We know ACPS is bad but WHY

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:WaPo article says allegations were made by a former (not current) student who claims that during her time at the high school one of the SROs engaged in inappropriate conversations with her about her sex life. The article noted there are 2 SROs at the school who have both been assigned there for 4 years so it is implied those same officers had to have been working at the school when the alleged conversations took place and they’re only 2 SROs so it had to be one of them.

Personally I find this to be rather strange that a former student suddenly appears now to make this claim.

It's just one thing after another at the high school. One incident after another. I'm sure there's plenty of learning taking place, but what's being projected is an institution in a constant state of turmoil. The kids are the ones who pay the price for the obsession with keeping ONE high school, despite the size and inconvenient geography of it for many kids. There's nothing equitable about it.

I agree it’s time to revisit the second high school issue. It won’t fix everything that’s broken, but clearly a single high school with over 4,000 students enrolled and continued projected growth is unmanageable and not sustainable. It seems the pandemic has just exposed more cracks in the foundation.

A second high school is a political non-starter in Alexandria government. You put a school in the west end and there will be nothing but allegations of racism, inequity, etc.

Plus really the only thing ACHS is known for now is the occasional good team like volleyball and you lose that with two 2000 student schools.

[Anonymous]

https://fordhaminstitute.org/national/commentary/educations-enduring-love-affair-luxury-beliefs

She was describing “luxury beliefs,” a phrase coined by Rob Henderson, an Air Force veteran and Ph.D. candidate at the University of Cambridge, who defines luxury beliefs as “ideas and opinions that confer status on the rich at very little cost, while taking a toll on the lower class.” You can afford to believe in defunding the police, for example, if you live in a safe neighborhood that’s unlikely to be negatively affected by diminished police presence. It’s someone else who will suffer the consequence of your fashionable idealism.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:What I do not understand is why they are not making the new Minnie Howard into a second high school (albeit it would have to be very tall). My husband grew-up in a town with two high schools 3 blocks from each other, and the town was then able to do school zones in a way that accounted for all different populations spread across the community.

Exactly! I always thought Landmark Mall was the perfect location. There are ways to proactively and creatively address zoning to avoid segregation. Also, do they really think ACHS isn’t segregated within the one building? ACPS students deserve better than one overcrowded, chaotic high school. And enrollment projections only increase over time! Where is the school system’s long-term plan to address any of this?

Yes but isn't it easier to throw your hands up and say building a second high school would be racist? Less expensive as well.

You know what's racist? Having a school that is majority black and Hispanic.

In a city that is more than 50% white.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What I do not understand is why they are not making the new Minnie Howard into a second high school (albeit it would have to be very tall). My husband grew-up in a town with two high schools 3 blocks from each other, and the town was then able to do school zones in a way that accounted for all different populations spread across the community.

Exactly! I always thought Landmark Mall was the perfect location. There are ways to proactively and creatively address zoning to avoid segregation. Also, do they really think ACHS isn’t segregated within the one building? ACPS students deserve better than one overcrowded, chaotic high school. And enrollment projections only increase over time! Where is the school system’s long-term plan to address any of this?

Yes but isn't it easier to throw your hands up and say building a second high school would be racist? Less expensive as well.

You know what's racist? Having a school that is majority black and Hispanic.

In a city that is more than 50% white.

And a school board that is manipulated by an organized group of illegal immigrants.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Public housing.

Yep. It’s why we moved from Alexandria and will likely move from Arlington. We bought a nice new townhouse near Ballston and a year later an affordable housing building opened. The same problems we left bit our house cost twice as much

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just looked at the 2020 census and school data and I'm curious. Does anyone know if ACPC has an issue with out of district kids enrolling through fraudulent means?


https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/alexandriacitycountyvirginia/PST045219

Go to the morning drop off at any of the east end elemntary schools. A solid 35% of the cars have Maryland tags. Residency fraud is rampant. Two of my DS's good friends live in Oxon Hill.

Nothing is done about it. Guess why.

I tutor at MacArthur and before it was torn down, most of the kids who did not walk or take buses were picked in cars with Maryland tags. I asked the principal about it and she mumbled about friends in high places.

[Anonymous]

The vast, vast majority of families committing residency fraud are of POC. That's why the city doesn't enforce. POC get all sorts of passes in Alexandria.

[Anonymous]

It’s too bad. It seems 2 high schools would be better.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s too bad. It seems 2 high schools would be better.

Don't mention that around Alexandria progressives or you will be run out of town.

[Anonymous]

How interested in progress are they, REALLY?

[Anonymous]

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ACPS was too small for this, and now they're stuck. If they open a second high school they'll unleash a mad scramble to get "good" kids in the "good" school and avoid getting put in the "bad" school. If they manage to fight off those forces and open a second high school with identical demographics then they won't actually do a better job of retaining all those kids who are currently going private. So they just keep plugging along.

They really need a second high school. ACHS is too big for students to access things. My son did not make the JV soccer or tennis teams (he plays travel and competitive tennis), had difficulty getting involved in the robotics club. It is just not accessible, too many students. I don't care how they divide it, they need to do so.

Agreed. ACHS student enrollment is size of a small college without the resources to support it. Not only is the school physically busting at the seams, but both students and teachers have missed opportunities. Kids don’t get the chance to participate in activities or programs and teachers have to manage too many students. The City had a missed opportunity to negotiate space at Landmark for construction of a school. And there are ways to ensure fairness in school assignments. It’s not like other places haven’t figured out how to do it!

ACPS truly lacks creativity to think outside the box and is set in old ways of thinking and doing. I mean, their excuse for failing to implement a robust outdoor lunch plan for COVID mitigation was that the schools are overcrowded (exactly why kids shouldn’t eat indoors!) and outdoor air quality may be poor (meanwhile, one of the middle schools has documented mold for years). This all became even more pronounced during the pandemic and more families have fled for privates, unlikely to return.

I also think ACPS is misguided in its use of the concept of “equity.” Rather than applying the principle to lift students up, it becomes a crutch and excuse for saying no and why they can’t do things that seem obvious (eg. “Nobody should get outdoor lunch because some schools don’t have as much open space. Thus, all students will be stuck inside to make it ‘equitable’.”)

It really is a tragedy for the entire Alexandria City community.

ACPS is the perfect example of why Democrat policies don’t work. Rich Dems get to be woke and say they’re for progressive social policies while putting their kids in private school so they don’t have to deal with the fallout from their progressive social policies.

Certainly an example of hypocrisy, saying how public school is vital and giving more parents choice with vouchers is bad, while they put their own children in private because they’ve got money to choose.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How interested in progress are they, REALLY?

"They"? If you mean the Dem leadership in the city, then the answer is not at all. They are interested in catch phrases and maintaining powerr. That's it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

ACPS is the perfect example of why Democrat policies don’t work. Rich Dems get to be woke and say they’re for progressive social policies while putting their kids in private school so they don’t have to deal with the fallout from their progressive social policies.

Certainly an example of hypocrisy, saying how public school is vital and giving more parents choice with vouchers is bad, while they put their own children in private because they’ve got money to choose.

+1. And last night the School Board elected Alderton for a second term as chair and Greene as vice chair. Neither has kids in ACPS (Alderton's kids go to private/parochial; Greene doesn't have kids). Just more of the same. So disappointing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

ACPS is the perfect example of why Democrat policies don’t work. Rich Dems get to be woke and say they’re for progressive social policies while putting their kids in private school so they don’t have to deal with the fallout from their progressive social policies.

Certainly an example of hypocrisy, saying how public school is vital and giving more parents choice with vouchers is bad, while they put their own children in private because they’ve got money to choose.

+1. And last night the School Board elected Alderton for a second term as chair and Greene as vice chair. Neither has kids in ACPS (Alderton's kids go to private/parochial; Greene doesn't have kids). Just more of the same. So disappointing.

The voters are part of the problem. District A voters gave Greene the most votes (more than the other incumbent Rief) so Greene ends up as vice chair even though she is not very active on the Board.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

ACPS is the perfect example of why Democrat policies don’t work. Rich Dems get to be woke and say they’re for progressive social policies while putting their kids in private school so they don’t have to deal with the fallout from their progressive social policies.

Certainly an example of hypocrisy, saying how public school is vital and giving more parents choice with vouchers is bad, while they put their own children in private because they’ve got money to choose.

+1. And last night the School Board elected Alderton for a second term as chair and Greene as vice chair. Neither has kids in ACPS (Alderton's kids go to private/parochial; Greene doesn't have kids). Just more of the same. So disappointing.

The voters are part of the problem. District A voters gave Greene the most votes (more than the other incumbent Rief) so Greene ends up as vice chair even though she is not very active on the Board.

Serious question: Why would someone who doesn't have kids in the public schools want to be on the school board? I have never understood this. What's the point? The incentive?