During last week's Broughton High discussion, school board member Horace Tart threw out an interesting idea.
Tart's idea for a compromise was to remove Broughton's IB funding. But he proposed allowing Broughton to keep the IB program if the community could raise the money privately. The annual cost is $511,377.
Tart's idea didn't gain any traction. But it raises interesting questions about equity in the school district.
Should a school be able to offer specific programs if it's willing to fund the cost itself? Would that create a system of haves and have nots?
On a smaller scale, some PTAs are able to raise much more money for their schools than others.
During Wednesday's board meeting, Tart specifically said that Broughton could form a foundation to raise the money.
Board member Beverley Clark responded that Broughton already has one. The Broughton Capital Foundation had a fund balance of $704,151 as of June 30.
Clark said Broughton's foundation raised questions about fairness that she'd want to deal with on another day.
Comments
Interesting that none of you
Tue, 12/16/2008 - 13:21 — shank56Interesting that none of you have bothered to look at the Broughton website for information regarding their foundation. There is a link on the cover page that contains a wealth of information.
http://broughton.wcpss.net/
Not a lawyer BUT....
Tue, 12/16/2008 - 13:46 — ObserverNYThere is a very interesting sentence on the Foundation's homepage that I would urge WC residents to pay attention to:
The
Foundation also acts as a clearinghouse for any member of the community
who wants to direct donations to a specific program or implement a new
initiative.
Anytime the word "clearinghouse" is used in connection with private money for the alleged public good, it should be viewed in a discretionary manner.
Take a look at the Foundations "Use of Funds" page:
http://broughton.wcpss.net/modules/mastop_publish/?tac=Use_of_Funds_Raised
Since Broughton is an IB school, I would seriously question the money being spent on "funding for faculty members to attend conferences and workshops". Smells like IB to me. The other items such as supplementing the cost of a trip or school beautification are non-issues.
Langley and McClean HS in
Tue, 12/16/2008 - 18:47 — vsheehanLangley and McClean HS in VA are two of the riches Public Highschools in the US. Both schools have Funding for faculty and workshops. That money is used for the teachers to go to confrences. I would assume the ame would be the same for BHS.
They both raise on average 10,000 a year for that. Why is it the two riches HS in the USA do not have as much in the bank a Lacy and BHS? Why do people donate so much and then spend it on services that by Fed. law WCPSS is mandated to offer?
Why do you assume WCPSS is
Tue, 12/16/2008 - 19:21 — shank56Why do you assume WCPSS is not funding staff development ? Hav eyou even bothered to read the website in its entirety?
My guess is that the foundation dollars at Broughton are over and above what is already allotted. If you read the website, these dollars are awarded as grants to those who take the time to apply. As I understand, the dollars principals have to allocate are pathetic, but they do have some leeway on where the money goes at their schools.
In years past, my kids benefited at the elementary level from Writer's in Residence programs, funded by the PTA. Looking at this website, the Broughton foundation awarded a grant for this at the high school level. So what?
How is it that Lacy is at
Tue, 12/16/2008 - 09:17 — jenmanHow is it that Lacy is at 24%, and their neighbor Stough is at 50%?
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Good question, duval. Stough has been begging for relief for at least 2 years now. They have a very dedicated group of parents who have met with the BOE and done everything 'right'. Yet they have been ignored for 2 years in a row now. Same with York--they are at 50% this year.
"Could it be the BOE who says they are for improving high F&R schools is realy just for the Elite of Raleigh?"
vsheehan--I absolutely believe this. WCPSS and WakeEd Partnership know that they must keep the wealthier areas of ITB happy. They need them to stay in the schools and they need them to support the bonds.
The diversity policy and magnet programs have been VERY beneficial to north/western ITB. They get to have their neighborhood schools with extras that nobody else gets AND they get fairly low F&R%. Of course, the extras are slowly being removed with the demagnetization of Root, Olds, Daniels & Broughton. But there are still 3 magnet elementaries and 1 middle school in ITB that are serving some VERY expensive neighborhoods as a base school. Also, I have heard that Root and Olds are working to raise funds so they can keep some of the magnet programs in place.
The rest of our schools don't have the stability to be able to raise funds like that. I don't blame those families for doing what they can to get the best for their children. I blame WCPSS for setting up the inequitable situation in the first place and perpetuating it. Yes, those of us in the 'outer' areas can expect some reassignment because of new development. But much of our reassignment is NOT due to growth but to the diversity policy.
Our base school in Cary hass
Tue, 12/16/2008 - 19:28 — vsheehanOur base school in Cary hass a higher F&R then Lacy.
Increased Rights of Ownership?
Mon, 12/15/2008 - 21:48 — SDR256Another thought that occurred to me is that if a set of parents actually puts money into a school, wouldn't you expect that to give them greater rights in their children being able to attend it?
No, thats like saying if
Tue, 12/16/2008 - 06:08 — vsheehanNo, thats like saying if you give blood to Red Cross you have more of a right to recieve blood from the Red Cross during a natural disaster. Non Profits are held to a hire standard then most bussness.Non Profits are not allowed to show favortism or they lose their 5013c. That is why most fake(industrie backed) Non Profits are associations now.
Is the Supreme Court still
Mon, 12/15/2008 - 21:01 — g88ky07Is the Supreme Court case still on track for being heard tomorrow?
I'd say that outcome has potentially more impact on a much larger # than those affected by another socialist decision made by your ever evolving board with their agenda to ruin Broughton.
The day has come.
Mon, 12/15/2008 - 21:39 — SideburnsYes, g88ky07, tomorrow is the big day. Hope to see you there.
Lacy's F&R is 25%. Not
Mon, 12/15/2008 - 18:52 — jenmanLacy's F&R is 25%. Not super low, but certainly not high at all. Lacy has been very protected for many years in my opinion. I will be curious to see what happens if the state supreme court sides with WCPSS. Will Lacy go MYR? The excuse they used for not doing it last time was that Lacy's building was old & had many flights of stairs that weren't conducive to pushing YR carts around. Also, they were going to be in the middle of renovations (that is a legit reason to wait to do it in my book). Now that the building will be new and more conducive to YR, there should be no reason not to convert them if WCPSS wins in court.
If Lacy goes MYR their F&R will likely drop.
Mon, 12/15/2008 - 21:22 — beeLook at the F&R at all the YR schools in NW Raleigh. They are significantly lower than the norm b/c lower income families tend to opt-out. Lacy's F&R is likely to drop lower if they convert calendars. Leesville is at 17.6% and Brier Creek is at 18.6%.
Leesville elementary is at
Mon, 12/15/2008 - 21:32 — AngelaWLeesville elementary is at 22%(about) with a total population at 988.
The 17.6% is from WCPSS
Mon, 12/15/2008 - 23:31 — beeThe 17.6% is from WCPSS Quick Facts for 2008-2009.
http://www.wcpss.net/demographics/quickfacts/08/el-08.html
and their quick facts are
Tue, 12/16/2008 - 06:29 — AngelaWand their quick facts are dead wrong, no shocker there....the stats I gave are from the school itself. you can probably get those numbers from each school, those quick facts, I am guessing are day 5, 10 or 20 numbers and even those *I* know are off for Leesville. don't drink the Kool-aid do you own research. Ask Eric B how eye-opening it all can be, when you look beyond WCPSS "spin" and their own version of "numbers".....seriously....
"and their quick facts are
Tue, 12/16/2008 - 07:45 — ncdad1"and their quick facts are dead wrong, no shocker there....the stats I gave are from the school itself."
Wow, you are harsh ... 22% or 17% appears to be 4% difference. I would not be surprised that the school's population varied 5% in any given day.
988 x 22% = 217.36
988 x 17.60% = 173.888
=========
43.472
43.472 / 988 = 4% (not a lot of spin)
Where did you get that %
Mon, 12/15/2008 - 19:41 — vsheehanWhere did you get that % from I got something diffrent?
I downloaded this 150 page reference which had it all
Mon, 12/15/2008 - 20:59 — ncdad1http://www.wcpss.net/demographics/reports/book07.pdf
WCPSS Demographics -> Quick Facts
Mon, 12/15/2008 - 20:53 — Eric_Bhttp://www.wcpss.net/demographics/special-need/needs-achieve08.pdf
Shows Lacy at 24.0% F&R. A printout I received from Chuck Dulaney with Sept. '08 data shows Lacy at 25%.
Comprable Schools Poicy??
Mon, 12/15/2008 - 22:45 — duvalHow is it that Lacy is at 24%, and their neighbor Stough is at 50%?
WCPSS Said its priority in the current reassignment plan is to make neighboring schools comprable.
I give them an "F" on this one!
Gee do you think having
Tue, 12/16/2008 - 06:13 — vsheehanGee do you think having the spouse of Raleigh's mayor on the BOE might be a conflict of intrest and that is why you find schools like Lacy have a lower F&R then Garner schools. Which school do you think threaten not to vote for the current mayor if they do not get taken off of the MYR. You can call the parents of the suburbs lazy racist dreamers and not fear repraisels. Call Lacy parents Lazy racists and see if the Mayor gets their vote in the next election.
Also Farmington Woods hadits
Tue, 12/16/2008 - 07:57 — vsheehanAlso Farmington Woods hadits base nodes kicked out unlike BHS and Daniels. Farmington woods put up a stink about it but the BOE didn't have a special revote for them. Could it be that the BOE has Favorities? Could it be the BOE who says they are for improving high F&R schools is realy just for the Elite of Raliegh?
F&Rs not welcome here
Tue, 12/16/2008 - 11:57 — ncdad1Absolutely, this is “class” warfare. The pawns are F&Rs. Like hot potato, whoever gets them loses. The more F&R, the lower your school’s test score which lowers the perception of your school which results in lower property values. All the connected, wealthy folks understand the game is to lock into a “golden node” and limit exposure to F&Rs. ..
Paying for magnet programs with PTA funds...
Mon, 12/15/2008 - 16:00 — nktrailI totally agree that if Broughton is allowed to continue their IB program with their foundation funds, it is a slap in the face to families who have had their magnet programs removed with no recourse or even the choice to raise the funds to add such programs back to their school! Wake Forest Elem. has lost its magnet program (will end next year)...will the parents be allowed to raise funds to add those programs back through donations? Of course not. Wake Forest is located in that outer rim of the county that the board would rather see fall off the face of the earth...
vsheehan--I can tell you
Mon, 12/15/2008 - 14:01 — jenmanvsheehan--I can tell you what some BOE members told an acquaintance of mine. A downtown housing complex that was assigned to Lacy was torn down (Chavis Heights I think) & nobody thought to replace the F&R students from there with new ones. It just slipped their minds!
I think that Lacy is getting some new F&R nodes in the latest proposal, but they will still be pretty low compared to nearby rim schools. Stough is 49% F&R this year. So much for the 'comparable schools' policy.
You might know...
Mon, 12/15/2008 - 19:23 — SideburnsSo, jenman, why is Lacy so overcrowded? Any idea? It shows 808 enrollment with a capacity of 678. And I remember this year's reassignment plan had them at over 1,000 enrollment. I know there has been some renovations but didn't think that the capacity was increasing that much. It appears to be a good candidate for YR conversion again. :>)
Ok but they want to bus F&R
Mon, 12/15/2008 - 18:40 — vsheehanOk but they want to bus F&R kids all the way out to Green Hope and Davis? Lacy is closer !! Raleigh has been over burdening Garner with so many F&R the schools have a population higher than 40% but Lacy has a F&R population n under 4%? I guess Garner should have the right to vote for Raleigh’s Mayor like Lacy parents do then maybe the BOE would forget to send so many F&R kids to Garner.
Mr Hui Why does Lacy have
Mon, 12/15/2008 - 13:36 — vsheehanMr Hui
Why does Lacy have such a low F&R population. It is a school in Raleigh proper?
I have a BIG problem with
Mon, 12/15/2008 - 13:10 — jenmanI have a BIG problem with letting Broughton or any other demagnetized school funding its programs on its own after the magnet money is gone. My problem with it is that the rest of us are PROHIBITED from having those things at our schools because it makes the magnets less attractive.
If they would lift that restriction then at least it would be a little more fair. But there would still be some schools like Lacy that could afford to raise $100,000 and others that can barely keep their PTAs filled with officers & have a hard time raising money.
exactly Jen - if something
Mon, 12/15/2008 - 14:01 — JSBinNCexactly Jen - if something was put into place to let schools fund "specials" then it has to be across the board - not just at former magnet schools. EVERY school would have to be permitted to offer the extras.
So I went and checked Lacy
Mon, 12/15/2008 - 12:45 — vsheehanSo I went and checked Lacy out online. Well I finaly found out how to get the federaly mandated speech time in Wake just have a private foundation. This is not fluff. WCPSS is derelict in meeting federal guidlines for special ed it's a lawsuit waitting to happen. I go check out some boards and see that a school in WCPSS is closer to meeting Fed reg for special ed and they are doing it by paying for it themselves. Its official this county is F@cked-up. I have seen ptas pay for almost every type of fluff but never extra special ed so the school can be the only one around that meets Federal standards!!!!! This is NUTS
Allowing schools to
Mon, 12/15/2008 - 11:50 — SouthEastWakeMomAllowing schools to individually raise and keep funds to finance school specific initiatives will only serve to increase the discrepancy between the haves and the have nots. I thought that this wasn't currently allowed in WCPSS - but apparently Lacey is just that special.....
It sounds great for the ITB schools - they don't get reassigned. They basically have neighborhood schools, parents are involved, and funds get raised.
How does that work out here in the county where you don't know what school your child will attend next year, 5 years from now, etc.? There is very little incentive in the county to build up the schools because Growth Management is just going to reassign you anyway.
I agree that private-public partnerships make sense for offering additional courses that the county just can't fund....but the funds and the programs need to be distributed equitably.
Argh....
Mon, 12/15/2008 - 12:13 — Bob_SconceIf it makes the "haves" better off and the "have-nots" no worse off, then it's a good thing. Sure, the discrepency is higher, but so what? Focusing on the gap between the "haves" and the "have-nots" creates an incentive to bring the "haves" down when it's harder to bring that "have-nots" up.
I agree, though, with your take on "Growth Management" -- we tend to give time and money to immediate needs which we know will benefit our kids this year. It's hard to ask PTA members to give money for a school's long-term needs when their kids may be reassigned to a different school the following year. But, when there's stability in assignment, you can get that long-term commitment.
Astounded to learn Lacy raised $135,000 last year
Mon, 12/15/2008 - 12:15 — beeHello all, I'm new here, but I frequently read this blog. I went to Lacy's website to find out about their foundation. What can a public school's foundation really accomplish? Well apparently a lot. Their foundation's pamphlet states they raised $135,000 last year with a goal of $160,000 this year. Wow! There is no way my daughter's school base could raise that much money, in addition to our regular PTA fundraisers. I wonder how well their normal PTA fundraisers do?
While I commend Lacy's parents and PTA for being so proactive, the inequity created by assigning higher income nodes to one school does not give all of our children the same educational opportunities.
Last year Lacy's foundation funded the following: Classroom Teacher, Teacher Assistant, Part-Time Spanish Teacher, TA for ESL, Custodial Help, Reading Teacher, Instructional Teacher (partial salary), Substitute Supplement
Here's the link to their foundation pamphlet... http://lacyes.wcpss.net/documents/Lacy_Found_Brochure_Inside_8-08_Combined%5b1%5d.pdf
Ok thats some good fluff.
Mon, 12/15/2008 - 12:37 — vsheehanOk thats some good fluff. Not even fluff. Its what needed at high F&R. Well its time to buss some more F&R to Lacy they obviously have the funding. time for Lacy to go back on the MYR list don't ya think? Need to make room for more F&R kids to benfit from that foundation.
I agree WCPSS is already a
Mon, 12/15/2008 - 11:20 — vsheehanI agree WCPSS is already a system of haves and have nots. Those in the beltline get treated with respect while those outside it get treated like dirt. The suburbs do not vote for Raleigh’s mayor so the BOE can do to us what they please while pleasing those with in the Raleigh voting area. Let BHS pay for what ever they want at their school. Who cares. It’s their money and truly has no effect on us except if BHS tries to keep the F&R of Raleigh out of BHS then it is a problem.
ObserverNY
Mon, 12/15/2008 - 11:11 — JGSOn this, we can certainly agree.
JGS
Mon, 12/15/2008 - 11:16 — ObserverNYI am pleased to hear that. I hope reading my commentary on the "big picture" will help bring you around to also agreeing with my assessment of the IB program.
Special programs
Mon, 12/15/2008 - 10:07 — NWRaleighMomShould a school be able to offer specific programs if it's willing to fund the cost itself? Would that create a system of haves and have nots?
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Aren't some schools already doing that? I heard Lacy funded their own science lab.
I, personally, have no problem with that as long as the school gets their fair share of F&R population.
I totally support the idea
Mon, 12/15/2008 - 10:30 — JSBinNCI totally support the idea of private-public partnerships... maybe they are or are not school specific - but the idea of having alternate sources of funding and volunteers in our schools across the board - to try and ensure a more equitable offering in terms of cirriculum and experiences for EVERY child is something that the board should be considering. WCPSS was cited clearly in the cirriculum audit for not offering equitable cirriculum opportunity across the board - and my bet is that when they actually sit down and try to figure out how to correct some of the stuff that was in that report - this is going to be something they struggle with. Where will the money come from? Everyone wants more "stuff" in their base schools - and so they should - but monies have to come from somewhere.
I do not think that every school needs to be a full on magnet program - that is - don't neccessarily think of it as leaving the exact program - as is at Broughton today - in place after the 5 year phase out period. Figure out which parts are most beneficial to MOST of the students - and offer those parts. Or - find something else - who says it has to stay "IB"?? It strikes me that there must be hundreds of elective offerings outside of the base, standard cirriculum that could be incorporated into our schools.
If the tax payers don't want to pay more, and we can't get other sources of income approved to go towards education - well, something's gotta give. Private public partnerships might work - it's building the framework around such a thing to ensure that we don't end up on that slippery slope of creating MORE inequality where some schools benefit more than others (i.e. more or better connections to buisness... etc)
I think Lacy does have a science lab. I think Leesville has a dedicated science teacher and lab. It would be interesting to see what the schools have today, and the gaps. I don't know how or where they get/got the funding for those things...
Ads on test fundraiser
Mon, 12/15/2008 - 13:02 — ncdad1I saw a news item where teachers in CA are putting advertisements on tests to raise funds to pay for classroom items. No one seemed to care as long as the Ad did not pertain to or distract from the tests. Parents are taking up the cause and buy space on the tests to encourage their kids to do well which is another twist.
Cary has none of that but
Mon, 12/15/2008 - 11:27 — vsheehanCary has none of that but who cares. The k-5 schools associated with Preston have none of that and do not need it. Its fluff. Science at the elementary level can be done by a Regular ed teacher easly. I know doctors who never disected anything till college and did fine. As far as Comp. Labs that is complete fluff. Unless you have someone teaching a kid friendly JAVA there is nothing that the kids get extra from it. Let schools pay for their fluff big deal.Saves money for more iportant basics
Please reconsider
Mon, 12/15/2008 - 11:02 — ObserverNYOnce upon a time, America was a capitalist country which was founded as a Federal Republic. As such, our Constitution guarantees us freedom of speech and religion while delegating more specific determination of laws to States. Our Declaration of Independence promises us life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Unfortunately, neither document speaks directly to public education.
Consider the following, JSB - a fundamentalist foundation in the Enloe area may decide it wants Creationism taught as part of its science curriculum. It will raise the necessary funds to provide the school with reading and exam materials. Is this ok with you?
Or perhaps parents at Broughton might entertain the notion of developing a cullinary program which would entail hiring a new teacher and refitting the school with classroom kitchen facilities. They'll do the fundraising. Would all students be able to participate in the program? Or only the students whose parents donated to the cause?
What about assembly programs with a specific ideological or religious agenda? PTAs regularly support assembly programs in schools and unfortunately, some of those are poorly researched. In my own school, the PTA sought to bring in a drug awareness program for the students produced by Narconon. The well-meaning parents on the committee were shocked when I pointed out to them that on the bottom of the glossy brochure, it said the program was created by L. Ron Hubbard, founder of the church of Scientology. Needless to say, we didn't go ahead with the program but things like this slip through all the time when well-meaning people get emotionally invovled in issues and fail to do the proper research to protect the children.
Those with specific educational preferences should locate private schools to meet their needs. Those who by choice or need must send their children to public school need to elect Board Trustees who can consider the big picture and distribute educational resources in an equitable manner.
If a PTA wants to buy new microscopes, Smart Boards or educational supplies to supplement a school's budget, that's fine. But don't allow private groups to interfere with and hijack local curriculum. That is the responsibility of your School Board.
" Private public
Mon, 12/15/2008 - 12:00 — JSBinNC" Private public partnerships might work - it's building the framework around such a thing to ensure that we don't end up on that slippery slope of creating MORE inequality where some schools benefit more than others (i.e. more or better connections to buisness... etc) "
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(Note the MIGHT... and the "ensuring we don't end up with more inequity...")
The board is not dealing with their responsibility, and my kids get one shot at this. Again - my focus is on elementary school experiences as that's the age group I am dealing with now. I'd be happy if my kids got to take spanish, quite frankly - becuase at our base, non-magnet school - they do NOT. I don't care about Java or cooking classes! (not yet.) If any "extra" is offered - it would be open to any student (in my apparent dreamworld).
I don't see how this idea is that much different than what is in place today. We have all kinds of magnets being funded by tax dollars to offer all kinds of special things to a target group of very lucky students. My suggestion is to either do away with Magnets at schools that don't fit the criteria (which won't happen...) or figure out a way to form alliances/partnerships within the business or other community at large to supplement the funding so that the base schools get to offer *something* in addition to standard cirriculum to their students too.
It's just something to consider. I don't have specific educational preferences - I would just like to find a way to make all education as equitable as possible across the county. It's not that way today, and doesn't appear that anything else or anyone else has anything better to offer in terms of ideas on how to balance it out. Something needs to be done NOW - not 10 years from now.
JSBinNC
Mon, 12/15/2008 - 12:45 — ObserverNYThe problem you good folks in Wake County appear to have is twofold: a HUGE district with great financial diversity and district policy which appears to be focused on equalizing that financial diversity in every school by moving students around like pawns. Any savings you gain from a reduced number of central administrators or large contract awards is quickly lost by spending millions on "magnet" programs and transportation.
Now somewhere in all of these posts someone mentioned that the county HAS State charter schools. Why duplicate those with magnets? Wake County also has the largest number of home-schooled children in NC (over 7,000). That tells me a lot of parents are not very happy with the educational offerings. While the district's intentions to financially equalize student populations in each school may have originally been noble in nature, the result is disruption of communities and divisiveness.
Get rid of the magnet programs. Spend equally per student, per school, regardless of the income level of residents in any given area. Cut the wasteful transportation and wasted travel time. Celebrate each individual community and allow those kids who can walk to school to do so. You don't need magnet programs at the elementary or MS level, that's just a cop out. Enhance the focus on reading, writing, math and science. Reduce class sizes. Maintain your buildings and grounds. Make sure the kids know the basics and are prepared to handle a HS curriculum. But do it equitably.
In my tiny district, our BoE passed a policy regarding "gift" contributions. Although we only have one MS and HS, we have two elementaries serving different parts of the district. One year, the PTA in one elementary raised over $100,000 to wire the school for Internet. The Board ruled that it was inequitable because the students in the other elementary would not have the same opportunity. Therefore, any "gifts" which exceed $10,000 are subject to this "equity" policy. Our sports booster club raised over $300,000 to rebuild the tennis courts. This was not an "equity" problem as there is only one high school. Our Friends of the Arts organization raised over $100,000 to send the kids in band and chorus to Disney World, again, not a problem because it was supplementing an existing school program which is open to all.
the county HAS State
Mon, 12/15/2008 - 13:09 — JSBinNCthe county HAS State charter schools. Why duplicate those with magnets?
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Because your chances of getting into a charter are probably slimmer than getting into a magnet.
It all sounds good on paper. It just doesn't translate well into real practical application.
This current regime is NOT going to eliminate the magnet programs, nor will they ever (in my opinion) modify at all, their current commitment to diversity and all the practices that go along with that commitment.
Meanwhile - time is a ticking.
Bingo
Mon, 12/15/2008 - 13:41 — ObserverNYBecause your chances of getting into a charter are probably slimmer than getting into a magnet.
It's all about the money. None of these systems really cares what is "best" for the students, they just want to appear "politically correct".
If the State lifted the cap on charter schools and provided more funding for charter schools opening up more seats, the local public schools would be freed up to equitably distribute resources amongst its plethora of general public schools. I'm assuming that your State charters are similiar to my BOCES wherein the home district pays a tuition to the charter for every student attending.
The pressure needs to be put on the State level in order to be able to effectively restructure the County level.
agree! And I do believe,
Mon, 12/15/2008 - 13:59 — JSBinNCagree! And I do believe, in the most recent election - all or almost every single one of the candidates that supported raising the charter school cap was defeated. Sideburns or one of the others, maybe Joe?? might have that data.
For the record - I can't even freaking vote. I am not American... perm. resident! :) We still have a number of years ahead of us before we can even apply for naturalization and thus a vote (voice!).
I don't know how the ins and outs of charters and how they are funded - I just know they are very difficult to get into - hundreds if not thousands of applicants and very few accepted.
Keep Public Schools Public
Mon, 12/15/2008 - 09:57 — ObserverNYI am very glad to read that Mr. Tart's IB Foundation idea gained no traction. Small, vocal, special interest groups around the country have attempted this ploy in order to force the public schools to offer the IB program under the guise of, "How can other taxpayers object if it doesn't cost them any extra?"
This is simply wrong. If IB proponents are so hot and heavy for the IB program, let them establish private schools in which to run it. Stop trying to impose elitist Euro-ed on hard working American taxpayers.
Agreed
Mon, 12/15/2008 - 10:49 — WuptdoI agree with the above. Especially when it concerns a money drain like the IB program. So few benefit at the expense of others. And how much money does the CEO of that IB company money make? If I recall the "company" had gross sales of $60 million nationwide.
Never forget folks, that "Big Ed" in America is big money for many people.
Mr. Hui, WCPSS is already a system of "haves" and "have nots." Those "inside-the-beltline" always getting the good things, and those "outside of the beltline" getting the leftovers and the shaft. Gerrymandering -- "google it."