At least one supporter of the Wake County school board majority is glad a special accreditation review team is coming to Raleigh early fall.
In an on-ed piece today, Rick Martinez writes that he went from being angry at first to welcoming the review from AdvancED. Martinez says that AdvancED can review how poorly low-income, black and Hispanic kids are graduating from Wake and "declare diversity a diversion."
"After a thorough and exhaustive investigation of the data, I'm confident that an organization dedicated to student achievement will end up giving the Wake County school board an award for its educational courage," writes Martinez, news director at WPTF, NC News Network and StateGovernmentRadio.com.
Martinez writes that since Wake's high schools are accredited by the group the focus should be on graduation rates.
Martinez calls Wake's 59.7 percent graduation rate for low-income students "downright awful." While supporters of the diversity policy have noted how it improved from 54.2 percent the prior year, Martinez says the new percentage is still lower for that group than in Durham, Orange, Chatham, Johnston and Franklin counties and most school districts in the state.
"The data are clear and the conclusion inescapable," Martinez writes. "Poor Triangle students are most at risk of failing to graduate if they are educated in the Wake County public school system."
Some supporters of the diversity policy have tried to downplay the low graduation rate for Wake's poor kids. But Martinez says you have to "fixate on graduation rates."
"Why fixate on graduation rates?" Martinez writes. "Because it is economic suicide to leave the public school system without a high school diploma, particularly for African-American and Hispanic students."
Martinez also notes that Wake's graduation rates for African American and Hispanic males are below the state average.
"The AdvancED audit team has a real opportunity when it visits Raleigh," Martinez writes. "It can declare diversity a diversion and call for ground-breaking action on the fundamental problem that plagues Wake County and the American K-12 public school system - the academic failure of African-American and Hispanic males."
Comments
Martinez gets it exactly
Thu, 08/19/2010 - 06:44 — woodstockMartinez gets it exactly right...finally (his previous columns on WCPSS suggested he did not quite understand the salient elements of the debate). The socioeconomic "controversy" -- completely manufactured by fringe and extreme left wing elements who represent almost entirely outside interests -- is just a diversion . A diversion from education to one that is attempting to subvert the democratic process and the will of the people to further the selfish and political interests of a few.
What is especially odd, as Martinez makes very clear with convincing data, is these interlopers do not have a leg to stand on. The status quo ideas that they cling to has only led to an INCREASE in the achievement gap among our most vulnerable students. There are over a hundred school systems in NC alone who do a better job than Wake's so-called "nationally recognized" school system in addressing the needs of ED students and black and Hispanic males.
Exactly, but many dismiss
Thu, 08/19/2010 - 08:24 — willynillyExactly, but many dismiss those schools because the:
distirct was not growing as quickly
the systems is not as large
houses cost less
The fact is that solid teaching in a given classroom is what works. These diversions are taking away from teachers who work very hard. And yes, there are some that do not. In 4 years, while teaching at East Millbrook Middle (circa 1998), the school went from bottom of the barrel score wise to a school of distinction in 4 years. The year I was hired I was one of 27 new teachers. The year before there was an even larger turnover. Feel free to look back at what happened at that school. Although I saw things within the administration that were questionable, we were allowed, as professionals, to do what works. Once the micromanaging started I transferred.
Micromanagement drives away
Thu, 08/19/2010 - 08:31 — woodstockMicromanagement drives away good people in ALL professions. It stifles creativity and innovation.
Agree
Thu, 08/19/2010 - 08:51 — HereWeGoSo why does the new school board want to micromanage the new superintendent?
Interesting analysis. How
Thu, 08/19/2010 - 09:50 — willynillyInteresting analysis. How does one extrapolate that fromk what heppened? The School Board of the WCPSS is the in charge entity. The Superintendent works FOR the school board for better or for worse. Del spoke out against his boss with, apparently, no warning. In any business that is professional sucide. When we speak of that incident let's try and stay with facts?
How's that? Examples? The
Thu, 08/19/2010 - 08:59 — woodstockHow's that? Examples? The new board has actually increased WCPSS staff responsibility and decision making authority. Are you taking about setting policy? If so, that is the board's job.
They do not want to allow
Thu, 08/19/2010 - 09:13 — virginiadareThey do not want to allow the superintendent to reorganize his (or her) own staff without their permission! Talk about micromanaging!
Specifics please.
Thu, 08/19/2010 - 09:52 — willynillySpecifics please.
From the WakeEd blog on 6/24/10
Thu, 08/19/2010 - 15:12 — virginiadareThe Wake County school board majority wants more authority over how the superintendent handles filling of administrative positions, including principals.
The school board's policy committee agreed today to recommend changing the policy on the duties of the superintendent. They want the superintendent to get the board's permission before reorganizing Central Office staff and deciding on principals.
Currently, the superintendent makes the final call on transferring principals between schools. As a courtesy, the board is notified about the transfers.
The board technically approves the appointment of new principals, such as when a person is hired from outside Wake or when an assistant principal is promoted. But pretty much the board goes with the person recommended by the superintendent.
Debra Goldman, chairwoman of the policy committee, said they want to interject if the superintendent does something contrary to the wishes of the board majority.
The Sperintendent works FOR
Thu, 08/19/2010 - 20:20 — willynillyThe Sperintendent works FOR the School Board. They have the right to do whatever they wish, really. We are in the WCPSS bubble and, understandably, look at only this board. Have you had any experience with a Charter School Board LOL. Talk about screwed up. A bunch of parents making up stuff as they go? On of these schools in Zebulon harrasses teachers to make them quit if the board gets a single complaint (the work is too hard, the teacher is mean, the teach, the teacher, the teacher). Good or bad Luddy runs Franklin Academy, but with their scores they have bragging rights.
Look at Currituck Schools and some of the history there. Look at Char/Meck. School Boards are known to change the rules as they and go.....and since they make the rules they get to do that.
Actually...
Fri, 08/20/2010 - 07:28 — Bob_SconceFranklin Academy's EOG passing rate isn't all that great -- it's only about 85%. That's better than the NED passing rate at many (but not all) Wake Schools, but it's not great.
Magellan Charter does much better. Unfortunately, you can only get in at the 3rd grade -- aft that, you're in a lottery pool, hoping that some kid drops out.
Wouldn't Franklin Academy's
Thu, 08/19/2010 - 22:44 — danofncWouldn't Franklin Academy's scores only be news if they weren't great?
No ED, no LEP, no buses, no lunches. They are getting their kids from a certain subgroup.
No buses? So it seems that
Fri, 08/20/2010 - 07:15 — starsonoursNo buses? So it seems that there is a corelation between lack of busing and improved student performance. <sarcasm> All the categories you listed are able to go to Franklin Academy. Their parents chose not to apply.
If both parents work and you
Fri, 08/20/2010 - 07:52 — danofncIf both parents work and you have no way of getting your kid to the school or picking them up, then you aren't "choosing" not to apply.
The model excludes certain groups, but I'm sure it's not "intentional".
Most of the magnets fit this
Tue, 08/24/2010 - 20:52 — jenmanMost of the magnets fit this description as well. Only a handful offer 'neighborhood' bus service. The rest either offer express bus or no bus at all. If I wasn't able to pick up my son after school at his bus stop, we (and 2 other families) would be paying a cab to take our kids home from school.
It is still a choice.
Fri, 08/20/2010 - 11:30 — starsonoursIt is still a choice. Whether it fits into you life style or not, you still get to chose. It is open to all and plenty of homes where both parents work, chose Franklin Academy and work around the transportation issue.
What about those ED families
Fri, 08/20/2010 - 12:36 — magnetParentWhat about those ED families that cannot afford transporation? Funny how when were talking about neighborhood schools its because those "forced busing" families (not my words) cannot get their kids to school, but now, when talking about a whether a Charter is unintentionally restricting some groups (those same families) you claim "everybody has a choice" and they can work around the transportation issue. Which is it?
I am sure we can sit here
Fri, 08/20/2010 - 14:37 — starsonoursI am sure we can sit here and come up with scenerios that paint the picture of someone being excluded. I have found that most people if they want something bad enough will find a way to make it happen. Wanting it and not having a victim mentality most will find a way. Does that answer your question? I have to ask MagnetParent, does everyone who applies to a Magnet school get to go? So is this system unfair to those that don't get to attend? Is this still considered a choice since so many that want to go are not allowed to?
They provide transportation
Fri, 08/20/2010 - 15:23 — magnetParentThey provide transportation to all magnet students. That's really what were are talking about here. An ED family that has no method of transportation cannot even try to apply to a charter school because they will not be able to get their child to school. That same family can apply to a magnet school because WCPSS provides a bus. Keep in mind that both the magnet school and the charter school get their students by application - and they may or may not get a seat (ie. "be allowed to go") in either one. So your question is pointless, but not surprising.
That is patently untrue
Fri, 08/20/2010 - 20:17 — Apexter"They provide transportation to all magnet students. That's really what were are talking about here. An ED family that has no method of transportation cannot even try to apply to a charter school because they will not be able to get their child to school. That same family can apply to a magnet school because WCPSS provides a bus."
That statement is patently untrue. WCPSS does NOT provide transportation to all magnet students.
Let's pretend your address is 3600 Wake Forest Road. Put that address in the student assignment finder on the WCPSS website. You will find that the list of magnet schools that you can apply for include Hunter, Brentwood, Conn, Powell, Millbrook, Wiley, Joyner, Poe, Brooks, Partnership, and Combs elementary schools, Ligon, East Millbrook, Carnage, Moore Square and Centennial Middle schools, and Wake Early College, Enloe, Millbrook, and Southeast Raleigh. There will be a similar number of options wherever you live in the county.
Next to each school it lists your transportation options. When there is no note, that means that standard bus transportation from your neighborhood is available for your child. Included in this list are Hunter and Powell Elementary, Ligon and Carnage Middle, and Enloe High School. (5 of the 20 magnet options you could apply for.)
A number of other schools list "Express Busing" as your option. This means that there is not necessarily bus service to your neighborhood; your child's bus express bus stop may be several miles away. For the family that does not have transportation, this can make these schools a non-viable option. These schools include Brentwood, Conn, Millbrook, Joyner, Poe, Brooks, and Partnership Elementary schools, East Millbrook, Moore Square, and Centennial Middle schools, and Wake Early College, Millbrook, and Southeast Raleigh High schools. (13 of the 20 magnet school options.)
The third list is the magnet schools for which the parents must provide transportation. These include Wiley and Combs Elementary schools. (2 of the 20 magnet school options.)
So, a family from an ED assignment node could APPLY for a magnet school. However, until the current board changed the rules, they would have had a snowball's chance in hell of actually getting an assignment, because according to growth management's rules, they were the "wrong type" to get a plum magnet assignment. However, even if that hurdle were cleared, the majority of the magnet options available to the child would require the family to provide transportation either to the magnet school or the express bus stop.
OK there are no alternative
Fri, 08/20/2010 - 16:41 — starsonoursOK there are no alternative means of transportation? Car pool, public transportation ect. If there is a will there is a way...
"If there is a will there is
Fri, 08/20/2010 - 16:46 — danofnc"If there is a will there is a way..."
OK...describe that way.
Tell us about the public transportation that goes to Franklin Academy or East Wake Academy.
Tell us why a family that can't provide transportation to either place on their own, and can't afford to hire anyone, would apply to attend, knowing that even if they were accepted they'd have a world of trouble getting their kid there.
In order for car pool to be an option, you have to know other people from your area who attend the school, and they have to be willing to take your kid for you every day.
Plus, don't forget that we're talking about ED families. Is public transportation free? Is gas for the magical car pool fairy free?
The only thing you can not
Fri, 08/20/2010 - 17:26 — starsonoursThe only thing you can not do is that which you do not try to do. You can make a list of reasons why you can't do something, or you can find a solution to the problem and overcome it.
Look, you can find as many
Fri, 08/20/2010 - 19:28 — danofncLook, you can find as many quotes as you want. This is reality.
In reality, people have to go to work. Especially the people we are talking about right now.
You can argue all you want that charters are open to anybody, but it doesn't change reality. Bob gave an example (Raleigh Charter High School) of a theoretical situation where public transportation could be used, and even that would be an arduous task.
East Wake and Franklin don't have the public transportation option. Your "you can do it" thing is great, but not really workable over an entire school year.
The fact is that an F&R family who is interested enough in their child's education to consider a charter school is ahead of the game. Their kid is likely doing well in regular public school. They are also likely to be working, and not living off the government because they are lazy.
This started because someone talked about charter school test scores. If you or anyone else thinks that charter schools like Franklin Academy with no F&R kids and selective represent "how things could be", then you're out of your mind.
Thank You
Fri, 08/20/2010 - 19:52 — starsonoursWe are talking about charter
Fri, 08/20/2010 - 20:16 — danofncWe are talking about charter schools, and how much relevance we should put in their test scores when compared to regular public schools.
We went off on a tangent because some people (you) think that public transportation takes you anywhere you want to go.
As noted above not all
Fri, 08/20/2010 - 20:37 — starsonoursAs noted above not all magnet schools provide transportation to all students, so they to are like charter schools..
Uhh...
Fri, 08/20/2010 - 15:29 — Bob_SconceNot true for all charters, but a number of Wake Charters are near public transportation. From Raleigh Charter's website:
Carpools and the City Bus system are the two main modes of transportation used by RCHS students. Once students have enrolled at RCHS, information about neighborhoods, major roads, and after-school destinations is collected during registration, organized in a database, and shared with families. PASTA coordinates this activity, and it is an important one for our school. The school is served by the City's Route 1 Capital bus which stops on the corner of Blount and Cedar. This bus continues inbound via Peace and Salisbury Street for transfers to outbound buses to out-bound buses to North Raleigh, or on to Moore Square for transfers East, South or to Cary. Some parents elect to use private services also. Information about these services is also shared after registration.
Public transportation may not work well for a 2nd grader, but I don't see why it's inappropriate for a high school kid.
I didn't realize you were
Fri, 08/20/2010 - 16:04 — magnetParentI didn't realize you were limiting it to HS kids. Well, gee - you must be right then *sarcasm alert*
That little blurb you pasted is just their polite way of saying "we don't provide transportation, but we will try to help you find a way". I am sure those "private services" come with a hefty price tag.
Not every ED family lives along a public transportation line. For magnets, a bus comes to their neighborhood. Just because the destination school is near public transportation does not help the ED families in the less populated areas of Wake County.
Uh...
Fri, 08/20/2010 - 16:49 — Bob_SconceWhy be snippy? I was just trying to point out that the situation isn't as dire as you were making it out to be. I did not claim this was the universal solution for everybody. But, it does make that particular school accessible for a great number of kids who do have access to public transportation.
My apologies. I
Fri, 08/20/2010 - 17:04 — magnetParentMy apologies. I overreacted. Reading too many posts at once.
So RCHS mentions options for transportation and has a parent group to help manage the carpool lists, but I don't see that as a reassurance to those that cannot afford it. And I certainly cannot see kids from the outer parts of Wake County attempting to take public transportation to RCHS.
RCHS limits their applications in a different way - and I am not saying it is a bad thing but it definitely helps them appear to be a stellar school. They only have a college track cirriculum so they weed out any students that are low achievers. Their seats available are based on the math class you are recommended for from your 8th grade teacher so it is pretty hard to get in. Other than that, it is a lottery.
Eh..
Fri, 08/20/2010 - 20:19 — Bob_SconceNo worries. Been there.
I completely agree that transportation issues limit the practical ability of lots of people to go to many charter schools. ED folks without transportation are part of that. From my recollection of the passing of the charter school act, there was a push to require local districts to provide transportation, but that eventually failed. Now, districts are allowed, but are not requred, to provide transportation to charters.
I agree
Fri, 08/20/2010 - 08:58 — SupportNeighbor...I have been frustrated that a number of the charters are not options for us. We are a dual-income family, and cannot provide the transportation. I think a school that uses public resources should provide transportation, period. Philosophically, I support charters far more than magnets - since it truly is a lottery system (unlike the magnets which have historically assigned far greater weight to applications from affluent families). I like the fact that charters are open to anyone, regardless of income or where you live. But when you remove the option for public transportation, that knocks a whole bunch of people (at ALL economic levels) out of the running.
Hmm...
Fri, 08/20/2010 - 10:03 — Bob_SconceNot having to pay for transportation is one of the reasons that charters are able to do as well as they do -- they focus their money on education, not transportation.
Also, recognize that since charters draw from broad areas (multiple counties in some cases), transportation would become a lot more difficult. Seems to me that the best bet is to figure out some sort of carpool.
Why can't that whole bunch of people
Fri, 08/20/2010 - 09:01 — g88ky07restructure their lives and be responsible for their own transportation and make THAT the priority of their day?
Great point g88....East Wake
Fri, 08/20/2010 - 10:05 — willynillyGreat point g88....East Wake Academy have students from Nash County (EWA is in Zebulon). Those parents want something better so badly that a group got a great rental on a van and have parents rotate driving duties for that school.
I have not a chance to look at the DPI website for historical scores, but Franklin Academy is not necessarily great because of their present scores, but for their consistency. AND they use methods pooped by the edustablishment.....ie Direct Instruction.
East Wake Academy also has
Fri, 08/20/2010 - 15:13 — danofncEast Wake Academy also has zero ED students.
I taught there for 2 years,
Sun, 08/22/2010 - 12:43 — willynillyI taught there for 2 years, you are wrong.
http://www.ncreportcards.org/
Sun, 08/22/2010 - 13:04 — danofnchttp://www.ncreportcards.org/src/schDetails.jsp?Page=2&pSchCode=000&pLEACode=92G&pYear=2008-2009
I've never been to the school, so you should know better than me if you taught there. But, if you'd go to the link and check under Student Performance Data by Student Groups, you will see that for every listing the number of tests taken and the number of NED students is exactly the same.
Where are they hiding the ED kids?
Not sure how (or if)
Sun, 08/22/2010 - 14:16 — willynillyNot sure how (or if) Charters get away with this, but when I was there 2006-08 I know that without F&R numbers it's a difficult question to answer. Most charters have no cafeteria so there is no need for students to apply for F&R. I know that several of my stduents on 06-07 were very ED. I'm not sure how they made it.....only a mom and she had no job etc. I am not really sure the numbers can be verified all that easily. One group of parents in Nash County rented a van and took turns driving to the school each week. Since it was a requirement to volunteer this would contribute to that requirement for the driver.
After looking at the link you provided I would have to warn against depending too much on these scores/data fir a charter. I do know that at Franklin Academy Direct Instruction (DI) seems to get good results. Now some have blogged ehre that the scores at FA are not all that great. My question would be....compared to what? Are the scores by grade better than the WCPSS? A specific school? Not all that great seems a bit arbitrary. Does any school in the WCPSS have the same consistency as FA? How many WCPSS schools have less consistency? Look at the growth at EWA.....are they growing as fast as WCPSS schools? Maybe if we find a standard on which most can agree (what SHOULD the standard be) then we can compare and contrast.
Yes.
Fri, 08/20/2010 - 11:08 — Bob_SconceDirect Instruction takes a lot of control away from teachers, and the educational establishment really dislikes that.
It's something that seems to work well with certain populations of kids, but not with all, which (I think) is why their EOG rates aren't that great.
You don't know what you are
Thu, 08/19/2010 - 09:23 — woodstockYou don't know what you are talking about.
How much is credibility worth?
Wed, 08/18/2010 - 20:49 — ApexterI've been attending talks by college admissions officers lately. By and large, they tell us that the kids they've accepted from Wake County schools come to college prepared, and promise us that they don't have a quota for acceptances from Wake County Schools.
The UNC system schools --- and likely others --- keep stats on the students they accept, and they probably have better information on which high schools better prepare potential students than anyone else.
So, does AdvancEd really want to risk destroying the credibility of its accreditation program by downgrading individual schools based on criteria that apply to the district instead? This is a large, well-known, well-scrutinized district that has been the darling of the education intelligentsia in recent years. How valid will this organization's opinion appear to be if it does an about-face and suddenly suggests that these schools don't make the grade? The UNC schools will know that the information provided by this agency is useless, and the other school systems that currently pay to have their systems judged by this organization will see that they are putting their students at risk by depending upon the actions of an organization that is willing to capriciously manipulate the scores of schools based on items that are not part of their stated judgement criteria.
If it's an honest accreditation agency, it will keep its opinions on district policies to itself, and judge schools on the merits of the schools themselves rather than attempting to insert itself into local politics.
accreditation
Thu, 08/19/2010 - 17:10 — turnerk1I think there is a misconception about what accreditation is about. The governance of a school is one of the most important areas that accrediting bodies look into. It is much more common for a college (for instance) to lose their accreditation or be placed on suspension for issues of financial mismangement or other problems in governance than what is happening in individual classrooms.
So...
Thu, 08/19/2010 - 17:25 — Bob_SconceAdvance-Ed accredits both Districts and Schools. I suggest that the sort of thing you're talking about related most directly to district accreditation and, from what I can tell, when they've gone after other districts, they've done it by attacking their district accreditation. As a result, it's possible for districts to lose accreditation, but for schools not to be affected, since they are accredited separately.
Here, however, WCPSS isn't accredited at a district level (it's a relatively new thing, and is nowhere near as universal as school accreditation). So, that means that they have to go after the accreditation of the individual schools. That's a problem, though, because their school accreditation standards only loosely tie into district-level issues. Based on my scan of the standards, I think you'd have to have significant inference by a board into the day-to-day operation of a school before you hit that level.
Might me a good time for
Wed, 08/18/2010 - 22:01 — user12345Might me a good time for kids to think about joining the military since they don't care about accreditation.
Have you ever considered
Wed, 08/18/2010 - 22:12 — CaryCurmudgeonHave you ever considered therapy? Really, you are so overcome by stereotypes that I think you are missing out on having positive exchanges many people.
People who don't care about accreditation (and therefore college admissions) should just sign up for the military? For starters, the military requires a HS diploma, probably from an accredited school. And thousands of college graduates also volunteer to serve in the military. Statements like yours demean the many courageous men and women that choose to serve our country.
Give me a break ... pull out
Thu, 08/19/2010 - 10:56 — user12345Give me a break ... pull out the "I love the troops" argument ... There are plenty of places that don't need accreditation including the military .... like JT said ... it is no big deal and not the end of the world.
====================
I have to wonder.....what if
Wed, 08/18/2010 - 21:11 — willynillyI have to wonder.....what if this entity closes it's briefcases and makes the statement that everything is ok, looks good, etc. This is not withstanding that these people are investigating on what a policy MIGHT do (with absolutely no proof to any of the supposed facts) if implemeted. It is reminiscent of the pro-life pro-death debate. Choose the term "anit diversity and people forget that the whole thing started because voters were fed up and said....let's elect people who will create neighborhood schools. Of course now people will blog that this is not what this policy or that policy says.....similar to accusing Hood of saying the entire system is a failure.
Look for the REAL REASON
Wed, 08/18/2010 - 12:41 — TOPASSISTANTI have tried for several months now to encourage the Raleigh News & Observer, especially T. Keung Hui, the school reporter, to report the situation a federal judge wrongly placed Missouri taxpayers to fulfill his vision for improved minority test scores.
The N&O continues to ignore what a federal judge did to the taxpayers of Missouri when he decided to experiment with solving minority learning challenge by forcing the entire state to spend over $2 billion dollars to build new schools in KC, Missouri. Here is the short story, go online and read the entire report: “Cato Policy Analysis No. 298, March 16, 1998, Money And School Performance: Lessons from the Kansas City Desegregation Experiment”, by Paul Ciotti