Balas appointed as new principal at Wakefield

[Anonymous]

+1 Good riddance.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Good riddance.

“I Urge you to cast your vote for one high school,” Balas, a former social studies teacher at the school, said in an impassioned plea during the public comment portion of the meeting. “T.C. is the heart of the city.
“I strongly encourage you to support our diversity as one of our greatest strengths,” he continued. “Our Titans experience diversity greater than anywhere else in this country. Two high schools lead us down a path of divisive battles [with] inequity between the two schools and leaving certain groups facing increasing disenfranchisement. These inequities will become deeper over time. Separation may be in our school’s name, but you can oppose it by voting to keep us together.”

I wonder if his opinion has changed now that Balas served as principal of that very large, unwieldy single high school.

Frankly, I think the vote against a second high school was the biggest mistake—and there have been many—ACPS has made in the past 10 years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The best teachers at ACHS will flock to Wakefield in the next 1-2 years. Those that haven’t already, that is.

There will be lots of movement in and out of Wakefield, that always happens when a new admin arrives, often on a 1 year delay

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I imagine it will be difficult to find a replacement for ACHS

Mazur is looking. Making it very public. Where is he now? Admin in Fairfax, right?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm an admin in Arlington - trust me, principals do NOT run schools. All top down.

100%

[Anonymous]

He has experience in getting a school name changed. Wakefield – named for a plantation in Westmoreland County, Va., the birthplace of George Washington, a slaveholder.

As others have suggested "Wokefield" might work.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I imagine it will be difficult to find a replacement for ACHS

Mazur is looking. Making it very public. Where is he now? Admin in Fairfax, right?

Hearing Officer and Title IX Officer Hearing Officer and Title IX Officer
Prince William County Public Schools · Full-time Prince William County Public Schools · Full-time
Jan 2023 - Present · 5 mos

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I imagine it will be difficult to find a replacement for ACHS

Mazur is looking. Making it very public. Where is he now? Admin in Fairfax, right?

Hearing Officer and Title IX Officer Hearing Officer and Title IX Officer
Prince William County Public Schools · Full-time Prince William County Public Schools · Full-time
Jan 2023 - Present · 5 mos

We have plenty enough focus on diversity and equity and all that jazz at Wakefield. What we need are more people focused more on rigorous academics. We have a lot of excellent teachers; but we also have a lot of lightweights offering no challenge, no engaging interest.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The best teachers at ACHS will flock to Wakefield in the next 1-2 years. Those that haven’t already, that is.

I wouldn't be surprised. ACHS staff seem to be in mourning since the announcement. It's obvious he's very well respected.

I've read a few rumors on Twitter that leaving was not his choice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I imagine it will be difficult to find a replacement for ACHS

Mazur is looking. Making it very public. Where is he now? Admin in Fairfax, right?

Hearing Officer and Title IX Officer Hearing Officer and Title IX Officer
Prince William County Public Schools · Full-time Prince William County Public Schools · Full-time
Jan 2023 - Present · 5 mos

We have plenty enough focus on diversity and equity and all that jazz at Wakefield. What we need are more people focused more on rigorous academics. We have a lot of excellent teachers; but we also have a lot of lightweights offering no challenge, no engaging interest.

Expect more. He's all in on equity.

And take a look at the proficiency rates at ACHS. Wakefield's reading proficiency is 84% overall and 75% for economically disadvantaged (this is the real mark of how a school is doing). ACHS is 68% overall and 57% for economically disadvantaged. In Math Wakefield is 81% overall and 74% for economically disadvantaged. At ACHS its 46% overall and 36% for economically disadvantaged.

I wouldn't pay too much attention to the Alexandria wine mean girl moms...they love anyone who gives their kids special treatment. The numbers speak for themselves.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The best teachers at ACHS will flock to Wakefield in the next 1-2 years. Those that haven’t already, that is.

I wouldn't be surprised. ACHS staff seem to be in mourning since the announcement. It's obvious he's very well respected.

I've read a few rumors on Twitter that leaving was not his choice.

There is rampant crime, gangs, drugs and violence at ACHS. I'm told he wasn't interested in doing anything about it but people are unhappy and waking up to the situation at ACHS. Impossible to keep this stuff quiet now so time for him to leave. Especially since he advocated strongly for having one high school with 4,500 kids and people are finally turning on that now.

Time to get out of the mess he helped create.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The best teachers at ACHS will flock to Wakefield in the next 1-2 years. Those that haven’t already, that is.

PLease let it be the 90+ year old Calculus teacher featured on CBS Sunday Morning.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The best teachers at ACHS will flock to Wakefield in the next 1-2 years. Those that haven’t already, that is.

I wouldn't be surprised. ACHS staff seem to be in mourning since the announcement. It's obvious he's very well respected.

I've read a few rumors on Twitter that leaving was not his choice.

Respected by some, not all. He let a couple APs walk all over him for his first couple years there, and many folks at MVCS were relieved when he left.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Good riddance.

“I Urge you to cast your vote for one high school,” Balas, a former social studies teacher at the school, said in an impassioned plea during the public comment portion of the meeting. “T.C. is the heart of the city.
“I strongly encourage you to support our diversity as one of our greatest strengths,” he continued. “Our Titans experience diversity greater than anywhere else in this country. Two high schools lead us down a path of divisive battles [with] inequity between the two schools and leaving certain groups facing increasing disenfranchisement. These inequities will become deeper over time. Separation may be in our school’s name, but you can oppose it by voting to keep us together.”

I wonder if his opinion has changed now that Balas served as principal of that very large, unwieldy single high school.

Frankly, I think the vote against a second high school was the biggest mistake—and there have been many—ACPS has made in the past 10 years.

Anyone that has lived here for any amount of time kniws this. It's the Johnny come lately bibtards that think 'equity' should be the focus of the edcational system.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I imagine it will be difficult to find a replacement for ACHS

Mazur is looking. Making it very public. Where is he now? Admin in Fairfax, right?

If he couldn'y handle GW there is no way he can handle TC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I imagine it will be difficult to find a replacement for ACHS

Mazur is looking. Making it very public. Where is he now? Admin in Fairfax, right?

If he couldn'y handle GW there is no way he can handle TC.

I don't know....he took that punch from that middle school girl pretty well. He's good at pretending violence doesn't happen. He's good at telling kids that they are to blame when their stuff gets stolen. He'd do fine.