Another racial incident at Churchill HS

[Anonymous]

To all the commenters on this LONG thread. Put your ass and mouth where your keyboard is. There’s a PTSA meeting TONIGHT at 7 in the school’s auditorium devoted slowly to this issue.

Log off DCUM for a nanosecond and show up at the meeting.

[Anonymous]

For those who couldn't attend (there were other previously scheduled school activities that evening for groups within the community), these are some of the news accounts of the discussion.

http://www.fox5dc.com/news/local-news/churchill-community-meets-to-address-n-word-passes-handed-out-by-students

https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/potomac/montgomery-county-parents-discuss-n-word-pass-incident-racism-at-local-high-school/65-96733b88-e73e-477f-b825-459473423a41

[Anonymous]

I was struck by the fact when Ms. Webster came to the PTA to announce the formation of a Principal Search Committee last spring, the negative school climate including the long standing mistreatment of minorities within the community both at Churchill and at Hoover was raised to Ms. Webster at that meeting. Here we are a year later, WCHS is only now developing a strategic plan to deal with the problem. As one parent pointed out, we came to the meeting to hear an action plan, not more of the same talk.

Why has it taken so long for anyone in MCPS to fix racism and bias in the cluster?

[Anonymous]

I was struck by the student comments that racism and bias not only is coming from students, but it also stems from staff. It was shocking to hear what two courageous female leaders of our community have experienced not only for their skin color, but also their gender. Training and discipline is needed for more than just the student population. I hope this is part of the 20 point plan Mrs. Heckert is developing.

[Anonymous]

None of this will matter unless they really talk to and listen to the students. They need to get a representative sample from the community and listen to what the kids have to say about what is happening and why so it can be addressed in a way that will have an impact. Gathering teens en mass and chiding them rarely changes anything.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Unfortunately, a few years in the life of a high schooler means more of the same treatment perhaps for the remainder of a child's high school education while waiting for Mrs. Heckert and MCPS to do something. Students don't have a few years. Would you sit by and wait for more of the same if it was your child? Mrs. Heckert and MCPS are failing in their duty to proactively protect students when they know of serious problems at Churchill.

Dr. Benz was there for 20 years and MCPS did nothing about the many incidents before Ms. Heckert got there.


I'm angry too. My kid had to wait 3 years to get a Principal that would finally take these things seriously.

I think its a bit much to think that Ms. Heckert, who has been there for 6 months (since school went back in session) can do what Dr. Benz and MCPS couldn't do in 20 years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Unfortunately, a few years in the life of a high schooler means more of the same treatment perhaps for the remainder of a child's high school education while waiting for Mrs. Heckert and MCPS to do something. Students don't have a few years. Would you sit by and wait for more of the same if it was your child? Mrs. Heckert and MCPS are failing in their duty to proactively protect students when they know of serious problems at Churchill.

Dr. Benz was there for 20 years and MCPS did nothing about the many incidents before Ms. Heckert got there.


I'm angry too. My kid had to wait 3 years to get a Principal that would finally take these things seriously.

I think its a bit much to think that Ms. Heckert, who has been there for 6 months (since school went back in session) can do what Dr. Benz and MCPS couldn't do in 20 years.

But Mrs. Heckert knew of these problems during the interview process. In 8 months on the job, she is just now coming up with a 20 point plan?

These are not new problems. Sure Mrs. Heckert and Dr. Moran have had meetings since July 1st when they began their new positions, but thus far there has been little follow through with fixing problems in the hallways, classrooms, and athletic programs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:None of this will matter unless they really talk to and listen to the students. They need to get a representative sample from the community and listen to what the kids have to say about what is happening and why so it can be addressed in a way that will have an impact. Gathering teens en mass and chiding them rarely changes anything.

Didn't Mrs. Heckert survey students as well as parents in November? Whatever happened to that data?

I agree classroom discussions might not yield an open conversation on the subject. There should be small group opportunities probably utilizing the counseling department as well as the administrative staff so victims feel supported to report what they know and can share ideas on how to improve the school climate.

[Anonymous]

It is a hate filled cluster. We are moving.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It is a hate filled cluster. We are moving.

This makes me so sad. No one should be driven out of a public school by acts of hate. I understand your frustrations though. When we raised problems beyond Benz to MCPS, we were encouraged to accept a COSA vs. them fixing problems at Winston Churchill.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Unfortunately, a few years in the life of a high schooler means more of the same treatment perhaps for the remainder of a child's high school education while waiting for Mrs. Heckert and MCPS to do something. Students don't have a few years. Would you sit by and wait for more of the same if it was your child? Mrs. Heckert and MCPS are failing in their duty to proactively protect students when they know of serious problems at Churchill.

Dr. Benz was there for 20 years and MCPS did nothing about the many incidents before Ms. Heckert got there.


I'm angry too. My kid had to wait 3 years to get a Principal that would finally take these things seriously.

I think its a bit much to think that Ms. Heckert, who has been there for 6 months (since school went back in session) can do what Dr. Benz and MCPS couldn't do in 20 years.

Same boat as PP. One went all the way through CHS with Benz and the other is almost done. Such a shame that MCPS did not remove Benz long before now. My DD used to tell me Benz would stand out in the hall in the morning and pretend to know the kids coming into the school, but she didn't know anyone's name. DD thought that was pretty pathetic. Sadly, there was also little school spirit. If they had a pep rally on the field, kids would try to figure out how to leave because they didn't want to participate.

CHS has been like the wild west for too long. Teachers and administrators got away with doing anything they wanted or doing nothing if they chose. I'm sure they will be doing some housekeeping for next year, but unfortunately it's too late for my kids. Something tells me that the new principal did not know EVERYTHING she was getting into. I'm surprised they didn't put a seasoned principal into the position given all of the issues that MCPS knew needed to be dealt with.

[Anonymous]

One of the speakers Tuesday night said something that matches our experience -- that the two feeder middle schools to Churchill have very different racial climates. Our children did not experience any racial incidents while at Cabin John MS (which is majority nonwhite), but did encounter such problems after they went to Churchill. Meanwhile, Hoover MS seems to have all the same racial problems that Churchill has (including the N-word cards).

Part of the problem might arise because the Cabin John MS graduates are sent to two different high schools, Churchill and Wooton. My 8th-grader at CJMS says that all her black friends will be going to Wooton, while she goes to Churchill. I never understood why Cabin John MS seemed to bus students in from so far away, but if they are going to do it for MS perhaps they can also do it for HS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:One of the speakers Tuesday night said something that matches our experience -- that the two feeder middle schools to Churchill have very different racial climates. Our children did not experience any racial incidents while at Cabin John MS (which is majority nonwhite), but did encounter such problems after they went to Churchill. Meanwhile, Hoover MS seems to have all the same racial problems that Churchill has (including the N-word cards).

Part of the problem might arise because the Cabin John MS graduates are sent to two different high schools, Churchill and Wooton. My 8th-grader at CJMS says that all her black friends will be going to Wooton, while she goes to Churchill. I never understood why Cabin John MS seemed to bus students in from so far away, but if they are going to do it for MS perhaps they can also do it for HS.

I have kids spread apart widely by age. Hoover was a great school when Ms. Benson was principal. Ms. Benson was available, knew students, and dealt with student and faculty problems fairly and quickly. She was an open minded administrator who treated students, parents, and staff with respect and kindness.

Hoover's problems ramped up with the introduction of Dr. Kim. She came from Wayside and had issues there. So what did MCPS do? Promote her with a red carpet laid out by then Director Donna Hollingshead. She is a bully who rules with threats, unkindness, ignorance, and bigotry. She is a bad leader for students and staff.

I for one would be open to boundary shifts to increase diversity at Churchill. Perhaps ending the long standing split articulation of Cabin John so all those students come to Churchill would be one way to increase diversity and cohesion.

[Anonymous]

My son asked Dr. Benz one morning if she was a substitute when she was in his first period class before the bell rang. It was his freshman year and he had never met her despite the school year was 3/4 over. At the end, Benz was absent more than she was there.

[Anonymous]

Any progress on the 20 pt plan that Mrs. Heckert is developing? Will it be introduced this school year or was it just a statement to placate upset parents at last week's PTA meeting?