Can We Talk About An Equitable Education System? Falls Church City Public Schools, (FCCPS), no doubt, like other school districts across the country, are working to respond to the ever present demand for more rigorous standards and the call to meet the needs of “twenty-first century” learning.  In addition to the force and promise from technology, is the focus on STEM in our classrooms. Alexa will tell you that children “with a strong foundation in science, technology, engineering and mathematics will go on to play an integral role in our nation’s global competitiveness and economic stability.”  Talk education here in Falls Church and the focusRead More →

By
On
With 8 Comments

The US News and World Report has released its annual high school rankings.  George Mason High School in Falls Church City ranked 12th in Virginia behind Marshall High School just down the street, that ranked at number 6. Mclean High School earned the  #3 spot in Virginia, Langley at #2 and Thomas Jefferson at #1. ​The methodology used in identifying these high schools is comprised of six components, the largest of which is college readiness at 30% of the score.  This college readiness score is based on the proportion of 12th graders who took and passed at least one AP or IB exam. Passing isRead More →

By
On
With 0 Comments

The Falls Church City community has always been told that there would be ample opportunities for input into the design of the new school and that the design process would be transparent.  The recent community discussion about the auditorium, the changing size of the stage and the news that there will be no full fly rigging system has brought these promises into serious question. Many in the community would really like to understand the decision making process associated with the development of not only the footprint for the Performing Arts Space but details about the space itself. By reviewing the proposal documents it looks likeRead More →

By
On
With 12 Comments

On Sunday October 21, 2018, City Manager Wyatt Shields and Superintendent Peter Noonan hosted a town hall to update the community about the development of the George Mason High School site. If you watch the video, at timestamp 5:40, Superintendent Peter Noonan describes where we are in the timeline and talks about the phases of the project.   The Schematic Design Phase is an extremely critical phase for the community stakeholders as it is in this phase that the program specifications of each department or space are defined, finalized and ultimately contractually incorporated into the design plans.  The timeline below shows that this phase is nowRead More →

By
On
With 5 Comments

The Virginia Department of Education  shows statistics and participation numbers for GMHS students enrolled in advanced high school programs.  GMHS offers IB, AP, and Dual Enrollment programs.   The data shows a significant increase in students taking Dual Enrollment courses.  There is a significant decline in the number of students enrolled in IB and AP courses.Read More →

By
On
With 5 Comments

Loudoun County Park View High School has eliminated its varsity football program for the upcoming fall season.   While Park View’s program was eliminated primarily due to lack of interest, safety concerns were part of the decision. News of this article lead immediately to discussions on the topic of CTE  “chronic traumatic encephalopathy.” A study led by Boston University, published in January of this year, showed that it is hits to the head not concussions that cause CTE.   These hits, according to the study and reported by local news anchor Doreen Genzler with NBC4, “can lead to suicidal thoughts, mood swings, sleep disorders, depression and more,Read More →

By
On
With 6 Comments