A group of 22 former Wake County school board has announced today a press briefing on Monday to complain about the new school board majority's plans to end the diversity policy.
The contacts for the press briefing are John Gilbert and Judy Hoffman. Both are among the 15 former board members who had released a joint letter shortly before the election in October backing the eventual losing school board candidates who supported the diversity policy.
Here's their announcement of the meeting:
A group of twenty-two former members of the Wake County Public Schools Board of Education invites you to a press briefing on Monday, April 26 from 10am-noon.
Representing more than 170 years of service to the community, we recognize the vital role that the Wake County Public School System plays in our community. We are holding this briefing in order to provide the news media with our perspective on how we can best serve all children to prepare them for a meaningful future and success in the 21st century.
We hope you will attend.
When: Monday, April 26th, 2010
Time: 10:00 am - noon
Where: Burning Coal Theatre Company at the Murphey School
224 Polk Street, Raleigh NC
Comments
OT-Education Level for Dan
Thu, 04/22/2010 - 10:08 — shearertwDan,
Sorry for taking so long to get back with you regarding the "education level" comment posted by ConcernedParent in which he/she compared Fairfax vs Wake vs Meck populations. Her post provides a linke to census.gov as her data source. Of course, the only truly accurate data provided by census.gov is from the year 2000!
There is some other data regarding education level linked to on that site but they are only estimates based on surveys. If CP is paying attention perhaps he/she can clarify is the data posted comes from the 2000 census data or one of the survey estimates. With the boom in Wake Co. since 2000 and the decline in the DC region, things certainly may have changed since then. When I claim that Wake Co. is one of the most educated population in the country I'm referring to the following but there are others:
#3 Most Educated City (Raleigh, NC)
American Community Survey, US Census Bureau, 2004 (Released January 2006)
#2 Most Educated City (Raleigh, NC)
US Census Bureau-American Community Survey, 2003 Survey
(Released April 2005)
#6 Brainiest Mid-sized Metro (Raleigh, NC)
Bizjournal, June 2006
Five Star Knowledge-Worker Metro
#7 Best Educated Workforce
http://www.forbes.com/2008/11
Thu, 04/22/2010 - 11:14 — danofnchttp://www.forbes.com/2008/11/24/economics-education-colorado-biz-beltway-cx_jz_1124educated.html
This late-2008 Forbes report makes no mention whatsoever of Raleigh, but it does have the DC metro area (which includes Fairfax) and Durham.
Perhaps some of the explosive growth really was in the form of people moving here for service-type jobs to serve the needs of the business people moving here. That would explain the fact that Raleigh wasn't on the Forbes list and the spike in F&R numbers.
Also, Fairfax probably doesn't compete with Raleigh for those particular lists because I believe it usually gets rolled into the much larger DC metro area.
Thank you for posting these
Thu, 04/22/2010 - 10:50 — askmisterbrownThank you for posting these accolades, Mr. Shearer. We are rightfully proud of them. And how have we been able to attract such a remarkable population to Wake County? As wonderful as N.C. State is, it is not in the top tier of academic institutions. We have no pro ball teams, no beaches or riverfront or harbor, no great treasures of history or architecture.
No, Wake County's best asset in attracting this educated work force has been our excellent school system. Companies and families want to move here because they know that, regardless of where they live in the County, their children will attend a good school. What other metropolitan area can make such a claim?
Coupled with our excellent school system is our very low tax rate. For example, Fairfax's real property tax rate ($1.04 per $100 assessed value) is nearly twice Wake County's rate ($.534 per $100 of assessed value), and Fairfax's personal property tax rate ($4.57 per $100) is over seven times as high as Wake's ($.534 per $100). And Fairfax also charges many thousands annually in the form of proffers and impact fees. AND houses in Fairfax have a much higher assessed valuation per square foot than those in Wake County.
It should come as no surprise that there are more immigrants to NC from Fairfax than from any other county in the US.
And yet, despite our low taxes, we have a nationally acclaimed school system, driving our growth and prosperity. Our school system must be doing something right!
Mr. Brown, I'm sorry but
Thu, 04/22/2010 - 13:45 — shearertwPeople come here for jobs
Thu, 04/22/2010 - 11:55 — DrActualFactualPeople come here for jobs (RTP) not schools. You don't move here for schools and hope to find a job. Remember, 70% of the population here doesn't have kids in school--they don't move here for schools (maybe to be near grandkids or are single urban yuppies.)
People come here for jobs
Thu, 04/22/2010 - 16:38 — jenmanPeople come here for jobs (RTP) not schools.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
ITA. Schools were not on our radar when we moved here.
Most of RTP is not in Wake
Thu, 04/22/2010 - 14:14 — askmisterbrownMost of RTP is not in Wake County. It is in Durham County. And yet the tremendous growth is in Wake County, not Durham County. It's the schools.
So...
Thu, 04/22/2010 - 16:19 — Bob_Sconce(1) A lot of the growth around RTP is actually in Wake County, either on Davis Drive or South of the Airport.
(2) Durham has also had strong growth, as has Orange County and Chatham County.
(3) Wake has a number of other employment centers -- think downtown Raleigh and the Centennial Campus area -- which don't draw nearly as many people from Durham County. Apart from Duke University (which isn't really growing that fast), Durham County doesn't have another significant employment area.
I agree that Wake's schools are generally better than Durham's, but Durham's schools are a pit, so that's not really saying much.
OK, so WCPSS is better than
Thu, 04/22/2010 - 15:41 — shearertwIf you have to commute to
Thu, 04/22/2010 - 16:22 — DrActualFactualIf you have to commute to RTP for work, RDU airport to travel for work, and Duke/NC State/UNC for collaboration of research where would you choose to live--somewhere central like Western Wake. There are people that actually commute daily to RTP from Fayeteville. Perhaps WhalerCane or someone from the Taxpayer Assn. can tell us where the 70% with no kids in school demographic originated, I am not sure of the source but it gets mentioned often.
Agreed...and that 70% above
Thu, 04/22/2010 - 14:49 — carson79Agreed...and that 70% above doesn't include all the people who USED to have kids in the system, so it's much lower.
Where does that 70% come
Thu, 04/22/2010 - 12:06 — danofncWhere does that 70% come from?
140,000 of the population here are the actual students.
If you assume 1.5 parents per child, that's another 210,000.
Is 350,000 (or so) really only 30% of the population?
I don't know where the 70%
Thu, 04/22/2010 - 16:41 — jenmanI don't know where the 70% comes from, but I remember hearing it during the last bond campaign and the MYR conversions. It was coming from pro-WCPSS sources like FOWC and WEP.
Wake is near a million now
Thu, 04/22/2010 - 12:11 — user12345Wake is near a million now ...
....http://www.google.com/publicdata?ds=uspopulation&met=population&idim=county:37183&dl=en&hl=en&q=wake+county+population
curious
Thu, 04/22/2010 - 11:09 — red_balloonAnd how have we been able to attract such a remarkable population to
Wake County?
The local population is dumb and the migrants were the reason for the accolades?
"Nationally Acclaimed"
Thu, 04/22/2010 - 11:01 — Bob_SconceWhat is it nationally acclaimed for? If anything, it's for the diversity policy, not for providing a great education.
In any case, the fact that the New York Times and the education ivory tower acclaim something seems like sufficient reason to be suspect of it.
As long as the "Fab Five"
Wed, 04/21/2010 - 22:07 — user12345As long as the "Fab Five" want to go it alone, they will continue to feel the heat ...
A bunch of has beens trying
Thu, 04/22/2010 - 09:29 — woodstockA bunch of has beens trying to justify their past irresponsible actions is hardly generating "heat." LOL
Undoubtedly. It is much
Wed, 04/21/2010 - 22:25 — red_balloonUndoubtedly. It is much easier to mobilize 'diversity' lovers, magnet winners, WEP profiteers, etc. than it is to locate the miniscule percentage of dissatisfied parents (leave alone mobilize them).
Right
Thu, 04/22/2010 - 07:26 — duvalthe miniscule percentage of dissatisfied parents
______________________________________________
That is exactly right.
Most people in Wake County are not dissatisfied.
The BOE needs to recognize that if so many are not supporting them then they need to rethink and redirect their energy.
They answer to their donor
Thu, 04/22/2010 - 08:51 — user12345They answer to their donor not kids or the public and can avoid compromise or looking for the best ideas as long as they can push everything through 5-4 ...
I take it you are one of
Thu, 04/22/2010 - 09:16 — red_balloonI take it you are one of those stellar individuals able to deliberately and consistently subvert your sponsors' expectations. So long as the BOE members are elected to office, you can rest assured BOE members will not become insensitive to their supporters' needs.
Sadly, while I believe the
Thu, 04/22/2010 - 08:21 — red_balloonSadly, while I believe the majority of parents responding to the survey are satisfied with their schools, the system could undergo tectonic upheavals and years later it will still climb back to 95%. We tend to avoid change, especially when the future benefits are unclear to all. But so long as Tedesco and others don't decimate the school system and real estate values, you can bet that high satisfaction will be recorded on a similar survey if taken after the zone plan is fully implemented. And I expect this to be true even if student achievement has no uptrend.
Parental survey should become yearly custom
Thu, 04/22/2010 - 09:44 — sachivalayThat is why I think parental survey should become yearly appraisal for the WCPSS and boards governance.
Don't waste time on surveys
Thu, 04/22/2010 - 11:59 — user12345Don't waste time on surveys ... last time one was done most people said they liked the system and they liked their calendar which the BOE ignored and did what they wanted ....
Interesting....I love the
Wed, 04/21/2010 - 20:42 — willynillyInteresting....I love the fact that no chance will be given to this board to prove it's mettel. WHY is it that these people will not let a couple of years scores tell the tale. LOL It's because educational research depends on how "good the students feel" about themselves. OMG don't get me wrong, the kids are not in the military, but for goodness sakes.....a teacher says shut up and a student runs to the principal and the teacher gets into trouble......never mind the students had been told 1000 times to be quiet. A student grabs a teacher and the teacher defends themselves. The teacher gets fired. A students tells a teacher to shut the f--k up and the student is back in school the next day. From my own personal experience a teacher is a second class citizen below all students. Yes, I agree, there are teachers that should not be in the profession. However, when you have an average age of teachers in the low 20's? Well, they want to keep their job and they will be on the job about 5 years if stats say anything. Several years ago I told my principal that I had been cussed out by a fellow teacher. I also told him that the same teacher had made very unprofessional comments about a sitting president. Now I agree, we can ALL have our own opinion about that. It's something that does not belong in the workplace. To say, in front of students, president so and so is a f'''ing idiot is a bit over the top. The WCPSS never dealt with this and I was the one getting the shaft. The WCPSS ignored my requests for help for quite some time. Now.......they have told me that some time has gone by and they can't do anything about it. So KEUNG......I gave you those emails years ago. The WCPSS put them in my file.....and then they removed them. These emails proved that the letter was a lie. So, you wanna have some fun? How about we get together and scan these letters AND the emails and post them here. Phyllis does not think I have a case.
Yet another parade of social
Wed, 04/21/2010 - 17:58 — red_balloonYet another parade of social engineers with this bunch being from x'mas past.
I wish they were this
Wed, 04/21/2010 - 18:19 — woodstockI wish they were this interested in improving our schools when they were in office. Now, they are just a bunch of has-beens hoping to justify past deeds. Kind of sad and pathetic, really. At least they did not hold yet another meeting at the Martin Street Baptist Church.
Cue the bubbles Mr. Welk
Wed, 04/21/2010 - 21:04 — g88ky0722 people all standing together singing songs and 18 or so looking on.
This should be a sight. Like a FOD or FOWC rally! Thank 'a boys.
Oh Goody!
Wed, 04/21/2010 - 17:19 — MissVA lovefest of (mostly) losers who wouldn't elect Beverly Clark as Chair and now hope to jumpstart Rosa Gill's primary bid to the NC Gen'l Assy. Forgive the lack of diversity.
what do you mean by "lack of
Wed, 04/21/2010 - 18:22 — carson79what do you mean by "lack of diversity"?
and I feel a pot, meet kettle, moment coming on with you calling them losers !
You have to excuse the
Wed, 04/21/2010 - 18:25 — red_balloonYou have to excuse the poster. She isn't aware of your gratitude to the social engineers for putting you through Enloe, giving you automatic grandfathering with transportation, etc.
HUH?
Wed, 04/21/2010 - 18:38 — carson79I am not sure how that responds to my post to MissV in any way....
are you aware of who she is?
I love how you tell it like
Wed, 04/21/2010 - 18:06 — jenmanI love how you tell it like it is. :-)
Miss V, you are too kind.
Wed, 04/21/2010 - 19:15 — DrActualFactualMiss V, you are too kind. I have grown weary of their excuses. And their actions are tiresome and INEFFECTIVE. Your words inspired me to fight for the 54.2% these people failed. As my kids would say "EPIC FAIL." I thought about that number 54.2% with no diploma and how the rest of their lives will be a struggle to get ahead. If you put a sign on every child (child A=prosper, child B=struggle) you could almost divide the classroom in HALF. The policies of the past have to go as they=failure. Time to try something new to give kids a chance. It may not be popular with the status quo side, but it is probably high time. I will backpeddle a little bit for Dr. Gilbert who spoke at one of the earlier meetings but didn't get to finish and I'd love to know what he was going to say. He said something like....if you want to know where things went wrong start looking here--and then never got to state where "here" was. Cut short at perhaps a crucial point.
Hmm...
Wed, 04/21/2010 - 17:10 — Bob_SconceSo, I read this as "The people who got the district into the current mess are going to try to explain why there really isn't a mess and why nobody should ever try to clean it up."
Kinda like having General
Wed, 04/21/2010 - 22:11 — CaryCurmudgeonKinda like having General Custer show up to share advice on how to fight Indians.
What mess ? this is the best
Wed, 04/21/2010 - 22:06 — user12345What mess ? this is the best education that so little money can buy ... a mess is letting teachers go because moving the school day 15 minute is inconvenient. A mess is having an unemployed boys club adminstrator develop the zones for 140k kids while he is at home watching TV.
a mess is the 54.2%
Wed, 04/21/2010 - 22:13 — loriaca mess is the 54.2% graduation rate for ED kids. A mess is kids labeled F&R diverted into remedial classes regardless of their ability. A mess is consistently mediocre schools. A mess when the Raleigh COC touts their superior schools (as shown by the cases full of faux awards) that only a few are allowed to attend. A mess is said schools where the ED population has only 30% of kids at grade level...... lots of messes..
Remember the newbies do not
Wed, 04/21/2010 - 22:25 — user12345Remember the newbies do not care about the 54% kids ... they only listen to people with money who have PACs, websites, mailing lists, and who donate ... they value 15 minutes of convenience over teachers ...
User, which solution did you
Thu, 04/22/2010 - 06:07 — DrActualFactualUser, which solution did you think was best? 1) Cut magnet buses 2) start ES at 9:30 3) start HS at 7:10 or 4)pay for more buses and drivers?
I said before my priority is
Thu, 04/22/2010 - 08:48 — user12345I said before my priority is 100% education and 0% convenience ... so, start / end times would be very low on my list ... If I was given a choice to have my kids in a school with the best teachers in small classes teaching advanced classes and they had to go to school until 6PM, get up at 5AM, drive across town, or go on Saturday ... that is what we would do ....
Thanks for clearly laying
Fri, 04/23/2010 - 18:30 — woodstockThanks for clearly laying out your irrationality and why your vision will never see the light of day. You have a very, very narrow perspective of what getting an education is all about.
I think you have lost
Sun, 04/25/2010 - 11:06 — user12345I think you have lost perspective of priorities and pander too much too convenience ....
Funny, The Way I Read It Is...
Wed, 04/21/2010 - 19:44 — chaboardthat 170+ of the people who built one of the best public school systems in the country are going callout the 5 ignorant hacks who are on a path to destroying it through a deadly combination of stupidity, incompetence and blind ideology.
My reading has more reality on its side than yours. ;)
Uhh...
Wed, 04/21/2010 - 20:49 — Bob_SconceFirst of all, it's 22 people. And, secondly, I didn't know that we were inviting former members of the Fairfax school board here.
Surely you're joking. By what measure? Our stellar SAT scores? Our stellar graduation rate? Our stellar reputation for placing students in top colleges around the country?
I will grant that we are among the better districts in North Carolina, but that's the equivalent of being the tallest basketball player in all of the 2nd grade.
Well If You Think It's A Joke....
Thu, 04/22/2010 - 07:59 — chaboard...and that what we have is a mess maybe you can tell us what major metropolitan school districts you think have better systems and on what grounds?
The statement was "One of
Thu, 04/22/2010 - 08:22 — CaryCurmudgeonThe statement was "One of the best school systems in the country," not "One of the best school systems in the country in a large metropolitan area.
There are hundreds of smaller districts in this country, including areas that are around cities the size of Raleigh, that do a way better job of educationg students. But you guys want it both ways. You would violently oppose breaking up the school system into smaller districts, yet you are the first to say we should have lower expectations because it is such a large school district.
Thank you..
Thu, 04/22/2010 - 09:48 — Bob_SconceI was going to say that. One additional comment, though: most of the systems in large metropolitan areas are just absolute armpits. If our standard is "Look! We're beating Detroit and Philadelphia, isn't that wonderful?" we're in real trouble.
If our standard is "Look!
Thu, 04/22/2010 - 10:04 — jenmanIf our standard is "Look! We're beating Detroit and Philadelphia, isn't that wonderful?" we're in real trouble.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------