ACPS - Sexual Assault at School - What Should Parents be Told

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Imagine learning about the violent rape of a child and your first thought is to discredit the publication that published it and defend the mayor for hiding it.

You are one sick puppy.

You nailed it, PP. Some of the posters here are really missing the point.

+1 Yes and that is the typical Alexandria reaction. It's disgusting.

y
+2. The assault happened in October, around the same time as the second Loudon county story broke. And there were elections for city council and the school board just a few weeks later. The entire situation is so shady and political it is beyond disgusting. These are children we are talking about, and the cover up and defense thereof is beyond reproach. Children.

There is absolutely no defense of what the school board and mayor did. They 100% were going to keep it secret or only release the absolute minimal under the law. The mayor and his supporters can bash the "fringe media" all they want, it does not change what happened.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Schools systems cover up because they can. We need to extend the Clery Act to K-12s.

Universities used to do the same thing until the Clery Act forced them to report it:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clery_Act

+1000

Agree that a similar law is needed to hold K-12 schools to account. Arguably, the Clery Act's penalties are insufficient to deter reporting - they didn't prevent Penn State from failing to report on Jerry Sandusky's activities for years. Victims should be informed of their rights and I would hope that a relocation option to a school in Arlington or one of the private schools in Alexandria was offered to the victim. Current and prospective students should be provided with real-time data on crime and safety on campus - so families can decide whether to move or go to private schools, or at the very least, seek safety reforms on campuses. We don't know what, if anything, Minnie Howard is doing differently after the rape and that is astounding to me. I wish there was a way to demand a town hall on this.

In the meantime, ACPS and the Virginia Freedom of Information Act also needs to be reformed such that the cost of requesting information is not prohibitive (look at the cost schedule for requests and searches). It should not cost more than $50 to obtain disclosure of correspondence between school board members, school administration, and other government officials.

https://www.acps.k12.va.us/domain/109

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Schools systems cover up because they can. We need to extend the Clery Act to K-12s.

Universities used to do the same thing until the Clery Act forced them to report it:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clery_Act

+1000

Agree that a similar law is needed to hold K-12 schools to account. Arguably, the Clery Act's penalties are insufficient to deter reporting - they didn't prevent Penn State from failing to report on Jerry Sandusky's activities for years. Victims should be informed of their rights and I would hope that a relocation option to a school in Arlington or one of the private schools in Alexandria was offered to the victim. Current and prospective students should be provided with real-time data on crime and safety on campus - so families can decide whether to move or go to private schools, or at the very least, seek safety reforms on campuses. We don't know what, if anything, Minnie Howard is doing differently after the rape and that is astounding to me. I wish there was a way to demand a town hall on this.

In the meantime, ACPS and the Virginia Freedom of Information Act also needs to be reformed such that the cost of requesting information is not prohibitive (look at the cost schedule for requests and searches). It should not cost more than $50 to obtain disclosure of correspondence between school board members, school administration, and other government officials.

https://www.acps.k12.va.us/domain/109

You are preaching to the choir on all three of these for us.

[Anonymous]

How do we fire Alexandria's Superintendent? His lack of communication to parents is absolutely rediculous and not just with this issue, but with everything. I can't believe that no general statement was made by the principal on his order and that he has a gag order on the school board as well. Isn't the Superintendent supposed to answer to the school board? How is he he the school board what they can and can't do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How do we fire Alexandria's Superintendent? His lack of communication to parents is absolutely rediculous and not just with this issue, but with everything. I can't believe that no general statement was made by the principal on his order and that he has a gag order on the school board as well. Isn't the Superintendent supposed to answer to the school board? How is he he the school board what they can and can't do.

I don't think he should be fired over this. A new superintendent is not going to help this situation for the time being. But city residents can write to each member of the school board and send emails to the clerk of the school board with a CC to (1) ACPS's internal audit controls office for fraud waste and abuse, (2) Governor Youngkin's office and (3) the Commonwealth's Secretary of Education (Guidera). That would be a start to holding school members, who are elected officials, to account and have them demand that the superintendent and school principals be more forthcoming about non-privacy-protected information that can be disclosed as it relates to the sexual assault that took place at Minnie Howard.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How do we fire Alexandria's Superintendent? His lack of communication to parents is absolutely rediculous and not just with this issue, but with everything. I can't believe that no general statement was made by the principal on his order and that he has a gag order on the school board as well. Isn't the Superintendent supposed to answer to the school board? How is he he the school board what they can and can't do.

Only the School Board can fire him. And they love him, wouldn't dare speak out against him or go against his orders. And Alexandria parents are timid and won't speak up or demand better.

The only place he's going is on his book tour.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How do we fire Alexandria's Superintendent? His lack of communication to parents is absolutely rediculous and not just with this issue, but with everything. I can't believe that no general statement was made by the principal on his order and that he has a gag order on the school board as well. Isn't the Superintendent supposed to answer to the school board? How is he he the school board what they can and can't do.

Only the School Board can fire him. And they love him, wouldn't dare speak out against him or go against his orders. And Alexandria parents are timid and won't speak up or demand better.

The only place he's going is on his book tour.

Alexandria parents that have spoken out are continually dismissed as crazy, racist, privileged and uninformed. The board has said, multiple times, that their priority is to serve the families that don't speak up. So not much point in speaking up?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How do we fire Alexandria's Superintendent? His lack of communication to parents is absolutely rediculous and not just with this issue, but with everything. I can't believe that no general statement was made by the principal on his order and that he has a gag order on the school board as well. Isn't the Superintendent supposed to answer to the school board? How is he he the school board what they can and can't do.

Only the School Board can fire him. And they love him, wouldn't dare speak out against him or go against his orders. And Alexandria parents are timid and won't speak up or demand better.

The only place he's going is on his book tour.

Alexandria parents that have spoken out are continually dismissed as crazy, racist, privileged and uninformed. The board has said, multiple times, that their priority is to serve the families that don't speak up. So not much point in speaking up?

I agree with this point. I would add that while School Board, in their constant reference to equity, do indicate that they are acting to serve families who don’t speak up, I do not believe that in practice ACPS/the School Board does much to actual serve those groups (ie really trying to remediate the disparity in performance reflected in test scores, etc.) and actually tackle equity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How do we fire Alexandria's Superintendent? His lack of communication to parents is absolutely rediculous and not just with this issue, but with everything. I can't believe that no general statement was made by the principal on his order and that he has a gag order on the school board as well. Isn't the Superintendent supposed to answer to the school board? How is he he the school board what they can and can't do.

I don't think he should be fired over this. A new superintendent is not going to help this situation for the time being. But city residents can write to each member of the school board and send emails to the clerk of the school board with a CC to (1) ACPS's internal audit controls office for fraud waste and abuse, (2) Governor Youngkin's office and (3) the Commonwealth's Secretary of Education (Guidera). That would be a start to holding school members, who are elected officials, to account and have them demand that the superintendent and school principals be more forthcoming about non-privacy-protected information that can be disclosed as it relates to the sexual assault that took place at Minnie Howard.

No, he should be fired because he is incompetent, derelict, and egocentric. His children attend private school! The precipitous decline in scores of low-income children in schools should be enough - especially since there is no intentional, effective plan to address or fix this - other than Equity for All. Well, equity is being equipped to pass a science assessment - making "Racial equity . . . at the center of every decision that the school division will make" (quote from 21-22 ACHS Orientation slide) does not increase literacy and graduation rates. But it does give you some great soundbites for book tours and speaking engagements. The cover-up of the rape, nevertheless, is a specific act that creates the irrefutable reason he needs to go. ACPS administration and board is pathetic - and undermines every good thing the teachers and school officials do that are pretty great.

[Anonymous]

Don’t forget the superintendent is the one who said last year that ACPS had been closed for so long because of the dual pandemics of covid and systemic racism.

Racism kept the schools closed, said the person who decides when to open the schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Don’t forget the superintendent is the one who said last year that ACPS had been closed for so long because of the dual pandemics of covid and systemic racism.

Racism kept the schools closed, said the person who decides when to open the schools.

Oh yes - that ACPS Express gem! What is so amazing about it is he at the helm of ACPS, so is he criticizing himself for perpetuating a racist school system?

A girl gets raped in a school bathroom during lunch, and in this community the crickets are chirping loudly with no a whisper of outrage. Yet, every other house is proudly flying the Ukrainian flag, it is just so weird that the selective outrage chooses a foreign invasion over violence in local schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Don’t forget the superintendent is the one who said last year that ACPS had been closed for so long because of the dual pandemics of covid and systemic racism.

Racism kept the schools closed, said the person who decides when to open the schools.

Yes, it's the racist whites causing the problems. just ignore the Hispanic gangs that brutally raped a 14 year old child in a bathroom.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How do we fire Alexandria's Superintendent? His lack of communication to parents is absolutely rediculous and not just with this issue, but with everything. I can't believe that no general statement was made by the principal on his order and that he has a gag order on the school board as well. Isn't the Superintendent supposed to answer to the school board? How is he he the school board what they can and can't do.

I don't think he should be fired over this. A new superintendent is not going to help this situation for the time being. But city residents can write to each member of the school board and send emails to the clerk of the school board with a CC to (1) ACPS's internal audit controls office for fraud waste and abuse, (2) Governor Youngkin's office and (3) the Commonwealth's Secretary of Education (Guidera). That would be a start to holding school members, who are elected officials, to account and have them demand that the superintendent and school principals be more forthcoming about non-privacy-protected information that can be disclosed as it relates to the sexual assault that took place at Minnie Howard.

No, he should be fired because he is incompetent, derelict, and egocentric. His children attend private school! The precipitous decline in scores of low-income children in schools should be enough - especially since there is no intentional, effective plan to address or fix this - other than Equity for All. Well, equity is being equipped to pass a science assessment - making "Racial equity . . . at the center of every decision that the school division will make" (quote from 21-22 ACHS Orientation slide) does not increase literacy and graduation rates. But it does give you some great soundbites for book tours and speaking engagements. The cover-up of the rape, nevertheless, is a specific act that creates the irrefutable reason he needs to go. ACPS administration and board is pathetic - and undermines every good thing the teachers and school officials do that are pretty great.

I wonder if there is a chapter in his new book entitled: "How to Control Your Local Elected School Board So Kids Can Fail...Equitably"

I thought the obsequiousness of Cindy Anderson and Margaret Lorber couldn't be beat. I was wrong!

[Anonymous]

Who was the ACPS superintendent that got a DUI leaving a SB meeting? That was great.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Who was the ACPS superintendent that got a DUI leaving a SB meeting? That was great.

Rebecca Perry. This is what ACPS lists about her on their page touting each Superintendent’s accomplishments.

Superintendent Rebecca Perry (2001-2008)
While serving as superintendent, Perry oversaw an increase in SAT scores; a jump in the number of fully state-accredited schools from two to 14; an increase in the number of schools meeting state requirements for Adequate Yearly Progress; improvements in the minority achievement gap; and the turnaround of Matthew Maury Elementary School.