Diversity policy supporters to hold candlelight vigil Monday

"Okay, then why all the uproar about changing the system? If what you say is true only a small percentage will feel any changes at all and almost everyone already goes to neighborhood school"

Maybe because the children of the people who are pushing for these changes will greatly benefit while another group of children will be hurt?

Maybe because those children have parents who are least able and likely to advocate for their children, parents who have no political clout?

Maybe because the majority of parents are satisfied with our current system, imperfect as it is, and see no reason take it apart and rebuild it from scratch?

Maybe because of the manner in which the majority has presented these changes, limited public debate and now they are putting practice ahead of policy? (FYI, you create the policy, then figure out the best way to implement; not implement, then write the policy around it.)

Maybe because they can provide research from across the nation and in NC that shows that the type of high-poverty schools the majority plan to create tend to struggling schools often failing schools? And evidence that shows throwing money at them doesn't help long-term and that the extra $$$ usually dries up in a few years.

Maybe because John T has not presented an actual proposal, research to show how this improve student achievement or financial projections before putting this to a vote?

Maybe because we know that when other communities redesigned thier assignment plans they spent years researching options, meeting with stakeholders, hammering out the details, etc... not 9 - 15 months?

I could go on...but you get the drift. The manner in which this has been handled (which was totally unnecessary given they have the votes to pass anything they want) does not instill any sense of confidence that they know what they are doing and can move beyond their own ideology to do they best for every student and the community long-term.

Candle light vigil...hmm, can it get any more maudlin and ridiculous?

All this because we are longer going to bus kids around the county based on which parents do and do not decide to sign their kids up for free or reduced priced lunches.

I'm as liberal as they come, and I just want to say, please, not the vigil. Vigils are good for opposing the death penalty, which I've done. They are also good for Taking Back Streets from the gangs or the rapists. But this doesn't make sense to me. Go ahead and hold a press conference and voice concerns. That's legit. Then, all these pastors should just preach to their congregations about their concerns and convictions. Get your communities involved. And, heck, go talk to Board members pastors and ask them how they feel about this and then maybe get that pastor to have a nice one on one talk with the board member. But vigils, well, as I said, I'm as liberal as they come but the vigil comes off as self-righteous and that just plays into the stereotypes some folks have of us....

"We do not want to see our community divided into groups of differering socials and economic classes, races and cultures, languages, or faiths," organizers said in the flier.

Do they not realize the current policy already does this by labeling poor children and busing them across the county?