“Bigger Picture” - Yes, there was a steering committee within our HOA that I and several others elected not to participate in due to disagreement on how we were to move forward. Some of them have been quoted in the press articles, but their comments did not address the transparency and process issues. Ironically, those folks with whom I do see eye-to-eye are teachers themselves and cannot speak out in public for obvious reasons.

I have decided to attend at least one School Board meeting each month and do intend to speak at the first one (2nd Tuesday in January) regarding this issue. If anyone reading this wishes to form a parent group focused on increasing visibility to School Board activities using the press and other media, please join me and let’s see if we can organize ourselves into a functioning group with common goals.

‘We’ve tried’ -for the sake of our kids, we must keep trying.  My family is not impacted by this boundary adjustment either, but as we know the problem is far bigger than this particular issue. I have been attending School Board work sessions and meetings for some time and have found so many discussions and decisions to be quite alarming and equally frustrating to this boundary debacle.  The press should be doing more to challenge board actions.  However, the press does have a difficult time getting people to speak out against the board out of fear.  I plan to attend and speak at the January meeting, and I strongly encourage others to do the same.  The new board needs to hear from the public.  If we continue to stand as individuals, they will continue to ignore us.  Ever think about establishing a group?

To “Fix It”—Believe me, many have tried and failed to get the press to pay attention to the antics of the School Board for over 5 years. Unfortunately, all but “Too Conservative” seem to be in pretty tight with the School Board, though not necessarily the Planning committee. In fact, I will not be affected by this decision at all and have only remained involved throughout the process because, as a taxpayer and parent, I am very concerned with how this School Board operates and how their more controversial decisions are virtually ignored or spun by the local press. Bergel’s endorsement by this publication and her surprise re-election in November were equally disturbing, as this latest “11th hour” stunt is not an isolated incident.


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Sounds like enrollment at Dominion Academy and Loudoun Country Day is going to get a boost from some Beacon Hill kids.

Shawn,

They fought because of two reasons

1) to protect home values (their words not mine)

2) so they could now make the case to fix the feeder system they broke by offering to go to Smart Mill/Tuscarora instead of Simpson/County. How noble of them! They already have a ‘Strategic Planning Committee’ to ensure they can lobby Bergel for change.

If we’re going to have Douglass be the dumping ground, why can’t we just have contiguous zones?

I’m sure River Creek could go to Tolbert along with the rich part of Potomac Station. I’m also not sure why River Creek fought so hard to stay part of Reid even though its FARMS percentage is heading up.

The only reason I accepted the need for gerrymandering was to balance out ESOL/FARMS students, but now we’ve got gerrymandering AND imbalance.

Does anyone have any ideas/advice on how to bring this issue to the attention of the press?

“You do that by bowing down to the people in Beacon Hill who have a swimming pool of cash out back.  People like Bergel care about upward mobility, and she knows where to get her bread buttered.”

I think you meant River Creek and not Beacon Hill in your statement. She didn’t bow down to Beacon Hill, she dismissed the plan they put together(Bergel by Request B) because it did not allow River Creek to pick their own school(Bergel Plan 2).

She in fact was annoyed the “Beacon Hill Plan” was associated with her name and made that public.

I am willing to bet she has alienated Beacon Hill and many other communities that were supportive in order to keep River Creek happy. So I agree with your premise but you just have the wrong neighborhood to trash.

It is because people who voted in favor of this plan are just another group of selfish pols, who desperately want to be called up to the next level. 

You don’t do that winning the approval of the family in the $300k townhome who barely scrape by every month. 

You do that by bowing down to the people in Beacon Hill who have a swimming pool of cash out back.  People like Bergel care about upward mobility, and she knows where to get her bread buttered.  So do the rest of them.  Cash rules America folks, even at the lowly level of county school board when you get members who could care more about their campaign’s balance sheet than the kids.

we should keep the Official School Board Code of Conduct in mind as we reflect on the most recent policy changes and boundary decisions made by the outgoing board.

Did the school board members live up to their creed and their legal obligations to conduct themselves honorably and dutifully based upon their own Code of Conduct?

I’ll let you decide for yourselves.

Meanwhile, here is the Code of Conduct:

SCHOOL BOARD BYLAWS

§2-3 - Code of Conduct for School Board Members

A. As a member of my local School Board, representing all the citizens of my public school district, I recognize

1. That my fellow citizens have entrusted me with the educational development of the children and youth of this community.

2. That the public expects my first and greatest concern to be in the best interest of each and every one of these young people without distinction as to who they are or what their background may be.

3. That the future welfare of this community, of this State, and of the Nation depends in the largest measure upon the quality of education we provide in the public schools to fit the needs of every learner.

4. That my fellow board members and I should take the initiative in helping the people of this community to have the facts about their schools, to the end that they will provide the best possible school program, school staff, and school facilities.

5. That legally the authority of the Board is derived from the State which ultimately controls the organization and operation of the school district and which determines the degree of discretionary power left with the Board and the people of this community for the exercise of local autonomy.

6. That I must never neglect my personal obligation to the community and my legal obligation to the State, nor surrender these responsibilities to any other person, group, or organization; but that, beyond these, I have a moral and civic obligation to the Nation which can remain strong and free only so long as public schools in the United States of America are kept free and strong.

B. In view of the foregoing consideration, it shall be my constant endeavor

1. To regularly attend and fully participate in all scheduled board meetings, including those of committees to which I am assigned, and to otherwise devote sufficient time, thought, and study to the duties and responsibilities of a school board member so that I may render effective and creditable service to my constituents and to the school district as a whole.

2. To recognize that it is as important for the Board to understand and evaluate the educational program of the schools as it is to plan for the business of school operation, and thus it shall be my duty to thoroughly research all issues to the best of my ability so that my decisions may be in the best interests of my constituents and the school district as a whole.

3. To show respect for and work with my fellow board members and staff in a spirit of harmony and cooperation in spite of differences of opinion that arise during vigorous debate of points at issue.

4. To respect the stated purpose for, and maintain the confidentiality of, discussions that are held pursuant to the Code of Virginia as closed meetings or executive sessions.

5. To base my personal decision upon all available facts in each situation and to vote my honest conviction in every case, unswayed by bias of any kind.

6. To remember at all times that as an individual I have no legal authority outside the meetings of the Board, and to conduct my relationships with the school staff, the local citizenry, and all media of communication on the basis of this fact.

7. To resist every temptation and outside pressure to use my position as a school board member to benefit either myself or any other individual or agency apart from the total interest of the school district.

8. To bear in mind under all circumstances that the primary function of the Board is to establish the policies by which the schools are to be administered, but that the administration of the educational program and conduct of school business shall be left to the employed superintendent of schools and his/her professional and non-professional staff.

9. To welcome and encourage active cooperation by citizens, organizations, and the media of communication in the district with respect to establishing policy on current school operation and proposed future developments.

10. Finally, to strive step by step toward ideal conditions for most effective school board service to my community, in a spirit of teamwork and devotion to public education as the greatest instrument for the preservation of perpetuation of our representative democracy.

“Bigger Picture”—you are 100% right, and unfortunately as someone who has been involved in several of these public displays of chaos, I can tell you this is the MO of the LCPS Board, so unfortunately there are no surprises here. Hence, I go back to my original statement that the biggest threat to our children is the lack of transparency to LCPS decisions and processes. That battle is every bit as important as the academic inequalities and boundaries issues, so going forward with the “good fight” I too ask the community not to forget about the bigger picture. I personally would love to see a lot more press coverage (rather than posted comments, although they are interesting to read) about how the LCPS School Board continues to misuse their power. Are you listening Loudoun Times?

Bigger Picture - that more or less sums it up, especially if you’re referring to Bergel B Amended by Marshall as the plan most communities would’ve supported.  That plan had no over-crowding, communities were preserved, and it showcased the demographic balance the board and planning staff were looking for.

The speculation is the neighborhoods slated to go to Douglass put up a huge fight, despite the fact they have no neighborhood school, and despite that Douglass would have been 18% for both FRM/ELL but now is truly an inner-city school.  Congratulations.

And like you, I’m confused and concerned by the Board’s actions.

In reading through these comments, it seems that the main contentions are not necessarily about ‘who’ is going to Douglass, but much more about the ‘how’ and ‘why’ this decision was made.  The way that the school board handled the process, and their ultimate choice of boundary plan,  has caused the questions, suspicions and accusations being made on this blog.  Think about it:
- the school board established stated goals and objectives and then chose not to accomplish them (crowding and “unacceptable” levels of ELL/FRM remain); 
- they met with some communities but ignored other’s requests to meet; 
- they kept very large wealthy “communities” together but then split much smaller and less fortunate complexes;
- they rejected a plan that was supported by the vast majority of the Leesburg communities, moved the fewest number of students and met stated goals; 
- they chose to inexplicably continue to transport busloads of students from communities with elected and school officials to the opposite side of town;

The actions and final decision of this school board cannot be supported with the logic or data presented during the process, and it certainly raises a lot of eyebrows.  To say the least, it reeks of ineptness and special interest influence which is of far greater concern.

I am an unaffected resident of Potomac Station.

People who work hard to create a good life for their family by buying into their suburban communities shouldn’t be dragged into inner-city problems, and I was terribly sorry to see the thoughtless impact to our community by those who have nothing at stake in Leesburg.

If your child has been zoned for Douglass and that is not the school of choice for your child, Loudoun Country Day is always an option. Maybe your overprivileged children should go to private schools. The bottom line is that we are very fortunate that Leesburg has no “bad” schools, the fact you don’t want your child to go to a school because of where it is, who goes there, and the assistance some students may need is embarrassing.  Be happy our county has the money (through our taxes) and the forethought to get more schools ready for the explosive population that is moving out here.  We are more fortunate than most but should we really act like it?

Shielded, like I really believe you invite homeless to your house. You’re the bigot on here.

I live in the part of potomac station that was moved. I can literally see Tolbert elementary from my house but now our kids will be bussed downtown. The reason we moved here was the elementary and middle school were within walking distance. It is crime what Bergle and co have done and they should be investigated

It does seem very interesting that we have two neighborhoods involved in this boundary process that have either an ‘elected offical’ from Loudoun County or a ‘Higher Up’  in our school system living in them…. It must be a coincidence that the clusters where these people live were not moved?  If it is all just a mere coincidence then can someone please answer these questions for me?

*How does one neighborhood have “different” numbers throughout this process-we were all give the same numbers, weren’t we?

*Why were the majority of the clusters present and vocal during the entire process and some unusually quiet and absent?  Each cluster started this process knowing that they could be moved correct? 

*Why aren’t all of the ‘affulent’ clusters being insulted in the same manner?  I can only imagine how some clusters would be perceived if they made comments like this, “Those poor kids, they just do not fit in with our kids…..”. Are all of those ‘affluent’ clusters making those same statements in public or is a particular cluster giving everyone a bad name?

*Why would the board knowingly adopt a plan that does not create stability or true balance across Leesburg?  Do they love this process so much that they want to do it again in two years?

*Why was there a meeting taking place with any of the clusters 90 minutes before the final vote?  Some clusters were not even given the courtesy of a return phone call from particular board members, but others were given a face to face before the final vote???  Was this a meeting or just a final handshake to seal the deal?

*Why are some clusters already creating a ‘Strategic Planning Committee’ within their community? What type of planning needs to be done when the board has just ‘created’ what they consider to be ‘stability’ in Leesburg for the next ten years? Didn’t Bergel make it very clear that our middle and high school boundaries will not be moved?  Why waste your time as a community unless you are only preparing your castle for battle?

*Why are some people already making statements with great confidence about having certain clusters directly feeding into a different middle and high school during the next boundary battle?

My daughter will be attending Douglas Elementary School next year. We chose to live in the area of Leesburg where diversity is most prominent because we believe diversity is wonderful and good for our children. We have lived in white collar neighbrohoods most of our lives and I can tell you that having blue collar neighbors is definitely more enjoyable.

For those of you whose child will be attending Douglas, please refocus your energy and be part of the Douglas PTA. Let’s all work together and support our new Principal and Douglas staff. Let’s help them make Douglas a Blue Ribbon School! We know the issues and we know the solutions, we just need to put some effort and make it happen.

The point much earlier about the potential benefit of Douglass at the expense of all these other schools is a really interesting one. Amidst all the maneuvering of parents who are supposedly fighting on behalf of their kids who don’t get to choose where they go, it’s easy to forget that the teachers do. Principals DO make all the difference, and at my child’s ES the Principal is widely disliked. There’s been a lot of teacher turnover in recent years even without a convenient local ES alternative workplace. Introduce a new ES in the area with a well-regarded Principal, and there could be a lot of teacher movement from the existing schools.

It will be interesting to see. Our biggest concern has been overcrowding and the increasing tendency to teach to the middle - or lower - in the LCPS system. I don’t really know that any of these proposed plans would have changed that. But it’s interesting to note that of all the public schools open in this area, the “hot potato option” looks to be in the best position by a mile to overcome that.

I live in Sycamore Hill and I PERSONALLY invited FOUR members of the school board to come to my neighborhood on any given morning, to meet the families at our bus stop, who were not being heard and not being adequately represented.  We have a very mixed income, multi-cultural neighborhood with many factors that needed to be considered.  I left TWO messages for Ms. Bergel, and she never called me back.  I know two of my neighbors invited board members to come here and they were ignored….Only Mr. Stevens came by and only Mr. Stevens stood by his word.  THIS is how the game was played.  For those of you who think we didn’t try or just sat back and did nothing, you are wrong.  We had signed petitions with the vast majority of our neighbors expressing our needs.  I spoke.  We wrote letters.  We called.  I spoke to members of the board who assured me we wouldn’t be moved…yet, here we are.

FACT: This process started with the altruistic desire to “fix” 2 schools with a FRM/ELL range of around 34-39%

FACT: The process ended with a new school opening with a range of 31%-34%.

FACT: Jennifer Bergel never made time to meet with constituents in person after she was re-elected other than a few from Spring Lakes, River Creek and Lakes at Red Rock.

FACT: Those neighborhoods have residents who either are elected officials, ran her re-election campaign or have LCPS higher ups living in them.

FACT: River Creek is located on the east side of Leesburg but kids past 3 other ES.

FACT: Closed door meetings with certain neighborhoods occurred in the LCPS Admin building less that 90 min before the final hearing & vote.

Keep thinking this was a fair and open process. It was decided before it started.

And everyone remember that Jennifer Bergel almost came out of her shoes when it was publicly mentioned that Leesburg MS & HS boundaries are up next. She claims they aren’t but they are, certain neighborhoods have ALREADY begun to force the issue and she will not be able to resist.

Crazy Dog Lady,
Would you mind sharing either the Free and Reduced Meal and ELL percentages or the name of the school your children originally attended?  And the FRM and ELL percentages or the name of the school to which you moved?

“crazy dog lady” - So, in other words you believe your children who are enrolled in a PUBLIC SCHOOL deserve more of the teacher’s time because they speak English. Look, I’m a conservative. I’m anti illegal-immigration (yes, I know a stereotype). Even I think your mindset is very arrogant and snooty.

Your comments also pretty much confirm the theory that stay-at-home moms are disproportionately representing themselves at meetings. The lower income families where both parents have to work simply don’t have the time to come out in droves like you.

First of all, to Mike, your comment about Stay at Home Trophy wives is highly offensive.  I chose to be a Stay at Home Mom because I thought it was the best thing for my children even though it greatly cut down on our disposable income.  I firmly believe that many Stay at Home Moms involved in this boundary war were in the same boat.  Secondly, I don’t have a dog in this fight as we do not live in a neighborhood that was effected.  That being said, I know what it’s like to have low income/ELL children in great numbers, in my children’s classrooms.  The overall tone of the comments on this board are that the people living in the more upscale neighborhoods don’t want to mingle with the low income children.  I don’t believe that to be the case.  When my children were in elementary school, their school had a lot of ELL children.  The problem is that the schools in Loudoun County are completely focused on their SOL scores and therefore their main concern is raising the test scores of the poor performing students.  As a result, the children who are above average academically are bored and not challenged.  My children experienced this first hand.  I spent a lot of time in the classroom as both a substitute teacher and volunteer so I saw what was happening.  Back in the day, kids would be tracked into different classes based on their levels in math and reading.  This isn’t done anymore, so many kids are now sitting around being told to help their “neighbor” with his work.  In the end, we moved out of our neighborhood because I thought my kids weren’t getting a good education that would prepare them for the college track in high school.  I think that’s what the parents in this boundary war were concerned with.

Michael is exactly right, and it is a big reason why the working class folks are ignored at these meetings.  They don’t have time to show up to meeting after meeting.  They don’t have the dollars to bankroll Ms. Bergel’s next campaign.  So their kids get the shaft.

No, it is the “Real Housewives of Loudoun” who descend upon these meetings in their Range Rovers and fit them in their schedule between their personal trainer and a trip to the spa.  The fact they scold anyone about “hard work” is a joke.

Dear Disgusted for Different Reasons:
Please tell me how I have been rude, nasty, or hateful?  I am expressing my concern.  Please show me how I have been disrespectful.

Thank you,
Somewhat Disillusioned

Disgusted for Different Reasons—the only dumb comment was made by that last post, re: Trophy wives.  It is ignorant of YOU to assume that anyone who doesn’t have wealth doesn’t work hard.  There are many people who work their asses off, in multiple jobs, 7 days a week, to provide for their families.  There are many families in blue collar neighborhoods to work their asses off to do crap that those who were lucky enough to get a good education or whose parents birthed them into wealth would never dream of doing, to put food on the table.  I resent your implying that those who are NOT the 1% or who are wealthy don’t work hard.  Clearly, you are missing the point.  No one resents anyone being wealthy.  What those of us in the 99% resent is the elitist, hateful, ignorant commentary and attitudes by those who feel that said wealth makes them better than the rest of the children in public schools.  These are public schools.  Not private.  The mission of the public schools is to provide a free and appropriate public education for ALL children.  Not just the wealthier ones.  What you are calling hatred is actually disgust on the part of those of us who had to listen to comments, continually, about those who pay “more in taxes” having the right to essentially pick and choose their public school.  That isn’t how it works.  Sorry to fill you in on this.  So, perhaps YOU need to focus your energy on realizing that your “work harder” attitude is condescending, inaccurate and utterly snottish.  I would LOVE to see you or the people in your 1% get up at 4 a.m. each day to pick up the trash in Loudoun, or to make sure your streets are safe or to save lives.  How dare you assume that those of us who aren’t in the upper class don’t work hard. Keep living in that bubble and let us know how it works out for you, in the end.

What a nasty, hateful bunch you all are…especially this last ignoramus—“trophy wives”?? What is the matter with you?  Perhaps you need to re-focus your energy from bitter hatred, to hard work.  Then you could have a taste of what you are apparently so resenful of.

The only people who have time to go to these meetings are the stay-at-home moms (i.e. hubby has a high income). Do you think those rich trophy wives are going to support their kids intermixing with ESL and poor kids?

Mike - I don’t even currently have any children in a LCPS public elementary school, but even so, not only was I actively involved in 3 other boundary hearings in the past, for this hearing I listened to every meeting via WebCast AND wrote 4 separate emails to the School Board on behalf of my neighbors. No one should assume anything of anyone on these boards, because most often those assumptions are incorrect.

Secondly, to those of you who are asking for additional information, unfortunately that is all I have to give. I can also tell you that Shhhhhh! is absolutely correct—this has happened almost at every other boundaries hearings, so those of us who have been through this before are not surprised. 

I will give away my secret as to how I get these School Board Members to actually respond to my emails. Write a pleasant, articulate email that begins with a compliment about their performance (don’t laugh, I can play the game if I am forced to) and then slowly lead into the question without being accusatory. Do try it…it does work…they are all narcissitic and like to be thrown a few bones themselves.

Additionally, I have also called Adamo directly in the past, who almost always returns my calls, and on several occasions he has been surprisingly honest.

To those of you who were subject to the last-minute shenanigans—I have been there myself and am sorry. Douglass will be awesome, as the Principal truly sets the tone. A good Principal makes ALL the difference in the world and can make amazing things happen. My experience has taught me that as well. Good luck all!

Ultimately,
While it is critically important for parents to be involved in the education of their children, it is also critically important for the schools to be concerned about every child.  When making these kinds of decisions, they must also keep in mind the needs of children whose parents cannot give them what they need to be successful at school, whether it is due to poverty, language barriers, or any other factors.  Children never choose their circumstances; they’re simply born into them.  So the needs of school children should be the priority.

The point of public input was to give the public a chance to speak up to make compelling arguments about the redistricting process. It is then the Board’s responsibility to make appropriate judgments about whether or not those arguments are truly compelling in addressing the needs of schoolchildren.

If there was anything underhanded about the process, then that is a disappointment.  The more involved I became, the more difficult it became for me to be supportive of a decision which did not promote economic integration.  However, I limited my involvement to speaking with several of my neighbors about it, to encourage them to take an active role in the process, no matter what my stance was.  Even though my neighborhood has (supposedly) been one of the “beneficiaries” of the outcome, I feel that anything that may have occurred behind-the-scenes simply undermines my efforts at encouraging democratic participation.

@Mike—I’m just curious how you read these comments and can come to the conclusion that the people upset didn’t ake part in the process?  I live in an area being impacted by this. I went to all but two meetings, I worked with neighbors, wrote letters, made calls and shared facts, not emotions, with the board. I didn’t cry about my neighborhood being broken up or having to explain to my kids why their friends get to stay and they don’t. I focused on facts and what was best for the kids. The plan that was adopted is a joke. How can any taxpayer be supportive of it?  The fact is the plan is not reasonable. The fact is that the school board was terrified of river creek bringing their lawyers, AGAIN. The fact is, the school board is supposed to consider the needs of all children and what is best for LCPS….not what is best for the wealthier or most vocal.

I wonder how many of the people making comments took time to attend the meetings.  I did, and those who attended got to say their peace.  Of course, we cant ALL get what we want.  Folks who took the time to communicate with the board were heard, those who put forth no effort, were not.  This plan is like all the others the board had to consider, imperfect and controversial.  River Pointe (under construction) has NO IDEA what just happened.  Oh yeah, I support this plan because it keeps my kids at Tolbert.  I do not believe there are bad schools, or even bad kids, but there are ALOT of un-involved parents, rich and poor, that make for a bad environment for learing.  Some seem to be making comments here wondering why the board did not reach into their minds, and decide to do what they never communicated.  Hindsight is punishment for lack of involvement.

Somewhat Disillusioned—EXACTLY.  We didn’t HAVE to do it this way.  It is kind of outrageous….I don’t want to hear the BS thing about the school being in that community:  Half of the kids being BUSSED to Douglass have schools CLOSER to them and half of the kids that live close to Douglass are being BUSSED somewhere else…so those of you who are going to try and argue that this is their home school and that is why the demographics are like this….not so much.  Regardless, when the Board states that they are going to do things ONE way and then at the last minute does things in a shady way (that plan was posted, literally, last minute….not much room for public commentary on it, at all) it is very concerning.  When the people hired to do the job of assessing data and educating our children (the superintendent and the staff planning/legislative division) come up with a plan that makes sense, and we allow certain neighborhoods to throw those educated, experienced and non-biased plans to the side, we are allowing our kids to get screwed.  The process of allowing folks to be heard makes sense.  It is fine that folks had issues with the Staff plan and disagreed.  What is NOT fine to to, once again, put the wants, NOT THE NEEDS, of a few communities above the NEEDS of all of our children.  It is shameful, disgraceful and very, very sad.  At the end of the day, this is about schools and children and education.  I promise those freaking out about having a few people of color or non-english speaking or lower socioeconomic status around their children that it isn’t contagious….you can’t catch poverty, being a minority or a new skin color.  Sadly, it seems the parents don’t get this….I wish they could catch a clue.

Digusting:

Yes, please do tell more.  That 31% FRM/34% ELL number does really make me cringe.  I just feel awful about them.  I’m one of those people whose kids get to stay where they are, but this process has taught me that we are part of the reticular system:  someone benefits at the expense of another. CL19 becomes the victim of other communities’ successes. Therefore, I would really like details about “a behind the scenes justification made by “one of the School Board Members” that the public was not privy to.” 

I’ll bet the principal is great; but why are we throwing those demographic numbers at him, or at the students who will attend, when we don’t have to?

Shhhhhhh—as someone who lives in a neighborhood that got completely screwed in this process, I wish you would elaborate on what you are saying.  Considering this is an anonymous board, please feel free to unleash because I am in awe of how this could have happened:  how the board could POSSIBLY have picked the ONE plan that creates a school with an extremely large population of ELL and FRL—in its first year, far exceeding ALL of the other schools AND doesn’t move ONE “higher” income neighborhood into it. The Superintendent of our schools TOLD them that a rate of 22% was really as high as it should go and they basically told him to go eff himself.  I am assuming you are referring to River Creek, as Beacon Hill got moved out of FHR, anyway.  Perhaps River Creek should just continue building that fence…

I would urge the tax payers to take a good look at this situation.  You may THINK that it doesn’t impact you but, it does.  These are the people in charge of MANY decisions.  The kids at Douglass will be fine:  They are getting a phenomenal principal who will select an A+++ staff.  The school is going to be under capacity in its first year (I won’t be surprised if another neighborhood gets shipped over at some point in future years)....what is disgusting is what the board did.  Mr. Marshall with his ridiculous statements, Ms. Bergel with her BS concern and her “let’s get home to our kids”....I’m sorry, are we holding you up making you go through the motions of doing your PAID job?  Mr. Ohneiser with his pathetic commentary that made NO sense, pretty much a pattern with him….Disgusting.

Re: Disgusting - What a shocker that the process was a sham! Didn’t anyone wonder why some communities were being unusually quiet?  Their favorable fate was being negotiated out of the public eye.

Dig around deeper folks and you may just find questionable motivations for lots of school board decisions.  Boundaries are just the tip of the iceberg.  Glad my kids are outta there!

My question is:  why did we build this school in the first place?  Look out to the 2017-2018 student enrollment projections and the school capacities.
There will be over 600 empty seats!!
If you didn’t build this school, you have a capacity of 5719 students and a total of 5992 students.  Less than 5% above capacity.  The existing schools could easily have accommodated this. 
The taxpayers are once again getting fleeced while the School Board continues to build its empire.

“Is it possible they pooled a larged number of EEL and special needs into one school to provide the best resources at one concentrated location?”

Perhaps, but apparently we’ll never know, as I emailed someone on the School Board regarding this surprise CL19 move,and the response was something along the lines of a behind the scenes justification made by “one of the School Board Members” that the public was not privvy to.

I don’t know about you all, but I am now convinced that lack of transparency in LCPS processes is the single biggest threat to our children’s education in the years to come. These useless “boundary hearing” spectacles are just a bone thrown to us parents to make us believe we are really part of the process.

Truly disgusting…..

Is it possible they pooled a larged number of EEL and special needs into one school to provide the best resources at one concentrated location?  Probably not possible that was the motivation but it would be nice if it had good intentions behind it.  Everyone is free to send their kids to private school if they do not like their zone assignment.

You are guaranteed a public education, but you are not guaranteed where you will receive it.  Those with this entitlement mentality should be embarrassed.  They sound worse than their children who whined because mommy and daddy didn’t get the upgrade to an iphone 4.

There is nothing harmful in traveling with a church to participate in a project of helping others.  But it must be seen for what it provides:  a short education about the lives of the poor.  I think of the story of Shakiyamuni, or Buddha.  From a very wealthy family, he was sheltered from the poverty that surrounded his family’s walled home.  One day, he caught a glimpse of the outside, and was moved by the suffering.  He renounced his family’s way of life, and fasted to understand the plight of the poor.  He then had a realization that suffering isn’t necessary, and restored himself to his state of wealth.  That is why you see fat, laughing Buddha statues.  It reflects that stage in Buddha’s life.

There is nothing wrong with wealth per se, as long as it is gotten through honest work. But it is likely that little is lost—-there will not likely be much suffering—for the children of the wealthy when they are expected to integrate.  And without sufficient integration (Tom Marshall referred to a 22% FRM rate as “ideal” for our schools), then it will be much harder for those poor children to become laughing Buddhas themselves.

The elitist Loudoun attitude is only hurting your kids. There’s a reason why employers say graduates from public schools are better prepared for the real world than graduates from private (i.e. shielded from reality) schools.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703597204575483730506372718.html

But hey, it’s a free country. If you want to raise your kids on the belief that they are better than everyone else because you make more money, go ahead.

You’re pretty much proving my point.

Your church tells your 100 kids (not exactly a large sample size compared to 60,000 students) that the homeless are below you and should be left in their poor neighborhoods. Giving them winter coats is like feeding animals in a zoo.

Once you start inviting the homeless over to your homes for dinner will I believe that you are sending the message to your kids that they are equals.

I will educate Shielded from the truth since he/she isn’t living in the real world. There are at least 100 Loudoun kids(I’m sure considered elite) that travel with our church into DC to feed the homeless, give out winter coats and do other great services for the people in need throughout the DC area. Think you need to get out of that so-called bubble.

Splitting hairs with ducks in the row comment about everyone paying the same rate. Who cares what the rate is when your house/property values goes up every year, even in a bad economy just so Loudoun make up loss revenue. I’ve live in Loudoun over 25 years. Been in my current home for over 9. I paid more last year then I did 4-5 years ago. Meanwhile, we give seniors a huge tax break no matter how long they’ve lived in Loudoun. Kids should go to the closest school period. If the kids lives in a community, then they should go to the closest school based on the proximity of where the community(majority) is to the school. Very simply, logicial and makes sense.
By the way, I can’t believe all the town homes built driving up Sycolin RD and then taking Battlefield PKWY. There must be 5K-10K townhomes. The BOS’s that allowed that should be S H O T!

My wife had an appraiser tell her the newer houses in the douglas ghetto school zone could lose $20000 of value due to reassignment and be harder to sell.
I thought Leesburg was under a school desegregation order from 1968?

These kids of elitest Loudouners are going to be in for a rude awakening when they get into the real world (assuming they can get jobs with their sociology degrees) and realize that they suddenly have to interact with minorities, homeless people, people with single parents, etc.

Keep raising your kids in a bubble!

Besides the location (seriously what were they thinking when they picked that location), I just dont favor this social engineering for schools.  You should go to the school nearest to your house.  End of story.  How is that difficult?

I wouldnt have minded my daughter going to Douglas, IF IT WASNT BEHIND A JIFFYLUBE AND POPEYES.

What a terrible location for traffic, pedestrian foot traffic.  Lots of random people are going to walking around that school.  Not cool.

Amen “Disillusioned”.  Well said.  I love a good history lesson too.

The irony here is that Douglass Elem may be the big winner.  It’s been assigned a principal with a great reputation, it will be home to many awesome and diverse kids (and I suspect great teachers), and it will remain hundreds under capacity throughout the duration of the six year forecast.  Meanwhile, FHR and Tolbert will be jammed packed from day 1, and not only home to more FRM and ELL students then they are used to, but also a large percent of SpEd.

And one more remark:  if you consider yourself “1%, if you consider yourself to be alone, then you have united with nobody….to do wrong.

To spell out that idea that “wealth won out,” let’s re-frame this local school redistricting fight within our general history:  rather than considering this a fight of neighborhoods who fiercely guard their close-knit community against school administrators with a socialist agenda, I think it should be seen as an example of the quintessential tension in American history between the rights of property owners vs. the rights of the individual, regardless of status.  The pattern of history here has little to nothing to do with socialism, and more to do with the rights of the less enfranchised.

What has been curious about this whole process is that not a single person referenced in any of their speeches the name of the historical figure, Frederick Douglass, a man who was a “firm believer in the equality of all people, whether black, female, Native American, or recent immigrant, [and was] famously quoted as saying, “I would unite with anybody to do right and with nobody to do wrong.”’ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederick_Douglass)

Now, it would, from an historical perspective, be completely nonsensical to call Douglass a “socialist.”  If his interest in the equality of every human being makes him a socialist, then when are we allowed to talk about, and extol, the idea of equality within an American context?  Isn’t the idea of equality a strong theme in American history and culture?  And why did so many citizens refuse to honor that American ideal in this process?

I am afraid that “I Am the 1%” can be appropriately classified among the other propertied people in American history who fought for their rights of ownership.  Shall I spell out who the people on the side of the propertied have been throughout our history?  Shall I mention the slaveholders?  Shall I mention the generations of men who withheld from women the right to vote and own property, who considered their wives to be their own property?

Thankfully, the history of this quintessential American debate has evolved to the point to which “1%” cannot legally own slaves or treat his spouse as chattel.  But the “I need the best when I pay so much in taxes” notion conflates privilege with right, and neglects the importance of education as a public good for all. We know that the economic segregation of schools provides a poorer quality of education to the children of the maids who clean the home and the gardeners who mow the lawn of “1%.” The perverse American historical phenomenon, “separate but equal” comes to mind here.  Is our current situation completely evolved and distinct from the period of history that strangely embraced segregation, or are we simply refusing to acknowledge its eerie resonance?

It’s sad that we have decided to downplay the significance of Frederick Douglass as we begin to create a school with demographics that mimic today’s Catoctin.  Had Douglass been alive today, he surely would have been especially concerned about the quality of education available to those who fall into FRM/ELL categories. I really do hope that the development of Riverpointe and 15.2 will bring down the FRM/ELL percentages.  Otherwise, we may have dishonored the memory of Douglass.

The fact that “1%” makes a 1% allusion may give off a strong whiff of superiority, but it also suggests a lack of alliances; cordoning oneself off suggests an untenable, indefensible, lonely position.  Had we all acted in the spirit of Frederick Douglass, we might have united with everybody “to do right.”  Instead, poor students and families might find themselves retracing Douglass’ steps, taking an awkward and frightening stance against “1%,” destabilizing the status quo for the sake of securing what should be rightfully theirs in what should be a just society.

It is all shameful.. The adopted plan, Bergel stating that the process is a “competition”, the hideous way people have referred to ELL and FRM students, and the school board’s service to the outspoken at the expense of the unrepresented children..  Shameful.  But, honestly, not surprising from this board.

Give everyone vouchers and let parents choose where they send their kids.  Since we can’t do that, we buy our houses based on zoning.  If Id wanted my kid(s) to go to a school where ESL dominates, I would have bought my house there.

Leesburg Resident, you’re right….if you work hard so your kids can go to the ” nice” schools and others can’t afford to live in their neighborhoods…you’re right, that’s life, but if the school board proposes that you have to go to school with kids from a lower economic background that’s life too…get over it! Come on people, this Leesburg not SW DC! Is there really such a thing as a “bad” school?

I am the 1% is right.  If someone works hard to get into a certain neighborhood so their child can go to a specific school, then good for them.  Nice job.  If you cant afford to live in a certain neighborhood, then so be it.  That is life.  Also, I am the 1% does pay more taxes.  You cant go by the tax rate.  You need to look at the total outlay of cash.  The higher the value of the house, the more tax a person pays.  Its simple math.

Leesburgsw—did you actually LOOK at the adopted plan before you started preaching?  The adopted plan is ridiculous.  Reasonable?  Not so much. Unfair and hugely flawed?  Definitely.
Mr 1%—you are exactly what is wrong with society today. You think you pay more than everyone else?  Same percent as everyone else. Your elitist attitude is only going to hurt your kids. Someday, they are going to have to leave the little cocoon you are tying to build around them and live in the real world. And, quite honestly:  you chose to live in your McMansion in your cookie cutter neighborhood. You CHOOSE to live in a neighborhood that doesn’t have a community school….so, you don’t get to choose where you go. You should go where you fit or to the school closest to you. Not where you think your big bank account or big house entitle you to go.

Loudoun continues to grow. The building of new schools and redistricting will continue for other parts of Loudoun.  Regardless of which decision was passed by the School Board, some people would not be happy. Looks like the Board approved a reasonable plan after considering many options. Parents who think there is a perfect teacher or perfect school are quite naive—such institutions do not exist!  The world is much bigger than your personal Leesburg subdivision.  High school, college, and the global workforce all lie ahead for today’s young people.  Children need to learn how to live and work with other young people with varied backgrounds.

To I am the 1%, your snobbish attitude is unbelievable! You guys in those affluent little neighborhoods need to get off your high horses and come back to Earth! Your child is no more important than mine because of the square footage of your home! When you and your chiidren do return to Earth, you guys are in for a rude awakening! My goal as a parent is to raise a well rounded, educated child who can go into a room and hold a conversation with anyone, not just the few snobs standing in the corner. So stay @ FHR or wherever you are, I"ll take Catoctin anyday.

“I am the 1%.”—Don’t assume every family who currently attends Balls Bluff or Catoctin is not on par with your economic status. When I moved to Edwards Landing eight years ago, the prices of the homes were comparable to Lakes at Red Rock, but we chose this community due to its proximity to stores, as I am from the city and prefer to walk whenever possible. Plus, at that time I was specifically told that Leesburg boundaries were “a mess and still a moving target.” I’m sorry your sales agent wasn’t as honest with you.

“Relieved”—I no longer have kids in a LCPS elementary school, but back when I did it was still referred to as ESL. And yes, I have much experience with diverse classrooms, as I was a volunteer tutor years ago when my child was in elementary school. And yes, my kids are fine because I was able to go above and beyond. Not everyone has that luxury.

“Frank”—There is no love for Bergel in my circles (which includes my friends in Lovettsville), so don’t blame us. Caught me by surprise as well.

“Ducks in a row”—Was in your position several years ago, I feel your pain and I’m sorry. What I can tell you is that Leesburg is home to three excellent high schools, and when all the kids come together as young adults, your own children will befriend kids who live clear across town and are coming from different elementary schools. And then suddenly, the whole “HOA community” concept becomes a lot less important.  When it comes to creating a true community, the kids have proven to be much smarter than us parents.

The parents so intent on keeping their kids at FHR will be in for a big surprise when they realize that the teachers at FHR will be applying for transfers to DOUGLASS!!!

“I am the 1%” - the comment that you pay more Loudoun taxes is not true. We all the pay same rate of taxes. We all work hard for our money and many of us make more than you do but we chose homes in other neighborhood. Living in a neighborhood entitles you to nothing.

I just want to say that I’ve worked darn hard for my money and the ability to buy into a nice neighborhood. As a result, we pay more property taxes than most of Loudoun and we deserve to have the best schools for our children. What’s the point of buying into a community only to have your kids bused to the neighborhood you just moved out of?

The decision was disheartening to say the least. Wealth won out again. There was a plan put forth that satisfied all the 7 criteria, made a 100% middle/high school feed at 8 of the 9 schools, left a 45/55 split feed at the 9th school, started Douglas off with 2 very strong neighborhoods, and equalized the ELL %ages at all schools, except Sycolin (which was predetermined to be an outlier school). This plan was rejected b/c three Board members had one specific agenda item they were each looking for. This plan moved the fewest number of students across the board and kept 3 schools (Evergreen, Leesburg and Sycolin) with no changes. This plan was endorsed before the Board by nearly 75% of the communities who spoke. It was adamantly rejected by one neighborhood. All of this is sad. One neighborhood who continuously made horrendous comments about other people’s children. The comments were scathing and fierce behind the scenes and not one spoke to what’s best for the children or community as a whole - they spoke self-servingly. I can only hope that there will be parents/the PTA at Reid will welcome it’s newest community members with open arms. I hope the PTA will take a step back, and think about ways to repair the community spirit that has yet again been stomped out. These are children for goodness sake, who are now going to be bussed out of the school they have been at for years, in order to accommodate one neighborhood who fought so beautifully behind the scenes - albeit underhandedly - keep their children happy.  It is up to all of us, those of us who worked together on this boundary issue, to rally behind Douglas and help get that school off to the best start possible, to support them with fundraisers, volunteers, and assistance to get their PTA off the ground. If we don’t, shame on us.

I would MUCH rather my children attended school with these “special needs” kids you refer to or the “ESL” (the correct term is ELL, clearly you don’t have much experience with them) or lower socioeconomic kids than go to school with children whose parents are so far removed from reality that they are hiring lawyers and threatening to sue the public schools because there may be some of THOSE students in their child’s class next year. What MESSAGE are you sending your children?  No, not that you care.  You are sending the message that YOU are better.  And, YOU are not.  Again, we are talking about kids and ALL of them have the right to a public education.  Don’t want to mix with the masses?  Go to private schools.  There are several in the area that will be happy to take your money.    Balls Bluff mom—keep doing what you are doing.  Your kids will be okay.

I feel bad for the kids being railroaded into a “bad” school because these Board members do whatever it takes to appease the wealthy neighborhoods.  Don’t look at me, I didn’t vote for any of them.  The rest of you apparently wanted more Bergel.

“communities, that is”

“Parents” and “Itz Obvious”—you are both correct. As a parent of a Balls Bluff student, I will tell you that a high population of special needs children (I don’t want to say ESL because that is not the only issue) do consume much of the teacher’s time and school’s resources. What’s worse, when our kids move onto high school, they are not as prepared for academically advanced classes as kids from FHR and Leesburg Elementary. Critical thinking skills are non-existent in the schools that have other pressing priorities. However, I will also agree with the ‘snob’ comment because the most irritating part of this whole debacle is that the parents of FHR and other schools don’t care at all that my children are struggling in school. They believe that for some reason because my family chose one HOA over another - literally less than a mile from their home, my child deserves an inferior education. To those of us who have been forced to go the extra mile as parents to compensate for the imbalance, all of the other arguments presented by the other comminities seem trivial in comparison.

“Snobs”?  Try “Parents”.  Parents who want to give their children the best education possible.  ESL students take more of the teacher’s time and reduce the quality of education for the entire class.  I would even suggest that children from lower socioeconomic backgrounds also take more of the teacher’s time, but I would be accused of being classist or something like that.

The explanation is simple. Loudoun County residents are snobs. The white collar workers don’t want their kids going to the same schools as the kids of blue collar workers, immigrants, and welfare recipients.

“Like communities, Like schools” is really a euphemism for “Like Socioeconomic status, Like schools”

I think everyone should take a good, long hard look at the plan the Board adopted.  It creates a school that has 31% Free and Reduced Lunch Students and 34% ELL students….whereas the rest of the schools are far below this rate.  The average rate for the county are 9% and 16%.  The school board had an opportunity to do the right thing and make the schools somewhat equal.  Instead, they created a school with the highest challenges, from day one.  Shame on them.  Shame on all that supported a plan that created such challenges.  This is about children receiving an education….not neighborhoods or who plays together at the pool.

I wish Bergel would explain her last statements better. What is the right thing for future boundaries? So, if it’s not the kids or the communities, then what is the best you(School Board) are doing for Leesburg?

seems like the same 5 SB members always vote together. Not any different on this vote. Logic and common sense aren’t in the 5 SB members vocab. They might as well as been blind folded and play pin the community to the Elementary school.

I find the supporting data concerning the percentage of free/reduced lunches as well as English Language Learners for Francis Hazel Reid extremely hard to grasp considering that the neighborhoods attending this school are some of the more affluent in Leesburg, VA.

“Destroying kids (sic) lives”? Melodramatic much?

Another kabuki dance complete.

The new school board will bankrupt our schools, force more overcrowding and boundary shifts, upsetting families and destroying kids lives.  Already Scott York is planning on changing the county’s housing plans to add thousands of new houses, running a pipeline to the west after throwing out the comprehensive plan and ultimately raising your property taxes.  So much for his campaign promises.  Thanks for all the lies.