HooTribe Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Thomas More Wrote:
> >
> > Any other questions?
>
>
> Yes - why the negative comments for UVA? Did you
> go to VT or just a bad experience?

I interview UVA grads for my business and haven't found one yet who can compare to the GMU grads.

05stillalive Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Obviously he should know her
> name if she is such an outstanding band member.

Thank you. You've made my point better than I did.

You are one person. Some may agree
> with you and many disagree so please stop acting
> as the authority on the school. You are not the
> only one on this board who has been involved with
> the school for over a decade.

Everyone else is free to share their points of praise for SL.

I have praised the mutually supportive and tolerant student body on this blog many times. They are terrific and achieve great things in spite of the disfunctional school. They deserve even more credit for achieving so much while suffering under such a handicap.

Railly cause the great teachers to leave and dreck was left behind.

If you disagree feel free to give specifics.

SLVerity Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Thomas More,
>
> Just because you had a bad experience with South
> Lakes, as regrettable as that may be, does not
> mean that others have. We are discussing the
> merits of the whole school, not just your opinion
> on it or on some colleges about which you have
> written disparaging remarks.

Dear friend I have and 4 kids attend SL over those 11 years and my opinion is not just based on their experience but on the experience of dozens of other families that we have known over a quarter century in Reston. Few of them have much positive to say about SL except for the student body which is regarded as terrific.

> I am sure that if I went to an AP school I could
> identify several parents whose children had not
> been well-served by the school, but that is not an
> indictment of the whole school.

Given the breadth of experience I have seen and have shared with the parents of my children's cohorts, I think I can fairly conclude that yours is the exception experience. But others are free to chime in.

> I think we should stick to facts and leave the
> personal insults out of the argument.

Please forgive me for what were intended as minor needle pricks.

Cricket,

A lot more can be said. We are providing you with facts regarding SL and our experiences there. That you choose to ignore them says much about the speciousness of your argument. When provided you will some excellent background on the subject you chose to ignore it and instead accuse us of race-baiting or some such nonsense- "self-licking ice cream cone battle cry????"

I would challenge you to find disparaging comments made by SL posters about other schools. We are not spreading innuendo (yes, I know it's a big word) about Oakton or Westfield or Madison, because we would not presume and it is not relevant to the subject at hand. If we were to employ some of the tactics used on this thread, we would have to assume that all Oakton students are drunks based on one drunk-driving accident or all students from Westfield are mentally deranged, based on two graduates who have committed murder. But that wouldn't be fair, now, would it?

Yet, many here have focused on isolated incidents to disparage a whole school and community. I have seen posts about supposed prostitution rings at Langston Hughes, gang activity rampant in South Lakes halls, melees in the halls, etc. In addition, I have seen the entire school judged by the test scores of one group.

Let's be fair and stick to the facts.

SLVerity Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I have
> seen posts about supposed prostitution rings at
> Langston Hughes,

That actually happened. The story was reported in the Connection.

T More,

This shall be my last comment on the subject. We are not talking about the past here, but the present. You cannot ignore the positive things that have happened under Bruce Butler's short tenure, try as you might. You also might give him a little credit for stepping up to the challenge of the 'dreck' left by Reily. A school cannot be turned around in a few short months or even a few short years, but SL is on an upward trend.

Oh my Gosh. We are supposed to believe everything in the connection because??? Have you ever heard of sensational news reporting? I know all about the supposed prositution ring. The 'pimp' was a GT student. This happened at least 10 years ago, so I fail to see the relevance to the present discussion. Please stick to the present and leave your sour grapes behind.

SLVerity Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> T More,
>
> This shall be my last comment on the subject. We
> are not talking about the past here, but the
> present.

Given the longevity of an instructional staff's tenure, unless serious pruning is undertaken, the past is the present and the future.

> You cannot ignore the positive things
> that have happened under Bruce Butler's short
> tenure, try as you might. You also might give him
> a little credit for stepping up to the challenge
> of the 'dreck' left by Reily. A school cannot be
> turned around in a few short months or even a few
> short years, but SL is on an upward trend.

And what exactly has been accomplished in these two years? What upward trend. Other than the appointment of Linda Jones as DSA over the objections of many in the SL community.

SLVerity Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Cricket,
>
> A lot more can be said. We are providing you with
> facts regarding SL and our experiences there.
> That you choose to ignore them says much about the
> speciousness of your argument. When provided you
> will some excellent background on the subject you
> chose to ignore it and instead accuse us of
> race-baiting or some such nonsense- "self-licking
> ice cream cone battle cry????"
>
> I would challenge you to find disparaging comments
> made by SL posters about other schools. We are
> not spreading innuendo (yes, I know it's a big
> word) about Oakton or Westfield or Madison,
> because we would not presume and it is not
> relevant to the subject at hand. If we were to
> employ some of the tactics used on this thread, we
> would have to assume that all Oakton students are
> drunks based on one drunk-driving accident or all
> students from Westfield are mentally deranged,
> based on two graduates who have committed murder.
> But that wouldn't be fair, now, would it?
>
> Yet, many here have focused on isolated incidents
> to disparage a whole school and community. I have
> seen posts about supposed prostitution rings at
> Langston Hughes, gang activity rampant in South
> Lakes halls, melees in the halls, etc. In
> addition, I have seen the entire school judged by
> the test scores of one group.
>
> Let's be fair and stick to the facts.


And all along I have listened to your facts. It is only when you start suggesting that everyone else's facts aren't...is when I and others start to ignore what you have to say. By insinuating the rest of us are wrong, you leave us to believe that nothing you have said or have left to say has merit. You don't want challenges. You don't want discussion. You just want to be right. "rumor, innuendo, racism, and ignorance" these are your words, not mine. This is what you have chosen to turn our words into. And would I be wrong to say the retort will come back to the same...We are wrong. We are bad, bad people.

Oh yeah, and just how big of a word is innuendo? hmmmm? I don't get it. And also, I think that you were the one to bring those sour grapes out of the bag, again.

to all SLHS posters, I am not bashing SLHS, I just don't want my children to go there. With one already in OHS and another starting next year how would you feel if your children were split up? Never mind the simple things that would need to be worked out... carpooling for after school activities, sporting events same nights, same time... which one do I go to?? My children only have one parent, to miss out on these activities because of the incompetence of the current school board would just suck. This is my problem I know. I could care less who your pricipal is, how the test scores are, how many whites/blacks.hispanics go there. I want my kids to be in the same school and to move one in their junior year would not be far. OK so I can pupil place now all my younger childs friends in our "hood" would be at a different school. It is just senseless to go through all this turmoil for a couple hundred kids. This truly could cause "children to be left behind".

Thanks

First, thanks to all you SL parents that have appeared of late. It is nice to have some more support on this board.



Cricket,
you are right. I would hope that, by now, we could leave the bashing of whatever school behind. I've heard and said everything on this subject I care to.

Can we focus on the facts that relate directly to redistricting? Such as, how the criteria would relate to each of the likely scenarios? How we can get Langley in the process? You know, stuff like that.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/25/2007 02:47PM by South Lakes Pyramid parent.

Cricket, I assumed no such thing, and I did not disparage all commenters, just those that used bad facts and gossip to somehow support their arguments. My earlier post to you was addressing the very concerns you spoke about...feeling powerless to affect the outcome, etc. and letting you know that redistricting had happened to us and we had coped and adapted. Based on your response, I can't help but feel that a comment like that does not further your argument so you have chosen to ignore it.

As far as being sensitive about racial comments, have your children ever been asked by kids from another school how it feels to go to a ghetto school. These are the kinds of comments we and our children have been dealing with for year from some in surrounding communities. That is not to imply that all are racists and I certainly did not intend to and don't think you are bad people. '

This is why I asked people to stick to the facts, not rumors.

SLVerity Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Oh my Gosh. We are supposed to believe everything
> in the connection because??? Have you ever heard
> of sensational news reporting?

There was nothing sensational about the reporting and the principal wrote letters home about the incident.

I know all about
> the supposed prositution ring. The 'pimp' was a
> GT student. This happened at least 10 years ago,
> so I fail to see the relevance to the present
> discussion. Please stick to the present and leave
> your sour grapes behind.

You brought it up (!?) and listed it among a group of falsehoods. Besides it was more like 5 or 6 years ago. My son, now a sophomore in college, was at Hughes when it happened.

It was not 5/6 years ago. It happened when my older sibling was at Hughes and I am now a junior in college. It was either the 96-97 or 97/98 school year (i think it was 96/97)

Again, we can find examples of incidents at all schools. Please let's stop.

After 15 pages, are there any points we (mostly) all agree on?

T. More is right it was 5/6 years ago because in 96/97 I was leaving Hughes for SL and I can assure you it didn't happen then.

Anyway, as much as talking about pimps and ho's can be sensational . . . back to redistricting.

the pimp was a GT student... impressive! a young entreprener!

Well it absolutely happened before I was there and I was there from fall 99 until spring 01...

05stillalive Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> It was not 5/6 years ago. It happened when my
> older sibling was at Hughes and I am now a junior
> in college. It was either the 96-97 or 97/98
> school year (i think it was 96/97)

You mean it might have happened twice.

What have we learned from this thread? Some suggestions:

o more affluent communities have better infrastructure

o planned communities with subsidized housing don't necessarily provide a better place to live

o diversity is a code word for affirmative action

o nurture and nature are the primary factors in developing behavior

o peer pressure is pretty intense among elementary and high school students

o rich families and or two-parent families may provide more for their kids' scholastic development

o politicos attempt to play to their target audiences and frequently play to hidden agendas

o less advantaged kids have more problems in school and with authorities

o all have free will, many have native intelligence--we can arise above our humble surroundings

o people who don't learn English in the USA have a more difficult time

o some racial groupings do better scholastically than other racial groups for a variety of reasons

Thomas More:

Easy now. Your stateliness is showing fault lines: I can almost hear you breathing heavily.

One event in 1998. Here are the facts, as reported at the time.

March 17, 1998

Police in Reston, Va., have broken up a prostitution operation run by a 13-year-old boy who told police he was known as “Mr. Pimp”. The boy managed to talk a number of 12- and 13-year-old girls, all fellow students at Langston Hughes Middle School, into paying him to be part of his “sex club.” He then solicited male classmates to have sex with as many as three of the girls at once, though police don’t think any sexual encounters actually took place before they busted the ring. The boy has been sentenced to 60 days in juvenile detention and up to six months of counseling. (AP)


Btw:

Recall Tom Cruise's major starring role in Risky Business.....wasn't his character a native of the wealthy Northern Chicago suburbs (New Trier, Glenbrook or Highland Park HS....all top 10 Greatest schools) and celebrated for his entrepreneurial aplomb on his way to the Ivy League.

Double standards? Didn't think so.

Thank you SL Padre. Some sanity at last. Disregard the ill-informed poster...back to redistricting....

Farmer,
Very interesting poll. Wouldn't it be nice if our elected officials actually listened to the voters? Wouldn't it be nice if the school board actually had a dialogue with the involved communities BEFORE they made any decisions about what to do with an under enrolled school? Since we pay for everything in the school system, should we taxpayers have SOME slight input into the decisions that are made? Why ae they free to ignore the community? Are we just too stupid to be consulted? Or just too easily dismissed?

SLHS Padre Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Thomas More:
>
> Easy now. Your stateliness is showing fault
> lines: I can almost hear you breathing heavily.

That was a great line. lol

And for the oh so serious out there, no, I'm neither a phoebephile nor a voyeaur.

My point, here, fellow Seahawks: nothing is gained by denying facts or trying to mask the defects and deficiencies of SL. If, as I believe, this redistricting is already a done deal with the only question remaining for SL being McNair or Crossfield, then, this is an opportunity to get the bad stuff out in the sunshine which Justice Bandeis called the best disinfectant and hope that resources are brought to bear to improve conditions at SL for all future students.

I think IB is a mistake for SLs population. I think AP better serves those students. I have expained why repeatedly.

I don't think Bruce is moving fast enough to clean out the disfunctional that remain. In fact he's promoted several of the worst.

I think Mr. Cave and Mr. Davis are treasurers who survived Railly but God knows how.

But for Mrs. Knapp I'd have lost my mind by now (and would have missed several good horse racing tips).

Mr. Brown, the swim coach, is a great guy or so I've heard.

Mr Colemen and Mr. Samson (the custodians) are always there to help the kids and the parents.

But this list is too short. And the number of great people who have left prematurely is too long.

More later.

>>>Of course you would expect that most people want to stay where they are<<<

Then why can't they? Why do they have no say in the matter? Why should they have to leave their schools? Because Stu Gibson and Kathy Smith say so? Why can't other solutions be discussed, with the ENTIRE community, including South Lakes? Surely there is way to make more people happy with the results than simply forcing them to go to a school they don't want to attend.

Dear Posters. The way I see it, the issues are as follows:

The county needs to redistrict to even out some population shifts due to rising populations in some areas, declining populations in some areas, and a desire to use existing facilities, rather than building new ones.

Some people don't want to leave their districts.

Some districts would like more students - to field better/larger sports teams, bands, etc, and offer more classes.

Those not wanting to move have presented many arguments such as emotional appeals, school loyalties, a desire not to split up families, concerns about housing values, etc.

Some not wanting to move have fairly or not, turned the issue to finding ways to not like South Lakes.

Some arguments have validity, though some of those are fading due to new and excellent leadership at the school and newfound vigor in the community in support of the school. Everyone likes a winning team.

Some arguments are not based in well-grounded facts and are based on rumors, incidents that happened at the school years ago, etc.

South Lakes parents have been put on the defensive due to the nature of some of these arguments.

It is only fair to let South Lakes parents contribute to the discussions, just as everyone effected should be allowed to speak.

The County has made no decisions as of yet. They will likely come up with solutions that will please everyone a little and no one a lot. Some things can be done to assuage concerns (e.g., adding AP courses at South Lakes). These things will all be decided as the process moves forward.

When one moves to Fairfax County there is no guarantee that school districts will remain static. If some seem that way (i.e.,, Langley) it is probably due to their geographic isolation, not any nefarious plot.

I think we can all agree that Fairfax County schools are great. Compare South Lakes to other schools nationally and it is near the top.

An influx of students from surrounding schools will totally change the demographics at South Lakes, if the parents posting here are as concerned and involved as they seem to be.

Lastly, my children have both been through South Lakes and we found it to be a wonderful and nurturing environment for them, as well as a challenging one. Neither was ever afraid to walk the halls and both have formed lasting and valuable friendships through their involvement in the school. I was involved the entire time they were there and encountered caring and involved parents at every turn. We are really not at all different from parents in your school.

What more can I say.

Quantum,
Great post on what SL needs to do before the needs of any incoming students can be met. I totally agree about IB. It is not good prep for those who want to major in engineering, math, or hard science. I find myself wondering at which population of students it was aimed. Since IB is in all of the majority minority schools, is it thought to help minorities? If so, I fail to see how.

Does anyone know why South Lakes has IB and not AP? AP seems to help the most students get college credit, particularly low income students who really need those credits because of the money savings in college.

Cricket, your posts have been spot on.

Perhaps we need a new thread, on what to do now. How do we force our elected officials to talk with the communities about solutions for under enrollments? (I"m not including over enrollments since that really isn't an issue.) Is it ok with us if they attempt to balance ALL county schools socially, racially, economically? Or do just certain schools, like South Lakes, have to have such balance? Will Langley and Madison and Oakton EVER have anything close to a balanced population? What are the real goals here? Has the public agreed to those goals? How best to meet those goals of the larger community? Or does each school board member get to decide the goals for his schools, without consulting the wider community? Now that Stu has a plan to demographically balance South Lakes, does he get to do the same with his other high school, Madison?

Who has the say in what happens to our schools?

Thomas More,
It is virtually impossible for any principal to get rid of bad teachers or bad students. It's not how the system works, it's not what the administration supports. Students cannot ever be totally expelled and teachers can't ever be totally fired. That's just how it is in pubic education today. Sorry. It's not Butler's fault. He is very limited in what he can do.

Neen Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Thomas More,
> It is virtually impossible for any principal to
> get rid of bad teachers or bad students. It's not
> how the system works, it's not what the
> administration supports. Students cannot ever be
> totally expelled and teachers can't ever be
> totally fired. That's just how it is in pubic
> education today. Sorry. It's not Butler's fault.
> He is very limited in what he can do.

It's not easy and it shouldn't be but it can be done and is done. Theresa More is vice president of a teachers union up north. They get rid of disfunctional staff every year.

It should be easier in "right to work" Virginia where public employees are not allowed to unionize.

Even if one were to accept Neen's premise, why promote the dreck over the community's objections?

SLVerity Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The County has made no decisions as of yet.

Stu already made a commitment in January '03 not to redistrict Aldrin and Armstong into South Lakes. Langley was left out of the study area. Decisions have already been made. Very little, if anything, remains to be decided.

> I think we can all agree that Fairfax County
> schools are great.

Actually FFX schools are rather mediocre. Its student body is exceptional because an unusually large percentage come from homes where both parents have graduate degrees.

Longitudinal evaluations of FFX students over the course of study in FFX find primary school students at the top nationally and internationally and gradually losing ground over the twelve years. Some wag has been known to say that FFX County schools make their kids dumber over the course of 12 years.

> Compare South Lakes to other
> schools nationally and it is near the top.

which study had this conclusion?

> Lastly, my children have both been through South
> Lakes and we found it to be a wonderful and
> nurturing environment for them, as well as a
> challenging one. Neither was ever afraid to walk
> the halls and both have formed lasting and
> valuable friendships through their involvement in
> the school. I was involved the entire time they
> were there and encountered caring and involved
> parents at every turn. We are really not at all
> different from parents in your school.

Notice that nothing is said about the instructional staff. Again its the student body that makes South Lakes at great place.

Dear Neen,

RE: Quantum's Suggestions -

South Lakes and Bruce Butler are already implementing programs to address what Quantum suggested with regards to under-performing students, with positive, measurable results. As I've stated before, students performing at a higher level are thriving as well. SAT scores were up significantly this year, moving closer to the upper norm for Fairfax. We had a wonderful acceptance rate at institutions of higher learning this year, the same number of students admitted to UVa as Langley, even though their overall population is significantly larger and more affluent.

RE: IB

MYTH: The school community lobbied for IB. In fact, we did not lobby to get IB at our school. It was decided by administrators with the old Area III Supervisor. However, we accepted the program and learned to take advantage of it.

MYTH: It doesn't prep students for Engineering careers. Tell that to the recent grads from SL excelling in those fields.

MYTH: IB is only for low-income, under-performing schools. Have you heard of George Mason HS in Falls Church City - one of the top high schools in the country. The school has no more than 5% of students on free and reduced lunch. Robinson HS in Fairfax is also an IB school in an affluent district. IB schools are in many of the affluent districts in Florida. IB schools are in affluent districts in Chesterfield County, a Richmond suburb.

MYTH: You can't get scores in time to get college credits. Absolutely not true, in spite of an ill-informed poster on this site. Just check with the IB coordinator at South Lakes - Anne Stowe.

When a school is challenging, it must be assumed that the instuctional staff is responsible.

There are those who spend years complaining about a school and never doing anything about it. Thankfully, most posting on this site seem to be doers.

SLVerity Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> There are those who spend years complaining about
> a school and never doing anything about it.
> Thankfully, most posting on this site seem to be
> doers.

If it weren't for folks like me and others Railly would still be there.

SLVerity Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Dear Neen,
>
> RE: Quantum's Suggestions -
>
> South Lakes and Bruce Butler are already
> implementing programs to address what Quantum
> suggested with regards to under-performing
> students, with positive, measurable results. As
> I've stated before, students performing at a
> higher level are thriving as well.

How abut some numbers


> SAT scores
> were up significantly this year, moving closer to
> the upper norm for Fairfax.

In 2001 they were the third best in the County. They've fallen and haven't gotten back up.

We had a wonderful
> acceptance rate at institutions of higher learning
> this year,

Like what? as compared to whom? Glittering generalities don't persuade anyone
>
> MYTH: The school community lobbied for IB. In
> fact, we did not lobby to get IB at our school. It
> was decided by administrators with the old Area
> III Supervisor. However, we accepted the program
> and learned to take advantage of it.

There were discussions with the parents in the year before it was implemented but it wasn't request for approval. It was imposed from on high. Thank you, Railly


> MYTH: It doesn't prep students for Engineering
> careers. Tell that to the recent grads from SL
> excelling in those fields.

Like who?

> MYTH: You can't get scores in time to get college
> credits. Absolutely not true, in spite of an
> ill-informed poster on this site. Just check with
> the IB coordinator at South Lakes - Anne Stowe.

Two different issues 1) scores for admission evaluation taken off transcripts 2) scores for tests taken at the end of senior year not reported to colleges until course placement has happened. Stowe not involved in the second instance. Scores go from Zurich to college directly.

Tom, you should get together and commiserate with the father of a boy who played baseball. He always yelled at the coaches, complained about the school, and never did anything constructive about it.

FYI, The stats are on the web and in the career center at South Lakes, and have been presented at numerous PTSA meetings. I guess you haven't attended or bothered to look them up. They are available for anyone to see. Unless, of course, you think there is a conspiracy to doctor the numbers -tin-foil hat time.

FYI, the IB decision was made in conjunction with the Principal who preceded Reilly Rodriquez. But you wouldn't know that since you never got involved. Heck, you can't even be bothered to spell her name correctly.

Why is Thomas More commenting on this site. Is he trying to bolster the arguments against redistricting into South Lakes, even though he lives in the South Lakes community. Isn't that like biting off your nose to spite your face?

SLVerity Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Tom, you should get together and commiserate with
> the father of a boy who played baseball. He
> always yelled at the coaches, complained about the
> school, and never did anything constructive about
> it.

Maybe you could introduce us. What's his name? He might have been one of the folks who helped get rid of Railly, while you were brown-nosing her apparently.

> FYI, The stats are on the web and in the career
> center at South Lakes, and have been presented at
> numerous PTSA meetings. I guess you haven't
> attended or bothered to look them up. They are
> available for anyone to see.

I've been at the meetings and read the PTA newsletter every month.

Next time you're in the career center maybe you could make some copies and post them on this blog so the folks from other high schools who are concerned could see them.

> FYI, the IB decision was made in conjunction with
> the Principal who preceded Reilly Rodriquez. But
> you wouldn't know that since you never got
> involved. Heck, you can't even be bothered to
> spell her name correctly.

Bill Harper was long gone before the IB issue surfaced. According to Supporter's earlier post, "Railly" is the correct spelling of Realista's nickname.

Dunk Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Why is Thomas More commenting on this site. Is he
> trying to bolster the arguments against
> redistricting into South Lakes, even though he
> lives in the South Lakes community. Isn't that
> like biting off your nose to spite your face?

from a posting earlier today:

My point, here, fellow Seahawks: nothing is gained by denying facts or trying to mask the defects and deficiencies of SL. If, as I believe, this redistricting is already a done deal with the only question remaining for SL being McNair or Crossfield, then, this is an opportunity to get the bad stuff out in the sunshine which Justice Bandeis called the best disinfectant and hope that resources are brought to bear to improve conditions at SL for all future students.

I for one would have liked to post constructive comments but see this is just a forum for Thomas More. It is obvious he doesn't like the county nor its schools. He especially despises South Lakes and its principal. And forget VA colleges and universities - they are atrocious!

Since I've been a Fairfax county resident for 40 years, went to a Fairfax County high school (Langley - be careful what you wish for people), and received an Engineering degree from that failure of a school in Blacksburg, I'm assuming my comments will fall on deaf ears.

I have one question for Thomas More - you seem to have a bigger bone to pick by something larger than South Lakes – like maybe your kids didn’t get into TJ?

Can we hear from other people now?



On to the supposed topic of this thread -

Face it people – government provided education is a socialist experience. Don’t think you can control it, greatly influence it, or own it.

I and many others of my friends and neighbors have children who do or will attend SLHS. We are very committed to our neighborhood, the schools in the pyramid, and the greater Reston area. Our kids play Reston Little League, Reston Youth Basketball, and Reston Youth Football with many children from the affected areas. We see the rising SAT scores (same as Herndon and close to Chantilly and Westfield) and are smart enough to figure out that these scores come from a small population with a high percentage of free/reduced lunch. We see and understand the opportunities this allows our children. We see the renewed interest in the school and community. We plan on being part of a rising tide. We know our children will have more opportunities to participate in activities than their peers at much larger schools.

I have talked to many sport parents who are interested in facts not fear mongering. They know their kids do not get adequate opportunities to play varsity sports at Westfield with a school population of 3200.

We will be at the boundary study hearings and plan on talking in support of the school and redistricting. We pay taxes too and believe that all of our children deserve an excellent education. We've shopped with you, had dinner with you, cheered sports teams with you. Know that if your neighborhood is redistricted to South Lakes, there are many, many people who will welcome you and your children with open arms. Know that their will be more opportunities available to your children at South Lakes. We, like you, want the best for all our children...

Would that your facts were correct, Farrell, oops, I mean Tom.

BTW, Bill Harper was in his last year when the decision was made by Loretta Webb and her Area III staff. The parents were not informed until the following year, when Reilly came on board. I know because I was intimately involved and I am sure you were not there for those meetings.

Please stop presenting bad facts.

SLVerity Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Would that your facts were correct, Farrell, oops,
> I mean Tom.

Good try, guess again.

>
> BTW, Bill Harper was in his last year when the
> decision was made by Loretta Webb and her Area III
> staff. The parents were not informed until the
> following year, when Reilly came on board. I know
> because I was intimately involved and I am sure
> you were not there for those meetings.

So you're were part of the secret cabal that gave us IB. Gee thanks.

Old Timer,
Please say what you want. We are mostly ignoring Thomas now. We've heard it all Thomas.

However, your suggestion for SLVerity to post data would be very helpful. Can you post the link, SLVerity?

Old Timer Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I have one question for Thomas More - you seem to
> have a bigger bone to pick by something larger
> than South Lakes – like maybe your kids didn’t
> get into TJ?

We have the resources to have a great high school that is part of the positive identity of Reston which is a wonderful community. SL once had great teachers and great coaches. There are still has some of each. Too many have been chased out and not enough have been brought in to replace the great ones who left.

I didn't want my kids to go to TJ because of the commute and because they aren't interested in science and math as a career.

Any one is free to post as often as they like. Nothings stopping you or anyone eklse and nothing will stop me.

Old Timer Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Our kids
> play Reston Little League, Reston Youth
> Basketball, and Reston Youth Football with many
> children from the affected areas.

Too bad that because of the commitment Stu made in January 2003. More than half the kids your child played with in those organizations will be going to Herndon

Here is the link to the 2007 SAT Scores for FCPS (also attached above):

http://www.fcps.edu/mediapub/pressrel/sat2007.pdf


BTW, I had nothing to do with the implementation of IB at South Lakes. I was on a pyramid-related committee and it was presented to us as a done deal. I did not support it at the time. Unlike some, however, I learned to make the best of the program and encourage my children to take advantage of it, unlike some site pests posting here.

Please ignore the posts of Thomas. I promise never to respond to him again.
Attachments:

Oops, I meant to say attached below.

Old Timer Wrote:
-received an Engineering degree from that
> failure of a school in Blacksburg,

Two questions:

In light of the nations shortage of engineers why does VTech wash out half its engineering students in the first year?


Can you explain for us why the four year graduation rate at VTech is only 43%

Tom Cruise's role in Risky Business was set in Winnetka - and at New Trier High School. And it was fiction. Again, fiction.

New Trier is indeed an excellent school - but not the equal of some of the smaller schools north of it, insofar as they have a much higher middle of the class - with average ACT scores of around 27 - unheard of for a non-magnet community high school. The top of the class admittedly at these schools do not reach the stratospheric heights of a New Trier or a Highland Park - but not surprisingly - some of the wealthiest and high powered people in the Midwest live in those environs. What is little known about these smaller school districts in the northern and northwest suburbs of Illinois is that they do not have teachers unions - they don't need them - the local districts pay well, and the teachers, while not enjoying the ironclad apparatchik style job protection that union members enjoy, gladly abstain from a union in exchange for the chance to teach students with a real interest in learning and a midwestern work ethic. Nothing is more deadening to an educational career than having to teach disinterested, remedial students, and that unfortunate task is avoided for the most part in these schools. Again, I say this not to remonstrate as to the superiority of these schools, but to give a perspective of an outsider coming into Fairfax, and to give a judge as to just how mediocre FFX schools perform relative to income. In my own town, the superintendent was nationally known, has a law degree as well as a Phd in education, had only two high schools in his charge, was a significant community figure, and if parents or students had a problem, you could schedule an appointment and talk to him. Many did - all the time. Being a single mother product in a town that did not have many, he in fact went out of his way to get to know me and wrote my college recommendations. I could call him to this day and he would show interest, just as with the principal. Just an entirely different culture than the bloated bureaucracy here. The lack of local empowerment here is striking, and one wonders why the school redistricting invites anxiety - there is just very little room for meaningful parent input.

SLVerity Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
We're looking for the list of colleges that SL's grads have gotten into and the number that have gotten into each college.

Everybody can access the SAT listing.

I saw a statistic that last year, 65% of SL kids that applied got into UVA, as opposed to 25% of Langley. Not sure where I saw this.

Quantum, lack of parental input--that's true, but you have to admit, the "HELL NO, WE WON"T GO" attitude here makes it impossible to make anyone happy, so it's little wonder they don't invite input.

This is a meaningless stat. I would bet more applied at other schools. There is a quota based on your school. Just ask any counselor. Ours told us they will only take so many students from one school. No one is saying there aren't bright kids at South Lakes. It's the ones that aren't so bright everyone is concerned with.

Actually, I hadn't thought of it that way, but Capys, the same kid goes to SL and has a 65% chance of getting into UVA vs, 25% if he goes to Langley. I like SL odds much better. That IS a big advantage.

we have identified an upside!

Capys:

But as many SLHS kids got accepted as at Langley.....how that does that impact your disparagement?

If there are quotas, did the secret Quota committee decide to up the SLHS number to falsely suggest that SLHS is improving dramatically, thus undercutting the critics during RD????

SLVerity Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Dear Posters. The way I see it, the issues are as
> follows:
>
> The county needs to redistrict to even out some
> population shifts due to rising populations in
> some areas, declining populations in some areas,
> and a desire to use existing facilities, rather
> than building new ones...

> ... everyone
> effected should be allowed to speak...

>... When one moves to Fairfax County there is no
> guarantee that school districts will remain
> static. If some seem that way (i.e.,, Langley) it
> is probably due to their geographic isolation, not
> any nefarious plot...

Nefarious plot? yes I guess you could call it that since they are not including langley because strauss and gibson refusing to include it - instead are building an addition when there are other alternatives which used to hold the very same geographic areas when they could be reboundaried to schools near their residences. Do you like paying to bus Herndon to Mclean?

There have been plenty of boundary processes where the B word came up especially in side conversations. Langley is not isolated - seems so because they bus kids from Herndon/Reston/Far Western great Falls to Langley - see Forestville attendance area.

Unlike smaller independent school systems FCPS should be presenting a financial advantage to citizens by making fiscally responsible boundary changes.

Cranky Padre stop getting your shorts in a wad.

Look they'll take only so many kids from Langley and then that's it. So if the SAT cutoff is 1400 and they'll only take 25 Langley students and 100 Langley students got over 1400 - just 25% get in.

If 25 SL students score above 1400, they'd take all of them 100%.

It's how it works.

I go commando, Capys, to avoid the wad thing.

I don't buy the premise of the numerical limits or allotments by school. Are Westfield, Marshall, Edison, etc., subject to the 25 person (or whatever; you tell me) allotment?

What happens with TJ? Only 5% or so get accepted to UVA, on the assumption that those students generally meet or exceed the 1400 SAT threshold, but are limited to the 25 kid cap?

believe what you want. i have a senior. i know what the counselor told me. i know what the colleges told me. they don't want to have a tj reunion at UVA or anywhere else. they want DIVERSITY

capys Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> believe what you want. i have a senior. i know
> what the counselor told me. i know what the
> colleges told me. they don't want to have a tj
> reunion at UVA or anywhere else. they want
> DIVERSITY

UVA is a TJ reunion with over 200 accepted annually. getting your kid into TJ with such a high chnace of getting into UVA is like winning a couple hundred thousand dollars. Why do you think parents want TJ?

http://publications.tjhsst.edu/tjtoday/2000/article.phtml?ed=November%202002&i=434


"UVa is by far the college to which most Jefferson students apply. About 285 students, total, applied there last year and of those, 35 applied early. The early acceptance rate was 91.4% for Jefferson students applying early and 89.6% for those who applied regular admission. The 1.8% difference in acceptance rates is insignificant.
“It reflects a very strong applicant pool,” Groves said
in regards to this school’s high acceptance rates.
“A lot of our students know it’s a safety school [Uva]
that’s a step above Tech and is on par with William and
Mary,” Pitkin commented about why so many Jefferson students apply to UVa."

Thomas More Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Old Timer Wrote:
> -received an Engineering degree from that
> > failure of a school in Blacksburg,
>
> Two questions:
>
> In light of the nations shortage of engineers why
> does VTech wash out half its engineering students
> in the first year?
>
>
> Can you explain for us why the four year
> graduation rate at VTech is only 43%


I can't believe you set me up so well -

Since I'm not a VT spokesman, I can't really answer for VT's graduation rate or the number of students that wash out; however, I would surmise that it's because the students all took AP classes on the premise that they were "college level" courses. They were ill suited for the rigors of a college level engineering program.

Honest question about the VTech grad rate:

Is the 43% rate applicable to those who finish within 4 years (and excluding those who may finish but after the four-year mark), or does it apply to those who enter but never graduate from VTech?

If the former, big deal if most ultimately graduate.

My bad. I mispoke. The schools in Virginia are so bad that none of the SL graduates went to college last year. Actually, Tech, UVa and W&M are closing their doors due to lack of students. So we don't need to worry about college any more. It really doesn't matter where our kids go to school in Fairfax county. They are all screwed.

Capys is using the wrong numbers. Don't quote me without checking with the guidance office at SL, but I believe that 34 students from SL were accepted at UVA and 34 students from Langley were accepted at UVA. Since Langley has a much larger population, and if you take into account that SL has a mentally handicapped center with about 50 students in each class, then SL acceptance at UVA was a significant achievement as compared with Langley. I am not a statistician, but even I can see that the odds were much better this year at South Lakes when compared to Langley fro this specific example.

At least 200 TJ students attend UVa every year, so no quotas there. There are not quotas for other high schools either - this is direct from the Dean of Admissions, and not hearsay.

Old Timer Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Thomas More Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Old Timer Wrote:
> > -received an Engineering degree from that
> > > failure of a school in Blacksburg,
> >
> > Two questions:
> >
> > In light of the nations shortage of engineers
> why
> > does VTech wash out half its engineering
> students
> > in the first year?
> >
> >
> > Can you explain for us why the four year
> > graduation rate at VTech is only 43%
>
>
> I can't believe you set me up so well -

No malice intended.

> Since I'm not a VT spokesman, I can't really
> answer for VT's graduation rate or the number of
> students that wash out;

Its just really strange. Neither CalTech nor MIT wash out 50% of their freshman engineering classes. Our country has a serious shortage of engineers, we need everyone we can get.

> however, I would surmise
> that it's because the students all took AP classes
> on the premise that they were "college level"
> courses. They were ill suited for the rigors of a
> college level engineering program.

Cute

Based upon my student's AP courses, he entered VT with advanced standing and could graduate a year earlier, if he wished--he's decided to do a double major and take Wine and Vines. He has been on the Dean's List for all semesters, except one. Apparently, many students require five years to graduate due to the courses they've selected; e.g., engineering, architecture. Or, because they have changed majors and need more time to make the new requirements. Excuse parental bragging--main point is that AP courses do help and are important.

SLHS Padre Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Honest question about the VTech grad rate:
>
> Is the 43% rate applicable to those who finish
> within 4 years (and excluding those who may finish
> but after the four-year mark), or does it apply to
> those who enter but never graduate from VTech?
>
> If the former, big deal if most ultimately
> graduate.


Here's a great online tool - www.collegeresults.org -

For the year 2005, the 4 yr graduation rate at VT was 47.3%. The six year graduation rate was 76.3%.

IMHO - I think engineering should be a 5yr program like architecture. Because of the rigors of the curriculum and the required courses, there is little room for other courses that provide a more rounded education. I wish I had taken philosophy and sociology and other courses that help us understand each other.

I also don't think engineers spend enough time writing. That's what I see as a benefit of the IB program. The emphasis on writing and learning how to learn. Isn't that really the goal of an education? Ultimately, every engineer has to write a technical report - one has to be able to effectively communicate.

What I will say to defend Tech and other large public institutions in their engineering drop rates is that engineering is a rigorous program of study. It's not necessarily the level of the material but rather the organizational skills required to keep on top of 18 hous. All my roommates and friends were in liberal arts and science majors. They read the book, wrote one paper, had a midterm, and took a final exam. In the meantime, I had countless hours of homework, labs, etc. You either sink or swim. There are no study groups to help you pass. If you need help, you're on your own getting it. Professors, and graduate teaching assts. are there IF you seek them out. The responsibility ulitmately is with the student. If you have enough wherewithall, enough executive function skills to make it through, you can make it in the workplace. I've known students at private engineering schools to be coddled/mentored/tutored, etc. to get them through. These schools were also getting $30,000 in tuition money as oppposed to the nominal tuition at Tech.

SLHS Padre Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Honest question about the VTech grad rate:
>
> Is the 43% rate applicable to those who finish
> within 4 years (and excluding those who may finish
> but after the four-year mark), or does it apply to
> those who enter but never graduate from VTech?
>
> If the former, big deal if most ultimately
> graduate.

Every college that participates in federal student aid must report it rates of graduation for students 4 years after enrollment; 5 years and 6 years. The US News and World Report Ultimate College Directory includes those numbers for all 1,400 schools in its directory. The 2004 edition reports VTech's numbers are 4 yr 43%; 5 yr 70%; and 6 yr 74%. These numbers don't change greatly from one year to the next.

Most parents would prefer to pay for only 4 years of tuition to get their children a degree. A professor at GMU tells me that their low graduation rate is at least partially attributable to the inability of kids to get into their core classes. Not enough professors or classrooms.

Other parents are concerned that schools with low 4 yr grad rates reflect a student body that does not take completion of their degrees seriously and don't want that attitude rubbing of on their child from a dorm mate.

Hopes that answers your question

Old Timer Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
I've
> known students at private engineering schools to
> be coddled/mentored/tutored, etc. to get them
> through. These schools were also getting $30,000
> in tuition money as oppposed to the nominal
> tuition at Tech.

Purdue and Penn St. don't have these kind of wash out rates. they're public schools as is Cal Tech.

but we're getting way off subject.

I best keep my fingers crossed that my kid matriculates next year...

What was the topic: the PTA president that stole the kids' money and parks her Lexus in the no parking space?

She also parks in handicap spaces and skims off the top of the concession stand money . . . I mean how low can ya go?

Old Timer

Tough loss tonight but is was to the Heisman Trophy winner. Maybe VTEch will get them back at the ACC championship game.

the child who was hit by a car to which i refer was... i want to say 2 weeks ago? it was after the nhs meeting on a thursday. it wasnt my aim to appear selfish; my words at 3am are not always clear and concise. but after the special ed admin told me that the kid was fine but i could still not proceed to my car, i was puzzled.

and bruce told me personally that he attended herndon and played tight end in high school because he came over to talk to myself and other football players at a field hockey game earlier in the spring.

verity -- christopher newport really doesnt belong in that sentence. the middle-tier students at south lakes go to tech, jmu, and mason.

prostitution ring at hughes happened in 1998... "melees" in the hall? which one of you has seen that? hmm. curious... none of you are in the building for seven hours a day.

..linda jones is irrelevant to the discussion

you're worried about 13 year olds having orgies 10 years ago? you won't find it published anywhere but i can assure you as recently as last year that oakton students have had 3 girls at once and that a mclean empty house was broken into for the purposes of having a sex party -- football players were suspended from play (but conveniently returned in time to play us for their homecoming game)

unlike the ap program, which the washington post described as "watered down", the ib program only gives college credit to students who score a 5 or 6 on the ib exam. i dont think it can be any more clear that the ib program is more selective and discerning (this still doenst mean that i like the program)

i'm amazed that you all seem to crank out 3 pages of circular discussion per day

who is thomas more?
smart money is on girardi.

brian Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> and bruce told me personally that he attended
> herndon and played tight end in high school
> because he came over to talk to myself and other
> football players at a field hockey game earlier in
> the spring.

Bruce Butler - international man of mystery. He went to Herndon, Flint Hill and South Lakes where he played baseball, basketball and football. And between games he played lead guitar in a garage band with Verity's husband? We know his brother, Larry, works for Reston Association but could it be that Bruce has an identical twin?

The girls at SL play field hockey on the baseball field in the fall. Could it have been lacrosse, maybe?

Girardi is close. The initials are K.O.

I am planning to go to CNU. I love that school. What's wrong with it? It's just new that's all.

donot Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I am planning to go to CNU. I love that school.
> What's wrong with it? It's just new that's all.

Their admissions office says they want the incoming freshman class to have 1200 SAT and 3.4 GPA.

With those credentials you could get into a school that graduates more than 13% of its enrollees in 4 years and save Mom and Dad a fifth and sixth year of tuition and use that money on grad. school instead.

Its a lovely campus and the Newport News community is excited and supportive of school which used to be a branch of ODU.

If your happy go for it. Good Luck.

K.O. huh?

Keith Olbermann are you living in Reston and commuting to NYC everyday?

Hollywood Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> K.O. huh?
>
> Keith Olbermann are you living in Reston and
> commuting to NYC everyday?

Actually I'm at the World Series in Boston tonight.

>>>>diversity is a code word for affirmative action<<<<

Not exactly. In Fairfax county it means Black. Period. It means Black students. Only. It does mean whites, or Asians, no matter where they come from. As one school board member said, about students at TJ coming from something like 27 different countries, 'those students don't count, they aren't diverse'. Seriously. That's exactly what she said. A rich black kid from McLean brings diversity to TJ but a poor kid from Pakistan or Russia or China, does not. That's how our school board thinks. Black matters. Asian does not. (Unless they need them at low performing schools.)

The reason our students cannot handle engineering, at Tech, or any other school is that we don't teach enough real math in FCPS. We're now teaching that awful "Everyday Math" which prepares no one for Calculus in high school much less the multi var and linear algebra that they need.

Why must we import students from Asia to attend our engineering programs? See paragraph one. We don't train our students to be able to complete engineering courses.

CNU was never a branch of ODU. It was a community college, with the same name it has now, until the mid 1980's. It's a beautiful school with a great President and nice student body. I know 3 kids there, SATs were 1280, 1300, and 1320. All Vienna kids, graduating next year.

One of our neighbors graduated from UVA in engineering with 3 majors in 3 and 1/2 years. He took the GRE's, had a perfect math score and perfect writing. Many engineers can write well.

Oh yeh, he went to TJ too. SAT of 1580 and perfect SATII in math, chemistry, and physics.

At UVA, 90% of students finish in 4 years. University of Maryland is around 40%.

I'm pleased to note that local Connection has published League of Women Voters candidates' summaries. Thank you LWV.

Does anyone know more about this "Everyday Math"? My first impression of it is NOT GOOD.

Lets get back to the topic friends.... boundary study. The only way to make it stop and get out and VOTE vote for the right candidate and that is NOT Stu(pid) Gibson or Kathy Smith. DO NOT VOTE FOR THOSE TWO!!!!!!!

Neen Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> One of our neighbors graduated from UVA in
> engineering with 3 majors in 3 and 1/2 years. He
> took the GRE's, had a perfect math score and
> perfect writing. Many engineers can write well.
>
>
> Oh yeh, he went to TJ too. SAT of 1580 and
> perfect SATII in math, chemistry, and physics.
>
> At UVA, 90% of students finish in 4 years.
> University of Maryland is around 40%.


Neen, we're all thrilled that your neighbor's child did so well at UVA. I doubt that many of the supposed adults on this board did that. I certainly don't know a damn soul who graduated in 3 1/2 yrs with 3 majors. I obviously hang with the wrong crowd.

But what I said is that they, engineering schools, don't emphasize writing. Your neighbor didn't learn their writing skills at UVA - possibly polished them. But they were obviously already an exceptional student as evidenced by their excellent SAT scores. And really, any kid with those kind of scores is way above the norm even for engineering students, don't you think - I mean perfect SATII in math, chemistry, and physics? This is really an exceptional student. Why are we putting them up as evidence that engineers write?

I think we all understand that TJ is the place for exceptional students - but what about the rest of our students? Not all are exceptional, some are just - gasp - above average - don't they deserve a good education as well?

I guess the answer is no if you were too stupid/naive to buy a home that feeds into Annandale, Centreville, Edison, Fairfax, Falls Church, Hayfield, Herndon, Lee, Mount Vernon, South County, South Lakes, Stuart, and West Potomac high schools.

These are the bottom 13 FFX County schools based on last year's Math SATs. And a little note, 9 schools have math scores below SLHS and Herndon (who tied last year at 540).

You're only entitled to a good education if you live in Oakton, Great Falls, McLean, Clifton, parts of Fairfax, and Fairfax Station or your kid goes to TJ. The rest of us are screwed - correct?

SAT scores are only for the college bound crowd. SOLs are mandatory for all students. That's where you see a difference.

Neen Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> CNU was never a branch of ODU. It was a community
> college, with the same name it has now, until the
> mid 1980's. It's a beautiful school with a great
> President and nice student body. I know 3 kids
> there, SATs were 1280, 1300, and 1320. All Vienna
> kids, graduating next year.

My bad. CNU's web site says it started as a branch of William & Mary and became independent in 1977.

Word:

Is there a specific point about the SOLs -- with specifics -- as it relates to the redistricting issue?

Not something like: everyone knows that dumb, under-class people have crappy SOLs at SLHS, or that only 25 kids per school get into UVA. But rather FACTS that underlie the point you seek to make. FACTS, please.

Thomas More Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Another SL Parent Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > newsflash to many of you
> > I'm sure, colleges and universities add points
> to
> > the overall IB grade which ends up boosting
> your
> > child's GPA.
>

> That's true at about 100-150 of the 1400 colleges
> and universities in the U.S. Even the most ardent
> IB supporters acknowledge that.
>
>
I just looked at the IB website--here is the link for the US IB program

http://www.ibo.org/country/US/index.cfm

If you click on the menu of universities that recognize the IB diploma, you will see the list is much longer than 100-150, as Thomas posts. Some universities, including VTech, grant a year of credit to diploma graduates. They also give credit for individual IB classes.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/26/2007 01:30PM by South Lakes Pyramid parent.

Another link which states that VTech grants "sophomore standing" to diploma graduates, and Harvard, too, by the way.

http://www.shsd.org/newSite/highSchool/IBProgram/ibprogram.htm



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/26/2007 02:21PM by South Lakes Pyramid parent.

this is helpful

http://www.fcps.edu/DIS/OHSICS/advepd/AAPBrochure.pdf#xml=http://search.fcps.edu/cgi-bin/texis.cgi/webinator/search/xml.txt?query=pupil+placement+ap+program&pr=public&prox=sentence&rorder=750&rprox=750&rdfreq=500&rwfreq=500&rlead=500&sufs=1&order=r&cq=&id=472177abd7

I am a teacher in the SL pyramids and I am proud to teach in a diverse area. I have students from Ethopia, El Salvador, Egypt and students who can trace their heritage to the Mayflower. Yes there are behavior issues at some schools. However what school did the Virginia Tech shooter go to? What school did the student who shot up the Westfield/Sully police station go to? Westfield. So just because a student may go to an all white, upperclass school does not mean they will turn out better than a student who goes to a school that truly reflects society. To all those people who are against the redistricting, perhaps you are right. The SL pyramid is probably better off without having "those type" of students and parents" contaminating our schools. God forbid those students are exposed to diversity.

Direct quote from an SL parent--our ESOL students at South Lakes are "little treasures"--very eager to learn and add a new element to the class. Too bad those against diversity will never really understand or appreciate that these kids add a great dimension to the culture at SL and student life.

Yes Westfield was too big and the problem is being fixed
---- McNair is being transferred to South Lakes

South Lakes Pyramid parent Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Another link which states that VTech grants
> "sophomore standing" to diploma graduates, and
> Harvard, too, by the way.
>
> http://www.shsd.org/newSite/highSchool/IBProgram/i
> bprogram.htm

So what's the total number of colleges and univeristies giving advanced placement credit for successfully passing an IB exam in a subject. Remembering that there are 1,400 universities in the U.S. which all recognize AP courses, what percentage of those institutions accept IB?

Teacher Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I am a teacher in the SL pyramids and I am proud
> to teach in a diverse area. I have students from
> Ethopia, El Salvador, Egypt and students who can
> trace their heritage to the Mayflower. Yes there
> are behavior issues at some schools. However what
> school did the Virginia Tech shooter go to? What
> school did the student who shot up the
> Westfield/Sully police station go to? Westfield.
> So just because a student may go to an all white,
> upperclass school does not mean they will turn out
> better than a student who goes to a school that
> truly reflects society. To all those people who
> are against the redistricting, perhaps you are
> right. The SL pyramid is probably better off
> without having "those type" of students and
> parents" contaminating our schools. God forbid
> those students are exposed to diversity.

Extraordinarily well stated.

" Any community that is obsessively concerned with attracting the 'wrong kind of people' has already suffered that fate."

Thomas,
I didn't count the number of colleges in that menu--the list is very long obviously. Be my guest!

I've asked the question of IB credit for courses to an IB coordinator--haven't heard back.