tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post8744437714938283012..comments2024-01-08T03:21:35.616-05:00Comments on DeKalb County School Watch: What's up at Arabia?Cerebrationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11161868015604029471noreply@blogger.comBlogger164125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-58135322784661547812012-01-18T18:09:25.287-05:002012-01-18T18:09:25.287-05:00Now I know Arabia is supposed to be the model scho...Now I know Arabia is supposed to be the model school, but come on now. I know that worst has happened at many different schools in Dekalb. How do I know this you may ask? Well I've been there when worst has happened. The only reason why people are making such a big deal out of this. If this had happened at a school like Towers or Lithonia it would be ignored because its what people already personify them as. <br /><br />Arabia students, teachers, and faculty are put under a microscope and scrutinized for the most pointless things. The students at the school were stressed, frustrated, and kept all of this frustration and angst bottled up and it was bound to come out at one point. No one thinks about the pressure that they are under, everyone thinks that "oh they are just high school students, what could they be stressed about" well you would really be surprised. <br /><br />Why is it that we only make a big deal of the negative things, I haven't heard any comments about how Arabia has one of the highest pass rates for the graduation test (All Subjects) in the county. How they have had their robotics team make it to Worlds (Not nationals people...WORLDS). Had students participate in the LEAF program. Had a student WIN the Gates Millennium Scholarship. Has the first African American TSA State President. How some of these students that are so called "turnt' up" have endured through some of the most rigorous curriculum that most DCSS students were too cowardly to step up to the plate and dominate. SO I applaud these students, not because I agree with their actions that happened on that Thursday, but because I know how truly wonderful all of these students are and how THESE very same students are going to grow up into outstanding citizens, and even our leaders. So they had an off day; everyone does, but does everyone Else's get put on blast in front of the community? . . . yeah I didn't think so. <br /><br />Sincerely, <br />an Arabia Mountain Student (A.T.T)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-12966777615133593112011-12-24T13:43:50.002-05:002011-12-24T13:43:50.002-05:00@ 11:48 I agree, but the more that I see from the...@ 11:48 I agree, but the more that I see from the government, the more I believe that this is exactly what those in and with power want. I've spoken up in faculty meetings and was smashed and made to look like the crazy. <br /><br />The parents and citizens have to demand a change, as those in power don't want anything to change. The reactions when Bill Cosby spoke out was all the proof that I needed to know that change would not come easy and it's going to get a lot worse before it gets better.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-58281100022454499762011-12-24T11:48:47.612-05:002011-12-24T11:48:47.612-05:00I find it necessary to say to all of you who conti...I find it necessary to say to all of you who continually make excuses for the unacceptable behavior of our youth: you created the problem! As a middle school teacher for the past twenty-four years, I witness everyday the result of the entitlement mindset. Some of my students are shocked by the fact that I expect them to actually earn their grades. They've been "given" for so long that they no longer see a need to work for anything. It's a tragedy, really, because life it not going to be kind to them when they leave school. Someone, somewhere, is going to have to man up and speak the truth loud and clear, or we are all in big trouble.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-5241250182205359152011-12-21T18:03:35.121-05:002011-12-21T18:03:35.121-05:00I think people are more critical of Arabia since A...I think people are more critical of Arabia since Arabia has been held out to be more 'elite' since its inception. They make students write an essay, have a certain GPA etc, to apply. Then they must wear uniforms as if they are an elite private school. Etc, etc. All this was done AFTER Arabia was pitched as a school that was needed to alleviate over-crowding in the area. When it turned out so nice, Dr. Lewis and others got together and decided to make it a "Choice" or what some call a "Boutique" school. <br /><br />When you present yourself as somehow 'better' than others, then when something goes wrong, the criticisms tend to be more intense. Seems Arabia students are really no different than anyone else when it comes right down to it after all.Cerebrationhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11161868015604029471noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-34466816689761993152011-12-21T15:58:55.693-05:002011-12-21T15:58:55.693-05:00This is why kids should not have full access to so...This is why kids should not have full access to social networking and cell phones.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-21769461393180572122011-12-20T17:15:51.195-05:002011-12-20T17:15:51.195-05:00Lakeside would be the same way if it had happened ...Lakeside would be the same way if it had happened there. Nobody wants bad press. We were just very concerned because the police reaction was pretty strong and we heard stories of floods and a fire. It was obviously, in hindsight, not life-threatening. I am very disappointed in the raunchy tweets from kids though.Cerebrationhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11161868015604029471noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-25595690466928627722011-12-20T16:38:47.505-05:002011-12-20T16:38:47.505-05:00I think very few people are willing to go on the r...I think very few people are willing to go on the record, so those who are get their version told. I also think a great many Arabia Mt. parents, especially those who came up through the Theme Schools, want to protect the school's image at all costs. They just want this to go away.Anonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13434798345498298882noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-31217282257286272222011-12-20T15:46:42.087-05:002011-12-20T15:46:42.087-05:00This isn't a 'bash Ernest Brown' threa...This isn't a 'bash Ernest Brown' thread. I posted the link to contact the reporter - you ALL were free to do so.<br /><br />In addition to my opinion on Ernest's very accepting attitude about this behavior, I must also say that I am quite disappointed in those who would lump all Arabia students together - and worse, refer to them as 'thugs'. That's not nice speak - and it's certainly not truthful. <br /><br />Kindness is appreciated. Level-headed input as to punishments and response to behavior is fine. But the generalizations and name-calling needs to stop. Please.Cerebrationhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11161868015604029471noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-67380689034905647172011-12-20T14:10:03.517-05:002011-12-20T14:10:03.517-05:00This kind of behavior is typical of Earnest Brown....This kind of behavior is typical of Earnest Brown. He likes chaos and really wants to be on the Board of Education. Teachers in the county cannot stand to see him coming. He is trouble and started these kids posting these comments. Trust me, he is enjoying these comments and even putting most of the comments on here himself posing as a student at Arabia. This man is something else!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-17126361998412177932011-12-20T11:21:23.164-05:002011-12-20T11:21:23.164-05:00The AJC reported on this item today. Wow. Someone ...The AJC reported on this item today. Wow. Someone needs to send the AJC the following book “Best Practices for Newspaper Journalists". What happened to "Who, what, when, where, why, and how"? Who called 911? What was said to the 911 operator? How many police cars responded? What did the police have to say about this incident? What does the police report say? Who was tasered? Why was the student tasered? If someone is tasered there has to be a report about it? Right? How did the school respond to the many concerned parents? The AJC uses anonymous sources (superintendent search lest we forget) so why not have some of those sources comment, maybe a teacher or two? Mr Editor your paper can do better than this.LaLaMeeka Chadwallihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05877640170203419001noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-69002555257892770792011-12-20T11:05:57.231-05:002011-12-20T11:05:57.231-05:00The AJC and DCSS are lucky! The AJC asked for sta...The AJC and DCSS are lucky! The AJC asked for statements from parents and look who they got! Earnest Brown! DCSS Parent and Cheerleader and lay Spokesperson! <br /><br />(Think that the AJC ignored the negative and perhaps more realistic accounts?)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-46117821560462451592011-12-20T09:45:58.681-05:002011-12-20T09:45:58.681-05:00I like Ernest Brown. I disagree with his perspect...I like Ernest Brown. I disagree with his perspective on this issue though. He should be standing with the principal informing students of their punishments and restating the house rules. These kinds of public statements by a parent only serve to undermine the principal's power and respect for discipline. A better response would have been: Prepare to take your lumps, kids!<br /><br />It's easy to state that you are all for discipline and control over student behaviors in order to maintain a healthy learning environment - when it's not your school or your kids. What I'm disappointed to see is the minimizing of this outrageous behavior (the DeKalb police apparently took it seriously) - simply because it involves his own children's school. I wonder if he would have made any kind of comment like those he did had it been an event at MLK or Lakeside. <br /><br />Animal House? Really? Personally, I was never a John Belushi fan. That guy was a disaster. And we all know what happened to him.Cerebrationhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11161868015604029471noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-4336855163522994942011-12-20T08:40:31.640-05:002011-12-20T08:40:31.640-05:00Support Fran and the others. The existing provisio...Support Fran and the others. The existing provisions for amending the state constitution and charter laws can be used to set us free. Let south DeKalb run itself, with its money. Just leave us and our money alone.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-28691404227425746952011-12-20T08:31:20.395-05:002011-12-20T08:31:20.395-05:00Ernest, read the tweets, each and every one of the...Ernest, read the tweets, each and every one of them, profanity and all:<br /><br />http://whotalking.com/%23TurnupThursday<br /><br />This was planned, and it took 10 police cars to respond to it. A fire in a school, any kind of fire, can cause a tragedy.<br /><br />Shame on you for condoning this event. Please do not run for the Board of Education.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-43958382328256952502011-12-19T23:59:38.275-05:002011-12-19T23:59:38.275-05:00Earnest Brown is a bonafide trouble maker. He is t...Earnest Brown is a bonafide trouble maker. He is trying to be heard and noticed for a position on the BOE. He harasses teachers when his kids do not make passing grades.<br />This man and his wife are dangerous and loves to gossip. He really loves attention and if there is a camera, watch out, he will be the first person in line.<br />All he is trying to do is, line himself up for a position. These kids on the blog are being pushed up by him. Some are probally written by Earnest under the surmise of a kid. People, ask the teachers at AMHS, this man is trouble. Donot by into his hype!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-24755549304762013392011-12-19T22:12:31.071-05:002011-12-19T22:12:31.071-05:00In DeKalb County we LACK the following:
1 – A res...In DeKalb County we LACK the following:<br /><br />1 – A responsible BOE.<br />2 - A superintendent seasoned in her position and well in control.<br />3 - An administration that has proven itself to be truly concerned with student performance, advancement, and perceptive enough to guide derailed students back on track.<br />4 – An educational system capable of address disciplinary issues in a way that students and their parents understand the consequences of their actions with no questionable doubt.<br /><br />I appreciate Mr. Brown coming forward to express his thoughts; however, his apparent downplay of the Thursday events at Arabia Mountain really concern me. On many levels, this was a serious disruption of an educational facility that is inexcusable, and the downplay shows a willingness in our society to accept what was once considered unacceptable.<br /><br />Animal House was a very entertaining movie based in a college setting. However, it was not something I would ever expect to see actually occur, much less in a high school in DeKalb County. To intimate that this kind of activity is acceptable shows a serious lack of parental concern. Mr. Brown once ran for a BOE position? Note to self, Mr. Brown is an idiot and should be discounted should he run for BOE in the future.<br /><br />We have a ThugCulture in this country. Read the newspaper and watch any one of the local TV stations in this city and you will see the results of rebellious, unconcerned, and uneducated people in our midst. This anti-social behavior starts somewhere. Typically, home first, then graduating to public schools, and ultimately festering itself in public.<br /><br />Citizens will try their best to address this problem. The ThugCulture (parents and their spawn) will laugh and go on their way. I will help those that I can, but to those that scoff me and then as Thugs try to harm me or my family I am ready for you. I am licensed, carry, educated, cocked, and loaded. When you cross the line to the ThugCulture, do not tread on me as I do not want to play and I am ready for you if you force yourself on me.<br /><br />http://www.ajc.com/news/dekalb/dekalb-church-aims-to-1261439.html<br />http://www.ajc.com/news/dekalb/drum-majors-parents-want-1264809.html<br />http://www.ajc.com/news/atlanta/three-retirement-homes-hit-1264978.html<br />http://www.ajc.com/news/cobb/arrest-made-in-sunday-1264742.html<br />http://www.accessatlanta.com/atlanta-music/police-50-000-in-1263556.html<br />http://www.ajc.com/news/atlanta/reason-for-rapper-slim-1262414.html<br />http://www.ajc.com/news/gwinnett/49-arrested-in-gwinnett-1265100.htmlAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-6090041651635549172011-12-19T21:40:23.535-05:002011-12-19T21:40:23.535-05:00@ Anonymous 9:24
I think Ivy League Scholar was m...@ Anonymous 9:24<br /><br />I think Ivy League Scholar was making a facetious comment.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-55334635328854054472011-12-19T21:24:49.891-05:002011-12-19T21:24:49.891-05:00ILS @9:08
So you won the lottery to attend AMHS. ...ILS @9:08<br /><br />So you won the lottery to attend AMHS. BFD!<br /><br />Occupied a seat out of luck but what did you really learn.<br /><br />I hope the Ivy League school you are rubbing in everyone's face<br />humbles you and teaches you some humility. <br /><br />Get back to us when you fill out your taxes a few years from now.<br /><br />I'm sure AMHS would be proud to have you come back to homecoming so you can tell them just how great and deserving they are. Oh and don't forget to tell them their excrement smells like roses too!<br /><br />TAADBAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-31767382889986697862011-12-19T21:08:45.245-05:002011-12-19T21:08:45.245-05:00As an Arabia Mountain graduate this is bad press b...As an Arabia Mountain graduate this is bad press but who cares in the end. Students will continue to graduate get more money & opportunities than the other DeKalb County students & all the parents of students WHO didn't graduate or attend Arabia will continue living pressed & obsessed live because their child didn't make the cut. Oh.Ivy League Scholarnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-49084977275960125042011-12-19T20:48:36.960-05:002011-12-19T20:48:36.960-05:00The scary part about what happened at Arabia is th...The scary part about what happened at Arabia is that the building was not evacuated when the fire alarm went off. You always evacuate a building when the alarm goes off because you don't know if you have a problem until you walk the building. Safety first. You don't take chances with people's lives.<br /><br />I worked in a school (not in DeKalb) where a student set fire to a teacher's desk during class change. A quick-thinking teacher put it out with a fire extinguisher, but every student waited outside while the fire department made sure the fire was out and the building was safe.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-9479979685967899152011-12-19T19:41:53.135-05:002011-12-19T19:41:53.135-05:00Ernest works harder than Walter Woods, and for hal...Ernest works harder than Walter Woods, and for half the pay!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-84183235607107555662011-12-19T19:34:25.463-05:002011-12-19T19:34:25.463-05:00http://www.ajc.com/news/dekalb/arabia-mountain-hig...http://www.ajc.com/news/dekalb/arabia-mountain-high-cleans-1264963.html<br /><br />“These things happen. Use this as a teaching opportunity for your children,” Brown said. “Have these people ever seen ‘Animal House'?”<br /><br />--<br /><br />Ten police cars taken off the street to respond to the Arabia incident, which included a fire.<br /><br />Ernest Brown, please never run for the Board of Ed again. You continue to be an apologist for the system and the incompetence at the Central Office.<br /><br />And your idiotic statement about Animal House?? Animal House was a R-rated movie that took place at a college; it's not anywhere near acceptable behavior for a high school. You've lost any respect I had for you previously.<br /><br /><br />P.S. Funny to see Walter Woods dismiss the "blogs" for overreacting:<br /><br />"Walter Woods, a spokesman for the district, said the incident, while not as serious as blogs and social media sites would suggest, has placed discipline atop the system’s priority list."Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-42020855950836640592011-12-19T19:24:32.694-05:002011-12-19T19:24:32.694-05:00Just read the tweets from Arabia Mt High at http:/...Just read the tweets from Arabia Mt High at http://whotalking.com/%23TurnupThursday.<br /><br />I weep for the future.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-16066860022569166742011-12-19T18:35:07.775-05:002011-12-19T18:35:07.775-05:00Oh boy, the AJC article is disappointing. Especia...Oh boy, the AJC article is disappointing. Especially that it quotes Earnest Brown who downplayed the incident and compared it to Animal House.<br /><br />Why were so many Dekalb Police cars sent to the school if this event was so minor?<br /><br />I've been in schools when students played pranks, and local law enforcement was never called in like it was Arabia Mtn.<br /><br />If the incident was minor, then DCSS must have way overreacted by calling in so many police.<br /><br />On the other hand, I know from some experience with her that the new principal at Arabia Mtn makes poor decisions, using very poor judgment.<br /><br />Did she overreact?<br /><br />I think that DCSS is trying to protect the reputation of its showcase school and is intentionally downplaying this.<br /><br />I might believe that it were not that big of deal, except for the large police presence there Thursday afternoon.<br /><br />Despite Earnest Brown's rosy assessment, there are still some thorny questions.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151096942903989101.post-62317461334146875902011-12-19T17:15:05.120-05:002011-12-19T17:15:05.120-05:00How ridiculous! We paid big bucks for software tha...How ridiculous! We paid big bucks for software that was guaranteed to track stolen computers but no one installed the software so now, students and teachers just have to 'do without' the stolen computers?<br /><br />Someone should be fired for that. For real.Cerebrationhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11161868015604029471noreply@blogger.com