Student numbers dip at Asheville Middle School

Comments on Topix forums : ASHEVILLE Asheville City Schools officials are trying to figure out why students are leaving the school district after elementary school.

[Ribbon Boy]

In 2001 our daughter enrolled in AMS. She was supposed to go to a different school because of where we lived but she wanted to go to AMS because, as she put it, "it looked cool".

All we heard was what a mistake we were making because of the racial problems. We are white. ANd its location, "in the hood, she will be murdered".

She excelled at AMS, had great teachers, made great friends, and went on and graduated from AHS with big honors, top 20, full scholarships etc.

The idea that somehow AMS is inferior is just more Asheville Crapola, put out there by white, middle class moms from North Asheville, concerned that little Bessie might get murdered by some black thug. That couldn't be further from the truth.

If you want uniforms, same-sex education and a great education, go to HH. If you want great education in a setting that looks just like the rest of the world, go to AMS.

[Lawless]

its not just AMS thats problematic, its the whole government school system. AMS is no worse than the rest of them. the bureaucratic government schools must teach according to the mandated UNION agendas which have dumbed down 2-3 generations thus far. the NEA UNION has RUINED public schools. then you got all the NCEA bureaucrats, and 'specialized staff' drawing outrageous salaries, while the real teachers suffer.

kudos to those parents who see fit to get their children OUT of government screwls.

[Precious]

Can someone pallllleeese tell me how Precious got on the ACS school board? Isnt there some sort of education requirement? u go girl!!!!!!!!!!woot woot!!

[Maria]

If parents bring their children up the way they should they will have no problem at any school they attend. This is a very diverse world in which we live and we have to teach our children how to live with all people and know how to pick the right people as their friends.

My kids attened public schools here in Asheville and went on to college, graduated and are doing well for which I am thankful.

The biggest problem I find around here, is that after kids graduate college, they are not able to come back home and find a decent job. Mine had to go elsewhere to find good-paying jobs even though they were well qualified in their fields.

[Keeping it Real]

Ding Ding Ding! Could it be drugs, gangs, and poor achievement?

[Actually no]

Keeping it Real wrote:

Ding Ding Ding! Could it be drugs, gangs, and poor achievement?

In your imagination, not in reality.
As parents for the last five years at AMS, we focus on our hopes and not our fears, and our kids are doing great. Your desire to tear down what others are building up speaks ill of your intentions.
The mark of a great school and community is to continuously improve even when others are attacking you. Perhaps to make themselves feel better for their own decisions?

[Momof2]

I am not anti-public school. Our kids have been in both private and public. We sent our youngest to a public middle school in the county, our district, to meet people before high school. I think the problem, in general, is lumping kids together at a difficult age. Having the older K-8 system allows kids at awkward ages to become role models and leaders. I think that worked beter for our older son. It is not the schools or the teachers, it is the awkward age. 12-14 is tough and there is nobody for these kids to emulate. Had we had girls, I'd definitely have considered Hanger Hall. I wish we had kept the younger one in his Catholic school through 8th grade.I think the whole concept of "middle" school is flawed and needs to be tossed. I hear good things about AMS, I have friends in N. Aaheville, it is not about racism or bigotry, I just think it is about the problems incurred with large numbers of that age group off on their own. It is a problem that has nothing to do with public school or teachers or anything ese, it is difficult age thrown in the water to sink or swim.

[mike]

I thought the idea was for parents to raise their children as they see fit. Part of parental responsibility is to ensure that their children are well educated and prepared for citizenship and able to support themselves and contribute to their community. Whichever choice a parent makes; public, private, or paraochial is their responsibility and choice, it is none of the business of the state, the county, the city, or people in the community who make a different choice to condemn parents for the decision they feel is best for their children and their situation. How about more that one choice? Why insist that one circumstance is best for all students? All that should matter is that every child is educated to the highest level possibe for each child. To believe only one system is capable of doing so is intellectaully indefensible and arrogant.

[Crazy Comments]

Keeping it Real wrote:

Ding Ding Ding! Could it be drugs, gangs, and poor achievement?

Ding, Ding, Ding! Could it be drugs, gangs and poor achievement abound in every school - not just in Asheville Middle and Asheville High!!!

[Keeping it Real]

Crazy Comments wrote:

<quoted text>
Ding, Ding, Ding! Could it be drugs, gangs and poor achievement abound in every school - not just in Asheville Middle and Asheville High!!!

You are sadly mistaken, this is not tolerated in Buncombe County Middle and High Schools.

[Keeping it Real]

Actually no wrote:

<quoted text>
In your imagination, not in reality.
As parents for the last five years at AMS, we focus on our hopes and not our fears, and our kids are doing great. Your desire to tear down what others are building up speaks ill of your intentions.
The mark of a great school and community is to continuously improve even when others are attacking you. Perhaps to make themselves feel better for their own decisions?

It is your elected officals who are letting you down, good for you and other parents who demand better!

[Crazy Comments]

Keeping it Real wrote:

<quoted text>
You are sadly mistaken, this is not tolerated in Buncombe County Middle and High Schools.

OH MY GOD, you are totally out of touch with reality!!! I can NOT believe that you actually think that the county schools are immune from drugs, gangs and low test scores. Give me a break. You are living a fairy tale if you actually believe that.

[Last Buffalo]

Good, intelligent post, Mike.

[Jackson Girl]

Actually no wrote:

<quoted text>
In your imagination, not in reality.
As parents for the last five years at AMS, we focus on our hopes and not our fears, and our kids are doing great. Your desire to tear down what others are building up speaks ill of your intentions.
The mark of a great school and community is to continuously improve even when others are attacking you. Perhaps to make themselves feel better for their own decisions?

It is good to hear from people with actual experience with AMS. They have credibility that the local malcontents will never have.

[Keeping it Real]

Crazy Comments wrote:

<quoted text>
OH MY GOD, you are totally out of touch with reality!!! I can NOT believe that you actually think that the county schools are immune from drugs, gangs and low test scores. Give me a break. You are living a fairy tale if you actually believe that.

I am a member of a high school advisory boards and I do know this for a fact. It is not to say there are not drugs and gangs, but Buncombe County deals with them decisively so they do not become a problem like at other local school systems. There are a lot of hard working people who spend a lot of time to ensure there is a safe productive learning environments being maintained. Which advisory board do you serve on or PTO do you belong too?

[Local]

Keeping it Real wrote:

<quoted text>
I am a member of a high school advisory boards and I do know this for a fact. It is not to say there are not drugs and gangs, but Buncombe County deals with them decisively so they do not become a problem like at other local school systems. There are a lot of hard working people who spend a lot of time to ensure there is a safe productive learning environments being maintained. Which advisory board do you serve on or PTO do you belong too?

Public middle schools put 25-30 impressionable children who are still mostly poor decision makers together in a room for hours on end and also give them a whole lot of opportunities for mischief.

Parents who realize this and want their children's environment to be more productive should not criticized.

[Crazy Comments]

Keeping it Real wrote:

<quoted text>
I am a member of a high school advisory boards and I do know this for a fact. It is not to say there are not drugs and gangs, but Buncombe County deals with them decisively so they do not become a problem like at other local school systems. There are a lot of hard working people who spend a lot of time to ensure there is a safe productive learning environments being maintained. Which advisory board do you serve on or PTO do you belong too?

Well Sir, good for you. But still, you are living in a fairy tale world. Drugs can be found in just about any school system - from the poor to the wealthy. You sir, would be shocked, stunned and amazed at just how many kids actually used some type of drug - probably more stunned when you found out who some of those kids are. I personally know of two white students, both of whom come from upper middle class families and one of them has a 3.87 GPA that went into inpatient facilities because of their drug use. Every school offical was shocked, because they too were living in the same fairy tale world you are. They didn't look the part or come from a home were this type of behavior would be tolerated.

My son has friends that attend AHS, TCR and ACR and in each of these schools, drugs can be found.

As for gangs - gangs are every where.

And poor academics is also a reality of the world. Not every kid makes good grades or is on the honor roll. Not every kid wants to come to school. Students drop out of Buncombe County shools, students fail in Buncombe County school and for you to sit up and try to make me believe that none of the aforementioned things don't occur in Buncombe County schools is crazy.

Maybe your committies try to deter drugs and gangs in county schools and maybe you have programs in place to help boost test scores, but to tell me I am sadly mistaken that Buncombe County schools do not have the same problems as Asheville City schools is hog wash!

[who your babydaddy]

Crazy Comments wrote:

<quoted text>
OH MY GOD, you are totally out of touch with reality!!! I can NOT believe that you actually think that the county schools are immune from drugs, gangs and low test scores. Give me a break. You are living a fairy tale if you actually believe that.

fact: Asheville High is the only school here with a day care center. what does that tell ya? pitiful

[Crazy Comments]

who your babydaddy wrote:

<quoted text>
fact: Asheville High is the only school here with a day care center. what does that tell ya? pitiful

ooooooooooooooops ... I really hate to tell you this, but, you are wrong!

And even if it were correct, so?????????? What only Asheville City school girls get pregnant? People, stop trying to make this a race issue because it is not.

Buncombe County schools are not superior to Asheville City schools. Get a grip. And before you ask me, nope, don't have a child attending city schools nor have I had a child attend city schools. But it is common sense to know all schools have problems.

[Another Teacher]

Lawless wrote:

the NEA UNION has RUINED public schools. then you got all the NCEA bureaucrats, and 'specialized staff' drawing outrageous salaries, while the real teachers suffer.

Actually, the North Carolina branch of NEA, NCAE (not NCEA), is not a union in that there is no collective bargaining and they have very little impact on the way schools here are run. Rest assured, nobody will be fighting for, say, a duty-free lunch or collaborative planning time for teachers around here anytime soon. That's for them high-achievin' Yankee states :).