We'll see Tuesday just how far the school board is willing to go to make it harder for some families to make it into magnet schools, year-round schools or traditional-calendar schools.
During Tuesday's work session, staff will ask the board "to identify any revisions or additional guidelines" to the magnet/select criteria. Click here for the guidelines that were used last year.
As noted in a previous post, there's been growing complaints from board members that the current magnet selection guidelines aren't strict enough. They say that too many families are leaving base schools that can't afford to lose those kids.
Don't be surprised then if the board asks about reducing the percentage of seats that are randomly filled and/or capping the number of students that could leave each base school.
Also as noted in another previous post, the number of seats that will be available at some popular magnet schools is already being reduced.
Any new changes today could make it unbelievably difficult for magnet applicants to escape schools that are undercapacity and/or have higher than average percentages of low-income students.
Some of these tensions were played out during last month's reassignment work sessions.
For instance, changes at East Millbrook Middle weren't made because they'd leave too many magnet seats open. School board member Lori Millberg, a critic of the current selection criteria, had argued those changes would results in too many magnet applicants leaving East Wake Middle.
The magnet/calendar application period runs through Feb. 28. Click here to apply.
Comments
Bromhal - Internet Troll warning
Wed, 02/18/2009 - 21:18 — BlogCopUser1234 suffers from Internet Troll Syndrome. He posts in order to stir trouble. He is generally not replied to on this blog by most of the regulars. His posts rarely lead to productive discussion. Please do not feed the troll by interacting with him.
I also just re-read what you
Wed, 02/18/2009 - 20:34 — BromhalI also just re-read what you quoted 1234, and nowhere does the word diversity appear.
I went to post my thoughts on magnet qualifications last night, but apparently hit the magic "lose" key, and didn't feel like re-creating it. Those that have the time to devote consistently and constantly to the issues, I applaud you.
The magnet approval process is a joke - and not only as a parent who's never tried magnet before but a parent of a child in "good" node and "good" school I find them laughable. Essentially, 90% of students come from: good crowded schools and nodes with below average F&R, or at worst above average schools (85% cap and good nodes/schools and not TOO diverse).
I now feel the pain of those who don't live ITB - because we attend those good schools and have good nodes - according to the BoE. And so they gladly wave us out of the formulaic-crowded good schools and into even better schools (magnets).
Well, I suppose a SMALL % of the 90% get in because their siblings were part of the 10% random process.
Leave it to you to blame...
Wed, 02/18/2009 - 13:02 — RiversideRealist...Mr. Hui for the BoE(eR), Chuck and Del's, and WCPSS' obsession with diversity. Since that is THEIR Holy Grail, it's no surprise Mr. Hui is often left with little else to blog about.
No Blame ...
Wed, 02/18/2009 - 16:39 — user1234Just good promotion ...
too many magnets
Wed, 02/18/2009 - 09:36 — ObserverNYI think the definition of what magnet programs and magnet schools are has somehow gotten lost in Wake County. Because of this strange desire to spread these programs and children around the county like oleo on whole wheat bread, closing them down, opening them up, busing kids in, not letting kids in, to an outsider, it appears to have morphed your county into some sort of unrecognizeable, unmanageable beast.
A county your size should have a science and technology (pre-engineering/pre-med) specialty magnet high school. It should have a specialty performing arts high school. You want to have one IB high school? Fine, have at it but make it for the full diploma program ONLY. Then ALL of the other schools go back to being nice neighborhood schools where children receive a traditional education and learn to read and write and study history and math and science and take PE and have recess and maybe even walk to school, all like children did when America was still America and not socialist France.
You need to take back your schools, take back control of how your taxdollars are spent and how your children are being taught. You need to stop allowing bloated IB/UN bureaucrats dictate disruption and control of your county. How many of you read through the so called stimulus bill? Did you know that there is $13BILLION for "innovative programs" in Title I schools? Now before you go tripping over yourselves to grab that money, I beg of you to think of the consequences, the bigger picture. Do we really want One World Government? Seriously, is that what Americans want?
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=85442
work session time & location
Tue, 02/17/2009 - 08:45 — kermitMr. Hui, when & where is the work session? Is it open to the public? It is not listed on BoE calendar.
1 p.m. board conference
Tue, 02/17/2009 - 10:03 — KeungHui (author)1 p.m. board conference room, 3600 Wake Forest Road in Raleigh
Committe of the Whole today
Tue, 02/17/2009 - 08:52 — shank56http://www.wcpss.net/Board/agendas/committee/02-17-2009.html#Committee%20of%20the%20Whole
negative impact
Mon, 02/16/2009 - 17:55 — Forget_not_the_...Since I have had children in the magnet programs for 13+ years there has been a real shift in options for suburban parents to enroll their children in elementary magnet programs.
There used to be multiple magnet schools all over the county close to suburban homes that gave parents access to the programs on into middle and high school.
Now that the closest elementary magnet programs are located further away from suburban children, fewer parents are willing to send their elementary aged children so far from home.
So what to do? The suburban schools keep these children and their F&R percentages decline...
Elementary magnets need to be in more of the suburbs to start children on the magnet path for middle and high school.
If you go to a suburban school with low F&R and is unfilled YR, your chances of getting in a magnet school are null.
Instead of making it more difficult the BOE should make it easier for these children who have not been in elementary magnets to get in magnets.
Yup if you live ITB your child is in a magnet. You live outside ITB it is a battle with unfair odds.
Also the impact on the rim/suburban schools is that parents whose children have not been accepted are not satisfied with the status quo at the regular elementary school.
The complaints on the board
Mon, 02/16/2009 - 17:17 — NWRaleighMomThe complaints on the board over the years that the magnet process is still leading to a negative impact on rim schools is intensifying.
Negative impact is happening not because 10%, 5% or 1% of rim students win the lottery but rather magnet schools take resources away from the rim schools.
How accepting 4 instead of 8 (out of 350) going to have a real positive impact on high F&R schools?
Is there anyone in the state
Mon, 02/16/2009 - 15:02 — parentIs there anyone in the state we can contact regarding class size waivers? Why should BOE have this option when they continually try to close options supposedly available to the public?
WFparent Who said that
Mon, 02/16/2009 - 12:38 — vsheehanWFparent
Who said that people wanted the Magnets closed, like Ligon? I heared someone else saying that Enloe was also on groups chopping block.
I did, but not exactly...
Mon, 02/16/2009 - 12:48 — Bob_SconceMy point was that if we improve base schools, many of the magnet schools may eventually close from lack of interest. Why spend a couple hours on a bus to get what you can get at the neighborhood school? But, I don't particularly want to see them forced shut -- that seems to be going in the wrong direction. The point should be to expand the availability of high-quality programs, not contract it.
No I was just asking because
Mon, 02/16/2009 - 13:55 — vsheehanNo I was just asking because I wonder if some one is trying to get support for their busing plans by saying those who are complaining are trying to close down the Magnets. I don't care if they stay open although I think the AG should be seperated out and not treated as a TREAT but as a need like special ed.
Bob, but that goes against
Mon, 02/16/2009 - 12:54 — NWRaleighMomBob, but that goes against the goals of Magnet office. Do you really expect high paying bureacrats working toward the goal which will eventually bring the elimination of their jobs?
Follow the money
Mon, 02/16/2009 - 11:17 — SDR256A little question has been nagging in the back of my mind...the stimulus package has set aside a big chunk of money for 'low income' schools. What percentage of low income students does it take to be assigned a low income school? Would the shifting of low income students have anything to do with the school system trying to get more money? Or, is the opposite true, that the way the stimulus packages is worded actually make it harder for Wake to get money because of the way they spread out the low income students? Any one have any idea on how to follow that trail?
“ how far the school
Mon, 02/16/2009 - 10:27 — user1234“ how far the school board is willing to go to make it harder for some families to make it into magnet schools, year-round schools or traditional-calendar schools. “
“Don't be surprised then if the board asks about reducing the percentage of seats that are randomly filled and/or capping the number of students that could leave each base school.”
“Any new changes today could make it unbelievably difficult for magnet applicants to escape schools that are under capacity and/or have higher than average percentages of low-income students.”
Mr. Hui, I am not sure if you are suppose to be an impartial moderator and journalist on the blogs but many of your word selections show a certain personal opinion and could be inflammatory. If the intend is to create a discussion and express a personal opinion that is ok. If the intent is to report factual data, I am not sure your words would pass that test.
Watch it I said that once
Mon, 02/16/2009 - 11:02 — vsheehanWatch it I said that once and I was WRONG. Any chance Hui is just quoting the BOE
Quoting is fine ... he just
Mon, 02/16/2009 - 11:07 — user1234Quoting is fine ... he just needs quote marks and a source. Like I said maybe the journalistic standards for blogs are not the same as the printed paper.
I see it on both sides
Mon, 02/16/2009 - 11:14 — g88ky07I remember the recent use of the term "swift boat," so I think it goes both ways!
It may be I don’t clearly
Mon, 02/16/2009 - 12:56 — user1234It may be I don’t clearly understand Mr. Hui role as a journalist who reports fact in his printed articles; the personal opinions expressed on the editorial pages and the personal opinions of a blog moderator. It may be Mr. Hui reports facts in the printed paper and opinions on the blog. It may be that quotes are passé in the blog environment too and blogs are not as formal. I don’t know.
Mr. Hui is a fair journalist
Tue, 02/17/2009 - 09:55 — fiestamomIn the day and age of "advocates" instead of journalists simply reporting the news, Mr. Hui is a reporter. Yes, a blog is more informal, but he reports the news in an unbiased fashion. Unfortunately, Can't say the same for *most* of the other "reporters" for the N&O.
Informality
Mon, 02/16/2009 - 14:13 — Bob_SconceBlogs are decidedly less formal -- I don't expect the same amount of research, editing, fact-checking, getting word choice exactly right, etc... for a blog entry that I would for a story in print.
I know a couple of lawyer bloggers, and they have a devil of a time with this. Lawyers like to get everything exactly perfect, make sure they're not taking any unsupported positions, cover all the bases, etc.... But, if they took that sort of effort with a blog, they would end up posting maybe once a month. I suspect that's also true here. One of the implications is that readers need to be more forgiving with blog entries than they would be with other types of work.
Given a choice between Keung posting more, or posting less but editing more, I favor posting more.
More posts, please
Mon, 02/16/2009 - 14:40 — Dadof3I did ignore the original post, as it makes a poor job of making it's point (as is de rigour for our calumny-obsessed friend.) But since Bob weighs in, I agree with Bob -- Mr. Hui on the whole has been but a thoroughly ethical journalist in this matter -- and this is only a blog. If all news topics had his caliber of reporting, the N&O would not be in its current dire straights.
That the WCPSS water-carriers don't like the verbiage is their problem, not Mr. Hui's. You have to bastardize English into some unrecognizable dialect to report on the WCPSS to satisfy their requirements.
Maybe he'll explain it
Mon, 02/16/2009 - 13:01 — g88ky07for us sometime.
So much for my day
Mon, 02/16/2009 - 15:15 — KeungHui (author)So much for my day off. Part of the point of the blog is being able to do more analysis of issues.
First off, the "how far" the school board is"willing to go to make it harder" is a pretty straightforward look at what they've been talkinga about doing. The complaints on the board over the years that the magnet process is still leading to a negative impact on rim schools is intensifying. It's not going to lead to the end of the magnet program. But it could lead to major application changes.
The "don't be surprised" about reducing the pct. of randomly filled seats and capping the number of students who can leave schools are both options that have ben discussed by board members.
The "make it unbelievably difficult" for magnet applicants to "escape schools" that are undercapacity or have high F&R is a realistic assessment of how the odds could change. If they go to a cap of 5 percent randomly filled and that leave 4 seats for 350 applicants, what do you think those odds look like?
some of the "complaints"
Tue, 02/17/2009 - 20:47 — Bromhalsome of the "complaints" that led you to feel the need to go over this are some of the dumbest things I've ever read from theoretically intelligent adults.
I can't understand (and have been told I get to be the family member to try and decipher the rules) how anyone canot readily see the "negative" changes.
I guess if the N&O just ran the headline: "WCPSS going to cut available magnet seats IN HALF" you might find that inflammatory a wel - since 5 is half of 10. Of course once they say "in half", then they like to not keep repeating the same terms, so the use "Slash", "eviscerate", "chop", "slice" or any other term you may find nicer.
the point remains the same, and a stupid attempt to get the discussion off the point, and onto the word choices of Keung is ludicrous.
You're ludicrous
Wed, 02/18/2009 - 08:46 — supportwcpssIt's printed material. It's all about the choice of words. And I love
how Mr Hui uses the right words to get you going. I actually admire
him for being an excellent puppeteer.
it's NOT printed material
Wed, 02/18/2009 - 20:18 — Bromhalit's NOT printed material -as noted by your team member 1234. What is print he did not have issue with. It may be considered published, but I care not for the semantics of an argument over the word choice of Keung.
Do you dispute that they considered slashing it in half? Cutting it in half? Reducing it by 50%?
I am guessing that when the
Wed, 02/18/2009 - 12:07 — user1234I am guessing that when the blog gets slow, Mr. Hui find a way to get the work “diversity” into the title to stir things up. If you look at the activity in the “Education” blog anything that mentions “diversity” brings out the people more than any other subject
Huh?
Wed, 02/18/2009 - 09:29 — Dadof3So, Mr. Hui used specific words to get Bromhal's reaction?
I don't drink enough to get that point.
(takes a sip of everclear, hold on...)
Oh, I think I get it now. We're not animated by our passion for our children's education, rather, by Mr. Hui's words. He kicks the nest and we react. Because, surely, there's no other animating aspect to this.
I think I have a hang-over now.
Read the printed article
Tue, 02/17/2009 - 21:33 — user1234Read the printed article which is factual and journalistic and compare to the summary at the top and you will see the subtle changes in words moving from a formal print media to informal blogs. I was thinking both printed and online media would be the same standard.
Thank you for the
Mon, 02/16/2009 - 19:12 — user1234Thank you for the clarifications.
point #1, as parents we
Mon, 02/16/2009 - 15:55 — AngelaWpoint #1, as parents we NEVER get a day off (especially with kids on split schedules MYR & Trad) of WCPSS, so why should Mr. Hui? :0> (kidding, well mostly!)
point #2- good grief, even Mr. Hui is repsonding to the troll....
Amen and soak your feet!
Mon, 02/16/2009 - 17:45 — g88ky07Good enough for me. If I were writing the copy/stories/posts can you imagine what words would be used!!!
Hot diggity and slap happy, was that a troll that just ran across my screen!?
Ethical standard applied
Mon, 02/16/2009 - 17:19 — Dadof3I would expect, based on my reading of Mr. Hui's work, for Mr. Hui to respond to calumnibot, regardless of Mr. Hui's sentiments regarding calumnibot's posts.
Why Bob finds this engagement worthwhile is beyond understanding, despite the reasons he gave recently.
Hui, Go back to your day
Mon, 02/16/2009 - 15:39 — CaryCurmudgeonHui,
Go back to your day off, we still love you !! :)
Don't get mushy now,
Mon, 02/16/2009 - 17:46 — g88ky07you've got an image to uphold!
The best part is the AG
Mon, 02/16/2009 - 10:16 — vsheehanThe best part is the AG Curriculum is in the Magnet only so screw the AG kids outside the beltway. Hey want less kids to apply to Magnets put full AG at every school and allow non-magnet schools to have advanced electives. But wait if they do that then no one is being punished so I guess thats a bad idea
Janis--what district are you
Mon, 02/16/2009 - 10:07 — raleighreaderJanis--what district are you in? Have you checked out http://www.wakesca.org/ yet?
I'm On Board
Mon, 02/16/2009 - 11:24 — JanisTangoI'm totally on board with WakeSCA. I just need to know the candidates, etc and I'm ready to go door to door or whatever is needed to get the word out. I'm already telling people about this group and they are ready to get on board as well.
Change you can count on!
Mon, 02/16/2009 - 12:54 — g88ky07There are TONS of parents/voters, JUST LIKE US, who are fed slap up with this garbage. The on again off again education for Wake County is coming to an end!
FINALLY a group has come to unite us all to remove the "we can't think outside of the box, certainly can have equality for ALL children in education, let's make it as unattractive and difficult as we can" people such as Patti, Lori, 'da Goet and Horace from our lives FOR EVER AND EVER and they are at www.wakesca.org.
And I could care less if the guy in charge gets in brawls on the weekends with his clueless neighbors. They probably deserve every punch!
Clarification: Dana Cope
Mon, 02/16/2009 - 13:51 — CaryCurmudgeonClarification: Dana Cope is not 'in charge' of WSCA. Mr. Cope is running a separate PAC, shares common objectives with WSCA, and both groups will work together to ensure that family-friendly candidates are elected. WSCA organizers are comprised of representatives from the many parent-organized groups all around Wake County.
That's what I meant, but
Mon, 02/16/2009 - 13:55 — g88ky07thanks for clarifying.
;c )
yes
Mon, 02/16/2009 - 10:23 — loriacYes - Janis and I are neighbors and were at that meeting. We are full steam ahead to support WCSA and vote in new school board members in the fall.
I also hate that we have no choice once our non-LI node is shipped off to a high FR% school - means we are STUCK. Oh - I mean we should be happy with what the all-knowing BOE has chosen for us - what do we know.
I am waiting to hear on my son's private school application for middle school - that is our only way out. It really stinks that I was not planning on this significant budget hit in middle school - but I can't blame my son for not wanting to deal with all the unknowns. Middle school is tough enough.
Unbelieable
Mon, 02/16/2009 - 10:00 — JanisTangoThis is arrogance and insanity at it's peak! Why don't they just come out and say they want the ability to put your kids in any school they deem necessary and they don't want any flack from you as parents. My kids go to a school that needed our nodes many years ago. We have helped build that school and make it successful. With this latest reassignment they deemed that we should go to another school to make that school 'healthier' (GOD I HATE THAT WORD). Now because most of us are upset and applying for all the alternatives that are available they are going to shut that door too.
The only chance to stop this madness is to vote these idiots out in October. I've already chatted with many parents at different events I've attended. I can say 90% of them are ready to vote in October. They are sick of this BOE and their policies even though some of them don't have kids that are impacted.
if I've said it once,
Mon, 02/16/2009 - 09:32 — AngelaWhow this isn't discrimination is beyond me! Punishing families because of a screwed up diversity "goal" has got to be unlawful, some how some way! So because MYR isn't working for my family with one on a Traditional calendar still, we will not be able to "leave"?? With Leesville at the bottom of the percentile heap to begin with, it's simply a given that we will never escape unless we get a charter (with waiting lists a mile long) or go private (ha, unemployment doesn't allow THAT one) or homeschool (see previous)...
D.I.S.C.R.I.M.I.N.A.T.I.O.N. nothing less
Working hard, Homey don't think so.....
Mon, 02/16/2009 - 09:20 — WuptdoMaking life "harder" for those outside of the beltline is something the WCPSS does very well and has much practice over the years. It is something the ITB BoE actually enjoys.
My suggestions to the BoE(eR) is to follow their standard operating procedure (SOP):
1) Inside-the-beltline kids = always approved
2) Outside-the-beltline kids (except Western Wake) = use Magic Eight Ball
3) Western Wake = always disapprove
http://www.tridelphia.net/
I am ITB and I did not get
Mon, 02/16/2009 - 09:59 — parentI am ITB and I did not get into magnet when I applied. It is all about F and R, so they really aren't making magnet accessible to all. I agree this should be unlawful.
This is flat out laughable
Mon, 02/16/2009 - 09:16 — g88ky07the boe wants to, "make it harder for some families to make it into magnet schools, year-round schools or traditional-calendar schools"
I know I'm not fully awake yet this morning, but does someone want to tell me what is left if you can't get into 1 of these 3? Do you have to be smarter than a 5th grader, educated in Wake County to get this one correct?
Wait, is it schools in Zimbabwe?