The end to mandatory year-round schools is moving forward, albeit slower than originally expected by the new Wake County school board majority.
The new board introduced a resolution Tuesday that initially called for the end of all mandatory year-round assignments effective for the 2010-11 school year. What was ultimately adopted is a resolution calling for data collection on year-round schools and a survey of parents that could lead to calendar conversions.
Here's the original resolution. Follow along for the changes.
New board member Deborah Prickett introduced the resolution.
In response, board member Keith Sutton proposed removing points 1 and 2 from the resolution. Those points touch on ending mandatory year-round assignment and not opening new schools on mandatory year-round.
Sutton said it was counterproductive to do the survey when the resolution already ruled out mandatory year-round.
New board member Chris Malone seconded the motion and the resolution was amended to remove points 1 and 2.
Supt. Del Burns then raised the first of several concerns about 3c, which calls for staff identifying current year-round schools to be converted back to a traditional calendar. He said he wanted more guidance on the criteria to be used for this identification.
During the ensuing discussion, board member Kevin Hill brought up the argument that less year-round will be expensive.
“If we’re talking about doing away with year-round schools, we’ll have to raise taxes," Hill said.
Board member Anne McLaurin said it's premature to ensure parental choice unless they know they have enough traditional-calendar capacity in the right place.
Prickett held her ground on the need for parental choice.
"We have to do something and move forward," Prickett said. "Parents have a right to decide if they want a year-round school.”
Board attorney Ann Majestic helped fashion the wording for a compromise. She proposed reversing things so that 3d, which talks about identifying geographic areas not served by year-round schools, now moves ahead of 3c.
Majestic also suggested adding wording saying that once the data and survey results are presented, the board will provide further direction to staff on how to identify schools to convert back.
The amended resolution was unanimously passed.
Staff now has 90 days to survey parents and bring back data on year-rounds, including track distribution, changes in enrollment since 2006 and the breakdown of base vs. application year-round students.
it's uncertain whether schools can be converted back for the 2010-11 school year.
Comments
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Fri, 01/08/2010 - 22:31 — yuying520sdsdaxczlijoijf
Got the Same Form -- Make Sure NEW BOE Folks Understand
Fri, 12/04/2009 - 07:11 — ForCryingOutLoudI got the same yellow card in the mail -- almost threw it away w/all the other junk. -- thank goodness I didn't, because it has my son's social security number right on it!! [I have a son in a trad middle school rather than our MYR base middle school.]
Anyway, I wrote to GM and got a response. They need to know who "intends to stay" so when families apply for spots in February, they know what they're dealing with.
I inquired about the possibility of changes due to new BOE, new schools, MYR/VYR, etc and he replied that at this point, they are working from the 3-yr plan released last year until they are directed to do otherwise.
So, make sure all the new and old BOE folks are aware of the timing issues, decisions, etc ... we need a firm signal to let us know that 2010-11 will remain as planned or 2010-11 will have changes.
End the uncertainty!
YR/Magnet Intent Forms
Thu, 12/03/2009 - 21:00 — CaryMomof4I got a postcard today stating I need to complete an intent form between 12/7 and 12/20 declaring my intentions of remaining in YR or returning to base and submit sibling application for my rising Kindergartner. I can't find any other info on the WCPSS website. Anyone familiar with this process know if the decision made now is binding or if we can still return to base if they end up making changes to the YR schools?
Was not binding in our case
Thu, 12/03/2009 - 23:23 — TrailerParkGirlWe submitted our YR intent form to stay in mid-December then the reassignment plan came out two weeks later reassiging us to a different VYR school. After the reassignment plan was passed (in February), I contacted GM to figure out what I needed to do to go to our base school. I explained that had I known about the reassignment prior to being required to turn in the intent to stay at the VYR form, I would have checked the "No" box. They transferred me to someone at a management level (don't remember the title) and was told "you can always go back to base." The person told me to send them an email explaining we wanted go to base. Within a week we were changed in the system back to base. I had already registered the rising K sibling at the VYR, so they changed both in the system from the new VYR to our base school. I'm not sure if that was standard operating procedure because before I got to that person in GM, someone in WCPSS (don't remember who) had told me we would have to request a transfer back to base from the new VYR during the transfer period but that transfers back to base were automatically approved. Probably best to contact and verify with your school database manager and/or GM.
Difficult
Thu, 12/03/2009 - 21:56 — Bob_SconceThere's not an ice-cube's chance in he-- that the schedule will revert for the 2010/2011 year. Burns is supposed to report back to the board in early March. Then they need to make decisions on which schools will be converted back, plan for how it's going to happen and so on. There's just not enough time.
Maybe, maybe not
Thu, 12/03/2009 - 22:18 — g88ky07but I'm not convinced that it can't happen that quick. Where is the 20 million cut coming from, empty classrooms, teachers, transportation, PR budget? Big money has to come from somewhere, again, and I personally don't think the 20mill is the end of it.
Now I'll go refresh my drink with some ice-cubes.
ask the Data Manager @ your
Thu, 12/03/2009 - 21:08 — AngelaWask the Data Manager @ your school....
2 New Middle Schools to Open in Western Wake for 2010-11
Wed, 12/02/2009 - 20:56 — ForCryingOutLoudDon't forget -- 2 new middle schools are to open for the 2010-11 school year in Western Wake county -- one in Cary (Mills Park) and one in Holly Springs (Holly Something). These are both on the docket to be MYR. Hope that changes.
Equally as important, Baucom elementary switched from Traditional to MYR and back to Traditional for the 2009-10 school year. However, ALL of the Baucom base-node families are assigned to MYR middle schools! These nodes need to be assigned to traditional middle schools -- but both Salem Middle (MYR) and Apex Middle (traditional) are *bursting* at the seams.
Attention needs to be given to the flow from elem-middle-high school and calendars need to be set accordingly. The desire for YR middle school is less than that for YR elementary school -- esp as families "age" and the oldest gets to high school.
Let's continue to keep our eyes open and remind the old/new guard of what needs to be addressed.
Holly Grove Middle
Wed, 12/02/2009 - 22:49 — g88ky07and you are dead on, it and the other, need to be changed to open on a traditional calendar.
I got a feeling!
I agree with Keith
Wed, 12/02/2009 - 17:14 — g88ky07no need to survey parents. When you need to cut 20 million, or possibly/probably cut more teachers to offset the gap, then those schools not operating anywhere near capacity need to reverse back. 2010-11 seems like a fine time to get it done!
This board is rockin' and many of us are thrilled to see action instead of sitting on it for months and months.
Lisa B., I share a big ole smile with you!
Smiles
Wed, 12/02/2009 - 17:15 — SDR256Its great to see you happy now g88!
I'm getting there
Wed, 12/02/2009 - 22:48 — g88ky07still a ways to go though.
Frequent readers of this
Wed, 12/02/2009 - 16:32 — RevHiDFrequent readers of this blog may not believe it, But I think being more responsive to parents about the location and quantity of year round schools will be a good thing. I differ with some in that I think this could be accomplished wile also keeping diversity in mind, although perhaps differently than it has been implemented in the past.
To me the issue is equity of access, not only for year round, but to schools that are well resourced, not only through government funds, but with PTA contributions as well. I don't think we have to provide equity of calendar access at the expense of any consideration of the economic health of schools. I also think children deserve equity of access to cafeterias, gyms, playgrounds, and media centers, rather than see their facilities overcrowded with trailers.
I just hope the new board will work to be, as they promised, more sensitive to parents. Not just the majority of parents at a school, but to also treat those who have a minority preference within a school with consideration and respect. There will be many families hurt when they will have to relocate to yet another new school to keep their calendar preference. A different set than last time, but still just as important.
So Naive
Wed, 12/02/2009 - 16:26 — supportwcpss"We have to do something and move forward," Prickett said. "Parents have a right to decide if they want a year-round school.”
Wow, she makes it sound so black and white.
Give Us Choice
Thu, 12/03/2009 - 02:16 — WakeCountyParentI am in favor of eliminating MYR. At the very least, WCPSS should allow those parents who desire a year-round schedule the option of having one, regardless of what node they're in, what their F&R status is, and whatever other convoluted formulas WCPSS uses to determine acceptance to magnets and year-round schools.
I agree that parents should be surveyed, but I'm not sure how that can be
accomplished in a way that is cost effective and can
guarantee 100% response in order to truly understand the parents'
views.
If left for me to decide, I would implement a true year-round schedule, much like what has been implemented by Steve Perry at Capital Preparatory Magnet School in Connecticut. In this interview with BET, Mr. Perry speaks to the question of what he believes makes his school successful:
Our kids go to school year round. If I taught
you how to do something and then I don’t revisit it for a couple of
months, what happens? Black and Latino students lose about two months
of information in the summer and then have to catch up in the fall.
Then, what happens in November? The starts and stops kill our students.
The full interview can be viewed here: http://www.bet.com/News/people_interview_meet_educator_steve.Perry.htm?wbc_purpose=Basic&WBCMODE=PresentationUnpublished
Capital Prep's students attend school for 201 days each year, plus it offers an optional six-week summer enrichment academy. Of course, I recognize that my preference for educating children on this kind of rigorous schedule would hardly be popular with the traditional calendar folks, but that's a discussion for a different day.
100%
Thu, 12/03/2009 - 16:04 — SDR256"I agree that parents should be surveyed, but I'm not sure how that can be
accomplished in a way that is cost effective and can
guarantee 100% response in order to truly understand the parents'
views."
Anyone who has ever done this kind of research can tell you that getting the right representative subset is the important thing, not 100%. 100% really is an impossible goal. For instance, did your cereal company, phone company or car company survey YOU before they made improvements or brought out a new product? No, they likely had a respresentative subset focus group representing their intended audience, interviewed them and extrapolated from their answers.
Working for a very large global company doing research and design of new products, we would often shoot for a carefully selected focus group of 10 - 15 participants. Believe it or not, if picked for the specific characteristics, they will represent the variance of response pretty accurately.
I don't think they should survey anyone
Thu, 12/03/2009 - 10:29 — g88ky07but, if they are going to, how about they survey only those who voted this time and in the other districts last time they were eligible? All the others couldn't be bothered so why should their opinions matter?
A bit extreme, maybe, but the decision to end MYR should be based solely on which schools need it and which don't. Schools that are full now, yeah, probably need to stay, certain schools in pockets of high population, yeah maybe, but schools that are well below a 4 track full capacity are wasting a lot of resources and I personally don't need a parent who couldn't be bothered to give their opinion at the polls giving it now on something that affects my family!
I'd call it my 2 cents, but it's probably only worth a 1/2 cent.
hey hey now... we care very
Thu, 12/03/2009 - 11:59 — JSBinNChey hey now... we care very much, and would vote - if we could. Unlike *some* others...
We aren't naturalized yet and cannot legally vote. But make no mistake about the level of concern and involvement! I know there are more like us too...
And I do know that there are at least some already-put-together email distribution lists for specific schools or districts - because I got a survey about a month ago that was asking questions around recruitment and retention of teachers in high poverty schools. I can't believe ours was the only district.
Surveys are happening. It may not be possible to get 100% participation - but somebody is doing something...
...
Thu, 12/03/2009 - 08:02 — SideburnsI'm not too sure about that. IMO, I believe it is the 4-track year-round schedule that has many parents in a bind. The year-round calendar, when implemented as a one-track system, would work in all schools -- even high school. Of course there were be no capacity gain and that is why WCPSS implemented MYR -- not for educational reasons.
MYR
Thu, 12/03/2009 - 13:21 — WakeCountyParentI suppose I was speaking more to parents' priorities regarding their children's education (or lack thereof, in select cases) as opposed to how YR impacts capacity utilization. Your point is, of course, absolutely correct -- the YR issue is complex and multi-faceted.
Ultimately, I believe most parents would support YR scheduling if WCPSS was to use common sense in determining track assignments for households with multiple children. Balancing two, three, or more different schedules in one household is a nightmare. Throw in the extra surprise of Wacky Wednesdays and no one in the house knows who's coming or going.
This past Wednesday -- one of the true, original early release days with students dismissed a full 2.5 hours early -- I was surprised to learn that both my kids would be coming home early. One is in traditional calendar, the other is YR. Last time one of these "true" early release days rolled around, only one kid came home early. I am fortunate to work from home, so I can sit back and try and orchestrate the whole thing, but if I was working outside the home, I would not have made arrangements and my youngest would have been stuck outside until his older brother arrived approx 90 minutes later.
Fortunately, I believe the new BoE majority sees these kinds of problems with the same eyes we parents do. It may not be able to wave a magic wand and fix everything, but at least I feel like we have someone fighting FOR us instead of AGAINST us.
I agree
Thu, 12/03/2009 - 11:17 — gunfamIts the 4 track schedule that breaks apart schools and neighborhoods, and what I personally don't like for so many reasons.
I agree--its not the length
Thu, 12/03/2009 - 10:42 — jenmanI agree--its not the length of the school year or the rigorous schedule that has people upset. Its the 4 track system.
A Step In The Right Direction
Wed, 12/02/2009 - 16:13 — Lisa_BHey Keung:
Thanks SO MUCH for all of the information this past 24 hours. You've always been "Johnny on the spot", keeping us informed along the way and it is truly appreciated.
This is music to my ears...there are obviously many cases where MYR reversals will be no-brainers, and this should become evident when staff presents reports to Dr. Burns and the board. I think it goes without saying that parents at the MYR schools will also be putting together their own analysis' of the situation to be sure that everyone is playing on the same field.
There is no reason that MANY MYR schools won't be able to be converted back to the traditional calendar for 2010-11. If anyone thinks it can't be done, I'd be curious to know the reason??? With available capacity at other YR schools, and a HUGE cost savings to be realized, why not???
HOW EXCITING for all of the parents who were subjected to unnecessary MYR. There are still parents in Wake County who like the YR calendar. I do believe that the current board will ensure that YR seats will be available to those who want to attend a YR school, and will switch many of the "excess" seats back to the traditional calendar for 2010.
Today just keeps getting better and better......
Well...
Wed, 12/02/2009 - 16:26 — Bob_SconceI'm hoping for a switch-back as well. But, the key is that families have to be given a lot of notice before making changes that affect them. 90 days from now is early March. Then decisions need to be made, new schedules adjusted, then parents need the opportunity to switch to a difference school if they preferred the year-round schedule. And all that needs to happen early enough that you're not going to impact somebody's plan to go on vacation in August.
Even though I do see your point...
Wed, 12/02/2009 - 16:38 — midtownmomfamilies and educators were not taken into consideration the last several years. Many schools made a relatively last minute change to year round and hundreds had to make alternate plans for summer, camps, child care... Teachers had no idea what track they would be placed - some even told/or changed days within school openings. Even though I will understand if the change isn't made for the 2010-11 school year, I will cling to my hope.
True...
Wed, 12/02/2009 - 16:47 — Bob_SconceBut, no need to repeat the same mistake.
It is a little different this time tho
Wed, 12/02/2009 - 17:22 — stacy123Presuming the parents know the WCPSS is working towards accommodating their choise of schedule they could deal with short notice if they will be almost guaranteed their schedule maybe not their 1st school choice but schedule, they can wait for the details but if they are waiting till the last minute and then do nto get their choice - big deal as they would planning 1 schedule and not getting and be disappointed. I know it is broken record syndorme but I am so happy that the board is moving as fast as they can to try and address all the issues families have with all these issues.
I agree. It is possible to
Wed, 12/02/2009 - 17:30 — NWRaleighMomI agree. It is possible to make changes for 2010-11 IF it is not sabotaged by central office.
Wow, it's cool when we
Wed, 12/02/2009 - 16:38 — RevHiDWow, it's cool when we actually agree on something! Families who have to relocate to a different school to keep year round should also somehow be guaranteed the same track, to make the transition easier. This would be consistent with the view that the kids have been through enough transition already.
Rev, I am happy you are
Wed, 12/02/2009 - 19:51 — red_balloonRev, I am happy you are happy. Now we need more converts.