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Re: high school redistricting
Posted by: RealityCheck ()
Date: January 08, 2008 08:55PM

Floris Parent Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I was wondering if there is some way of
> finding out how many single family homes in Reston
> feed to South Lakes vs. Towns and Condos.

A little time on a real estate sales site can give you an estimate by zip code. You can screen by price, number of bedrooms, type (SFH, TH, ...). Of course, all houses aren't for sale, but the number that are can give a reasonable sampling.

Also, you can use Google Earth to do a little aerial reconnaissance. You can see how many and how big.

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Re: high school redistricting
Posted by: Alger Hiss ()
Date: January 08, 2008 10:01PM

restonforreal Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> As for SF Homes that feed into South lakes:
>
> -Across from the school, Tanbark and streets off
> of that
> -Glade between Twin Branches and Soapstone
> -Soapstone from Glade all the way to the end in
> the direction of Lawyers
> -Lawyers Road and off-streets from that
> -Solaridge and Beacon Hill off of Twin Branches,
> Thomas View Road off Twin Branches, Hunters Crest
> Way in Vienna and the neighborhood right before it
> and right across the street
> -Purple beach, and surrounding neighborhoods
> (durand)
> -neighborhoods surrounding sunrise valley elm
> -upper lake drive
>
> ect, ect, ect
>
> there are tons of single family homes that are
> actually extremely pricey in the South Lakes
> district, all the above are within a mile of the
> school in the heart of south reston. There are
> many more not mentioned as well.

Where do all those wealthy students go to high school? It's not South Lakes.

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Re: high school redistricting
Posted by: Neen ()
Date: January 08, 2008 10:26PM

Forum Reader Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Neen,
> Can you post a source that we can quote that the
> one and only AP course South Lakes has decided to
> offer next year is Human Geography?
>
> Offering AP Government to pre-IB tenth graders
> would make sense because it can satisfy an
> SOL-tested requirement, but Human Geography?

You need to ask the South Lakes PTSA officers. I am sure there are some here who could verify that Bruce Butler has told them that next year South Lakes will offer Human Geography.

Honestly, I do feel sorry for the students at the South Lakes and for parents who want a serious academic program. They have been short changed in the past, and now it appears they will continue to be short changed.

Oh well, we get the government, and the government school system, that we deserve. The people of Reston spoke when they voted.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/09/2008 01:28AM by Neen.

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Re: high school redistricting
Posted by: Neen ()
Date: January 08, 2008 10:30PM

>>>>Is that also an attempt to thwart pupil placement out so that they have an AP course called Human Geography? The very word, AP course available at the school so that pupil placements are denied because there is an AP course there? Yes, certainly nuts to run a school especially when there is no input from the parents, etc..<<<

NO! South Lakes cannot claim that they have an AP program because they are offering Human Geography! That would be hilarious if they tried.

I am making an assumption base on logic that one course does not constitute an AP program. However, I cannot attribute any such logic to our school system so I may well be incorrect.

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Re: high school redistricting
Posted by: Neen ()
Date: January 08, 2008 10:35PM

Forum Reader Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> IBVeritas Wrote:
> > I think we need to focus on IB courses
> themselves
> > and not on the IB diploma. ... The real
> > comparison is between IB courses and AP courses
> > individually, (though IB has the advantage of
> > having teachers work together among different
> > courses so they are not siloed).
> >
> > ... if any discussion about AP vs IB is done,
> > diplomas should be left out of it. It's an
> > aspirational goal that should be encouraged and
> > that sets it apart from AP, but it isn't a fair
> > comparison.
> >
> > ... SLHS should have the same courses
> > available as other schools, and kids should not
> be
> > shut out of available courses at higher rates
> than
> > they are at other schools -- which can only
> happen
> > when it has a population of kids that can
> support
> > it.
>
> I agree that AP and IB courses should be compared
> individually, one by one. What is the difference
> between IB SL French, IB HL French, and AP French?
> What is actually taught, and how? The only such
> official comparison that I found is the one I
> posted from November 1999. Does anyone have
> anything more current? Not anecdotal stories
> (which will vary teacher by teacher) but an
> official FCPS comparison?
> -----------
> To understand IB, you must understand the IB
> Diploma Programme (DP), which must be the focus of
> any IB high school: “Without a doubt, the
> all-important reason for teaching the IB is the DP
> and the benefits that are to be derived from it by
> diploma students. ... It must be unquestionably
> shown that any certificate courses they may be
> intending to offer are subordinate to their DP,
> and will be specifically for students who are not
> intellectually or academically able to undertake
> the full diploma” .
>
> Diploma Candidates comprise a special group of
> highly organized and highly motivated students.
> The group has a special full-time staff member
> just to oversee their academic needs, and the
> entire school’s master schedule MUST revolve
> around the academic requirements of the few DP
> students whose courses MUST be taught, even if
> less than a handful of students sign up for them.
> Since South Lakes, like all FCPS high schools, is
> strapped for teaching positions, the classes of
> other SL students often face elimination or
> overcrowding. Perhaps worse, existing classes are
> harmed when the school tries to force combined
> courses in which one teacher tries to teach both
> courses simultaneously in the same room.

SOOOO.........other students, out of SL's current boundary, must go to South Lakes because the constraints of the IB program prevent flexibility in their schedules and limit the number of courses and classes available for ALL students?

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Re: high school redistricting
Posted by: Joseph Welch ()
Date: January 08, 2008 10:44PM

Alger Hiss Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> restonforreal Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > As for SF Homes that feed into South lakes:
> >
> > -Across from the school, Tanbark and streets
> off
> > of that
> > -Glade between Twin Branches and Soapstone
> > -Soapstone from Glade all the way to the end in
> > the direction of Lawyers
> > -Lawyers Road and off-streets from that
> > -Solaridge and Beacon Hill off of Twin
> Branches,
> > Thomas View Road off Twin Branches, Hunters
> Crest
> > Way in Vienna and the neighborhood right before
> it
> > and right across the street
> > -Purple beach, and surrounding neighborhoods
> > (durand)
> > -neighborhoods surrounding sunrise valley elm
> > -upper lake drive
> >
> > ect, ect, ect
> >
> > there are tons of single family homes that are
> > actually extremely pricey in the South Lakes
> > district, all the above are within a mile of
> the
> > school in the heart of south reston. There are
> > many more not mentioned as well.
>
> Where do all those wealthy students go to high
> school? It's not South Lakes.


Funny that people with so little sense, political or otherwise, are so obsessed with boundaries. Neen cavorts with Red birds.

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Re: high school redistricting
Posted by: Thomas More ()
Date: January 08, 2008 11:09PM

Forum Reader Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Thomas More Wrote:
> > It's not up to the County.
> >
> ----
> TM, can you elaborate?

It's easy to confuse annexation which generally is by consent of both governments with the issuance of a municipal charter which is the province of the General Assembly. Counties are merely administrative conveniences created by and subordinate to the General Assembly.

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Re: high school redistricting
Posted by: Thomas More ()
Date: January 08, 2008 11:12PM

slgrad Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Thomas,
>
> IB diploma students do take political science. It
> is an elective, it does not count as a history
> course.

Are you referring to an IB SL course an IB HL course or a general ed course in political science because I don't see it in last years course catelog

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Re: high school redistricting
Posted by: Thomas More ()
Date: January 08, 2008 11:21PM

SLVerity Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Even if Reston becomes a Town, the school will
> still be a part of the Fairfax County School
> system. If the school were to become separate, we
> Reston citizens would be responsible for paying
> taxes to Reston to cover the cost of the schools
> and that is not going to happen. Even though
> Vienna and Herndon are incorporated, their towns
> are not running the schools. I don't think the
> town would have any say over the schools.

Thus a reason for Reston to become a city.

But practically, if Reston were a town, the School Board would never consider for a moment dividing it between to high schools. All of the incorporated Town of Herndon goes to Herndon. All of the incorporated Town of Vienna goes to Madison. If the School Board were ever to suggest dividing either to two high schools, the mayor and the Town Council would politically crush them.

Thus both high schools benefit from having a united business and political community supporrting their high school.

Sadly South Lakes cannot have the benenfit of a united Reston supporting it.

It's a loss for South Lakes and a loss for Reston and those responsible for this outcome have a lot to answer for.

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Re: high school redistricting
Posted by: Thomas More ()
Date: January 08, 2008 11:23PM

Joseph Welch Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
I knew Joe Welch, Joe Welch was a neighbor of mine. You are no Joe Welch.

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Re: high school redistricting
Posted by: Thomas More ()
Date: January 08, 2008 11:31PM

Get it right Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

> While many people who live in Reston would have
> liked to see North Reston students go to South
> Lakes, they aren't necessarily closer and it would
> impact Herndon High school a great deal.

HHS's FRL before Option 4 was 18% after option 4 19%. Thus almost no impact on Herndon.

> Zip codes and addresses don't mean much in an area like NoVA where there aren't > defined town boundaries.

Reston has defined boundaries and has had them since 1965, longer than Fairfax has been a city.

But this is yet another reason for Reston to become a town or better a city since dividing Reston would never happen if it were incorporated as either.

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Re: high school redistricting
Posted by: Joe Welch ()
Date: January 08, 2008 11:33PM

Thomas More Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Joseph Welch Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> I knew Joe Welch, Joe Welch was a neighbor of
> mine. You are no Joe Welch.


Thanks, Lloyd.

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Re: high school redistricting
Posted by: Forum Reader ()
Date: January 08, 2008 11:44PM

Thomas More Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> slgrad Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Thomas,
> >
> > IB diploma students do take political science.
> It
> > is an elective, it does not count as a history
> > course.
>
> Are you referring to an IB SL course an IB HL
> course or a general ed course in political science
> because I don't see it in last years course
> catelog

See page 31 of the SLHS 07-08 catalog, the last social studies class listed.
"POLITICAL SCIENCE (245100)
Grades: 12 Credit: one-half or more
Corequisite: Virginia and United States Government
During the first semester, students examine theories and practices of government. During the second semester, students are interns for 8-10 hours per week in government and government-related offices. They participate in seminar discussions. The first semester offers one-half credit and is a prerequisite for second semester. Second semester is optional. The full two-semester course offers one and one-half credits."

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Re: high school redistricting
Posted by: Thomas More ()
Date: January 08, 2008 11:58PM

Forum Reader Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> See page 31 of the SLHS 07-08 catalog, the last
> social studies class listed.
> "POLITICAL SCIENCE (245100)
> Grades: 12 Credit: one-half or more
> Corequisite: Virginia and United States
> Government
> During the first semester, students examine
> theories and practices of government. During the
> second semester, students are interns for 8-10
> hours per week in government and
> government-related offices. They participate in
> seminar discussions. The first semester offers
> one-half credit and is a prerequisite for second
> semester. Second semester is optional. The full
> two-semester course offers one and one-half
> credits."

This is a general ed course that my oldest took in 1999-2000 before IB was instituted and is available to both IB and Non-IB students. Because of low enrollment it is not offerred every year.

How do IB students take this course since they don't take the co-requirement, Virginia and United States Government, senior year, but 20th Century Issues instead.

BTW remember that those who drop out of the IB Diploma track have to take freshman US history senior year.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/09/2008 12:00AM by Thomas More.

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Re: high school redistricting
Posted by: Forum Reader ()
Date: January 09, 2008 12:12AM

Thomas More Wrote:
> How do IB students take this course since they
> don't take the co-requirement, Virginia and United
> States Government, senior year, but 20th Century
> Issues instead.
>
> BTW remember that those who drop out of the IB
> Diploma track have to take freshman US history
> senior year.

[I don't know if or how IB Diploma Candidates take this course; all I was doing was looking for it in the catalog for you since "slgrad," your previous correspondent, may be in bed by now.]

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Re: high school redistricting
Posted by: The man ()
Date: January 09, 2008 12:14AM

This man has the answers to all of your problems.
Attachments:
file.jpeg

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Re: high school redistricting
Posted by: Neen ()
Date: January 09, 2008 01:30AM

Thomas More Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> SLVerity Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Even if Reston becomes a Town, the school will
> > still be a part of the Fairfax County School
> > system. If the school were to become separate,
> we
> > Reston citizens would be responsible for paying
> > taxes to Reston to cover the cost of the
> schools
> > and that is not going to happen. Even though
> > Vienna and Herndon are incorporated, their
> towns
> > are not running the schools. I don't think the
> > town would have any say over the schools.
>
> Thus a reason for Reston to become a city.
>
> But practically, if Reston were a town, the School
> Board would never consider for a moment dividing
> it between to high schools. All of the
> incorporated Town of Herndon goes to Herndon. All
> of the incorporated Town of Vienna goes to
> Madison. If the School Board were ever to suggest
> dividing either to two high schools, the mayor and
> the Town Council would politically crush them.
>
> Thus both high schools benefit from having a
> united business and political community
> supporrting their high school.
>
> Sadly South Lakes cannot have the benenfit of a
> united Reston supporting it.
>
> It's a loss for South Lakes and a loss for Reston
> and those responsible for this outcome have a lot
> to answer for.

Why can't Reston become a town? Wasn't there a petition advocating that with the support of Robert Simon? If the people of Reston want it to be a town, who is stopping that from happening? The current politicians on the board of supervisors who fear losing their power?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/09/2008 01:37AM by Neen.

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Re: high school redistricting
Posted by: VoiceOfReason ()
Date: January 09, 2008 01:33AM

This fight is still ugly at best. Yes the school board has the right to do what they are doing....they were given that right in a vote in Fairfax County. If you bought your house after that...sorry. Your children are all students of Fairfax County (one of the best school systems in the country), no matter their ethnicity. Something, I bet many of you did not have.

I still see people attacking children. The two schools who seem to be the most attacked are those from South Lakes and those from McNair, as many of you don't want to go to South Lakes or you do not wish to go with McNair. Let me remind you....these are children. How dare you say one is better than the other because of the padding in your wallet. It is really disgusting.

My children are affected by this change...and I voted in the election giving the power to the school board, as I am a long time resident of Fairfax County, although I did not attend school here. Children respond to the teacher and the parents. You get out of it, what you put into it. There are great teachers in schools with problems and there are teachers who don't care in schools with stellar records. Yet we all seem to survive.

Live and let live. IB and AP are not the do all and end all of any college education. I have to ask...what about the average student...or God Forbid, the special education student? Clearly, every parent thinks their child is exceptional....but some do have children that need help, and some have children that don't qualify for help, but could do better with some. But who cares? Your children obviously don't need their boundaries stretched. You obviously have all the answers. Maybe you are the people who should be the teachers here. As you who did your homework when buying your home seem to have all the answers. This whole thing makes me sick.

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Re: high school redistricting
Posted by: Neen ()
Date: January 09, 2008 01:48AM

You are right, this is all sickening. The process of pitting neighbor against neighbor has been very ugly.

It's obvious that people care deeply for their children and their children's education. Every family has different standards, and different ideas about how best to educate their children. They want to choose what they think will work best for their children and their family. They did their homework, and made that decision. Now that is being taken away from them. For those who care the most about education, it is very upsetting. For them 'good enough' is simply not good enough. Their values are different from your's.

I join you in asking, for whom is this boundary change being done? The high end learners? So that South Lakes can have more HL IB courses and fewer split classes? The average student (if there is such a thing) who wants more electives like journalism and drama and piano lessons? Or the disadvantaged students because our staff and school board believe that more high achieving kids will help to educate the children who are not doing well? Or is it something else? Why are we doing this redistricting? Who will it help? In asking people to make a HUGE sacrifice, their schools, and the AP program that they have chosen, they need to know the reason. Our staff, our school board, and the redistricting advocates need to be to explain to parents exactly why they must change schools.

Perhaps if people from South Lakes could tell us for whom this being done, and how they will be helped, it might help all of us to understand why they are asking parents to give up their current schools.

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Re: high school redistricting
Posted by: Neen ()
Date: January 09, 2008 01:51AM

The Man,
I don't think children under 13 are permitted on this forum. PLUS, you are up far too late on a school night! Go to bed, before someone tells your mother you are awake and on the internet. Scoot!

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Re: high school redistricting
Posted by: Baffled ()
Date: January 09, 2008 05:34AM

VoiceOfReason Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> This fight is still ugly at best. Yes the school
> board has the right to do what they are
> doing....they were given that right in a vote in
> Fairfax County. If you bought your house after
> that...sorry. Your children are all students of
> Fairfax County (one of the best school systems in
> the country), no matter their ethnicity.
> Something, I bet many of you did not have.
>
> I still see people attacking children. The two
> schools who seem to be the most attacked are those
> from South Lakes and those from McNair, as many of
> you don't want to go to South Lakes or you do not
> wish to go with McNair. Let me remind you....these
> are children. How dare you say one is better than
> the other because of the padding in your wallet.
> It is really disgusting.
>
> My children are affected by this change...and I
> voted in the election giving the power to the
> school board, as I am a long time resident of
> Fairfax County, although I did not attend school
> here. Children respond to the teacher and the
> parents. You get out of it, what you put into it.
> There are great teachers in schools with problems
> and there are teachers who don't care in schools
> with stellar records. Yet we all seem to survive.
>
>
> Live and let live. IB and AP are not the do all
> and end all of any college education. I have to
> ask...what about the average student...or God
> Forbid, the special education student? Clearly,
> every parent thinks their child is
> exceptional....but some do have children that need
> help, and some have children that don't qualify
> for help, but could do better with some. But who
> cares? Your children obviously don't need their
> boundaries stretched. You obviously have all the
> answers. Maybe you are the people who should be
> the teachers here. As you who did your homework
> when buying your home seem to have all the
> answers. This whole thing makes me sick.


I find this all extremely ugly and nauseating. Even my daughter is upset by this whole mess. She is a rising 9th grader by the way. Alot of people are, You mentioned that that is what happens when buying a home in the Fairfax County so are you implying now that the real estate agents when showing homes to potential buyers, they will have to tell these buyers "By the way, this house is at risk for redistricting and it is the norm in Fairfax County"? Reserve those for when it is absolutely necessary to redistrict..more like county-wide and at the availability of taxpayers funds, not at a $100 million shortfall.

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Re: high school redistricting
Posted by: hmmm07 ()
Date: January 09, 2008 08:20AM

So I'm assuming this is a done deal. Now I'm wondering how they will pay for all the extra bus rides for three years if they do grandfather the way they say they will. Two schoolbusses in the same neighborhood for three years in times of budget shortfalls? I have heard that one way they will attempt to cut the budget is to eliminate freshmen sports. But that is about the only specific that I've heard mentioned and that was really just in passing. But the fact remains that if they do grandfather, they will be stuck with significantly higher transportation costs in an era of cutbacks and I'm not sure how they will justify that.

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Re: high school redistricting
Posted by: upset parents & kids ()
Date: January 09, 2008 08:24AM

Baffled Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> VoiceOfReason Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------

> I find this all extremely ugly and nauseating.
> Even my daughter is upset by this whole mess. She
> is a rising 9th grader by the way. Alot of people
> are, You mentioned that that is what happens when
> buying a home in the Fairfax County so are you
> implying now that the real estate agents when
> showing homes to potential buyers, they will have
> to tell these buyers "By the way, this house is at
> risk for redistricting and it is the norm in
> Fairfax County"? Reserve those for when it is
> absolutely necessary to redistrict..more like
> county-wide and at the availability of taxpayers
> funds, not at a $100 million shortfall.


Thats really too bad that so many kids are upset over this. Of course they probably wouldn't be so upset and better able to adjust to whatever outcome occurs if thier parents weren't pulling there hair out over it and spending coutless hours here bitching about it.

Here's an ugly little secret about real estate agents and property values; real estate agents are sales people. They also have a finite amount of product to sell. When there is the inevitable surplus inventory available in floris & fox mill they will educate themselves on the true value of it and market it to homebuyers.

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Re: high school redistricting
Posted by: taxpayer ()
Date: January 09, 2008 08:33AM

Baffled Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> VoiceOfReason Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > This fight is still ugly at best. Yes the
> school
> > board has the right to do what they are
> > doing....they were given that right in a vote
> in
> > Fairfax County...
> I find this all extremely ugly and nauseating...

They do not have the right to avoid schools closer to residences when such avoidance creates more unequal distribution based on race, color, or country of origin. That is Federal. They also have abdicated fiscal responsibility.

The State conducts Efficency Reviews of School Divisions and IMHO FCPS is overdue:
http://141.104.22.210/VDOE/efficiencyreview.html

I read some of those reviews and they even get into the costs on cleaning and heating trailers v the building proper. Here there are important people ensconced at various schools and positions but the State could send out a middle income audit crew that has no vested interest.

Info on composite index which determines the FCPS funding from Virgina:
http://141.104.22.210/VDOE/suptsmemos/2007/inf241.html

Just like in other states FX gets cash based on ability to pay.

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Re: high school redistricting
Posted by: Floris Parent ()
Date: January 09, 2008 08:40AM

VoiceOfReason Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> This fight is still ugly at best. Yes the school
> board has the right to do what they are
> doing....they were given that right in a vote in
> Fairfax County. If you bought your house after
> that...sorry. Your children are all students of
> Fairfax County (one of the best school systems in
> the country), no matter their ethnicity.
> Something, I bet many of you did not have.
>
> I still see people attacking children. The two
> schools who seem to be the most attacked are those
> from South Lakes and those from McNair, as many of
> you don't want to go to South Lakes or you do not
> wish to go with McNair. Let me remind you....these
> are children. How dare you say one is better than
> the other because of the padding in your wallet.
> It is really disgusting.
>
> My children are affected by this change...and I
> voted in the election giving the power to the
> school board, as I am a long time resident of
> Fairfax County, although I did not attend school
> here. Children respond to the teacher and the
> parents. You get out of it, what you put into it.
> There are great teachers in schools with problems
> and there are teachers who don't care in schools
> with stellar records. Yet we all seem to survive.
>
>
> Live and let live. IB and AP are not the do all
> and end all of any college education. I have to
> ask...what about the average student...or God
> Forbid, the special education student? Clearly,
> every parent thinks their child is
> exceptional....but some do have children that need
> help, and some have children that don't qualify
> for help, but could do better with some. But who
> cares? Your children obviously don't need their
> boundaries stretched. You obviously have all the
> answers. Maybe you are the people who should be
> the teachers here. As you who did your homework
> when buying your home seem to have all the
> answers. This whole thing makes me sick.

I agree with you on a couple of areas VoiceOfReason,

I think that it is very unfair to catagorize the McNair Elementary children as disadvantaged or low income. I was surprised when I read the the VP of the SL PTSA (Maria Allen) referred to them as such.

If you drive through the McNair Community, you will notice many expensive TH's and condo's in the community. There are apartments, but this is normal in high growth areas. It seems that both Herndon and South Lakes were making a big issue about the Title 1 status of McNair Elementary, but has anyone looked at how the children from McNair do academically by the time the graduate from Rachel Carson Middle School? I would expect that the language barrier has more to do with poor test scores at McNair, rather than being financially disadvantaged, and I would assume that after 8 years of schooling, the language issues are no longer there.

For me personally, and many of the people who live in the "East Floris"?? area, our resistance to being moved to SL does not have anything to do with the students at South Lakes.

The bigger issues are things like the way in which the SB has conducted this study from the beginning, by throwing out 4 proposed alternatives to be commented on, even though none of those plans was ever going to be put in place. There is already much distrust with regards to the school board, based on prior promises that have been broken, and what appears to be a SB that is using underhanded tactics to create a situation where neighborhoods are forced are voicing opinions about the current alternative 5, not based on whether they truly feel that it is the best choice, but simply because they are not impacted by the changes and disruptions that will occur for those families that are.

When you add in the fact that Alternate 5 was presented to the public before all public comments had been posted, and then realize that this same Alternate 5 was posted on the SL PTSA web site, and was being touted by SL parents at the Westfield meeting prior to being released to the public, it just adds to the distrust that we feel.

I think that we can all agree that change is sometimes necessary, but when one area is continually targeted, while other areas are never touched, it just reinforces that feeling that we have a corrupted School board, who are willing to go to any means to try and cover up excesses in spending, poor management of our schools, as well as underhanded political dealings.

I, and many in the Floris area have been through more than our fair of changes to try and help the SB deal with imbalances and screw ups in their projections over that past 10 years, and we feel that it is time for other communities to step up.

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Re: high school redistricting
Posted by: Lloyd Dobler ()
Date: January 09, 2008 08:51AM

Neen Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Why can't Reston become a town? Wasn't there a
> petition advocating that with the support of
> Robert Simon? If the people of Reston want it to
> be a town, who is stopping that from happening?
> The current politicians on the board of
> supervisors who fear losing their power?

Here is a link to an article from Sunday's Washington Post...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/04/AR2008010403190_2.html

I really don't see any way that this would be approved.

Options: ReplyQuote
Re: high school redistricting
Posted by: Restonian ()
Date: January 09, 2008 08:51AM

Neen Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
>
> Good luck with that. When did FCPS EVER allow a
> vote of the parents to determine anything that
> happens in our schools?
>
> It should be up to the community what the primary
> educational program is in any school, but I have
> never known that to happen in FCPS. Have you?
> Staff does what they 'feel' is right and the
> community can take it, or try to find the money to
> send their children to private school.

If what you wrote above is what you believe. Why do you constantly berate the South Lakes PTSA for not replacing IB with AP?

Options: ReplyQuote
Re: high school redistricting
Posted by: Floris Parent ()
Date: January 09, 2008 09:03AM

Has anyone considered what will it be like for the 69 children from the Floris community, if they do end up at South Lakes High School. Teenage years are already challenging emotionally, and peer groups and friends are a huge part of a child fitting in. Being a Freshman in HS is already very scary for most of these kids, and then you add in the fact that the Floris children will make up about 5% (even less if many parents pupil place out) of the South Lakes student body, and they will have very little in common with the Reston children due to different youth sports leagues etc.

I think that this is going to be very difficult to adjust to, since many of their friends from Rachel Carson will continue on to Oakton and Westfield. It is very unfair to subject such a small minority of children to such a change. I am sure that on paper this boundary change makes sense, but what about the children who will be the 1st to exposed to the social engineering? Who knows what the impact will be?

Options: ReplyQuote
Re: high school redistricting
Posted by: Restonian ()
Date: January 09, 2008 09:05AM

Floris Parent Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Hello SLVerity,truthbetold and other Reston
> Posters
>
> You seem to know much about Reston and South
> Lakes, so I was wondering if there is some way of
> finding out how many single family homes in Reston
> feed to South Lakes vs. Towns and Condos. I was
> driving around the school today, and it appeared
> to me that it is almost all pockets of attached
> housing in the immediate areas around SL. I think
> that most of the SF homes are in the north Reston
> area. I am not sure why a school would be built in
> an area where there are not many SF homes, because
> it seems that many people will leave the area when
> they out grow their homes.

If you left South Lakes Drive you would find many streets of single family homes which feed to South Lakes High School. You could look on Google Earth to see them off of Sunrise Valley Drive, along both sides of Lawyers Road and much of Glade Drive between Reston Parkway & Twin Branches.
>
> I suspect that if the SB simply changed boundaries
> within the Reston area zip codes, and a larger mix
> of SF homes in Reston fed to SL, it would probably
> solve most of the problems that are causing
> concern to the SL parents and student body.

That sounds like what Option 4 tried to do, but it had enormous domino effects as a consequence and would have moved hundreds more students.

Options: ReplyQuote
Re: high school redistricting
Posted by: Floris Parent ()
Date: January 09, 2008 09:12AM

If you left South Lakes Drive you would find many streets of single family homes which feed to South Lakes High School. You could look on Google Earth to see them off of Sunrise Valley Drive, along both sides of Lawyers Road and much of Glade Drive between Reston Parkway & Twin Branches.
>


Restonian,

I still do not understand then, where all of the HS age children living in these communities are going to school. If the are 60,000 people living in Reston, the odds are great that at leat 3% are children between the ages of 14-18, and should be able to provide 1800-2000 children to SL.

Options: ReplyQuote
Re: high school redistricting
Posted by: Restonian ()
Date: January 09, 2008 09:35AM

Floris Parent Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Has anyone considered what will it be like for the
> 69 children from the Floris community, if they do
> end up at South Lakes High School. Teenage years
> are already challenging emotionally, and peer
> groups and friends are a huge part of a child
> fitting in. Being a Freshman in HS is already very
> scary for most of these kids, and then you add in
> the fact that the Floris children will make up
> about 5% (even less if many parents pupil place
> out) of the South Lakes student body, and they
> will have very little in common with the Reston
> children due to different youth sports leagues
> etc.
>

Kids from Floris are on Reston sports teams, in scouting troops together and attend the same churches/temples. They live within a few miles of each other. To say they will have very little in common is disingenuous.

> I think that this is going to be very difficult to
> adjust to, since many of their friends from Rachel
> Carson will continue on to Oakton and Westfield.
> It is very unfair to subject such a small minority
> of children to such a change. I am sure that on
> paper this boundary change makes sense, but what
> about the children who will be the 1st to exposed
> to the social engineering? Who knows what the
> impact will be?

I'd say that the attitudes of their parents will have the biggest impact on the redistricted kids. They are not the Little Rock Nine.

Options: ReplyQuote
Re: high school redistricting
Posted by: Restonian ()
Date: January 09, 2008 09:40AM

Floris Parent Wrote:
> Restonian,
>
> I still do not understand then, where all of the
> HS age children living in these communities are
> going to school. If the are 60,000 people living
> in Reston, the odds are great that at leat 3% are
> children between the ages of 14-18, and should be
> able to provide 1800-2000 children to SL.

South Lakes is not the Reston high school. There are not 60,000 people living in the South Lakes boundaries.

Options: ReplyQuote
Re: high school redistricting
Posted by: Floris Parent ()
Date: January 09, 2008 09:54AM

Restonian,

I do not agree with you. When we were sent from Oakton to Westfield, it took several years to integrate into that school, because Floris was a very small % of the student body, I do believe that there are Floris children that do share some activities with children in Reston, but most are more aligned with Chantilly or Herndon communities. Also, because of the way that this alternate 5 plan works, Floris will be split in half, further diluting the number of children who start at elementary age and continue through HS together.For the most part,this is not the case with the South Lakes, Herndon, Langley, Madison, Chantilly etc.

A big reason for the relative success of Herndon HS is the fact the almost all children feed from the same Middle school. How many other middle schools will be split to 3 HS's like Carson?

I very much understand why Reston parents are pushing for this change, and since your children are not being relocated, it is very easy for you to say "stop your whining" etc. I am sure you and other parents in Reston can understand how different your attitude would be, if you were told that your children were going to be moved into another school outside of your community.

Options: ReplyQuote
Re: high school redistricting
Posted by: taxpayer ()
Date: January 09, 2008 10:03AM

Restonian Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Floris Parent Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Hello SLVerity,truthbetold and other Reston
> > Posters...
> > of SF homes in Reston fed to SL, it would
> probably
> > solve most of the problems that are causing
> > concern to the SL parents and student body.
>
> That sounds like what Option 4 tried to do, but it
> had enormous domino effects as a consequence and
> would have moved hundreds more students.

Oddly enough FCPS did not have a scenario that left Armstrong at Herndon and moved Aldrin to South Lakes. That is really weird considering Forest Edge and Lake Anne attendance areas. Many of the talking points presented by Herndon PTA are rendered moot by the existence of Forest Edge and the NO CHANGE since constructed stuff is unconscionable considering the plight of Floris. Where did the part of Fox Mill west of FX county go pre McNair?


Carson opened then Westfield then Mcnair. Pre Mcnair there was much discussion on moving parts of Hutchison and Floris to Westfield from Oakton. There seem to be NO big meeting minutes and discussion on the opening of Mcnair for the actual day of the vote.

http://www.fcps.edu/schlbd/minutes/20010125R.pdf
****************
FAIRFAX COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD
Regular Meeting No. 12 13 January 25, 2001
Mrs. Strauss seconded, to expel a student for a threat and for chronic disruption of the education
process. The motion passed unanimously.
Having served on a three-member committee chaired by Mrs. Castro, Mrs. Belter moved, and
Mrs. Strauss seconded, to expel a student for possession of illegal drugs on school grounds. The
motion passed unanimously.
Having served on a three-member committee chaired by Mrs. Castro, Mrs. Belter moved, and
Mrs. Strauss seconded to expel a student for possession of a weapon and threatening another
student with a weapon, and possession of drug paraphernalia and a controlled substance on
school grounds. The motion passed unanimously.
Mr. Braunlich moved, and Mr. Gibson seconded, to authorize the superintendent or his designee
to negotiate and enter into a lease for approximately 13,398 rentable square feet of office space
located at 10640 Page Avenue, Fairfax, VA. The motion passed 10-0-2, with Mrs. Belter, Mr.
Braunlich, Mrs. Brickner, Mrs. Castro, Mr. Frye, Mr. Gibson, Mrs. Heastie, Mrs. Strauss, Mrs.
Thompson, and Mrs. Wilson voting “aye;” and with Mrs. Kory and Mr. Reese abstaining.
V. NEW BUSINESS
TAPE REFERENCE: 2-3060
A. Adjustments to School Attendance Areas – Recommendation to approve adjustments to school
attendance areas, to be effective for the 2001-2002 school year, as described in the agenda item
(FcS; Exhibit L
Mr. Chevalier discussed the proposed attendance area adjustments for the 2001-2002 school year
with a slide presentation; he said that the new McNair Farms elementary school would open in
September 2001 and would impact Dranesville, Clearview, Herndon, Hutchison, and Floris
Elementary Schools; that community meetings had been held in November and December 2000;
that administrative changes would be made to respond to new housing developments, but no
resident students would be affected; that changes were proposed to relieve the severe
overcrowding at Navy Elementary School; that a Public Hearing would be held on February 12
and a work session would be convened on February 13; and that the Board was scheduled to act
on the recommendations at its regular meeting on February 22
*******************************

Feb 22 2001 was cancelled. Conspicuous in it's absence from Herndon area movement was Armstrong. Aldrin is so Reston PO area oriented it was not even mentionned --- told you all it's more alligned geographically with Forest Edge and Lake Anne. So the BS continues.

http://www.connectionnewspapers.com/article.asp?archive=true&article=80209&paper=66&cat=104

According to this artcile Coppermine is 1 mile from Mcnair and the Oak Hill principal seems ready to be involved since they have a GT center not just level 4 plus a 6 room modular and at least 3 trailers as of now.


http://www.fcps.edu/schlbd/minutes/20000309RM.pdf

Options: ReplyQuote
Re: high school redistricting
Posted by: Floris ()
Date: January 09, 2008 10:07AM

Restonian,
My school age children DO NOT have any friends from Reston, except the ones through PARENTS connection. Fair enough? Friends they made from going to school each day, vs. the ones they see a few times a month or a year are not the same.

Maybe it's true for North Reston folks that they share a lot of church, sports activities in Reston, but it's not true for Floris communities.


Restonian Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Floris Parent Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Has anyone considered what will it be like for
> the
> > 69 children from the Floris community, if they
> do
> > end up at South Lakes High School. Teenage
> years
> > are already challenging emotionally, and peer
> > groups and friends are a huge part of a child
> > fitting in. Being a Freshman in HS is already
> very
> > scary for most of these kids, and then you add
> in
> > the fact that the Floris children will make up
> > about 5% (even less if many parents pupil place
> > out) of the South Lakes student body, and they
> > will have very little in common with the Reston
> > children due to different youth sports leagues
> > etc.
> >
>
> Kids from Floris are on Reston sports teams, in
> scouting troops together and attend the same
> churches/temples. They live within a few miles of
> each other. To say they will have very little in
> common is disingenuous.
>
> > I think that this is going to be very difficult
> to
> > adjust to, since many of their friends from
> Rachel
> > Carson will continue on to Oakton and
> Westfield.
> > It is very unfair to subject such a small
> minority
> > of children to such a change. I am sure that on
> > paper this boundary change makes sense, but
> what
> > about the children who will be the 1st to
> exposed
> > to the social engineering? Who knows what the
> > impact will be?
>
> I'd say that the attitudes of their parents will
> have the biggest impact on the redistricted kids.
> They are not the Little Rock Nine.

Options: ReplyQuote
Re: high school redistricting
Posted by: Thomas More ()
Date: January 09, 2008 10:15AM

Restonian Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

> South Lakes is not the Reston high school.

Nonsense. If SL is not Reston's high school what is Reston's high school T.C. Williams?

> There
> are not 60,000 people living in the South Lakes
> boundaries.

Only because SL boundaries do not include all of Reston with its 65,000 people.

Restonian? Not

Options: ReplyQuote
Re: high school redistricting
Posted by: Baffled ()
Date: January 09, 2008 10:22AM

Thomas More Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Restonian Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
>
> > South Lakes is not the Reston high school.
>
> Nonsense. If SL is not Reston's high school what
> is Reston's high school T.C. Williams?
>
> > There
> > are not 60,000 people living in the South Lakes
> > boundaries.
>
> Only because SL boundaries do not include all of
> Reston with its 65,000 people.
>
> Restonian? Not


Restonian,

With all this fuss about "boundaries", why step in and bother other people's community boundaries by yanking other people's kids to SL that you called not a Reston high school? It is geographically located in Reston, right? Not at the North Pole.

Options: ReplyQuote
Re: high school redistricting
Posted by: Thomas More ()
Date: January 09, 2008 10:28AM

Restonian Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> That sounds like what Option 4 tried to do, but it
> had enormous domino effects as a consequence and
> would have moved hundreds more students.

Enormous!? - hyperbole.

This is the propaganda spread by HHS PTA. Guess we've just figured out that you're really a Herndonite not a Restonian.

Reston kids to Reston's High School - South Lakes

Options: ReplyQuote
Re: high school redistricting
Posted by: taxpayer -Aldrin's on the Moon ()
Date: January 09, 2008 10:45AM

Herndon HS propaganda is Aldrin and Armstrong . Both seem to think the people coming from other Herndon feeders are crap. My research indicated that pre-McNair people said "Where's Armstrong?" since all others were in the process. Nobody on the Herndon area even questionned sincerely the exclusion of the other astronaut [for elemen"tardy" boundary chnages in Herndon area the other might as well be on the moon -actually over by Forest Edge].

Just how much proof do citizens need that those residences are in the wrong school by any standard?

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Re: high school redistricting
Posted by: funnythingis ()
Date: January 09, 2008 11:07AM

HHS claims to be a succesful balanced community. BUT, the biggest opponents of redistricting were from Armstrong/Aldrin. Even the people that LIVE in Reston, don't want to go to SL!!

Yep, they want a balanced community allright, as long as its not their own - Reston.

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Re: high school redistricting
Posted by: Neen's Conscience ()
Date: January 09, 2008 11:21AM

Neen Wrote:
------------------------------------------------------->
> You need to ask the South Lakes PTSA officers. I
> am sure there are some here who could verify that
> Bruce Butler has told them that next year South
> Lakes will offer Human Geography.

Neen, don't be coy. Why don't you tell the folks here how you really know the above information. Why don't tell them how you infiltrated a private yahoo group so that you could spy on the South Lakes Boundary Group's strategies. Why don't you tell them that you are demonstrating the true breadth and depth of your character with such actions. Why don't you explain to them how doing so demonstrates what an upstanding and trustworthy and honest citizen you are. Why don't you tell them that you would endorse Hillary Clinton's campaign doing so to gain information on Mitt Romney or John McCain or Mike Huckabee or Rudy Guiliani.

I'll give you this. You are truly Nixonian. We'll call this SouthLakesgate.

Options: ReplyQuote
Re: high school redistricting
Posted by: booya ()
Date: January 09, 2008 11:24AM

SL PTSA is putting together welcome baskets for your little darlings on their first day. It will include a book by Dr. Phil entitled, "How to succeed in spite of your self-important, passive-aggressive helicopter parents".

There will also be a pamphlet on how we beat you at your own game and information on local martial arts academies.

Options: ReplyQuote
Re: high school redistricting
Posted by: Neen's Conscience ()
Date: January 09, 2008 11:30AM

Neen Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> You are right, this is all sickening. The process
> of pitting neighbor against neighbor has been very
> ugly.
>
> It's obvious that people care deeply for their
> children and their children's education. Every
> family has different standards, and different
> ideas about how best to educate their children.
> They want to choose what they think will work best
> for their children and their family. They did
> their homework, and made that decision. Now that
> is being taken away from them. For those who care
> the most about education, it is very upsetting.
> For them 'good enough' is simply not good enough.
> Their values are different from your's.
>
> I join you in asking, for whom is this boundary
> change being done? The high end learners? So
> that South Lakes can have more HL IB courses and
> fewer split classes? The average student (if
> there is such a thing) who wants more electives
> like journalism and drama and piano lessons? Or
> the disadvantaged students because our staff and
> school board believe that more high achieving kids
> will help to educate the children who are not
> doing well?

Dear Neen, why don't you inform everyone here about your failed efforts to prevent disadvantaged kids from being able to learn at TJ? Why don't you tell them how you loathed the 'affirmative action' measures that would ensure that some disadvantaged kids could have access to the same education that your son did? Why don't you explain how you think they were not good enough, even though they perhaps were not afforded the same opportunities that your children had during their formative years?

I find it truly amazing that you are now 'for the chillren' (Neen's spelling) as you said on an earlier post.

You know, you've morphed from Fulbright to Pelosi in the course of 100+ pages of the Underground.

Options: ReplyQuote
Re: high school redistricting
Posted by: Redistricted? ()
Date: January 09, 2008 11:31AM

Neen's Conscience Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Neen Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> ----->
> > You need to ask the South Lakes PTSA officers.
> I
> > am sure there are some here who could verify
> that
> > Bruce Butler has told them that next year South
> > Lakes will offer Human Geography.
>
> Neen, don't be coy. Why don't you tell the folks
> here how you really know the above information.
> Why don't tell them how you infiltrated a private
> yahoo group so that you could spy on the South
> Lakes Boundary Group's strategies. Why don't you
> tell them that you are demonstrating the true
> breadth and depth of your character with such
> actions. Why don't you explain to them how doing
> so demonstrates what an upstanding and trustworthy
> and honest citizen you are. Why don't you tell
> them that you would endorse Hillary Clinton's
> campaign doing so to gain information on Mitt
> Romney or John McCain or Mike Huckabee or Rudy
> Guiliani.
>
> I'll give you this. You are truly Nixonian.
> We'll call this SouthLakesgate.


If that is true, it is truly low. Especially when she made such a big deal about the South Lakes people not respecting her boundaries. She should be censured for this, if borne out. Shame.

Options: ReplyQuote
Re: high school redistricting
Posted by: Restonian ()
Date: January 09, 2008 11:39AM

Baffled Wrote:

> With all this fuss about "boundaries", why step in
> and bother other people's community boundaries by
> yanking other people's kids to SL that you called
> not a Reston high school? It is geographically
> located in Reston, right? Not at the North Pole.


Yes, it is in Reston. It needs more students. Giving it more students who only have Reston in their mailing address would STILL impact other people's boundaries. In fact, it would have impacted many more people's boundaries than the current scenario.

Options: ReplyQuote
Re: high school redistricting
Posted by: Neen's Conscience ()
Date: January 09, 2008 11:46AM

Redistricted? Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
>
> If that is true, it is truly low. Especially when
> she made such a big deal about the South Lakes
> people not respecting her boundaries. She should
> be censured for this, if borne out. Shame.

I am no psychologist, but I think they call it projection when you assign to others tactics that you are willing to and do use.

Options: ReplyQuote
Re: high school redistricting
Posted by: Floris Parent ()
Date: January 09, 2008 11:50AM

funnythingis Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> HHS claims to be a succesful balanced community.
> BUT, the biggest opponents of redistricting were
> from Armstrong/Aldrin. Even the people that LIVE
> in Reston, don't want to go to SL!!
>
> Yep, they want a balanced community allright, as
> long as its not their own - Reston.


If you attended the last Public meeting at Oakton HS, you would have noticed an awful lot of Red Shirts in attendance. I noticed public school buses bringing them in (not sure who paid for the bus, County or parents). The Herndon folks that were in our small group could find nothing wrong with alternate number 5, and were gushing over how fair and equitable this option 5 was. If you closed your eyes, you would have thought that they were all South Lakes parents.

http://www.observernews.com/stories/current/news/120707/redistricting.shtml

It was amazing how many parents who were initially screaming the Stop RD Mantra, suddenly became ardent lovers of the School Board as well as well as big supporters of South Lakes proposal number 5,

"Elizabeth Gibson, Herndon High School's PTSA boundary committee chairman, said Herndon parents are mainly opposed to the fourth plan, which would move Herndon feeder schools Buzz Aldrin and Armstrong elementary schools to the South Lakes district. All four plans would move Westfield students to Herndon, and Gibson said Herndon is open to accepting additional students.


South Lakes PTSA vice president Maria Allen said she thought all the plans needed revision. She said South Lakes opposed the first three plans, which moved students from Westfield feeder school McNair elementary to South Lakes. That plan is, "basically taking low-income kids out of a school that can better support them and putting them in schools that already have very high percentage low-income kids," she said.

Both Gibson and Allen said parents from many schools were concerned about students traveling long distances to get to school. Long commutes, often on congested highways, are "a cost concern to the county and families, both in dollars and time," Gibson said.

Allen said South Lakes has developed their own "option five" plan, which would allow Fox Mill Elementary School families to attend South Lakes, instead of traveling a longer distance to Oakton High School. Their plan would also transfer the Madison "island" and possibly the eastern section of the Floris elementary district to South Lakes. The plan would leave McNair students at Westfield, Allen said.

when they realized that their neighborhood was taken off of the chopping block so to speak.

http://www.fairfaxtimes.com/news/2007/dec/13/new-school-boundary-option-proposed/

I am well aware that these links to newspaper articles are old news, but is it not apparent that Alternate #5 was planned well in advance of the 1st meeting in November?

The entire process of this study just reeks of dishonesty. How can the Staff (Dean "I never saw that SL proposal #5 Tistadt) even be quoted as stating that alternate #5 was created based on community feedback from the 1st 2 Town Hall mettings? Home > Fairfax County > New school boundary option proposed




FCPS staff will present final recommendations for a redistricting to the school board on Jan. 10



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New school boundary option proposed
Fairfax County
By Claire Compton and Layla Wilder
Source: Fairfax County Times
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 13 2007
UPDATED WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 19 2007

To see maps or comment on the options, visit www.fcps.edu. The next boundary meeting will be at Oakton High School, 2900 Sutton Road, Dec. 19, at 7:30 p.m.

Fairfax County Public Schools staff released a fifth option on Dec. 12 for a proposed high school boundary change in the western part of the county.

The fifth scenario came after the first two of three town meetings that staff are holding to gather public input on the scenarios. Six high schools are included in the boundary study in an effort to balance enrollment and demographics.

Four scenarios were released before the second meeting, held Dec. 3, and more than 2,000 attendees commented on the advantages and disadvantages of each scenario.

“What we heard very much influenced this scenario,” said Dean Tistadt, chief operating officer of Facilities and Transportation Services.

While Herndon High School is not impacted in Option 5, the scenario is not what staff will present as a final recommendation to the board.

“I think it's important that everyone in the boundary area be mindful that although the scenario may not show an impact to them, that doesn't mean they won't be when the board makes a final decision,” he said. “Don't presume they're off the table.” (in other words, you had better show up and support option #5, or we may change our minds, and move your neighborhood!)


From those comments comes Option 5, in which some students from Floris Elementary School would be bound for South Lakes High School instead of Westfield High School, and Fox Mill Elementary School students would attend South Lakes instead of Oakton High School.

Again, I realize all of this is old news for long time posters, but perhaps new folks looking in may not have the background on this corrupted study. Perhaps at the Public Hearings on the 30th and 31st of January, the School Board and staff, will shed more light on the deceptions that have been such a large part of this current study.

Options: ReplyQuote
Re: high school redistricting
Posted by: Restonian ()
Date: January 09, 2008 11:53AM

Floris Parent Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Restonian,
>
> I do not agree with you. When we were sent from
> Oakton to Westfield, it took several years to
> integrate into that school, because Floris was a
> very small % of the student body, I do believe
> that there are Floris children that do share some
> activities with children in Reston, but most are
> more aligned with Chantilly or Herndon
> communities.

I believe this is part of the reason that the recommendation was made to bring over students from Floris with students from Fox Mill, instead of mixing students from Fox Mill with some students from Aldrin.

For the most part,this is not the case
> with the South Lakes, Herndon, Langley, Madison,
> Chantilly etc.

My kids lose elementary school friends to several middle schools, more than half of their classmates do not go on to LHMS. Then there is a split again from middle to High School. It has seemed much harder in anticipation than reality.


> I very much understand why Reston parents are
> pushing for this change, and since your children
> are not being relocated, it is very easy for you
> to say "stop your whining" etc. I am sure you and
> other parents in Reston can understand how
> different your attitude would be, if you were
> told that your children were going to be moved
> into another school outside of your community.


I've tried not to take a "stop your whining" attitude here and IRL. I understand why and how redistricting is hard to go through, especially for families with older children already in high schools. I'm only trying to defend SLHS from false perceptions.

I think there are definately short term negatives to redistricting, but I think that the positive long term effects warrant those difficult changes.

Options: ReplyQuote
Re: high school redistricting
Posted by: Observation ()
Date: January 09, 2008 12:01PM

I must say, I feel very, very, very sorry for the poor children in Floris who cannot make new friends. What on Earth will happen to them when they go to college? How did they ever survive going to middle school having only known their elementary school friends? If they should stay at Westfield, how are they ever going to function there with nearly 2,000 people they have never met before? In classes where they might not know ANYONE. Wow. I am floored by this. Those parents in Floris must have only one model of family -- the one where each and every one of them went to only three schools from K-12 -- elementary, middle/junior, and high, and never moved from their small towns. And I guess if they did go to more, they were highly traumatized by that awful experience and are sheltering their poor, fragile, fearful kids from such a fate. I hope their health plans cover psychiatric help.

Options: ReplyQuote
Re: high school redistricting
Posted by: Floris ()
Date: January 09, 2008 12:05PM

Do we have actual numbers/analysis that other options can not solve the SLH issue? How can the act of picking the relative powerless communities like Floris, better helps SLH?

Someone mentioned some 20 years ago, some Madison communities were redistricted to Marshall. Well, 20 years later, Marshall is yet to become a desired school district -- how many real estate ads do you see boasting "desirte Marshall HS disstrict" and how many uses Madison as their selling point?

To folks want to help SLH, you can pretend not to facing the ugly face of RD, you can chant once the RD'd folks come, they'll assimilate. But this is not the right attitude, this is not the responsible thinking in helping a HS to be successful in the long run. The whole idea of using RD to address SLH issue is like, an underperforming kids said the reason he's not doing well as the next door Johnny is because he doesn't have enough brothers and sisters -- if he had enough, and they pool in all their allowance money, they can have (who knows what) opportunities.

RD is the wrong method to address SLH's chanllenges.

Options: ReplyQuote
Re: high school redistricting
Posted by: Baffled ()
Date: January 09, 2008 12:05PM

Floris Parent Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> funnythingis Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > HHS claims to be a succesful balanced community.
>
> > BUT, the biggest opponents of redistricting
> were
> > from Armstrong/Aldrin. Even the people that
> LIVE
> > in Reston, don't want to go to SL!!
> >
> > Yep, they want a balanced community allright,
> as
> > long as its not their own - Reston.
>
>
> If you attended the last Public meeting at Oakton
> HS, you would have noticed an awful lot of Red
> Shirts in attendance. I noticed public school
> buses bringing them in (not sure who paid for the
> bus, County or parents). The Herndon folks that
> were in our small group could find nothing wrong
> with alternate number 5, and were gushing over how
> fair and equitable this option 5 was. If you
> closed your eyes, you would have thought that they
> were all South Lakes parents.
>
> http://www.observernews.com/stories/current/news/1
> 20707/redistricting.shtml
>
> It was amazing how many parents who were initially
> screaming the Stop RD Mantra, suddenly became
> ardent lovers of the School Board as well as well
> as big supporters of South Lakes proposal number
> 5,
>
> "Elizabeth Gibson, Herndon High School's PTSA
> boundary committee chairman, said Herndon parents
> are mainly opposed to the fourth plan, which would
> move Herndon feeder schools Buzz Aldrin and
> Armstrong elementary schools to the South Lakes
> district. All four plans would move Westfield
> students to Herndon, and Gibson said Herndon is
> open to accepting additional students.
>
>
> South Lakes PTSA vice president Maria Allen said
> she thought all the plans needed revision. She
> said South Lakes opposed the first three plans,
> which moved students from Westfield feeder school
> McNair elementary to South Lakes. That plan is,
> "basically taking low-income kids out of a school
> that can better support them and putting them in
> schools that already have very high percentage
> low-income kids," she said.
>
> Both Gibson and Allen said parents from many
> schools were concerned about students traveling
> long distances to get to school. Long commutes,
> often on congested highways, are "a cost concern
> to the county and families, both in dollars and
> time," Gibson said.
>
> Allen said South Lakes has developed their own
> "option five" plan, which would allow Fox Mill
> Elementary School families to attend South Lakes,
> instead of traveling a longer distance to Oakton
> High School. Their plan would also transfer the
> Madison "island" and possibly the eastern section
> of the Floris elementary district to South Lakes.
> The plan would leave McNair students at Westfield,
> Allen said.
>
> when they realized that their neighborhood was
> taken off of the chopping block so to speak.
>
> http://www.fairfaxtimes.com/news/2007/dec/13/new-s
> chool-boundary-option-proposed/
>
> I am well aware that these links to newspaper
> articles are old news, but is it not apparent that
> Alternate #5 was planned well in advance of the
> 1st meeting in November?
>
> The entire process of this study just reeks of
> dishonesty. How can the Staff (Dean "I never saw
> that SL proposal #5 Tistadt) even be quoted as
> stating that alternate #5 was created based on
> community feedback from the 1st 2 Town Hall
> mettings? Home > Fairfax County > New school
> boundary option proposed
>
>
>
>
> FCPS staff will present final recommendations for
> a redistricting to the school board on Jan. 10
>
>
>
> Printer-Friendly Email this Story Post a
> Comment (1)
>
> New school boundary option proposed
> Fairfax County
> By Claire Compton and Layla Wilder
> Source: Fairfax County Times
> THURSDAY, DECEMBER 13 2007
> UPDATED WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 19 2007
>
> To see maps or comment on the options, visit
> www.fcps.edu. The next boundary meeting will be at
> Oakton High School, 2900 Sutton Road, Dec. 19, at
> 7:30 p.m.
>
> Fairfax County Public Schools staff released a
> fifth option on Dec. 12 for a proposed high school
> boundary change in the western part of the county.
>
>
> The fifth scenario came after the first two of
> three town meetings that staff are holding to
> gather public input on the scenarios. Six high
> schools are included in the boundary study in an
> effort to balance enrollment and demographics.
>
> Four scenarios were released before the second
> meeting, held Dec. 3, and more than 2,000
> attendees commented on the advantages and
> disadvantages of each scenario.
>
> “What we heard very much influenced this
> scenario,” said Dean Tistadt, chief operating
> officer of Facilities and Transportation
> Services.
>
> While Herndon High School is not impacted in
> Option 5, the scenario is not what staff will
> present as a final recommendation to the board.
>
> “I think it's important that everyone in the
> boundary area be mindful that although the
> scenario may not show an impact to them, that
> doesn't mean they won't be when the board makes a
> final decision,” he said. “Don't presume they're
> off the table.” (in other words, you had better
> show up and support option #5, or we may change
> our minds, and move your neighborhood!)
>
>
> From those comments comes Option 5, in which some
> students from Floris Elementary School would be
> bound for South Lakes High School instead of
> Westfield High School, and Fox Mill Elementary
> School students would attend South Lakes instead
> of Oakton High School.
>
> Again, I realize all of this is old news for long
> time posters, but perhaps new folks looking in may
> not have the background on this corrupted study.
> Perhaps at the Public Hearings on the 30th and
> 31st of January, the School Board and staff, will
> shed more light on the deceptions that have been
> such a large part of this current study.


Exactly! That is what I have been seeing all this time from the start of the boundary study...ridiculous. Somebody ought to take all this to the Justice Dept and or the VA Supreme court..I am really disgusted about all of this mess--corruption, dishonesty..I guess there is no real moral value to the true intergrity of DISTRICTING and REDISTRICTING with this botched up boundary study.

Options: ReplyQuote
Re: high school redistricting
Posted by: Restonian ()
Date: January 09, 2008 12:15PM

Restonian Wrote:
>
> I've tried not to take a "stop your whining"
> attitude here and IRL. I understand why and how
> redistricting is hard to go through, especially
> for families with older children already in high
> schools. I'm only trying to defend SLHS from
> false perceptions.

Responding to myself.

I don't think pointing out that children from Floris, are not vastly different from the children who come from other South Lakes feeders, and they will be able to make friends and find commonalities with those from the current South Lakes pyramid means, "Stop your whining".

Options: ReplyQuote
Re: high school redistricting
Posted by: Floris Parent ()
Date: January 09, 2008 12:21PM

This is an open question to any supporters of the West County boundary study:

Do you feel that at the very beginning of the 1st meeting in November the SB was starting with a clean slate, with no preconceived ideas of who was going to be moved in the study?

Do you believe that the 1st 4 options as presented by the FCSB staff were truly options that could have been selected?

Do you believe that Option # 5 as presented by the Staff was really based on and conceived after careful study of all of the community input from the 1st 2 town hall mettings?

Do you feel like the entire boundary study, from the start to the present has been conducted in a completely fair, honest and open way?

Do you believe that the FCSB suddenly really cares about South Lakes and its current students after years of neglect?

Do you believe that the alternate #5 will solve all of, or most of the problems that have been used as a reason for this current study?

Options: ReplyQuote
Re: high school redistricting
Posted by: Restonian ()
Date: January 09, 2008 12:24PM

Floris Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Do we have actual numbers/analysis that other
> options can not solve the SLH issue?

We did when we were in the Option stage of planning. Every other Option moved more children than Option 5.

How can the
> act of picking the relative powerless communities
> like Floris, better helps SLH?

Better than what?

>
>
> To folks want to help SLH, you can pretend not to
> facing the ugly face of RD, you can chant once the
> RD'd folks come, they'll assimilate. But this is
> not the right attitude, this is not the
> responsible thinking in helping a HS to be
> successful in the long run. The whole idea of
> using RD to address SLH issue is like, an
> underperforming kids said the reason he's not
> doing well as the next door Johnny is because he
> doesn't have enough brothers and sisters -- if he
> had enough, and they pool in all their allowance
> money, they can have (who knows what)
> opportunities.
>
> RD is the wrong method to address SLH's
> chanllenges.


South Lakes challenges are that it does not have enough high school students in its current boundaries, and that it has a much higher percentage of students on FRL than its near neighbors. Increasing those boundaries, by adding the closest neighborhoods with lower percentages of FRL is exactly the way to address those challenges.

Is your question, why more students? Is your, question, why Fox Mill? Or is it, why Fox Mill and Floris i/o Fox Mill and McNair or Fox Mill and Aldrin?

Options: ReplyQuote
Re: high school redistricting
Date: January 09, 2008 12:42PM

Floris Parents,
I was involved in early planning of Option 5, which was started after the four other options came out. No conspiracy. None of these four options were optimal in terms of the criteria set forth by the boundary study. As with any complex problem with competing goals, no option will be perfect. However,we believed, and still do, that Option 5 balances all of the criteria the best, in terms of dominoing, SE numbers, distance, and also neighboring communities can preserve more friendships than other options. This is why it is the recommended option. From the SB's point of view, any option is going to have people saying "not us", so rational, measurable criteria has to be the guiding factor.


We put forth Option 5, but it is really more of a modification to Option 3. Any other groups were free to put forth their other options or modifications, and address how they met the criteria. In fact, Franklin Farm had options in their talking points. However, most people were still very busy saying "no redistricting", instead of analyzing the options and providing rationale. I think the school system made it clear that "no redistricting" was not an option, so that these groups chose to spend their time that way is no one's fault but their own.

Also, I think the SB's option took into account Navy neighborhoods that were close to Chantilly, so their option had fewer kids going from Navy to Oakton. This is an example of how they modified options based on rational input.

I and others posted here that if you follow the process, you will be heard. Not many people heard this.



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 01/09/2008 01:06PM by South Lakes Pyramid parent.

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Re: high school redistricting
Posted by: SLVerity ()
Date: January 09, 2008 01:04PM

Booya, you don't have to worry about the strident folks on this and other threads. They will do anything, and I mean anything, to avoid South Lakes; however, there are many families who will be willing to come, and we should do all we can to make them feel welcome. Do you really want to alienate them, and at what cost to your community?

As was said before, in the words of Thumper, "If you don't have anything nice to say, please don't say anything at all."



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/09/2008 01:59PM by SLVerity.

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Re: high school redistricting
Posted by: Floris ()
Date: January 09, 2008 01:12PM

"South Lakes challenges are that it does not have enough high school students in its current boundaries, and that it has a much higher percentage of students on FRL than its near neighbors. Increasing those boundaries, by adding the closest neighborhoods with lower percentages of FRL is exactly the way to address those challenges.

What kind of analysis has done as WHY the school is under enrolled, while there is substantial population growth in and around SLH? Please don't dodge the question -- if SLH is another Oakton or Westfield, there probably won't be an under-enrollment. So to fix the problem, one needs to find the route cause. and the solution should address the root cause, not the symptom on the surface. Otherwise, how can we get the confidence any solution will help?

For the FRL, do you think a less than 10% drop on the percentage, while the actual numbers increases (the RD'd student must have some, albeit low, FRL/ESOL students), will really help these kids? If not, why bother? If so, is that at the expense of the RD'd children?

Options: ReplyQuote
Re: high school redistricting
Posted by: truthbetold ()
Date: January 09, 2008 01:15PM

SLP parent: I second your post. I was just reviewing the emails and posts used by the boundary group (that "Neen" apparently also has seen and chose to twist) and it was quite a robust discussion of various options and numbers and rationales, wasn't it? It took a lot of time and consideration to come up with a modified Option 3. And isn't it funny that Franklin Farm was the first to come out with all the elements of "Option 5" in its talking points, which the SL boundary group found inspirational. A conspiracy of associations, perhaps.

The process was as transparent as I've seen any government process. Almost all other communities chose the head-in-the-sand-NIMBY approach. Chose NOT to be productive, as a result. Franklin Farm, btw, started serious work on their approach in April 2007.

Options: ReplyQuote
Re: high school redistricting
Posted by: SLVerity ()
Date: January 09, 2008 01:18PM

Dear Floris Parent, why do you think Floris is relatively powerless? You had every right to engage in the boundary process and had equal status with each and every citizen involved in the boundary study. In fact, the Floris community, when presented with the Options 1-4, one of which involved moving Floris, could have mobilized and come up with alternatives that would have made the best sense from your perspective for your community. That is what the South Lakes community did. We did not whine and cry, we did something to make the process work.

None of us are victims in this country. We are all afforded the right to participate in the process. That is what makes this the best country in the world, and that is why I am so proud to be one of its citizens. My grandparents came here from a war-torn country where they witnessed their family members being murdered. When they arrived, my grandmother was pregnant with their first child and they had their blind mother in tow. They also had $45 in their pocket. My grandfather had limited English skills, and my grandmother and great-grandmother had none. They chose America because that is where they foresaw that they could be a part of the process and work hard to make something of themselves. My grandfather made sure to learn the history and government of this country, and he learned that he could make a difference by becoming involved. He spent every day of his life doing so.

Please do not revert to victim status. It does not work in this Country. Victims do not get ahead, but fall behind. Doers get ahead. I feel certain that if your children come to South Lakes, they and you will be doers, and that you will demand that opportunities that you want will be provided for your children. I have a hunch that you and your children will succeed. I wish you all the best and sincerely hope that you will give South Lakes a good look before uprooting your family.

Options: ReplyQuote
Re: high school redistricting
Date: January 09, 2008 01:20PM

Floris,
A big reason that Reston is underenrolled is that new development is mostly of the condo, urban kind. This does not attract families. Existing neighborhoods have a lot of older folks whose kids are grown. Our neighborhood has turned over, and most people send their kids to South Lakes. Many people have posted here about past redistrictings or assignments of new neighborhoods to other schools. This is the reason for the underenrollment.

Option 5 has the fewest FRL kids of all the options. We believe that FRL/ESOL students should be a smaller percentage of the population in any school, so that their needs don't overshadow the needs of the other kids in terms of teacher's time etc. Not sure why this isn't obvious.

Options: ReplyQuote
Re: high school redistricting
Posted by: Forum Reader ()
Date: January 09, 2008 01:23PM

Restonian Wrote:
> South Lakes challenges are that it does not have
> enough high school students in its current
> boundaries, and that it has a much higher
> percentage of students on FRL than its near
> neighbors. Increasing those boundaries, by adding
> the closest neighborhoods with lower percentages
> of FRL is exactly the way to address those
> challenges.
>
> Is your question, why more students? Is your,
> question, why Fox Mill? Or is it, why Fox Mill
> and Floris i/o Fox Mill and McNair or Fox Mill and
> Aldrin?

Please tell us.

Tell us why, based on this whole effort, South Lakes appears to be having far more problems than Stuart, which is also IB and which has about the same number of students and which is considerably more "diverse."

Tell us "why Fox Mill?" We keep hearing how proud South Lakes is of its diversity, so why would you want to dilute that diversity?

Tell us "why more students?" Other schools do just fine with even fewer students. According to that information given at that first meeting, fewer students means:
- Less competition for limited positions in extra-curricula clubs and activities.
– More opportunities for students to assume leadership positions, participate in school plays, and participate and publish in yearbook,
newspaper or literary magazine.
- Less competition for the limited number of openings on the
dance team and cheerleading squads.
- And the odds of making the team are significantly higher.

Tell us that 2,000 is the ideal school size, and that frequent redistricting of Floris children is just fine, and that you are looking forward to being redistricted again next year so that all FCPS high schools can have a student body of 1,700 to 2,300 five years from now.

And tell us why you are concerned that South Lakes doesn't have the same Master Course Schedule as nearby schools, yet you won't even consider getting rid of IB, which drives the Master Schedule - and that the new parents being moved will have no say in changing the curriculum at "their" new school.

Options: ReplyQuote
Re: high school redistricting
Posted by: Rational ()
Date: January 09, 2008 01:25PM

Will expanding the boundary of SL really increase it's student population. Or is this a chicken-or-egg-first kind of question. if it's underenrollment is from parents avoiding it, then they'll continue to avoid no matter if the SB can force ever larger geographicla areas into the school, and the students wont show up. Just the ones mostly that cant like the FRM students that cant get away because they need the housing, Experimenting on kids could work out great but who wants to find out it doesn't? its only worth goint to SL if you arent' that happy with the current school.

Options: ReplyQuote
Re: high school redistricting
Date: January 09, 2008 01:26PM

Also, I agree with SLV.

I don't mean to sound heartless when describing the process we went through. I know that people don't want to change, and I sympathize with that. But most of us think that people may even be pleasantly surprised when they get to SL. Give us a chance.

Options: ReplyQuote
Re: high school redistricting
Posted by: FME ()
Date: January 09, 2008 01:31PM

No thanks.

Options: ReplyQuote
Re: high school redistricting
Posted by: Another Fox Mill Dad ()
Date: January 09, 2008 01:32PM

South Lakes Pyramid parent Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Floris Parents,
> I was involved in early planning of Option 5,
> which was started after the four other options
> came out. No conspiracy. None of these four
> options were optimal in terms of the criteria set
> forth by the boundary study. As with any complex
> problem with competing goals, no option will be
> perfect. However,we believed, and still do, that
> Option 5 balances all of the criteria the best, in
> terms of dominoing, SE numbers, distance, and also
> neighboring communities can preserve more
> friendships than other options. This is why it is
> the recommended option. From the SB's point of
> view, any option is going to have people saying
> "not us", so rational, measurable criteria has to
> be the guiding factor.


I new the day I bought my house in Fox Mill that this day would probably come and don't really have that much of a problem with it due largely to the fact that much of this mess will have blown over by the time my kids get there.

The issue that was raised but never addressed is the one that will dog the SB for years. That being that the boudary study was too small in scope, shortsighted and politically motivated. Everyone points to Langley since it's an obvious target but the other obvious question is why not bring in the entire Madison district instead of just the island which, while affluent, is too small to prevent being redistricted. Everyone can see that Madison is currently at capacity and will soon be over it yet the Flint Hill ES and the northern Oakton ES districts which are much closer to SL than Fox Mill or Floris remain untouchable. Why?

Options: ReplyQuote
Re: high school redistricting
Posted by: Floris ()
Date: January 09, 2008 01:40PM

Please explain why McNair, which consists of mostly condos, town homes, and subsidized living units, doesn't have under-enrollment. If you choose not to face the issue, I can't say anything else. But if you have an open mind, please see your self. Maybe we can start a list on what can really address SLH's issues.

"Floris,
A big reason that Reston is underenrolled is that new development is mostly of the condo, urban kind. This does not attract families. Existing neighborhoods have a lot of older folks whose kids are grown. Our neighborhood has turned over, and most people send their kids to South Lakes. Many people have posted here about past redistrictings or assignments of new neighborhoods to other schools. This is the reason for the underenrollment. "


Most of people NOT impacted by Options #5 support it, because they are not impacted. There are less people impacted, should not be the reason for RD. How do think that majority of people in the boundary study voted for NO-RD? I wonader where the county's listening ear is?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/09/2008 01:43PM by Floris.

Options: ReplyQuote
Re: high school redistricting
Date: January 09, 2008 01:47PM

Not all condos are created equal. New development RTC condos are very expensive, with very little affordable housing. I don't know the numbers, but these units produce very very few kids of high school age. This information has been posted on this thread in the past, you are free to look it up.

In contrast, McNair (an elementary school) has a lot of lower income rentals and clusters of affordable housing, which may explain their Title One status, but also why there might be a lot of young families, who may move by the time their kids get to high school.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/09/2008 01:49PM by South Lakes Pyramid parent.

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Re: high school redistricting
Posted by: Rational ()
Date: January 09, 2008 01:48PM

People dont want that school and for whatever reason or it would be the fucking bargain of the centrury and that school would be jammed full. prediction - in 4 years they still wont have anybody going there. damn it will be some good cheap houses there

Options: ReplyQuote
Re: high school redistricting
Posted by: SLVerity ()
Date: January 09, 2008 01:50PM

Forum Reader Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Please tell us.
>
> Tell us why, based on this whole effort, South
> Lakes appears to be having far more problems than
> Stuart, which is also IB and which has about the
> same number of students and which is considerably
> more "diverse."


Are SAT scores a measure of success at a school? If we are doing so much worse than Stuart, why did our 2007 SAT scores exceed theirs, based on the fcps file I posted two days ago (SL 1596, Stuart 1534)? Have you looked at the backgrounds of the 'diverse' families at Stuart and compared them to backgrounds of the 'diverse' students at South Lakes? I think you might find that SL has a larger percentage of students who are the unfortunate products of our welfare state. There is a difference in the way their parents view the value of education and the way immigrant families view the value of a good education.
>
> Tell us "why Fox Mill?" We keep hearing how proud
> South Lakes is of its diversity, so why would you
> want to dilute that diversity?

Fox Mill is very diverse. Floris is relatively diverse as well. I'm surprised that you have made a statement without checking out the facts.
>
>
And tell us why you are concerned that South Lakes
> doesn't have the same Master Course Schedule as
> nearby schools, yet you won't even consider
> getting rid of IB, which drives the Master
> Schedule - and that the new parents being moved
> will have no say in changing the curriculum at
> "their" new school.

Have we said that new parents will have no say. Please quote your sources.

I have a few questions for you:

1. Why are you so interested in a boundary study that does not involve your base community (just an educated guess on my part, backed up with some valid information that I will not post to protect you)?
2. Why do you seem to have animus toward South Lakes (my opinion, based on the tone of your posts to me and other SL supporters)?

3. With regards to my prior questions regarding your direct and/or current familiarity with the IB Programme, how can your response possibly reveal anything about you and your family that would be harmful to you? I have stated here many times that my children have participated in IB, but I don't think that is putting my family at risk.



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 01/09/2008 02:27PM by SLVerity.

Options: ReplyQuote
Re: high school redistricting
Posted by: Neen, Sweet, Neen ()
Date: January 09, 2008 01:58PM

Redistricted? Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Neen's Conscience Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Neen Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > ----->
> > > You need to ask the South Lakes PTSA officers.
>
> > I
> > > am sure there are some here who could verify
> > that
> > > Bruce Butler has told them that next year
> South
> > > Lakes will offer Human Geography.
> >
> > Neen, don't be coy. Why don't you tell the
> folks
> > here how you really know the above information.
> > Why don't tell them how you infiltrated a
> private
> > yahoo group so that you could spy on the South
> > Lakes Boundary Group's strategies. Why don't
> you
> > tell them that you are demonstrating the true
> > breadth and depth of your character with such
> > actions. Why don't you explain to them how
> doing
> > so demonstrates what an upstanding and
> trustworthy
> > and honest citizen you are. Why don't you tell
> > them that you would endorse Hillary Clinton's
> > campaign doing so to gain information on Mitt
> > Romney or John McCain or Mike Huckabee or Rudy
> > Guiliani.
> >
> > I'll give you this. You are truly Nixonian.
> > We'll call this SouthLakesgate.
>
>
> If that is true, it is truly low. Especially when
> she made such a big deal about the South Lakes
> people not respecting her boundaries. She should
> be censured for this, if borne out. Shame.



I am glad someone has the balls to infiltrate the SLPTSA secret society. You go Neen.

Options: ReplyQuote
Re: high school redistricting
Posted by: Floris ()
Date: January 09, 2008 02:04PM

Well, I did a queick search at homedatabase.com to get an idea how expensive RTC's condos are. For sale today, in entire 20171 for anything below 300k, there are 15 units on market, for Reston (20190) 45 units.
So there are enough affordable housing in RTC area. Why people with kids don't show up there but in McNair or any other neighbouring area IS something people wants to help SLH need to investigate.

For 'aging out' communities, can someone tell me why Fox Mill is not 'aging out' except the houses themselves there -- There are things cannot be solved by a forced RD.

South Lakes Pyramid parent Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Not all condos are created equal. New development
> RTC condos are very expensive, with very little
> affordable housing. I don't know the numbers, but
> these units produce very very few kids of high
> school age. This information has been posted on
> this thread in the past, you are free to look it
> up.
>
> In contrast, McNair (an elementary school) has a
> lot of lower income rentals and clusters of
> affordable housing, which may explain their Title
> One status, but also why there might be a lot of
> young families, who may move by the time their
> kids get to high school.

Options: ReplyQuote
Re: high school redistricting
Posted by: anotherobserver ()
Date: January 09, 2008 02:11PM

All I am going to say is What a #$#$# jerk YOU are! I can only hope you are not coming from a very disfunctional family....and by the way, I am a psycologist. Shame on you to pile up on the (perceived) disfortune of others.

Observation Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I must say, I feel very, very, very sorry for the
> poor children in Floris who cannot make new
> friends. What on Earth will happen to them when
> they go to college? How did they ever survive
> going to middle school having only known their
> elementary school friends? If they should stay at
> Westfield, how are they ever going to function
> there with nearly 2,000 people they have never met
> before? In classes where they might not know
> ANYONE. Wow. I am floored by this. Those parents
> in Floris must have only one model of family --
> the one where each and every one of them went to
> only three schools from K-12 -- elementary,
> middle/junior, and high, and never moved from
> their small towns. And I guess if they did go to
> more, they were highly traumatized by that awful
> experience and are sheltering their poor, fragile,
> fearful kids from such a fate. I hope their health
> plans cover psychiatric help.

Options: ReplyQuote
Re: high school redistricting
Posted by: SLVerity ()
Date: January 09, 2008 02:13PM

20190 has some of the oldest and most outdated condos in Reston in its boundaries. It also has small one and two-bedroom condos intended for singles and newleyweds. McNair condos are new. Families choose condos in the McNair area because there is an elementary school at the heart of the condo developments within walking distance. If you were a family would you want a tiny 2 bedroom condo in the heart of the Urban RTC development with high-traffic or a community with playgrounds and an elementary school right there and relatively little traffic? This has been gone over many times in the past. If you would please go back and read the earlier posts you would have a better understanding of the issues. I realize that you were not posting earlier, but it does become tiring to rehash these issues that have already been discussed.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 01/09/2008 02:20PM by SLVerity.

Options: ReplyQuote
Re: high school redistricting
Posted by: Observation ()
Date: January 09, 2008 02:20PM

Thanks for re-posting my facetious missive. Spread the word that parents who hover around their kids, clip their wings, give them no credit for their resilience and joie de vivre, or inculcate them with their own fears can end up creating dysfunctional families.

Options: ReplyQuote
Re: high school redistricting
Posted by: SLVerity ()
Date: January 09, 2008 02:25PM

anotherobserver:

I don't really agree with piling on those who are potentially being moved, but I must ask, where is your concern for the students of South Lakes who have read every imaginable slight written against them, their parents, and their school on the 150 pages of this thread? When you express some concern for them I will accept that you are being sincere.

Options: ReplyQuote
Re: high school redistricting
Posted by: JDUM4 ()
Date: January 09, 2008 02:26PM

Restonian Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Floris Parent Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Restonian,
> >
> > I do not agree with you. When we were sent from
> > Oakton to Westfield, it took several years to
> > integrate into that school, because Floris was
> a
> > very small % of the student body, I do believe
> > that there are Floris children that do share
> some
> > activities with children in Reston, but most
> are
> > more aligned with Chantilly or Herndon
> > communities.
>
> I believe this is part of the reason that the
> recommendation was made to bring over students
> from Floris with students from Fox Mill, instead
> of mixing students from Fox Mill with some
> students from Aldrin.


This is really a farce of an argument.


>
> For the most part,this is not the case
> > with the South Lakes, Herndon, Langley,
> Madison,
> > Chantilly etc.
>
> My kids lose elementary school friends to several
> middle schools, more than half of their classmates
> do not go on to LHMS. Then there is a split again
> from middle to High School. It has seemed much
> harder in anticipation than reality.
>


The fix is to send Aldrin/Armstrong to SL. All Reston buddies can continue to be schooled with Reston buddies--instead of feeding non Reston communities a bunch of hogwash.


>
> > I very much understand why Reston parents are
> > pushing for this change, and since your
> children
> > are not being relocated, it is very easy for
> you
> > to say "stop your whining" etc. I am sure you
> and
> > other parents in Reston can understand how
> > different your attitude would be, if you were
> > told that your children were going to be moved
> > into another school outside of your community.
>
>
> I've tried not to take a "stop your whining"
> attitude here and IRL. I understand why and how
> redistricting is hard to go through, especially
> for families with older children already in high
> schools. I'm only trying to defend SLHS from
> false perceptions.

I think it has deviated to coming up with dense arguments about how Floris and Foxmill are a part of the Reston community.

>
> I think there are definately short term negatives
> to redistricting, but I think that the positive
> long term effects warrant those difficult changes.

Options: ReplyQuote
Re: high school redistricting
Posted by: Floris ()
Date: January 09, 2008 02:28PM

SLVerity,
The difference b/t McNair and SLH similar neighbourhood IS the high school. People will not make their choice based on the playgrounds. If you just want to hide in the sand, what makes you think dragging more people in, will help?

I think my previous example may be buried: if an underperforming kid blames others and thinks if he gets whatever his neighbour has, he'll be good and satisfied, do you think that is the right solution?

Options: ReplyQuote
Re: high school redistricting
Posted by: Forum reader ()
Date: January 09, 2008 02:29PM

SLVerity Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Forum Reader Wrote:
> > Tell us why, based on this whole effort, South
> > Lakes appears to be having far more problems
> than
> > Stuart, which is also IB and which has about
> the
> > same number of students and which is
> considerably
> > more "diverse."
>
> Are SAT scores a measure of success at a school?

Look at the bigger picture. SOLs look at every pupil, not just college-bound seniors. Going back to your post of January 05, 2008 11:23PM, SLHS is 33% FRM, Stuart is 50%. Here are the SOL pass and pass advanced rates that you posted (SLHS / Stuart)
Reading 91-15 / 90-23
Writing 91-15 / 95-14
Algebra 82-8 / 96-24
Geometry 71-15 / 86-26
Algebra 2 68-12 / 90-23
Biology 71-5 / 78-7
Chemistry 59-7 / 84-6

Stuart has 50% higher percentage of FRM, yet in every exam result that you posted, Stuart students are performing better, often considerably better.

Also note I wrote, "based on this whole effort." Perhaps I was unclear. The effort to which I was referring is that South Lakes is trying to force in additional, unwilling students; Stuart is not.

Options: ReplyQuote
Re: high school redistricting
Posted by: Floris Parent 2 ()
Date: January 09, 2008 02:32PM

Observation Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I must say, I feel very, very, very sorry for the
> poor children in Floris who cannot make new
> friends. What on Earth will happen to them when
> they go to college? How did they ever survive
> going to middle school having only known their
> elementary school friends? If they should stay at
> Westfield, how are they ever going to function
> there with nearly 2,000 people they have never met
> before? In classes where they might not know
> ANYONE. Wow. I am floored by this. Those parents
> in Floris must have only one model of family --
> the one where each and every one of them went to
> only three schools from K-12 -- elementary,
> middle/junior, and high, and never moved from
> their small towns. And I guess if they did go to
> more, they were highly traumatized by that awful
> experience and are sheltering their poor, fragile,
> fearful kids from such a fate. I hope their health
> plans cover psychiatric help.


Those plans do, thank goodness, because it will soon come in handy in more ways than one, so we can avoid SL role models such as yourself.

Options: ReplyQuote
Re: high school redistricting
Posted by: Mike ()
Date: January 09, 2008 02:37PM

SLVerity Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> In fact, the Floris community,
> when presented with the Options 1-4, one of which
> involved moving Floris, could have mobilized and
> come up with alternatives that would have made the
> best sense from your perspective for your
> community.

This means that Floris should have come up with alternatives that better support redistricting someone else. If you do not support the idea that redistricting is necessary why would you advocate redistricting anyone? Would this not make them the ultimate hypocrites?

You also asked why someone would be so interested in this study since it did not impact their base community. Havent you argued all along that we all live in the FCPS district (and not that of a particular school)? Well, my base community (Lees Corner) is not directly impacted either, but I am so appalled by this process that I want to see changes made in how these things are implemented in the future (before I get affected).

Options: ReplyQuote
Re: high school redistricting
Posted by: Forum Reader ()
Date: January 09, 2008 02:38PM

SLVerity Wrote:
> ... Have you looked at the backgrounds of the
> 'diverse' families at Stuart and compared them to
> backgrounds of the 'diverse' students at South
> Lakes? I think you might find that SL has a
> larger percentage of students who are the
> unfortunate products of our welfare state. There
> is a difference in the way their parents view the
> value of education and the way immigrant families
> view the value of a good education.

Let us be very clear here, SLV. Before I respond I want to ensure I understand exactly what are you trying to say.

Options: ReplyQuote
Re: high school redistricting
Posted by: ok ()
Date: January 09, 2008 02:42PM

SLVerity Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

> Fox Mill is very diverse. Floris is relatively
> diverse as well. I'm surprised that you have made
> a statement without checking out the facts.


Fox Mill is less diverse than Sunrise Valley which is really not diverse at all...

Options: ReplyQuote
Re: high school redistricting
Posted by: FoxMillDad ()
Date: January 09, 2008 02:47PM

Are there people posting to this board who have an interest is working together toward a plan that meets everyone's needs and interests?

Options: ReplyQuote
Re: high school redistricting
Posted by: Merrygoaround ()
Date: January 09, 2008 02:57PM

FoxMillDad Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Are there people posting to this board who have an
> interest is working together toward a plan that
> meets everyone's needs and interests?


A Magnet program=more students to SL and no disruptions to communities plucked outside of Reston

Options: ReplyQuote
Re: high school redistricting
Posted by: Observation ()
Date: January 09, 2008 03:07PM

Who says I'm a SLHS "model" or even supporter? Redistricting kids is a fact of life -- they move because families move "up" (from an apartment to a townhome to a SFH to a McMansion, and back), or because of parental job moves, divorces (yikes -- that's a biggie around here), you name it. Kids drop friends, add friends, keep friends, lose friends, all in the course of a year if not a month. They are pretty darn good at doing well anywhere if their parents support them.

Options: ReplyQuote
Re: high school redistricting
Posted by: Forum Reader ()
Date: January 09, 2008 03:09PM

SLVerity Wrote:
> Have we said that new parents will have no say.
> Please quote your sources.

A while ago I asked you to provide your list of citations and you said you have not downloaded them. Once you go back and produce that list then I will start going back and citing the times South Lakes (or alleged South Lakes) parents have written their disinclination to revisit the AP/IB question.
>
> 1. Why are you so interested in a boundary study
> that does not involve your base community (just an
> educated guess on my part, backed up with some
> valid information that I will not post to protect
> you)?

Thank you for your concerns for my privacy. I admire the one poster who a few days named herself. From what has been posted here she has been harassed as a result. None of us wish to subject our families to such harassment.

To answer your question, whether or not I am personally affected, "Ask not for whom the bell tolls. It tolls for thee." Or perhaps a more pertinent quote:
First they came for the Jews and I did not speak out because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for the Communists and I did not speak out because I was not a Communist.
Then they came for the trade unionists and I did not speak out because I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for me and there was no one left to speak out for me.
[Pastor Martin Niemöller]

> 2. Why do you seem to have animus toward South
> Lakes (my opinion, based on the tone of your posts
> to me and other SL supporters)?

I, like many others, challenge the whole need for this particular redistricting effort. Other FCPS high schools of about the same size are not trying to force in unwilling students, nor are other FCPS high schools with extra space.

No animus. I simply challenge so-called facts that are in error. I have also pointed out an error or two on the "other side." Just last night someone questioned where the political science course was listed in the South Lakes catalog and I looked it up and posted it.
>
> 3. With regards to my prior questions regarding
> your direct and/or current familiarity with the IB
> Programme ...

I generally post my sources along with my posts. Readers can decide for themselves how current, pertinent, or reliable my sources are. In the case of the one eight-year old memo that I posted (evaluating the ability of various IB courses to prepare students for AP exams) I asked then and I will again now for a more current FCPS document that addresses the question.

Options: ReplyQuote
Re: high school redistricting
Posted by: Observation ()
Date: January 09, 2008 03:14PM

One other observation: Apart from not wanting to "uproot" their own kids, it appears that some people don't want to send their kids to South Lakes because a group of them scores less well on tests. The same people also are saying that kids who don't score well are good kids (this argument comes up when McNair Title I is raised and the finger is pointed at South Lakes parents for "not wanting" them) or COULD score well (like at Stuart).

So what is the big problem with being at South Lakes? Are the kids there good or bad? And why so? Would your kid be traumatized by being at South Lakes? I'd like to hear anti-redistricting people answer these questions.

Options: ReplyQuote
Re: high school redistricting
Posted by: quantum ()
Date: January 09, 2008 03:27PM

Forum Reader - let's give credit where credit is due - SL Verity is indeed positing that the difference between Stuart and South Lakes is that the Stuart families, while "poor" or disadvantaged, just happen to be in that situation (recent immigration, perhaps) as opposed to certain elements of the Reston population that are caught up in the doomed expectations and intergenerational negative behavior associated with a Section 8/welfare culture. Of course, she doesn't have the direct data to prove it as to Stuart - no fault of her own - no studies obtain on the specific issue, but my strong guess is that her hypothesis is absolutely correct. It squares with what gutsy think tanks such as the City Journal (hated by the academic left that dominates our public schools) have been saying for years. Now, of course, I may be being too presumptive in speaking for SL Verity, but I think that is exactly what she is trying to say. I appreciate the honesty, and apologies if I am being too presumptive.

Of course, this kind of honesty poses a challenge - because it is not going to school with "poor kids" is what right thinking people fear, it is rather, going to school with those imbued with a lousy entitlement based ethic (that also degrades that value of strong males in the home, a recipe for disaster) and all of the detritus that typically comes with that. Again, at the risk of speaking for SL Verity (which I am not really trying to do as I am rather trying to anticipate lines of inquiry), I would think that she would say that notwithstanding this infirmity as it exists in certain cultural segments at SLHS the new administration and principal are strongly committed to discipline and structure at the school, which may wreak havoc on the undisciplined entitlement cultured few and cause their exit or suspension, but will work to the benefit of all given the overall collection of teacher and student talent that is present. Not sure I entirely buy it, but it likely is a pitch with some credibility - too bad there's not a few years more data and proof to look to.

In a perfect world, the SB would have been better positioned to spend megabucks and play Bob the Builder with South Lakes had it had the good sense to initiate the programs with the new principal much earlier than it did. And isn't this the reasoned way to look at the issue? South Lakes supporters really don't accomplish anything by whining that people give their school a bad rap, just as those that do not want to go there demonize or overstate the current safety/cultural factors without realistically looking at the projected daily lives of their kids if they would matriculate there. The real problem is that school mucked around for years with politically correct notions that have been absolute empirical disasters (retaining a minority principal on that sole basis when Rome was burning among them) and that only when it reached the breaking point was anything done. So the school is left pleading that it is on the upswing (likely true) and yet at the same time it doesn't have non-transitory record of positive data to trot out - and the years of lack of diligence and wrong headed ideology don't help. So this leaves us with the question as to which party should aggressively market for new customers in a real and substantive way to overcome this challenge? I think everyone can guess at my answer.

Options: ReplyQuote
Re: high school redistricting
Posted by: SLVerity ()
Date: January 09, 2008 03:32PM

Dear Forum Reader,

You can choose to ignore my comments regarding the relative nature of the FRM populations at each school, but it shows that you are willing to look no further than the numbers. Sometimes there are underlying root causes for the differences. You are very good at analyzing the numbers, but if anything is presented that doesn't mesh with your bias against IB, you ignore it. Fact: It is universally recognized that there are societal and sociological differences between upwardly mobile immigrant families and those trapped by the welfare system. If you don't agree, please state it here for the record.

To be fair with the analysis: let's look at the FRM SOL Pass/Advanced Pass scores at the AP schools in the West County Boundary study to see how they stack up to Stuart, an IB school with 50% FRM, using the same date source that you cited above.


Stuart Herndon Chant. WF Oakton
%FRM (50) (18.7) (10) (11%) (8)
Reading 90-23 / 87-24 / 90-20 / 88-21 / 91-20
Writing 95-14 / 86-13 / 92-10 / 84-13 / 93-5
Algebra 96-24 / 90-14 / 90-15 / 87-10 / 90-15
Geometry 86-26 / 81-19 / 82-20 / 76-16 / 82-20
Algebra2 90-23 / 87-16 / 69-10 / 81-12 / 80-31
Biology 78-7 / 71-4 / 66-6 / 67-13 / 80-17
Chem. 84-6 / 72-9 / 73-8 / 69-3 / 57-9

Stuart outranks each and every AP school in the subject areas of Writing, Algebra, Geometry, and Algebra 2. Oakton outranks Stuart in two areas - Reading by 1 point but with 2 less Adv Pass and Biology by 2 points w/ 10 more adv pass. Oakton had the worst score on Chemistry, the total being lower than SL Chemistry score (59-7) I would venture to say that Stuart is wiping the floor with the other schools. Keeping in mind that they are all AP schools with substantially lower FRM percentages, what does that tell you about the relative merits of AP vs. IB?

It makes one wonder about the integrity of your arguments against South Lakes. It seems that you don't care to explore why other schools in the Boundary study are not performing as well as they could relative to Stuart. Could that be because your mission is to discredit only South Lakes?

Are you not curious to know why Stuart is doing so well relative to those schools with its FRM population. Why are you not demanding that all of the schools be turning to Stuart for direction, instead of only South Lakes.

South Lakes is already doing well by its middle income students. I am certain that it can improve where its disadvantaged students are concerned, because new leadership is not hiding from the problems, as has been stated here many times before.

Options: ReplyQuote
Re: high school redistricting
Posted by: SLVerity ()
Date: January 09, 2008 03:35PM

Forum reader Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
The effort to which I was
> referring is that South Lakes is trying to force
> in additional, unwilling students; Stuart is not.

Did South Lakes initiate the Boundary Study?

Options: ReplyQuote
Re: high school redistricting
Posted by: Forum Reader ()
Date: January 09, 2008 03:44PM

quantum Wrote:
> ... wreak havoc on the undisciplined
> entitlement cultured few and cause their exit or
> suspension, but will work to the benefit of all
> given the overall collection of teacher and
> student talent that is present. ...

Thank you. I appreciate an intelligent and well-written post, even though we all seem to be dancing around a specific and significant issue.

As to exits and suspensions: I think we can all agree that troubled children should not just be kicked out of school. Most parents are aware that "expulsion" generally only means that they are transferred to another FCPS high school. What parents may not realize is that this is a zero sum game. For every troubled student transferred to another school, it can expect to receive a different troubled student in return.

Options: ReplyQuote
Trying Again...
Posted by: FoxMillDad ()
Date: January 09, 2008 03:53PM

Who has an interest in working together toward a plan that meets EVERYONE's needs and interests?

Options: ReplyQuote
Re: high school redistricting
Posted by: Baffled ()
Date: January 09, 2008 03:58PM

SLVerity Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Forum reader Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> The effort to which I was
> > referring is that South Lakes is trying to
> force
> > in additional, unwilling students; Stuart is
> not.
>
> Did South Lakes initiate the Boundary Study?


Obviously someone did complain to the SB about the SL's enrollment issues thus a study was born.

Options: ReplyQuote
Re: high school redistricting
Posted by: Floris Parent ()
Date: January 09, 2008 03:59PM

SLVerity Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Dear Floris Parent, why do you think Floris is
> relatively powerless? You had every right to
> engage in the boundary process and had equal
> status with each and every citizen involved in the
> boundary study. In fact, the Floris community,
> when presented with the Options 1-4, one of which
> involved moving Floris, could have mobilized and
> come up with alternatives that would have made the
> best sense from your perspective for your
> community. That is what the South Lakes community
> did. We did not whine and cry, we did something
> to make the process work.


SLVerity,

I think that if you look at the comments posted on the FCPS web site, you will see that the Floris Community did indeed make our voices heard. After careful review of the 4 choices given, the overwhelming choice (after NO CHANGE and a magnet school for SL) was for Option #3. in deed, as I walked the halls after the meeting at Westfield, it appeared that Option #3 was the choice of many folks outside of the Floris area as well. I have tried to get Stu Gibson's ear, to address our concerns, but for some reason, he is not interested in speaking with the Floris community about our concerns with being moved again.

>
> None of us are victims in this country. We are
> all afforded the right to participate in the
> process. That is what makes this the best country
> in the world, and that is why I am so proud to be
> one of its citizens. My grandparents came here
> from a war-torn country where they witnessed their
> family members being murdered. When they arrived,
> my grandmother was pregnant with their first child
> and they had their blind mother in tow. They also
> had $45 in their pocket. My grandfather had
> limited English skills, and my grandmother and
> great-grandmother had none. They chose America
> because that is where they foresaw that they could
> be a part of the process and work hard to make
> something of themselves. My grandfather made sure
> to learn the history and government of this
> country, and he learned that he could make a
> difference by becoming involved. He spent every
> day of his life doing so.

SLVerity,

While I appreciate you sharing the background on your family, this is not my concern. We all have stories of hardship. Congratulations on making it through though.
>
> Please do not revert to victim status. It does not
> work in this Country. Victims do not get ahead,
> but fall behind. Doers get ahead. I feel certain
> that if your children come to South Lakes, they
> and you will be doers, and that you will demand
> that opportunities that you want will be provided
> for your children. I have a hunch that you and
> your children will succeed. I wish you all the
> best and sincerely hope that you will give South
> Lakes a good look before uprooting your family.

From what I have read on this post, it seems that the South Lakes Parents are most guilty of claiming to be the "Victims".

Not enough children
Not enough resources
Too many poor children
House prices for SH homes too high
Condo's in Reston too low priced/not large enough
Don't want more poor kids
Don't want to main steam our education offerings to mimic more successful schools (AP VS IB)
We love diversity, but we want less diversity (bring us your advantaged kids only)
etc. etc etc.

Please understand that if I had to live in Reston, and I had children in SL, I would feel the same way you do. The difference is, I do not live in Reston, and I selected my neighborhood because I did not want to live in a neighborhood with so many aging and low income houses.

If I lived in Reston, and I was not happy with the High School, I would, like anyone else move to another area that I felt was a better fit for my children. This is what people do, not just with regards, to schools, but with the entire quality of life that that want to have.

You and the Rest of the SL supporters are not wrong in wanting a better school, but please do not say they anyone who is adverse to moving is wrong.

Options: ReplyQuote
Re: Trying Again...
Posted by: Baffled ()
Date: January 09, 2008 04:01PM

FoxMillDad Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Who has an interest in working together toward a
> plan that meets EVERYONE's needs and interests?


That is a good question--how about you? Are you referring to the redistricting issue?

Options: ReplyQuote
Re: high school redistricting
Posted by: illuminato ()
Date: January 09, 2008 04:02PM

what the hell is everyone's problem?

...this is a round-the-clock forum that never sleeps
work out, read a book, spend time with your families
get off ffxug

Options: ReplyQuote
Re: high school redistricting
Posted by: Fox Mill Mom ()
Date: January 09, 2008 04:08PM

There IS no plan that will please everyone, are you nuts? However, the vast majority would be happy with no redistricting, not that the sb cares. Anyway, you'll only be listened to if you're a SL parent, that was made very clear. If not, the sb couldn't care less.

Options: ReplyQuote
Re: Trying Again...
Posted by: FoxMillDad ()
Date: January 09, 2008 04:09PM

Yes.

I am interested in working with people and organizations throughout the County who are interested in solutions developed by the people and for the people that take EVERYONE's needs and interests into consideration.

There is no reason why we should be fighting with one another.

Anyone else interested?

Options: ReplyQuote
Re: high school redistricting
Posted by: Forum Reader ()
Date: January 09, 2008 04:26PM

SLVerity Wrote:
> Dear Forum Reader,
> "You can choose to ignore my comments regarding the
> relative nature of the FRM populations at each
> school, but it shows that you are willing to look
> no further than the numbers."

It shows only that I am sticking to data, not theories or surmises or opinions.

> "If
> anything is presented that doesn't mesh with your
> bias against IB, you ignore it."

I have repeatedly pointed out how well IB works at Stuart. Good for them. I have also repeatedly stated that IB is a great program for maybe seven percent of the population. It appears that it may be appropriate for FCPS to have an IB magnet high school that is ONLY for IB Diploma Candidates, then remove IB from South Lakes and any other school where it does not appear to be a good fit. This solution would also help TJ because gifted students who are not particularly interested in math and science would have a high-level alternative.

Where to put a magnet IB? Others on this thread have listed a couple of possibilities: Close Marshall (or South Lakes) as a neighborhood school and use the building as an all-IB Diploma Candidate School. Just ONE IB coordinator and just ONE IB site license. The money we have already saved should pay for the additional transportation costs.

> "I would
> venture to say that Stuart is wiping the floor
> with the other schools. Keeping in mind that they
> are all AP schools with substantially lower FRM
> percentages, what does that tell you about the
> relative merits of AP vs. IB?"

It indicates Stuart has embraced IB and is making it work with about the same number of (and considerably more diverse) students. If you love IB, I'll stay out of your hair as long as you also make it work for you without forcing in additional unwilling students.

> It makes one wonder about the integrity of your
> arguments against South Lakes. It seems that you
> don't care to explore why other schools in the
> Boundary study are not performing as well as they
> could relative to Stuart. Could that be because
> your mission is to discredit only South Lakes?

What is it you are accusing me of? For one who is so sensitive about her own integrity, who are rather loose in challenging mine. My "mission" is simply to halt the current redistricting effort, the same "mission" that many other posters share. Do you want to continue your personal attacks upon all of us with whom you disagree, or can we get back to discussing issues and possibilities?

> "Why are you not demanding that all of
> the schools be turning to Stuart for direction,
> instead of only South Lakes."

Because the other schools are resolving their own issues without trying to force in additional unwilling students.

Options: ReplyQuote
Re: Trying Again...
Date: January 09, 2008 04:28PM

FoxMillDad Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Who has an interest in working together toward a
> plan that meets EVERYONE's needs and interests?


And what would that entail? Are you thinking Magnet???? This in my opinion does not meet the needs of SL kids.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/09/2008 04:32PM by South Lakes Pyramid parent.

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