15 yr old Wilson student abducted his teacher

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is a crazy conversation people are going to label an ENTIRE population of students based on a crime that two students committed off school grounds. Bad sh*t happens at every school cheating, drugs, car crashes, bullying, violence - it happens everywhere. I don't anat my kids around cheaters and I don't want my kids around rapists - no decent parent wants that. But to assume that just because kids come from certain neighborhoods or are in private school that they have better morals, is the most ridiculous thing I have heard on this board. You can't buy good judgement and decency - parents need to teach and model it.

Do you understand the struggles that some kids face in this city? To compare the lives of Whitman kids to the Wilson kids is laughable. LAUGHABLE. Yes, there is a teeny tiny group of students at Whitman who are genuinely struggling (economically, etc), but compare that to the neighborhoods of the OOB kids at Wilson?? Not even comparable.

I don't think a couple of idiot kids who kidnap someone are representing that whole of Wilson. But they ARE representing a significant group of kids who have that little to live for. The homelessness, gangs, drugs, GUNS, etc is a REAL problem at that school, as it is in many of the DCPS high school's.

I am just shaking my head when people are saying "Oh, you people think your private school kids are SO much better, they are drinking, blah blah blah"

The private school kids are not BETTER, they are LUCKIER. Their potential is the same as anyone else's. It is in an insult to those kids to minimize what is required for some of them to even MAKE it to school, let alone do well.

And stop with the pedophilia bullshit, and the crappy teachers, and Goldman Sachs bullshit. Those examples are not relevant here. EVERYONE with two damn brain cells bouncing around knows that people have varying degrees of good judgement and character, but we are talking about ADOLESCENTS here, not greedy adults or adults with mental disorders.

Private school kids and Whitman kids ARE different from many of the kids at Wilson, but not b/c they are better. It is b/c they had the good fortune to be born to people with resources, education, and money. And it doesn't hurt that they are part of the ruling majority race in the country.

Drugs, cheating, pedophile teachers who don't have to go through a rigorous background check... Sorry, it's not sounding that idyllic to me. You can keep trying to sell it, but after all since you're sinking $30K I year I think you owe it to yourself to drink the kool-aid. One Wilson kid committed a crime under the influence of an adult in Adams Morgan. Doesn't sound much like gunfire in the cafeteria to me. But teachers molesting their elementary and middle school students at big name private schools? Entitled upper-middle class students who are the future Masters of the Universe (love it that the majority were lax players!) bringing the KNOWN bad apple percentage of their class up to 15%? We're supposed to brush that under the rug. Raping a fellow student?

These are the kinds of things that get swept under the rug at private schools. Nice PR machine, but all that money better pay for something right?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Drugs, cheating, pedophile teachers who don't have to go through a rigorous background check... Sorry, it's not sounding that idyllic to me. You can keep trying to sell it, but after all since you're sinking $30K I year I think you owe it to yourself to drink the kool-aid. One Wilson kid committed a crime under the influence of an adult in Adams Morgan. Doesn't sound much like gunfire in the cafeteria to me. But teachers molesting their elementary and middle school students at big name private schools? Entitled upper-middle class students who are the future Masters of the Universe (love it that the majority were lax players!) bringing the KNOWN bad apple percentage of their class up to 15%? We're supposed to brush that under the rug. Raping a fellow student?

These are the kinds of things that get swept under the rug at private schools. Nice PR machine, but all that money better pay for something right?

Totally, dude. Sidwell is way more dangerous than Wilson. People are just in denial.

[Anonymous]

Can anyone point to one single incidence in which a 110% innocent bystander Wilson student was hurt by a thug WHILE AT OR VERY NEAR WILSON? Serious question.

I think there was a (Wilson?) girl several years ago who was shot offsite at a private home (in NE?), because she was running with a Wilson football player who had a beef with the shooter.

[Anonymous]

>> the shooter was not a Wilson student

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Can anyone point to one single incidence in which a 110% innocent bystander Wilson student was hurt by a thug WHILE AT OR VERY NEAR WILSON? Serious question.

I cannot provide the requested example. I guess this means that the risk of being a crime victim for Wilson students is the same as for other public high schools such as Whitman or BCC. I stand corrected.

[Anonymous]

I cannot provide the requested example. I guess this means that the risk of being a crime victim for Wilson students is the same as for other public high schools such as Whitman or BCC. I stand corrected.

Well, maybe someone else can come up with some documented incidents. Give it some time here. I'm not talking about iPod pilfering, I'm talking about the kind of violent crime that makes a mom of a 2 yr old boy in NW DC say, in April 2010, say HOLY SHIT THERE IS NO WAY I WILL SEND MY CHILD TO WILSON IN 12 YEARS NO WAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! omg my precious babies!!!!!!!!!

[Anonymous]

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Meaning, what, exactly? Do you really think that students at a HS in N Arlington are as likely to have criminal convictions for violent acts? Are you one of the posters equating cheating on a test with carjacking and stabbing? What do you think would have happened had the teacher not jumped out of the car?

Don't know about N Arlington, but Bethesda has its trio of sexual violence offenders:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn?pagename=article&node=&contentId=A56540-2003Jul14

Lovely. Jeff, not to put additional work on your plate, but it would be awesome to have a blog that focused on the issue of crime and safety and local schools both private and public. Pretty please?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Drugs, cheating, pedophile teachers who don't have to go through a rigorous background check... Sorry, it's not sounding that idyllic to me. You can keep trying to sell it, but after all since you're sinking $30K I year I think you owe it to yourself to drink the kool-aid. One Wilson kid committed a crime under the influence of an adult in Adams Morgan. Doesn't sound much like gunfire in the cafeteria to me. But teachers molesting their elementary and middle school students at big name private schools? Entitled upper-middle class students who are the future Masters of the Universe (love it that the majority were lax players!) bringing the KNOWN bad apple percentage of their class up to 15%? We're supposed to brush that under the rug. Raping a fellow student?

These are the kinds of things that get swept under the rug at private schools. Nice PR machine, but all that money better pay for something right?

Totally, dude. Sidwell is way more dangerous than Wilson. People are just in denial.

If you're afraid of child-molesters and pedophiles? Hell yes!

But leaving that aside, why are you here? On this forum, I mean. You don't see us on the private school boards trying to change anyone's POV. You aren't going to get your choices validated here. You don't like Wilson so don't go. It's no big deal to anyone but you. You want to spend your money to put your child with the pedophiles, nobody cares. You want to raise your child to cheat and do drugs? That's more of a problem, so train him that "no means no!" M'kay?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Can anyone point to one single incidence in which a 110% innocent bystander Wilson student was hurt by a thug WHILE AT OR VERY NEAR WILSON? Serious question.

I think there was a (Wilson?) girl several years ago who was shot offsite at a private home (in NE?), because she was running with a Wilson football player who had a beef with the shooter.

The shooting occured in Brookland if I recall correctly.

I think it's bizarre that people are trying to say that this kid at Wilson is like Denis the Menace or something or that this happens everywhere. From the reaction of the police, it doesn't. Now that it has happened I don't think anyone is all that surprised that it is a Wilson rather than BCC kid. How does what this kid, a current Wilson student, did not COUNT? I'm sorry, he was just a predator after hours. Don't buy it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This automatic assumption that privates are safe havens with other people of "good character" is laughable. Just read the news...

Provide links please of students at local privates who have committed violent crimes. Drugs and underage drinking are everywhere, kids who carjack, rob, sexually assault and stab are not.

This naivete is scary and dangerous

Meaning, what, exactly? Do you really think that students at a HS in N Arlington are as likely to have criminal convictions for violent acts? Are you one of the posters equating cheating on a test with carjacking and stabbing? What do you think would have happened had the teacher not jumped out of the car?

Meaning that the act of assuming that there are no kids who carjack, rob, sexually assault and stab at private schools or nice suburban schools is naive. It's a false sense of security. I'd rather have my kid take chance in the big city high school than hang around with the "nice girls" out in the suburban middle schools who sell their homemade porn to classmates. ick ick ick

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/16/AR2010041603657.html

How EXACTLY does going to Wilso prevent that? Is it the metal detectors? Gangs? Kids from the juvenile justice system? Talk about false sense of security. Boy people are really unwilling to sell those upper NW homes to add 10 min to their commute by getting into BCC.

[Anonymous]

Can you people read? Nobody said this kid is like Denis the Menace or that something like this incident happens everywhere. Nobody said that. It's the craziness of using an incident like this to justify choosing private school like that somehow is going to instantly ensure a kid and their friends are decent and have sound morals. Or the notion that drinking and cheating is not so bad, but violent acts are unacceptable. WTF?

[Anonymous]

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Meaning, what, exactly? Do you really think that students at a HS in N Arlington are as likely to have criminal convictions for violent acts? Are you one of the posters equating cheating on a test with carjacking and stabbing? What do you think would have happened had the teacher not jumped out of the car?

Don't know about N Arlington, but Bethesda has its trio of sexual violence offenders:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn?pagename=article&node=&contentId=A56540-2003Jul14

Following the logic of the resident troll, the victim was not a Bethesda student, nor did the assault occur on or immediately adjacent to school property, so really, shrug. Right?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Can you people read? Nobody said this kid is like Denis the Menace or that something like this incident happens everywhere. Nobody said that. It's the craziness of using an incident like this to justify choosing private school like that somehow is going to instantly ensure a kid and their friends are decent and have sound morals. Or the notion that drinking and cheating is not so bad, but violent acts are unacceptable. WTF?

I can't afford to send my kids to private school, thus we will be moving to MC well before HS. Sorry, can't play the Landon card here, I have girls. Do I hope they send nude pix to classmates? No, but I also cannot argue with a straight face that it would be less likely to happen at Wilson. Sure there are random sociopaths everywhere, but there is a particular concentration of kids with criminal records for violent crime at Wilson, transfered from Oak Hill for example. Given the times I have seen cops pick up juveniles ided by victims and drop them off a few blocks later, I think by the time you actually get into the system you are a significant offender. I agree with a PP that the metal detector vibe is not what I am going for. I have a good friend who went to Wilson, she says that it basically made her street smart, I'd like to set the bar a little higher. This kid is a thug and I would prefer my kids not to go to a school with a concentration of them. For those extolling Wilson on this thread, how old are your kids and where do you live? Do you live near Wilson? Have you been there? Will you send your children there regardless rather than move? Would you at least apply to SWW or is that not gritty enough for your kids?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Or the notion that drinking and cheating is not so bad, but violent acts are unacceptable. WTF?

WTF indeed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can you people read? Nobody said this kid is like Denis the Menace or that something like this incident happens everywhere. Nobody said that. It's the craziness of using an incident like this to justify choosing private school like that somehow is going to instantly ensure a kid and their friends are decent and have sound morals. Or the notion that drinking and cheating is not so bad, but violent acts are unacceptable. WTF?

I can't afford to send my kids to private school, thus we will be moving to MC well before HS. Sorry, can't play the Landon card here, I have girls. Do I hope they send nude pix to classmates? No, but I also cannot argue with a straight face that it would be less likely to happen at Wilson. Sure there are random sociopaths everywhere, but there is a particular concentration of kids with criminal records for violent crime at Wilson, transfered from Oak Hill for example. Given the times I have seen cops pick up juveniles ided by victims and drop them off a few blocks later, I think by the time you actually get into the system you are a significant offender. I agree with a PP that the metal detector vibe is not what I am going for. I have a good friend who went to Wilson, she says that it basically made her street smart, I'd like to set the bar a little higher. This kid is a thug and I would prefer my kids not to go to a school with a concentration of them. For those extolling Wilson on this thread, how old are your kids and where do you live? Do you live near Wilson? Have you been there? Will you send your children there regardless rather than move? Would you at least apply to SWW or is that not gritty enough for your kids?

Prove that Wilson has a concentration of kids with criminal records. Cut the BS and give us data.
My kids are in 2nd and 3rd in DCPS and Wilson is our local HS. My kids will go to Deal, where YIKES there are metal detectors and YES I have been to Wilson and know kids, our baby sitter for example that go there and are FINE. I am NOT moving. When the time comes Wilson gets an equal shot, along with SWW, charters and private school. I refuse to allow one incident to rule my decisionmaking.