Why are ACPS facilities so dire?

[Anonymous]

Kenmore MS is stunning.

[Anonymous]

I moved from ACPS to Arlington as a teacher this year. One of my first big impressions was how clean the building was. ACPS contracted out their cleaning crews year ago. They get paid less and there is high turnover. APS to my knowledge based on clothes have their own cleaning staff. They all seem super happy, know everyone and the building I work in is so clean. I see someone going through every room every afternoon. It pays to pay well, including the benefits working for a district and not a contractor.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Due to my kids’ rec basketball and ASA futsal I am frequently inside ACPS schools (and in some of the attached rec centers) from lower schools all the way to the high school several times a week. This weekend I was at GW and Jeff Houston, last weekend Hammond, JH and MCVS, before that Leonard Chick, GW (you get the idea). I am usually only in the gyms and adjacent areas, like the bathroom. My kids do not attend ACPS so I don’t know what occurs during a school day.

9 times out of 10 the girls bathrooms are disgusting, especially at Hammond and GW. GW had several stalls with just a hole where the toilet used to be, no soap, no paper towels and the trash was overflowing. The floor in the main gym STILL has a section that is broken, almost like a hole in the floor and I am so anxious some kid is going to break their ankle in it.

Hammond, bathroom full of trash, a sink missing, no soap, no hot water.

JH seems the nicest probably because it’s the newest and the bathroom is very small by the gym and it’s next to several admin offices so no funny kid business probably goes on in there.

It’s painful to see the environment these kids are in for their school. My tax dollars should be going to make a better environment for them. It really is shameful that Alexandria government can get laser focused on the most minute and mundane issue but allow their public school system to treat the kids this way. It was as serious reason why we went private.

Ugh, that sounds worse than the bathrooms I used while in a third world country.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Because ACPS first priority is feeding the poor. It’s a welfare service masquerading as a school system

Union jobs. They don’t pay more for excellence so you get what you get - mediocrity in everything. It all comes down to corporate culture.

Ignorant comment. Arlington pays as much as or more than anyone else in the DC area. They're not union yet, but once they are you can count on quality improving compared to schools in the area that are not unionized. Unions attract better employees. Your last sentence is the only one that might make some sense.

When we say "ACPS" it is usually referring to Alexandria, not Arlington. But anyway, I am an APS (Arlington) staff member, have no desire at all to join a union, and don't think an additional bureaucratic machine that protects low-performing employees is what APS needs right now.

I was in TWO unions. They promote seniority over merit. Let’s be real.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I moved from ACPS to Arlington as a teacher this year. One of my first big impressions was how clean the building was. ACPS contracted out their cleaning crews year ago. They get paid less and there is high turnover. APS to my knowledge based on clothes have their own cleaning staff. They all seem super happy, know everyone and the building I work in is so clean. I see someone going through every room every afternoon. It pays to pay well, including the benefits working for a district and not a contractor.

Oh that makes sense. I’ve worked in 2 APS schools and sent kids to two others. They have all had very nice landscaping and were clean. There have been rodent issues but the staff is on top of it. Many of the custodial staff has been there 20+ years and are very much a part of the school community and we make sure they know how much we appreciate them. I never wait more than 5 minutes for help with anything.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I know it’s being replaced but the Minnie Howard building is awful too. There are pieces of concrete breaking off the exterior. Totally dilapidated structure.

From the ACPS security report a few weeks ago, it's seems like the condition of the building is the least of the problems at Minnie Howard. Alleged sexual assault in early October. Scary!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know it’s being replaced but the Minnie Howard building is awful too. There are pieces of concrete breaking off the exterior. Totally dilapidated structure.

From the ACPS security report a few weeks ago, it's seems like the condition of the building is the least of the problems at Minnie Howard. Alleged sexual assault in early October. Scary!

Oh no, hadn’t heard that. Also, whatever happened with the SROs removed from ACHS due to allegations of improper interactions with a student? We never heard anything further about it, which suggests to me there is more to that story.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know it’s being replaced but the Minnie Howard building is awful too. There are pieces of concrete breaking off the exterior. Totally dilapidated structure.

From the ACPS security report a few weeks ago, it's seems like the condition of the building is the least of the problems at Minnie Howard. Alleged sexual assault in early October. Scary!

Oh no, hadn’t heard that. Also, whatever happened with the SROs removed from ACHS due to allegations of improper interactions with a student? We never heard anything further about it, which suggests to me there is more to that story.

I'm not surprised. Apparently, ACPS didn't notify parents. Not even the ones at MH.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know it’s being replaced but the Minnie Howard building is awful too. There are pieces of concrete breaking off the exterior. Totally dilapidated structure.

From the ACPS security report a few weeks ago, it's seems like the condition of the building is the least of the problems at Minnie Howard. Alleged sexual assault in early October. Scary!

Oh no, hadn’t heard that. Also, whatever happened with the SROs removed from ACHS due to allegations of improper interactions with a student? We never heard anything further about it, which suggests to me there is more to that story.

Because it's a lie. Tenants and Workers coerced a former student to make a false accusation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know it’s being replaced but the Minnie Howard building is awful too. There are pieces of concrete breaking off the exterior. Totally dilapidated structure.

From the ACPS security report a few weeks ago, it's seems like the condition of the building is the least of the problems at Minnie Howard. Alleged sexual assault in early October. Scary!

Oh no, hadn’t heard that. Also, whatever happened with the SROs removed from ACHS due to allegations of improper interactions with a student? We never heard anything further about it, which suggests to me there is more to that story.

Because it's a lie. Tenants and Workers coerced a former student to make a false accusation.

Source? Or are you the TWU hater that loves to blame them for everything.

If it didn’t happen, why hasn’t a public statement been made absolving there officers of the allegations in question? That would have been determined and made clear by now, rather than continued silence.