Alexandria HS on Lockdown- Massive Gang Brawl

[Anonymous]

I know many people who still send their kids to this school and it's baffling. They will admit it's a shit show too.

I wouldn't agree to that characterization. It has some issues, for sure. But it offers a ton of AP classes, my kid is entirely in the new building, on a sports team that he enjoys, and the president of a club. It's worked for him.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know many people who still send their kids to this school and it's baffling. They will admit it's a shit show too.

It's the only public HS in the city, duh.

I'm aware. That's why a much higher percentage of people than would be typical in surrounding communities move at some point or send their kids to private school.

The ones who stay twist themselves into pretzels explaining it though. It's pretty fascinating.

My DS is at UVA after graduating AC last year. I'm not twisting myself into any knots. Are you one of those SSSAS parents butt hurt that my kid got into a better school than yours despite you dropping a quarter million?

To answer your question directly, no. I don't think school is all about where you to get into college in the end. I agree some kids can get into good colleges from Alexandria HS. Never been the issue.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know many people who still send their kids to this school and it's baffling. They will admit it's a shit show too.

It's the only public HS in the city, duh.

I'm aware. That's why a much higher percentage of people than would be typical in surrounding communities move at some point or send their kids to private school.

The ones who stay twist themselves into pretzels explaining it though. It's pretty fascinating.

My DS is at UVA after graduating AC last year. I'm not twisting myself into any knots. Are you one of those SSSAS parents butt hurt that my kid got into a better school than yours despite you dropping a quarter million?

To answer your question directly, no. I don't think school is all about where you to get into college in the end. I agree some kids can get into good colleges from Alexandria HS. Never been the issue.

That, folks, is the definition of knot twisting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know many people who still send their kids to this school and it's baffling. They will admit it's a shit show too.

I used to teach at a VA school with gang activity. Students can go to a HS like this for four years and never be directly affected. It really depends on a lot of factors. Props to the Alexandria HS teachers, who can add this event to all the other stressful things they're dealing with this week.

Schools will self segregate into groups of the motivated and the unmotivated. Kids know who to hang around and who to stay away from.

[Anonymous]

The pretzel twisting is it's okay because it's not my kid and my kid is nowhere near it but it's a messed up place and your kid is aware it's a messed up place because adults in the community made and make bad decisions. Just because you and others find all the loop holes to make sure your kid is okay in this environment doesn't make it right. But glad your kid got into UVA PP. All is well then.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know many people who still send their kids to this school and it's baffling. They will admit it's a shit show too.

I used to teach at a VA school with gang activity. Students can go to a HS like this for four years and never be directly affected. It really depends on a lot of factors. Props to the Alexandria HS teachers, who can add this event to all the other stressful things they're dealing with this week.

What else are they dealing with this week?

NP. The week before Winter Break is always a sh*tshow at just about every school in the country. Ask any teacher.

Anyway, schools have been doing way too much and coddling kids with serious behavior problems for the past 25 years. The pendulum needs to swing back.

[Anonymous]

I know many people who still send their kids to this school and it's baffling. They will admit it's a shit show too.

This is looking at it the wrong way, IMO. Instead of asking "why do parents send their kids to a school with a lot of violence and issues, those people must suck" the question should be "why are public schools with a high population of students from disadvantaged economic backgrounds facing a lot of violence and issues?"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I know many people who still send their kids to this school and it's baffling. They will admit it's a shit show too.

This is looking at it the wrong way, IMO. Instead of asking "why do parents send their kids to a school with a lot of violence and issues, those people must suck" the question should be "why are public schools with a high population of students from disadvantaged economic backgrounds facing a lot of violence and issues?"

These are not hard questions. Some parents have no choice but send their kids to the school. Others have figured out how to game the system so their kid is pretty insulated from the violence and issues. And obviously a lot of complexity to why generational poverty causes kids to fail in school and at times be violent. But also not some big mystery either.

I think the real question is why don't people in the community who know how to advocate and know how to work the system do anything about this? Why are elected officials still in place? Why is there no accountability ever? Why has it been like this for so long and nothing is ever any better?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The pretzel twisting is it's okay because it's not my kid and my kid is nowhere near it but it's a messed up place and your kid is aware it's a messed up place because adults in the community made and make bad decisions. Just because you and others find all the loop holes to make sure your kid is okay in this environment doesn't make it right. But glad your kid got into UVA PP. All is well then.

What you are describing is life. It isn't unique to ACHS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I know many people who still send their kids to this school and it's baffling. They will admit it's a shit show too.

There is a cynical mentality that it gives their kids a leg up in college admissions because they will be seen as having survived the school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know many people who still send their kids to this school and it's baffling. They will admit it's a shit show too.

It's the only public HS in the city, duh.

I'm aware. That's why a much higher percentage of people than would be typical in surrounding communities move at some point or send their kids to private school.

The ones who stay twist themselves into pretzels explaining it though. It's pretty fascinating.

My DS is at UVA after graduating AC last year. I'm not twisting myself into any knots. Are you one of those SSSAS parents butt hurt that my kid got into a better school than yours despite you dropping a quarter million?

^^ case in point about the weird mentality

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I know many people who still send their kids to this school and it's baffling. They will admit it's a shit show too.

This is looking at it the wrong way, IMO. Instead of asking "why do parents send their kids to a school with a lot of violence and issues, those people must suck" the question should be "why are public schools with a high population of students from disadvantaged economic backgrounds facing a lot of violence and issues?"

These are not hard questions. Some parents have no choice but send their kids to the school. Others have figured out how to game the system so their kid is pretty insulated from the violence and issues. And obviously a lot of complexity to why generational poverty causes kids to fail in school and at times be violent. But also not some big mystery either.

I think the real question is why don't people in the community who know how to advocate and know how to work the system do anything about this? Why are elected officials still in place? Why is there no accountability ever? Why has it been like this for so long and nothing is ever any better?

People are terrified of being called racist so they pretend it’s fine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The pretzel twisting is it's okay because it's not my kid and my kid is nowhere near it but it's a messed up place and your kid is aware it's a messed up place because adults in the community made and make bad decisions. Just because you and others find all the loop holes to make sure your kid is okay in this environment doesn't make it right. But glad your kid got into UVA PP. All is well then.

What you are describing is life. It isn't unique to ACHS.

It’s not unique but this is not typical either.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The pretzel twisting is it's okay because it's not my kid and my kid is nowhere near it but it's a messed up place and your kid is aware it's a messed up place because adults in the community made and make bad decisions. Just because you and others find all the loop holes to make sure your kid is okay in this environment doesn't make it right. But glad your kid got into UVA PP. All is well then.

What you are describing is life. It isn't unique to ACHS.

It’s not unique but this is not typical either.

It’s absurd to me that the school is struggling like this in an otherwise nice and expensive suburb. We are sending our child to private school but wish public was a better option , and may consider moving to Fairfax county for our child’s high school years

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The pretzel twisting is it's okay because it's not my kid and my kid is nowhere near it but it's a messed up place and your kid is aware it's a messed up place because adults in the community made and make bad decisions. Just because you and others find all the loop holes to make sure your kid is okay in this environment doesn't make it right. But glad your kid got into UVA PP. All is well then.

What you are describing is life. It isn't unique to ACHS.

It’s not unique but this is not typical either.

It’s absurd to me that the school is struggling like this in an otherwise nice and expensive suburb. We are sending our child to private school but wish public was a better option , and may consider moving to Fairfax county for our child’s high school years

yeah, because this doesn't happen at WEPO, West Springfield, Lake Braddock, South Lakes...