Yes why let some pesky problem like traffic derail this program duplicating, resources draining charter school? Especially easy to proclaim when you don't LIVE in the community and have to deal with issues like safety on a daily basis, or watch your neighborhood high school lose motivated college bound students while the FLA proponents falsely label it failing its "at risk students".
Learn your facts, Falls Church high school less than one mile from the proposed charter school sends well over half of its low income students to college which is better than half of all fcps high schools.
How many of last nights 50 FLA supporters LIVE in the Falls Church high school attendance area? I think there was one. Interesting how so many educators, businessmen and politicians know whats good for a community they don't live in.

This charter school isn't just for students who would otherwise attend Falls Church HS. It is for all residents of Fairfax County, who will be admitted by lottery if there is excess demand for the 75 seats in each grade level. It is being publicized well beyond the Falls Church HS boundaries.

I'll take Joan's word that Falls Church HS sends a higher percentage of its low-income graduating seniors to college than other FCPS high schools. But like many FCPS high schools, Falls Church HS also has students - especially Hispanic or other ESOL students - who are dropping out of high school. FLA, if approved, will serve a some students who would otherwise drop out of one of the FCPS high schools.

Also, many FLA supporters at last night's hearing were Hispanics who lived in, or were educators who had taught at, FCPS schools with socioeconomically diverse populations. This isn't a plot by big business or politicians who don't care about children; this charter school has an unusual level of bipartisan support.

While we talk about educators rallying to support the charter application, no one has mentioned the teachers and administrators who are not supporters, and have been told that they cannot speak out publicly on the subject. After hearing this fact from teachers and administrators at the affected schools, I was frankly surprised to hear from so many teachers at last nights hearing. Apparently the gag order only applies to charter school opponents.

I think what is largely missing from this discussion is support for our local schools. Every child matters to the culture of your neighborhood school. I am just as opposed to well heeled parents pupil placing their children (oh yeah, my kid has always dreamed about studying German ?!?!) to avoid local schools, as I am pulling out "at risk kids". All kids benefit when we stop focusing on how to get our kids to a "better" school, and start improving the quality of EVERY school.

My hope is that most parents will realize the benefit of a culturally and economically diverse student body for all students (especially low income and minority). I went to a private school, I saw first hand what happens when you create a selective environment. It has led me to argue against pupil placement of any type, I could have placed my kids elsewhere. I chose Falls Church and am thrilled that I did. The education that they received there is more valuable than what is reflected on their report cards.

As Principal of FCHS, I have been silent for a long time for many reasons, both personal and professional.But now, I feel I need to set the record straight - you know, the record presented by experts- people who have never been in FCHS, have never sat with me to discuss data, and have no clue (or a short memory) that every single thing proposed by the charter has been tried and abandoned by FCPS in the past. Yesterday, I enrolled a 17 year old freshman - newly emigrated who does not speak one word of English and who last attended school in his own country at age 6. He tested on a reading, math, and cognitive level of first grade. He is NOT special ed. He IS, however, truly at risk. He is one of the " statistics" cited by all of the charter school supporters as a student not being served by the public school. Yet, Eric Welch and his group are not interested in this at risk student - he is not college bound - he came here to learn English and math, yet this student is used AGAINST schools like mine who do the noble work of educating ALL children every day. It is mind boggling to me that this whole idea has gained traction in that it is based on flawed, manipulated data not representative of the reality of the work we do at FCHS. Charter schools are great ideas if they have something new to offer. This one does not nor does it address truly at risk students like the young man I cited. It is a shame that none of you have ever come to FCHS where magic happens for ALL kids.

The number of kids going to 4 year colleges is not an indictment of the school system, but rather more smoke and mirrors. Welch's stats don't take into account WHERE these kids actually go after graduation (and look at our grad rate btw)-many go back to their own countries and many join the service. A good number go straight to work.These significant numbers are never shared because they don't strengthen arguments put forth by the charter school folks - that they can do better than those who actually do this work every day and that if you will just give them new titles (including raises) and a building and per pupil money, they will change life for all of the kids left behind (even though they cannot identify exactly who those kids are). There is a reason that FCHS was left out of all of the original conversations about the charter school - it is because credibility goes a long way over here and we ask people to prove and own their data - which has never been done by this group- and cant be. Welch may have a noble idea - but please name a single true educator who doesn't want to help at-risk kids. The big difference between us is that the staff at FCHS actually does the hard work every day (within the current budget) while being discredited by those who simply don't know much about educational missions beyond speeches, moments and sound bites. Charters work for failing systems - great schools work for students.

Lastly, to the comment that this school is for ALL Fairfax County kids - transportation will be the great divide. My high school principal colleagues all over the county are not concerned about the impact (and subsequent depletion of resources) that the charter school might do to their ranks because they don't anticipate that there will be much interest amongst their school populations. Instead, the charter school is being promoted for "inside the Beltway" schools where Welch believes he can solicit the most sympathy for the whole saving at-risk kids song. Please look at the way enrollment will take place - very few parents of truly at-risk students will go through the process - for a variety of reasons - chief amongst them their documentation status. The charter school will become a college prep program - and has the potential to become a program that does not represent the wonderful diversity of this area. I implore you to carefully examine every aspect of the proposal - from the budget to the number of administrators to the proposed curriculum. Then I invite you to visit FCHS and see first hand the wonderful work being done here - in academic classes that promote college attendance, as well as in classes that shore up skills that are lacking for some. I can't speak for the other "inside the beltway" schools but I can tell you that FCHS has not been represented accurately and the data has been twisted. Visit us before you endorse them - not too much to ask. Thank you,.

Thank you principal Cathy Benner for speaking the truth on behalf of the falls church high school community!!!
Joan Daly

How sad that the Falls Church HS leadership refuses to acknowledge the failures in their school and many other FCPS high schools. You want to talk about money?

What does it cost our community when 130 kids drop out of the high schools that this new school will serve each year? CHA CHING. But let's don't talk about the lifetime costs of high school dropouts, let's focus on what it costs to educate these kids at FLA vs a base high school. Talk about short sighted.

I am sure FCHS does have students who walk in their doors after not having attended school for over 10 years--but it is RARE--no point in dragging out that example now. It just clouds the real issues.Or at least talk about the ESL kids who attend FCPS from kindergarten who still haven't mastered English and are reading 3-5 grade levels below. That is a more common occurrence, isn't it?

Let's instead talk about the number of dropouts, the number of pregnant teens, the number of Blacks and Latinos who never enroll in IB/AP classes, the number of students who repeat grades and/or classes. Let's roll our sleeves up and REALLY, HONESTLY talk about the failures, shall we?

Excellent CEOs always address their failures and correct their mistakes---a good practice that our administrators should embrace as well.

Park your egos outside the door and think about what is best for these kids.

For the 2009-10 school year we have the following number of class failures at Falls Church HS:

English classes 62
Math 140
Science 99
Social Sciences 80

I expect we have duplication of the same kids failing mulitple courses.

What does it cost when these kids repeat a class? anyone? credit recovery or whatever it is called?

Given the enrollment at FCHS is just 1567 kids, we are looking at a failure rate in some classes of nearly 9%. WOW.

It is imperative that we have a honest discussion about both the strengths and weaknesses at this school for us to decide if this charter school is needed.

Oh, and by the way.....our School Board rep Ms Evans promised to sit down with the FCHS community to discuss whether or not the "Charter School" was a good idea. Of course, she is a FLA supporter and did not do that, and has not represented FCHS needs either.

The only thing School Board Member Sandy Evans cares about is herself. Don't count on her do anything right by the FCHS community. She'll sell you out quicker than you can say SLEEP. Just watch to see the attention she'll shower on Bailey's Xroads versus what FCHS will get.

As a student of Falls Church High School I feel that someone who makes blind assumptions and generalizations about my high school should really open their eyes and dig a little bit deeper into the reality of my school's circumstance. I am currently a junior at Falls Church and over the course of the last two years I've made relationships with countless numbers of students from all over the globe who have not spoken a word of English. Through tutoring, sports, and clubs I have met kids who know so little English that I could only communicate with them through Google translator or with hand gestures. These students at our school are absolutely NOT rare, as the previous comments suggest. Then again, you could only know that if you actually attended, or even, had ever visited the school. Falls Church High School is one of the most diverse schools in Fairfax County, representing over 70 different countries. The many students at Falls Church High School that immigrated to America during high school are often at a significant disadvantage: many of them do not speak English, some do not have parents with a high school education to help them with their homework, and some come from families of a low socio-economic status and can not access the resources needed to bolster their success. Many of these students will not attend college after they graduate. Many of these students will naturally struggle in high school at first, too. The difficulties of these students are reflected in

the statistics shown in Falls Church's number of students that go on to four-year colleges. These students are not dropouts, lazy, or unmotivated. They simply started high school so far behind that four years was not enough time to be ready to attend a university. These disadvantaged students are being served tremendously at Falls Church High School. Every day I see students that when I first met had a first grade education in math starting to slowly master algebra, over the course of just one or two years. The system at Falls Church High School to serve these disadvantaged students simply works and it can be seen, not by something as black and white as statistics, but by the progress these students make with the help of an encouraging and motivated faculty. These students, who first come to an American high school with little to no prior education, do not truly fit the criteria of what the proposed charter school considers an "at-risk" child. The proposed charter school makes is appear as though they are reaching out to students who are new to the country and enrolled in ESOL programs when in actuality the only students they are looking for are the ones that they consider to have enough of an education to possibly be able to attend a four year college. A large number of kids however are too far behind to attend college by the time they're 18. These kids are not the targets of FLA as they make it appear. FLA is only interested in a select range of students.

These students have been in the United States educational system before high school and therefore have enough of an academic foundation to have the potential of attending a four-year college by the time they graduate high school. What FLA ignores however, is that these students do NOT make up the majority of the achievement gap. Falls Church High School has been overlooked too often for the success it has had in providing disadvantaged students with a quality education. Also, Falls Church's AVID program has sent 100% of its "at-risk" students to four-year colleges: the same students FLA is targeting. If you want a realistic view of the progress of Falls Church's ability to serve at risk students without the help of private funding, come observe a class and stop making false assumptions.

My son did not go directly to college, he is with City Year Boston tutoring and mentoring inner city youth. Perhaps he is part of the "not attending college" statistics. For any number of reasons he needed a break. I like to think that the economic diversity he witnessed at FCHS led him to want to help others for a year.

I attended the meeting last night. I was persuaded by the facts, figures, and hard data from FLA opponents of this charter school: There just is no need for this school as proposed. I heard only subjective "feel-good" words from proponents: "falling through the cracks", "fair", "better opportunity", but no facts, no data to back their demands for FLA. There is room in underachieving school districts for charter schools, but not in Fairfax, not now. I also note that FLA has repeatedly changed their proposed set of programs for "at-risk" students when confronted with the hard facts put forth by neighborhood opponents: AP and IB programs, now just AVID. No transportation was to be provided, now there will be some but that is undefined. The list of mid-stream changes goes on.

The FLA proposal should be rejected.

Let me first defend Sandy Evans. Sandy is probably the most compassionate caring member of this SB. She will do whatever is in kid's best interests-period. She is not about politics...ever. This is a tough call for her and whatever decision she makes will come after extensive deliberations of all the issues.

Secondly, I am not haing on Falls Church--many FCPS HSs have failures--including the one my kids attend--Lee HS. I have graduated 3 from Lee and have 2 more there now-so do not lecture me about the struggles of schools with at risk kids--I have seen it first hand. I am critical because you guys refuse to acknowledge your failures--you need to do that before you try to tear down what The FLA folks are trying to do.

This charter will target kids entering 7th grade correct?

They will not be pulling your 11th and 12th grade superstars -ok. So let's get that straight. Middle school is where the rubber hits the road, guys. That is when kids decide which path they will take---academic, college or career motivated? or the road which leads to failure. Many of these kids come from crappy homes with no support structure or positive role models. Without that support or a mentor at school, many choose the bad path and we lose them--forever. Suspension rates peak in 8th grade, kids drop out in 8th grade. By 9th grade, many of them are failing 4 classes and they say screw it.

This school will have smaller class sizes and offer the mentoring program that a regular size high school just can't provide.

You guys are being selfish. If a new school was opening up down the street for "troubled" teens who are failing all their classes and getting into trouble, you guys would be on board with the "competition". Heck, you guys would be ushering those kids out the door and cleaning out their lockers for them.

Be honest, at least.

Janet - Sandy Evans has a good friend in you. But, facts are facts, and she has been absent, noticeably, from the FLA initiative when it comes to FCHS. You are a Lee High School parent and do not have first hand knowledge of meetings at FCHS with the Board on FLA, discussions with Penny Gross, discussions with Morizuko, Dean Tisdadt, discussions on resource issues with State Senator Saslaw Congressman Connolly, etc, etc, etc . And I'll bet you were not in the audience at the budget public hearing when Tina Hone called FCHS a "raggedy old school". You are not a member of the Falls Church pyramid and could not possibly know the details of all the resource issues that face FCHS. ..

Finally, it's insulting to be called "selfish" when FCHS parents have not been given a "voice" in this issue. Nobody, nobody, worked with us, has included, approached, had discussion, or asked FCHS to particpapte in any FLA initiative. The only thing we heard, and I am quoting was "Falls Church Parents, do not get in the way of this initiative" by Mr Welch himself at the Gatehouse event earlier this fall.

Please let me know when you would like to meet with FCHS parents to fully discuss this ? - I would be happy to call the PTSA and invite you over. - Sandy Evans, Patty Reed, and Penny Gross have all been invited over too - but failed to show. Hmm , sSeems like they too did not "want FCHS parents to get in the way"

I know Sandy only thru her actions as a SB member--that is all--I like her very much, She is an honorable person.

FCHS is not this unique school that you portray--they have the same challenges that many schools have.

As far as your raggedy old school goes, I testified-all by myself-until my friend Mike Grasso joined me for MONTHS against FCPS spending $130 million on an office building for themselves. Go read my testimony. I got help from CAPS and we went to The BOS--mostly Pat Herrity led the charge and we got it voted down. So if you want to thank someone for keeping $130 million in the CIP coffers for school renovations--thank me.

I led the charge against VGLA--for years I was a one man band talking about the damage it does for our ESL and SPED kids. Thankfully, a man in Richmond, J Butcher and some negative press we generated on the topic pushed the VA GA to end the dreadful practice. I co-founded a group called Fairfax zt reform--due to our efforts and our friend D St George at The Post we finally got FCPS to reduce suspensions/expulsion--reducing the number by nearly 35%. Now when an 8th grader brings her acne meds to school she doen't get kicked out of school for two months while morons at Gatehouse decide her fate.
Please do not question my integrity or track record in dealing with kids who are at risk. I don't need to walk the halls of FCHS to see what is going on--its the same at Annandale, Mt Vernon, Lee, Stuart, Hayfield- they all need help.

Yes, actually you do need to walk the halls, you need to talk to parents who have been at the school for 10 years. Please read the FCPS study of this charter proposal. The question is not whether these kids need help. It is a question of whether the FLA charter school is a real solution for those most in need, or a duplication of existing services.

I have seen some of your opinions about FCPS. I have to ask; are you willing to recognize when someone is doing something right? Or is everything broken and in need of your prescribed fix?

Oh, I don't understand Falls Church HS????????

One of you pupil placed your own kids out of this school that you say is so wonderful---wonderful for OTHER people's kids and the other one of you is worried about traffic!!!!

Good Lord....and you attack me for calling you self serving....

Daly understands why parents transfer their children to “better” schools, having had her two oldest children “pupil-placed” at Woodson High School because FCHS had a rocky patch with a couple of inadequate principals.

Vince Forcier, a Falls Church parent who lives close to Graham Road Elementary School, is concerned that a new high school, with insufficient parking and poor ingress and egress, would create more traffic congestion at the Route 50/Graham Road intersection, which is already one of the most dangerous intersections in the county.

Janet,
Then why wasn't isn't FLA designed to help those kids who are most at risk? It is not. It does not have the extensive ESOL and LD support at risk kids needs. Nor does it provide transportation to the entire county. Thus FLA is selective just like a private school.

Well, you're making Vince's argument for him, but you also forgot one important thing about him in your attempt to discredit him: "Vince Forcier, father of FOUR children who either have attended or are attending FCHS, and he knows it is a great school."

Everything I have read about FLA says they will target at risk kids who struggle academically. Please reference where they say they will target high achieving kids.

This school should be for kids who would likely fall thru the crachs at a larger high school.

I would not support a school that is intent on raiding other high schools of their strongest students-regardless of FRM status.

Pupil placement is reserved for unique situations only. It should not be abused by parents who don't like their local school principal.

Unfortunately, after years of BS from FCPS staff, I don't have a high regard for their analysis. I can cite dozens of incidents where FCPS staff was less than truthful on a topic. Most organizations gather facts, analyze, then come to a thoughtful conclusion. FCPS does the opposite--they tailor their "facts" to accommodate their predetermined conclusion.

This school and any potential funding should have ZERO impact on the needs of FCHS. Principals, unfortunately have to march/act like good little soldiers in FCPS land to stay in good graces so they don't get to raise a stink and say "HEY, I'M dying here-send me more resources!".

It is a perverse process which means schools who often need more staff/resources don't get it due to politics. Same could be said with your CIP problems. When they closed Clifton and told us they saved us $12 million-they spent $14 million renovating the schools who received the Clifton kids. SOCO MS could have waited if they properly districted the kids when the high school opened--there are 900 empty seats at neighboromg schools.

You keep telling me to butt out since I don't live in FCHS--you are wrong. we are all connected--what happns at one school--impacts another. Don't be so naive.

Please read the analysis before you reject it out of hand. I am sure that FCPS does not fail at everything they do. That their analysis is supportive of the position of many local parents should compel you to at least read it before arguing against it.

I don't think I asked you to butt out. I asked you to state your experience with the pyramid in question, and suggested that it may affect the accuracy of your analysis and they weight I give it. I stand by that.

I agree that we are all in this together. I however do not take such a negative position on our school system. They have done an excellent job with my 4 kids, I consider the education my children received equal to, and in many ways better than, my Catholic school education.

Ok, here is my analysis of their analysis:

1. Were there any members from the community on this review committee? If not, why not? Looks like an inside kill job

2. The facilities arguments are bogus. We spent how much renovating The Plum Center (an old crappy school on Edsall Road) for Adult Ed? $10 million? When we have how many schools with classrooms---200? Yet we can't possibly spend money on needed renovations at Graham Road? Absurd.

3. SPED ratios?? Are they serious? Name me one high school that has the appropriate QUALIFIED SPED staff to accommodate the population. One. Look around at all the inexpensive IAs with no SPED background who are now in the classrooms as SPED teachers/aides. Hundreds of unqualified staff.

4. Lottery will not guarantee 60% FRM status---oh well.....how is that TJ admissions process coming along that they have been tweaking for 10 years now. They expect these guys to be exact. Denying a kid admission because they aren't poor enough is crazy. I question a lot of the FRM eligibility data anyways--nobody verifies the applications.

5. I suppose this school should raise some money privately but I have no problem with FCPS kicking in a few mill to get it off the ground. We just spent 410 mill on online textbooks that many kids aren't using...what the heck.

This is a work in progress and will take complete community support--common ground can be found. Investing and preventing a kid from dropping out yields $127k to the taxpayers.

Well, It seems your mind is made up. If a few minutes reading a report this detailed left you only finding evidence for your already entrenched position, i do not think this is a productive debate.

If I felt as negatively about FCPS as you clearly do (from this thread and others you have been involved in) I would move heaven and earth to move or send my kids to private school.

Vince, it is you who are most firmly entrenched in your opinion that this school is not needed.

What would satisfy you?

If this school operated in the Route 1 corridor where it was out of your area?

Does FCPS not need a school for at risk students?

Since 1300 drop out each year, you can't say these schools are doing everything right, can you?

I have stated that this school should exist for the purpose of saving souls. You refuse to acknowledge that any need even exits-- Which I find amazing given that 180,000 kids are served.

FCPS employs hundreds of people to sing their own praises--no more cheerleadres are needed. we must always strive to raise the bar here and address our shortcomings. I'm not negative--I am the voice for kids who have not been to the FCPS Promised Land for one reason or another. I offer no apologies.

Isn't for at risk kids that FCPS has Bryant and Mountain View alternative high schools plus elementary and middle school alternative learning centers?

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