Why doesn't ACPS address the violence in schools?

[Anonymous]

I used to think that the ACPS violence was a small group of parents who were disgruntled and maybe had other issues. No more. In the last week:

-a friend shared with me that he kindergartener was told by another student that he was going to take her in the class restroom and rape her
-an acquaintance with a middle school kid told me about her daughter avoiding the bathrooms because she was afraid of getting beat up and that her daughter got beat up three times in her honors class
-a friend told me her son was robbed by classmates walking home from middle school
-a friends son has been attacked 3x on the bus and then later in the cafeteria
-my son had a classmate bring a taser to class
-our neighbor was jumped in the bathroom
-our other neighbor no longer uses the bathroom and doesn't drink water at school
-my stepdaughter told my nephews to stick with the kids wearing Patagonia and Lululemon or the white and Asian kids to not be beat up

What the heck is up? Why is our school board silent? What is central office doing to address?

[Anonymous]

All of those unaccompanied minors are finally paying dividends.

[Anonymous]

Where are the parents?

[Anonymous]

This has been going on in DMV schools for the last ten years. My kids are older, and I can remember them telling me they didn't want to use the school bathrooms. You didn't know what you would find in there. Threats, all of it. Nothing ever happened to these students. Something changed around 2013. and it has only gotten worse since.

[Anonymous]

What are the bathrooms like? In my high school back in the 90s a teacher sat outside the bathroom and you had to sign in and out. Nothing ever happened except some people writing in pen or marker on the stalls from time to time.

[Anonymous]

Why aren't these parents protecting their children by showing up at school board meetings or talking to the press or speaking out at PTA meetings. ACPS gets away with schools like this partly because parents don't stand up for their kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why aren't these parents protecting their children by showing up at school board meetings or talking to the press or speaking out at PTA meetings. ACPS gets away with schools like this partly because parents don't stand up for their kids.

Don’t most people get their kids in private school or Catholic school by high school if they can? Is there a large invested parent community who could actually organize?

[Anonymous]

It’s been going on for a while but it might be worse now. I got lightly beat up regularly in middle school in the late 1990s. We got shoes and other stuff thrown at us, shoved into lockers, clothes stolen in the changing room. The bathroom doors didn’t lock for some reason and kids would barge in on you peeing all the time. Teachers didn’t care and stayed out of bathrooms, locker rooms, and hallways where these things happened. No teachers on buses either. It sucked.

I moved for high school to higher SES school and suddenly didn’t face any physical violence or harassment. It was world changing.

I don’t know if it’s lack of resources to ensure safety in ACPS or if it’s just a greater number of problem students. Either way, I don’t think parent advocacy is going to solve it quickly.

If you can afford to move or send your kid elsewhere, please consider it. I’d never send my kid to schools like the one I attended.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why aren't these parents protecting their children by showing up at school board meetings or talking to the press or speaking out at PTA meetings. ACPS gets away with schools like this partly because parents don't stand up for their kids.

Many ACPS parents are afraid to speak out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I used to think that the ACPS violence was a small group of parents who were disgruntled and maybe had other issues. No more. In the last week:

-a friend shared with me that he kindergartener was told by another student that he was going to take her in the class restroom and rape her
-an acquaintance with a middle school kid told me about her daughter avoiding the bathrooms because she was afraid of getting beat up and that her daughter got beat up three times in her honors class
-a friend told me her son was robbed by classmates walking home from middle school
-a friends son has been attacked 3x on the bus and then later in the cafeteria
-my son had a classmate bring a taser to class
-our neighbor was jumped in the bathroom
-our other neighbor no longer uses the bathroom and doesn't drink water at school
-my stepdaughter told my nephews to stick with the kids wearing Patagonia and Lululemon or the white and Asian kids to not be beat up

What the heck is up? Why is our school board silent? What is central office doing to address?

What I think you mean is that you are rich, white and liberal and thought that the actual non white and poor people kept to themselves and wouldn't effect you.

[Anonymous]

Why aren't these parents protecting their children by showing up at school board meetings or talking to the press or speaking out at PTA meetings. ACPS gets away with schools like this partly because parents don't stand up for their kids.


Many ACPS parents are afraid to speak out.

I don't think that is it. My kid has not experienced violence, but I have been endlessly involved in and outspoken about the way ACPS treats students with disabilities, like my son. I have organized with other parents. ACPS is such a machine that nothing we have done has had much effect. We speak out, they just don't care.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Why aren't these parents protecting their children by showing up at school board meetings or talking to the press or speaking out at PTA meetings. ACPS gets away with schools like this partly because parents don't stand up for their kids.


Many ACPS parents are afraid to speak out.

I don't think that is it. My kid has not experienced violence, but I have been endlessly involved in and outspoken about the way ACPS treats students with disabilities, like my son. I have organized with other parents. ACPS is such a machine that nothing we have done has had much effect. We speak out, they just don't care.

Thank you for trying. If you have not done so already, please consider attending a SEAC meeting and making a comment there. Alderton is the Board liaison and Werner is the staff liaison who attend those meetings and will be a captive audience to your comment.

I still think there are many parents who aren’t willing to speak out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why aren't these parents protecting their children by showing up at school board meetings or talking to the press or speaking out at PTA meetings. ACPS gets away with schools like this partly because parents don't stand up for their kids.

Many ACPS parents are afraid to speak out.

Who or what do you think they are afraid of? Also, you're right.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why aren't these parents protecting their children by showing up at school board meetings or talking to the press or speaking out at PTA meetings. ACPS gets away with schools like this partly because parents don't stand up for their kids.

Many ACPS parents are afraid to speak out.

Who or what do you think they are afraid of? Also, you're right.

I cannot point to one reason why there is ACPS parent fear for speaking out.

For some, I think there is fear about being ostracized by the establishment (be it the Democratic establishment / PTAs / PTAC or ACPS leadership). For others, there may be defensiveness about ACPS in light of its outside reputation. For others, it could just be respect for “authority” and/or the purported expertise of educators (or administrators) (even if ACPS “educators” / administrators lack the expertise or are actively working against student best interest such as Specialized Instruction for special needs students (even if they have the expertise to know better).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why aren't these parents protecting their children by showing up at school board meetings or talking to the press or speaking out at PTA meetings. ACPS gets away with schools like this partly because parents don't stand up for their kids.

Many ACPS parents are afraid to speak out.

Who or what do you think they are afraid of? Also, you're right.

I cannot point to one reason why there is ACPS parent fear for speaking out.

For some, I think there is fear about being ostracized by the establishment (be it the Democratic establishment / PTAs / PTAC or ACPS leadership). For others, there may be defensiveness about ACPS in light of its outside reputation. For others, it could just be respect for “authority” and/or the purported expertise of educators (or administrators) (even if ACPS “educators” / administrators lack the expertise or are actively working against student best interest such as Specialized Instruction for special needs students (even if they have the expertise to know better).

You name all the reasons I see. Especially the fear of being ostracized by the establishment. It's sad that they are so cowed that they won't stand up and defend their kids.