Justice High School

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This may shed some light as to why so many teachers are leaving Justice HS, as Eric Welch is a long-time teacher at Justice and is seeing how current practices there are harming students. It would be not surprising if other teachers with similar reactions are looking for opportunities where the pressure to pass or graduate students who just aren't ready isn't as great.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2022/05/15/pandemic-easy-teaching-hurting-students/

It is such a difficult balance at low-SES schools. Yes, the system could take a "tough love" approach and have high expectations for kids who are 17 and don't know English or are missing parents or have no formal education whatsoever (take your pick for the disadvantage), but there is no way you take an old teenager and make them meet high school standards created for native-born English speakers in such a short time span. This would only lead to drop outs as they'll likely choose to work at age 18 instead.

The real solution has to be to have different minimum graduation requirements for students who enter the US school system at a significantly delayed stage. Their statistics shouldn't count in the same pool as those who have been in the US education system since grade school. GEDs shouldn't hurt the ratings of the school and principal. That way, administrators won't be inclined to cheat the system for their appraisal.

A very legitimate concern is whether the relaxation of the requirements and expectations for the high-needs community spills over into what is expected for all the students at a school.

It's a whipsaw at a school like Justice that is simultaneously pushing kids into IB English classes yet sending out the message that teachers need to find a way to graduate kids at all costs.

Standards should not be watered down and students should not be allowed to graduate without a minimum level of academic competency. But equally important (to the educational aspect) in some circles, is creating an inspiring environment where kids want to learn and teachers want to teach. Justice is finally sprucing up its facility and the school just unveiled the new "JUSTICE" logo over the library windows. Falls Church HS will soon get its long-delayed renovation. So there are some positives.

TC Williams had a very nice facility when federal education officials labeled it a “persistently lower performing school.” If the DOE and VDOE were still using the same nomenclature today, Justice might be in a similar boat.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This may shed some light as to why so many teachers are leaving Justice HS, as Eric Welch is a long-time teacher at Justice and is seeing how current practices there are harming students. It would be not surprising if other teachers with similar reactions are looking for opportunities where the pressure to pass or graduate students who just aren't ready isn't as great.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2022/05/15/pandemic-easy-teaching-hurting-students/

It is such a difficult balance at low-SES schools. Yes, the system could take a "tough love" approach and have high expectations for kids who are 17 and don't know English or are missing parents or have no formal education whatsoever (take your pick for the disadvantage), but there is no way you take an old teenager and make them meet high school standards created for native-born English speakers in such a short time span. This would only lead to drop outs as they'll likely choose to work at age 18 instead.

The real solution has to be to have different minimum graduation requirements for students who enter the US school system at a significantly delayed stage. Their statistics shouldn't count in the same pool as those who have been in the US education system since grade school. GEDs shouldn't hurt the ratings of the school and principal. That way, administrators won't be inclined to cheat the system for their appraisal.

A very legitimate concern is whether the relaxation of the requirements and expectations for the high-needs community spills over into what is expected for all the students at a school.

It's a whipsaw at a school like Justice that is simultaneously pushing kids into IB English classes yet sending out the message that teachers need to find a way to graduate kids at all costs.

Standards should not be watered down and students should not be allowed to graduate without a minimum level of academic competency. But equally important (to the educational aspect) in some circles, is creating an inspiring environment where kids want to learn and teachers want to teach. Justice is finally sprucing up its facility and the school just unveiled the new "JUSTICE" logo over the library windows. Falls Church HS will soon get its long-delayed renovation. So there are some positives.

Teachers are parking on the street because they don't have enough parking. They're taking away 50 more spaces to expand. How is making parking worse going to improve teacher morale. There's literally teachers leaving because of the current parking situation, and it will be even worse next year.

[Anonymous]

Improving the aesthetics of the school is not going to boost the morale of the staff, and the parking situation next year won't help either. What's going to help Justice is getting rid of Narcisse and certain APs that are literally destroying the school. Justice needs leadership that is dedicated, highly competent, and all in for the community.

It seems that most of the Justice admin this year are here for 1. clout, 2. experience to move to a "better" school, and 3. retirement and "gifting rewards" for working at a low performing school. Pretty sad considering how far the school came under Penny's and Maria's leadership.

Dr. Anderson and Fabio better figure something out for Justice before things really go south and it becomes too late. Already students and staff are feeling strong tension between them and admin.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Improving the aesthetics of the school is not going to boost the morale of the staff, and the parking situation next year won't help either. What's going to help Justice is getting rid of Narcisse and certain APs that are literally destroying the school. Justice needs leadership that is dedicated, highly competent, and all in for the community.

It seems that most of the Justice admin this year are here for 1. clout, 2. experience to move to a "better" school, and 3. retirement and "gifting rewards" for working at a low performing school. Pretty sad considering how far the school came under Penny's and Maria's leadership.

Dr. Anderson and Fabio better figure something out for Justice before things really go south and it becomes too late. Already students and staff are feeling strong tension between them and admin.

Everyone looks so happy on the school’s public twitter website. That’s a shame if the state of affairs is different. Didn’t the principal come from outside the area? Generally speaking, a principal must be very competent, dedicated, and results-focused to be hired from outside the system. (I have not read this whole thread if that’s been discussed already.)

[Anonymous]

I guess they don't put the hoards of roaming students who swear at teachers on the website. The Principal and APs give no support to teachers and render them powerless. If teachers go to them about student performance or behavior, the teacher becomes a problem and is disciplined, not the students. Why would anyone care to do anything, given those circumstances?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I guess they don't put the hoards of roaming students who swear at teachers on the website. The Principal and APs give no support to teachers and render them powerless. If teachers go to them about student performance or behavior, the teacher becomes a problem and is disciplined, not the students. Why would anyone care to do anything, given those circumstances?

Are you actually at Justice, or just projecting your fears and beliefs onto a particular school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I guess they don't put the hoards of roaming students who swear at teachers on the website. The Principal and APs give no support to teachers and render them powerless. If teachers go to them about student performance or behavior, the teacher becomes a problem and is disciplined, not the students. Why would anyone care to do anything, given those circumstances?

Are you actually at Justice, or just projecting your fears and beliefs onto a particular school?

Justice isn’t the only school in FCPS which is like this. It’s pretty typical.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I guess they don't put the hoards of roaming students who swear at teachers on the website. The Principal and APs give no support to teachers and render them powerless. If teachers go to them about student performance or behavior, the teacher becomes a problem and is disciplined, not the students. Why would anyone care to do anything, given those circumstances?

Are you actually at Justice, or just projecting your fears and beliefs onto a particular school?

Justice isn’t the only school in FCPS which is like this. It’s pretty typical.

Our school isn’t like this but maybe we haven’t leaned into “lifting marginalized voices” hard enough.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Improving the aesthetics of the school is not going to boost the morale of the staff, and the parking situation next year won't help either. What's going to help Justice is getting rid of Narcisse and certain APs that are literally destroying the school. Justice needs leadership that is dedicated, highly competent, and all in for the community.

It seems that most of the Justice admin this year are here for 1. clout, 2. experience to move to a "better" school, and 3. retirement and "gifting rewards" for working at a low performing school. Pretty sad considering how far the school came under Penny's and Maria's leadership.

Dr. Anderson and Fabio better figure something out for Justice before things really go south and it becomes too late. Already students and staff are feeling strong tension between them and admin.

Everyone looks so happy on the school’s public twitter website. That’s a shame if the state of affairs is different. Didn’t the principal come from outside the area? Generally speaking, a principal must be very competent, dedicated, and results-focused to be hired from outside the system. (I have not read this whole thread if that’s been discussed already.)

Don't let the school's Twitter account fool you. They want everyone to think they have it all together when they don't. It's all about protecting the image of the school. FCPS in general is so bent on trying to keep its reputation high and mighty when in reality it's in the dumps and then some.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Improving the aesthetics of the school is not going to boost the morale of the staff, and the parking situation next year won't help either. What's going to help Justice is getting rid of Narcisse and certain APs that are literally destroying the school. Justice needs leadership that is dedicated, highly competent, and all in for the community.

It seems that most of the Justice admin this year are here for 1. clout, 2. experience to move to a "better" school, and 3. retirement and "gifting rewards" for working at a low performing school. Pretty sad considering how far the school came under Penny's and Maria's leadership.

Dr. Anderson and Fabio better figure something out for Justice before things really go south and it becomes too late. Already students and staff are feeling strong tension between them and admin.

Everyone looks so happy on the school’s public twitter website. That’s a shame if the state of affairs is different. Didn’t the principal come from outside the area? Generally speaking, a principal must be very competent, dedicated, and results-focused to be hired from outside the system. (I have not read this whole thread if that’s been discussed already.)

Don't let the school's Twitter account fool you. They want everyone to think they have it all together when they don't. It's all about protecting the image of the school. FCPS in general is so bent on trying to keep its reputation high and mighty when in reality it's in the dumps and then some.

I mean, this whole conversation is ridiculous. Do you expect the school to post live feeds of fights, or describe problems on their twitter feed? I have no idea if there are problems, but if there were, of course they wouldn't highlight them.

[Anonymous]

I really think 40% of the staff at Justice is leaving. That's all you need to know.

[Anonymous]

We sat with no power today for two and half hours. It is a huge safety issue, especially when the top floor is pitch black. Yet no emails went out to staff, and parents were only alerted to the issue of no power, that had been going on since 9:30 pm last night, at 8:36am. 26 minutes after first period started. A cop was guarding the front keeping students in the school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I guess they don't put the hoards of roaming students who swear at teachers on the website. The Principal and APs give no support to teachers and render them powerless. If teachers go to them about student performance or behavior, the teacher becomes a problem and is disciplined, not the students. Why would anyone care to do anything, given those circumstances?

Are you actually at Justice, or just projecting your fears and beliefs onto a particular school?

I'm actually there. I'm leaving because of this administration.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I guess they don't put the hoards of roaming students who swear at teachers on the website. The Principal and APs give no support to teachers and render them powerless. If teachers go to them about student performance or behavior, the teacher becomes a problem and is disciplined, not the students. Why would anyone care to do anything, given those circumstances?

Are you actually at Justice, or just projecting your fears and beliefs onto a particular school?

I'm actually there. I'm leaving because of this administration.

I blame the current administrative problems on Fabio Zuluaga and Ricardy Anderson.

[Anonymous]

2023 update: Things have not gotten better, but only worse than last year. I’m sorry to say it, but overall Justice is not a good school and has been on a roller coaster tendency since 2013. Over the years, FCPS has used the school as a dumping ground for really bad teachers and administrators who are mediocre or have used it for educators that need a “stepping stone” to move up the ladder and or gain experience to move on to “greener pastures”. This year alone, more than half the staff were either “pushed away” or left because of lack of support and mistreatment from administration. Until things change for the better and are consistently good, do yourself a favor and stay away from Justice.