What do you love about ACPS?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I've been thinking about what is bothering me about these threads, given that there are many things about ACPS that I am unhappy and disappointed with.

Yes, there are serious issues with violence in the schools that vastly disproportionately affect Black and Hispanic students.
Yes, programs like the STEM Academy and AP classes do not mirror the racial makeup of the school.

These are real problems.

However, I find it troubling that people continuously claim that all Black and Hispanic students are constantly in trouble, and not enrolled to any extent in good academic programs and classes. That is just not true. There are absolutely Black and Hispanic students who are successful and go on to four year colleges. The problem is that the number is not proportional to the number of students at the school.

And to be clear, I don't even care what it says with respect to ACPS. However, I think that characterizing every Black and Hispanic student in Alexandria as part of some massive underclass whose lives are going nowhere is problematic.

I think you missed the point about associations. All the school data from ACPS shows the majority of black and Latino students are struggling academically and there is a vast racial achievement gap. This does not mean every single black or Latino is doing poorly, but it does make you assume, based on odds, that any random black or Latino student you come across in ACPS is struggling. It's the same with witnessing crews of students from one race committing violence or being disciplined. Then you might assume any random black student wearing green shoes (or whatever indicates gang membership) is a member of a gang.

POC also try to leave these schools to get away from these perceptions as well. I was just saying that from the perspective of a white UMC family, I would not want my children's minds to develop observing the worst consequences of poverty facing one or two different races. I'm not sure anything positive comes of that especially given the UMC students are not immersed in the general education classes. Just my opinion but better race relations are formed when you see others doing as well or better academically and socially which I have experienced in the suburbs.

[Anonymous]

I think you missed the point about associations. All the school data from ACPS shows the majority of black and Latino students are struggling academically and there is a vast racial achievement gap. This does not mean every single black or Latino is doing poorly, but it does make you assume, based on odds, that any random black or Latino student you come across in ACPS is struggling. It's the same with witnessing crews of students from one race committing violence or being disciplined. Then you might assume any random black student wearing green shoes (or whatever indicates gang membership) is a member of a gang.

1. That's a hot take. So are you saying we should racially profile people, then?
2. Sorry, but I don't think your concerns about what your white kid will think of people of other races are really the prevailing concern here, in light of the larger issues that many other students at the school are facing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I think you missed the point about associations. All the school data from ACPS shows the majority of black and Latino students are struggling academically and there is a vast racial achievement gap. This does not mean every single black or Latino is doing poorly, but it does make you assume, based on odds, that any random black or Latino student you come across in ACPS is struggling. It's the same with witnessing crews of students from one race committing violence or being disciplined. Then you might assume any random black student wearing green shoes (or whatever indicates gang membership) is a member of a gang.

1. That's a hot take. So are you saying we should racially profile people, then?
2. Sorry, but I don't think your concerns about what your white kid will think of people of other races are really the prevailing concern here, in light of the larger issues that many other students at the school are facing.

No, I'm saying if ACPS can't stop violence due to social justice concerns then people should consider leaving for other schools that are diverse with none of these issues. I don't think progressives in Alexandria are capable of solving these problems as the only proposals I've seen have been "let's solve the underlying issues!" which hasn't been solved at any point in history.