Alexandria School Board and City Council In Disagreement Over School Safety

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Chapman and Canek should listen to what the school board recommends. . Do they have children in the public schools?

No and there are a few members of the school board that don't have children either. Is that a problem?

Yes. It's a problem.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I'm not convinced that more SROs are the answer. When you have an enormous high school that has cut sports teams and does not offer intramurals, you are going to wind up with a situation where kids don't find something else that they want to be involved in, and get sucked into negative activity. Academics are not everyone's thing, so kids need other options of reasons to want to participate positively in a school community.


could you elaborate on what sports teams have been cut?

I can see the way I wrote this is unclear, and I apologize. The school has many sports teams that cut players (meaning that many people who try out cannot get a spot). For example, almost 80 people tried out for JV soccer (I think the team size is slightly over 20). The school was not able to field a JV/developmental tennis team this year, due to lack of a coach.

There are certainly some no-cut sports (track, cross country), but there are many more where kids who want to participate cannot. Also, even for no-cut sports, if you cannot come to 5 day per week practices, you can be removed from the team. But coming 5 days per week may not work for kids who have afterschool family responsibilities or jobs.

And there is not intramural soccer etc. offered for kids who might like to play at a less competitive level (I acknowledge that intramurals may not work as well for beginner tennis players, where one really needs lessons to develop a skill). I don't see how this would be cost-prohibitive, as someone claimed. When my son was at GW, there was intramural soccer, and parents donated money or cleats for kids who cannot afford them.

NP here
I've never head of intramural sports happening in high schools, is that really something that other schools offer? I went to high school in California in the 90s and we did not have it. My own kids have gone to two diferent high schools in Prince Wiliam county, and I've never heard of such a thing in any of the 13 PWC high schools.

High schools can not be expected to offer everything to everyone.

[Anonymous]

NP here
I've never head of intramural sports happening in high schools, is that really something that other schools offer? I went to high school in California in the 90s and we did not have it. My own kids have gone to two diferent high schools in Prince Wiliam county, and I've never heard of such a thing in any of the 13 PWC high schools.

High schools can not be expected to offer everything to everyone.

I don't know. They had them at my NYC suburbs high school, but that was ages ago. My point is that if you have the largest high school in VA, and a lot of problems among the student body, you may need to be looking for solutions to occupy kids, and this is a good option.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

NP here
I've never head of intramural sports happening in high schools, is that really something that other schools offer? I went to high school in California in the 90s and we did not have it. My own kids have gone to two diferent high schools in Prince Wiliam county, and I've never heard of such a thing in any of the 13 PWC high schools.

High schools can not be expected to offer everything to everyone.

I don't know. They had them at my NYC suburbs high school, but that was ages ago. My point is that if you have the largest high school in VA, and a lot of problems among the student body, you may need to be looking for solutions to occupy kids, and this is a good option.

What would outreach look like to the gang members to get them to play a sport?

[Anonymous]

High schools can not be expected to offer everything to everyone.

Obviously not, but no one is asking them to provide therapeutic counseling for all students, or pick them up on a litter and carry them to school. It's an intramural sports program.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

High schools can not be expected to offer everything to everyone.

Obviously not, but no one is asking them to provide therapeutic counseling for all students, or pick them up on a litter and carry them to school. It's an intramural sports program.

ACPS DOES provide counseling for all students. You should bring this intramural idea to the School Board.

[Anonymous]

ACPS DOES provide counseling for all students.

That's not correct. My son suffers from depression and anxiety and while trying to get him in to see a therapist, we tried to get him in to talk to his counselor. It didn't go anywhere. I totally get that the counselors have huge caseloads, and this may have been a legitimate response in light of that pressure, but it just isn't true that counseling is available to everyone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

High schools can not be expected to offer everything to everyone.

Obviously not, but no one is asking them to provide therapeutic counseling for all students, or pick them up on a litter and carry them to school. It's an intramural sports program.

Yes, and which team are YOU volunteering to coach? Surely you are not so bold as to give an eyeroll because "everyone else" isn't solving the problem to your satisfaction?

[Anonymous]

Obviously not, but no one is asking them to provide therapeutic counseling for all students, or pick them up on a litter and carry them to school. It's an intramural sports program.


Yes, and which team are YOU volunteering to coach? Surely you are not so bold as to give an eyeroll because "everyone else" isn't solving the problem to your satisfaction?

I work full time and am a single mother, so I'm not in the running to coach. Others might be, or they can pay PE teachers to do it, similar to at the middle schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Obviously not, but no one is asking them to provide therapeutic counseling for all students, or pick them up on a litter and carry them to school. It's an intramural sports program.


Yes, and which team are YOU volunteering to coach? Surely you are not so bold as to give an eyeroll because "everyone else" isn't solving the problem to your satisfaction?

I work full time and am a single mother, so I'm not in the running to coach. Others might be, or they can pay PE teachers to do it, similar to at the middle schools.

Gee what a surprise. YOU'RE surely not going to do it, but you roll your eyes that other people aren't doing it. Disgusting entitlement.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Clubs and sports are certainly affected by the decision to have one gigantic high school. There is only one soccer team, tennis team, basketball team, drama club, etc... Even with JV, opportunities are much more limited. One team for a school of 2000 is going to provide more opportunity than one team for a school of 4500.

There were 92 kids that tried out for baseball. JV and Varsity roster combined is 40.

So yeah, half the kids that wanted to play for their HS couldn't. That's messed up.

Now you have 52 kids doing nothing after school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

NP here
I've never head of intramural sports happening in high schools, is that really something that other schools offer? I went to high school in California in the 90s and we did not have it. My own kids have gone to two diferent high schools in Prince Wiliam county, and I've never heard of such a thing in any of the 13 PWC high schools.

High schools can not be expected to offer everything to everyone.

I don't know. They had them at my NYC suburbs high school, but that was ages ago. My point is that if you have the largest high school in VA, and a lot of problems among the student body, you may need to be looking for solutions to occupy kids, and this is a good option.

What would outreach look like to the gang members to get them to play a sport?

have more soccer teams.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Clubs and sports are certainly affected by the decision to have one gigantic high school. There is only one soccer team, tennis team, basketball team, drama club, etc... Even with JV, opportunities are much more limited. One team for a school of 2000 is going to provide more opportunity than one team for a school of 4500.

There were 92 kids that tried out for baseball. JV and Varsity roster combined is 40.

So yeah, half the kids that wanted to play for their HS couldn't. That's messed up.

Now you have 52 kids doing nothing after school.

52 kids that could join the track team.
or be involved in the school play
or get a part time job
or join other clubs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

NP here
I've never head of intramural sports happening in high schools, is that really something that other schools offer? I went to high school in California in the 90s and we did not have it. My own kids have gone to two diferent high schools in Prince Wiliam county, and I've never heard of such a thing in any of the 13 PWC high schools.

High schools can not be expected to offer everything to everyone.

I don't know. They had them at my NYC suburbs high school, but that was ages ago. My point is that if you have the largest high school in VA, and a lot of problems among the student body, you may need to be looking for solutions to occupy kids, and this is a good option.

What would outreach look like to the gang members to get them to play a sport?

have more soccer teams.

Where will these other teams practice? Who will coach these other teams?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

NP here
I've never head of intramural sports happening in high schools, is that really something that other schools offer? I went to high school in California in the 90s and we did not have it. My own kids have gone to two diferent high schools in Prince Wiliam county, and I've never heard of such a thing in any of the 13 PWC high schools.

High schools can not be expected to offer everything to everyone.

I don't know. They had them at my NYC suburbs high school, but that was ages ago. My point is that if you have the largest high school in VA, and a lot of problems among the student body, you may need to be looking for solutions to occupy kids, and this is a good option.

What would outreach look like to the gang members to get them to play a sport?

have more soccer teams.

Where will these other teams practice? Who will coach these other teams?

I don't know but figure it out.

I volunteer as a non parent volunteer to coach rec sports (my kids have aged out) because rec called and asked me to come back. It's a lot of work, I don't get paid, the parents don't really seem to care, but the kids love it. Get volunteers. How about you?