ACPS High School Academies

[Anonymous]

Thoughts? I don’t trust this school system and feel like it’s their way of pretending they’re addressing serious issues (including overcrowding at ACHS) without actually addressing the issues.

https://www.acps.k12.va.us/about-us/express/stories/~board/express/post/the-high-school-project-introducing-the-academy-model?fbclid=IwAR2FTj-EzKZMwq167e85Ki6KZIftmXzuqjTxCgEd3-ibgVnbBzZA_Wn6JgU_aem_ARWBXhCnjjmqMCXTTJggmwmJwKTc0F-paDV4fE7uk1tCSLrHPrD4DPPjJB8H09lyKWw

[Anonymous]

I’m curious to see how they divide it up.

[Anonymous]

Just went to the info night today. Not all academies had presentations/info. Sigh.

[Anonymous]

Is this the segregation all the UMC parents brag about? Why their kids "never see any violence"?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is this the segregation all the UMC parents brag about? Why their kids "never see any violence"?

Related, perhaps… but not quite the same thing.

Also, all the kids walk thru the same metal detectors in ACPS middle and high schools. So no one can claim that anyone is not completely untouched by violence. They all have to stand in long lines (outside, no matter the weather) to be checked for weapons before they can start school each day.

[Anonymous]

I'm not opposed to it, but that's because my kid is solidly set on wanting to be an engineer. It seems like it would not work as well for kids who were undecided. I'm not sure it will benefit my kid in any way, but it won't hurt him either, given his narrow area of interest.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm not opposed to it, but that's because my kid is solidly set on wanting to be an engineer. It seems like it would not work as well for kids who were undecided. I'm not sure it will benefit my kid in any way, but it won't hurt him either, given his narrow area of interest.

I was wondering about this. What’s the option for kids who just want to take regular core classes and a variety of electives? Will that no longer exist as everyone has to choose an “academy”?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just went to the info night today. Not all academies had presentations/info. Sigh.

I couldn’t make it. Can you share which ones presented and which didn’t? I’m feeling really skeptical about this whole thing.

[Anonymous]

What is ACPS' evidence that this will improve the dismal education that they are currently providing?

Also, how is this equitable?

[Anonymous]

I think this is just another idea they’re rolling out to use as a distraction and to avoid addressing the real underlying problems in ACPS. Having all these “academies” won’t alleviate overcrowding when they’re still all housed within a single high school. These would have been a much better concept if they had voted a few years ago to build a second high school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think this is just another idea they’re rolling out to use as a distraction and to avoid addressing the real underlying problems in ACPS. Having all these “academies” won’t alleviate overcrowding when they’re still all housed within a single high school. These would have been a much better concept if they had voted a few years ago to build a second high school.

Academies can have an equitable ratio in selections but Alexandrians believe a second high school would be completely racist or, at best, so inequitable it's too offensive to even discuss.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think this is just another idea they’re rolling out to use as a distraction and to avoid addressing the real underlying problems in ACPS. Having all these “academies” won’t alleviate overcrowding when they’re still all housed within a single high school. These would have been a much better concept if they had voted a few years ago to build a second high school.

Academies can have an equitable ratio in selections but Alexandrians believe a second high school would be completely racist or, at best, so inequitable it's too offensive to even discuss.

What does the ratio consist of? What is the criteria to make it equitable? And how is that ensured? Are there quotas?

[Anonymous]

Having all these “academies” won’t alleviate overcrowding when they’re still all housed within a single high school.

To be fair, they will be housed in part in the new and larger Minnie Howard building. But I don't see how it is going to help the issue of a single giant high school not being the best set up for kids who want to participate in sports, certain competitive clubs etc.

[Anonymous]

What’s the option for kids who just want to take regular core classes and a variety of electives?

Everyone still has to take the regular core courses required for a regular or advanced diploma. With that, plus the requirement for sequential electives, plus the personal finance course, plus the fact that many AP lab sciences take up two periods, as a practical matter, kids always had some constraints on the variety of electives they could take. You can still have an elective unrelated to your academy (e.g., be in STEM but take one art elective).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Having all these “academies” won’t alleviate overcrowding when they’re still all housed within a single high school.

To be fair, they will be housed in part in the new and larger Minnie Howard building. But I don't see how it is going to help the issue of a single giant high school not being the best set up for kids who want to participate in sports, certain competitive clubs etc.

They don't care. They didn't have a Golf coach until a month before school started. And then, 82 kids tried out for 12 spots. That's 70 kids that had their heart broken because ACPS would rather play social justice then let kids be kids. It's appalling, really.