Balas appointed as new principal at Wakefield

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Those kids were failed long before they got to HS. I don’t expect a change in principal to either help those stats at ACHS or hurt them at Wakefield.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Those kids were failed long before they got to HS. I don’t expect a change in principal to either help those stats at ACHS or hurt them at Wakefield.

Some went to the elementary school where he was previously so you're right in that regard. So a principal has nothing to do with how kids are learning at their school?

[Anonymous]

Is this a good thing for WHS? How was he when he was in ACPS?

I have heard some pretty awful things about high school in ACPS so I'm wondering what that says about him.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Those kids were failed long before they got to HS. I don’t expect a change in principal to either help those stats at ACHS or hurt them at Wakefield.

I tend to agree. I'm not sure comparing ACHS and WHS is comparing apples to apples. a 4500-student school with similar demographics is twice the challenge as a 2200 school. Plus ACHS is city-wide and encompasses the disparities from across the city spectrum. WHS is mainly south Arlington that unites as a community to begin with, not half southies and half northies forced together.

Still, we'll see. So glad we only have a few years left in APS...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is this a good thing for WHS? How was he when he was in ACPS?

I have heard some pretty awful things about high school in ACPS so I'm wondering what that says about him.

It's so much worse than anything you've heard and he was in charge. Actively worked to keep parents in the dark. Can't remember if he was directly involved in the rape cover up in the 9th grade building. Google Minnie Howard rape.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Someone with lots of experience. Good choice.

Is it really? Isn't Alexandria City HS a total shit show, as per this board?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Leaving the sinking ship.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is this a good thing for WHS? How was he when he was in ACPS?

I have heard some pretty awful things about high school in ACPS so I'm wondering what that says about him.

From the people I know that work with him, it's a very good thing for WHS. He's well liked and respected by staff. That's much more important than some grumpy parents.

[Anonymous]

Chris Willmore is leaving Wakefield?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Chris Willmore is leaving Wakefield?

he's going to be Director of Secondary Education at Syphax. Whatever that means. He's been at Wakefield 13 years. If I were him, I'd want to move on, too.

[Anonymous]

Well this seems bad for ACPS...quote from this report"The school buildings are falling apart, violence is commonplace and ACPS and the city
council covered up the rape of a child in a school bathroom in 2021." https://resources.finalsite.net/images/v1675370001/acpsk12vaus/rfjnszvpumencb4qefmo/AlexandriaVA-FinalStakeholderReport-1.pdf

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Well this seems bad for ACPS...quote from this report"The school buildings are falling apart, violence is commonplace and ACPS and the city
council covered up the rape of a child in a school bathroom in 2021." https://resources.finalsite.net/images/v1675370001/acpsk12vaus/rfjnszvpumencb4qefmo/AlexandriaVA-FinalStakeholderReport-1.pdf

that's one parent comment, not the conclusion of the report though

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is this a good thing for WHS? How was he when he was in ACPS?

I have heard some pretty awful things about high school in ACPS so I'm wondering what that says about him.

He's a good leader and cares deeply about the students and teachers and is widely respected by them. Most of the problems at ACPS generally and ACHS specifically are due to horrendous central office and an extremely weak school board. His hands were tied a lot by the superintendent - central office at ACPS seems determined to listen to consultants with pet theories and not people on the ground in the schools trying to run them and educate the kids. ACHS has some really wonderful teachers and staff. Many of them stayed and were willing to continue in ACPS despite central office because of Balas. I think we are going to see a significant amount of staff turnover that otherwise would not have happened. Arlington's gain for sure.

[Anonymous]

Why does APS keep hiring people from the Alexandria system? They don't have any experience with rigor. APS needs more rigor, not less.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

Those kids were failed long before they got to HS. I don’t expect a change in principal to either help those stats at ACHS or hurt them at Wakefield.

Some went to the elementary school where he was previously so you're right in that regard. So a principal has nothing to do with how kids are learning at their school?

In a way, but the differences between the two schools are really more about demographics.