I thank Kathy Smith and the rest of the board for voting to move Northbourne to Poplar Tree. You never let us down.

When they do vote?

Voted to NOT delay on today's vote on the boundary study.

Voted to oppose all day K with to go through with tonights boundary study. (for the schools in tonights boundary study)

Still waiting.

Thugs
Liars
Bullies
Mafiaso

Hope they wind up jailbirds too

SB Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Voted to NOT delay on today's vote on the boundary
> study.
>
> Voted to oppose all day K with to go through with
> tonights boundary study. (for the schools in
> tonights boundary study)


How did you find this out? Just curious so I can follow.

SB meeting on channel 21 or go to FCPS.edu There's a link to channel 21 streaming.

This board is so confident that they jammed this study ahead?

VA Run has --- three! --- different program capacity numbers, all hundreds less than building capacity!

"Careful attention was paid" say Liz Bradsher? What a crock.

Don't think staff or board could pass 3rd grade Math SOLs.

Burned again by SB & FCPS.

November is coming and Dale better get ready to move.

21 or fcps.edu Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> SB meeting on channel 21 or go to FCPS.edu There's
> a link to channel 21 streaming.


Thanks. Do you know if there is a way to go back to see now what they talked about? I want to see the opposing vote for FDK that happened a litte bit ago.

There are going to be a lot of pissed off people...

Which option did the school board pick on for the boundary study?

Private school here we come.

A,B,C or D Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Which option did the school board pick on for the
> boundary study?


They chose the staff recommendation. That was the only option that was even being considered once they created it in January.

http://fcps.edu/schlbd/index.htm

It should be on this page eventually under the video archive. They also may repeat it on Channel 21.

I don't think anyone voted for the ADK amendment. I think they are going to bring it up when they "get the money" in the spring.

thanks... I figured

VRES Victory Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> This board is so confident that they jammed this
> study ahead?
>
> VA Run has --- three! --- different program
> capacity numbers, all hundreds less than building
> capacity!
>
> "Careful attention was paid" say Liz Bradsher?
> What a crock.
>
> Don't think staff or board could pass 3rd grade
> Math SOLs.
>
> Burned again by SB & FCPS.
>
> November is coming and Dale better get ready to
> move.

VRES is a big LOSER! Kathy Smith worked a sweetheart deal for her home school, Popular Tree, by removing Dulles Meadows (the trailer park on Rt. 50) to VRES. It doubles the number of ESOL students and triples the number of free-reduced lunch kids at VRES in just one year. It's not like the school will get extra resources for these disadvantaged kids. The rest of the school will suffer. Not to mention a dramatic fall in SOL scores. The school may be lucky to just make AYP next year. I'm thinking of selling and moving to Loudon.

Amazing display of hypocrisy:


"VRES is a big LOSER!"

" it's not like the school will get extra resources for these disadvantaged kids."

Yeah right..as long as its not in my back yard, screw you all

Nothing the SB has done makes sense, from closing Clifton to overcrowding even more schools - and this will all have to revisited soon, as a result. Could go on and on here.

Point is, the next time, it could be your neighborhood. Who wants to take that chance? Predict fewer and fewer people will want to buy homes in ffx co. just not worth it.

Holy Crap Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Amazing display of hypocrisy:
>
>
> "VRES is a big LOSER!"
>
> " it's not like the school will get extra
> resources for these disadvantaged kids."
>
> Yeah right..as long as its not in my back yard,
> screw you all

Oh, come on! This is what the redistricting is all about. To quote the SB, to move kids around to get the "right balance" in the schools. I was just saying that we are not a big winner and did not get any favors. Do you even know the definition of "hypocrisy"? I was not being a hypocrite, I may have been somewhat "elitist," but certainly not a hypocrite. Do your kids belong to the free-reduced lunch crowd? You seem to have trouble with your vocabulary.

And if you ask me, the kids in Dulles Meadows got a raw deal, too. Now they no longer have FDK and then they have to go to Westfield instead of Chantilly.

We are leaving Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Private school here we come.

That's what they want - you leave, capacity frees, they don't have to deal with you and they still get your money.

It is the only win-win they know.

ReallyFedUp Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Oh, come on! This is what the redistricting is
> all about. To quote the SB, to move kids around
> to get the "right balance" in the schools. I was
> just saying that we are not a big winner and did
> not get any favors. Do you even know the
> definition of "hypocrisy"? I was not being a
> hypocrite, I may have been somewhat "elitist," but
> certainly not a hypocrite. Do your kids belong to
> the free-reduced lunch crowd? You seem to have
> trouble with your vocabulary.
>
> And if you ask me, the kids in Dulles Meadows got
> a raw deal, too. Now they no longer have FDK and
> then they have to go to Westfield instead of
> Chantilly.

I don't think the high school assignments were changed, though new split feeders may have been created.

Pretty sure that Dulles meadows already goes to Westfield. I'm not where they go to middle school. This area is not really near any elementary school.

I think the big thing from that area is ESOL. From what I hear, Poplar Tree had a very good program going for these kids.

ReallyFedUp Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Holy Crap Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Amazing display of hypocrisy:
> >
> >
> > "VRES is a big LOSER!"
> >
> > " it's not like the school will get extra
> > resources for these disadvantaged kids."
> >
> > Yeah right..as long as its not in my back yard,
> > screw you all
>
> Oh, come on! This is what the redistricting is
> all about. To quote the SB, to move kids around
> to get the "right balance" in the schools. I was
> just saying that we are not a big winner and did
> not get any favors. Do you even know the
> definition of "hypocrisy"? I was not being a
> hypocrite, I may have been somewhat "elitist," but
> certainly not a hypocrite. Do your kids belong to
> the free-reduced lunch crowd? You seem to have
> trouble with your vocabulary.
>
> And if you ask me, the kids in Dulles Meadows got
> a raw deal, too. Now they no longer have FDK and
> then they have to go to Westfield instead of
> Chantilly.


Reallyfedup,

don't defend yourself against that asshole. He/she obviously doesn't understand the word hypocrite and their post made no sense. Holy Crap is probably just a homeless Mexican pounding keys at the library computer while he's waiting for his next porn site screen to come up. Ignore trolls like this. They are the dregs of the county.

big picture Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Nothing the SB has done makes sense, from closing
> Clifton to overcrowding even more schools - and
> this will all have to revisited soon, as a result.
> Could go on and on here.
>
> Point is, the next time, it could be your
> neighborhood. Who wants to take that chance?
> Predict fewer and fewer people will want to buy
> homes in ffx co. just not worth it.

With around 1.1 million people already in Fairfax, the thought of discouraging a few people from buying homes here somehow does not send me into a tailspin.
And, when push comes to shove, few folks won't move to Loudoun - an even further commute from jobs - based on this decision. They redistrict there at least as often as in Fairfax.

But, seriously, let's get rid of Bradsher, Strauss, Smith, etc. this fall.

Yeah I agree--the "old" school board members need to be replaced with "new" school members, new ones who must understand that scratching each other's backs, backroom deals and all that jazz will not be tolerated among most constituents around here. Integrity and transparency are very important for SBs to carry out especially if redistricting schools is so common in Fairfax County.

We need some more Patty Reeds and Tina Hones who ask questions and challenge the staff. We need members who actually read the budget and ask the citizens to read it and question it, as well.

I, for one, would like to know why it costs $27,000 to install a flagpole at Herndon --not including the flagpole itself. Perhaps it also includes a courtyard and a park, but that seems a little excessive to me.

Someone also needs to analyze and look at some of the contracts--it appears that some years we spend a lot on certain types of equipment--chillers, for example.

I still wonder about the contracts for the modulars and trailers. Why do we keep moving these things around? I kind of wonder if that is what this redistricting was all about. If not, why not just leave Clifton open and move the kids from overcrowded schools as minimally as possible? Or, is it just to justify Tisdadt's 80 plus member construction department?

My kids are being moved to Oak View from Clifton. The bus ride is going to be 40 minutes each way. Absurd!

I do not trust the SB and I have lost faith with the FCPS and the zero tolerence policy.


Private schools are the only option we have left. I know many of my friends feel the same way.

http://www.fcps.edu/schlbd/videostream/index.htm


check out the proposed scope of the boundary study at fcps and the final result.

I had missed this: staff had designated the following schools for possible additions:Bonnie Brae, Cub Run, Fairfax Villa, Fairview, Greenbrier East, and Union Mill. This was BEFORE any meeting was held with public.

Final Results: Additions at Centreville, Greenbrier East, Fairfax Villa, Fairview and Union Mill.

no addition at Bonnie Brae or Cub Run--but Centreville could be substitued for Cub Run--so Bonnie Brae is only school left out of construction.

They could never have justified this without closing Clifton--they could have sent kids to Clifton if it was going to be "underenrolled"--which I doubt--and they knew better, too.

Kathy's motivation: look at why Poplar Tree was included in the study--as part of a domino. She could never have thrown out the trailer park without the "domino effect."


THEY HAD TO CLOSE CLIFTON TO JUSTIFY THIS! I don't care what they say, they could have renovated Clifton for MUCH less than this. The space was there to help the overcrowded schools with minimal construction.

The only place they would have needed to domino was just a little in Centreville area. They would have had to shift West a little--but nothing like what they are doing now. They possibly could have moved a program out of some school and avoided any domino. Did they ever consider that? Moving an AAP program to another school? That's why GBW is overcrowded.

P.S. Kathy, why don't you give PT's AdK to Virginia Run?

budget reader Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> We need some more Patty Reeds and Tina Hones who
> ask questions and challenge the staff. We need
> members who actually read the budget and ask the
> citizens to read it and question it, as well.
>
> I, for one, would like to know why it costs
> $27,000 to install a flagpole at Herndon --not
> including the flagpole itself. Perhaps it also
> includes a courtyard and a park, but that seems a
> little excessive to me.
>
> Someone also needs to analyze and look at some of
> the contracts--it appears that some years we spend
> a lot on certain types of equipment--chillers, for
> example.
>
> I still wonder about the contracts for the
> modulars and trailers. Why do we keep moving
> these things around? I kind of wonder if that is
> what this redistricting was all about. If not,
> why not just leave Clifton open and move the kids
> from overcrowded schools as minimally as possible?
> Or, is it just to justify Tisdadt's 80 plus
> member construction department?


Elizabeth SCHULTZ is running for Springfield School Board Representative. I am definitely going to vote for her because she has already proven herself to be someone like Patty Reed and Tina Hone who are not afraid to ask questions. We are going to need someone like Schultz on the Board because if you think they are done here, you are crazy. The next step is going to be redistricting middle and high schools. We need someone on the School Board who will represent the Southwestern Region and it is not Liz Bradsher!

Couldn't agree more. Maybe the upcoming lawsuit and court appearances will help get rid of them sooner. one can only hope.

I'd rather move closer in, and get less house. I think Arlington, FFX city, and Falls Church are better managed, and they're smaller - so they can't hide poor performance by just shifting things around. If I were looking to move to the DC area, the SB and FFX co's actions on all this would definitely make me think twice. no place is perfect, but this is absurd. if they get away with this, how much worse will it possibly get? (shudder)

Counterpoint Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> big picture Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Nothing the SB has done makes sense, from
> closing
> > Clifton to overcrowding even more schools - and
> > this will all have to revisited soon, as a
> result.
> > Could go on and on here.
> >
> > Point is, the next time, it could be your
> > neighborhood. Who wants to take that chance?
> > Predict fewer and fewer people will want to buy
> > homes in ffx co. just not worth it.
>
> With around 1.1 million people already in Fairfax,
> the thought of discouraging a few people from
> buying homes here somehow does not send me into a
> tailspin.
> And, when push comes to shove, few folks won't
> move to Loudoun - an even further commute from
> jobs - based on this decision. They redistrict
> there at least as often as in Fairfax.
>
> But, seriously, let's get rid of Bradsher,
> Strauss, Smith, etc. this fall.

agree Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Couldn't agree more. Maybe the upcoming lawsuit
> and court appearances will help get rid of them
> sooner. one can only hope.
>
> I'd rather move closer in, and get less house. I
> think Arlington, FFX city, and Falls Church are
> better managed, and they're smaller - so they
> can't hide poor performance by just shifting
> things around. If I were looking to move to the DC
> area, the SB and FFX co's actions on all this
> would definitely make me think twice. no place is
> perfect, but this is absurd. if they get away with
> this, how much worse will it possibly get?
> (shudder)
>

The alternative is staying put and getting rid of the current School Board members who run for re-election (some, like Stu Gibson, see the writing on the wall and won't run again).

Arlington just had a principal at one of its middle schools resign and accuse the superintendent of being an overbearing, harassing control freak. Falls Church City is expensive, and their schools are now overcrowded. Students who live in the City of Fairfax attend FCPS. People in Loudoun often have horrendous commutes.

No place is perfect. This place would be better with a decent School Board.

FCCS are great! Yes, Falls Church is costly to move to but it like having a private school system for your kids. I went to GM and it was great. The city is wonderful and it has a small town feel to it.

I do not think the schools are crowded. They're also ranked as one of the best high schools in the US. Something to look into.

Falls Church City schools Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> FCCS are great! Yes, Falls Church is costly to
> move to but it like having a private school system
> for your kids. I went to GM and it was great. The
> city is wonderful and it has a small town feel to
> it.
>
> I do not think the schools are crowded. They're
> also ranked as one of the best high schools in the
> US. Something to look into.

There were reports that FCC elementary schools were overcrowded this fall. FCC underestimated the percentage of people who would move into new condo buildings with elementary school age kids.

Most of the FCC schools are in Fairfax County, not the City of Falls Church. As a result, FCC can't build additions without getting the county's permission, which complicates matters.

FCCS= Falls Church City Schools

FCCS Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> FCCS= Falls Church City Schools

Right. FCCS has four schools. Only one of them is actually in the City of Falls Church. The other three are located in Fairfax County.

http://centreville.patch.com/articles/school-board-votes-to-accept-boundary-changes

Anyway, I think my earlier comments have once again proved true.

Posted by: newgatedenizen ()
Date: October 25, 2010 11:03PM

Welcome to Fairfax County. If there is anything I have learned in my 20+ years here it is that whether it is the Planning Commission, Board of Supervisors or School Board, these kinds decisions are made in advance behind the scenes. Public hearings and community input sessions are merely window dressing to provide the appearance of openness and community involvement.

All the schools are thought of as FCCS even though only one is in the city. Go figure.

It was not even 10 hours and the PTAs started emails. Who is leaving who is staying. All for best intrest of PTA and school. The wind is gone and time to move to new school. Get over it.

stopit Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> It was not even 10 hours and the PTAs started
> emails. Who is leaving who is staying. All for
> best intrest of PTA and school. The wind is gone
> and time to move to new school. Get over it.


You must be a liberal. Encouraging everyone to quit and give up. Sorry comrade, real Americans stand and fight injustice and tyranny. Thank gosh there weren't too many punks like you around in 1776 or we'd still be speaking with a British accent and bowing to that homely queen.

Not liberal! Asking PTA board to stop fighting battle we dont want fought. Yall lose focus on the kids. I cannt wait to vote for Kathy Smith. She should run for board of supervisors or virginia seat.

stopit Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Not liberal! Asking PTA board to stop fighting battle we dont want fought. Yall lose focus on the kids. I cannt wait to vote for Kathy Smith. She should run for board of supervisors or virginia seat.<

That'll make 7 votes: she gets. Herself, her husband, Chuck and Barbara Caputo, Ted and Mrs. Velkoff.

Can't find too many more.

A Democrat running in a strongly Republican district, like Sully, can't afford to tick too many folks off.

Kathy's been pissing off lots of folks in Sully for a while.

Remember her tear-filled transfer of kids who lived across Route 50 from Chantilly High to the long bus ride to Oakton. Bet those folks will be voting Republican in November.

So who you Republicans got in Sully for School Board. So long as its not some evolution denying, abstinence only, Daughter of Confederate Veteran, mouth breathing, fire and brimstone fundamentalist, you got a shot.

stopit Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Not liberal! Asking PTA board to stop fighting
> battle we dont want fought. Yall lose focus on
> the kids. I cannt wait to vote for Kathy Smith.
> She should run for board of supervisors or
> virginia seat.


Who's "we"? Most of the PTA's effected opposed this realignment. Why is this all being rushed through in a few months? Why does this have to happen this coming year? Is it because they know that they won't have the votes next year after the election to ram this through. The question is why are they tearing SW FFX apart with this plan where they had so many bait and switch maneuvers to get something almost no one wants. Too many unanswered questions. Slow it down. Wait until after this fall's election so the people get the real voice in this.

Expect your property taxes to go up. If these people can show such an arrogant indifference to the numbers related to a boundary study than we aren't going to suddenly get better performance from them on the school budget. Being that they literally drive the county budget since they get 54% of it, those Board Members are going to f up your property taxes. When your bill goes up, just remember to associate it to the correct names -- Liz Bradsher, Kathy Smith. They will be responsible for your increased property taxes.

Anybody who watched the School Board meeting on the boundary vote already saw Kathy Smith try and sidestep the budget process by trying to push for FDK for some of HER schools. They'll try and blame the County Supervisors for the increase in property taxes but the County Supervisors are just pass-through of the funds which is why it is called a "transfer".

Liz is done, you stand corrected. It was PTA boards not all the members. Good ole self interests. Not "WE". "WE" got 10 hours from our board to respond to survey in Greenbriar. They had it over a week before because it was even posted here. It was not a few months, it was 2 years. Get yur facts straight. What yall should be upset about is how FDK played out in the final minutes.

It starts today. Kathy for Virginia. We can start her campaign today.

StartsToday Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> It starts today. Kathy for Virginia. We can start her campaign today.<

So long as it is for the Lee County School Board she can be headed for any part of Virginia you like.

Just get her phony, pretentious, narcissistic, ignorant butt out of Fairfax politics. And do it fast.

stopit Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Liz is done, you stand corrected. It was PTA
> boards not all the members. Good ole self
> interests. Not "WE". "WE" got 10 hours from our
> board to respond to survey in Greenbriar. They
> had it over a week before because it was even
> posted here. It was not a few months, it was 2
> years. Get yur facts straight. What yall should
> be upset about is how FDK played out in the final
> minutes.


Wow, you seem so sure of your opinions. Actually, the PTA's were more inclined to vote with the SB than the parents. In my school, we had to browbeat the PTA president to vote against this. She's a Kathy Smith acolyte. I'm sure she'll be replaced next year.

I know how long the study was for, but the vote was this week, not two years ago. So why rush now to implement this? That was my point.

I don't care about FDK. After you consider lunch, recess and nap time, you're only getting about an hour of extra classroom time. FDK is just baby sitting for the two income families or parents who want to ship their kids off while they go to Starbucks for coffee. It's easier on the teachers and the parents, but harder on the kids.

You didn't understand my post. We are not quitting. On to the courts! Too bad that we're not rolling over for the SB and their apologists. We're just going to fight harder. There are a lot of upset lawyers who live in Clifton. They don't have to hire lawyers to fight this. They are the lawyers who others would hire. You've pissed off the wrong group. While Greenbriar might be full of quitters, Clifton isn't.

StartsToday Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> It starts today. Kathy for Virginia. We can
> start her campaign today.


I would kind of like to see Kathy on the Board again just because I want to see her be treated the way she has treated others. Once her little voting group of friends leave (Stu, Tessie, Liz), she is going to be de-clawed. There is also somebody very good that is going to be running against Strauss. Kathy will become the new Patty Reed, Ilyrong Moon, Tina Hone -- her votes will not count because she will be outnumbered.

Liz is done Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
>On to the courts!<

So you're going to waste $150,000 like the folks in Floris and Fox Mill paid to Stephen David Stone who lost the case at the first substantive hearing. And given the state of the law, rightfully so.

Or are you going to follow the inventive folks at Patton Boggs who used a flanking assault by forcing the disclosure of the embarrassing e-mails from the SCB and her cronies.

Honestly, your energy and money are best used in this November's School Board election. It won't be hard to reverse this decision and the closure of Clifton after 1/1/'12 with a new SB.

Thomas More Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Liz is done Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> >On to the courts!<
>
> So you're going to waste $150,000 like the folks
> in Floris and Fox Mill paid to Stephen David Stone
> who lost the case at the first substantive
> hearing. And given the state of the law,
> rightfully so.
>
> Or are you going to follow the inventive folks at
> Patton Boggs who used a flanking assault by
> forcing the disclosure of the embarrassing e-mails
> from the SCB and her cronies.
>
> Honestly, your energy and money are best used in
> this November's School Board election. It won't
> be hard to reverse this decision and the closure
> of Clifton after 1/1/'12 with a new SB.


Just want the courts to stop it until after the election. I agree that, at that point, the decision will be reversed. But the SB is going to try and start Clifton demolition this summer. They are trying to rush this along to the point that there is no going back. It is worth $50K to get the courts to stay this decision until November.

"It won't be hard to reverse this decision and the closure of Clifton after 1/1/'12 with a new SB."

Great..kids will change boundaries this fall and then 2012 again change schools? Just goes to show the PTA's and Clifton folks don't care a hoot about kids in SW - they are just watching their own self interests.

I knew this all along and rather trust the SB - who actually have done a pretty job aligning the boundaries.

Clifton folks should have gone to court LAST year and tried to reverse this decision in summer of 2010. What were you guys doing then? Did you go to court? What were the results?

Rich folks can throw money around and own the world with no regard to students.

If you want to make a difference give the money to Kathy for Virginia. Holding up in courts will hurt kids. You can use the money to send your kid to private school and not hurt everyone else you didnt think about.

If people really cared about the kids in FCPS they would of helped us to keep Clifton open. Who closes a great school to help with over crowding and places kids in trailers? Not to mention having some kids ride the bus over an hour and a half each day to get to elementary school?

You will be bitching when you see your school busting at the seems. Adding trailers does not help the lunchroom,library,halls,playground and gym space. Watch what you wish for because it might come back to bite you.

Look at all the liberal douches from the poor schools babbling their class warfare communist crap. Yeah, parents care about THEIR kids, especially when it comes to secondary issues like education. You libtard dumbasses think richer parents want a bunch of ESOL kids and latchkey kids from neighborhoods with high crime rates and illegal immigrants coming to their schools? What a bunch of sperm-filled loudmouths.

Fight Clifton Fight! Fight Virginia Run Fight! You've got the money. You've got the can-do attitude. Fight them in court and fund the opponents of these SB commies with their social engineering crap. Bring them down.

Maybe the SB is moving all these kids around so some underperforming schools SOL's will go up. I cannot figure out why some many kids are being moved. The SB will never tell us the truth. Closing a high performing school alone makes you wonder what the SB is up to.

Look at the map 20120 should have been moved 20 years ago. Kathy finally did it right. Get off your highhorse.

Liz is done Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Just want the courts to stop it until after the election.<

Won't happen.

> the SB is going to try and start Clifton demolition this summer.

Where is the RFP for that? Last I heard Senator George Barker was trying to put a charter school into that building.

Poorer schools Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Maybe the SB is moving all these kids around so some underperforming schools SOL's will go up.<

One of the few good things about NCLB is the required disaggregation of SOLs by ethnic and income groups. So moving kids to improve a school's SOL averages doesn't work anymore.

> I cannot figure out why some many kids are being moved.<

Neither can anyone else.

> The SB will never tell us the truth.<

After January 1, '12, they will again

>Closing a high performing school alone makes you wonder what the SB is up to.<

We've been wondering about what these fools are up to for far longer than the Clifton closing.

My vote for SB will not be for people who are on PTA. Dont think that is yur ticket to win.

While I am grateful for the people who put their time in on PTA, I am not sure that it is the only experience which qualifies one for the SB. I don't think it disqualifies one either.

I don't read in Hone's bio that she spent any time on PTA and, even though my politics are conservative, I think she has been the best member for the last four years. I am very impressed with Patty Reed, too. Watching the meeting the other night, it is clear that she asks lots of questions to staff.

I had hopes for Evans, but her vote on Thursday was disappointing. Is she garnishing votes for SLEEP? However, she did vote against closing Clifton initially, didn't she? My fear with her is that she was so passionate about SLEEP that she may be sort of a "single issue" member.

I think the best school board members have common sense. That seems to be lacking on this board. We also don't need the "touchy feely" members that claim to be doing things for the interests of the schools while making decisions that deeply affect many families in a negative way.

I do understand that schools need to go through boundary changes from time to time, but there was enough space in adjacent schools without doing it in this manner--if they had left Clifton open.

I understand the political reasons that caused Liz to close Clifton (I don't excuse it.) I also think I now understand Kathy's reasons. I don't know what Tessie's motivation is. And, will somebody please tell me why STAFF is so interested in moving kids around?

Fairfax citizen Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
>
> I understand the political reasons that caused Liz
> to close Clifton (I don't excuse it.) I also
> think I now understand Kathy's reasons. I don't
> know what Tessie's motivation is. And, will
> somebody please tell me why STAFF is so interested
> in moving kids around?


What is Liz's political reasons? What is in this for Kathy Smith? No one seems to be able to answer why this whole debacle is being ramrodded through.

And the staff is so interested because it means increased budgets. Lot's of activity requires lots more money. The BOS are willing accomplices in believing the SB has no excess money, so every new thing requires new funding. This allows the FCPS system to keep their $100M slush fund so Tisdale can play landlord and do the SB's bidding without scrutiny.

I believe Reed, Hone, and Evans were the only board members who were in favor of FCPS having to initially notify parents if their child might be suspended or expelled. They are the only ones worth keeping.

Most of them don't even do a good job representing their district since all the crap spending takes away from actual instruction.

Kory had a bill in VA that would require notification and FCPS lobbied against it.

Smith obviously wanted Clifton closed so she could easily do her domino. The full day K issue should be based on which schools meet baselines of FRPM etc each year after a big boundary change.

Many are getting property tax increases this year so ALL schools NOT meeting Virginia reduced ratios for K-3 should have FCPS FDK removed.

AAP should move as needed based on geographics. It should be placed after base school boundaries are drawn or scrapped for local level 4.

> Elizabeth SCHULTZ is running for Springfield
> School Board Representative. I am definitely
> going to vote for her because she has already
> proven herself to be someone like Patty Reed and
> Tina Hone who are not afraid to ask questions.
> We are going to need someone like Schultz on the
> Board because if you think they are done here, you
> are crazy. The next step is going to be
> redistricting middle and high schools. We need
> someone on the School Board who will represent the
> Southwestern Region and it is not Liz Bradsher!


Elizabeth Schultz is a nut bag. Listen to her talk about all the schools that "failed" her children - I think she "failed" her child and I don't want her making any policies for my kids. I mean did you see her having her 3 year old scheduled to "speak" at the school board and the she spoke with tears in her eyes after her husband spoke. She used the whole Southwest Boundary thing just like the rest of the whiny Clifton parents to try to get what they wanted. If you ever looked at her "Community Schools" web site you could see that. Clifton was already done and she hijacked it to try to get her pitiful little way. Our School Board is already a mess the last thing we need is some bipolar rich pain in the ass on it.

To: fryingpantofire

This is stating the obvious, but you're obviously a misguided fan of Bradsher. Please clarify for me your statement below. You lost me somewhere.



>She used the whole Southwest Boundary thing just like the rest of the whiny Clifton parents to try to get what they wanted.


HOW exactly did the "whiny Clifton parents" get what they wanted?? I must have missed the part where the SB said they made a mistake when they decided to close CES and they are reversing that decision.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/03/2011 09:51AM by herewegoagain.

I was looking at the boundary study information and it seems one area (on Fairfax Station Road) was able to change the school they were being moved to because of an amendment made to Option E. My children are changing schools. I would have liked to "pick" a different school!!!

Where is option E? No one knows where their child is going till you get a notice in the mail from the FCPS.

The map they have out is a cluster fuck.

I called FCPS and they could not tell me where my kids are next year. Next year is going to suck for everyone.

That is not nice language. Look at the attachment and your street. Not rockect science. You can ask your neighbor with kids and they will know.

Fryingpantofire Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> > Elizabeth SCHULTZ is running for Springfield
> > School Board Representative. I am definitely
> > going to vote for her because she has already
> > proven herself to be someone like Patty Reed
> and
> > Tina Hone who are not afraid to ask questions.
>
> > We are going to need someone like Schultz on
> the
> > Board because if you think they are done here,
> you
> > are crazy. The next step is going to be
> > redistricting middle and high schools. We
> need
> > someone on the School Board who will represent
> the
> > Southwestern Region and it is not Liz Bradsher!
>
>
> Elizabeth Schultz is a nut bag. Listen to her talk
> about all the schools that "failed" her children -
> I think she "failed" her child and I don't want
> her making any policies for my kids. I mean did
> you see her having her 3 year old scheduled to
> "speak" at the school board and the she spoke
> with tears in her eyes after her husband spoke.
> She used the whole Southwest Boundary thing just
> like the rest of the whiny Clifton parents to try
> to get what they wanted. If you ever looked at her
> "Community Schools" web site you could see that.
> Clifton was already done and she hijacked it to
> try to get her pitiful little way. Our School
> Board is already a mess the last thing we need is
> some bipolar rich pain in the ass on it.

I know her. She's and her husband are great parents. Very involved in their kid's lives. Brain is active in scouts for his sons. Liz is always helping out whenever needed in whatever activity they're involved in. You obviously don't know the Schultz's or, for that matter what the heck you're talking about. Rant on Lizbot. Your hero's days are numbered. Liz is going to be long gone in January and this whole think will be reversed. On top of that, with her recent perjury in court, she'll come out of this whole thing much worse the wear and tear. Karma baby.

Private school. I do want my child to kill themselves over a stupid school system.

FCPS suck Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Private school. I do want my child to kill
> themselves over a stupid school system.

Just look at this group of ass holes, then tell me if they are not one big ass hole.

Liz is done Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Fryingpantofire Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > > Elizabeth SCHULTZ is running for Springfield
> > > School Board Representative. I am
> definitely
> > > going to vote for her because she has already
> > > proven herself to be someone like Patty Reed
> > and
> > > Tina Hone who are not afraid to ask questions.
>
> >
> > > We are going to need someone like Schultz on
> > the
> > > Board because if you think they are done
> here,
> > you
> > > are crazy. The next step is going to be
> > > redistricting middle and high schools. We
> > need
> > > someone on the School Board who will
> represent
> > the
> > > Southwestern Region and it is not Liz
> Bradsher!
> >
> >
> > Elizabeth Schultz is a nut bag. Listen to her
> talk
> > about all the schools that "failed" her children
> -
> > I think she "failed" her child and I don't want
> > her making any policies for my kids. I mean did
> > you see her having her 3 year old scheduled to
> > "speak" at the school board and the she spoke
> > with tears in her eyes after her husband spoke.
> > She used the whole Southwest Boundary thing
> just
> > like the rest of the whiny Clifton parents to
> try
> > to get what they wanted. If you ever looked at
> her
> > "Community Schools" web site you could see that.
>
> > Clifton was already done and she hijacked it to
> > try to get her pitiful little way. Our School
> > Board is already a mess the last thing we need
> is
> > some bipolar rich pain in the ass on it.
>
> I know her. She's and her husband are great
> parents. Very involved in their kid's lives.
> Brain is active in scouts for his sons. Liz is
> always helping out whenever needed in whatever
> activity they're involved in. You obviously don't
> know the Schultz's or, for that matter what the
> heck you're talking about. Rant on Lizbot. Your
> hero's days are numbered. Liz is going to be long
> gone in January and this whole think will be
> reversed. On top of that, with her recent perjury
> in court, she'll come out of this whole thing much
> worse the wear and tear. Karma baby.


Elizabeth Schultz would be a great Board Member. She is part of Fairfax Education Coalition, she serves on the SYA Executive Board and has actively raised funds for INOVA Fairfax Hospital for Children. She spoke with tears in her eyes after her husband spoke because it was a small miracle he was even able to get up there and speak having recently had surgery and suffered some complications. It is sad though that people like Fryingpantofire could take something like that and try and turn it into negative.

The School Board should have postponed this boundary study until they could address the lack of Full Day Kindergarten at some of the schools included in the Boundary Study BEFORE voting to shift the kids. This is the SChool Board's fault! Now there are families that are going to be moved from a FDK school to one that is only half day and they are going to have the financial hardship of forking out HUNDREDS of dollars a month to pay for day care they didn't have to pay for before. Big thanks to Kathy Smith and Liz Bradsher for creating this nightmare. You would have to have had your head stuck in the sand to not know that the County wasn't going to have the money for this in this economy. There is no blaming the County for this one.

Just saw this ..

Funding Signposts on Teacher Raises & FDK
Red Apple Mom | March 16, 2011 at 8:40 am | Tags: Board of Supervisors, Cathy Hudgins, FLES, Full Day Kindergarten, Jack Dale, John Foust, Sharon Bulova, Teacher Pay, Tina Hone | Categories: Education, Fairfax County Public Schools, Kindergarten, School Board, Teacher Pay | URL: http://wp.me/p1hbeV-50

Good news and bad news for FDK advocates – the Board of Supervisors (BOS) all want FDK, but it seems they don’t want to pay for it. Based on BOS Chairman Sharon Bulova’s comments at Tuesday’s joint budget meeting with the FCPS School Board, it doesn’t appear that funding from the county for teacher raises will happen either.

Full-Day Kindergarten

There was no mention of Supervisor Gerry Hyland’s proposed amendment to fund Full Day Kindergarten from the Board of Supervisors purported $30 million in surplus funds resulting from unexpected increases in corporate taxes.

Hyland may not have mentioned it because we learned at this meeting that the county does not really have a surplus. They are, according to the county executive, $26 million in the hole. Full Day Kindergarten costs $7.3 million.

Supervisors questioned FCPS officials about how big a priority FDK was for the school system. Dr. Dale told Supervisors he was looking at a three-year implementation for FDK at a cost of $2+ million per year. That didn’t sit well with Supervisors John Foust or Cathy Hudgins.

Joint Meeting - Board of Supervisors, Superintendent Dale & FCPS School Board
“It is a basic service. Folks have been expecting it for long time. It is a matter of equity. You shouldn’t be looking at three years (to implement FDK),” said Foust. He added, “In a $2.2 billion budget you shouldn’t be trying to find 2 million – you have to find it all. Something else might have to give.”

Cathy Hudgins said of FDK, “It’s the foundation of the system and not ‘when we get to it.’”

FCPS repeatedly states that the economic downturn is to blame for not completing the FDK roll-out that began in earnest in 2006. However, in spite of the recession’s onset, the School Board did, in fact, vote to expand the FLES program (foreign language in the elementary schools).

I’m a dual language speaker and support foreign language instruction. But if FDK has always been FCPS’ priority, why were they expanding programs that serve only 10% of the student population rather than implement FDK in more schools? I’m posing the question because several members of the public posed that exact question to FCPS when they voted to expand FLES a few years ago. Everyone seems to be giving FCPS a pass that the recession is solely to blame for not fully implementing FDK. It’s not and that is a fact. They had options.

FDK advocates (and I’m one of them) will have to really turn up the heat on FCPS to make FDK happen this year. Even then, it may still prove to be an internal budget battle on FCPS’s turf. At-Large School Board member Tina Hone told Supervisors, “I will be asking to restore summer school before funding the full roll-out of FDK.”

Employee Compensation:

Board of Supervisor Chairman Sharon Bulova didn’t dance around on FCPS’ request for an additional $48 million for employee compensation increases, stating, “There is a major disconnect between our two budgets.”

Bulova has equity concerns for county employees like police, firemen and librarians.. She said, “Is it right for an employee to get an increase on one side of the house when we can’t on the other side of the house? We aren’t out of the woods yet (on the recession).”

How is the superintendent going to handle this one? Before parents resurrected the FDK issue, the number one priority for the School Board was staff and teacher raises. I know for a fact that teacher morale is already low. I speak to a lot of teachers in my advocacy work and I know their increased workloads are really tough. The student body brings so many challenges from special ed to non-english speaking and poor students. In addition, teachers today are faced with an endless flow of assessment and testing requirements. Our school system is great because of our quality teacher workforce. We have a great curriculum too but without great teachers, the curriculum alone can't maintain FCPS' fine reputation.

So here comes the reality check. The supervisors acknowledged their appreciation of all school employees, but I didn’t hear anything in this meeting to indicate the school system should expect more. FCPS already receives 53 cents of every county tax dollar as part of the $2.2 Billion FCPS budget.

That means it will be up to taxpayers, parents and teachers to hold FCPS’ feet to the fire in upholding the School Board’s promises on FDK and teacher compensation.


Teachers Rally for Compensation Issues on Tuesday

As Supervisor Foust told Dr. Dale, “Something else may have to give.” What “gives” still remains to be seen, however, since Dr. Dale has provided no indication to date of how he would pay for FDK and/or employee raises.

Looks for things to heat up soon. Lots of promises have been made. It's also an election year and a number of School Board members have serious campaign challengers.

Reminder about Full day K:

Part of the redistricting sends a lower income trailer park from Kathy Smith's home school (Poplar Tree) to Virginia Run.

Kathy played at getting full Day K for Virginia Run at a PTA meeting before the boundary vote.

Poplar Tree will go from having a strong ESOL and free and reduced lunch presence to very little. Virginia Run will be going from little to strong.

I guess Kathy used the trailer park to get full day K at Poplar Tree--and now she is sending them to Virginia Run which has no full day K.

For what it is worth, the trailer park is far more convenient to Virginia Run than Poplar Tree. Although, I think Cub Run would probably be the most convenient. The trailer park is not really convenient to any school. It is off of 50 between Lee Road and Pleasant Valley.

full day K Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Reminder about Full day K:
>
> Part of the redistricting sends a lower income
> trailer park from Kathy Smith's home school
> (Poplar Tree) to Virginia Run.
>
> Kathy played at getting full Day K for Virginia
> Run at a PTA meeting before the boundary vote.
>
> Poplar Tree will go from having a strong ESOL and
> free and reduced lunch presence to very little.
> Virginia Run will be going from little to strong.
>
>
> I guess Kathy used the trailer park to get full
> day K at Poplar Tree--and now she is sending them
> to Virginia Run which has no full day K.
>
> For what it is worth, the trailer park is far more
> convenient to Virginia Run than Poplar Tree.
> Although, I think Cub Run would probably be the
> most convenient. The trailer park is not really
> convenient to any school. It is off of 50 between
> Lee Road and Pleasant Valley.


And Kathy Smith probably doesn't care because what is the chance that the high ESOL population at the trailer park votes? Somebody from Virginia Run ought to run against her in the next election. THAN she will care.

FDKnotHappening Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The School Board should have postponed this
> boundary study until they could address the lack
> of Full Day Kindergarten at some of the schools
> included in the Boundary Study BEFORE voting to
> shift the kids. This is the SChool Board's fault!
> Now there are families that are going to be
> moved from a FDK school to one that is only half
> day and they are going to have the financial
> hardship of forking out HUNDREDS of dollars a
> month to pay for day care they didn't have to pay
> for before.


If you can't afford children, don't have them. Blaming the school board for having to come up with child care is idiotic. Additionally, there is SACC (A cheaper alternative daycare), and I would imagine if you put in that you specifically needed it because of the school change, they could fit you in.

As an aside, the FLES program is a giant waste of money. It give a FEW students that PAY for the class a tiny taste of another country and its language, which they promptly forget. I've spoken with several kids that did FLES, even the year after and they don't recall ANY of it. It's an hour before or after school and it's an unnecessary budget item. They get more exposure to other countries in social studies. If parents want their kids to get language skills that young, they should do so privately.

First of all, FDK is a matter of equity. We all pay taxes here. The disparity in kids' abilities in K is astounding. Throw some ED and ESOL and other kids with additional needs in the mix, and the kid with average or above average needs is basically at the back of the pack in getting needs met in half day K. There is a lot they need to know and do to perform from the beginning in 1st grade - trust me, FDK is not child care.

But it is extra $$ for child care to those who hadn't budgeted for only half day K, as well as additional work with their kids to get them up to speed. They have to learn to read, at least at a basic level, and write. Half day K will only lead to more disparity in abilities at the 1st grade level, which slows everything down.

The folks who are affected by this will vote. The SB members in the wrong are basically already out anyway.

As an aside, there is a looong wait for SACC. Not that simple. They won't fit you in.

Another aside - we're squeezing blood out of a turnip this budget season. Where were these people when the implementation of FDK was put off for the remaining schools, year after year, these past few years?

Clifton has never had FDK or SAC. We have always paid of pocket and we did not mind doing so. Why would the SB close such a great school and create such a big mess?

I'll cut anyone a pass, if they didn't realize FDK was delayed for the remaining schools. When FDK was threatened for all schools last budget season, however, the advocacy group for keeping FDK made it plain they were working for keeping FDK in the schools that already had it - not giving it to the schools that still didn't, but had been on the schedule to have it.

Again, blood out of a turnip here. We need to fix the SB and their recent decisions before we can make any headway.

Dr. Dale and School Board Members,

You have to change your current allocation of funds to Programs before the Board of Supervisors will ever think of giving you more. Everything can't be a priority. Start with this:

1) Basic educational needs for all students (equitable distribution to all - no more full day K only for some)
2) State and federal mandates (special needs, NCLB, Title 1)

Figure out what you have left and prioritize special programs and athletics. Add back program after program and when you are out of money, stop. Is that really that difficult. You clearly have no issue with pissing people off so this approach at least lends some logic to the process.

It is very hard to dial it all back (current programs). If they could just swallow their pride and leave Clifton open for awhile, don't go through with the boundary changes, see how enrollment pans out for everyone, and fix the overcrowding how it should be fixed (this could even take a few years - but build where it is needed, don't rearrange everyone and make enrollment and logistical, etc problems) it could solve a lot of ills.

They can't even fix zero tolerance. Shouldn't say they - there are a few on the SB who are good. There is a lot of work already to be done.

If they really do close Clifton this year, it will be throwing good money after bad (decisions). (They will need money for trailers, etc etc) They've spent too much good money on this already.

Do they ever publish how much the boundary studies cost?

All those facilitators, staff, paper--not to mention the hours spent by staff shifting people around on a map.......If I were a Supervisor I would ask that question.

board money Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Do they ever publish how much the boundary studies
> cost?
>
> All those facilitators, staff, paper--not to
> mention the hours spent by staff shifting people
> around on a map.......If I were a Supervisor I
> would ask that question.


I don't know how much FCPS spends, but it cost the public citizens that were involved with the Southwestern Committee last year time out of their lives and away from their families that they will never get back. It appears the whole thing was a shame from the start too since the focus included building a new school when that clearly isn't what happened.

Justataxpayer Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Dr. Dale and School Board Members,
>
> You have to change your current allocation of
> funds to Programs before the Board of Supervisors
> will ever think of giving you more. Everything
> can't be a priority. Start with this:
>
> 1) Basic educational needs for all students
> (equitable distribution to all - no more full day
> K only for some)
> 2) State and federal mandates (special needs,
> NCLB, Title 1)
>
> Figure out what you have left and prioritize
> special programs and athletics. Add back program
> after program and when you are out of money, stop.
> Is that really that difficult. You clearly have
> no issue with pissing people off so this approach
> at least lends some logic to the process.


I think Justataxpayer should run for the Board as an At-Large Board Member. It sounds like you have sound logic and would be good at looking at the overall perspective for the whole county.

If you were a supervisor you would ask that question? No one will beat Frey. No one runs against him. Look at all the good he did to Sully.

Love this blog/site. It is especially pertinent considering they are getting ready to supersize all the class sizes in the Southwestern part of the County under the premise of no money (yet according to this they have $48 million in reserves).


Moms, Teachers & Five-Year Old Lobbyists
Red Apple Mom | March 30, 2011 at 9:02 am |

The Board of Supervisors held their first night of public hearings Tuesday night. Adorable four and five-year olds were in the audience with their parents and teachers advocating for increasing school funds and pay increases.
My remarks to Supervisors focused on the fact that FCPS should scrap their budget and re-build it. We deserve a budget that focuses on the community's priorities first - not administrative spending. Here is my speech:
Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Budget Hearings
March 29, 2011- Advertised 2012 Budget
Hello. My name is Catherine Lorenze. I am a co-founder of the Fairfax Education Coalition and FAIRGRADE and author of the Red Apple Mom blog. I am speaking for myself tonight - as the mother of three children.
When the School Board passed their budget last month, Member Patty Reed said it was “unrealistic.” Tina Hone called FCPS’ budget “a myth.” Member Jim Raney commented that perhaps the budget should be scrapped and rebuilt from scratch.
A lot of promises have been made on FDK and staff raises.
Now you must decide if FCPS’ promises are your responsibility to solve.
Please look at the funding statement located on page 147 of FCPS’ advertised budget that I have attached. This statement shows a nearly $48 million reserve.
I hope you’ll ask serious questions about why FCPS is carrying over tens of millions of dollars going into next year. Why were those funds not used this year to meet critical priorities? Money sitting in a pot doesn’t serve the interests of school children.
I can’t help but wonder if FCPS is giving the community and you all the facts about this budget. I attended the meeting between your two boards a couple of weeks ago. When discussing the FDK issue, Supervisor Hudgins specifically asked school officials if any other programs had been implemented or expanded during the time FDK implementation was halted. They answered no. In fact, while FDK languished – the School Board voted to expand the Foreign Language in the Elementary Schools Program. And last year, they implemented a new program called the Priority Schools Initiative.
I agree with School Board member Jim Raney’s suggestion. FCPS should scrap this budget and re-build it based on the public’s priorities which include FDK, teacher pay and importantly – lowering class size. Last year, our school had a sixth grade class with 39 students. This year, my son’s 5th grade class at Spring Hill Elementary currently has 35 students. It has the feel of a poultry farm. When it gets hot and stuffy, it smells like a poultry farm too.
My request to take a picture of his crowded classroom was denied by my principal. However, I have attached a photo from nearby Churchill Elementary School that continues to also experience ridiculously large class sizes.
Regrettably, FCPS has allowed a subset of children in this county to shoulder the burden of budget cuts by way of super-sized class sizes. This is simply unfair.
Please remember this when considering the FCPS budget transfer: children and teachers deserve a budget that is focused on them and their needs first – not on Gatehouse staff whose work has minimal impact on my children and their teachers.
If kids are the priority FCPS claims them to be – then FCPS should reflect that in their budget priorities with reasonable class size and FDK. FDK should put their money where their mouth is, rather than making you absolve them of their fiduciary responsibility as recipients of 54% of the county budget.

I hope your kid dont grow up to be a bully. You are trying to bully the school board to listen to you what does that teach him.

Does Va. Have a law on how large a class size can be?

39 students in a class is crazy. How can a teacher teach with that many kids?

Someone explain to me how larger classes do not hurt kids.

Class size Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Does Va. Have a law on how large a class size can
> be?
>
> 39 students in a class is crazy. How can a teacher
> teach with that many kids?
>
> Someone explain to me how larger classes do not
> hurt kids.


39? the average is 24-29:1. Not 39. (http://www.fcps.edu/about/stats.htm)

I'm not positive--but I think this is decided at the school level. Each school gets classroom teachers based on the population of the school. I taught in a school once where the first grades were huge and the fourth grades small because the principal did not have the guts to tell another teacher that he/she had to move to first grade. (This was not in Fairfax County.)

The principal could also choose to split a class (example have a 4/5 combo) but this is an unpopular decision. It can also be a factor of the size of the physical structure--there may not be an available classroom. Perhaps there are trailers that cannot hold more. Sometimes a principal may choose to have a "roving" teacher instead of a classroom teacher. One thing I am sure of, as foolish as our "leaders" in FCPS are, I do not think that any class is supposed to have 39 students. I suspect that there is more to this story--that the numbers are being manipulated in some way by the principal.

my kids' class sizes (twins) for first grade are is 22 and 23 respectively

but with the Clifton debacle happening, I'm sure that's gonna change for next year :(

Also, with so many schools now having self-contained GT, this makes splitting the numbers more difficult. Example: a school has 120 fifth graders--but 37of them are put into GT. That leaves 73 "regular" students. Say the principal gets 4 teachers for 110 students. How are you going to split it? If I am the principal, I am going to put 3 teachers with the "regular" kids and 1 with the 37 GT. Sorry, GT parents--but that is the disadvantage of tracking kids.

Another option would be multi-level GT classes.

My personal opinion is that there are far too many kids in the GT classes. If they are going to have them, they should go back to putting only the very highly gifted into centers. To me, it makes more sense to take the kids with learning problems and put them into small self contained classrooms with more help. But, that would be illegal.

In 2002, citizens in Florida approved an amendment to the Florida Constitution that says the maximum number of students is as follows:

18 students in prekindergarten through grade 3;
22 students in grades 4 through 8; and
25 students in grades 9 through 12.

http://www.fldoe.org/classsize/

Florida now has some of the top public elementary schools in the country which include Freedom 7 Elementary, Hartridge Academy, Jacksonville Beach Elementary School, Bevis Elementary School, etc.

FCPS, on the other hand, seems to be working in the opposite direction by INCREASING class sizes. Through these boundary changes they are now going to be increasing class sizes by closing Clifton Elementary and pushing all of these kids into the adjacent schools.

Some of the Florida School Districts are also close to the same size as Fairfax County with smaller budgets as they do not get the $2.2 BILLION transfer from their County like Fairfax does. When you compare that to what is going on now in Fairfax and this boundary study, you have to ask yourself where FCPS priorities really are and therefore where the money is going.

ClassSizeFacts Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> In 2002, citizens in Florida approved an amendment
> to the Florida Constitution that says the maximum
> number of students is as follows:
>
> 18 students in prekindergarten through grade 3;
> 22 students in grades 4 through 8; and
> 25 students in grades 9 through 12.
>
> http://www.fldoe.org/classsize/
>
> Florida now has some of the top public elementary
> schools in the country which include Freedom 7
> Elementary, Hartridge Academy, Jacksonville Beach
> Elementary School, Bevis Elementary School, etc.
>
>
> FCPS, on the other hand, seems to be working in
> the opposite direction by INCREASING class sizes.
> Through these boundary changes they are now going
> to be increasing class sizes by closing Clifton
> Elementary and pushing all of these kids into the
> adjacent schools.


Sure seems like the kids involved in the Southwestern Boundary are the sacrificial lambs so that Liz Bradsher could make up the difference for getting her South County Middle School built which never should have been prioritized over the other needs in the county especially when there are vacancies at schools around it. Will never vote for her again.

What good is all the Gatehouse administration if they can't stop a principal from putting 39 kids into a classroom? What good are they if they can't move resources to stop such a situation from existing? What is more important than this? Maybe they can just give the teacher more training on how to deal with an overcrowded classroom?

I have two kids moving into Union Mill and I would like the TRUTH on the current class size.

I will have a 2nd grader and a 5th grader next year.

Thanks!

The school seems not to the answer.??

any Union Mill parents on here? Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I have two kids moving into Union Mill and I would
> like the TRUTH on the current class size.
>
> I will have a 2nd grader and a 5th grader next
> year.
>
> Thanks!
>
> The school seems not to the answer.??


Even if the school did answer, it would be difficult to believe what they say considering their numbers kept changing through the study. Some of the Board Members even questioned the numbers. One of the Board Members tried to get them to postpone the whole thing until they could get more accurate, current numbers. Kathy Smith and Liz Bradsher pushed it through anyway. What a nightmare.

um, you could always just simply GO THERE and ask...........................

any Union Mill.......said:

"I have two kids moving into Union Mill and I would like the TRUTH on the current class size.

I will have a 2nd grader and a 5th grader next year.

Thanks!

The school seems not to the answer"

Class size can vary from year to year--it really depends on how the numbers fall. The principal is given so many teachers per the enrollment. Primary grades have one ratio and upper grades the other. It is up to the principal then to divvy them up. Sometimes it is not set in concrete until school starts--a principal may hope to get one more teacher if enrollment is close-or, on the other hand, hopes not to lose one if enrollment is lower than expected.

A few years ago, due to the wonderful planning of our Facilities office, Greenbriar East had a HUGE influx of new students that were not planned on (new apartments in the district). Classes were huge at first--although I think they got more teachers after a few weeks.

Short answer: school probably does not know yet--and they won't know until the kids show up.