Here are some answers as to why you haven't found about your magnet/calendar application yet and why some people are being offered another chance to apply.
Wake began a new effort this year to look at the rejected applications to see if they wanted to offer any of these people a "second chance" to apply to a different school. For instance, David Ansbacher, senior director for magnet programs, said a student who didn't get into Enloe High might be told they could apply to Southeast Raleigh High.
But this created problems that have delayed sending out notices to 1,640 students.
Here's what happened.
Staff wanted to sort the rejected applicants by their base schools to figure out whether and where to offer second chances.
The problem is that some of those applicants are still identified in Wake's database by their Social Security number. Wake has stopped doing this practice with newer students.
But for those kids still identified by their Social Security numbers, the database lists stars in the data field for privacy reasons.
But when the computer system matched the identification number on the application with the star-laden Social Security number in the database, no notification would print out. Needless to say, this delayed processing letters to some applicants.
Greg Thomas, a school district spokesman, said the last of the 1,640 second-chance letters will be mailed by the end of Thursday.
Thomas stressed that notification letters have already gone out to most of this year's 13,081 applicants.
So what happens next?
Ansbacher said parents who are getting a second chance have until next week to reapply. He said they can't guarantee getting into the second-chance school because they don't know how many other people will also now apply.
One drawback of taking a second chance is that you give up whatever slim chance you had of getting into the school you wanted to should spots open up there.
Comments
Vacancies
Sat, 04/04/2009 - 16:17 — hattiecatHow do they determine which children might be selected from the applicant pool if some of those selected decline a magnet seat?
Where can you get answers?!!
Thu, 04/02/2009 - 20:41 — merlemacI have tried to call repeatedly and email my childs rep at WC and she will not return any of my calls or mail! We did not recieve a letter (at all). I called, Monday, and spoke to someone in GM who said that the letters were lost by a mailing agency. Now I am finding out this! I am about to looooose it!! Has anyone had any luck speaking to anyone at WCPS?? If so, who?
I actually walked into GM
Fri, 04/03/2009 - 14:02 — tlg0202I actually walked into GM and asked about my letter. She said that they resent the rejection letters. She says she knows nothing about "second chance" letters and that just as every year there is always a chance of a seat opening and your application remains in that pool until 10 days after school begins.
magnet letters
Fri, 04/03/2009 - 13:38 — nandoid5I had called and left a msg for my child's rep at GM too on Monday and I finally got a voicemail back today which said that 1,600 letters did not go out due to "a situation" and that they have been reprinted and will be going out today. Won't believe it until I have that letter in my hand:-)
I had gotten through to a real person at Growth Management Monday (I believe I chose choice "1" for English and then choice "1" for base schools. The person told me that my child was denied, so I've known since Monday, but I would really like that denial letter. I've also gotten one of those "second chance" letter this week (which were are not going to take), so that was another indicator to me that we really were denied.
I hope you find out soon either way.
Finally got our "We're sorry
Sat, 04/04/2009 - 15:14 — mcwp3616Finally got our "We're sorry your child was not selected" letter today! No second chance letter for us since our base cannot afford to let us go. Some choice! (sarcasm!)
denial letter came today too
Sat, 04/04/2009 - 20:17 — nandoid5Yep, we finally received our denial letter in the mail today too.
what exactly does the
Fri, 04/03/2009 - 14:05 — tlg0202what exactly does the "second chance" letter say? GM told me she has not idea what that is and that it is just a rumor. Did a seat open up in the school you applied to? I am really confused. I didn't get an original letter or a second chance letter.
Good Grief
Fri, 04/03/2009 - 14:58 — JSBinNCNo, it is not a rumor. That person is either lying or completely out of the loop.
Letters were sent to some families that were denied entry to the magnet schools they applied to, inviting them to re-apply to a specific magnet school that was not filled from the applicant pool that chose it. The letter invited these families to tour the school at some point this week, ask questions, and then there was a paper application included that needed to be filled out and sent into GM by Monday.
There are no seats opening up at the originally-applied to schools - they have no way of knowing that at this point.
if you did not get a denial - or acceptance letter - that's one thing. If you did not get a "2nd chance" letter - then it's likely that whatever base school you attend cannot afford to lose you - so you were not invited to go through this other process.
Year Round Second Choice
Thu, 04/02/2009 - 20:26 — tlg0202So I never received a rejection letter but only found out about it by walking into the GM office last Monday. We applied to a magnet middle and to two different tracks for a year round middle school. So my question is, will I receive a second chance letter and if I do can I apply to another, maybe less popular, track but to the same school? Is everyone who did not receive a letter getting a second chance letter or just select people?
Keung, Can you find out
Thu, 04/02/2009 - 09:35 — NWRaleighMomKeung,
Can you find out the list of 'second chance' schools and what choices they were offered?
NWRaleighmom...not sure if this helps...
Thu, 04/02/2009 - 20:45 — JSBinNCWe were offered the chance to re-apply for Milbrook Magnet ES. I think there were a few other schools besides MMES that are also doing this but I don't know for sure.
I am not sure what you mean by "what choices they were offered"?? We were only offered one choice to re-apply to - not multiple magnet schools.
I asked for it yesterday and
Thu, 04/02/2009 - 10:29 — KeungHui (author)I asked for it yesterday and haven't found out yet.
Benefit of the Doubt
Thu, 04/02/2009 - 09:03 — MissVMy colleague, whose son will be leaving Fuller, applied to two area magnet schools within 5 minutes of their downtown address. She still has not rec'd a letter. She does NOT want her son bussed from Martin Luther King to Jeffrey's Grove, however, I've tried to prepare her for that possibility. So, we'll see if all black parents get the same courtesy as those who have INSIDE connections with their school board member. BTW: Since she and many other parents used the Internet to make their magnet request AND rec'd a notification via email that the request was received, why in the world would WCPSS use the archaic system of mailing letters at first class postage rates? Is this job security? By now, there should be either a way to email parents/guardians, or a passcode generated way to obtain the information. Otherwise they're left to the mercy of staff licking envelopes and the mail carrier!
No letter either
Wed, 04/01/2009 - 23:12 — hattiecatOur family and our friends down the street have received no letter at all. Growth management said both of us were denied to
Enloe. Our base school is Broughton and we figured since Broughton is losing it's magnet we weren't in a good spot to be selected. I guess I'll wait for for the letter just to be sure. My daughter would be delighted if by chance she could reapply.
WHAT IS GOING ON??
Wed, 04/01/2009 - 21:54 — Eric_BOk, I still have no magnet acceptance or rejection letter for my rising 7th grader. When will I get my letter so that I can make an informed choice?? I did call GM on the phone and they said she was rejected. I got a rejection letter for my rising 3rd grader and a 2nd chance letter for my 3rd grader.
Now raleighreader says GM screwed up with E Millbrook and even though they originally told her that her child was rejected, they really did get in. (I'm happy for you, BTW!!) What is going on? Do we all need to call back and see if we really did get accepted and their system screwed up? Did they mess up any other schools? Will they extend the timeline for families to make decisions??
THIS IS COMPLETELY RIDICULOUS!!!
I'll pipe in to add that I
Wed, 04/01/2009 - 21:30 — raleighreaderI'll pipe in to add that I spoke with somebody at GM today and there was a bit of a problem with people who had picked E Millbrook as their 2nd choice. Some glitch prevented some of those people from being offered seats even though they should have. We ended up getting in even though we were originally denied. So if you listed E Millbrook as your second choice and were denied, give them a call. You might get in after all.
We received a 2nd chance
Wed, 04/01/2009 - 21:12 — loriacWe received a 2nd chance letter to apply to the same magnet we were rejected from . In the same letter, we received notice of the HS open house this morning - ie, no notice. I skipped work and took my son. (yes, I'm very lucky I can do this, but I paid dearly the rest of today to make up for it)
JanisTango is absolutely right - these people are INCOMPETENT, and playing w/ people's lives. My son has been on a roller coaster - he's in 8th grade, and this just isn't right. Hoping for the best.
This whole crew needs to be tossed out on their rear end - they should be ashamed of themselves.
Can you tell me which HS had
Thu, 04/02/2009 - 08:00 — mizunomomCan you tell me which HS had an Open House yesterday? We applied to Broughton and Enloe and have not received any letter yet. I am open to other choices, but I need to know what they are!
So, does that mean if I've
Wed, 04/01/2009 - 19:54 — sahm_i_amSo, does that mean if I've applied to 3 different magnets, didn't get in to any of those, but get a second chance letter, it won't be to any of those 3 but a lesser desired magnet school that isn't filled?
Sort of. I think. We
Wed, 04/01/2009 - 21:21 — JSBinNCSort of. I think.
We received a 2nd chance letter yesterday after being declined at our original magnet choices. We went on a tour of the additional school today, and as it was explained to us - there were magnet applicants that were declined seats because accepting them would have been at a detriment to their base school. I think this is widely known as part of the magnet criteria and how the tiers work.
So - some people were sent these letters to fill magnet seats at schools with high F&R populations, that may have had some nodes moved OUT this year as part of that three year plan... so they have seats to fill. It's not something that has ever been done before, I don't think - this picking and choosing specific schools to try and attract specific demographics into.
The 2nd chance school for us was one we looked at, but declined to apply to becuase of the bell schedule. We are seriously considering now - how we could make it work, simply becuase it feels like an opportunity has been dropped in our lap. We are really not sure what to do...
Note that getting the 2nd chance letter does NOT gurantee entrance to the school - you are just being given a chance to apply again. I am assuming that it will be somewhat easier to get a seat - but it's not a given.
We really enjoyed the tour today - I am glad (no matter what we end up deciding) that we went and got a chance to meet some great kids and teachers. It was well worth the couple hours!!
No first letter yet!
Wed, 04/01/2009 - 19:51 — sahm_i_amI still am waiting for my first letter telling me if we've been accepted or denied. Geesh! This makes NO sense to me whatsoever. What are they trying to accomplish besides confusing the public?
Programming 101 - TESTING!
Wed, 04/01/2009 - 19:48 — JanisTangoThis makes me cringe! I've been programming for 24 years and they obviously didn't test their process. Programming 101 - inputs vs. processing vs. outputs! To test a process like this you don't have to actually print letters. You can print them to a dataset or other mechniasm to verify the results are what you expect! Unbelievable! Makes me wonder if they ever tested their reassignment process! YIKES! I can't imagine all the mistakes that may have occurred. SARCASM ON!
Why are there still openings?
Wed, 04/01/2009 - 19:47 — standupnowWe received a "2nd Chance" letter yesterday. Why are there any seats left in any of the magnet schools after the "lottery"? Are they looking to fill the seats with a partiular "demographic"? Were there not enough applicants to certain schools to fill the seats? Were they not the "right" applicants? Once again, I don't get it!
Not enough applicants from the "right schools"
Wed, 04/01/2009 - 23:15 — FalcSee post above where the parent who went on a second chance tour was told that applicants from "not the right schools" had been denied (accepting them would have been a detriment to their base school). Now they are trying to fill those spots with people from the "right schools."
You've got to be kidding!
Wed, 04/01/2009 - 19:08 — rr77rr99You've got to be kidding!