Yo. Busy week. 7 meetings this week but I’m optimistic I can at least have a hamburger with my family Friday night at the Football game! First time this week! I’ll try to write a report on the Ed. Fwd. committee but it might be awhile before I get to it. Too much to do. Also an important Land Use meeting tomorrow night.
October 26, 2011 at 8:34 am
Just out of curiosity, exactly how many times have the bricks been replaced on Center St? I noticed they are replacing them yet again.
October 26, 2011 at 9:41 am
Important Land Use meeting…I tried to find an agenda for this meeting but couldn’t. I am curious if the City is still keeping the EPA/ Chesapeake Bay cleanup in mind. You mentioned a worse case senario – the City buying land and tearing down houses to build stormwater ponds. Continued building without the proper storm water system adds to the solids, nitrogen and phosporous going into the Chesapeake Bay from our jurisdiction. I am not a “greenie” by any means but if it has the potential to cost the City citizens as much as $7 MILLION a year for 3-4 years we should be concerned.
October 26, 2011 at 10:17 am
I don’t have a link but I know it’s there, I looked at it yesterday. Look in the archive center.
We’re keenly aware of the Bay stuff. The frustrating part of that is that our stormwater facililties were overbuilt – we went over and above what was required – and that over-capacity is what we may not get credit for.
October 26, 2011 at 12:20 pm
Thanks, I found it in the archieve center. I am not familiar with these meetings – are residents invited and can they raise questions?
October 26, 2011 at 1:26 pm
Council meetings and committee meetings are always open to the public. There may be parts of them that are “closed” but that’s rare for committee meetings (of which Land Use is one). This particular meeting is not a public hearing so, while residents are invited, it is to observe. If you have questions or concerns that arise from what you see you’re welcome to grab someone after the meeting or send an email.
October 26, 2011 at 4:20 pm
The Council’s Land Use Committee is one of the easier Agenda Packets to find – it is posted under Community Development | Meetings and Hearings | City Council’s Committee on Land Use and Development.
I believe it is our Senior Planner Greg Boykin who maintains that Department’s webpages and does a bang-up job of it! Now if only other Boards/Committee/Commissions documents could be found without sorting through the archive center.
Ideally, a hyperlink off the calendar to where they are on the City’s server like with the Council Meeting Agendas. But like I was told about the Finance Committe, our Finance folks are having a tough time getting the hyperlink done.
All these years later, and I still shake my head over one of the easiest things in HTML/XML to do is tough to do.
October 26, 2011 at 8:06 pm
http://manassas.patch.com/articles/prince-william-county-among-best-in-nation-with-job-growth
Please note:
Manassas City-average weekly wage- $1,042
Prince William County -$808
Manassas Park -$770
October 26, 2011 at 8:12 pm
FYI: Total SAT Scores – School Year 2010-2011
Manassas City – 1491
PW County- 1490
Manassas Park – 1372
October 26, 2011 at 9:14 pm
Wakefield (Arlington) 1484
Park View (Loudoun) 1474
North Stafford (Stafford) 1473
Stonewall Jackson (PW) 1467
Hayfield (Fairfax) 1475
Hylton (PW) 1467
Mount Vernon (Fairfax) 1458
TC Williams (Alexandria City) 1442
Gar-Field (PW) 1440
Potomac (PW) 1408
Freedom (PW) 1310
October 26, 2011 at 10:42 pm
Returned from tonight’s Education Forward meeting and wanted to put forward some thoughts here while they’re somewhat fresh.
Next up, ‘what are we going to use as our measurements of success’ as we claw our way up towards the level of the ‘premier’ NOVA school system. Seems like SOLs rule the roost, and our LEP and poor students are the big handicap. Not to mention students who move in and out of the system, get arrested before graduating, and otherwise make AYP such an out of reach goal that maybe MCPS should just lower our sights a bit. I don’t buy it. ‘Non completers’ affect our scores, but 67 students out of thousands is a small number. Now it may be true that No Child Left Behind will and should be altered or discarded soon, and that it was an overreach by the federal government to begin with, but I’ll leave that one alone for now.
When a question was asked along the lines of ,” what winning formulas exist in school systems with challenges like ours, that can we implement here”, I literally wanted to shout out Round, Round, look at George C. Round! What makes that school ranked so much higher in the state than our other Elementary schools? I don’t know. Are there no LEP or poor kids there? But whatever the heck they do have going for them can’t be replicated across town? Can’t ever be held up as an example of what we are doing right in Manassas? Isn’t it a bright spot on our record worth looking at, studying, and celebrating? Correct me if I’m wrong, but not only has Round been accredited year after year, they make the darn AYP every year too. Somehow they’re firing on all cylinders there, and I’d be looking at what works here instead of roaming the state looking for what works elsewhere. Just sayin..
Sorry, back to measurements of a premier school system, here’s my list
SOL scores guess there is no avoiding this one
Student/teacher ratios the lower the better, what can we afford?
English proficiency I don’t know about others, but if a guy can’t speak english, I’m not going to hire him, period. And if a student isn’t English proficient, we’ve got to focus on that before expecting him to give written reflection on why the hell he just had to read Silas Marner and Great Expectations.
Graduation rates
SAT scores found out tonight that we just edge out PWC and Man Park
Percentage of kids taking SATs
Percentage of grads going to college
Percentage of grads going to SUPER colleges
AP test scores I’m all for footing the bill for the tests, if you take the class take
the darn test and give us the 4 or 5 score that shows it was worth
the effort
Percentage of students involved in school extracurricular activities
Percentage of grads who can speak and write logically, write a thank you note, and balance a checkbook,
It’s a short list, but I’m no scholar. One last point to make and I’m done. Tonight a board member gave an example that went something like this: A third grader reading at a first grade level comes into the system and by the time he makes it halfway through fourth grade he’s reading at a third grade level. While he’s obviously made progress, he hasn’t made AYP progress, because he couldn’t pass the appropriate test for his grade. Umm, why isn’t he still in third grade? Why are students leaving Metz for Osbourn when they haven’t mastered eighth grade anything? Is it possible, in the MCPS, that kids are promoted who don’t deserve to be? Does it serve the community and the nation to just pass everyone so that the chair is free for the next kid? I appreciate the value of our new freshman academy, and the remedial resources it provides, but I’d rather they didn’t get there until their middle school work was up to par. Whatever it takes. Drag parents into school so it is clear that their help is going to be necessary, so it is clear to them what their child needs to do to be promoted.
I’m glad that this focus on the schools is continuing. I’m happy to hear wise statements from our elected officials. As Mr. Albrecht stated early on, this is neither a witch hunt nor a time to point fingers. Its just time for us all to identify practical and positive changes for MCPS , which I’m confident can be done sooner rather than later. I’ll say it one more time, lets start by looking within the system for who and what is working and discard what is not.
BTW, what the heck is in the water in Falls Church?
October 27, 2011 at 4:39 am
If the average weekly wage in Manassas is over 1,000.00 why do we have half of the population on free/reduced lunch? Is someone verifying the info submitted? Something’s not right here.
October 27, 2011 at 6:02 am
Ed,
Thanks for keeping us very focused on potential solutions and for continuing the dialogue in a positive manner. Keep going.
October 27, 2011 at 7:45 am
@Ed
Thanks for the briefing! Your observations on the SOLs, since the State watches those as quality indicators versus NCLB, are correct – those are the ones we should be using. I have mentioned the Joint Legislative Audit Review Committee before, and each year JLARC prepares a report on school spending on the qualtity measures. You can find the reports with powerpoint briefings on each at:
http://jlarc.virginia.gov/pubs_rec.htm
With regards to your example of 3rd Grade Reading, that is the “hot topic” at the moment. If you go to the suggested link, you will see the third item in the list of reports is one on “Strategies to Promote Third Grade Reading in Virginia”.
October 27, 2011 at 7:58 am
@Maureen: you ask a good question, and it is also why using statistical averages is a pain. Between the professional occupation average weekly wage of $1,879 and the Federal Goverment average wage of $1,467 of people who are City residents, it really blows the average when the bottom salaries are the food service average of $305. Big range. And with the median income of $72,000, all these factoids just sound good, but don’t reflect the reality as you point out of kids on the meal program.
And our Top Ten Employers are (and all pay good salaries):
1. Micron Technology
2. Lockheed Martin
3. Prince William Hospital, General Hospital Division
4. City of Manassas School Board
5. County of Prince William
6. Nova Counseling Group Inc
7. City of Manassas
8. American Public University
9. BAE Systems Information
10. Oberon Associates Inc
October 27, 2011 at 8:33 am
Ed, the majority of Falls Church’s students are well off and the schools are funded VERY well.
Maureen, really? Can you do simple math? You take just one well paid doctor and nine poor families and their weekly income can average over a thousand dollars a week. That is how you come up with a high average while still having a large number of people struggling to feed their kids. Some people need to think a little before they hit ‘send’.
October 27, 2011 at 8:53 am
PW, you are absolutely correct that the average doesn’t tell the whole story. There is always a story behind the gross numbers. The bottom here in Manassas is far larger (percentage wise) and lower than the bottom in Falls Church. The demographics, politics, stores, etc. of the two areas are completely different.
October 27, 2011 at 10:06 am
@Ed,
You summed it up well.
It would help if MCPS encouraged assimilation. Speaking English and only English in our schools would be a good start. Recently I had a meeting at one of our schools it was nearly 10 minutes before I heard a word of English. A little “Tough Love” could go a long way. If we stop catering, only those who want to assimilate will stay, those who don’t will move on.
October 27, 2011 at 11:34 am
Be cool everyone.
October 27, 2011 at 12:44 pm
Falls Church, I’m sure has fewer illegals and kids who are not interested in learning. The learning gap between white students and minority students is well known. Does it account for everything of course not. But, we’ll go a long ways in turning around the school system, if we put energy into getting rid of the illegals living in the City. That’s the bottom line, even if some are not willing to admit it. We will never have a decent school system where it’s pander time to illegals and those that do not speak English. We will never have a good to above average school system when we have over a 3rd of the students in ESL classes. We won’t have a good school system until the school board and the Administation are held accountable and are willing to interect with the parents and citizens of the City.
October 27, 2011 at 12:49 pm
From the article Councilman Randolph pointed out:
“Manassas City had 23,994 jobs and an average weekly wage of $1,042.”
I find it frustrating the media reports two figures like this as if they were related, and they’re not at all. Okay, so there are ~24k jobs in the City, but it’s not like those jobs are all (or even close to all) filled by City residents. Nor is relating the “average week wage”, as a VERY HIGH percentage of City resident wage earners earn their wage from a employer elsewhere. I’m a City resident, and the City of San Diego CA get’s credit for MY “job”, but not my wage.
October 27, 2011 at 12:52 pm
PW Girl,
Yes, please think before hitting the send button. You’ve added nothing to the topic, or even addressed what Mureen said, other then to take a shot at her. I and many others do not want to support illegals aliens who come here, break the law, and then get hand outs that are not paid by them. It’s their fault they are unable to feed their kids, had they come here legally, maybe they would have a better paying job. And for those that are not illegal, have they thought maybe they would have better pay or a better job, without illegals? It’s the poor that seem to suffer the most because of illegals. Both groups fight it out for the same housing, same hand outs, and same job fields. Yet, how many of the poor are out there fighting to rid the City of illegals?
October 27, 2011 at 2:03 pm
let me do the refereeing work com…:)
October 27, 2011 at 3:17 pm
@Ed Spall,
Round is a good example, their scores sort of jump out at you when you go thru the local school report cards. I asked a teacher at Haydon who is on the math curriculum committee and she couldn’t explain precisely why the higher math scores at Round. I posited some possible answers, like maybe the GT are weighted there, but she said no that wasn’t it. Whatever it is, if it is reproducible than it should be copied where it can be, if it is more demographic and esl based than it should be simply stated, so we don’t waste time thinking that there is some secret formula to be discovered at Round.
October 27, 2011 at 4:07 pm
Andy,
Sorry.
October 27, 2011 at 4:59 pm
Round doesn’t have parallel block.
Given that there is talk about Baldwin needing to be replaced and Mr. Demeria suggested that we may need another elem. in the next few years….why not follow the lead of PWC and establish a school (or two) like Pennington or Porter Traditional? Vouchers and true charter schools are unlikely but establishing a so called “specialty school” is possible. “Specialty” and “School of Choice” are the terms PWC uses but those terms are a bit misleading since they do offer services to Special Ed children.
October 27, 2011 at 10:28 pm
While we are citing SAT averages of local high schools, Manassas’ own Seton School’s 2010 average was 1800.
October 27, 2011 at 10:36 pm
Four Kids, we have a “speciality” school already within the MCPS System called Mayfield Intermediate. It is designed as a “building within a building” for a “child-scaled non-institutional enviroment” (quoting from their website”. It is Team Teaching with math, science and technology emphasized; along with a couple of elective 9-week long intensive courses. Oh yeah, there is also the Student Run Broadcast station. The whole bill sold to the taxpayer was this was to be a premo non-traditional school with the best and the brightest….
They are fully accredited, but for the last two years did not make AYP.
October 27, 2011 at 10:56 pm
One thing that stands out at Round, that I’ve observed over the years, is the low teacher turnover. There is an atmosphere of professionalism, for the most part, and it carries over to the classroom. The demographic is very similar to the other elementary schools here and they are now a Title I school (like Baldwin, Dean and Haydon). I’ve had kids at all the city schools except Weems and Baldwin (and JLC). Not having Parallel Block, like the other elementaries, (mentioned previously:)) is another obvious reason. It’s not perfect at Round but these are the things, I’ve noticed, that make it different.
October 28, 2011 at 8:20 am
4k&D & Michele,
Thanks, I didn’t realize Round doesn’t do Parallel Block. I’m not a big fan of the practice. Distraction and lack of focus is the curse of our times, I think Parallel Block tends to cater to the problem.
October 28, 2011 at 8:33 am
@Ray
It mat be “alternative” but there are many types of alternative schools – PWC has numerous alternatives each with a different purpose. Besides you can’t compare Mayfield to Pennington or Porter Traditional for a variety of reasons.
1) Pennington and PT is are 1st – 8th schools. The very fact that these schools start to establish a solid educational foundation at an early age makes a HUGE difference. Plus, the school rules of conduct are consistently enforced for 8 years.
2) Not EVERYONE is entitled to attend. Students have to apply and enter a lottery. This requires effort and desire.
3) If the child of family fails to follow the rules of conduct they are booted from the school.
4) Students AND families HAVE to perform community service.
Correct me if I am wrong but Mayfield doesn’t hit any of these 4 points.
October 28, 2011 at 5:17 pm
I found Mayfield to be populated with some excellent teachers, and it offers a kind of unique transition before middle school. Hate the roof, love the school.
Looks like under that Pennington description, number two and three can’t be done in our system, but I like the sound of number one and number four. Alot. What restrictions are there on MCPS that would keep us from replicating something on a Pennington type model? Citywide, not one school. What would it take? What would it cost? Throw a little longer day in there often enough to make a difference in face time with teachers. Kids who ‘blow it’, can be sent to the empty parts of the Johnson Learning Center for needed remediation and second chance.
And about that AYP in general. Should we, as I’ve heard said, start ignoring it? What does it mean when other school systems have simply negated AYP as a focus?
If more states keep petitioning the feds to back off AYP, and it just goes away, why not be out in front with something different going on in our little system that is helping our kids and could be a model to others. And another thing, if half our students are getting free lunch, how much does it cost us to just feed them all ?
October 28, 2011 at 5:42 pm
@ Ed
Pennington and PT are public schools why couldn’t MCPS have items 2 &3? A lottery doesn’t play favorites. As for not following the rules of conduct – sending a child back to their base school is not denying education.
A school such as this could bring some revenue too. Have a few spots for out of district students and make the parents pay. It can be done. I looked into Pennington back in 2003. I was told I could apply but if our name was picked I would have to pay approx. 4k per year and transportation was on me.
October 28, 2011 at 7:26 pm
SNOW!
October 28, 2011 at 9:07 pm
I guess I wasn’t thinking of one school set apart from base schools. I wanted to model every school on something like Pennington. Therefore we wouldn’t be able to kick kids out except for the normal things kids get expelled for.
Of course if this is city wide, everyone would be attending. Attending something that seems to work very well. As far as letting folks not living in Manassas attend, that is a bit of a non starter for me.
October 30, 2011 at 11:43 am
Interesting article and 1980-2010 maps in today’s WaPo:
“The New American Neighborhood”.
This is reflected by ethnicity enrollment trends in MCPS.
2005-2006, 2010-2011*
Black 15.6%, 14.7%
Hispanic 34.7%, 47.8%
White 44.5%, 28.3%
Other 5.1%, 9.2%
#LEP 30%, 40.8%
(* Per September 30 report of students educated in MCPS)
October 30, 2011 at 11:55 am
The Manassas City Council will celebrate Halloween by
having a closed meeting – hope the vice-Mayor brings treats.
“Discussion of Personnel Matters with John Anzinvino
of Springsted regarding the City Manager search process.”
A key part of what makes a good City Manager is the ability
to make “good hires” — and the same goes for a City Council.
This meeting is another step in a process that should be completed
in the next two months.
October 30, 2011 at 4:13 pm
“The New American Neighborhood” article makes me wonder where those in the “White” category went and why they left?
October 30, 2011 at 8:14 pm
Tenacity, I would venture to guess the why the Whites left is similar to what occured here in Manassas….they left when the developments of McMansions or 50+ neighborhoods got built. Manassas saw a slight exodus about four years ago when down Rt. 28 in Bristol, all those nice McMansions et.al. got built. Maybe since WaPo had the little sign saying this article was to be part of a series, just maybe the next one might explore reasons for leaving.
November 1, 2011 at 10:04 am
The birth rate for whites are not as high as other races and so that’s also one of the factors. So, as the white population ages, there are fewer younger whites to replace that older population. I would also venture a guess that with the huge growth of Ashburn, it gained from our loss.
November 1, 2011 at 8:40 pm
Good thoughts, but call me ignorant, what does Ashburn have that would make one want to leave here and go there?
November 2, 2011 at 9:17 am
Tenacity,
Have you been to Ashburn? If not, you should visit, there are lots of good things about it. Open spaces, good schools, new housing, lots of shopping and fewer illegals.
November 2, 2011 at 10:02 am
Ashburn has highly rated schools and the some may find the demographics appealing.
The ethnic groups were White (71%), Asian/Pacific Islander (14%), African American (8%), Hispanic (7%), and Other race (7%).[4] The total number of households accounted for in Ashburn was 22,555.[4] The median household size is 2.9 persons.[4] 98% percent of Ashburn residents have a high school degree.[4] 42% of Ashburn’s population holds a four-year bachelor’s degree.[4] 18 percent of the population hold graduate degrees.[4]
November 2, 2011 at 11:45 pm
Thanks to both for the update. I am in Ashburn quite often and couldn’t agree more, just wanted others to spell it out for all the readers.