Alexandria HSs

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Get involved!

https://www.acps.k12.va.us/hsproject

Everyone’s chance to lose your job attending work-hours meetings, to have a discussion limited to the specific subject-matter specified by the school board, to have the discussion “moderated” and “facilitated” by someone reporting your comments to the school board (any maybe even to your kids’ school!), and to conclude the “community engagement” process by agreeing to everything the school board proposed, because that’s the way they will report it even if it’s absolutely untrue.

You think kids are going to get punished because of something a parent says at an outreach meeting? Really? Pretty big risk they would be taking, to discsourage speech they would be ignoring any way.

I do indeed. What risk? There’s no risk to ACPS at all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Fairfax teacher here to throw gas on the fire. This week is new teacher week and I understand that there are over 30 new FCPS teachers who were in ACPS last year, many from T.C. Williams. I'm just a stupid teacher but that seems unsustainable for Alexandria. Good luck!

Isn't that close to a $10K pay cut?

[Anonymous]

Some of them may be people ACPS let go. I know we let go at least one teacher last year. --ACPS teacher

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You think kids are going to get punished because of something a parent says at an outreach meeting? Really? Pretty big risk they would be taking, to discsourage speech they would be ignoring any way.

Kids may or may not, but faculty absolutely will. If they say anything even quasi-publicly that doesn't agree with The Way, they'll get called into a meeting with that certain central office HR person (if that HR person can find time in between applying to be on reality TV shows, that is) and made to kiss the ring. I've seen it happen many times over.

If I had a conspiratorial mind, I'd wonder if that was related to the earlier post about the number of ACPS teachers who are moving to Fairfax, but I'm sure that's just a coincidence. Nothing to see here, now move along.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Fairfax teacher here to throw gas on the fire. This week is new teacher week and I understand that there are over 30 new FCPS teachers who were in ACPS last year, many from T.C. Williams. I'm just a stupid teacher but that seems unsustainable for Alexandria. Good luck!

Isn't that close to a $10K pay cut?

Depends- I haven't studied the tables over all experience/degree combos, but mid-career w/ advanced degree, which used to be significantly less money in FCPS is now within $1K or so. It's still less than ACPS, but close enough that anyone who stayed simply because of salary won't really. have that concern going forward.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Get involved!

https://www.acps.k12.va.us/hsproject

That survey is the biggest piece of non-substantive fluff. Without major personnel changes all of this is meaningless.

But congrats to the marketing/consulting firm that's about to make 7 figures.

Its a first visioning step, not a blue print at this point.

And its about planning for high school capacity, not about reforming the system. Which maybe should be done, but is up to the school board, which is up to the voters. Maybe you should run?

Right. Because in Alexandria, unless you run for school board, you have no right to be angry about the schools.

And BTW, where in this alleged survey is there a single question about capacity? There isn’t one. The “capacity” decisions were already made last year, with no disclosure and no real open input. This is just window dressing to justify the decision, after the fact. Trump would be proud.

You have the right to dance a jig and spit three times to make it rain, if you want to.

I myself have little patience for people who complain on anon message boards. Alexandria is a small city. Its quite possible to get involved. Find a school board candidate who agrees with you and support them. If there are none, and you know how to fix things, run yourself, yes. Otherwise I tend to think that maybe you don't have any better ideas, the school board may actually be doing its best given the situation, and its just easy to say "someone smart would fix it, they must be dumb".

As for capacity, it is pretty clear new seats are needed. That is NOT something they are asking you. By learning more about the desired experience, it can guide them in planning for how to provide the capacity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You think kids are going to get punished because of something a parent says at an outreach meeting? Really? Pretty big risk they would be taking, to discsourage speech they would be ignoring any way.

Kids may or may not, but faculty absolutely will. If they say anything even quasi-publicly that doesn't agree with The Way, they'll get called into a meeting with that certain central office HR person (if that HR person can find time in between applying to be on reality TV shows, that is) and made to kiss the ring. I've seen it happen many times over.

If I had a conspiratorial mind, I'd wonder if that was related to the earlier post about the number of ACPS teachers who are moving to Fairfax, but I'm sure that's just a coincidence. Nothing to see here, now move along.

yes, amazing that criticizing your employer in public can get you in trouble. I am sure this onlu happens in ACPS. Right.

And I was responding to someone who specifically mentioned parents and children, not teachers. Goalpost moving is a DCUM sport though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Get involved!

https://www.acps.k12.va.us/hsproject

That survey is the biggest piece of non-substantive fluff. Without major personnel changes all of this is meaningless.

But congrats to the marketing/consulting firm that's about to make 7 figures.

Its a first visioning step, not a blue print at this point.

And its about planning for high school capacity, not about reforming the system. Which maybe should be done, but is up to the school board, which is up to the voters. Maybe you should run?

Right. Because in Alexandria, unless you run for school board, you have no right to be angry about the schools.

And BTW, where in this alleged survey is there a single question about capacity? There isn’t one. The “capacity” decisions were already made last year, with no disclosure and no real open input. This is just window dressing to justify the decision, after the fact. Trump would be proud.

You have the right to dance a jig and spit three times to make it rain, if you want to.

I myself have little patience for people who complain on anon message boards. Alexandria is a small city. Its quite possible to get involved. Find a school board candidate who agrees with you and support them. If there are none, and you know how to fix things, run yourself, yes. Otherwise I tend to think that maybe you don't have any better ideas, the school board may actually be doing its best given the situation, and its just easy to say "someone smart would fix it, they must be dumb".

As for capacity, it is pretty clear new seats are needed. That is NOT something they are asking you. By learning more about the desired experience, it can guide them in planning for how to provide the capacity.

So, to sum up, (1) if you're not on the school board, you should be quiet, and (2) "clear new seats are needed" except that ACPS has not released an actual comparison of students per square foot between TC and let's say Mt. Vernon and West Po, and ACPS hasn't considered on simply re-setting the between-class passing period that is shorter now then it was when the new TC opened, and ACPS hasn't explained about the 1/7 of the classrooms at TC that are vacant most class periods. "New seats" are completely unnecessary. What the school board is trying to do is wash the poors out of TC. This survey is a theatrical diversion.

[Anonymous]

ACPS hasn't considered on simply re-setting the between-class passing period that is shorter now then it was when the new TC opened

What does this mean? Can you explain this further?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: What the school board is trying to do is wash the poors out of TC. This survey is a theatrical diversion.

Oh not you again.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
So, to sum up, (1) if you're not on the school board, you should be quiet,

You should get involved, get on a committee or commision, deal with the nitty gritty, and yes, if you really know so much and care so passionately, either support a new SB member or run. Not take potshots here, and on Facebook, when you have zero accountability.

Or rather, go ahead and take the potshots, but do not be surprised other citizens of Alexandria do not take you seriously.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
So, to sum up, (1) if you're not on the school board, you should be quiet,

You should get involved, get on a committee or commision, deal with the nitty gritty, and yes, if you really know so much and care so passionately, either support a new SB member or run. Not take potshots here, and on Facebook, when you have zero accountability.

Or rather, go ahead and take the potshots, but do not be surprised other citizens of Alexandria do not take you seriously.

+1 I'm so tired of reading posts that simply bash ACPS. If you have criticism, that's fine, but offer solutions, try to be positive about implementing needed changes. Answer the questionnaire with your good ideas. Coming on DCUM with a defeatist attitude ("nothing will ever change in ACPS") doesn't help anyone. Again, voice your issues, but offer solutions as well. Get involved in a positive way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Some of them may be people ACPS let go. I know we let go at least one teacher last year. --ACPS teacher

And your explanation for the other 29 would be.... crickets, crickets.

[Anonymous]

Until Alexandria addresses increasing the tax base through the re-development of vacant commercial space, ie, Landmark, Victory Center to name a few, and coupled with the fact that longtime OT residents stop development and new businesses coming into OT and thereby refuse to fund the schools - all "talk" on capacity constraints and building out the school system are purely hypothetical. ACPS would be better served to cleaning up the crumbling elementary schools and catching up with deferred maintenance and in their spare time find a dozen or so MATH teachers for TCWHS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Some of them may be people ACPS let go. I know we let go at least one teacher last year. --ACPS teacher


And your explanation for the other 29 would be.... crickets, crickets.

I’m at one of the ACPS elementary schools. If each school let a certain number go, that could add up to close to 30. I’m surprised I have to explain that to you.