Sole focus on SOL test scores has brought Herndon Elementary down to a Title 1 school. Students are not challenged, teachers are dissatisfied, and communication between school administration/teachers and parents is atrocious. This has been attributed by many to the current principal, who simply lacks the capacity, ingenuity, and communication skills to make things work better. It's her first job as principal and she may not have what it takes. The general feeling is that she is trying to serve to the lowest common denominator - an SOL focused approach. As a result, I see lots of for sale signs popping up in neighborhoods.

Thanks losers at Herndon Elementary!

I wouldn't attribute SOL focus on the principal, that's FCPS and VA as a whole. Everything is standardized test-driven now. And Title I is based on income level. But I do agree this principal is in over her head. She is unable to manage a school with changing demographics, despite a staff who is ready and willing. Unfortunately, it only gets worse when your child moves on to the middle school. Now that principal is a whack job. Apparently she has driven away many good, qualified teachers, and replaced them with a hoard of provisionally licensed college kids who won't question her incompetence. Yes all teachers need to start somewhere, but they also need good veteran teacher to help them through those first few years. How can that school be expected to improve with such a high staff turnover rate and now consistency?

Well we should just give up and teach all the American kids Spanish before they get into elm. It will be faster than teaching the spic kids to learn English. Even the ones born here can't frickin communicate when they are adults.

Time to put up a white flag. At least if they all speak the same language the curriculum can be more challenging.

I know a FFX Co. emergency worker and a nurse at FFX hospital who were forced to move further out west so their kids could go to a decent school. They were not learning anything because the teachers wasted time bringing up the ESL students so they could pass the SOL. That school has gone down the toilet.

Recently they were "Accredited with Warning" by the state based on their terrible SOL scores.

If you can, get your kids the hell out of there.