Last Updated 5/7/08 COMMUNITY LEADERS OUR VOICES DONOR PROFILES JOIN US CALENDAR SITE MAP

Point of the Day…

Read what some members of the community are saying about redistricting…

Happy Rat Year!

I am a parent of RCMS and Westfield High School. My 8th grade daughter will be redistricted to SLHS if option 5 approved by school board on Feb.28.

As a Chinese immigrant who came from Taiwan and choose Fairfax as my home, I was encouraged by Jay Frost, chairperson of FairfaxCAPS www.fairfaxcaps.org communication committee, to tell you my story and remind you to join or last big battle this Saturday morning.
 
Like many of Asian immigrants in Floris East community, I came to this country  22 years ago with two luggage and one dream. When I was a graduate student, I worked as a clean lady, babysitter and kitchen helper at a Chinese carryout. While carrying my first baby, I received assistance from WIC program because I’m so-called “under-privileged”. This country adopted me and help me through hardship and step-by-step, help me fulfilling my dream. I’m grateful for that and find any opportunity to help people in needs.
    
I heard about racism or racial profiling all the time. Never thought I’ll be a victim or even worse, accused as a racist. I have been friend with people from different ethnic group and social status. As a minority myself, there’s no way I’ll pick on any minority group or disgrace them.  Respect and embrace different culture makes this country a GREAT one.
 
Last week while I attended two public hearings at Jackson M.S., I was shock to hear South Lakes’ parents/students are trying to make this redistrict as racial related issues. Those people ignored the fact that, Floris is a highly mixed community. I believe Floris East have more than 30 percent of Asian and immigrant families. After suffering many school redistricting events, I suspect that, Fairfax school and board make us an easy target because they assume that we have no power, no voice and no guts to fight against them. I hate to bring it up, but the fact is– We Asian Americans are the true victims of Racism!  We have to prove them-they’re wrong.
 
I’m glad to see more and more Asian American stepping out of their comfort zone and join the battle. Working hard is the merit that we Asian immigrants share. Besides that, as a parent who always put EDUCATION first, I urge you to show your children -We're not typical silent minority. We're fighting for the justice and fairness.  

You may ask what you can do at this time? I'll suggest you several things here. Just do whatever you can.

    1. Join the FairfaxCAPS.org www.fairfaxcaps.org/html/joinus.html
    2. Make five phone calls or forward this message to your friends/neighbors(as many as possible) and remind them to show up at tomorrow's last public hearing (Feb. 9) morning and join the gathering at Jackson M.S. (information can be found at www.fairfaxCAPS.org). We encourge you to be there at 8:30am and we'll have poster/signs for you. We're going to wear  YELLOW!!!
    3. If you already signed up as a speaker tomorrow, don't be afraid to bring up the sensitive REVERSED RACISIM issue. Of course, you may disagree with me and spare the topic.
    4. If you have no time to show up tomorrow, sending your personal story and opinion to all school board members and FFX public school top officials ASAP. Their contact information can be found at www.fairfaxcaps.org/html/youcanhelp.html.

Thank you for your time! And pardon me with my poor English writing. I don't have my daughters at home now to do the editing for me.

-Amanda

[ back to top ]

Woodson IB/AP Assessment and lessons learned

In 1999, due to divisions between Woodson parents, Woodson High School, a relatively new IB school, asked FCPS if they could keep both the IB Program and the Full AP Program intact in their school.  FCPS Central Staff told them “no”, stating, “Because of scheduling and staffing issues, a school must choose to be either an IB Diploma or an AP school.  AP schools will not offer IB courses and IB Diploma schools will only offer a few AP courses that do not duplicate IB offerings.”

Parents were sharply divided between IB and AP and established 25 criteria that their Advanced Program should meet.    After much deliberation and research on each one, they concluded that their school would be best served by being an AP school.  Note that the AP Program met every one of their criteria – the same advanced program criteria that most Floris, Madison, and Fox Mill parents desire and have selected for their children.  

The key Criteria IB Failed or Fell Short In are:

    1. Availability to a majority of students
    2. Does no harm
    3. Is portable
    4. Encourages everyone to strive and achieve
    5. Offers a broad array of elective choices
    6. Doesn’t forget “late bloomers”
    7. Peacefully coexists with the other programs in the building
    8. Allows students not equally strong in all subject areas to succeed
    9. Doesn’t require advanced program be subsidized at the expense of regular classes
    10. Allows access to college credit
    11. Helps students in the college admission process
    12. Provides access to potential college and placement

 

Following is a closer Look at Some of The Criteria.

Does no harm – since the “average” student takes at least one AP course, AP students do not develop a small, elite, cadre around whom the rest of the master schedule must be considered.  Also, IB Diploma students have (mentors) assigned to them – there is an inherent unfairness when only Diploma Candidates have this service provided to them.

Is portable – The AP Program is more common. (only 3% of our nation’s High Schools are IB schools as of 2007).  If families move, it is more likely they will find an AP Program for their student to complete his/her studies. 

Encourages everyone to strive and achieve – AP’s one-year courses are more flexible than two-year HL IB courses and are readily available at 10th, 11th, and 12th grade.  Some classes, including AP Psychology, AP Art History, AP Government., and AP US History can be taken by any student with no prerequisites.  The AP Program has different goal levels, instead of one, rarely achieved Diploma.  Strong students may take seven or more AP classes (as opposed to the maximum of 4 HL classes in the IB Diploma Program)

Doesn’t forget anyone (late bloomers) – The AP program better serves late bloomers, that is, those students who become more academically inclined late in High School.  Students need not commit until the beginning of senior year to take a college level AP course, and even during their senior year, students in regular classes can still sign up for and take AP exams, thereby earning recognition (even being AP Scholars).  Students can take 2 or 3 AP courses per year, thus distributing their hardest classes instead of concentrating them all in the senior year.  This allows participation in other courses as well as in extra curricular pursuits.

AP peacefully co-exists with existing courses – Students move easily into AP courses without needing preparatory classes.  There are 32 AP courses available and High Schools can select the ones that best meet their needs.  The AP program allows more choices and more electives than the IB Diploma Program.
 
Allows students not equally strong in all subject areas to succeed – AP better serves students who are not equally strong in all areas because they can take AP classes in their areas of strength and/or interest.   

The College View - Competitive schools in Virginia and many other universities recognize the IB Diploma and frequently grant sophomore standing to IB Diploma students.  However, only a very small proportion of students in an IB school actually earn the IB Diploma. 

While High Level IB courses are stellar educational experiences, respected by many colleges, even IB Diploma Candidates rarely take more than 3 of them.  The key question becomes which is better for non-Diploma students, IB HL courses or AP courses?  For the same college credit recognition, HL courses last 2 years and AP courses last one.  AP courses can be taken any time (10th – 12th grade), but all HL classes must be completed in senior year.  AP courses are graded as they are taken, sometimes as early as sophomore year.  Students thus can prove their ability to complete college-level work prior to submitting college applications.

It is important to note that IB Standard Level courses (SL), which are much more accessible to average high school students, receive little or no recognition from most colleges.   (IBO Implementation Manual states “all schools must be unequivocally committed to teaching the full DP and must recognize that certificate courses have secondary importance…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.”) 

Woodson parents recommended pairing IB and AP schools; clusters of high schools with one IB school in each cluster.  They noted that admission to the IB school should be voluntary and added “that unless transportation is provided, there is an inherent inequity of access.”

[ back to top ]

“Vegetables and Meat”

Many Reston residents have indicated during this boundary process that they have chosen Reston because they highly value and regard diversity as a lifestyle choice. Subsequently, they chose Reston and Reston schools because the “mission statements” of this community line up with their value system. Diversity is their number one educational choice for their children in school, in community and in life. Residents in other communities have chosen their neighborhoods and schools because they value other educational priorities and mission statements that fit their lifestyles.  Some of us have chosen schools because we value the AP program and how it will meet the career choices for our children. We bought into our neighborhoods for that reason. Different values, different lifestyle, different mission statements.

To choose one situation over another does not negate that those that have chosen schools with AP programs do not value diversity at all! They are not bigots, racists, or elitists. They do not have “affluent influence” because they value a certain academic model that another community did not. In the same way that vegetarians choose vegetables for either religious reasons or because of palate, is not to negate that meat eaters should not be able to choose to eat meat. Depending on what you prefer to eat will depend on which restaurant you go to. Eating meat is not political incorrect in and of itself. Its only when it is placed in a value system that judgment can be made. It’s a choice.

Those who have bought into the Reston community and schools have indicated their preference for their diversity appetite. To say everyone must learn to love vegetables or you in some way violate some PC version of eating is wrong. In essence they are faulting us for choosing meat!

We have been accused of intolerance for not being willing to embrace the
South Lakes /Reston diversity priority. Are you sure the intolerance is on our part? What leads the proponents of “forced focused programs” (in this case redistricting movement from AP to IB programs) to the conclusion that to not choose South Lakes is to negate the diversity value entirely?

Let the intolerance issue go and get real about academics for all the kids. Look at the programmatic issues that have caused the demise of South Lakes. I truly believe there our parents, leaders and students in that community who are very unhappy with the current course of study. One significant leader in the South Lakes community has exclaimed “The principal and staff chose IB.  We didn't get a choice and you shouldn't either!" I propose that until they “capture a certain community and lock us in”, they will not get the help they need to fight the real academic issues at South Lakes.

South Lakes… stop hiding behind the intolerance issue. We would not be living in this county if we did not understand and/or at least tolerate the value of diversity. Every resident in Fairfax County is immersed in diversity. It’s a good thing. However, many of us have already embraced this lifestyle and have moved on to value and prioritize excellence in other aspects of our lives.  To continue to name call with terms like racists, bigots, and elitists is to draw embarrassment to your community. Who is intolerant now?

[back to top]

Need for Oversight Evidenced by Fairfax County School Redistricting Effort

The Fairfax County School Board is scheduled to vote today on a controversial proposal to adjust the attendance areas of six high schools in the western part of the county. The proposal is premised on projected under-enrollment at South Lakes High School and projected over-enrollment at Chantilly and Westfield High Schools. Despite the public's overwhelming opposition to the redistricing process, as expressed at three town hall meetings in late 2007 and four public hearings this year, the School Board seems determined to impose changes to address a problem it does not understand. The Board should take this opportunity to begin a new dialog with the citizens of Fairfax County, heed our ideas and concerns, and consider alternatives to redistricting.

Why is South Lakes under-enrolled? The Board claims that the under-enrollment problem is the result of the natural aging of the population. But Fairfax County Public Schools' own data, to the contrary, reveals that the attendance area actually has a growing student base but a shrinking student membership. This data reveals that there has been a significant exodus of students in the South Lakes attendance area since 2000. At the present, no one knows why this is happening, including the School Board. Why does it expect a different result by shifting middle-class families from other communities?

Are Chantilly and Westfield over-enrolled? According the FCPS data, both schools are currently slightly over capacity, but with no changes in attandance areas, both will be below capacity within the next two years. In other words, that problem is going away on its own. In fact, FCPS Chief Operating Officer Dean Tistadt has said, "All of the high schools in the study can physically accommodate current and projected enrollments."

The Board has propounded an ideal high school enrollment of 2,000 students, but the proposal recommended by FCPS administrators fails spectacularly in achieving this for both Westfield and Chantilly High Schools. According to projected enrollment figures, the proposal achieves only 29.5 percent of the necessary reduction for Westfield High School and 31.5 percent for Chantilly High School. This proposal fails so thoroughly in this regard that it is hard to believe it was ever a serious objective.

Other high schools in Fairfax County besides South Lakes have enrollments well below 2,000, yet there is no imperative at the School Board to address this deficiency across the county.

How much has this process cost, and how much will the changes cost? Again, no one knows. The School Board has refused to conduct financial analysis or respond to citizens' request for information. In an era of budget cuts, in which at least some School Board members are simultaneously asking the county Board of Supervisors to raise taxes, it is unconscionable that no financial analysis has been performed.

In summary, the Schools Board's effort suffers from unclear objective, extensive process failures and unknown costs, and the attendance area changes would force families into curriculum focused on the International Baccalaureate program that they do not want.

For many citizens of western Fairfax, this boundary redistricting has been an eye-opening and instructive experience in raw power politics. The School Board employed a divide and conquer strategy, wasting no opportunity to pit community against community, school against school, an neighbor against neighbor.

This process has clearly demonstrated the need for community advocates for our children’s education and the limited tax dollars available for their education. Sitting back and believing the School Board and FCPS administrators will always act in our best interest is no longer a viable option. It is time for all the citizens of Fairfax County join the effort to reclaim oversight responsibility of our elected School Board. We seek a more transparent, inclusive and democratic process for determining the direction of Fairfax County schools, and we stand ready to find ways to address the South Lakes High School under-enrollment and programmatic challenges with non-divisive methods.

Nick Pesce, Fairfax County Coalition of Advocates for Public Schools,
www.fairfaxCAPS.org, Oak Hill, Virginia

 

[back to top]