ACPS - Minnie Howard Fight and activity at Bradlee shopping

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why do some people in the community, usually white women who send their kids to ACPS and then private school, make comments about other parents being "white supremecists" or "racists" if they ask about the facts of what happened, post news articles, or post on online forums? So many people "liked" a neighbor's post that told people not to talk or discuss or ask questions of ACPS and "let the leaders take care of it". Okay, well what our kids are telling us contradict what was communicated by ACPS. What I found out was that an administrator was seriously injured and required medical attention. Some friends' kids said that people involved were not even ACPS students. Rumors are that some were adults and some had DC drivers' licenses when arrested. So much for ACPS checking student IDs. I am really disturbed that people think that it is anti-immigrant, racist, or white supremecist behavior to wonder about safety issues at your own child's school, to ask questions about what your own child reported to his/her/their parents, etc. This is what infuriates me about ACPS.

Your kids told you a lot of BS rumors. Don’t believe anything that your child didn’t witness WITH THEIR OWN EYES. The rest of what you hear has a very high likelihood of being misinformation or disinformation via social media.

I listened to the radio and dispatch communication. An ambulance was called for a 15 yo injured due to an assault. One of the assailants, undoubtedly, was involved in multiple fights at GW last year. My child saw the injured staff/faculty member.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why do some people in the community, usually white women who send their kids to ACPS and then private school, make comments about other parents being "white supremecists" or "racists" if they ask about the facts of what happened, post news articles, or post on online forums? So many people "liked" a neighbor's post that told people not to talk or discuss or ask questions of ACPS and "let the leaders take care of it". Okay, well what our kids are telling us contradict what was communicated by ACPS. What I found out was that an administrator was seriously injured and required medical attention. Some friends' kids said that people involved were not even ACPS students. Rumors are that some were adults and some had DC drivers' licenses when arrested. So much for ACPS checking student IDs. I am really disturbed that people think that it is anti-immigrant, racist, or white supremecist behavior to wonder about safety issues at your own child's school, to ask questions about what your own child reported to his/her/their parents, etc. This is what infuriates me about ACPS.

Your kids told you a lot of BS rumors. Don’t believe anything that your child didn’t witness WITH THEIR OWN EYES. The rest of what you hear has a very high likelihood of being misinformation or disinformation via social media.

So it didn't happen? Hmm, OK. I guess Fox 5 produced this deep fake?

https://www.fox5dc.com/news/3-students-arrested-after-brawl-inside-alexandria-city-high-school#:~:text=FOX%205%20has%20learned%20that%20the%20fight%20happened,resource%20officer%20and%20security%20struggle%20to%20control%20them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What happened today? It was all my neighbors of older kids were discussing. ACPS needs a real alternative school run by the juvenile court system with law enforcement juvenile officers and social workers and alternative high school teachers to address. The police scanner was upsetting as were the videos circulating. Not a productive learning environment and no teachers should have to be in this situation

+1 exactly bc current situation is awful for both the kids who want to learn and are trying to get an education as well as the kids that are falling straight through the cracks with no safety net or correction

[Anonymous]

I also find it ridiculous that the acting superintendent is MIA. It’s an embarrassment. She should be all over this and if she actually communicated with people then it would cut down on rumors. I’m an Alexandria resident yet I’m getting my info from Fox News dc?

[Anonymous]

The whole thing makes me terribly sad. The upper middle class students at the school are likely largely (although not fully) unaffected by the problems. And honestly, if it were affecting them significantly, they would leave and go private or move.

However, what about the students who are recent immigrants, ELLs, or whose families have financial issues? They are trapped in an environment that is negative, and cannot enable them to focus on the learning that they need to improve their situation.

I am honestly asking, what can we do to improve this situation?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The whole thing makes me terribly sad. The upper middle class students at the school are likely largely (although not fully) unaffected by the problems. And honestly, if it were affecting them significantly, they would leave and go private or move.

However, what about the students who are recent immigrants, ELLs, or whose families have financial issues? They are trapped in an environment that is negative, and cannot enable them to focus on the learning that they need to improve their situation.

I am honestly asking, what can we do to improve this situation?

Puhlease, they are not trapped. They decided to come here. If they don't like it, they can leave.

I'll tell you what though, the round of Rosemont Christmas parties this year is going to be awkward af.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The whole thing makes me terribly sad. The upper middle class students at the school are likely largely (although not fully) unaffected by the problems. And honestly, if it were affecting them significantly, they would leave and go private or move.

However, what about the students who are recent immigrants, ELLs, or whose families have financial issues? They are trapped in an environment that is negative, and cannot enable them to focus on the learning that they need to improve their situation.

I am honestly asking, what can we do to improve this situation?

Unfortunately, that’s just how life is. It’s inherently unfair. Rich people will always have better options than poor people. That’s the case everywhere in the world.

Poor students will have to overcome more obstacles. When I was in high school, I know several classmates who have to work after school to help their family. Some have to babysit their siblings. I had to work in the summers. In college, many students were working to help pay tuition. There were also many students who were from very wealthy families and didn’t have to do much. They were there to have fun because they already had family money and a job (=connections) waiting for them. You can argue they didn’t even need college. Others were stressing out, struggling to get good grades while working, choosing the correct major, worrying about student loans, dealing with mental health issues, etc.

The only thing these students can do is continue to work hard and focus on bettering their own lives despite what is going on around them.

[Anonymous]

The whole thing makes me terribly sad. The upper middle class students at the school are likely largely (although not fully) unaffected by the problems. And honestly, if it were affecting them significantly, they would leave and go private or move.

However, what about the students who are recent immigrants, ELLs, or whose families have financial issues? They are trapped in an environment that is negative, and cannot enable them to focus on the learning that they need to improve their situation.

I am honestly asking, what can we do to improve this situation?


Unfortunately, that’s just how life is. It’s inherently unfair. Rich people will always have better options than poor people. That’s the case everywhere in the world.

Poor students will have to overcome more obstacles. When I was in high school, I know several classmates who have to work after school to help their family. Some have to babysit their siblings. I had to work in the summers. In college, many students were working to help pay tuition. There were also many students who were from very wealthy families and didn’t have to do much. They were there to have fun because they already had family money and a job (=connections) waiting for them. You can argue they didn’t even need college. Others were stressing out, struggling to get good grades while working, choosing the correct major, worrying about student loans, dealing with mental health issues, etc.

The only thing these students can do is continue to work hard and focus on bettering their own lives despite what is going on around them.

[Anonymous]

Unfortunately, that’s just how life is. It’s inherently unfair. Rich people will always have better options than poor people. That’s the case everywhere in the world.

Poor students will have to overcome more obstacles. When I was in high school, I know several classmates who have to work after school to help their family. Some have to babysit their siblings. I had to work in the summers. In college, many students were working to help pay tuition. There were also many students who were from very wealthy families and didn’t have to do much. They were there to have fun because they already had family money and a job (=connections) waiting for them. You can argue they didn’t even need college. Others were stressing out, struggling to get good grades while working, choosing the correct major, worrying about student loans, dealing with mental health issues, etc.

The only thing these students can do is continue to work hard and focus on bettering their own lives despite what is going on around them.

Agreed that life is unfair, but I guess I see a substantive difference between having to have an afterschool job, and being in an environment where there a fights with multiple students throwing punches at school, or a classmate is murdered at a shopping center parking lot near school.

I plan to contact the school board with my concerns, but am unsure what other actions that I can take to help.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why do some people in the community, usually white women who send their kids to ACPS and then private school, make comments about other parents being "white supremecists" or "racists" if they ask about the facts of what happened, post news articles, or post on online forums? So many people "liked" a neighbor's post that told people not to talk or discuss or ask questions of ACPS and "let the leaders take care of it". Okay, well what our kids are telling us contradict what was communicated by ACPS. What I found out was that an administrator was seriously injured and required medical attention. Some friends' kids said that people involved were not even ACPS students. Rumors are that some were adults and some had DC drivers' licenses when arrested. So much for ACPS checking student IDs. I am really disturbed that people think that it is anti-immigrant, racist, or white supremecist behavior to wonder about safety issues at your own child's school, to ask questions about what your own child reported to his/her/their parents, etc. This is what infuriates me about ACPS.

Your kids told you a lot of BS rumors. Don’t believe anything that your child didn’t witness WITH THEIR OWN EYES. The rest of what you hear has a very high likelihood of being misinformation or disinformation via social media.

I listened to the radio and dispatch communication. An ambulance was called for a 15 yo injured due to an assault. One of the assailants, undoubtedly, was involved in multiple fights at GW last year. My child saw the injured staff/faculty member.

ACPS will just further change their vernacular to make injuries disappear like they made gangs disappear. Maybe next time there is a brawl they will report that there were no life-threatening injuries at the unlicensed boxing bout in the cafeteria.

[Anonymous]

The fact that the acting superindent won't speak is beyond frustrating. State the facts, what you are going to do to address this, have a zero tolerance for violence. And I'm the parent whose student did witness this. He is over it and I feel like it is causing him to be racist and classist.

[Anonymous]

The behavior issues are not because someone is a new immigrant or refugee. Most of the students in the video are American born. Yes, poverty is a root cause, but also antisocial behaviors. ACPS needs more programs in the early grades and middle schools to get kids in activities, sports, tutoring, mental health and physical health services onsite at school and get support for kids. If their parents are too busy working or not working and engaged in antisocial behaviors, then give the students support at school and in the community.

I'm a white upper middle class kid who grew up in an abusive home. My mother had mental health problems and beat us and resorted to violence and name calling, emotional abuse on a daily basis. I used to pray for my mom to leave or my dad to divorce her. I would stay away from home as much as possible, either going to a friend's house after school, studying at the library, doing after school clubs and sports or activities. My dad grew up in an abusive home and he was religious and codependent. If not for my aunts and uncles, grandparents, and friends' parents as well as teachers who I still keep in contact with, I could be like these kids. If you grow up in an environment where violence is common place and how you learn to address conflict, you are violent. I was an angry kid. I drank too much and had low self esteem. I abused my body through an eating disorder. I was able to get out of it because I wanted to break the cycle and others saw potential in me. It doesn't just affect low income kids. But their poverty makes it harder. They have less of an outlook and less resources.

ACPS and the city need to invest in rec programs, teen hangouts at the rec center, violence disruptors, community members who look like these kids and are from their neighborhood to intervene. We need a real alternative school and a juvenile court that is intervention based. We must do better. It can't just be about our kids. They are our kids if we are a community Alexandria espouses to be.

[Anonymous]

Why is it seen as being racist or a "white supremecist" if you want information? Why is that the sentiment and accepted norm in ACPS and Alexandria?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I also find it ridiculous that the acting superintendent is MIA. It’s an embarrassment. She should be all over this and if she actually communicated with people then it would cut down on rumors. I’m an Alexandria resident yet I’m getting my info from Fox News dc?

First rule of fight club, don’t talk about fight club…. The ACPS / Alexandria Democratic establishment seem to following this mantra to the letter.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I also find it ridiculous that the acting superintendent is MIA. It’s an embarrassment. She should be all over this and if she actually communicated with people then it would cut down on rumors. I’m an Alexandria resident yet I’m getting my info from Fox News dc?

First rule of fight club, don’t talk about fight club…. The ACPS / Alexandria Democratic establishment seem to following this mantra to the letter.

Perfect summary except that you forgot to include parents in that list.