West Potomac HS situation

[Anonymous]

The county needs to build a juvenile detention center. Problem kids can be educated at the detention center. When they reach 18/end of senior year they have a choice, productive life or prison.

People don’t need and shouldn’t get 3rd, 4th, 5th, …, 11th chances like they do in DC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid at a region 4 school said there are fights pretty much daily, usually with circles of kids filming them. Also that teachers close off bathrooms to prevent vaping, which makes it difficult when the bathroom closest to a classroom isn't open.

Instead of saying "these schools are good, these schools are bad," I think every parent needs to accept that violence can happen at any school at any time.

That's why the metal detectors are being implmented.

Metal detectors are not going to do anything for vaping in the bathrooms or cutting classes. It may or may not help prevent a kid bringing in a knife.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid at a region 4 school said there are fights pretty much daily, usually with circles of kids filming them. Also that teachers close off bathrooms to prevent vaping, which makes it difficult when the bathroom closest to a classroom isn't open.

Instead of saying "these schools are good, these schools are bad," I think every parent needs to accept that violence can happen at any school at any time.

That's why the metal detectors are being implmented.

Some 200 fights each year at your region 4 high school being filmed and posted on social media daily by students?

Sorry, but that is not happening.

PP is definitely exaggerating. But by your same logic it's also not true then that schools like Justice and Herndon are full of overt violence and drugs, because if they were we'd be seeing it all on social media very frequently. And that's clearly not the case for any FCPS school despite the constant accusations of violent gangs at specific pyramids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid at a region 4 school said there are fights pretty much daily, usually with circles of kids filming them. Also that teachers close off bathrooms to prevent vaping, which makes it difficult when the bathroom closest to a classroom isn't open.

Instead of saying "these schools are good, these schools are bad," I think every parent needs to accept that violence can happen at any school at any time.

That's why the metal detectors are being implmented.

Some 200 fights each year at your region 4 high school being filmed and posted on social media daily by students?

Sorry, but that is not happening.

PP is definitely exaggerating. But by your same logic it's also not true then that schools like Justice and Herndon are full of overt violence and drugs, because if they were we'd be seeing it all on social media very frequently. And that's clearly not the case for any FCPS school despite the constant accusations of violent gangs at specific pyramids.

I totally agree.

If you saw my other posts, I clearly said while there is lots of vapung in tge bathrooms and also drug use at all tge high schools, tgere is no way there are daily fights, or even 5 or 10% of students, certainly not 20-30% of students, engaged in fighting and violence at school, not even at the so called "bad" schools like Mount Vernon, Justice, Herndon or Lewis.

School violence to that magnitude is just not happening.

The kids would be filming, posting and live streaming that stuff in real time. It would be clear anarchy if hundreds or close to 1000 students at the large high schools were engaging in that behavior.

I would even say that 5-10% of students are not cutting classes and wandering around the schools each day. Again, that would be hundreds of students.

Vaping in the bathrooms? Sure. There are easily hundreds of kids doing that at all the schools everywhere, even the "good" high schools.

But the schools are not as violent as those posters are claiming, and the violent kids are a small group that should be removed from the high schools and sent to bryant.

That would do more to keep students safe than the very performative metal detectors.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The county needs to build a juvenile detention center. Problem kids can be educated at the detention center. When they reach 18/end of senior year they have a choice, productive life or prison.

People don’t need and shouldn’t get 3rd, 4th, 5th, …, 11th chances like they do in DC.

The county already has a JDC. I think you mean that you want all of the kids caught fighting and vaping to be sent there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid at a region 4 school said there are fights pretty much daily, usually with circles of kids filming them. Also that teachers close off bathrooms to prevent vaping, which makes it difficult when the bathroom closest to a classroom isn't open.

Instead of saying "these schools are good, these schools are bad," I think every parent needs to accept that violence can happen at any school at any time.

That's why the metal detectors are being implmented.

Some 200 fights each year at your region 4 high school being filmed and posted on social media daily by students?

Sorry, but that is not happening.

PP is definitely exaggerating. But by your same logic it's also not true then that schools like Justice and Herndon are full of overt violence and drugs, because if they were we'd be seeing it all on social media very frequently. And that's clearly not the case for any FCPS school despite the constant accusations of violent gangs at specific pyramids.

I totally agree.

If you saw my other posts, I clearly said while there is lots of vapung in tge bathrooms and also drug use at all tge high schools, tgere is no way there are daily fights, or even 5 or 10% of students, certainly not 20-30% of students, engaged in fighting and violence at school, not even at the so called "bad" schools like Mount Vernon, Justice, Herndon or Lewis.

School violence to that magnitude is just not happening.

The kids would be filming, posting and live streaming that stuff in real time. It would be clear anarchy if hundreds or close to 1000 students at the large high schools were engaging in that behavior.

I would even say that 5-10% of students are not cutting classes and wandering around the schools each day. Again, that would be hundreds of students.

Vaping in the bathrooms? Sure. There are easily hundreds of kids doing that at all the schools everywhere, even the "good" high schools.

But the schools are not as violent as those posters are claiming, and the violent kids are a small group that should be removed from the high schools and sent to bryant.

That would do more to keep students safe than the very performative metal detectors.

I also suspect that if you had a frank and honest discussion with the teachers, admin, counselors and other students, in 99% of the fights, no one is shocked by the kids involved.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid at a region 4 school said there are fights pretty much daily, usually with circles of kids filming them. Also that teachers close off bathrooms to prevent vaping, which makes it difficult when the bathroom closest to a classroom isn't open.

Instead of saying "these schools are good, these schools are bad," I think every parent needs to accept that violence can happen at any school at any time.

That's why the metal detectors are being implmented.

Some 200 fights each year at your region 4 high school being filmed and posted on social media daily by students?

Sorry, but that is not happening.

PP is definitely exaggerating. But by your same logic it's also not true then that schools like Justice and Herndon are full of overt violence and drugs, because if they were we'd be seeing it all on social media very frequently. And that's clearly not the case for any FCPS school despite the constant accusations of violent gangs at specific pyramids.

I totally agree.

If you saw my other posts, I clearly said while there is lots of vapung in tge bathrooms and also drug use at all tge high schools, tgere is no way there are daily fights, or even 5 or 10% of students, certainly not 20-30% of students, engaged in fighting and violence at school, not even at the so called "bad" schools like Mount Vernon, Justice, Herndon or Lewis.

School violence to that magnitude is just not happening.

The kids would be filming, posting and live streaming that stuff in real time. It would be clear anarchy if hundreds or close to 1000 students at the large high schools were engaging in that behavior.

I would even say that 5-10% of students are not cutting classes and wandering around the schools each day. Again, that would be hundreds of students.

Vaping in the bathrooms? Sure. There are easily hundreds of kids doing that at all the schools everywhere, even the "good" high schools.

But the schools are not as violent as those posters are claiming, and the violent kids are a small group that should be removed from the high schools and sent to bryant.

That would do more to keep students safe than the very performative metal detectors.

I also suspect that if you had a frank and honest discussion with the teachers, admin, counselors and other students, in 99% of the fights, no one is shocked by the kids involved.

It’s usually the Hispanic kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid at a region 4 school said there are fights pretty much daily, usually with circles of kids filming them. Also that teachers close off bathrooms to prevent vaping, which makes it difficult when the bathroom closest to a classroom isn't open.

Instead of saying "these schools are good, these schools are bad," I think every parent needs to accept that violence can happen at any school at any time.

That's why the metal detectors are being implmented.

Some 200 fights each year at your region 4 high school being filmed and posted on social media daily by students?

Sorry, but that is not happening.

PP is definitely exaggerating. But by your same logic it's also not true then that schools like Justice and Herndon are full of overt violence and drugs, because if they were we'd be seeing it all on social media very frequently. And that's clearly not the case for any FCPS school despite the constant accusations of violent gangs at specific pyramids.

I totally agree.

If you saw my other posts, I clearly said while there is lots of vapung in tge bathrooms and also drug use at all tge high schools, tgere is no way there are daily fights, or even 5 or 10% of students, certainly not 20-30% of students, engaged in fighting and violence at school, not even at the so called "bad" schools like Mount Vernon, Justice, Herndon or Lewis.

School violence to that magnitude is just not happening.

The kids would be filming, posting and live streaming that stuff in real time. It would be clear anarchy if hundreds or close to 1000 students at the large high schools were engaging in that behavior.

I would even say that 5-10% of students are not cutting classes and wandering around the schools each day. Again, that would be hundreds of students.

Vaping in the bathrooms? Sure. There are easily hundreds of kids doing that at all the schools everywhere, even the "good" high schools.

But the schools are not as violent as those posters are claiming, and the violent kids are a small group that should be removed from the high schools and sent to bryant.

That would do more to keep students safe than the very performative metal detectors.

I also suspect that if you had a frank and honest discussion with the teachers, admin, counselors and other students, in 99% of the fights, no one is shocked by the kids involved.

It’s usually the Hispanic kids.

This is school dependent. Usually Hispanic parents are a lot less likely to push back on discipline and alternative placements than other parents.

[Anonymous]

She stated 20-30% are violent, doing drugs and vaping. A teacher stated that’s too high, it’s probably 5-10% fighting, doing drugs and vaping. If a grade has 600 kids, that’s 30-60 kids. Yes, it’s likely there are 30 kids in a grade level vaping, fighting or doing drugs (and definitely wandering the halls and being disrespectful/disruptive). The vast majority of the 5-10% are not fighting. That 5-10% most certainly does impact the school and classrooms. I easily see 5-10 kids pour out of the bathroom any time I yell in to get back to class. Check your kids’ screen time. Does it record when they are on their phone? If they’re in middle school and you see screen time, they’re one of the ones not following the rules and probably one of the ones wandering the halls and meeting up in the bathroom to chat and use their phones.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:She stated 20-30% are violent, doing drugs and vaping. A teacher stated that’s too high, it’s probably 5-10% fighting, doing drugs and vaping. If a grade has 600 kids, that’s 30-60 kids. Yes, it’s likely there are 30 kids in a grade level vaping, fighting or doing drugs (and definitely wandering the halls and being disrespectful/disruptive). The vast majority of the 5-10% are not fighting. That 5-10% most certainly does impact the school and classrooms. I easily see 5-10 kids pour out of the bathroom any time I yell in to get back to class. Check your kids’ screen time. Does it record when they are on their phone? If they’re in middle school and you see screen time, they’re one of the ones not following the rules and probably one of the ones wandering the halls and meeting up in the bathroom to chat and use their phones.

I wish parents would actually do this amd then punish their kids for using their phones during school, if applicable.

[Anonymous]

Im the poster that said 20-30% of kids are engaging in these behaviors. I do think the vaping is that high, and the kids don’t get caught and that teachers and parents are not aware of kids vaping. The kids are vaping in class right in front of teachers and teachers don’t even know. There are also more fights than parents and teachers are aware of, because a lot happens in the bathrooms and do not get reported. The fights are being filmed and sent around on Snapchat. The rates of vaping and violence are much higher than what is being reported, and higher than parents and staff realize. Which is how FCPS wants to keep it. It is not just “the problem kids” or “the Hispanic kids” or “the bad schools.” Tons of kids are scared to go to the bathroom at my child’s school.

It’s not a small percentage of kids, and it’s more than staff and parents realize.

[Anonymous]

I concur -- I think the violence is greater than the parents here think.

Kids can punch, kick, and perform acts of violence, and then break up before a teacher arrives. In larger schools, the hallways are so crowded that fights can easily be obscured. Violence can happen so quickly.

Like vaping -- a kid can pull out a vape, inhale, and have the vape back in their pocket in seconds. It's over in the blink of an eye.

If a teacher or staff member tries to fight back against such behaviors, they've got the angry parents who don't want any black marks on their kid's record and the administration has to deal with that.

It's a mess, to be sure.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Im the poster that said 20-30% of kids are engaging in these behaviors. I do think the vaping is that high, and the kids don’t get caught and that teachers and parents are not aware of kids vaping. The kids are vaping in class right in front of teachers and teachers don’t even know. There are also more fights than parents and teachers are aware of, because a lot happens in the bathrooms and do not get reported. The fights are being filmed and sent around on Snapchat. The rates of vaping and violence are much higher than what is being reported, and higher than parents and staff realize. Which is how FCPS wants to keep it. It is not just “the problem kids” or “the Hispanic kids” or “the bad schools.” Tons of kids are scared to go to the bathroom at my child’s school.

It’s not a small percentage of kids, and it’s more than staff and parents realize.

So it’s happening at the rate you say, but it’s not disruptive?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I concur -- I think the violence is greater than the parents here think.

Kids can punch, kick, and perform acts of violence, and then break up before a teacher arrives. In larger schools, the hallways are so crowded that fights can easily be obscured. Violence can happen so quickly.

Like vaping -- a kid can pull out a vape, inhale, and have the vape back in their pocket in seconds. It's over in the blink of an eye.

If a teacher or staff member tries to fight back against such behaviors, they've got the angry parents who don't want any black marks on their kid's record and the administration has to deal with that.

It's a mess, to be sure.

I’m curious to know how you have become so aware of this high rate of violence when others, including those adults in the schools, are not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The county needs to build a juvenile detention center. Problem kids can be educated at the detention center. When they reach 18/end of senior year they have a choice, productive life or prison.

People don’t need and shouldn’t get 3rd, 4th, 5th, …, 11th chances like they do in DC.

The county already has a JDC. I think you mean that you want all of the kids caught fighting and vaping to be sent there.

We need to put an end to the restorative justice crap. Yes, send repeat offenders who are violent to JDC. Impose in school suspensions for lesser offenses. As part of the boundary study they should consider having a holding cell in each school so that the SRO can remain on patrol.