Is it true that principal of mantua elementary school is mute? Her name is Jan-Marie fernandez

Nope, she is not mute; She is able to speak sign-language though.

Great school and great teachers - Jan-Marie Fernandez included.

This Mantua Elementary is actually phenom-enal.

Not only does this Mantua have lots of extremely high performing students who are doing Middle School Math, Language Arts, & Sciences, but its total communication program, of which her Principal of the Year leader Ms. Fernandez can expertly sign in, is so extensive and comprehensive in facilitating communication for the communication-challenged that other local school jurisdictions bus their students there and pay Fairfax County tuition to educate their very able but communication-challenged kids. While the school can't make the mute speak, nor make the deaf hear, it optimizes these challenged student to both be able to learn and communicate relatively all of what the general population are learning and communicating.

As a matter of fact, its advanced GT [or AP] classes have a non-insignificant number of students that have the typical learning disabilities, yet are still facilitated to learn at an advanced pace, in addition to fully grasping the subject matters that are fully at the Middle School level of difficulty.

They could have called this school Gallaudet University Mantua ES and it would be applicable with all the state of the art and cutting edge technology available at the school. The only little problem with Mantua is that she is is overcrowded with ~ 1000 students yearly, and its classes run about 24-32 students, but with all the genius kids in from both the general population and the spec ed population, these classes can be staffed with as many as 3-4 teachers & instructional assistants attending the students.

Mantua ES is not what it used to be. Too many ESL students being mainstreamed is making it difficult on the teachers, plus the grossly large class sizes.

I would be more worried about the toxic clean up done in the area years ago. Maybe this is why the Principal has health issues.

Ms. Z Wrote:
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>
> As a matter of fact, its advanced GT classes have
> a non-insignificant number of students that have
> the typical learning disabilities.

It's fairly well known around Mantua that parents pay to have their 1st and 2nd graders prepped for the GT entrance exam, then insist on IEPs once they are in. Ultra competitive parents breeding.

It's fairly well known around Mantua that parents pay to have their 1st and 2nd graders prepped for the GT entrance exam, then insist on IEPs once they are in. Ultra competitive parents breeding.


@abyeinstein,

If you know anything about learning disabilities, you might appreciate that these parents are doing the best they know for the goodness of their bright but learning-different children that end up securing Special Education services. There is real stigma in society vs. people with disabilities and students in Special Education. But if that student is bright, then they can get a pass later in life as simply being "a little peculiar" or having certain idiosyncracies. The best and mainstream Teachers also give their best nurture and patience to non-learning disability kids, unless the LD kid is very bright. The Mantua parents you describe are probably high achieving people who likely went on to become successful citizens despite having their own learning disabilities that went unaddressed in grades school. They don't want their kids to miss out on their brightness, nor want them to suffer as they likely did while compensating their grade schools disabilities with tremendous work ethic enabling them to thrive rather than merely surviving -->not falling through the cracks.

StuntingStigma Wrote:
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> It's fairly well known around Mantua that parents
> pay to have their 1st and 2nd graders prepped for
> the GT entrance exam, then insist on IEPs once
> they are in. Ultra competitive parents breeding.
>
>
> @abyeinstein,
>
> If you know anything about learning disabilities,
> you might appreciate that these parents are doing
> the best they know for the goodness of their
> bright but learning-different children that end
> up securing Special Education services. There is
> real stigma in society vs. people with
> disabilities and students in Special Education.
> But if that student is bright, then they can get a
> pass later in life as simply being "a little
> peculiar" or having certain idiosyncracies. The
> best and mainstream Teachers also give their best
> nurture and patience to non-learning disability
> kids, unless the LD kid is very bright. The
> Mantua parents you describe are probably high
> achieving people who likely went on to become
> successful citizens despite having their own
> learning disabilities that went unaddressed in
> grades school. They don't want their kids to miss
> out on their brightness, nor want them to suffer
> as they likely did while compensating their grade
> schools disabilities with tremendous work ethic
> enabling them to thrive rather than merely
> surviving -->not falling through the cracks.

No, they are just stereotypical Mantua parents who have enough money to buy their way into the AAP program.

Ms. Fernandez is disgusted by the parents who bring their lawyers and expensive psychological reports to IEP determination meetings. Their children are more appropriately placed in the general ed population, but that's not the Mantua way.

Parent #2 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Mantua ES is not what it used to be. Too many ESL
> students being mainstreamed is making it difficult
> on the teachers, plus the grossly large class
> sizes.
_________________________________________________________
@Parent #O

Is the highest Honor in VA under VIP bestowed for "HasBeen" schools?

Mantua Elementary Wins Governor’s Award

Mantua Elementary won the 2009 Governor’s Award for Excellence in Education.

The Award is the highest honor under the Virginia Index of Performance (VIP) incentive program created by the Virginia Board of Education to advance Governor Tim Kaine’s “competence to excellence” agenda to encourage advanced learning and achievement in Virginia public schools.

Posted at 03:00 AM ET, 04/05/2012
Fairfax school wins national family engagement award

By Valerie Strauss

Fairfax County Mantua Elementary school’s PTA has won a national 2012 parent engagement award for its programs that involve families of many different backgrounds and that provide services for different segments of the community.

Research has repeatedly found that students do better in school when their families are engaged in the life of the school. Programs that involve parents in student achievement, such as family nights on math or literacy and family workshops on planning for college, are thought to be especially helpful.

Mantua Elementary School, with over 900 students from pre-kindergarten through sixth grade, was cited by the National PTA for its human relations committee, which provides translators for publications that keep families informed about the school, as well as for a mentorship program, service projects for the elderly and needy families, and extracurricular activities for students.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/post/fairfax-school-wins-national-family-engagement-award/2012/04/04/gIQAPcSQwS_blog.html

Mantua wins awards because they have parents who know how to write the award nominations. They even have a grant proposal writer. These parents thrive on the publicity they generate, especially the real estate agents.

Mantua is an overpriced shithole. Just drive through it and you see hideous houses incorporating the worst designs of the late '50s. Thankfully, many of the houses have been swallowed by bushes that haven't been pruned in 40 years and leaves that haven't been raked in 30 years. The whole area is a toxic waste site thanks to being downstream from the gas storage facility on Pickett. And yet, asking prices for houses are ridiculous.

Why are there so many haters cropping up vs. Mantua and her charming Elementary School?

I believe the overprice part, but dag, what's all the beef vs. Mantua & School?

I know I am missing something, so can someone help me w/that?

Y-So-Many8ters? Wrote:
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> Why are there so many haters cropping up vs.
> Mantua and her charming Elementary School?
>
> I believe the overprice part, but dag, what's all
> the beef vs. Mantua & School?
>
> I know I am missing something, so can someone help
> me w/that?

SURE, YOU LEFT OUT THE BIGGEST PIECE OF TOXIC WASTE, SOON TO BE EX. REP. GERRY CONNOLLY. MANTUA'S VILLAGE IDIOT.

Most of the kids at mantua elementary are in therapy of some sort or another (former resident)

+1 "EX. REP. GERRY CONNOLLY. MANTUA'S VILLAGE IDIOT"

Y-So-Many8ters? Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Why are there so many haters cropping up vs.
> Mantua and her charming Elementary School?
>
> I believe the overprice part, but dag, what's all
> the beef vs. Mantua & School?
>
> I know I am missing something, so can someone help
> me w/that?


I can tell you why :)
Attachments:

Truth be told, every house in Mantua should be considered a teardown. Unfortunately, the ones being torn down are being replaced with the unimaginative, boring designs that we've all come to expect from NoVA.

Y-So-Many8ters? Wrote:
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> Why are there so many haters cropping up vs.
> Mantua and her charming Elementary School?
>

Mantua is the original "we think we be better than you" community. The PTA has repeatedly tried to get a nearby apartment complex redistricted out of their elementary school. The parents believe that anything can be accomplished with the right political connections. Yet they are unhappy because people they consider lesser than themselves stand in the way of what they want.

I dont use sigh. I say she has got to go. No room in FCPS schools for her kick her to the CURB!

Used to live there Wrote:
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> Y-So-Many8ters? Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Why are there so many haters cropping up vs.
> > Mantua and her charming Elementary School?
> >
>
> Mantua is the original "we think we be better than
> you" community. The PTA has repeatedly tried to
> get a nearby apartment complex redistricted out of
> their elementary school. The parents believe that
> anything can be accomplished with the right
> political connections. Yet they are unhappy
> because people they consider lesser than
> themselves stand in the way of what they want.

The attitudes among Mantua residents stems from the fact that the area is infested with Obama-worshipping leftwing limo libs.

Its not like Mantua is McLean or Great Falls, heck its not even Northwest DC. These parents are frequently moderately successful professionals and mid level managers. Mostly highly educated people who have gotten where they are largely due to the invenstments in education that were made earlier in their own lives. So to them education is very very important.

Is Mantua overpriced for the amount of house you get? Sure. So is Fairfax City, Arlington and McLean. Can you buy a bigger better house in other parts of Fairfax or Loudon? Of course. A lot of the value of Mantua is in the neighborhood and a lot of THAT is in the school system.

Moving here from NJ and looked at a few houses in Mantua and Vienna. All had their pluses and minuses. Now looking at schools. So which is better?

^^^ Troll

Mantua and Vienna. Both discussed here extensively. Neither one a place to live for people who research beyond he self-promotion of the two.

Look at other options. Your children will thank you twenty years from now.

Research the gasoline tank leak and Mantua. Cancer incidence is higher in Mantua than the general population. I would never live there with kids...

Of course the PTA parents are trying to get the Apartment people out of their school. Don't you realize all the high-performing Asians and Indians, from decent families, and value education live there!!! They are jealous.

If Mrs. Fernandez is truly disgusted with the parents trying so hard to get kids into the GT/AAP program, why are there so many openings for it? Administration should administer. The parents can advocate all they want, but they should not be running the school. There are far too many AAP/GT programs in FCPS, but just in Mantua ES. Much of this is about real estate. If you have these programs, people who value hard work and achievement are more likely to move there.

So now we have Asians and Indians who value education moving in, many living in the apartments, and the other people are competing with them. Expensive tutors, tests, etc. In fact, every parent there tells the teachers how brilliant their kids are. Ask the teachers, and they will tell you they hear it from everyone. So Mrs. Fernandez can remain disgusted, but she is the one allowing too many openings in her school.