ACPS Needs More High Schools

[Anonymous]

A teenager was murdered at a shopping center yesterday a block from the high school in the middle of the school day and there are literally crickets. This is so, so unbelievably sad and not okay! It's not like Alexandria is a violent city. It's not. Yet this is the second time this school year that something like this happened at the same shopping center.

The truth of the matter is that ACPS is failing to keep Alexandria City High School children safe in this one enormous high school! It is time to build more high schools and have the schools spread throughout the city. Enough with the excuses. The is no reason that we need 4,000+ students in one building. 50 students congregating everyday in nearby shopping centers during the school day is rediculous. I wish ACPS would take student safety seriously. I feel so bad for family of that poor boy.

[Anonymous]

Yes. It does. Alexandria first needs to figure out how to separate its schools from politics. Until then, good luck.

[Anonymous]

That's a good point, but I believe that city council has to approve land for schools to be built.

[Anonymous]

Open a magnet school in the west end, have people lottery in

[Anonymous]

I'm an ACPS parent and I agree. The size of the school is just too big. It should be 2 if not 3-4 schools. I could not sleep last night thinking about the boy who was killed and how his parents are feeling. My heart aches for them, but Alexandria city council and ACPS need to make changes not just be thoughts and prayers people.

[Anonymous]

Yes, it does.

It was proposed and shot down by parents because of perceived equity issues.

Instead they are just making Minnie Howard bigger.

I have to wonder if they will reach get to 5K students at some point. Just a few years ago, I remember parents and teachers telling me that there were already fights in the halls bc they were so cramped during class transitions that kids bumped into each other and it started an argument.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes, it does.

It was proposed and shot down by parents because of perceived equity issues.

Instead they are just making Minnie Howard bigger.

I have to wonder if they will reach get to 5K students at some point. Just a few years ago, I remember parents and teachers telling me that there were already fights in the halls bc they were so cramped during class transitions that kids bumped into each other and it started an argument.

I and pretty much every parent I know supported having more than 1 school. I don't think it was "shot down by parents" as much as by the school board/administration.

[Anonymous]

I also agree. Every parent I know is for more high schools that decision for 1 humongous high school was all the Superintendent.

[Anonymous]

Seriously everyone write the school board. Enough is enough. The priorty should be kidding kids safe.

[Anonymous]

I believe this is one of the biggest mistakes the school board made in the past decade. Alexandria City High School has the enrollment size of a small college, not enough space or staff, etc. It is simply unmanageable. They should have taken advantage of the Landmark redevelopment deal to build a new second high school (build at Landmark or get the hospital to give the City the land on Seminary once the new hospital is built). Then they could have converted Minnie Howard into a much-needed third middle school.

[Anonymous]

The bigger problem is that ACPS doesn’t give a d@mn what parents think, or want for their children.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes. It does. Alexandria first needs to figure out how to separate its schools from politics. Until then, good luck.

+1

and now lobbying groups are involved in almost everything that is decided at ACHS. Tenants and Workers United would never let it happen, just like they conspired to get rid of SROs. According to them, Hutchings and Justin Wilson, additional high schools = segregation = racism.

So they take the position, if we go down, then we go down together. To the bitter end. (unless of course you're Hutchings kids who go to BI so he doesn't need to worry about them getting hurt at school).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes. It does. Alexandria first needs to figure out how to separate its schools from politics. Until then, good luck.

+1

and now lobbying groups are involved in almost everything that is decided at ACHS. Tenants and Workers United would never let it happen, just like they conspired to get rid of SROs. According to them, Hutchings and Justin Wilson, additional high schools = segregation = racism.

So they take the position, if we go down, then we go down together. To the bitter end. (unless of course you're Hutchings kids who go to BI so he doesn't need to worry about them getting hurt at school).

I knew the TWU hater would show up, never fails.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes. It does. Alexandria first needs to figure out how to separate its schools from politics. Until then, good luck.

+1

and now lobbying groups are involved in almost everything that is decided at ACHS. Tenants and Workers United would never let it happen, just like they conspired to get rid of SROs. According to them, Hutchings and Justin Wilson, additional high schools = segregation = racism.

So they take the position, if we go down, then we go down together. To the bitter end. (unless of course you're Hutchings kids who go to BI so he doesn't need to worry about them getting hurt at school).

I agree with most of this but want to clarify that Hutchings has one student at BI and one at the public middle, GW.

But beyond that, ACPS needs to be held accountable for the disservice they are doing to ALL students by not building more high schools. A separate school for trades would be amazing: culinary, automotive, electric, plumbing, etc. Another school partnering with VA Tech for STEM including engineering and computer science is a no brainer. And an Arts Magnet high school for art, music, theatre, dance, writing and film would open up a ton of doors for so many students.

But somehow we believe one massive school is more "fair and equitable". It's only fair about failure.

[Anonymous]

What is inequitable about another high school?