My morning at Homeland Security Academy
I visited two journalism classes this morning at Homeland Security Academy in the Walbrook complex, the same classes that crime columnist Peter Hermann visited in the fall. After Peter's visit and the column he wrote, the principal was removed and, from all the accounts I've heard, the school continued to sink into chaos. Before the winter break, there were several top administrators from North Avenue stationed there. Several hall monitors and mentors were brought in to bring the school under control.
When I arrived today, the halls were quiet. And the students in the classes I visited were terrific: bright and intellectually curious. They peppered me with questions about both journalism and the city schools. Do I think press coverage has the power to swing an election? With the newspaper industry ailing in the Internet age, how else can I present information? How does my experience with investigative reporting compare with Woodward and Bernstein's? Who's responsible for their having to take the HSAs? How much money does Dr. Alonso make?
One of the kids asked me, if I were writing a story about their school, what negative things had I seen today that I would include? My answer: nothing. I said I'd heard the school had a lot of problems lately, but that I hadn't observed them yet on this visit. If I saw something on my way out, I added, it would be fair game.
And sure enough... As a mentor was walking me out, talking about how the school climate has improved, we bumped into police officers escorting a boy in handcuffs to their car outside. School system officials would say only that he was asked to leave the premises; he refused and was transported to DJS.
The front entrance to the school was blocked off with yellow crime scene tape. A school employee said the tape was to prevent kids from leaving; it wasn't really because of a crime. But what kind of message does that send? The students I met talked about how badly they want to stop the violence that pervades their community. Do they need the yellow tape as a reminder?
Comments
Glad to hear it's getting better, but it's a real shame they didin't provide support to the old principal. They remove her and then pour in staff to take the school back. Not to mention the "movement" of problem students and other interventions that schools normally don't have at their disposal.
Posted by: Stu | January 6, 2009 9:27 PM
I wish somebody would write an article about the chaos that takes place at Mergenthaler Vocational-Technical High School every day so we could get a new principal.
Posted by: Mervo Teacher | January 10, 2009 10:42 AM
I personalty think that H S A is not a bad school,it's just some of the kids in it is what make the school bad,they treat us like we are in jail sometimes. i also don't think that they should shut the school down because its too late for that. what if students transfer and wind up failing?,it would be the school boards fault not ours.
Posted by: christina smith | January 25, 2009 1:08 PM
well i attend homeland security academy high school....i thought the school was an good schoool to attend and it had alot to offer don't try to trash my school....
the teachers where good ones and everthing was okay.
Posted by: unsure | March 10, 2009 5:23 PM