Anonymous wrote:Can you explain why parents would be cancelled for advocating for thier children's safety? It sounds like everyone on this board wants more high schools and has good ideas. What would be wrong with getting some yard signs made and lobbying for these good ideas?

I for one do not want to have to move or find money for private school when my child reaches high school age. No parents should have to worry about thier child being in the wrong place at the wrong time in that giant high school. Not to mention how the students must be feeling knowing that a classmate was murdered in the middle of the school day!

Anonymous wrote:The segregation at ACHS is self segregation. The students segregate themselves, often starting in middle school.

This is not uncommon at any school anywhere. Do I like it, not really. But keeping one high school doesn’t negate any self segregation. According to my kids, there is significant tension among AA and Hispanic students. I don’t know why. I wish there wasn’t. What exactly are the school board, city council, the mayor and special interests groups like TWU doing about it? Putting their heads in the sand does nothing. Acting like they’re aren’t gangs in high school or that certain groups “have beef” also does nothing. From what I have heard from several ACHS students is that 47, as well as several Hispanic gangs, are prevalent at the high school. It’s such a shame. But no one does anything about it.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is there a reason why parents can't form a group to advocate for more high schools in the city?

Go ahead, but get ready to get canceled?

Anonymous wrote:Is there a reason why parents can't form a group to advocate for more high schools in the city?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kids are still in ES but my understanding is that ACHS is very much segregated. I hear this all the time from white parents as they defend ACHS and ACPS. They describe it as their kids are "safe". They "don't see" the violence because they are in honors or AP classes and not with the general population. These parents have described with relief how their kids are in an entire separate section of the building.

Are their descriptions accurate?

It is somewhat, but not for electives, sports, and lunch and learn. We actually very much value the integrated aspects of the school. With that, it is a very small percentage of the student population causing any issues, but there is a constant worry of being in the wrong place at the wrong time, so not targeted violence, but just caught up in the melee.

Why is any of the segregation acceptable? What is the percentage you cite?

Was answering the comment. On DCUM, it is really an art to navigating these questions. Yes, there is some de facto segregation at the school, it sucks.

Why is such a liberal city, ok with this?

Hutchings needs to practice what he preaches from his op-ed:

"Dismantle intraschool segregation. Public schools developed widespread tracking and barriers to rigorous courses within schools after integration in the late 1960s and early 1970s. These practices have hindered BIPOC students over several decades and continued to create segregation in education today. Public schools have created intentional and unintentional mechanisms to keep BIPOC students from accessing rigorous curricula, including talented and gifted programs, specialized instructional practices, and stringent guidelines to enroll in certain advanced-level courses.

Abolish policing practices in schools. Policing is a controversial national discussion, and schools are not immune to this controversy. Discipline for BIPOC students has mirrored some policing practices that have contributed to the prison pipeline for decades. From zero-tolerance policies to arrests in schools for disciplinary infractions, U.S. public schools have harmed BIPOC students by implementing disciplinary policies derived from policing. A focus on the social and emotional needs of students, including restorative practices, instead of suspension and expulsion practices, is key to abolishing policing in schools."

He has the full support from the school board. As he says later in the op-ed, its time to be courageous and bold. Parents need to stop being ok with the segregation and and shrugging it off with "it sucks" because it likely benefits them.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What does having only one HS have to do with this? Or is it just that your want a second HS so that your kids won’t be zoned to the same school as the kids who were involved in this incident?

Having over 4000 kids in one school amplifies any problem because you have twice as many people to get involved in conflicts. It's much harder to spot and identify problems because there are just too many kids to manage. People fall through the cracks because when you have 4000+ kids the cracks are bigger and easier too all through (not just with this type of incident, but also with general academic and emotional support). It's easier to hide bad behavior when you're one of a large faceless number.

FWIW I also think that there are ways to divide the district that don't just fall along a geographic divide.

Anonymous wrote:The MH building should just be a second high school. My spouse went to HS in a town with two HSs about half a mile from each other, as that was the only way to draw boundaries in a way to make them socio-economically diverse. They are huge rivals, and, there are some boundary exceptions that seem to coincide with the skill at a certain sport, but it works. There is just no desire in this town to deviate from one huge, dysfunctional, equitably mediocre school.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kids are still in ES but my understanding is that ACHS is very much segregated. I hear this all the time from white parents as they defend ACHS and ACPS. They describe it as their kids are "safe". They "don't see" the violence because they are in honors or AP classes and not with the general population. These parents have described with relief how their kids are in an entire separate section of the building.

Are their descriptions accurate?

It is somewhat, but not for electives, sports, and lunch and learn. We actually very much value the integrated aspects of the school. With that, it is a very small percentage of the student population causing any issues, but there is a constant worry of being in the wrong place at the wrong time, so not targeted violence, but just caught up in the melee.

Why is any of the segregation acceptable? What is the percentage you cite?

Was answering the comment. On DCUM, it is really an art to navigating these questions. Yes, there is some de facto segregation at the school, it sucks.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kids are still in ES but my understanding is that ACHS is very much segregated. I hear this all the time from white parents as they defend ACHS and ACPS. They describe it as their kids are "safe". They "don't see" the violence because they are in honors or AP classes and not with the general population. These parents have described with relief how their kids are in an entire separate section of the building.

Are their descriptions accurate?

It is somewhat, but not for electives, sports, and lunch and learn. We actually very much value the integrated aspects of the school. With that, it is a very small percentage of the student population causing any issues, but there is a constant worry of being in the wrong place at the wrong time, so not targeted violence, but just caught up in the melee.

Why is any of the segregation acceptable? What is the percentage you cite?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I agree that they need more high schools, but I don't think that separating students out by demographics is the answer. They need another high school because it is too crowded, and because it is tough for kids to get involved in sports and activities with so many kids enrolled in one school.

Agree. And there are many ways to have a second high school and avoid segregation. Never seen any other jurisdiction insist on keeping all high school students in one overcrowded campus no matter how large enrollment grows. Such a lack of initiative or creativity on ACPS’s part. I guess their paid private consultants just couldn’t dream anything up.

One single overcrowded campus absolutely magnifies issues and enables the chaos we see at ACHS. It’s a damn shame.

There is also some good research about the benefits of smaller schools and that this model of gigantic schools is outdated. The pandemic just further emphasizes this. What a missed opportunity to “reimagine” things.

Anonymous wrote:I agree that they need more high schools, but I don't think that separating students out by demographics is the answer. They need another high school because it is too crowded, and because it is tough for kids to get involved in sports and activities with so many kids enrolled in one school.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kids are still in ES but my understanding is that ACHS is very much segregated. I hear this all the time from white parents as they defend ACHS and ACPS. They describe it as their kids are "safe". They "don't see" the violence because they are in honors or AP classes and not with the general population. These parents have described with relief how their kids are in an entire separate section of the building.

Are their descriptions accurate?

It is somewhat, but not for electives, sports, and lunch and learn. We actually very much value the integrated aspects of the school. With that, it is a very small percentage of the student population causing any issues, but there is a constant worry of being in the wrong place at the wrong time, so not targeted violence, but just caught up in the melee.