Enough is Enough

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As MCPS staff I’m going to go with whistleblower too. I hope more step up. I know there are plenty who would speak if the press contacted them directly and gave them anonymity.

OP here, I don't know if "MCPS Whistleblower" is a thing, I am just really frustrated with the direction this county has gone and I don't know how much parents know.
If it is a real thing, count me in. I would love to tell the press what I know. And so would about half of the teachers I work with.
Teachers are fed up.
The county got rid of suspensions a while back because there were a disproportionate amount of black and Latino students suspended and those students, who were already not performing as well as their white and Asian counterparts, were missing a ton of instructional time. The problem is, teenagers aren't dumb. They recognized pretty quickly that there are no consequences for their actions (not just fighting, but also insubordination, bullying, cursing out teachers, absences). This has lead to a slow trickle of behaviors becoming accepted, and those behaviors will continue to be allowed until something BIG happens.
So we are being trained on how to take down an assailant, meanwhile, students in our classrooms are our biggest threat.

Okay, what's the Teacher's Union's position on this? Also, what is preventing teachers from calling the cops? I know for sure if some kid became violent in my classroom, I would call the cops. It is within your rights to call the cops if you feel like your safety or a student's safety is in danger. I would say that it's your obligation to call. Who cares what the principal or what the school WANTS you to do.

It is clear that you are not in MCPS. There is NO WAY an MCPS teacher is going to call the cops on a violent student. Impossible.

Where do you live?

And why is that impossible? Has MCPS informed teachers specifically that they are not allowed to contact the cops?

Teachers contact the school resource officer. The incident is then handled by the officer, school security, and administrative staff (usually a Vice Principal). Teachers have very little input after their initial statement.

- my experience anyways

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As MCPS staff I’m going to go with whistleblower too. I hope more step up. I know there are plenty who would speak if the press contacted them directly and gave them anonymity.

OP here, I don't know if "MCPS Whistleblower" is a thing, I am just really frustrated with the direction this county has gone and I don't know how much parents know.
If it is a real thing, count me in. I would love to tell the press what I know. And so would about half of the teachers I work with.
Teachers are fed up.
The county got rid of suspensions a while back because there were a disproportionate amount of black and Latino students suspended and those students, who were already not performing as well as their white and Asian counterparts, were missing a ton of instructional time. The problem is, teenagers aren't dumb. They recognized pretty quickly that there are no consequences for their actions (not just fighting, but also insubordination, bullying, cursing out teachers, absences). This has lead to a slow trickle of behaviors becoming accepted, and those behaviors will continue to be allowed until something BIG happens.
So we are being trained on how to take down an assailant, meanwhile, students in our classrooms are our biggest threat.

Okay, what's the Teacher's Union's position on this? Also, what is preventing teachers from calling the cops? I know for sure if some kid became violent in my classroom, I would call the cops. It is within your rights to call the cops if you feel like your safety or a student's safety is in danger. I would say that it's your obligation to call. Who cares what the principal or what the school WANTS you to do.

It is clear that you are not in MCPS. There is NO WAY an MCPS teacher is going to call the cops on a violent student. Impossible.

Where do you live?

And why is that impossible? Has MCPS informed teachers specifically that they are not allowed to contact the cops?

Teachers contact the school resource officer. The incident is then handled by the officer, school security, and administrative staff (usually a Vice Principal). Teachers have very little input after their initial statement.

- my experience anyways

Sure, but nothing is stopping the teacher from contacting the cops directly. If a teacher or staff member is beaten to the ground by some High School kid, they have every right to contact the cops and press charges. Teachers are NOT helpless. They have every right as everyone else.

[Anonymous]

School resource officers are cops. They're not mcps employees.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:School resource officers are cops. They're not mcps employees.

That's right, but the school doesn't get to dictate if the teacher can or cannot press charges. The teacher has the right to do that if they want to.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Heard about the incident at clarksburg very concerning because in my neighborhood in North Potomac clarksburg has a pretty good reputation and is known for being VERY diverse so when I heard about that I was very concerned. Not shocked about Northwest incident though that seems to happen a lot there like the robberies there last month, when the windows were shot last year, etc. It's definitely disturbing though that MCPS does not address this or let everyone know, that is more important than a reputation.

It's interesting that you've heard about it, when my kid who is actually at Clarksburg HS has not heard about it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Heard about the incident at clarksburg very concerning because in my neighborhood in North Potomac clarksburg has a pretty good reputation and is known for being VERY diverse so when I heard about that I was very concerned. Not shocked about Northwest incident though that seems to happen a lot there like the robberies there last month, when the windows were shot last year, etc. It's definitely disturbing though that MCPS does not address this or let everyone know, that is more important than a reputation.

It's interesting that you've heard about it, when my kid who is actually at Clarksburg HS has not heard about it.

The principal sent out a letter about two incidents. I saw them both and I'm not even a teacher at CHS.

Blame your kid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Heard about the incident at clarksburg very concerning because in my neighborhood in North Potomac clarksburg has a pretty good reputation and is known for being VERY diverse so when I heard about that I was very concerned. Not shocked about Northwest incident though that seems to happen a lot there like the robberies there last month, when the windows were shot last year, etc. It's definitely disturbing though that MCPS does not address this or let everyone know, that is more important than a reputation.

It's interesting that you've heard about it, when my kid who is actually at Clarksburg HS has not heard about it.

The principal sent out a letter about two incidents. I saw them both and I'm not even a teacher at CHS.

Blame your kid.

The principal sent out a letter about a fight in the lunchroom.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Heard about the incident at clarksburg very concerning because in my neighborhood in North Potomac clarksburg has a pretty good reputation and is known for being VERY diverse so when I heard about that I was very concerned. Not shocked about Northwest incident though that seems to happen a lot there like the robberies there last month, when the windows were shot last year, etc. It's definitely disturbing though that MCPS does not address this or let everyone know, that is more important than a reputation.

It's interesting that you've heard about it, when my kid who is actually at Clarksburg HS has not heard about it.

The principal sent out a letter about two incidents. I saw them both and I'm not even a teacher at CHS.

Blame your kid.

The principal sent out a letter about a fight in the lunchroom.

vaping - the next phase in drug abuse

[Anonymous]

A reliable source told me that despite the reputation of Gaithersburg High School for having fights, their fight situation is pretty average for MoCo schools, including the Ws. So, your HS is probably more, uh, urban than you think.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:source?

Teachers at the schools

I hadn’t heard any of this and I have friends who are coworkers at all of the schools named above your post.
—MCPS teacher and parent

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:source?

Teachers at the schools

I hadn’t heard any of this and I have friends who are coworkers at all of the schools named above your post.
—MCPS teacher and parent

Well then if YOU don’t know, OP MUST be making it all up!
I’m amazed by the people questioning OP.
You must really be drinking the MCPS kool-aid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:MCPS currently has teachers going through mandatory safety and security training, however, these incidents have happened very recently:

At Clarksburg, a security guard entered the boy's locker room to break-up a fight over a cell phone, then was jumped by three students. He was beat up pretty badly and dragged out of the locker room by the students.
At Sherwood, a substitute teacher was beat up last Monday.
Yesterday at Northwest, a student had an unloaded gun.
Last week, also at Sherwood, a student left bullets in a classroom. The school went on lockdown and was searched.

Funny, I am going to bet most of you haven't heard about a single one of these incidents.

I am sick and tired of MCPS not taking a stand when it comes to student security. No longer can they suspend students. It used to be 10 days for a fight, but students were missing too much "instructional time" so suspensions are frowned up. The county is terrified to say "no".

It is getting worse. It is going to take something major for there to be any changes made, and at this point, I don't know if THAT would even change anything.

The public deserves to know. Parents deserve to know about every single violent incident that happens within a public school building.

OP, how do you know all of these things happened? Just curious. Also, did any of the victims call the cops? Nothing, not even MCPS, can stop a victim from calling the cops.

It’s not hard to find out.

Yes, anyone can call the cops but MCPS actively discourages it and says they’ll handle it. Most parents are not as vigilant, and most parents trust that MCPS will handle things. Many parents don’t want to get the parents involved and of course, there are some parents who just don’t care about/are too busy to care about what’s going on with their kids.

I have a friend who is an MCPS employee who has been discouraged by her superior from calling the police. However, she tells her students that she will not hesitate to call the police. She knows that it is her right.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:source?

Teachers at the schools

I hadn’t heard any of this and I have friends who are coworkers at all of the schools named above your post.
—MCPS teacher and parent

Well then if YOU don’t know, OP MUST be making it all up!
I’m amazed by the people questioning OP.
You must really be drinking the MCPS kool-aid.

This! Why would someone think OP is making this up? What would be the point?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As MCPS staff I’m going to go with whistleblower too. I hope more step up. I know there are plenty who would speak if the press contacted them directly and gave them anonymity.

OP here, I don't know if "MCPS Whistleblower" is a thing, I am just really frustrated with the direction this county has gone and I don't know how much parents know.
If it is a real thing, count me in. I would love to tell the press what I know. And so would about half of the teachers I work with.
Teachers are fed up.
The county got rid of suspensions a while back because there were a disproportionate amount of black and Latino students suspended and those students, who were already not performing as well as their white and Asian counterparts, were missing a ton of instructional time. The problem is, teenagers aren't dumb. They recognized pretty quickly that there are no consequences for their actions (not just fighting, but also insubordination, bullying, cursing out teachers, absences). This has lead to a slow trickle of behaviors becoming accepted, and those behaviors will continue to be allowed until something BIG happens.
So we are being trained on how to take down an assailant, meanwhile, students in our classrooms are our biggest threat.

Okay, what's the Teacher's Union's position on this? Also, what is preventing teachers from calling the cops? I know for sure if some kid became violent in my classroom, I would call the cops. It is within your rights to call the cops if you feel like your safety or a student's safety is in danger. I would say that it's your obligation to call. Who cares what the principal or what the school WANTS you to do.

While I do like knowing more information, I have to correct you.

The county did NOT get rid of suspensions. Perhaps they are applying them more cautiously, but suspensions are still a daily event within MCPS. It's up to the specific school to determine the severity of the suspension (in-house, 1 day, 3 days, 5 days, 10 days).

Have you seen the Code of Conduct?

You need a good lawyer to ensure victims are safe from the perps.

Teachers are not allowed to reveal incidents in schools to the public- FERPA...because the assailants are minors, and they are protected by FERPA. And no, there are no more consequences. It isnt just Moco..it's everywhere. There were too many consequences for children of color. In short, school has become a dangerous place and anyone who would be a teacher is nuts. The requirement now is to just be a sort of prison guard with a Masters in something. You need to be always on guard with regard to any and all behavior for which you have no consequences to provide, and then , of course, the onslaught from parents who might assume the problem is yours. This is from K through 12! Yes, Kindergarten! Quite apart from that, the work load and data gathering load goes beyond 60 per week. The data gathering is to give some impression that you are raising the reading level, in 9 months, from a second grade reading comprehension to a 9th grade reading comprehension (?)
People just really don't understand this paradigm anymore unless they are in the field.

This is exactly what my SIL describes. Such a thankless job and such a screwed up school system.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm giving names, people. Pay attention.

[e-mail]
Kevin Lewis

Ha ha. Sinclair Broadcast group? Special interest right wing group? In the pockets of Trump and like Fox News? No thank you. We need real journalists...like from WaPo.

Have you seen his articles?

I would think that someone would actually take the time to review his articles before slamming him for being part of a "special interest right wing group."

And I would think the "right" would enjoy the fight in these cases.

WaPo didn't respond to my offer to give them newsworthy information. Not the OP. They didn't seem that interested. Actually, they didn't even follow up with me after making initial contact. And they knew I was a credible source.