Here's a reap of today's press conference in which Wake County Schools Superintendent Tony Tata focused mainly on the new student assignment plan.
Wake's Customer Service Department will be open from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. today at 431-7333 to field calls from people who might have problems going online to look up their results at assignment.wcpss.net. Tata asked for patience trying to get online today.
Tata said the percentage of families getting their first choice will go up over the next week. He said that over the weekend they'll fill 723 open magnet school slots with people on the wait lists, which will in turn free up more seats at the proximity schools.
Tata said families will find out over the next week if they've been removed off wait lists so he cautioned against submitting a new application in round two until then.
In general, staff is recommending that people who applied in the first round shouldn't apply again unless they see something different like they didn't apply to a school they're now interested in attending. They warned that a second-round application could remove you from your spot on the first-round waiting list for a school or cost you the school you got into.
It was stressed that Round 2 is primarily for newcomers, particularly the rising kindergarten students who still haven't registered yet.
Tata also said today that they'll wait to see if there's enough applicants in the second round to open Abbotts Creek and Richland Creek elementary schools this year.
UPDATE
Click here to read Wake's press release.
Corrected to reflect that there are 723 open magnet slots as oppose to the number of people on the wait lists.
Wake pushed up the posting time for the results two hours early to 3 p.m. so they're now viewable.
Once again, please contact me today at khui@newsobserver.com or Tommy Goldsmith at tgoldsmith@newsobserver.com once you've looked up the results.
Comments
Why didn't this already happen?
Mon, 03/19/2012 - 11:52 — Bob_SconceIf there are 723 open magnet spots to fill from the waiting list, why didn't they fill them and back-fill the seats by this past Friday? I was under the impression that Alves' magic software would do this for them automatically.
My thoughts exactly.
Mon, 03/19/2012 - 12:04 — jenmanMy thoughts exactly.
Just more incompetence
Mon, 03/19/2012 - 13:39 — FSandYOUfrom the wcpss.
It's only families lives and children's futures, no need to get it right to start with.
No...
Mon, 03/19/2012 - 14:46 — Bob_SconceNot incompetence. Just more delay than I'd like. Plus, having 200+ unassigned kids is just bad press -- you'd think that they want to avoid that.
However, I'm willing to cut them a lot of slack in the inagural year of the choice plan. They're still working the kinks out. Next year, I expect it to go a lot smoother.
On behalf of the Sam Gang
Mon, 03/19/2012 - 15:09 — FSandYOUI'm guessing they'd probably agree with me.
Yes, the bad press MUST be avoided from here on, but this is another excuse for more of it. If this school system EVER hopes to rebuild the public's trust and full support for all things edu it can not afford to flounder one more time about anything.
There should not be one child sitting out there today, this very moment, wondering why they didn't' get into this school or that school when apparently there was room Friday for hundreds of them.
I went through the
Sun, 03/18/2012 - 18:18 — MariagerwinI went through the application process and My daughter did get her choice HS. She was assigned to F-V High and got into Holly Springs High. When we first signed up during the choice application there were 63 seats available, I believe 121 kids got into H-S High.
My heart goes out to all who did not get their choice school. I hope with the second round and the transfer process that everything works out for all.
unfortunately the holes are showing
Sat, 03/17/2012 - 19:38 — sam123456Unfortunately it looks like, based on the comments here, that there are indeed MANY holes in this plan and they are now showing. This plan will cause INSTABILITY for many families in Wake County. This is very disappointing, but I guess it is expected as the plan was not given time to be fully analyzed. Since it involves smaller numbers I guess many think that we should be ok with it and simply accept it????
It Worked For Us
Sun, 03/18/2012 - 10:48 — NWake_ParentWe applied to Wakefield Elementary for our rising 5th grader solely so he will be in the WMS and WHS feeder pattern. We were not willing to wait another year and take a gamble at the 6th grade level. Not only did he get in but there are still at least 15 spots still open for next year. You can still get in on Round 2.
I hate that you were put in
Mon, 03/19/2012 - 08:15 — jenmanI hate that you were put in that position but I'm glad that you were able to get in. I agree that it's better to get in to that feeder pattern now and not have to worry about it. I hope your child has a good 5th grade year and isn't too bummed out about leaving his current school.
I don't think that's an option
Sun, 03/18/2012 - 14:27 — Bob_SconceIf I recall correctly, Sam has a rising 6th grader.
There are a number of really good 5th grade teachers at Wakefield ES. Your son is in good hands.
...
Sun, 03/18/2012 - 16:31 — SideburnsDoes he? I'm not so sure anymore.
I had the same thought. At
Sun, 03/18/2012 - 17:55 — loriacI had the same thought. At first, I could sympathize with his story, and his particular node seemed to have real issues.
As time went on, though - the lack of any real followup made me think that he's no more than an agitator. It would be interesting to hear how things came out for him, but I'm not holding my breath.
Well don't tell Sam you lucked out
Sun, 03/18/2012 - 13:24 — FSandYOUHe'll never be able to cope.
This plan will cause
Sun, 03/18/2012 - 01:05 — jeffrey1This plan will cause INSTABILITY for many families in Wake County.
Q: What's the difference between Sam and a Rottweiler?
A: Eventually, the Rottweiler lets go.
I was in favor of this plan
Sun, 03/18/2012 - 08:51 — starsonoursI was in favor of this plan but now that Sam has pointed out the INSTABILITY it creates I am second guessing it. If I were to have another child, which of its older siblings schools would it be grandfathered in to? Would we be required to have it attend at least one year in each of the schools it's predecessors attended? Or since my wife and I were also students in Wake County Public Schools would we be required to include the schools we attended? Using Sam's definition creating STABILITY is very hard indeed.
starsonours - ridicule?
Sun, 03/18/2012 - 09:04 — sam123456Starsonours, I guess that since I have a different opinion that I must be ridiculed to be silenced. Please remember that this plan does have negative impacts for many families. Also, please remember that these negative impacts will impact real children who will be forced out of their current feeder patterns, will be bused to distant schools, and will be separated from their siblings and neighbors.
Sam it is not ridicule it is
Sun, 03/18/2012 - 09:32 — starsonoursSam it is not ridicule it is pointing out the absurdity of your idea of stability.
absurdity??
Sun, 03/18/2012 - 10:06 — sam123456come on now -- I have a different opinion so now it is labeled as absurd??? Again, please remember that this plan is negatively impacting many children by forcing them to be bused to distant schools and separating them from their siblings and neighbors. This does not seem like an improvement at all.
This plan, the last plan, the plan before that
Sun, 03/18/2012 - 13:30 — FSandYOUParents have been screwed with instability in Wake County for decades. You're not the first and you certainly won't be the last and there is nothing new about any of this.
Since you DID NOT apply for a "choice" with this new plan, you have no one to blame but yourself. You could have applied, you chose not to.
Hopefully your kids will see that even mommy and daddy can make mistakes and learn from it as they grow up.
And because it is impacting
Sun, 03/18/2012 - 10:17 — starsonoursAnd because it is impacting your family you have decided to re-define what stability is. And yes your definition of stability is absurd and unrealistic.
Did you apply to the school you wanted? (I know you are not going to answer this question but I will ask it again know you will remain silent)
Yep, 225 holes to be exact
Sat, 03/17/2012 - 20:23 — FSandYOUCertainly a few more to come, but it sounds like you are so far in the minority that they will never
findhear you.Kevin certainly hasn't has he.
...
Sat, 03/17/2012 - 19:56 — SideburnsOooo, capital letters.
Did you get the school you wanted? More importantly, did you even apply for it?
Tropicalgirl
Sat, 03/17/2012 - 14:33 — momof5Quote-"We did not get in. We were one of three families for less than five seats at TC and we live 1.4 miles from the school and WE DID NOT GET IN. She is #1 on the waiting list whatever that means. So does that mean there were only two seats and those other two families were also within 1.5 miles?? I doubt it was sibling priority since it's for fifth grade.
I am devastated and ticked off right now and trying to pull my act together for when she gets home since she was excited about the results and I am going to have to be upbeat. But I am ready to cry here."
When had the same thing. We were the ONE AND ONLY 1st choice applicant for Apex El. 4th gd with less than 5 seats, but we didn't get in. We are also #1 on the waiting list, but really if we didn't get in being the only one how can we expect it to change on a waiting list. I'm ready to cry also. My other 2 kids also didn't get in. One middle school in the walk zone and one high schooler in priority 3, the priority that Ms.Peppler said most 9th graders got in from.
I've since found out that the term less than 5 seats really translated into negative numbers. Apparently Apex High (less than 5 seats) had to have 50 people opt out before they would even begin to seat anyone.
Momof5, you are exactly
Mon, 03/19/2012 - 11:49 — tropicalgirlMomof5, you are exactly right. Here is word for word what the assignment office said about our situation:
"We showed less than 5 seats for all situations where the pre-assignments were more than the capacity of seats at that grade level. In some cases, enough pre-assigneds chose out to open up seats but in others like at Turner Creek, not enough did so the pre-assigneds have taken all the available seats at that grade level. We had to balance showing a negative number that would discourage anyone from applying with trying to be as transparent as we could. For instance, at 9th grade at Apex we showed less than 5 seats when we were actually roughly 50 over the capacity with the pre-assigned students. Then 75 chose something else so we opened up 25 seats and filled them."
I would have rather been discouraged two months ago - and made my decisions on REAL numbers - than have spent this time thinking we would get in based on the published numbers that were a lie. Maybe Turner Creek has negative 28 seats and Salem only had negative 5 - knowing that would have helped me to rank my selections better.
Momof5, I would share your story with you board member. This plan may negatively impact a small percentage, but our children count too, and nothing will be done to address it if we don't speak up.
Unfortunately I already have
Mon, 03/19/2012 - 15:46 — momof5Unfortunately I already have. Right after the preliminary numbers came out I emailed student assignment and got the same answer you have shown. I've emailed about this capacity issue being hidden and the fact that 2nd/3rd choice students were sat before 1st choice wait lists were exhausted to the board, student assignmnent, superintendents, the newspaper, and the tv stations. I am only one person and easily ignored. I've tried my best, but I don't know what else to do.
I agree seeing the negative numbers might have been discouraging, but maybe I would have picked with a different strategy. My youngest didn't get any of my 4 choices and I put Apex El. 1st because we would be the only one for less than 5 seats.
My 3 boys at this point are heading to 3 different high schools in the future.
Could have made a difference
Mon, 03/19/2012 - 12:16 — CaryMomof4Salem has 5th grade capacity of 156 and 157 3rd graders took EOG's last year. They should have published real numbers.
Thanks Cary Mom, your
Mon, 03/19/2012 - 13:07 — tropicalgirlThanks Cary Mom, your numbers have been very helpful and absolutely would have made a difference. The irony is that our first choice was Salem but it had 9 applicants and TC had two, and both were listed at less than five seats. We chose TC because we believed the numbers and believed we had an excellent chance of admission. Looking at your numbers, it seems likely that the true capacity is -1 for Salem and -28 for TC. Had we known that, we would have stuck with out true first choice. I have communicated all this to the board, the assignment office, etc. The school system should either publish accurate capacity numbers or none at all. I will be logging in this afternoon to see what they publish as capacity numbers for those schools. It better not be less than five again.
Regarding the Apex situation
Mon, 03/19/2012 - 12:03 — jenmanRegarding the Apex situation you describe: I brought up that very same point last summer. Could there be a negative number of seats available before anybody ever left? Student Assignment has not been truthful about matters like this and I would be very angry too.
An interesting situation: during the magnet round, Ligon was listed as having less than 5 AG seats & less than 5 GT seats for 7th grade. Less than 10 people applied for AG as their #1 (I think it may have been 6) and about 34 applied for a GT seat. We applied for AG as our first choice and GT as our second. We ended up with a GT seat and are #3 on the AG wait list. How is that possible?
This was before anybody from the magnet could have applied to leave in the proximity round. If there were less than 5 GT seats available, how did they manage to seat all 34 (I think that was the number) who ranked it as #1 and accept at least one person who had it listed as #2?
I've since found out that
Sat, 03/17/2012 - 18:55 — jenmanI've since found out that the term less than 5 seats really translated into negative numbers. Apparently Apex High (less than 5 seats) had to have 50 people opt out before they would even begin to seat anyone.
I wondered about that. So many of the 6th and 9th grade classes were already over capacity with just the feeder kids that I wondered if they would seat anybody even if people left. Obviously some schools were able to and it seems some were not. Or at least not very many kids.
I am hoping for accurate numbers so we can really understand what is going on.
If you look at the grade by
Mon, 03/19/2012 - 11:02 — CaryMomof4If you look at the grade by grade capacity for TC, their 5th grade capacity is 130 for 2012-13. According to the DPI website 158 3rd graders took EOG tests last year. That would make it seem that 28 of those students would have to leave before even one seat opened up. I can't remember what the other school you were looking at was, but it seems that while not exact, you can look up those numbers to get a feel for the chances of getting a seat for schools showing less than 5.
Thank you. I found out from
Mon, 03/19/2012 - 11:10 — tropicalgirlThank you. I found out from the school assignment office this morning that less than 5 seats does indeed mean 0 or even negative numbers and I'm even more livid. What they told us gave us hope as well as our 10-year-old daughter. Had they told us the truth, we would not have spent the last two months believing that we would get a seat only to get kicked in the stomach.
And explain to me why my coworker who was one of 20 people who applied for a proximate school with 37 seats is #4 on a waiting list? I don't believe they have a true handle on the numbers at all.
After reading all these
Mon, 03/19/2012 - 22:07 — kbrooks500After reading all these posts I feel extremely bad for all of you. Wake published and released seat capacity numbers in November and it does show that Salem is over capacity for fifth grade by 1 student and Turner Creek by 13 next year. Apex fourth grade over capacity by 19 students.
Where did you find this
Tue, 03/20/2012 - 07:56 — momof5Where did you find this published?
:(
Mon, 03/19/2012 - 11:23 — JSBinNCI am just catching up from the weekend - I am so sad to read your posts about not getting into your school. You and a couple other that post out here crossed my mind over the weekend as I wondered.
I have no idea how they can keep up with numbers unless it was daily updates... I think there have been over 30 kids register at our elementary school (brand new to school/town/etc) in the last month - that has to impact this somehow? I really don't understand it all - now that it's sort of off paper and in practice - so many logistical things just not working.
I really feel for your family - will hope something changes in the next round.
I was told
Sat, 03/17/2012 - 23:09 — EBDarcyThe magnet coordinator at a local school told me that when she went to train on the new assignment plan she was told that 5 or less means 0.
Yes - a middle school with transportation!
Fri, 03/16/2012 - 19:32 — jedaviWe were successful at getting a 6th grade seat at our one proximate traditional calendar MS! Our previous feeder was to a MS 30 minutes away with no transportation, all due to our MYR opt out elementary school's feeder pattern. The only open question is which high school we will feed. Our MS has a split feeder and my online confirmation didn't tell me which high school feeder we received.
Yay
Mon, 03/19/2012 - 08:33 — JSBinNCI think we got into the same school as you ... trying to remember. We don't know the HS path yet either- but very relieved to have gotten into WMMS. I know how lucky we are.
Congrats! Very happy for
Sat, 03/17/2012 - 10:27 — jenmanCongrats! Very happy for you. :)
Getting a message that the
Fri, 03/16/2012 - 18:15 — WakeCtyMomGetting a message that the office of student assignment is closed. It's 6pm. What the heck?
We're still here...
Fri, 03/16/2012 - 19:43 — wcpsssudderthStudent Assignment and other staff are working the phones tonight, and we'll be here until 8:00. We've taken more than a hundred calls since 5 pm, the vast majority of them password reset requests, and answering questions while we're at it. We're not certain why there have been busy signals -- the calls to the Office of Student Assignment at 431-7333 should be going straight through to us, as should be the rollovers for "student registration" by pressing "2" at our main number, 431-7400. And some of those calls are making it to us.
Keep trying, and we'll be open again Monday morning.
Thanks,
William Sudderth
WCPSS Communications
Good job at your communications!
Sat, 03/17/2012 - 16:08 — raleighlauraI appreciate you posting on the blog. Thanks.
Agreed. It's good that
Sat, 03/17/2012 - 18:50 — jenmanAgreed. It's good that you're on here. Try over at Citydata.com too.
They are definitely not
Fri, 03/16/2012 - 18:20 — WakeCtyMomThey are definitely not taking calls. I've gotten a busy signal and the closed message every time I've called.
Email
Fri, 03/16/2012 - 19:27 — run222I just wrote an email and heard back from WCPSS within 2 hours. I was quite impressed by the response, since I'm sure they're being swamped.
BTW, through email, WCPSS confirmed that my child remains on the magnet waitlist, and that I can login by next Friday to see if she has received a spot off the waitlist.
Magnet waitlist question...
Sun, 03/18/2012 - 13:11 — jenandjonAre you supposed to logon at the same place as where you find out about choice selections to find out about whether you were placed off the magnet waitlist?
yes
Sun, 03/18/2012 - 18:27 — run222That's what I was told to do - log back on next Friday to find out if we've been placed off the magnet wait list.
Wonder if those who are on a
Mon, 03/19/2012 - 15:34 — parent1Wonder if those who are on a proximity waitlist can log in Friday to check their updated # on the waitlist after the magnet waitlists have been worked? Anyone know? It would be nice if we didn't have to wait until April 19th to get another update. We waited 10 weeks just to find out our position on the waitlist.
We did not get in. We were
Fri, 03/16/2012 - 15:48 — tropicalgirlWe did not get in. We were one of three families for less than five seats at TC and we live 1.4 miles from the school and WE DID NOT GET IN. She is #1 on the waiting list whatever that means. So does that mean there were only two seats and those other two families were also within 1.5 miles?? I doubt it was sibling priority since it's for fifth grade.
I am devastated and ticked off right now and trying to pull my act together for when she gets home since she was excited about the results and I am going to have to be upbeat. But I am ready to cry here.
Our daughter didn't get in
Fri, 03/16/2012 - 17:24 — parent1Our daughter didn't get in either - still stuck at magnet feeder high school with no transportation. Live 3 miles from our "proximity" school and 7 miles from the assigned school with no transportation. She is #47 on the waitlist. Another parent just called - they live 10 miles away from that school and they are #20 on the waitlist. Everyone in our neighborhood goes to the "proximity" school except my daughter. Her sister, mother and grandmother went to that high school. We sold our house 5 years ago and built a new smaller home on a tiny lot JUST so our children could attend that high school. We weighed the cost of private school versus moving. At the time, moving seemed like the best idea. Her sister is graduating this year so she didn't qualify as a sibling. I am not surprised that she didn't get in. But I am furious that someone who lives over 3 times as far away is #20 and we are #47. Their neighborhood has never been assigned to that school. This is definitely not a "proximity" plan!
Is the school you wanted
Fri, 03/16/2012 - 17:43 — jenmanIs the school you wanted your closest school? (sounds like yes) Is it your friend's closest school? (sounds like no) I didn't think that anybody in a lower priority than you would get a lower wait list number. That doesn't make sense. I would call or email to ask about it.