More details to come, but the three new Democratic Wake County school board members are making a bid today to derail the two new single-sex leadership academies.
During the presentation at today's work session (click here for the handout), school board member Susan Evans said it wasn't fiscally responsible to start the academies now.
"Maybe it’s late in the game to have this discussion, but we haven’t had the chance to discuss it until now," Evans said.
Evans complained that Superintendent Tony Tata hadn't given the board the opportunity before to discuss the programmatic piece of the schools. She also complained about not having gotten notice from Tata before today's announcement about the expansion of the STEM and Global Schools programs.
Board member Christine Kushner said it was irresponsible to enter into an agreement to partner and house students at Peace University considering the difficulties going on there. Some Peace alums and faculty have lobbied the school board to not house the academies at the university.
Several Peace critics have signed up to speak tonight against the deal. One speaker, Susan Murray, a parent of a Peace student, said the high school students won't be welcomed on campus considering the frustrations that people have with the university's administration.
Board member Jim Martin questioned the decision to expand early college programs, saying it's something the board should have decided on. The N.C. State professor said that college faculty aren't clamoring to have more high school students on campus.
Martin said too few students are being served as the early colleges. He argued they should instead focus on bringing up the quality of the programs at the other high schools.
Amid the concerns, Tata pointed out that 300 students have already been assigned there after applying.
The board is scheduled to discuss the memorandum of understanding with Peace in closed session tonight. This could lead to its adoption.
As long as the four Republican members and Democratic board vice chairman Keith Sutton still back the academies, it should still pass. Sutton has been the most vocal proponent of the leadership academies.
UPDATE
You are pretty much in limbo right now if you're one of the 300 Wake County middle school and high school students who got accepted into one of the single-gender leadership academies for this fall.
After a lengthy closed-session discussion tonight on the memorandum of understanding with Peace, the school board adjourned without taking any action. What make the situation more tenuous is that there's a vocal contingent on the board that doesn't want to house the students at Peace.
If the board rejects a deal with Peace, the question is whether they could find a place to house the high school students for the 2012-13 school year. One option could be to house all the students for one year at the Governor Morehead School for the Blind, whose lease deal also hasn't been approved yet but which seems to have less opposition.
The school board does have some flexibility in choosing a college partner. Only high school freshmen would attend this fall. They wouldn't start taking college courses until they're juniors.
Comments
Sutton should think twice ....
Thu, 04/12/2012 - 14:22 — InspectorPittKeith Sutton should think twice about housing the academies on the Peace campus.
High school students have no business on a college campus. And, that's especially true with the issues at Peace College. For Peace, this is about money .... not education .... and it is taxpayer money that will be at stake.
I would ask Mr. Sutton, "Have you seen the financial statement of Peace College? Do you know the salary of Dr. Townsley? Have you seen her contract?"
I could keep on, but I won't because I trust that the real leaders of the Wake School Board won't be duped by the present Peace leadership.
perhaps
Wed, 04/11/2012 - 10:36 — EBDarcyPerhaps they could house those 300 students in one of the underchosen schools next year while they find a permanent home.
tough decision
Tue, 04/10/2012 - 21:13 — turnerk1I do think more thought needed to be put in to the leadership academies, but just as with the assignment plan, it seems the train has left the station. There are hundreds of kids who are planning to go to those schools, and clearly little room at those grade levels to accomodate them at other schools. I appreciate that Mr. Tata wants to innovate and add programs, etc., but it does feel rushed and uncoordinated with other things the school system is doing at the same time.
I agree. I understand the
Tue, 04/10/2012 - 21:49 — jenmanI agree. I understand the concerns and questions that were raised but it is too late to second guess this now. Like you said, families are all set to attend next year. And can you imagine if all of those families now had to enter the proximity lottery? Any seat they had from a feeder pattern or lottery was given away to somebody else and the second round ends Thursday. It would be a huge mistake to stop the openings now.
To Late
Wed, 04/11/2012 - 13:02 — Solon77It is never to late. We have hundreds of students still not assigned so what is another 300. After all need to keep in mind the bigger picture, it is only 300 out of 146,000. Today we are being told that there is really more capacity at certain schools. Let these people decide and make it fit. As a parent I would not want to send my kid into a situation that is half baked.
Well, there really weren't
Wed, 04/11/2012 - 17:19 — jenmanWell, there really weren't that many details about the leadership academies in the first place and those families chose it anyway. If a parent is really worried about it now, I say let them enter the lottery. If they aren't worried and don't think it's half baked then let them stay at the academies. But to force them to enter a lottery that now has few options is not right.
What about modular elementary
Wed, 04/11/2012 - 22:06 — Solon77What about those that chose the modular elementary schools in the first round that are now given other assignments ? I really do empathize with the parents and students impacted. I just wish the time had been taken to do it right versus political expediency.
I think there were 3
Thu, 04/12/2012 - 09:52 — jenmanI think there were 3 students who chose the modulars as their #1 choice. It stinks for them, especially since we now know that the 2nd-nth choices were done as a true lottery. I wonder which of their choices those families ended up getting and where they lived.
Except...
Wed, 04/11/2012 - 14:58 — Bob_SconceThose faimilar are now excluded from the regular choice process.
I am sure tata
Tue, 04/10/2012 - 19:32 — TarHeelFan3will tell the new board members to "wait and see." I hope they are not naive enough to get sucker punched by that line again. That's what tata told them to do last December when they wanted to delay his reassignment plan. Now that they are now learning how screwed up it is, tata is telling them "its too late."
Fool me once, shame on you . . .
You make a great point .....
Thu, 04/12/2012 - 14:27 — InspectorPittTata operates like a lot of bureaucrats.
Those who want to "wait and see" or "trust me" are those who aren't comfortable with their own plans so they have to use those words to move it down the road. Once there, the bus can't be backed up!
Ahhhhhhh, what great people we've put in place in government!
Kinda like Obamacare(less)
Thu, 04/12/2012 - 15:04 — shearertwKinda like Obamacare(less) huh. "We Have to Pass the Bill So That You Can Find Out What Is In It" .... Nancy Pelosi