Converting and unconverting schools

We were on year-round middle school last year and found it difficult. When my oldest went to high school this year, we knew that we only had 4 years left together and did not want to spend it with the kids on different calendars. We put our 5th and 6th grader in private school this year. It is the best choice we ever made!

Our experiences with year-round middle school last year include:

It is difficult to schedule electives on a year-round calendar. The foreign language classes have students on all tracks in class at once. The teacher must utilize small group instruction instead of teaching the entire class as everyone is at a different stage in the curriculum.  The drama classes also have students on all tracks at once. The teacher must use projects that rotate in 3-week increments instead of teaching the entire class at once.  

The band is divided by track which causes problems in instrumentation and number of students. When certain classes are tracked out, there are 7 students in an 8^th grade band class and 12 students in a 7^th grade band class.

Academic classes are impacted as well due to students on different classes. On track 2, there were not enough students to fill all of the math classes offered on other tracks and at other middle schools. Therefore, the students recommended for 8 Plus Math in 8^th grade were switched to Algebra. These students were not ready for Algebra and this went against the recommendations of their 7^th grade teachers.  The number of students in homerooms varies from approximately 17 to 34. Students are scheduled assigned based primarily on their math class as that is the only core course that changes. In some cases, they are also clustered by ability in Language Arts. This determines the remainder of their schedule and they fill in science and social studies for the remaining 2 periods. Depending on the number of students who must have math and/or language arts during certain periods,  it can be difficult to balance class sizes. In 8^th grade, there are 2 Algebra classes on track 4 but only 1 Algebra class on track 1. On a traditional calendar, students can be spread more evenly throughout the classes during different periods to make class sizes more even.  Geometry is only offered on track 3. Therefore, any student that was recommended for this class must be on track 3, whether it works for the family or not, or forego the opportunity to take this class.  Middle school age students are involved in a variety of activities which revolve around the traditional school calendar. As college admissions are much more competitive today, many of these eventually help the students when it is time to apply to college. When they are in school, they are unable to participate. If the activities happen to occur during track out, the family must choose between family time and activities.  Sports camps and competitive teams take place over the summer. There are many drama and fine arts camps and opportunities during the summer as well.  The largest regional band camp is at UNC-Greensboro in July. When asked whether they would considering offering the camp during 2 times due to the Wake County middle schools converting to a year-round calendar, parents were told that the majority of middle schools and high schools operate on a traditional calendar so they do not plan to change the schedule.  There is a study skills class offered at NC State which is highly recommended. It is offered in August. Students in school in August are unable to take advantage of this course as well.

The majority of Leesville families and teachers think of themselves as attending a traditional school that is temporarily stuck with the year-round calendar.  Most are looking forward to the day they can reach the Midd. School to be finished with year-round.  Most are holding out hope that Leesville Elem. receives a MYR reversal.  If and when that happens most feeder students will be from traditional elem. schools.

Enrollment at the Leesville Midd. School has dropped too.

I would like to see research on converting a Midd. School that is not attached to a High School.  Especially one in an area not so opposed to year-round schooling.

only one example I could come up with quick, but there are more;

 YR schools -- the impact on differentiated services.  There are probably only enough students to fill two classes of advanced language arts, but those students are distributed across 4 tracks.  So, rather than having a traditional calendar with 2 Advanced Language Arts, there's a YR calendar with none.

I asked Chuck Dulaney about using that land for a "6th grade center".  If the options to dealing with growth are (1) 6th grade center, (2) MYR, or (3) Reassigning some nodes to a MS that is geographically closer to their homes.  I happen to feel that the 6th grade center is the best of the 3 options for all involved.

(and by the way, LRMS has less students enrolled now than last year so they're not in an extreme "crisis" situation)

Well, Chuck told me that instead of a 6th grade center on that land he had staff working on plans for a "small prototype" Middle School (similar to Wendell) that would operate on a year-round calendar with a YR capacity of 1200.  Land is owned by WCPSS.  Need to find "funding" source.

THIS is another reason NOT to convert LRMS.  The Principal at LRMS said that she was told she'd get between 18 months and 2 years lead-time before they would force her to convert to YR, and she JUST heard about the YR possibility yesterday AFTER the vote took place. SO, if they respect her enough they won't force LRMS to convert until 2011 which is when Chuck said the new YR middle would be opening.

NO reason to jerk around the Leesville community any more!