Sometimes a non-endorsement can be more telling than an actual endorsement.
The Raleigh Regional Association of Realtors announced last week their endorsements for this fall's municipal elections. But the press release said that "after much consideration, the Board [of directors of the Realtors] decided not to endorse candidates for the Wake County School Board."
That is not the norm for the group.
In 2005, the Realtors endorsed three school board candidates, including Horace Tart. But Tart, the lone incumbent running and a builder and developer, is out of luck this time.
In 2007, the Realtors only backed one school board candidate. The group sided with Sean O'Brien in his unsuccessful bid to unseat Beverley Clark.
Comments
Home Invasion - School System hunting down reassignment families
Mon, 09/28/2009 - 16:29 — chriskennedy1just heard from my co-worker that Wake County Public School System has a targeted list to hunt down those families in certain neighborhoods that have been reassigned that were exempt from reassignments. they said 2 employees from the school system are knocking on doors, looking through windows, and asking questions about these families. apparently certain kids are getting notes at school effectively kicking them out of their elementary school. heard lori m. on the board maybe behind this, but you can be sure that the Superintendent and head of Growth Planning know it is going on. not too happy about my hard-earned tax dollars being used on cars/gas for a couple of bureaucrats to hassle families just trying to get their kids educated! Hope someone in the press investigates this.
Home invasion
Tue, 09/29/2009 - 20:29 — oldparentI know for a fact it is going on in my neighborhood - a node that was reassigned to Stough ES. I saw two women peeking in the windows of my neighbor's house and asked what they were doing. They proceeded to ask me questions about the family that lived in the house. I refused to answer anything and informed them that my tax dollars could be much better spent providing textbooks for all the 8th grade science students at Daniels (since another neighbor had informed me that there were not enough for all students) and to reduce the overcrowding in classrooms at Daniels (this same neighbor's daughter was in a class w/37 kids - not even enough desks for everyone)! I have no idea what else is going on in the county but I'm sure these examples aren't the only ones.
I would be interested to know who started this particular "witchhunt" - pissed off Stough parents or Growth Management?
This county has run amok under the leadership of Del Burns who is no more than a puppet for Chuck Dulaney. The citizens of Wake County should be appalled at the idiocy running our schools!
Michael Evans, Wake's chief
Tue, 09/29/2009 - 10:37 — KeungHui (author)Michael Evans, Wake's chief communications officer, said there is no systematic targeting of any nodes to check on illegal attendance. He said they do respond to tips about families using false addresses. He said that while school ssytem employees will ask families to produce documentation if they receive a tip, they're not peering through windows.
Have you spoken with any of
Tue, 09/29/2009 - 15:33 — lacyparentof3Have you spoken with any of the families that were visited to verify Mr. Evans statement and can anyone submit a tip?
Thanks
Tue, 09/29/2009 - 11:17 — supportwcpssThanks Mr. Hui for clarifying the rumors spread about by people in this blog. It's sad that you and others have to deal with these erroneous fires that people here start.
Folks, I haven't verified
Mon, 09/28/2009 - 21:19 — KeungHui (author)Folks, I haven't verified this claim yet. I would be very cautious about statements made during the final week of an election.
No use having rules if they
Mon, 09/28/2009 - 19:38 — user12345No use having rules if they are not enforced ... I feel sorry for the employees who have to do this and think families found in violation should be fined to pay for their time.
The rules are there to be
Tue, 09/29/2009 - 07:36 — lacyparentof3The rules are there to be enforced, but I hope someone checks to make sure it's being enforced at ALL schools and not just a select school/node(s).
I agree with you
Tue, 09/29/2009 - 11:45 — jenmanI agree with you lacyparent--they should be enforcing the rule at all schools. This kind of thing has been going for years. Back in 98 we knew somebody who was renting an apartment so the kids could go to Durant Elem.
I heard the same, and it was in the Lacy district
Mon, 09/28/2009 - 21:34 — SDR256I did hear the same story. And if the details that I heard are true - that the employees are peering in windows and asking neighbors if they know a child - to see if they can prove that a child lives there - then I do NOT feel sorry for these employees! That's OUTRAGEOUS.
So you support violating the
Mon, 09/28/2009 - 21:52 — user12345So you support violating the law? What kind of example are you providing for your kids? Oh, is there a different set of standards for some special people?
I support following of the law
Mon, 09/28/2009 - 22:00 — SDR256I do not support people peeping in windows and investigating with the neighbors. These people are not the police. They are not trained as the police - they are low level government employees. Have they been given legal training for how to conduct these investigations? The police go through intensive training. The police have to follow procedure when they are investigating what goes on inside your house.
If they have violated any
Tue, 09/29/2009 - 08:20 — user12345If they have violated any laws, they will have to answer for it ... but let's get back to the selfish people over crowding some schools and taking away from other residents by attending the wrong school ...
I Guess Then It's OK to Find Fraud In F&R
Mon, 09/28/2009 - 19:41 — MamaLynnI guess it's OK then to find fraud in F&R. You didn't seem to have a problem with people violating the policy for filing for F&R did you? I guess the violators should only be pursued when they appear to be wealthy people...is that what you are saying?
Can you reference where I
Mon, 09/28/2009 - 21:56 — user12345Can you reference where I said falsifying F&R forms was ok ... also, why do you assume these law breakers are wealthy? Growth driven reassignment affected all incomes.
I heard the same, including
Mon, 09/28/2009 - 18:18 — CaryCurmudgeonI heard the same, including specific mention that they were going after Lacy parents who they thought were not obeying.
Yes, it is in fact true.
Tue, 09/29/2009 - 14:10 — ohmywcpssYes, it is in fact true. I know of two families that they have gone knocking at their doors. One family was grandfathered and suggested to the employees at the door to kindly stop wasting their time and being like Big Brother and instead ask people about the horrible reassignment process they endured and how it is affecting their families. The other family's child has an IEP that allowed them to remain at Lacy. These families are not breaking any reassignment rules.
Pretty crazy stuff considering it is not a rumor!
Well Joe, I can think of
Tue, 09/29/2009 - 00:29 — WhalerCaneWell Joe,
I can think of one case where a certain parent of a recently deactivated pac rented an appartment to get his kid back in Lacy after being re-assigned from where he actually lives. Of course most of us, couldn't afford to do that, have a house and rent a shadow appartment to get the assignment we want. Is that Okay?
House for rent
Tue, 09/29/2009 - 13:00 — TrailerParkGirlI know of a house for rent because the family has MOVED (are actually LIVING there, so no need for WCPSS to go following up on 'tips') to another house in the assignment area for the HS their older child has been attending. It was the only way the younger sibling starting HS could attend the same HS as the older sibling. They went through all the formal channels and were denied.
Is it Okay that families have to go to these lengths to allow one child to graduate from the school they've been attending and not have other children at the same level (ES, MS, HS) within the same family attending MULTIPLE schools?
I agree. It's STABILITY
Tue, 09/29/2009 - 13:54 — annie15I agree. It's STABILITY that our families want more than anything else. Why can't the school board understand that? I guess they really don't care at all.
That family ACTUALLY lives
Tue, 09/29/2009 - 07:33 — lacyparentof3That family ACTUALLY lives in the apartment. The house they own, but do not live in, is on the market. I'm not aware of it actually selling, yet.
That is how I understand
Tue, 09/29/2009 - 11:42 — jenmanThat is how I understand the situation from somebody who knows this family as well. They are selling their current house in order to buy one in Lacy's assignment area. So not breaking any laws since they are actually living in that apartment.
A conversation
Mon, 09/28/2009 - 15:00 — woodstockPotential homebuyer: What are the schools for this area?
Realtor: Depends on whether you buy the home on the west side of the street or the east side of the street and what school year you are talking about.
Potential homebuyer: Depends on what side of the street?
Realtor: Yes, you see, the west side is node 4297.729a and the east side is node 4297.729b. The nodes determine which school you go to.
Potential homebuyer: Okay, I’ll play. This year we have a child in 6th grade and we like the house on the west side of the street.
Realtor: You are in luck, you get to do to xyz school. It's about 5 miles as the crow flies and has a traditional schedule. You will love it! And next year it is even better, the school is a bit farther away...about 12-13 miles or so … and it is YEAR-ROUND school!
Potential home buyer: 12 miles as the...
Realtor: Yep, as the crow flies...that makes it no more than say 22 real miles if you intend to use the roads. With stops, the ride should not last longer than, say, an hour or so. The bus picks up about 5:45am so your child will have plenty of time to get there in the morning.
Potential homebuyer: What's a year-round school?
Realtor: It is a calendar choice parents have; kids go to school for about 9 weeks, then get a three-week break… or 5-6 weeks if it is around Christmas … then right back at it. It is supposed to keep them engaged in school all year.
Potential homebuyer: Engaged? Well, except for the multi-week breaks…. But, anyway, it's a choice, so what are my other options?
Realtor: Oops, sorry, did I say "choice?" The one you will be assigned to is mandatory.
Potential homebuyer: So no choice?
Realtor: Well, do you feel lucky? You could apply to a magnet school.
Potential homebuyer: Magnet school?
Realtor: Yep, these are great options; the Magnet Schools offer all kinds of special course offerings and electives not available in other schools.
Potential homebuyer: Sounds great! How do I sign up?
Realtor: Well, all you have to do is enter the annual Magnet School lottery and win a seat and you are in. Easy!
Potential homebuyer: Lottery? Seems like an arbitrary way to approach a child's education. Why is this so complicated? Why can't we just send our child to the school down the road?
Realtor: Huh?
Potential homebuyer: I can throw a rock to that school over there. Why can't we go there?
Realtor: Wake County buses for economic diversity.
Potential homebuyer: What does that mean?
Realtor: Kids from other parts of Wake County get to go to that school over there and you get to go to another school …ah…just down the road a piece. It helps our schools look healthy, and the Chamber of Commerce loves that!
Potential homebuyer: How's that?
Realtor: Well, you see, some kids from poorer families have special academic challenges so we bus all the kids around to mix them all in based on a super secret formula dreamed up – I mean devised -- by Dr. Dulaney.
Potential homebuyer: Oh, so these students from economically challenging circumstances and that are struggling academcially are bused to schools that offer special assistance to help them succeed?
Realtor: Not exactly, it is more of a rubbing elbows/osmosis deal.
Potential homebuyer: How does that help?
Realtor: Well, then no one school looks too bad. Don’t you know statistics?
Potential homebuyer: Help me here, how do struggling students get the extra help they need to do better?
Realtor: That is really not the point. Boy, you really don’t know statistics. Let’s get back to me selling you a house.
Former potential homebuyer: Thanks for your time, I am outta here.
Try selling a home now in
Tue, 09/29/2009 - 00:39 — WhalerCaneTry selling a home now in inner city Charlotte.
Wake county does not bus for economic diversity, but assigns for it. Eliminate diversity, and there will still be busing unless you close down aged out schools, costing more tax dollars. Charlotte, who abandoned diversity ten years ago, buses more. If we sent every kid to the closest school, we would save .7 a mile per student.
Would you prefer Broughton High, or Southern Durham if it was closer? Yea, I thought so. It is the environment for learning at the end of the bus that matters.
Your plan will balkinize the County, and kill property values in any area not highly affluent.
I'm with you we should do more to help economically disadvantaged students, but arguing that the solution is to warehouse them in high poverty schools smacks of seperate, but equal.
Perry, We already
Tue, 09/29/2009 - 11:37 — jenmanPerry,
We already warehouse ED students in Eastern Wake and in Garner. We actually bus the ED students from SE Raleigh to Garner in order to be warehoused in high poverty schools. It just doesn't look right to have them all warehoused in Raleigh--bad for business. We hold thousands of students all over the county, ED and non-ED alike, hostage in high poverty schools with fewer academic opportunities. At the same time we offer the best that WCPSS has to offer to people fortunate enough to live in the 'right' neighborhood and assigned to the 'right' schools.
Property values are already affected by school assignments, its just that they aren't affecting values in any of the areas WCPSS or WEP/business leaders care about.
Charlotte spends more on busing, but they also OFFER MORE to their students. They have more magnet programs and they offer transportation for all of them. WCPSS has several magnets for which they offer very limited tranportation.
First, CMS again!? Is your
Tue, 09/29/2009 - 07:43 — woodstockFirst, CMS again!? Is your entire world view limited to CMS and Wake? Take off the blinders.
Second, you are ignoring the fact that there are proven solutions to achieving academic success in all schools regardless of the social and economic dynamics that may exist in them. With a neighborhood/community model, a higher percentage (much higher) of students will achieve academic success. Isn't that what we are all seeking?
Regarding your alledged stat of saving .7 miles per student. That is a complete fabrication.
Mr. Hui?
Mon, 09/28/2009 - 10:33 — AngelaWWere they asked "why?" they weren't endorsing Tart again? what changed?
No idea why.
Mon, 09/28/2009 - 11:31 — KeungHui (author)No idea why.
They cleaned their glasses
Mon, 09/28/2009 - 10:46 — g88ky07looked at his votes since the last election, saw his recent debates, public comments, public engagements, learned that Nelson Dollar is in contradiction to himself running Horace's campaign and decided it just wasn't worth the effort!
North Carolina ranked third
Mon, 09/28/2009 - 10:22 — AngelaWNorth Carolina ranked third in business cost and fourth in regulatory environment but ranked a lousy 33rd in growth prospects and 34th in quality of life. Those of us who have lived in the Triangle especially are used to hearing about the region’s high quality of life, so 34th comes as a shock. But quality includes more than climate. Forbes measures an index of schools, health, crime, cost of living and poverty rates.
http://localtechwire.com/business/local_tech_wire/opinion/blogpost/6090622/
The Triangle is an anomaly
Mon, 09/28/2009 - 11:16 — user12345The Triangle is an anomaly in a largely farm / rual state … the big event here is still the state fair … so, wish the rest of NC would follow but it is a big state and the Triangle is only a small part …
Between a rock and a hard place
Mon, 09/28/2009 - 09:13 — SDR256That's not so surprising. Selling a house with an unpredictable school assignment would be difficult. Several sold last year in our area - when our neighborhoods had been reassigned - and the school listed on the flyers for the houses were the old assignment. Not the realtor's fault necessarily, its just that this shell game is hard for anyone to keep up with. They probably use the WCPSS website as reference and that' may not be updated immediately upon reassignments. So their reluctance to back the status quo is understandable. On the other hand if they endorse the WSCA candidates they'd tick off their buddies at WEP who are terrified that the truth about Wake County schools will become known beyond its own local set of victims.
That's called a sticky wicket.
One group that gets their endorsement means nothing!
Mon, 09/28/2009 - 09:11 — g88ky07Thanks RRAR, for having the spine to stay out of it! Too bad others like The N&O, The Indy, WEP, NCAE and other hack/cult groups felt the need to muddy the waters!
Of course, my guess is the Realtors know that going forward they are going to have a MUCH more difficult time selling homes when the topic of education comes up. They'll just keep hoping the potential buyers don't ask!
They know that other than
Tue, 09/29/2009 - 00:40 — WhalerCaneThey know that other than the Home Builders and the N&O, their endorsement is the biggest kiss of death.
The NCAE is a hack group?
Mon, 09/28/2009 - 11:39 — RevHiDThe NCAE is a hack group? You can't convince me that you really care about teachers when you call them a hack group that "muddies the waters." Parent's are the only ones who care about children. Our teachers do too, and they have a valuable perspective.
I just cannot trust a group that says they'll fix everything by stopping bussing, and spending the same (or less) as we do now.
Hack one up!
Mon, 09/28/2009 - 15:48 — g88ky07As stated already, 5,000+/- members of the NCAE. So we only have 5,000 teachers in this state? How many teachers in Wake County alone are NOT members? This "hack group" doesn't seem to be connecting with the folks that are not their members and those same educators could care less what the NCAE says or who they endorse! Especially since they shoved "whacky Wednesday" down their throats! And ours!
2. How many members does
Mon, 09/28/2009 - 16:38 — RevHiD2. How many members does NCAE have?
The Association has more than 65,000 members consisting of educators, administrators, education support personnel, students and retired teachers.
Well then I obviously need a nap!
Mon, 09/28/2009 - 17:04 — g88ky07How many members are Wake County educators?
Hmm...
Mon, 09/28/2009 - 15:43 — Bob_SconceDon't confuse the interests of the NCAE with the interests of teachers. Since you lived in the union-heavy North, you should know that the teacher's union often pushes its own interests and those of its leaders to the exclusion of the interests of its members.
The NCAE realizes that it needs the support of Democrats if it is ever going to get either mandatory membership or the right to strike. So, naturally, it toes the Democrat party line. This is just the NCAE leadership trying to increase its influence.
To anyone who pays
Mon, 09/28/2009 - 13:02 — woodstockTo anyone who pays attention, it is rather obvious that the NCAE is a political organization and not an educational one; and, it does not represent most teachers as most teachers are not even members of this organization. In addition, I know many teachers that belong to the NCAE who do not support the NCAE endorsements. Input from teachers was not requested prior to the endorsement.
There are several career educators running for a seat on the school board and the NCAE chose to endorse other candidates that have absolutely no education experience and can barely even articulate their status quo positions. Two candidates in particular, Simon and Rakestraw, are absolute embarrassments and do not even understand the issues, nor do they offer solutions.(If you have a high cringe threshold, check out their interviews on News14 and NBC17 to get an ideas of what I am talking about).
Why do you want to continue busing when it is obvious it is not working to improve the academic success of those it is intended to help? It is irresponsible to allow nearly half (54.6%) of the economically disadvantaged students in Wake County continue to fail. It is way beyond apparent that a new direction is needed. Real solutions that go beyond cross-county bus rides exist and must be implemented before we can ever hope to see increased success.
Right down I40 in Guilford County, they greatly surpass Wake County in graduation rates including their overall graduation rate and for students subgroups, such as economically disadvantaged (ED) students (graduation rate: 72%!). They don't bus, but they do address the academic challenges of students in the communities in which they live. They do it at the community level because that is where the help is needed and where effective and positive change can make a real difference.
You seem like an intelligent person; why can't you see that we need change?
I am an intelligent person.
Mon, 09/28/2009 - 16:42 — RevHiDI am an intelligent person. Why can't you understand that I believe we can change what needs fixing without ruining what IS working. I see diversity working every time I volunteer at school. I want to take that and run with it, not throw it away and start over.
How do you envision running with it?
Mon, 09/28/2009 - 23:06 — TrailerParkGirlHow would you run with it while meeting policy 6200 as it stands without exceptions?
Also, what are your thoughts about the fact that there a number of exceptions to the current policy (i.e. schools with F&R % that are out of compliance with the policy)? How would you proceed - keep the policy as is and continue to have exceptions or have additional reassignments and bussing so that all schools meet the policy? Do you agree with nodes in naturally diverse areas assigned to a 40% F&R school about two miles from home that has a higher % of F&R passing EOGs than district average being reassigned 18 miles away to "diversify" a school in a low F&R area?
(By policy I am not referring to the broad goal of diversity stated in the policy but rather the detailed provisions that IMO are the source of the things that don't make sense).
A tremendous amount of time,
Mon, 09/28/2009 - 16:58 — woodstockA tremendous amount of time, effort and sacrifice is required of literally thousands of famlilies to implement the reassignment/diversity policy. Yet only 54.6% of economically disadvantaged students graduate from high school in Wake County, and it is not getting better. Please tell me what you see "working" here. There are proven program that do work, but we ignore these solutions and keep on busing. That makes no sense whatsoever to me.
As for diversity, that is not even the issue. We will still have diversity, it just won't be so calculated...and so painfully achieved.
"Yet only 54.6% of
Mon, 09/28/2009 - 19:42 — user12345"Yet only 54.6% of economically disadvantaged students graduate from high school in Wake County, and it is not getting better"
Obviously, Wake has a higher grading standard ... if we watered down our grading we could pass everyone too ..
So, 54.6% with no change in
Mon, 09/28/2009 - 20:20 — woodstockSo, 54.6% with no change in sight is okay with you and you are unwilling to acknowledge change is needed. Got it.
Currently, WPCSS has one of
Mon, 09/28/2009 - 22:30 — user12345Currently, WPCSS has one of the highest graduation rates in the nation for large urban school districts at 78.3 percent with a goal of 100 percent of students graduating on time by 2014. They have been improving year after year so change has been taking place ...
We should not water down our standards to increase our graduation rates.
I think the problem is we are over investing in NED schools as show by the large gap between Wake and State NED scores ... poor kids suffer under the tyranncy of the wealthy ...
user--We are certainly a
Tue, 09/29/2009 - 11:27 — jenmanuser--We are certainly a large district, but we are NOT urban. We have an urban component in downtown Raleigh but as a whole we are not an urban district. Urban for NC maybe, but not compared to the rest of the US.
Tyranny
Mon, 09/28/2009 - 22:56 — SDR256All kids suffer under the tyranny of a system which does not put education first - and poor kids suffer most. Many wealthy in this county can flee and spend to send their kids to private schools. Middle class families have no more say in the machinations of WCPSS than poor families. We are all equally terrorized.
who says they want to throw
Mon, 09/28/2009 - 16:46 — loriacwho says they want to throw out diversity?