Melee at Arabia Mountain High: ‘Turn Up Thursday’ and Twitter turn DeKalb school into a mess
An Arabia Mountain student tweeted this photo of police at the school Thursday.
UPDATE Monday: AJC education writer Ernie Suggs is doing a news story on what happened at Arabia Mountain. He says: I want to talk to a parent or a student who was at the school and witnessed the event. I can be reached at 404-526-5672 and esuggs@ajc.com.
Several of you have asked about a purported student melee at Arabia Mountain High School on Thursday that apparently was fueled by an avalanche of Twitter messages and led to police descending in force.
I have asked DeKalb Schools for official comment. I have not received one yet.
Here is one of the e-mails I received from a reader: On Thursday there were two food fights, a fire in the bathroom, flooding from a broken pipe, over a dozen county police officers. It appears to be something called Turn it up Thursday.
If you search Twitter, you will find dozens and dozens of messages from Arabia Mountain students saying, “I survived #TurnUpThursday” or “Glad I survived #TURNUPTHURSDAY.”
Many of the tweets reference assistant principal Monica Black, saying, “Monica Black .. DIDN’T Survive #TurnUpThursday At Arabia Mountain High School.”
(There was also a message that said, “Thanks to #TurnUpThursday, today is #EatLunchInTheClassroomFriday.”)
A half hour ago, a female student posted this comment on Twitter: “That was a crazy day that will forever go down in Arabia Mountain History.. LMAO.” (That stands for “laughing my a** off.”)
She’s right, but it will go down in history for all the wrong reasons.
It has tarnished the school’s name and reputation and fed the critics who believe DeKalb is a system on the decline. You can get a sense of the community outrage over this event by checking out the comments on DeKalb School Watch.
I asked a poster whose children attend Arabia if his kids were affected: He said:
Unfortunately my son was in the cafeteria when the melee began. I’m thankful he remembered my teachings and moved as far away as possible.
In keeping with wanting to go paperless, the school provided the wireless security code to the students. This is what provided the opportunity for the Twitter messages that when out during the school day. I wonder if the school will reconsider this given the negative publicity that has come from the students’ messages. In our day things like this happened but we didn’t have the Internet to let the entire world see our misbehaving.
There are four parent meetings after we return from the holiday break. I will assume they will want to discuss what happened along with possible changes in school policies. This incident has given a regretful black eye to the school and community.
Before the rants begin about urban schools run amok, this chain-reaction bedlam happens at all sorts of schools. I covered a swank suburb in my first job and a similar event happened there, although there was no Twitter to escalate a food fight into senseless vandalism.
I am sorry this happened for all the good kids at Arabia who came to school Thursday ready to learn.
–From Maureen Downey, for the AJC Get Schooled blog
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176 comments Add your comment
Cere
December 19th, 2011
12:21 pm
Oh! In the words of Emily Litella – ‘Nevermind’!
AMHS Parent
December 19th, 2011
12:34 pm
This WAS an isolated incident. This was perpetrated by only a few of the students who attend. My daughter attends and I was completely apprised of what happened by the school principal. AMHS has been an outstanding school since it’s creation and still is. A few, misguided NCLB students, caused this calamity. Am I as a parent upset and embarrassed that this happened, yes. But, please do not blame all of the kids or the culture at the school for this issue. Only a few people instigated and caused this. I, quite frankly, am impressed at the show of force by the police. AMHS has been a beacon amidst all of the chaos happening at all of our schools, black, white, whatever. There is no difference there because these things do and can happen anywhere. But, please let us not blame the system. This was not a system issue. These were kids who perpetrated a disruption upon the many other students who do, in fact, want to learn. This incident will not cause learning to cease at AMHS. I am very proud of this school and still can see the great opportunities ahead of it and its wonderful students.
When?
December 19th, 2011
12:38 pm
AMHS Parent: What is your take on the profanity-laced tweets from many AMHS students?
Also, this was a pre-planned incident, not an isolated incident.
Former SPARK parent
December 19th, 2011
1:01 pm
The scariest part of the whole thing was that tweet from the girl who claimed to be a 3.8 student. If she’s honor-student material, then I’m a double bacon cheeseburger of pure genius. (Points for whoever gets the reference).
AMHS Parent
December 19th, 2011
1:14 pm
@When – I don’t do Tweeter, so I cannot address the issue of the “profanity laced tweet.” However, it is very discomforting to me when I hear today’s kids singing/rapping wome of the lyrics they do in today’s music (if you can call it such.) If it is, as I suspect, the same language, personally I find it very distasteful. But, remembering when I was a kid and we were away from the adults, we would sometimes use racey language, as well. Though, I know today’s kids will do it in the presence of adults due to a lack of discipline and respect – home issue, not school issue. The incident, I do not KNOW was pre-planned, was not a typical AMHS incident. This is, normally, a very well-disciplined school with only your typical incidents of youngsters acting as youngsters. This incident, I do not categorize as such. Further, I have been assured that this matter will be handled with due process and the perpetrators will be accordingly punished. I think that is truly the fair thing to do – not make it seem as if every student at the school is a thug. This is not a homogenous community school. It is a magnet school that has criteria for entering. This year, it has been deemed a reciever school based on the useless NCLB criteria that has befallen schools across the country. There is an element of students who do not WANT to be at the school because of the rigor. I assure you there will be several students dismissed for lack of performance and certainly the ones who created last week’s melee.
Dunwoody Mom
December 19th, 2011
1:30 pm
I have deliberately stayed out of this conversation as I knew it would turn vile – and it has. I don’t buy into the conspiracy theory that DCSS is covering anything up at this point. The incident happened on Thursday. Thursday was exam day. Friday was exam day. Would you have the students removed from their exams in order to be part of an investigation? That would be counter-productive academically. In the end, hopefully, the Arabia Mountain parents will get answers and solutions to whatever happened. At the end of the day it is only the Arabia Mountain parents and students who are owed an explanation. I fail to see why some of you think think this should be splashed all over the media before it is known what truly happened. Just my two cents.
AMHS Parent
December 19th, 2011
1:40 pm
@ Dunwoody Mom – I agree wholeheartedly!
teacher reader
December 19th, 2011
1:47 pm
Dunwoody Mom, Unless the students involved are paying for the repairs and cleanup, than tax payers have a right to know how their tax dollars are being misspent. Yes, this incident happened at Arabia Mountain, but unlike a food fight, there was much destruction and clean up that will cost tax payers money and we have a right to know how much and why those involved aren’t on the hook for those costs.
Former SPARK parent
December 19th, 2011
1:49 pm
@ Dunwoody Mom: no, you’re wrong. This is important because it goes directly to the most important issue of our time in public education, and that is the inability or unwillingness of public school systems to strictly enforce a uniform code of discipline in schools.
You watch. There will be no expulsions for this school riot.
The unwillingness of DKSS to severely punish and/or expel the students responsible for this kind of disruption (and the hundreds of smaller but still disruptive incidents at DKSS and systems like it (including APS) every year prove two important points to parent-stakeholders:
1: You can’t fix bad families and bad parents and households where misogyny, the glorification of violence, the pursuit of wealth without work and the idea that single-mom households are okay are accepted norms.
2. Kids who don’t want to adhere to a strict code of conduct and a high standard of performance should not be allowed to share public schools with kids who do.
The reporting of incidents like this one help us all realize that it truly is time to start segregating students on the basis of behavior. Not race, not income, but behavior–and that means we need to hear about every one of these Junior Thug Flash Mobs when they happen.
Dunwoody Mom
December 19th, 2011
1:54 pm
@teacher ready, no one knows what the consequences will be (or not be) for those involved. Some of you are making assumptions that we do not know are valid at this point. Unless you were at Arabia Mountain when all of this went down, you are only guessing and assumming and sadly, impuning the reputation of students who were not involved in this.
Dunwoody Mom
December 19th, 2011
1:55 pm
@Former SPARK parent, you may disagree with me, but you cannot tell me I am wrong.
Former SPARK parent
December 19th, 2011
1:56 pm
Dunwoody Mom also wrote:
“In the end, hopefully, the Arabia Mountain parents will get answers and solutions to whatever happened.”
That’s too much hope…and not enough change. Let’s put an end to hope-based education and demand rigor, structure, and most of all, discipline.
Former SPARK parent
December 19th, 2011
1:57 pm
@ Dunwoody: I didn’t just tell you you were wrong, I told you WHY you were wrong. And now I’m going to tell you that your attempt to minimize the seriousness of this incident isn’t doing anyone any good, especially the children involved.
Dunwoody Mom
December 19th, 2011
1:58 pm
@Former SPARK Parent – what do you think I meant by “solutions” or do you just want to argue without even comprending what I am trying to relay?
Dunwoody Mom
December 19th, 2011
1:59 pm
I am not minimizing anything. I just prefer to wait for facts and not jump to conclusions. But, then again, you have already made up your mind, so further conversation is useless.
Former SPARK parent
December 19th, 2011
2:03 pm
@Dunwoody: your “would you have the students removed from an exam to be part of an investigation?” should have read “would you have students identified by tape and witnesses removed from their exams to be questioned about possible felony vandalism charges?”
And the answer is yes. Jail first, exams later.
There. Fixed it for you.
AMHS Student.
December 19th, 2011
2:04 pm
About what happened to Monica, yes I call her that. She was hit in the face by a flying tray in the first food fight.
AMHS Student.
December 19th, 2011
2:07 pm
@teacher reader there wasn’t “much damage done” if anything the most a student could have done is chip a plastic tray. On the issue of the broken pipe, that is because construction on the school was not done properly so you may take that up with the school board and not blame the students for everything.
teacher reader
December 19th, 2011
2:11 pm
@ AMHS Student, than you haven’t seen the pictures of the flooded bathrooms, fire in a garbage can, and broken pipe. So yes there was more damage done than the food fight and tax payers have a right to know how this is going to be fixed and who is going to pay for it.
Atlanta Media Guy
December 19th, 2011
2:17 pm
Dunwoody Mom, I agree with you too. However, like Cere, I just want to know what happened. A short terse note to all High Schools would have sufficed. Getting out in front of it would have been more effective. But to stay quiet for a couple of days, only brings out the conspiracy theories that someone is trying to cover something up. Usually, it’s not the actual event that took place that is so bad, but the cover up is the thing that hurts everyone much worse. A short message to the masses would have been great and I think well received!
To the posters who have heard from the administration, thanks for the information! It sounds like they are dealing with it and I’m sure it’s more difficult seeing how only 12 month employees are working a few days this week and next. The security tapes should give everyone the needed to evidence to find the REAL perps in the “food fight” or “melee” that took place last Thursday.
Thanks Maureen for checking into it, I knew the AJC was most likely getting stone walled for a comment by the Palace, which always makes journalists a bit more inquisitive as to what really happened before, during and after the incident took place.
AMHS Student.
December 19th, 2011
2:20 pm
@teacher reader: first things first, the garbage can was not on fire, how would that even happen? What really happened was a student went into the bathroom and lit a lighter under the smoke detector, which set off the fire alarms. A student is responsible for the fire alarm and sprinkler system going off but not the broken pipe, which is surrounded by 6 inch thick bricks on all sides, considering that we weren’t allowed to bring bags to school I don’t see how that makes a student responsible. I know what happened, I was there.
no fair
December 19th, 2011
2:44 pm
Most of the student who go to Arabia still are creme of the crop. It was a small portion of kids who tarnished the reputation for the whole school. Also, students can log on to social networking sites without the schools wifi, so the stories would have spread through twitter whether they liked it or not. However, it is partly the administrations fault that everything escalated to what it did. They were not prepeared AT ALL for any kind of emergency like this, and now the students are goin to have harsh punishments for their short comings. Although, the behaviour of the students was not acceptable, their students in high school, and when given the chance, they’ll do what looks fun at the time….
A Student
December 19th, 2011
2:55 pm
Why isn’t anyone asking the students themselves, why they behaved in this manner? Of course, some students did perform these unethical actions, but most of the students have reasons to why this happened.
To be honest, discipline IS one of the issues. Some students are just plain immature and aren’t well mannered. However, we have to think about it on the other side:
1. kids will be kids, right? I’m not saying to expect bad behavior, but teens will do some of these things at it CAN happen, no matter where you are, which is why we should stop being ignorant and saying that Dekalb County alone is in decline. To be quite honest, the education system overall is in decline.
2. I’m not justifying what had happened, but sometimes we aren’t treated the way some of the staff treats us. So many referrals to “Monica Black” is because she isn’t the most kind admiinistator any student could ask for. I don’t mind a strict school. What I do mind is when I am being treated in a way that prevents me from being optimistic about my school and studies while I’m on my way to a great college.
I am very respectful towards EVERYONE. I think that some people at our school should do the same, no matter what age, unless rules are being broken.
The first year I came to Arabia, we were told that this school is to prepare us to college. How could someone feel like a college prep student when the school doesn’t treat us like it? For example, I (and many others) are harassed each day (at least for the people who follow the rules adequately in timely manner) in the morning. From a cold day outside, into the crisp but still cool environment of Arabia Mountain, we don’t like to be harassed about taking off coats and hats only 1 minute after we’ve arrived. It’s inconsiderate and a bit rude, considering that mostly everyone discards their material that doesn’t comply with the school code. I think the harrassment should go towards the students who actually are the disrespectful, not the ones who are well-mannered, which is how we are treated each day. We are disrespected even if we are innocent. I’m not trying to exxagerate. I’m just very botthered about this situation as a whole.
3. The ignorance in some of these replies is OUTRAGEOUS. African American Schools?
Dekalb County Declining? This stuff happens nearly everywhere, no matter the race, the area, kids are going to be immature. Kids are going to be rebellious. It’s not everyone, as a matter of fact, either.
I’ll stop rambling. I just want to say that it’s just not the kids in this situation. It never was, in my opinion. Some of administration had fault in this, too. I’m not justifying what had happened, I just think that ignorance and disrespect towards anyone is not the answer.
A Student
December 19th, 2011
3:05 pm
Some people aren’t even clear of what had been done by students.
1. Someone lighted a trashcan on fire
2. Soemone flooded the bathroom (toilet)
3. Food fights
4. Someone caused the sprinklers to go off in the bathroom (with a lighter), which is probably the cause of the fire alarms to go off, either that or someone pulled the fire alarm themselves.
5. no one broke a pipe… -.- that is beyond false.
AMHS Parent
December 19th, 2011
3:06 pm
@ A Student: I thank you for responding. I am very proud of you and the other students at the school. As an involved parent, I am always pleased to see the students perform the way they do. Yes, it does bother me when the few do not care disrupt those of you who do. My daughter is a junior at AMHS and she would never be expected to disrupt the opportunities for anyone else to learn, because WE (my wife and I) would never want her education to be disrupted. To get respect, you must give respect. I will address the discipline issues you speak of with the principal. I do challenge and encourage you to continue to be optimistic about your future educational opportunities. No matter what the naysayers believe, AMHS is a shining example of wonderful students who are trying to excel. The few bad ones wil be swiftly dealt with.
A Student
December 19th, 2011
3:09 pm
@ AMHS Parent: I’m so glad. PLEASE DO. The administrators don’t listen to us. :p
Horrible
December 19th, 2011
3:18 pm
“AMHS is a shining example of wonderful students who are trying to excel.”???
Really? Excel at what – provoking an armed response? It’s mind-boggling that you could be anything other than embarassed by this incident.
“What I do mind is when I am being treated in a way that prevents me from being optimistic about my school and studies while I’m on my way to a great college.”
You believe can you fly? You believe you can touch the sky? And some great big ol’ rule-enforcing meanies are picking on you? What is up with THAT?
Maureen Downey
December 19th, 2011
3:45 pm
To all,
AJC education writer Ernie Suggs is doing a news story on what happened at Arabia Mountain.
He says: I want to talk to a parent or a student who was at the school and witnessed the event. I can be reached at 404-526-5672 and esuggs@ajc.com.
Thanks, Maureen
A Student
December 19th, 2011
3:45 pm
@Horrible: LOL You make a point. But you’re not in my shoes; you’re definitely over-exxagerating my position. I do believe I’ve said that “I don’t mind a strict school.” I also do remember saying that I, speaking for myself, have been harassed and disrespected for unvalid reasons at all.
Picking on me? I’m not being bullied. I just think that we should all be treated with some type of respect (for the ones who aren’t disrespectful). I follow the rules, so the only valid part of your argument is the “meanie” part. lmao.
:]
Horrible
December 19th, 2011
3:57 pm
@A Student
On serious and more productive note, you write that
“I [am] harassed each day …. in the morning. From a cold day outside, into the crisp but still cool environment of Arabia Mountain, we don’t like to be harassed about taking off coats and hats only 1 minute after we’ve arrived”
If administrators are bugging you about the same rule infraction EACH DAY, you should do what they tell you to beforehand. Then they will stop. Me, I can take my coat off in about 4 seconds.
Sounds to me like they are consistently enforcing a rule that you are familiar with but trying to slide on a little. Good for them. You have a ways to go before you will get to choose your own rules to follow.
A Student
December 19th, 2011
4:02 pm
@Horrible: I stated that I follow the rules. That was an example of them being a “meanie”. Remember? :]
I do what the authority tells me to do; it’s their job. It makes it easier for both of us if we all follow the rules. I’m saying that they SHOULD enforce a rule when it is being broken, not when it is being followed.
A Student
December 19th, 2011
4:03 pm
@no fair: I totally agree.
A Student
December 19th, 2011
4:06 pm
@Horrible: and also, that’s you if you can take a coat off in less than 4 minutes. Some people are sick during the holidays especially; some people have low iron; some people are sensitive to cold weather. Why not be considerate and at least start harassing people 5 minutes till class starts? That’s all. >.>
A Student
December 19th, 2011
4:06 pm
4 SECONDS SORRY.
Dekalbite@ A Student
December 19th, 2011
4:19 pm
I understand what you are saying. Expecting the best rather than the worst are two sides of the same coin when it comes to discipline. You can show respect for students even as you enforce discipline. In the real world, no one likes a boss that chews them out “on general principle” either. We put up with it because we need a pay check, but our productivity often suffers, and that interferes with the overall objectives of the organization. Not excusing the AMHS behavior on the part of some students in this incident, but your point is well stated.
A Student
December 19th, 2011
4:24 pm
@dekalbite
Thanks. That’s exactly my point; I never wanted to justify what happened.
no mas
December 19th, 2011
4:52 pm
@A Student
Since I am not there, I will go by what you report. Telling you to remove coats and hats immediately is either treating you like elementary students (who have to be reminded to stay on task) or like potential rioters, who must be kept in line.
If there are students at your school (or nay school) who have taken advantage of being allowed to regulate their own behavior (like taking off coats and hats on their own after they have said hello to their friends), or who have used taking of those things as an excuse to be late to class, then those are the students who need to be reminded, not everybody.
no mas
December 19th, 2011
4:56 pm
@A Student
Also, if the administrators at your school are tending to treat you all like potential troublemakers, this could cause a lot of tension. What kinds of things are going on there that set the students off, do you think?
A Student
December 19th, 2011
4:57 pm
@no mas; of course. I agree.
I’ve also thought about it before even writing what I’ve said. Some students don’t follow the rules so I understand why the administration is so hard; the school needs to be ‘perfect’. I get it. Just not fair for the others who do.
When?
December 19th, 2011
7:23 pm
Read the tweets from AMHS students. It was pre-planned. Sorry AMHS Parent, the students involved in this shamed their school, their families, and themselves.
Their filthy language celebrating the incident are vile, disgusting and ignorant:
http://whotalking.com/%23TurnupThursday
Some examples:
00Lawliet : RT @SuperstarD12: We had 12 police cars @ Arabia 2day sh%^ got real 2day #TurnupThursday
ThatDarkkidddd : #TurnupThursday at arabia was stupppiid f$%kk fye hell of fun we gone have hell next semester though
cydneybiancaaxo : RT @StoleTheLiquor: Her Name Is Monica Black .. And She DIDN’T Survive
the_MAIN_chick : RT @_VainOverdose: Thank you Arabia Mountain Students. Thank you all for #TurnUpThursday a SUCCESS.!!!
Regina_George_ : “@STFU_imTweetin: So how many strapped up cops we got here ? Lol y’all too much!
cockychic_gBesq : da livest day we eva had #turnupthursday
Jessy_Wessie : RT @TrulyABeast: We single handedly started #TurnUpThursday
imMEECHY_hoeee : RT @SkrillaDoright: Dont wanna hire me well we slippin and fallin in this b#$ch for a lawsuit
ImDaKingg : Well everybody at Arabia survived #TurnupTHURSDAY at Arabia cux noone died..
OhhSoKhenyy : RT @_IMf#$knGAWJUSS: Lmao i love arabia mountainers one minute yall classy and care abt education next thing ya know its #turnupthursday and yall all hoodrats .
SHAMEFUL!!!
Hah
December 19th, 2011
7:25 pm
Read the tweets from AMHS students:
http://whotalking.com/%23TurnupThursday
Shameful and disgusting.
Waiting for Superman
December 19th, 2011
9:18 pm
The “few students” that disrupted the academic day severely impacted the education of the other students. Since the school was put on “lockdown,” the students did not take all their finals that day. They had to take FOUR finals on Friday. Kids can be kids, but not at the expense of the other students’ right to an education. These incidents caused too much chaos and AS FAR AS WE KNOW NO ONE WAS HURT. Arabia was lucky. I heard that students were running and screaming through the parking lot after dismissal. Let us be thankful no one fell down and was trampled. By the way, whoever threw the tray that hit Dr. Black should be made to begin the second semester at his or her home school.
Concerned
December 19th, 2011
10:07 pm
In DeKalb County we LACK the following:
1 – A responsible BOE.
2 – A superintendent seasoned in her position and well in control.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
http://www.ajc.com/news/dekalb/dekalb-church-aims-to-1261439.html
http://www.ajc.com/news/dekalb/drum-majors-parents-want-1264809.html
http://www.ajc.com/news/atlanta/three-retirement-homes-hit-1264978.html
http://www.ajc.com/news/cobb/arrest-made-in-sunday-1264742.html
http://www.accessatlanta.com/atlanta-music/police-50-000-in-1263556.html
http://www.ajc.com/news/atlanta/reason-for-rapper-slim-1262414.html
http://www.ajc.com/news/gwinnett/49-arrested-in-gwinnett-1265100.html
Concerned
December 19th, 2011
10:16 pm
Hah:
Thank you for posting the Tweets.
Former SPARK parent
December 19th, 2011
10:17 pm
@2:44 pm, No Fair said:
“Most of the student who go to Arabia still are creme of the crop.”
Do I really even have to say anything?
DKSS, take a bow!
Concerned
December 19th, 2011
10:18 pm
In DeKalb County we LACK the following:
1 – A responsible BOE.
2 – A superintendent seasoned in her position and well in control.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Just look at the recent crime articles in the AJC to see the ThugCulture activity.
Concerned
December 19th, 2011
10:20 pm
In DeKalb County we LACK the following:
1 – A responsible BOE.
2 – A superintendent seasoned in her position and well in control.
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.
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.
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.
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.
We have a Thug Culture 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.
Citizens will try their best to address this problem. The Thug Culture (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 Thug Culture, do not tread on me as I do not want to play and I am ready for you if you force yourself on me.
Just look at the recent crime articles in the AJC to see the Thug Culture activity.
Concerned
December 19th, 2011
10:22 pm
In DeKalb County we LACK the following:
1 – A responsible BOE.
2 – A superintendent seasoned in her position and well in control.
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.
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.
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.
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.
We have a Thug Culture 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.
Citizens will try their best to address this problem. The Thug Culture (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, C&L. When you cross the line to the Thug Culture, do not tread on me as I do not want to play and I am ready for you if you force yourself on me.
Just look at the recent crime articles in the AJC to see the Thug Culture activity.
Concerned
December 19th, 2011
10:23 pm
Recent Thug Culture Crime:
http://www.ajc.com/news/dekalb/dekalb-church-aims-to-1261439.html
http://www.ajc.com/news/dekalb/drum-majors-parents-want-1264809.html
http://www.ajc.com/news/atlanta/three-retirement-homes-hit-1264978.html
http://www.ajc.com/news/cobb/arrest-made-in-sunday-1264742.html
http://www.accessatlanta.com/atlanta-music/police-50-000-in-1263556.html
http://www.ajc.com/news/atlanta/reason-for-rapper-slim-1262414.html
http://www.ajc.com/news/gwinnett/49-arrested-in-gwinnett-1265100.html
A Student
December 19th, 2011
11:27 pm
@ Concerned: wonderful. o_o