Wilson High on Lock Down?

DC Students return from Spring break on Monday and DC School Chancellor Michelle Rhee, in response to recent attacks on students at Wilson High, has ordered students to remain on campus during their lunch periods.

Once the top rated City school Wilson has been the scene of repeated violence, arrests and lots of parent frustration.

They are blaming recent 9th graders who have been added to the student roles here and at other high schools. Included in those numbers at Wilson, according to some parents, are a few 18 year old 9th graders who spent time at Oak Hill, the District's Youth Reformatory.

The letter that Rhee sent home to Wilson parents is shown below

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Office of the Chancellor
825 North Capitol Street, NE, 9th Floor, Washington, D.C., 20002-1994
(202) 442-5885 – fax: (202) 442-5026
March 20, 2008
To the parents and guardians of students at Wilson Senior High School,
As you know, there have been a number of incidents of violence at Wilson recently. This
week alone 13 students were arrested in conjunction with incidents that occurred.
Because of this, we need to take immediate action. As a follow-up to a meeting with
parents last evening, I am writing to update you on the plan of action we are taking in
order to address these issues.
When students return from spring break, a new plan will be in place to decrease the
incidents of violence and to help all students to remain focused on their learning and feel
safer in school. This plan is a short-term solution in the interest of student safety as we
work out the longer term plans to protect our students so they may focus on learning.
Following are some of the measures that will be in place when students return on
March 31st:
• I am appointing Tom Whittle, a former principal who has been working at Wilson
as a dean in charge of student discipline. I am confident in his experience as a
former principal and am supporting his authority in meeting with students and
teachers to enforce DCPS rules of student conduct and teacher accountability. He
will continue to work with Principal Williams as he builds necessary protocols
such as entrance screens and student identification cards.
• The major incidents we had, occurred during the lunch period. We have a
cafeteria with a capacity of 400. However, because we only have one lunch period
we have 1,600 students who need to eat at the same time, and students are forced
away from supervision. This is a situation that is not set up well, and we will be
working with students, parents, teachers and administrators to create a lunch plan
that works for Wilson’s students. In the meantime, because staff is critical to
preventing and resolving disputes as well as enforcing rules of student conduct, I
am reducing the staff-to-student ratio by moving students to their classrooms for
lunch. This is a temporary solution, and students who are productive and
complying with student conduct codes will soon be moved out of the classroom
into a more standard environment. Dean Whittle will facilitate this process. I
would like to be clear that we are not punishing students for their classmates’
behavior. We must reduce the teacher-student ratio to restore an environment in
which teaching and learning can continue.
• We will implement a zero tolerance policy at Wilson. This means two things.
First, the most disruptive students are being notified that they have a “last chance”
agreement – one more incident and they will be removed from Wilson. Second,
infractions will be dealt with strictly and students who are expelled will not be
permitted to return to Wilson.
• An administrator will stand at each door with a full list of students who have been
suspended or removed, ensuring that these students are not entering the building.
• Wilson is now at capacity, and therefore enrollment at Wilson will be closed. No
new students will be admitted through the end of the school year.
• Incidents increase when a school does not have the appropriate or number of
teachers and classes that students need. We will be adding the special education
and ESL teaching positions that the school is missing, increasing both the number
of teachers in the building, and the classes that many students need.
• We have added three security officers to the existing staff of 7 (a total of 10
officers during the day). We have also added 4 officers for the after-school
program.
• We will meet with the staff of non-DCPS programs such as Oak Hill to determine
how to better serve students when they leave and enter the school.
Dean Whittle and Principal Williams have the full support of the Chancellor’s Office to
enforce all of the above actions. I will continue to monitor the situation closely at Wilson
when students return from the break. I am confident that these measures are the necessary
and appropriate steps I must take to keep our kids safe.
Sincerely,
Michelle Rhee
Chancellor