shapiro MAY 16
The school board held a budget meeting Thursday that left more questions unanswered.
D.C. education budget heads to full council for approval
Emma Brown MAY 15
The D.C. Council’s education committee unanimously approved the spending plan.
Read more
Click here to subscribe.
The reorganization, which will take effect July 1, aims to improve the administration’s efficiency and establish clearer lines of authority between schools and the central office, according to Garza and three schools officials who have been briefed on her plan. It also will help the district cope with the county’s rapidly changing demographics by grouping different schools together.
Administrators hope the new school “regions” will create more equity across the system, allowing schools that typically have lower-achieving students and more poverty to work more closely — and share resources with — schools that tend to do better academically and have wealthier student populations.
“Organizations change and evolve, and our needs changed, and so I felt like for us to be more aligned, we had to change the way we manage decision-making to be more streamlined,” Garza said in an interview Friday. “Our hope is that this will make us more effective.”
For the most part, the transition will appear seamless to most involved in the school system, Garza said.
“This is simply an administrative decision,” Garza said. “It won’t affect the majority of our employees, parents or students.”
Garza began telling schools officials about the changes early Friday, and she announced the plan to employees in an e-mail Friday afternoon, saying that the new structure will “facilitate stronger and more differentiated support of our schools.”
“I am pleased to report that this new design is also cost effective and will create significant budgetary savings, once fully implemented,” Garza wrote in the message.
The restructuring would collapse the current eight geographic school “clusters” into five “regions.” The move will realign the district’s 22 high schools into new groupings that disregard physical location in the county and instead promote a more equal distribution of resources to eliminate “pockets of excellence,” said one schools official who had been briefed on the plan.
Where before top high schools Langley and McLean shared a cluster — both high-achieving schools in wealthy areas of the county — they soon will be split into different regions.
Falls Church High School PTA President Joan Daly said the new organization might help the administration better address income inequality across the county, but that the wide demographic variation across the large jurisdiction will still exist under any system.
“You’ll still have schools with different demographics than others,” regardless of which cluster or region they are in, Daly said.
The plan also calls for significant administrative staffing changes within the school system.
The eight cluster assistant superintendent positions will be reduced to five regional assistant superintendents. The former title of cluster director, seen by some administrators as a mid-grade position without much authority under the cluster superintendents, will be transformed into the elevated role of “executive principal.” The new position will exert more influence on the daily operations of schools within each region and provide better accountability for principals, schools officials said.
To make way for the new organization, several high-level administrators within Garza’s leadership team will leave their current posts and have to reapply for new positions within the school system, schools officials said.
A number of top-ranking positions in the administration will be eliminated, downgraded in prominence or consolidated under new titles, and schools officials said it appears likely that Garza will seek to hire a permanent deputy superintendent from outside the school system.
Garza said she has not made a final decision and that some of the eight candidates for the job are from inside the administration.
Garza’s plan calls for creating at least three new executive-level positions. One will be a chief academic officer to oversee instruction and teaching, a position Garza held in the Houston schools administration from 2005 to 2009.
There also will be a new a chief operations officer to supervise human resources, information technology and finance. A third position will be a chief of staff to oversee communications, government relations and other programs.
Kimberly Adams, president of the Fairfax Education Association, the county’s largest teacher organization, said the changes will be an adjustment.
“It’s going to be a huge culture shift,” Adams said. “More than anything, a teacher in the classroom needs to know where you fall in [the] rank and order of things. It’s about knowing who you report to and how you get your job done and who oversees your work.”
The new schools will be organized into these regions under Garza’s plan:
Region 1: Langley, Madison, Herndon, South Lakes and Oakton; 36,600 students.
Region 2: McLean, Marshall, Stuart, Falls Church, Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, and Annandale; 36,800 students.
Region 3: Edison, Lee, Hayfield Secondary, Mount Vernon and West Potomac; 36,200 students.
Region 4: Robinson Secondary, Lake Braddock Secondary, West Springfield, South County and Centreville; 36,200 students.
Region 5: Woodson, Fairfax, Westfield and Chantilly; 33,000 students
Re: FCPS seeks changes Re=Groping high school
Posted by:
KeepOnTruckin
()
Date: May 17, 2014 11:26AM
Looks like region 3 will be the shittiest
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/17/2014 11:27AM by KeepOnTruckin.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/17/2014 11:27AM by KeepOnTruckin.
Re: FCPS seeks changes Re=Groping high school
Posted by:
re-groping?
()
Date: May 17, 2014 01:13PM
A Freudian slip? I think we all know what you intended.
Re: FCPS seeks changes Re=Groping high school
Posted by:
PopTart
()
Date: May 17, 2014 01:37PM
Im all for high school groping.
Re: FCPS seeks changes Re=Groping high school
Posted by:
D'Marcus Twain
()
Date: May 17, 2014 01:51PM
I hope the OP is not a Fairfax School System graduate, but that's probably the case.
Re: FCPS seeks changes Re=Groping high school
Posted by:
ucUUb
()
Date: May 17, 2014 01:57PM
Region 1 and some of Region 2 = the FCPS schools that the county wants people to think of when they talk about FCPS.
The others are the sad reality.
Especially Region 3. Those schools are the rebuttal to the retarded blanket statements that so many people parrot about Fairfax County having such great schools.
Region 3? LOL. Let's come up with a nickname for those piles of refuse.
The others are the sad reality.
Especially Region 3. Those schools are the rebuttal to the retarded blanket statements that so many people parrot about Fairfax County having such great schools.
Region 3? LOL. Let's come up with a nickname for those piles of refuse.
Re: FCPS seeks changes Re=Groping high school
Posted by:
Cliff Notes
()
Date: May 17, 2014 02:11PM
Here are the important points...
"Administrators hope the new school “regions” will create more equity across the system, allowing schools that typically have lower-achieving students and more poverty to work more closely — and share resources with — schools that tend to do better academically and have wealthier student populations."
Spreading the wealth. This can't be good.
"The restructuring would collapse the current eight geographic school “clusters” into five “regions.” The move will realign the district’s 22 high schools into new groupings that disregard physical location in the county and instead promote a more equal distribution of resources to eliminate “pockets of excellence,” said one schools official who had been briefed on the plan."
God forbid we should have pockets of excellence.
"“This is simply an administrative decision,” Garza said. “It won’t affect the majority of our employees, parents or students.”
Huh? Then why do it? And how long will it be before someone decides that there has to be a more 'equitable' distribution of high/low performing kids across schools.
"“I am pleased to report that this new design is also cost effective and will create significant budgetary savings, once fully implemented,” Garza wrote in the message."
Yeah, right.
I understand the presumably well-meaning thought process behind this, but this sort of thing just tends to drag down the good schools rather than helping the bad. I can't imagine that the Fairfax community is going to let this happen without their significant input.
"Administrators hope the new school “regions” will create more equity across the system, allowing schools that typically have lower-achieving students and more poverty to work more closely — and share resources with — schools that tend to do better academically and have wealthier student populations."
Spreading the wealth. This can't be good.
"The restructuring would collapse the current eight geographic school “clusters” into five “regions.” The move will realign the district’s 22 high schools into new groupings that disregard physical location in the county and instead promote a more equal distribution of resources to eliminate “pockets of excellence,” said one schools official who had been briefed on the plan."
God forbid we should have pockets of excellence.
"“This is simply an administrative decision,” Garza said. “It won’t affect the majority of our employees, parents or students.”
Huh? Then why do it? And how long will it be before someone decides that there has to be a more 'equitable' distribution of high/low performing kids across schools.
"“I am pleased to report that this new design is also cost effective and will create significant budgetary savings, once fully implemented,” Garza wrote in the message."
Yeah, right.
I understand the presumably well-meaning thought process behind this, but this sort of thing just tends to drag down the good schools rather than helping the bad. I can't imagine that the Fairfax community is going to let this happen without their significant input.
Re: FCPS seeks changes Re=Groping high school
Posted by:
reality
()
Date: May 17, 2014 02:31PM
I think that Garza is cutting some fat in the cluster offices. I don't think this really has anything to do with "spreading the wealth".
It looks to me like she is trying to set up a real organization chart--a "chain of command" instead of lots of chiefs and no Indians.
Time will tell.
It looks to me like she is trying to set up a real organization chart--a "chain of command" instead of lots of chiefs and no Indians.
Time will tell.
Re: FCPS seeks changes Re=Groping high school
Posted by:
Yay, more $$$ for FCPS!!!
()
Date: May 17, 2014 03:01PM
"create new executive leadership positions"
We eagerly await G2's insight into how this leads to better $$$$ for teachers or some shit.
The brief shining moment of FCPS in the 90s continues to fade faster than a spray on tan.
We eagerly await G2's insight into how this leads to better $$$$ for teachers or some shit.
The brief shining moment of FCPS in the 90s continues to fade faster than a spray on tan.
Posted by:
chuckhoffmann
()
Date: May 17, 2014 03:13PM
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/17/2014 04:03PM by chuckhoffmann.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/17/2014 04:03PM by chuckhoffmann.
Re: FCPS seeks changes Re=Groping high school
Posted by:
Turf Trickery
()
Date: May 17, 2014 03:31PM
It is all just a ploy to get turf fields, now that the scammy nature of Boosterthaon has been laid bare.
Posted by:
chuckhoffmann
()
Date: May 17, 2014 07:01PM
Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 06/17/2014 04:04PM by chuckhoffmann.
Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 06/17/2014 04:04PM by chuckhoffmann.
Re: FCPS seeks changes Re=Groping high school
Posted by:
NS 13
()
Date: May 17, 2014 07:12PM
They need to dumb down TJ,Them is geetin too smart they thin theys be mor gooder tan da res uf ffx co skolz,
Re: FCPS seeks changes Re=Groping high school
Posted by:
regggginonnnn3
()
Date: May 17, 2014 07:25PM
KeepOnTruckin Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Looks like region 3 will be the shittiest
Region 3 is bad poor langley and oakton got SL and herndon .... SL is the worst. The admin is pretty bad its a joke with the parents
-------------------------------------------------------
> Looks like region 3 will be the shittiest
Region 3 is bad poor langley and oakton got SL and herndon .... SL is the worst. The admin is pretty bad its a joke with the parents
Re: FCPS seeks changes Re=Groping high school
Posted by:
Uumnk
()
Date: May 17, 2014 08:01PM
>
> "The restructuring would collapse the current
> eight geographic school “clusters” into five
> “regions.” The move will realign the
> district’s 22 high schools into new groupings
> that disregard physical location in the county and
> instead promote a more equal distribution of
> resources to eliminate “pockets of
> excellence,” said one schools official who had
> been briefed on the plan."
>
Redistributionist bullshit.
> "The restructuring would collapse the current
> eight geographic school “clusters” into five
> “regions.” The move will realign the
> district’s 22 high schools into new groupings
> that disregard physical location in the county and
> instead promote a more equal distribution of
> resources to eliminate “pockets of
> excellence,” said one schools official who had
> been briefed on the plan."
>
Redistributionist bullshit.
Re: FCPS seeks changes Re=Groping high school
Posted by:
Hmm
()
Date: May 17, 2014 08:11PM
Yeah, what happened to "sharing the wealth" when it cones to Region 3???
The only HS in that region that has pockets of wealth is West Potomac and Mt. vernon, but everyone would agree that both of those schools overall are majority have-not.
Hayfield, Lee and Edison are primarily blue-collar, lower middle class, enlisted military families, and a lot of immigrants.
Maybe in creating region 3, the school division is recognizing that that's where the most resources are needed. Time will tell.
The only HS in that region that has pockets of wealth is West Potomac and Mt. vernon, but everyone would agree that both of those schools overall are majority have-not.
Hayfield, Lee and Edison are primarily blue-collar, lower middle class, enlisted military families, and a lot of immigrants.
Maybe in creating region 3, the school division is recognizing that that's where the most resources are needed. Time will tell.
Re: FCPS seeks changes Re=Groping high school
Posted by:
yL4FP
()
Date: May 17, 2014 08:17PM
Hmm Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Maybe in creating region 3, the school division is
> recognizing that that's where the most resources
> are needed. Time will tell.
"Resources" as in "resource officers" AKA police? You may be right.
-------------------------------------------------------
> Maybe in creating region 3, the school division is
> recognizing that that's where the most resources
> are needed. Time will tell.
"Resources" as in "resource officers" AKA police? You may be right.
Re: FCPS seeks changes Re=Groping high school
Posted by:
to hell with it
()
Date: May 17, 2014 08:33PM
They are just rearranging the deck chairs. Educational musical chairs. When the music stops, we shall see how it works out.
Same BS, different configuration.
Same BS, different configuration.
Re: FCPS seeks changes Re=Groping high school
Posted by:
More And Inventive
()
Date: May 17, 2014 08:58PM
Ways to suck money out of your pockets. What a Cluster F..K!
Graza does not get it and does not need to Get It Stright thanks to a TAX your ass to death School Board.
The Only thing FCPS NEEDS to to is start Cutting back on some of these Admin. jobs that really do NOTHING to help your children go to college.
Graza does not get it and does not need to Get It Stright thanks to a TAX your ass to death School Board.
The Only thing FCPS NEEDS to to is start Cutting back on some of these Admin. jobs that really do NOTHING to help your children go to college.
Posted by:
chuckhoffmann
()
Date: June 03, 2014 08:03PM
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/04/2014 03:43PM by chuckhoffmann.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/04/2014 03:43PM by chuckhoffmann.
Re: FCPS seeks changes Re=Groping high school
Posted by:
Bill.N.
()
Date: June 03, 2014 09:51PM
> Region 2: McLean, Marshall, Stuart, Falls Church,
> Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and
> Technology, and Annandale; 36,800 students.
Stuart, Falls Church and Annandale. Why not add Mount Vernon and have four of a kind?
> Region 3: Edison, Lee, Hayfield Secondary, Mount
> Vernon and West Potomac; 36,200 students.
Sorry. I see they went for the straight flush.
> Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and
> Technology, and Annandale; 36,800 students.
Stuart, Falls Church and Annandale. Why not add Mount Vernon and have four of a kind?
> Region 3: Edison, Lee, Hayfield Secondary, Mount
> Vernon and West Potomac; 36,200 students.
Sorry. I see they went for the straight flush.
Posted by:
chuckhoffmann
()
Date: June 09, 2014 12:26PM
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/12/2014 05:49PM by chuckhoffmann.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/12/2014 05:49PM by chuckhoffmann.
Re: FCPS seeks changes Re=Groping high school
Posted by:
to hell with it
()
Date: June 09, 2014 02:26PM
What is Kacur going to do? He didn't get a chair on here.
It will be the same BS. They are just rearranging names.
How does this redistribute resources?
This "re-groping" misspelled thing is really bad timing since the last potential pedophile was just arrested last week.
Maybe Cary would correct the spelling. I would bet half the hits are from the term "groping".
It will be the same BS. They are just rearranging names.
How does this redistribute resources?
This "re-groping" misspelled thing is really bad timing since the last potential pedophile was just arrested last week.
Maybe Cary would correct the spelling. I would bet half the hits are from the term "groping".
Posted by:
chuckhoffmann
()
Date: June 11, 2014 05:05PM
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/12/2014 05:53PM by chuckhoffmann.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/12/2014 05:53PM by chuckhoffmann.
Re: FCPS seeks changes Re=Groping high school
Posted by:
totalbsburke
()
Date: July 07, 2014 10:24PM
Linda Burke, formerly assistant superintendent, Cluster 7, is now assistant superintendent for region leadership support. Had to create a bullshit $200K a year job for Linda Burke so she and her husband can continue to extract $400K a year from the FCPS coffers. Even Garza can't get rid of those two worthless professional bureaucrats. Sad.
Re: FCPS seeks changes Re=Groping high school
Posted by:
reorgbull
()
Date: July 08, 2014 03:49PM
ha, high school groping...
Agreed, musical chairs... three A.S. were leaving ...
so it was a good time to reorg.
& save a little money by increasing the span of control
In addition, it provides the opportunity to clarify the principal specialist position, with new requirements that mean the A.S. will now have assistants who can do principal evaluations... this may lead to an increased focus on the principal as an instructional leader and coach... esp. at schools with high numbers of at risk learners... we'll wait and see how that goes!
Agreed, musical chairs... three A.S. were leaving ...
so it was a good time to reorg.
& save a little money by increasing the span of control
In addition, it provides the opportunity to clarify the principal specialist position, with new requirements that mean the A.S. will now have assistants who can do principal evaluations... this may lead to an increased focus on the principal as an instructional leader and coach... esp. at schools with high numbers of at risk learners... we'll wait and see how that goes!
Re: FCPS seeks changes Re=Groping high school
Posted by:
ko
()
Date: July 08, 2014 05:25PM
I can think of several principals who need their asses kicked big-time. who is going to do that?