It's safe to say that overseeing student assignment in Wake isn't just a job for Asst. Supt. Chuck Dulaney.
As noted in today's article, Dulaney considers his role a "high calling." He believes his efforts in implementing Wake's reassignment policy is helping make the district academically successful.
Dulaney said he often hears from parents who accuse him of caring about numbers and not students. He strongly disagrees with that accusation.
“I care deeply about children,” Dulaney said in the article. “I care about all of them, not just one group and that’s what the [school] board cares about in maintaining healthy schools.”
Dulaney plays a bigger role than some people may realize in the reassignment process.
While it's true that administrators are following board policy, school board chairwoman Rosa Gill said they're given a lot of latitude to draw up the plan.
While there will almost certainly be some changes to the reassignment plan, the vast majority of what's recommended by Dulaney and his staff will be adopted by the board.
Click here for the Tarheel of the Week of Dulaney that ran in 2006.
Since this post is about a profile of a person, I'm going to strongly ask that you be civil in your comments.
Comments
Policy 6200 is a complete failure for students
Tue, 01/06/2009 - 15:05 — Eric_BIt is long past time for the school board to realize that policy 6200 is a complete and utter failure for students.
Looking at the 2006-07 EOG test scores (the latest year that full data is available at report.ncsu.edu), F&R students in Wake County score slightly below the state average. If the policy was so great and worth the cost, why don't EOG test scores reflect this?
It is time to acknowledge that the "busing for diversity" policy has failed and does not achieve results any better than anywhere else in the state.
By almost every measure of student performance (EOG test scores, dropout rates, etc.) Wake County's advantage over the state average is shrinking. 17% of students in Wake County are homeschooled or go to private or charter schools, almost twice the state average of 10%.
It is well past time to change course and try other options.
“By almost every measure
Tue, 01/06/2009 - 15:53 — ncdad1“By almost every measure of student performance (EOG test scores, dropout rates, etc.)Wake County Wake County
I think that part of the problems is as the county continues to attract businesses it is attaching more people. The % of low income folks is growing as desperate people, many low income come looking for work so some of the slide may be due to the change in the population mix.
The high homeschool rate in the area has much to do with a high concentration of:
1) Religion – Christian and Muslim
2) Advanced degrees … moms with masters and PhDs
3) Lack of international offerings... Spanish is the standard / only offering
4) Special Ed kids … distrust of WCPSS program
WCPSS offering is not bad, it is just not broad enough, robust enough, or offers too many “Worldly” distractions …
What are you trying to say?
Tue, 01/06/2009 - 16:06 — Eric_BWhat are you trying to say then? The diversity policy is working because otherwise WCPSS would be sinking even faster in student performance than it is now. Is that seriously the best argument you have?
What data can you point to in order to show that student achievement is increasing under the diversity policy?
If the rest of the state is more rural and less educated than those of us in Wake County, why do the F&R kids in our county still perform below state average on EOG tests? Wake County has one of the lowest poverty rates in the state (9.2% vs. 13.8% NC average in 2004).
“What are you trying to
Tue, 01/06/2009 - 17:13 — ncdad1“What are you trying to say then?”
The statement was that Wake is slipping … the rest of the state is closing the gap … which infers that Wake is failing … what I was saying was that:
1) Wake is attracting a bigger portion of low income folks like Latinos as a % over years ago which affects schools.
2) As the other parts of the state which are rural urbanize, they are increasing their scores
Thus, the reduction in the gap between Wake and the State may not necessarily mean Wake is failing just the mix has changed.
“The diversity policy is working because otherwise WCPSS would be sinking even faster in student performance than it is now. Is that seriously the best argument you have? “
I don’t think the diversity policy has much to do with our scores and perception of education quality. As Wake becomes more diverse so do the schools. To blame WCPSS for the kids who pop in here from NY, CA orMexico
“What data can you point to in order to show that student achievement is increasing under the diversity policy? “
I have never said that diversity creates better mathematicians, just that diversity help build a stronger community when people live, work and go to school together.
“If the rest of the state is more rural and less educated than those of us inWake County
If these other places are so good, why don’t people move there? There appears to be a net influx to Wake.
A question about low income districts (as a whole)
Tue, 01/06/2009 - 08:19 — fiestamomHow does a guy like Chuck (or people who subscribe to his philosophy) explain kids who live in low income districts?
In the western part of the US, entire districts are far flung and rural, and poor. For example, an Indian reservation. For the most part, Indian reservations are very rural, and very poor. These kids go to school with other people who look just like them, and are also in the same economic circumstance. (extreme poverty)Yet, these kids go to school every day,and receive an education. (And they are probably taught by other teachers who grew up on the reservation, and moved back) It simply isn't possible to bus these kids 3,4, 5 hours to another more affluent, more white area so they can all be diversified.
It's a rhetorical question, of course. But I'm just curious about the answer. There ARE kids in our country who are in this circumstance.
You are correct
Tue, 01/06/2009 - 13:47 — FalcI went to a not so far flung, but rural and poor district in the midwest and got a great education. BTW - the district is about 90% white. Yes, you can be white and poor - many people seem to ignore that. There were kids so poor and neglected that you could see their bare backside through the 4" rip in the seat of their pants. All the ES and the MS in that district currently meet AYP, including the one with 80% F&R. Yes, many of the teachers are former students - current HS principal was the homecoming king the year before I graduated. Yes, there is a lot of pride and involvement between the schools and the community - HS band boosters raise money for the local food pantry, HS choir sings holiday songs at the local nursing home, etc. The year we went to the state basketball championship game probably 1/2 the town drove the 2 hours to the game (including 28 buses of students). Through college and grad school I outperformed many from more affluent districts.
This is why I personally think that this theory that you can't have healthy schools unless the F&R is < 40% is flawed. They've put the focus on the wrong thing. The focus should be on how to have a healthy school regardless of the F&R%, not how to reduce the F&R% to make a school appear healthy. What if WCPSS was like my home district where the district F&R is above 40%? What would they do to have healthy schools if having <40% F&R wasn't an option?
Forgot to include my last sentence!
Tue, 01/06/2009 - 08:46 — fiestamomThe point I'm trying to make is, this. What Chuck Dulaney thinks is perfect utopia, probably isn't to another group of people. If you asked some of these who only go to low income rural schools, I bet they take pride in their schools. They travel great distances to support their home teams in sporting events.
back to community schools
Tue, 01/06/2009 - 14:00 — loriacI think they take pride because it is a community school - and everyone is involved. It's not about F&R%, it's about community involvement and ownership of the success of a school. This has been stated over and over again in CEMs - the parents talk about how much they have put into a school and they don't want to lose the benefits of their hard work. Rosa Gill has stated that there are no community schools - so there it is.
I have not been able to figure out who the school board answers to - they hide behind the detailed plan from Wake Growth Management. Wake Growth Management says they are just implementing board policies, and making some tough decisions in order to do this. No one has to justify the cost of the plan, and no one appears to be asking. The transportation budget is paid by the state - no one in state gov't seems upset about more busing. The board declined to evaluate their policies to determine if they actually are working.
At the risk of sounding jaded.... if the school board just fixed the small percentage of nodes showing up and making all the noise, we might just shut up and go away. However, I think there is a much larger problem here - Lisa B, I tend to agree, I am seeing more of a groundswell. The word is getting out - when realtors start hearing from people who don't want Wake County because of the schools, maybe something will happen.
BINGO!
Tue, 01/06/2009 - 21:55 — local23loriac..you nailed it!
I too keep thinking do they all just stick their heads in the sand? How can only a couple of thousand see this and speak out, while the rest do what?
Unhealthy Classrooms, Who benefits?
Mon, 01/05/2009 - 21:50 — rodgraffIn some "Healthy schools", there are "unhealthy classrooms", In these situations, how does the healthy school policy benefit those students? This situation exists in some of the magnetschools as the base population and the magnet populations are segregated.
New Year, Same BS!
Mon, 01/05/2009 - 13:38 — g88ky07Merry New Year!
A different date, same ole same ole.
Parents can go whine ALL they like, they can say "we're going to fight this", they can kick and stomp, but only about 250, at best, will see any changes.
25,000+ will STILL be reassigned when all the "time wasting sessions" are over!
Every year the date changes on the calendar, but the same ole crap is served up by YOUR school board. The ones YOU elect and support by passing their bonds and NOT doing something besides moaning and groaning ONCE it affects you.
Merry New Year!
scrooge
Mon, 01/05/2009 - 13:43 — SDR256Bah humbug to you too g88ky07.
Say what you like, it feels different this year. Something is building.
I'll post my quote again, just for you.
"I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. It’s when you know you’re licked before you begin but you begin anyway…you rarely win, but sometimes you do." - To Kill a Mockingbird
Happy New Year
Mon, 01/05/2009 - 15:17 — Lisa_BOh, c'mon, give g88ky07 a break. :) He/she has obviously been involved in this mess as long as most of us (if not longer) and just isn't afraid to take off the rose colored glasses and state the obvious. As positive as I try to remain, everyone needs a dose of reality every once in awhile to remind us of what we're up against---and g88ky07 is just the person to give it, as much as I don't want to believe that the insanity just might continue.
These comments remind me of the truth---that WCPSS decisions are not made based on logic and reason, and in the case of MYR and "diversity at all costs", not even based FACTS.
3 1/2 years ago I was new to school politics. I thought "there is NO WAY that WCPSS will force MYR on our school---there are too many reasons NOT to do it, and 90% of our population does not want it". I was so confident that they wouldn't do something so destructive and divisive to a community. Guess what? I was wrong.
If nothing else, I have learned to expect the unexpected when it comes to student assignment.
However, I do agree with SDR256---something is very different this time. Maybe it's the fact that there are so many groups around the county who have woken up and become deeply involved now. Maybe it's the fact that the parents don't just have EMOTION on our side---we have COLD HARD FACTS. I can't put my finger on it, but smoke and mirrors don't work forever. Too much is becoming exposed.
Great quote SDR. As much as this feels like "Groundhog Day" and the deck is stacked against us, we're not giving up. You rarely win...but SOMETIMES YOU DO. I sure hope that the FAMILIES will win this time around. (Wake Cares too!)
HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE. See you at the Public Hearings.
Thanks Lisa B.!
Tue, 01/06/2009 - 09:13 — g88ky07I tried to start the new year with a better attitude, with some hope, but then came the same ole junk from Rosa and her merry gang of misfits and I just decided if they're going to continue down their same road of "no hope" then so am I!
If some can't deal with the reality, can't deal with the truth, don't want to hear the truth when it's thrown in their faces, if some can't call it exactly what it is, that's THEIR problem.
I can and WILL continue to fight this crew until they are ALL removed and people with hearts, souls and actual minds who aren't stuck in a Chucky tunnel take over!
Welcome to 2009! Oh it's going to be different alright!!
;c )
Allll Abooooard!
Tue, 01/06/2009 - 15:17 — SDR256I agree that this motley crew will continue to be a toxic mix for wake county families. And I agree that they won't change until we change THEM. So, if you know Lisa B, ask her to invite you to the next meeting we're having to build a cross county community alliance. You're either part of the solution or your part of the problem. This will be an ACTION oriented group. Enough talking already. I know you'll agree with THAT too! :)
Lisa, you should just have received an email on the topic.
Gigantor! Gigantor! Gi-gaaaaaaaan-TOR!
Mon, 01/05/2009 - 12:34 — Dadof3The whole "I love people, I can't stand a person" mentality (its not what he said but its the fruits of the chuckietree) frightens the heck out of me.
Remember that old cartoon about the monster-lizard, destroying everything in it's unquenchable path? For some reason it just came to mind. We've got the mad tinkering of a social scientist with way too much power. We scan the skies for Gigantor.
"Caring" isn't enough
Mon, 01/05/2009 - 12:31 — Bob_SconceI fully believe that Chuck Delaney, Del Burns and the School Board members each "care" about kids. These are hard jobs that require a lot of work, with very little thanks. Sure, Del and Chuck get paid a lot, but they did it by working their way up to that position, through a lot of jobs that didn't pay that well. I suggest that if they didn't "care" about kids, they could have saved themselves a lot of trouble by doing something else.
Unfortunately, however, they also have other motivations, like a desire to be well-regarded by their peers or to receive positive public recognition. As a result, they adopt policies that are in-line with what the largely liberal education establishment believes: charter schools are bad, diversity is good, teachers should be paid in lock-step and not on merit, etc.... That motivation gets reinforced when the NY Times puts out a positive story about your policies and when professors of education study your policies.
This second set of motivations is causing all the problems. Unfortunately, I think the only way to change that is to change the people themselves. To me, that means changing the school board and having the new board reassert control over policy decisions which have been delegated to the administration.
And who would that be?
Mon, 01/05/2009 - 13:34 — SDR256I think Mr. Dulaney's ideals conform very well with someone who graduated from Occidental College in 1969. Hey, isn't that the same college that Barack Obama gave his first speech, hosted by the Students for Democratic Society? Hey, isn't that the organization started by Bill Ayers (who said "education is the pivot point of the revolution")? Hey, isn't Bill Ayers now the VP of the largest educational organization in the US (AERA) - the one that sets curriculum for K- 12 - yes even OUR K - 12 children? Hey, hasn't Chuck written award winning papers for that organization? Hmmmm. Just wondering who it is that Chuck would care about impressing. Maybe some of his heros. High ideals indeed. High aspirations as well I suspect.
Hmmm...
Mon, 01/05/2009 - 11:45 — SideburnsA "high calling"? That's laughable. There is a lot of shadiness in student assignment. Who you know, who knows you, political ties, old money, deal making. I'm not saying Dulaney is involved in these 'scratch my back' actions but student assignment isn't so pious. As they say, the devil is in the details.
So then...
Mon, 01/05/2009 - 12:25 — JSBinNC"He believes his efforts in implementing Wake's reassignment policy is helping make the district academically successful."
So then proove it. Don't just believe it - show the progress made. Do the study. Reveal the facts. If the belief is true, I'll eat my kids sweaty gross soccer socks.
For as much as it is true that keeping F&R numbers reasonable is good for students and faculty and schools - keeping HOURS TRAVELED ON A BUS reasonable and STABILITY in a community reasonable also have to affect and impact a child's ability to learn and excel.
After visiting back in the
Mon, 01/05/2009 - 10:36 — SouthEastWakeMomAfter visiting back in the Midwest over the holidays and discussing schools with various friends and relatives, I am more appalled at the inadequacy of the schools here in Wake County and North Carolina. The curriculum and expectations of student performance here are at least a year behind. What's being taught in Kindergarten here is considered pre-K material elsewhere.Forget the reassignment nightmare - the school board needs to be focusing on academics and making sure that the Wake County schools compete academically with the rest of the country and the world. Right now they don't - we are short changing our children. We need to raise the bar - period.
“Forget the reassignment
Mon, 01/05/2009 - 11:12 — ncdad1“Forget the reassignment nightmare - the school board needs to be focusing on academics and making sure that theWake County
With so much growth here, much of the energy has been in simple surviving year to year – acquiring land, building schools, trying to get bond money, meeting federal requirements and new building codes, finding seats, hiring teachers, acquiring and moving trailers, etc. which distract from the business of education. Many people point to systems likeFairfax , VA which appear to be more advanced but Fairfax
$14K per student in Wake County
Mon, 01/05/2009 - 13:19 — SDR256The $8K spent per child are just the numbers they publish. I think there is some Federal average that they must 'officially' stay in sync with or they are audited.
WCPSS spent $1,999,023,731 in 2008 with 134,000 students. Simple division gives us approx $14,000 per student.
What was Cary Academy tuition again? I know Thales schools are $5,000 per student. WCPSS TAKE 80 PERCENT OF OUR PROPERTY TAXES. So, regardless of whether you think its the parents or the government who should be educating kids. Does everyone feel as though you're getting your money's worth?
As a good friend said recently, its all well and good for Mr. Dulaney to have his high ideals but can we really afford to have someone using our taxdollars for their ideological hobby horse? If all children were proven to be getting even a higher average education (not necessarily $14K Cary Academy level), I think there would be less outrage. But again, there is no proof. Only proof about schools - the schools are 'healthy' (according to arbitrary definition) at the expense of students and families.
I was comparing the
Mon, 01/05/2009 - 17:13 — ncdad1I was comparing the operating budget of Wake ($7k/student) vs. Fairfax, VA operating budget of ($14k/student). If you compare total budget (operating and capital) you would double both numbers ($14k for Wake and $34k for Fairfax). If Wake stopped building schools and expanding, and the cost dropped to $7k a student no one would give them credit for a 50% "savings" ($14k->$7k) per student. .
btw, Fairfax has the same issue with reassigment, low income distribution, and splitting families. (http://www.wjla.com/news/stories/0708/539520.html)
While you are right to think about the total budget, it makes comparing school systems more difficult especially systems that are contracting and maybe selling off assets.
I believe you have full right to be concerned about the $3,000 you spend in property tax that goes toward education. Using the operating cost, I don’t think you have as much of a say over how the remaining $4000 ($7k-$3k) is spent since the contributions come from people across the state most without children. I would support your taking your $3000 and being able to spend it at Cary Academy it you wanted. All voters would need to decide on the $14k. I am surprised that someone has not published a metric of highest test scores per dollar spent to better understand the incremental cost of each scoring point. I bet we might be surprised that the “best” school is on in some rural spot with one ES, MS, HS producing above average kids at rock bottom costs. But who wants to open a business there or move there?
Now if you look at it from society’s view point, I think you are right to ask if $7k to $14k per student is being wisely spent and could private or charter schools use the funds more efficiently. I think Thales at $5k has the luxury of picking a select group of motivated students and parents so I am not sure it is a fair comparison. If Thales got the same random mix of kids as any public schools and did better with them that would be encouraging.
Maybe someone like the Edison Project which tried to provide more cost effective public education might serve as an example of how hard it is to produce results with a full spectrum of kids in public school. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edison_Schools)
Double posting
Mon, 01/05/2009 - 10:36 — KeungHui (author)Fiesta Mom,
I accidentally posted this item twice. I had to delete one of the posts to avoid duplication. Sorry about your comment being eliminated in the process. Please repost again if you want.
A word of thanks
Mon, 01/05/2009 - 09:26 — ncdad1You would need a calling to take such a thankless job. With so many constitutes, you can never make all of them happy. I am sure the complaints are more frequent and louder than the thank you's and complements sometime. There is probably much that happens behind the scenes that he gets no credit for too. Ultimately, someone has to make a decision and I applaud Chuck for doing that. He stands in front of hostile crowds calmly taking input at well published meetings which must be tiring and he is the point man for much anger of which he is either not responsible or can do little to change. Many officials would hide under a rock with the amount of withering criticism Chuck gets for doing what he has been charged to do. I thank public officials, administrators and politicians, whether I always agree with them or not, for their public service.
No thanks from this quarter
Mon, 01/05/2009 - 10:44 — fiestamomA couple of things, I don't give ANY thanks. We ARE just numbers to him.
Dulaney is one of those "public servants" (I loathe that term, btw) who thinks if people are angry at him, he must be doing something right.
Dulaney claims he doesn't put one group ahead of another, but that is simply not true. Low F&R groups supposedly are 'put ahead" , but the irony is, that he is victimizing them just as much as the rest of us!
With all of the praise NCDad1 heaps on Chuck Dulaney, you'd think he WAS CD!
I would not object if F&R
Mon, 01/05/2009 - 11:31 — NWRaleighMomI would not object if F&R group's interest were put ahead of upper-middle class group. But it is not true. F&Rs are being shippped to Garner and North Raleigh schools, meanwhile prominent ITB families attend Wiley, Joiner and other schools with vast selection of electives and very low F&R %.
We have the same
Mon, 01/05/2009 - 13:24 — ncdad1We have the same disparities on the western side with Apex / Green Hope vs.Cary / Athens and Davis Drive West Cary .
Exactly
Mon, 01/05/2009 - 12:21 — JSBinNCI completely agree. And it's not like those specific schools have just all of a sudden dropped their F&R numbers - it's been trending in that direction for some time now - but nobody will do anything about it. There are a bunch of kids that could be based to those schools that NEED the additional opportunity, and would not have to be bussed so far!
Once again
Mon, 01/05/2009 - 21:17 — local23When do you draw the line thou?...you can not continue to force busing long distance to drive the F&R number down..it's just to unrealistic of a dream. There are many other ways to help high F&R numbers..many other counties have done this. It would be one thing is WCPSS and GM could substantially document their movement of F&R kids, but they won't do it..so rhetoric is all they have. They hurting many more kids then they are helping.
I wonder why NCDAD picks on West Cary? Carpenter Village ES is a stones throw from GH..yet we are much higher F&R (and trust me these kids catch the bus very early), yet we outproformed GH this year...amazing what a community will do..but remember they are shipping us to EC MS and our community is not happy at all..so what do you think will happen to those F&R numbers at EC MS? Take a look..they didn't do so well last year! This system needs to let kids attend their closes school and set up realistic feeder patterns..not criss crossing all over the county!
Blame the West
Mon, 01/05/2009 - 21:59 — ncdad1“you can not continue to force busing long distance to drive the F&R number down. it’s just too unrealistic of a dream.”
If you take a look at the F&R distribution map they are not driving long distances to foreign schools they are among us. See page 75 for the wide distribution of F&Rs across the county.
http://www.wcpss.net/demographics/reports/book07.pdf
“I wonder why NCDAD picks on West Cary? “
Not picking on WC … just pointing out that West Cary (21.3%) and East Cary (24.9%) F&R is about the same and close to the County average of 28.8%. Davis Drive is a statistical outlier with 11% nearly 3x lower than any other school in the county. (page 48)
Again, I think your reassignment problem is caused by the developments west of you who are taking your seat and pushing you east not the F&R’s driving long distances. You anger should be directed to the Town Council for letting them build those neighborhoods.
What F&R Number?
Mon, 01/05/2009 - 21:33 — Bob_SconceIf you're talking about the performance of F&R students, then busing them to a different school has no effect at all. A couple of weeks ago, I look at the correlation between the percentage of F&R students at a school and how those F&R student perform. There was actually a slight positive correlation (~0.06) between the two -- in other words, if anything, F&R students do BETTER when they're bunched together.
Now, there may be other reasons not to have a bunch of F&R students in the same school. But, that approach cannot be justified on the basis that it helps those student.
Very Good Points
Mon, 01/05/2009 - 23:02 — local23again Bob..it just really goes to show that what they are trying to accomplish is truly not working, as I have said before if it was so dang good they would be toting their own (Wake County) numbers of the socio-economics..that's the details that is truly missing in this and extremely suspicious.
I understand about new schools being built to accomodate growth, but even those plans are useless, they should have built up and out at some of these schools. They new about the growth over 20 years ago (RTP) and could have designed better feeder schools and patterns. They just do not seem to have very good business practices nor do they really care about education IMHO.
NCDAD, we are actually behind GH ES, so why are we not staying at West Cary? We is our node(s) being reassigned again? This is our 4th ES School and 3rd MS and 3rd HS? I can guarantee if I stay in this neighborhood that Panther Creek will not be our HS, we will be feed back to Cary HS..it's a true joke out here and Pattie Head is ridiculous..more like head in the sand!