How hard will the school board implement the year-round court ruling and what will it mean for this fall's elections?
Those are among the questions noted in today's article. The state Supreme Court gave Wake the legal authority for mandatory year-round schools but it's up to the school board to see how the power will be exercised.
For instance, will the board go ahead with consent for the 2009-10 school year?
The board can send consent forms to existing families and to newcomers. The board could decide that only people currently in the district are entitled to consent.
The board could say no consent forms go out at all.
It could lead to a long discussion at the board table on Tuesday.
School board member Horace Tart, the lone incumbent running for re-election, is looking at a middle ground in which consent forms would still go out. But approval wouldn't be automatic as in past years.
Instead, Tart said they'd weigh each request individually to see how it would impact the health and crowding at the sending and receiving schools.
One potential reason for sending consent forms this year is that it could lessen some of the sting from critics during the school board elections. A hardline approach on consent might fuel the opposition.
Comments
Thales Academy Open House Tonight
Mon, 05/04/2009 - 09:16 — kmisegadesTake control over your life and your child's future and reject government schools.
Thales Academy Apex holds its next Open House this evening, May 4th at 6PM, across from Apex Town Hall. For directions see thalesacademy.org Grades K-6 are offered on a traditional calendar this fall. Guaranteed no reassignments, ever and low $5,000 annual tuition. No guarantee that a seat will be available for your child, though, as the school is filling rapidly.
Kent Misegades
Chairman, Board of Trustees, Thales Academy Apex
Thanks Kent, but since we
Mon, 05/04/2009 - 10:23 — rr77rr99Thanks Kent, but since we can't list body parts on ebay or craiglist, I can't get rid of this extra kidney to pay for it. :)
Children as People - Part 1 & 2
Sun, 05/03/2009 - 05:42 — AngelaWThe difference between what parents see and want for their children is that they look to a child’s educational environment as a part of their learning process. Their children are people.
To administrators, running a huge corporation, these children are numbers
http://venitapeyton.com/2009/05/children-as-people-part-1.html
At some point the madness has to stop. The Wake County Public School System cannot forever continue a haphazardly applied diversity policy without proving that it works.
It impinges on the civil rights of all children because it lacks uniformity.
One school board member stated a few months ago, that 'she just knows' that the policy is working.
So if it's working, shouldn't they be be able to prove it? Would a college grant a degree without proof of performance? Would you allow a doctor to test you, ad naseum, without knowing the results of the previous ones?
http://venitapeyton.com/2009/05/children-as-people-part-2.html
There is the converse
Sun, 05/03/2009 - 07:43 — user1234There is the converse arguement is can you prove it is not working. I don't mean that it is inconvenient for your family. Then there is the definition of "working". Given that 134k kids move throught the system without too many incidents might be considered "working" given that some parent are just looking for free day care.
The focus should be education not diversity. People focused primarily on education should care less where their kids go, how far they travel, and what the income and race distribution of the other students are.
Burden of Proof
Mon, 05/04/2009 - 17:27 — Bob_SconceI suggest that the burden of proving the efficacy of any policy as disruptive and controversial as this policy should be on its proponents.
In any case, define "working." It certainly works to get WCPSS into the new York Times and to get Del Burns all sorts of accolades among the education elites. Whether it's actually serving the needs of poor students, though, is another question. At the elementary school level, at least, poor WCPSS students do marginally better in schools with high-F&R ratios than they do in schools with low-F&R ratios.
Clouding the proof
Mon, 05/04/2009 - 20:11 — Voice_of_Reason_The difficulty is proving it. If WCPSS is sending their low performing nodes, the score difference may be due to that they were already lower performing than their couterparts at the base school. But I think WCPSS has the burden of proof since money is being spent.
...
Sun, 05/03/2009 - 07:52 — SideburnsBut they should be concerned with the stability of their assignments and in keeping their family together.
Agree ... that is why I
Sun, 05/03/2009 - 09:07 — user1234Agree ... that is why I supported the three year assignment attempt this year to bring stabilty over the annual one. I thought the realignment of the feeder schools and longer range planning would bring a few years of stability.
Stability, that's a joke!
Sun, 05/03/2009 - 13:15 — g88ky07this stupid plan will change 3 times in 3 years, MINIMUM! there's no stability in any of this garbage.
Never will be as long as Chuck and Del are allowed to continue blessing the public system with it's ignorance of reality!
At least it was good for a laugh. Stability, ha!
Stability? 26,000 kids are
Sun, 05/03/2009 - 10:34 — CaryCurmudgeonStability? 26,000 kids are being redistricted.
Stability to you and
Sun, 05/03/2009 - 10:12 — Big_PictureStability to you and stability to may or may not be the same thing. A 3-year plan that is *subject to change* is not stability to anyone.
There is NO Stability now in WCPSS
Sun, 05/03/2009 - 13:52 — Lisa_BHey Big Picture:
I COMPLETELY agree with you. When WCPSS comes out with a 3-year plan, and they sell it to us as "this is going to give you 3 years of knowing where your kids will be going to school", and THEN, in the next breath, they say "OF COURSE it is NOT set in stone. This might have to change if conditions change, etc..."
Stability means you will know WITH COMPLETE CONFIDENCE that your children will NOT be moved to another school.
I completely support GRANDFATHERING EVERY CHILD once they have started attending a particular school. IF WCPSS needs to reassign nodes because of a new school opening, etc.. THEN the children in that node who have NOT attended the school may be reassigned to the new school, but NO ONE should ever be made to leave a school once they start.
THAT would be a good start to providing stability. Releasing a 3-year plan that WCPSS can change ANYTIME is no better than a 1-year plan in my opinion.
agree! The school a child
Sun, 05/03/2009 - 11:20 — rr77rr99agree! The school a child starts in, is the school they should finish in and never have to be looking over their shoulder for a redistrict, or track change... none of it!
Wager
Sat, 05/02/2009 - 22:38 — SDR256My bet is that the BoE will lay low this round. They know that there are STILL a huge herd of clueless folks out there who only respond to what comes into their mailbox. They'll let it ride for now, hoping to keep the status quo board seats and then SOCK IT to families for next year.
That's why we cannot be complacent. We have to make sure to get the word out about the imperative to vote in four new members. I'm also convinced that most folks still don't understand the power the BoE has. They can pretty much do as they like - they can decide to break up the school system into community school systems; they can decide to send everyone to year round; they can decide to stop or increase busing to the level it would need to be to 'fix' the number of schools not at the 'right' percentage levels.
If they're responsible and cool minded, its fine. If they're a bunch of obsessed wackos its really dangerous and painful.
I agree. There are so many
Sun, 05/03/2009 - 08:44 — rr77rr99I agree. There are so many issues now with the teachers being just livid about their pay being cut and the terminating contracts not being renewed, that WCPSS now has to deal with this.
I would be shocked if they did a forced reshuffle right now. And, agree with the "cluess parents" part. I have been expressing my concern over the NC Supreme Court's decision and 9 out of 10 people I talk to..'What??????' 'Huh???" is the response.
One parent, in a different conversation. asked what teachers I want for my children next year (like we get a choice, but again..hello clueless) and I said, "You do know several teachers will not be returning, yet, our school will be over crowded by something like 300 kids right?"
Blank stare and "Huh? What are you talking about?"
So.... hello... clueless population. Talk about your "epidemic" or "Pandemic" .... it's called "Clueless disease"
No one should be shocked at anything!
Sun, 05/03/2009 - 13:21 — g88ky07Don't kid yourselves, if they don't do a massive realign immediately it won't be long before they do. Teachers can be livid all they want, but most will never say or do anything about it. Sorry, it's the fact.
As for the lemming parents, you betcha, most of them are just as dumb as a stump and have no clue what has happened and is happening. They'll be the ones standing on the side of the highway watching their kids pass them by.
In a big yellow, UNSAFE box with wheels!
Excellent points ... I have
Sun, 05/03/2009 - 09:04 — user1234Excellent points ... I have tried to tell people here that their views are a minority with the majority not knowing or caring. While people here think the BOE is the enemy, it is probably apathy of the broader public that is the greater threat.
new meaning of choice
Sat, 05/02/2009 - 09:44 — NOFANOFWAKEMADNESSAs usual the WCPSS is giving you a choice--- option #1 Their way or option #2 Their way. I was just wondering, aren't elected officials supposed to work FOR the people not against them? Oh, and another question. Are they supposed to be spending our money on a magician who manipulates numbers and makes everything look nice and pretty on paper? Mmmm Just wondering.
Magicians can create
Sat, 05/02/2009 - 12:18 — Big_PictureMagicians can create illusions that fool everyone. Chuck Delaney's *magic* only fools the lazy and ignorant BoE, the media, and the clueless & uninformed public.
It is safe to say the
Sat, 05/02/2009 - 07:42 — Big_PictureIt is safe to say the opposition has received all the fuel we need to bring in a responsive BoE to replace the ignorant back-stabbing self serving rubber-stampers.
What's the point?
Sat, 05/02/2009 - 06:44 — Eric_BRegarding Mr. Tart's proposal... What's the point of a consent process if it still doesn't matter if parents give consent or not? How is this any different from applying to a traditional calendar application school?
It's not!
Sat, 05/02/2009 - 09:25 — g88ky07Horace is doing everything he can to "save face" for his run, so do not ever question that. His "let's make 1 school a CTE stop on the tour" position doesn't impress at all! His voting with Ron the last few times has been meaningless to the issues, but not to his campaign!
"Fueling the opposition" will NOT be a problem this time around so do not worry about that. I will say in support of Horace, surprise, that he's the ONLY 1 of the 4 who has the GUTS to run again after ALL the chaos, instability and negativity THOSE PEOPLE have created for our families!
I think there is a 2nd reason for possibly sending out consent forms. Bond time is going to come again, probably right after this election, and they would use that 110% to say "we worked with parents now work with us." Sound familiar?
Consent forms or not, it won't matter, these people will do what EVER they want when EVER they want and your opinions as parents and voters matters not. Never has! They do not care about the impacts they have created for our children, they certainly don't care about our families being stretched beyond their limits and I don't really believe they care much at all about education. It's more important to have empty classrooms in FORCED year round schools, they're no longer MYR schools they are now and forever FYR, than it is to keep our teachers employed. It's more important to reassign children every year than it is to create stability and consistency.
Trust me, the opposition's "sting" won't be lessened no matter what they do!