Closing of Clifton ES (McLean, Fairfax: public school, yard, office)

[Denton56]

Oh cool, when I quoted the post, the links worked!

[JD984]

Originally Posted by Denton56

It might help except that none of your links work. They don't show up so that they are clickable.

I am shocked that the five schools you listed have such low capacity numbers. Perhaps you mean something else?

Clifton kids will have to split among 5 different schools, some many miles away? That's horrible. Then they will have to go to 5 different high schools?! That's even worse!

I think the "capacity numbers" refer to how under-enrolled the schools currently are when measured against their stated capacity (in other words, how many "extra" seats are available at each school).

[Denton56]

Originally Posted by JEB77

Clifton folks might find this interesting. It's a Staff presentation on the FCPS "priority schools" initiative designed to identify a handful (actually, 30) schools deemed worthy of receiving extra resources and attention based largely on a history of lower performance.

http://www.fcps.edu/supt/bcac/docume...lsProposal.pdf

If I'm reading this correctly, Clifton ES was ranked second from the bottom (or the top, depending on how you look at it) under the Staff's methodology. In the context of the study, that's a good thing - it means everything was hunky-dory.

Seems "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" got turned into "If it ain't broke, shut it down" here.

Oh yes, their new pilot, a new, completely unproven program which will cost millions and millions. I hope that everyone reads the link you posted. It's filled with nonsense. This the one that includes summer training at UVA by professors from Darden at U Penn? Oh how fun, hundreds of people getting to spend the summer at UVA for ''training'' in a program that is totally unproven but will be lots of fun for staff! Also includes LOTS of new administrators, including a Division team and a 6 member team at each elementary school. Ummm............I can do that math, 6 new administrators at 30 elementary schools, 180 new administrators, PLUS people in central administration. How about they add 6 teachers at each of those schools instead of 6 administrators? Remember, we have NO evidence that all these administrators will make ANY difference in these schools. Wouldn't parents rather have one additional teacher at each grade so that class sizes could be dramatically reduced? Wouldn't much smaller class sizes be more effective than a bunch of new administrators?

Just another program, filled with junk, wasting millions of dollars of taxpayers money!

I guess the last such program, the one with 20 low performing schools that got gobs of money, didn't work. How do we know this one will work? We don't! I can't help but wonder where they get all the money for these things. I thought money was tight, so tight that it necessitated a tax increase and an increase in class size! We have to lay off teachers while we hire more administrators! GGRRRR.................

[JD984]

Originally Posted by Denton56

Oh yes, their new pilot, a new, completely unproven program which will cost millions and millions. I hope that everyone reads the link you posted. It's filled with nonsense. This the one that includes summer training at UVA by professors from Darden at U Penn? Oh how fun, hundreds of people getting to spend the summer at UVA for ''training'' in a program that is totally unproven but will be lots of fun for staff! Also includes LOTS of new administrators, including a Division team and a 6 member team at each elementary school. Ummm............I can do that math, 6 new administrators at 30 elementary schools, 180 new administrators, PLUS people in central administration. How about they add 6 teachers at each of those schools instead of 6 administrators? Remember, we have NO evidence that all these administrators will make ANY difference in these schools. Wouldn't parents rather have one additional teacher at each grade so that class sizes could be dramatically reduced? Wouldn't much smaller class sizes be more effective than a bunch of new administrators?

Just another program, filled with junk, wasting millions of dollars of taxpayers money!

I guess the last such program, the one with 20 low performing schools that got gobs of money, didn't work. How do we know this one will work? We don't! I can't help but wonder where they get all the money for these things. I thought money was tight, so tight that it necessitated a tax increase and an increase in class size! We have to lay off teachers while we hire more administrators! GGRRRR.................

I promise to read the whole thing, but only if you tell me first what it means to "work in the collaborative culture of a Professional Learning Community."

I'm guesing it means there will be lots of county and school administrators stepping on each others' toes at every step of the process, but they should avoid the temptation to beat each others' brains out.

[Denton56]

Hahahaha, they love their "C" words. They love to talk about collaborating, cooperating, consulting. There's a 4th one that I can never remember! It means they will have more meetings to ''share'' more collaborative ideas. They also love their Professional Learning Communities which take time each day from learning. I asked the principal at Madison to explain what PLC's were and why students had to give up 25 to 45 minutes of instructional time each day for it. He said it was far too complicated to give me a simple explanation. I would need to make an appointment with him for at least 30 minutes for him to adequately explain this concept to me. I am not kidding. That's how ridiculous a program it is. Think of any other education class that takes 30 minutes to explain! There aren't any! Pure educrat garbage. When searching for a link, I found the 4th C! It's collegial! You need only read this paragraph for proof of how silly this program is and what a waste of time it is for our students, yet FCPS has forced it on all of our students at considerable cost and ZERO evidence that it has helped a single child learn anything. Professional Learning Community

[Joke Insurance]

Can anyone update me on the schools current status? I haven't been keeping up to speed with it. Thanks.

[FCPS Whistleblower]

PRESS RELEASE:
"Clifton-Gate"
Subtitle: The Closing of Clifton Elementary, a mockumentary

Starring:
Liz Bradsher, Femme Nazi
Stu Gibson, Weazly DeuteragonistWanna Be Star (or little man behind the curtain in Oz)
Dean Tistadt, Quintissential Thug & Heavy (truly)
Kathy Smith, Mrs. Haversham-esque Shrew
Tessie Wilson, Black Cat doing its' mistress' bidding
Jane Strauss, crotchety cantankerous old auntie
Brad Center, the brainwashed foil
Dan Storck, character sadly used by protagonist and corrupted as collateral damage

Extras: crying children, parents, taxpayers, small business owners, homeowners, residents of Fairfax County - not portrayed by actors.

The truth will come out and justice will find this cast of villains.

[Yankeesfan]

Originally Posted by FCPS Whistleblower

PRESS RELEASE:
"Clifton-Gate"
Subtitle: The Closing of Clifton Elementary, a mockumentary

Starring:
Liz Bradsher, Femme Nazi
Stu Gibson, Weazly DeuteragonistWanna Be Star (or little man behind the curtain in Oz)
Dean Tistadt, Quintissential Thug & Heavy (truly)
Kathy Smith, Mrs. Haversham-esque Shrew
Tessie Wilson, Black Cat doing its' mistress' bidding
Jane Strauss, crotchety cantankerous old auntie
Brad Center, the brainwashed foil
Dan Storck, character sadly used by protagonist and corrupted as collateral damage

Extras: crying children, parents, taxpayers, small business owners, homeowners, residents of Fairfax County - not portrayed by actors.

The truth will come out and justice will find this cast of villains.

Sounds pretty accurate. Just an FYI, Tessie Wilson and Brad Center had already decided not to run for re-election next year.

[Denton56]

Originally Posted by Yankeesfan

Sounds pretty accurate. Just an FYI, Tessie Wilson and Brad Center had already decided not to run for re-election next year.

Yippeeeee!!!! Two down, 7 to go. (I'm for keeping Tina Hone, Sandy Evans, and Patty Reed.)

[novajs]

Originally Posted by JEB77

Clifton folks might find this interesting. It's a Staff presentation on the FCPS "priority schools" initiative designed to identify a handful (actually, 30) schools deemed worthy of receiving extra resources and attention based largely on a history of lower performance.

http://www.fcps.edu/supt/bcac/docume...lsProposal.pdf

If I'm reading this correctly, Clifton ES was ranked second from the bottom (or the top, depending on how you look at it) under the Staff's methodology. In the context of the study, that's a good thing - it means everything was hunky-dory.

Seems "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" got turned into "If it ain't broke, shut it down" here.

Hmmm some very interesting methodology is being used here.

Take Achievement gap measure for example, the best school in this regard is Parklawn Elementary at 4.5%. Obviously this pushes this school way down as a priority school. But greatschools gives the school a rating of only 4. The "good" schools that many people here have recommended - Archer (24.92%), Haycock (17.89%) have a bigger achievement gap and appear higher on the priority list.

Oh I know why - demographics is excluded from computing the index. I think FCPS is wasting its resources on something that is based on an ill advised formula.