With the school board election tomorrow, we got quite a few more letters than we could print beforehand, mostly from system supporters
In response to Point of View articles on the school board policy debates, I think one fact needs to be made clear: The Wake County commissioners, not the school board, form the governing body that provides local funding for our public schools. While it is in the power of the school board to change the policy of using year-round schools, it can make this change only if the county commissioners agree to fund this change.
When the last bond issue was approved in 2006, it was set based on a building plan the county commissioners agreed to support, which required the conversion of 22 schools to year-round. School board members have taken the heat ever since, but the decision was not theirs and will never really be theirs under the current funding structure as set by N.C. law.
If new school board members are elected who plan to change policies in the areas they claim to be planning to change, these changes will happen only if they can get the related budget approved by the county commissioners.
This year alone, Wake added 1,800 students — the equivalent of at least two new schools at 800 students per school.
Patti Gillenwater
Raleigh
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The ongoing discussion about diversity in the Wake County schools addresses the academic achievement of neighborhood schools versus the economically integrated schools such as Wake County has. A statistical analysis is utilized, and there does not appear to be a wide differential between the achievement of the WCPSS diversity policy and the neighborhood policy of other counties.
However, we should strongly support the diversity policy for it allows our students to know one another and overcome the prejudices (economic, ethnic and racial) of the past. The greatest achievement of diversity is less prejudice by students. This is a major educational achievement and one that never could happen with separate schools for the rich and privileged based upon neighborhood.
Steven Edelstein
Raleigh
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I can tell you what the future will look like if we abandon the policy of balancing our schools along socioeconomic lines. We'll have affluent schools and poor schools.
I moved here from Dallas where the local schools were so bad that parents who could afford it sent their children to private schools. One reason we moved to Raleigh was because of the excellent schools. Let's not kill this golden goose! If you are concerned for your children, consider the magnet schools so you can have more certainty where your children will go each year. A balanced school system is a huge asset that we need to preserve.
Margaret Escobar
Raleigh
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It disappoints me that Allison Backhouse isn't more careful with her choice of words when critizing members of the Wake County Board of Education. In the People's Forum on Sunday she commented that "We" want a Board of Education that values education, not a falsely manufactured sense of success with "healthy" schools.
As the husband of a member of the Board I resent her comment. My wife has been a dedicated educator in the Wake County Schools System for over thirty years and has worked the past four years while a member of the Board to see that every child in Wake County has the opportunity for a quality education. I'm sure there are many of her past students in the county who would be glad to let Ms. Backhouse know about the quality of education they received and how much my wife valued the education they got.
Shame on Ms. Backhouse for saying my wife doesn't value education. She doesn't know her!!!
Joe Goettee
Cary
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Charlotte-Mecklenburg's struggling neighborhood school system has been held up as a reason not to abandon Wake County's economic diversity initiatives. Let me add to this a local example of why economic diversity is so important for Wake County schools and our community.
Several years ago we implemented a literacy tutoring program at Underwood Elementary. This program pairs an adult volunteer with a student who is struggling with reading and provides weekly one-on-one support to the child for an entire year. These students often come from low-income homes, and we've been able to jump-start their reading skills thanks to the dedication of some wonderful volunteers. Keeping our school system's economically diverse provides one of the most valuable resources to at-risk kids: volunteer time! And with illiteracy linked to 85 percent of juveniles in the court systems, this is also good for our community.
The Raleigh Chamber of Commerce and executives like Jim Goodmon support economic diversity in Wake County schools because it weaves together a stronger community. While Wake County schools have many challenges, reverting to a neighborhood school model is not the solution.
Maryanne Perrin
Raleigh
Comments
"I'm sure there are many of
Tue, 10/06/2009 - 04:47 — woodstock"I'm sure there are many of her past students in the county who would be glad to let Ms. Backhouse know about the quality of education they received and how much my wife valued the education they got."
What about the 46% of low-income students or the 50% of black male students that do not graduate year after year in Wake County because their needs were never addressed and they were systematically discriminated aganst according to the new SAS data? Let them answer your question.
"This year alone, Wake added
Tue, 10/06/2009 - 04:41 — woodstock"This year alone, Wake added 1,800 students — the equivalent of at least two new schools at 800 students per school. "
That is a very misleading perspective. First, the correct number is about 1600 new students. Second, that amounts to about 10 students per school since Wake has 159 schools in the district.