Stuart HS - can we ask for another HS? (Annandale: fit in, 2009)

[arabellava]

A relative (14 yrs old) is being placed with another relative whose address shows he will be going to Stuart HS. I went to TC WIlliams so I have an inkling of how this school could be except for the gang culture. I am concerned the 14 year old's personality will be drawn to fit in a gang.

What can we do to put him in another school? how does this work? I know he's in honors math (algebra ii with trig in 9th grade). The 14 year old is suffering from the death of his parents- had issues before this.

thanks,

[live_strong28]

Originally Posted by arabellava

A relative (14 yrs old) is being placed with another relative whose address shows he will be going to Stuart HS. I went to TC WIlliams so I have an inkling of how this school could be except for the gang culture. I am concerned the 14 year old's personality will be drawn to fit in a gang.

What can we do to put him in another school? how does this work? I know he's in honors math (algebra ii with trig in 9th grade). The 14 year old is suffering from the death of his parents- had issues before this.

thanks,

I don't know if it'll change your mind, but Stuart was listed by USNews as silver medal school.

Best High Schools Search - US News and World Report

[JEB77]

I think you ought to try and find out more information about Stuart and not assume gangs currently are a problem in the school. When Mel Riddile was principal 5-10 years ago, the general consensus was that he did a very good job of instilling some needed discipline in the school, and I believe the current principal, Pam Jones, was an Assistant Principal under him. As the PP noted, Stuart was recognized as a "Silver Medal" school by US News last year; under the ratings methodology that US News used, this meant that its economically challenged students were exceeding expectations on standardized tests, etc.

Stuart is an IB school, so your nephew could probably transfer to the nearest AP school, which is Falls Church HS. That's just an observation; I have no idea whether there are gangs now at either school and, if so, whether they are worse at one school than the other.

If your relative is truly susceptible to joining a gang, it seems to me that the neighborhood in which he lives will matter at least as much, if not more, than the school he attends during the daytime. A child who lives in Culmore may be subject to different pressures after hours than one who lives in the Sleepy Hollow/Lake Barcroft area.

[Denton56]

Yes, request a transfer to an AP school. Tell them that the child wants to take AP courses rather than IB classes. A parent/guardian can ask for any AP school that they choose although they don't always get the one that they want. If the guardian works near an AP school, use that as a reason. Usually if parents fuss enough, and appeal enough, they get the school that they want, especially if there is a real hardship, like the death of the parents.

Since Mel Riddle is no longer at Stuart I too would anything and everything to help that young man stay out of there.

Best wishes to your young relative and thank you for caring enough to try to help him.

[live_strong28]

Seems like a high amount of incidents at Stuart.

FCPS - School Profiles - Stuart HS - Demographics

[Yankeesfan]

Regardless of which school he goes to, get him involved in some extracurricular activities that meet regularly. Have a constructive schedule for his free time (without overloading and stressing him) will keep him busy in productive ways so the gangs can't recruit him. My kids said the students who got involved with gangs were the ones who had no one at home to supervise them after school and no activities to fill that time.

[Denton56]

Mostly gangs seem to be filled with kids who are looking for love in all the wrong places. They are looking for a family that they don't have. The gang becomes their family. Make sure the young man knows that he has a family, one that takes time to be with him and helps to fill that hole in his heart.

[Alanboy395]

Originally Posted by arabellava

A relative (14 yrs old) is being placed with another relative whose address shows he will be going to Stuart HS. I went to TC WIlliams so I have an inkling of how this school could be except for the gang culture. I am concerned the 14 year old's personality will be drawn to fit in a gang.

What can we do to put him in another school? how does this work? I know he's in honors math (algebra ii with trig in 9th grade). The 14 year old is suffering from the death of his parents- had issues before this.

thanks,

Hate to tell you this but most of the close-in schools have some sort of gang issue from experience. I dont think that moving him to either Falls Church or some other close-by HS will make much difference. Not that I like Stuart or anything (actually hate Fairfax County Schools) just the truth.

Your relative sounds like he's pretty smart. He probably knows how to avoid the riff-raff and the troublesome kids. I think its more making sure that he has an enviroment at home that is supportive or strict. JEB77 has a point on the neighborhood.

[JEB77]

The information in this presentation indicates that, last year, there were more students transferring into Stuart (IB) from neighboring Falls Church (AP) and Annandale (IB), than transferring out of Stuart to those schools:

http://fairfaxcaps.org/pdf/FfxCAPS_I...2009_01_14.pdf

Alanboy - in your experience, what does it mean to say that a local schools has a "gang issue"? Is it mostly an issue of students from different gangs getting into fights on school property?

It does seem to me that, if a school draws from a neighborhood where there are local gangs and the school does a reasonably good job of instilling discipline on the school grounds, the school itself shouldn't be deemed to have a "gang problem" - in fact, the school may be considered the community safe haven. In those schools, the students who have the right support outside of the school environment won't have a problem.

[arabellava]

Thank you everyone.. I have very young kids so I don't know about the public school system except for my own experience.

For what I'm reading- if my relatives request a transfer to an AP school (that seems to be the only option for a transfer reason) - he might get Falls Church HS which may not be a better option for him.

If the transfer is approved- would my relatives have to drive him or would there be a school bus?

thank you everyone..