The Wake Education Partnership is reacting to this week's Wake County school board vote on the community schools resolution.
In this week's issue of In Context, the WEP's e-newsletter, the group today makes repeated mention of the "script" that the board majority followed on Tuesday. It notes how school board chairman Ron Margiotta had told people at the recent Northern Wake Republican Club meeting that it's not a shock what they're doing.
The WEP points to all the amendments from the board minority that were rejected by 5-4 votes. Noting how Margiotta told the Northern Wake Republican Club he expected the issue to wind up in court, the WEP says the amendments could be part of any court proceedings.
"After the vote was taken, Margiotta made special mention of [board member Keith] Sutton's ideas, saying they deserved further review," the WEP wrote. "But it wasn't going to happen Tuesday evening. That wasn't part of the script."
The WEP was one of the groups singled out as needing to go from fighting to work with the school board by leaders of Wake CARES at their Wednesday press conference.
Comments
I am guessing school of
Mon, 03/29/2010 - 23:03 — user12345I am guessing school of excellence node get a 10% bump in home prices and Distinction 5% ... low performing -10% ... you get the label, you get the $'s. Ron does not have any experinece with low income school, low performing schools, minority schools ... he just does not have experience with what the rest of the county is struggling with.
But...
Tue, 03/30/2010 - 07:16 — Bob_SconceI do -- our school is a "School of Progress" and I think the board majority is generally on the right track.
Bob ... but isn't that
Tue, 03/30/2010 - 08:32 — user12345Bob ... but isn't that because the board is going to help you out by getting your calendar and getting the poor kids out of your school. I thought the poor kids who WCPSS dumped on you without resources were part of the the reason you dropped to a School of Progress ... and now with your buddies in power, they will upgrade you soon enough at the expense of the rest of us. So, I can see why you thing things are on the right track. Like I said, your donation translates into a 5%? bump in your house price?
Heh...
Tue, 03/30/2010 - 21:20 — Bob_SconceAs far as calendar goes, Kevin Hill is our board rep for now and he is standing in the way of any calendar change.
As far as helping out by getting poor kids out of the school, I don't think that will help much. Non-F&R passing rate was 77.1%, which still makes us a "school of progress." On the other hand, fewer than 1/4 of last year's F&R 5th graders passed.
Over? I guess you are privy
Mon, 03/29/2010 - 14:45 — red_balloonOver? I guess you are privy to more than I am.
It was on the blog
Mon, 03/29/2010 - 15:07 — carson79http://blogs.newsobserver.com/wakeed/dropping-the-use-of-diversity-in-filling-magnet-schools
Dropping 'diversity' in
Mon, 03/29/2010 - 15:47 — red_balloonDropping 'diversity' in filling magnet schools will not increase the number of electives at non-magnets from zero.
but it will give everyone an
Mon, 03/29/2010 - 16:36 — carson79but it will give everyone an equal shot at those electives, hence ending the "discrimination" that you complained about.
It is better than the
Mon, 03/29/2010 - 19:12 — red_balloonIt is better than the current five round gimmickry but a better model is to fund electives at non-magnets.
So that would be eliminating
Mon, 03/29/2010 - 22:56 — carson79So that would be eliminating magnets? Or just making all schools magnet quality?
What's your point? They
Sun, 03/28/2010 - 20:43 — loriacWhat's your point? They couldn't get out before, AND they were ignored.
I am waiting to see the new plan like everyone else, but at least the rationale is resources will be applied where they are needed.
Since you are at a high
Mon, 03/29/2010 - 14:25 — carson79Since you are at a high wealth school under a neighborhood policy, I'm assuming you are just blind to reality. If your neighborhood school was Lynn Road or Jeffrey's Grove and would see increased poor kids under Tedesco's plan with no magnet or transfer opportunity, you would have a completely different view of what this plan does. Since you have made statements as to being able to get what you can afford as far as neighborhoods and consequently schools since you also favor proximity based assignments, I think we are just diametrically opposed at this point.
I think if Ms. Goldman or Mr. Tedesco volunteered to send their kid to the highest poverty school created under their plan, that would be something to talk about! money where their mouth is! but he has no kids and I seriously doubt we'll see that move from Ms. Goldman or mr. Malone or Prickett.
Our assigned school is JGE -
Mon, 03/29/2010 - 15:21 — loriacYou are not at JGE under a
Mon, 03/29/2010 - 15:39 — carson79You are not at JGE under a proximity based plan or else you've been lying for a very long time on the blog! Did you not repeat over and over and over that you were assigned away from Leesville to Jeffrey's Grove "for your numbers"???
I agree that low income nodes should not have been assigned in and out of a school for no reason.
It's easy to say you want "stability in assignments" when your assigned school will be a great high wealth school like Leesville, but it takes a lot more convincing when that "stability" is trapping you in a 95% poverty school or reassigning you out of your magnet community.
now you're accusing me of lying?
Mon, 03/29/2010 - 16:21 — loriacWe are assigned to JGE and WMMS (after being transferred out of LRMS last year).
No, we have been at LRMS and LRHS since they opened. The deal with our neighborhood and a previous BOE rep was we would be assigned to JGE, but would also be at LRMS and LRHS. Last year they started this notion of feeder nodes. Since JGE is the 5th closest elementary school, it messed up our feeder pattern and got us transferred to WMMS. We made the CEM presentations, talked to Laura Evans and Chuck Dulaney, wrote the BOE members - but we were told that we were needed at WMMS 'because of our numbers'. The only thing that kept us from also being reassigned to MHS was that fact that it became a magnet.
You missed my point about the previous BOE swapping low income nodes in and out of JGE last year - no rhyme or reason. It uprooted a lot of families and destroyed many relationships that had been built up - many in our neighborhood left JGE after that stunt. Yes, stability in assignments is important to ALL kids. Not sure what you're talking about w/ magnet community - we are last round.
My whole point that you seem
Mon, 03/29/2010 - 16:34 — carson79My whole point that you seem to be missing is that you would not be assigned to JGE in a diversity-blind assignment model, unless you are wrong (lying was the wrong word) that you were only assigned there "for your numbers". Once you are sent back to Leesville schools, you will be in the first round of the magnet lottery again and will be in your "neighborhood school" which is also high wealth and a great school!
When we start hearing from people who will wind up in 90% poverty schools that they want this push and want to end magnets as well then maybe that will be something new to listen to. Until then, this is just more of the same. You won, we lost , get over it!
Still not sure what you are
Mon, 03/29/2010 - 16:59 — loriacStill not sure what you are arguing - I don't buy the 90% poverty threat. I believe the zones will be created to manage that. And - all schools are guaranteed equal funding with the district-wide funding model.
JGE is a good school - our beef is that it's farther for us than 5 other ES schools, messes up our feeder pattern, and it put us in the last round for magnets. It was also hard for parents who wanted YR - <10% accepted to LES even tho Sycamore Creek was sitting 1/3 empty just up the road from us.
All good schools? I'd argue that w/ LRMS - we have no languages there, few other electives. No field trips last year - just not in the budget. If we spread out the offerings in the zones - people would want to go to all the schools in the zone and they would spread out by choice. However, putting all the offerings downtown and accepting little more than half of the applicants - just what does that accomplish? People who got their kids in at kindergarten and are guaranteed to stay in the magnet track, along w/ siblings - that's a sweet ride that none of the rest of us get.
so would you send your child
Mon, 03/29/2010 - 18:44 — carson79so would you send your child to a 70% poverty school? Bc even if you want to say we won't have 90% schools (which come on Brentwood only needs 45 more poor students to be 90%) we have 77% school at Brentwood now.
Point me to one quote from the new board that says the zone assignment plan will include balance or diversity concerns at all. What are you basing your feeling that we won't have high poverty schools under the zone plan on??
So...
Mon, 03/29/2010 - 14:47 — Bob_SconceIn general, I think that's a bad idea. First of all, signing up for the school board shouldn't mean signing up to use your kid as a political football. It's had enough getting parents to run. Secondly, what happens then when a school board member wants to send more funding to that "highest poverty school"? I suspect that we would have a lot of complaints here about the school board directing resources to their own kids.
I agree with you on the
Mon, 03/29/2010 - 15:12 — carson79I agree with you on the problems with this and I don't think it would ever happen. they can always point to distance concerns, Ms. Prickett thinks Broughton is too far away for her neighborhood (she is totally reasonable for thinking this) but that is a good higher wealth school, so I don't think she'd go for sending her kids to SE Raleigh high. And while there are lower wealth ES nearer to her, I don't think she has a kid in ES (could be wrong).
Don't remain skeptical--please get answers!
Sat, 03/27/2010 - 08:11 — petehs"I'm skeptical of all of the activist groups."
Dan, I will extend the invitation yet again. If you are skeptical about our (speaking for WSCA) motives, please verify or negate your concerns by meeting us to talk about them! Only then can we create solutions.
Write to me at wsca09@gmail.com if you would like to talk offline.
Thanks,
Kristen
As always, I share the same concerns;
Sat, 03/27/2010 - 00:38 — Athey01I'm a hard-core pragmatist, therefore my focus is, where do we go from here. How can we make lemonade from lemons? As others have stated, we need to identify areas that we can agree on, and try to compromise where possible. It's ok that we don't agree on everything. On both sides of this issue, there are those who will be bottlenecks, for whatever reason, but that should not deter us.
So...
Fri, 03/26/2010 - 22:13 — Bob_SconceBy and large, I suspect that WEP's corporate donors give money because they want to be seen as supporting education, and giving money to a group called "Wake Education Partnership" seems to be a great way of doing that. As long as WEP doesn't, say, hire child molesters, they'll continue to donate. It's just public relations.
If they were really convinced that Wake's diversity policy were the great educational success that WEP claims it to be, then you'd see substantial moves to duplicate the policy in Durham, Orange, Johnston, Burlington, Chatham and Guildford counties.
As far as this post goes, we
Fri, 03/26/2010 - 21:59 — red_balloonAs far as this post goes, we have similar thoughts on the key points. But my criticism and anxiety about the future direction are blunted by the disappointment caused by the magnet based discrimination. I support efforts to improve the system but I wish it was more collaborative.
I understand, but that's a
Fri, 03/26/2010 - 22:07 — danofncI understand, but that's a never-ending cycle.
I think there 7000+ magnet applicants, and somewhere just under 5000 were accepted, right?
That means there are about 2000 people who will feel that they were discriminated against.
Wait until a few of them find out that some people from the newly-converted schools who hadn't even applied before got in this year when they were given a new chance post-conversion.
Apropos the last paragraph,
Fri, 03/26/2010 - 23:18 — red_balloonApropos the last paragraph, I do not find that vexing. They had to be given a chance given the last minute calendar changes. Did you see the number of HS rejections? It's a shame that about 2000 students will be leaving WCPSS without getting the education they wanted.
HS Rejections
Sat, 03/27/2010 - 07:11 — Dove314How many high school rejections were there? Overall, according the WCPSS demographics page, there are 39,994 student in high school in the county. What proportion of those 39,994 students are not getting the education they applied for?
Where you see the cup half empty, I see the cup half full. Only ~2000 applications were received at the high school level. Of these 808 were placed. As a result, 1200 HS students of the total of 39994 high school students (~3%) are not in magnet school and wanted to be. Double that to be generous and it is still only 6% of those in HS now. Note -- some may not like their base assignments but that is a different discussion from what proportion of HS students applied at the HS for entry and were rejected.
Please disregard the number
Sat, 03/27/2010 - 08:16 — red_balloonPlease disregard the number in the earlier post i.e., the 2000. For 2009 - 10, 1241 HS magnets applicants were rejected and this translates to more than half the cup being empty.
Based on your argument, since only 4% of the total 140K were rejected, we could say that is a pretty good thing. But if you consider that about 6000 denials were issued, the cup goes from containing inanimate molecules to real children.
Since we can't afford to
Sat, 03/27/2010 - 11:08 — danofncSince we can't afford to make magnet programs available to every student, should we just abolish the programs altogether?
abolished? no Changed? yes
Sun, 03/28/2010 - 14:51 — loriacMagnet programs could serve a purpose, but they need to be administered differently than they are now. Some programs (AG, performing arts for example) should have entrance requirements validated yearly. Others should have an open lottery, especially at break points like 6th grade, 9th grade. Also - other schools should not be prevented from offering electives. All the students at the school should be eligible for the magnet courses - it's beyond the pale that ED populations perform so poorly today at magnet schools.
The way the programs are administered now means that a small, lucky percentage of the population get all the riches. (Our MS has no foreign language, for instance)
And, there's essentially a 0% chance of many families ever breaking into the magnet program because of how the lottery is structured now.
I cannot answer with any
Sat, 03/27/2010 - 15:59 — red_balloonI cannot answer with any degree of certainty sans knowledge of how much magnet programs cost. In the interim, I am inclined to believe there can be a better scenario than the current skewed model: up to twelve electives for magnet ES and a whopping zero for non-magnet ES.
"Since we can't afford to
Sat, 03/27/2010 - 15:04 — Apexter"Since we can't afford to make magnet programs available to every
student, should we just abolish the programs altogether?"
Altogether? No. I do think that magnet schools can have the the unwanted consequence of brain (and involved parent) drain from surrounding schools, though, so I think the optimum number of magnets would be fewer than we have rather than more.
What should be abolished altogether is the policy whereby non-magnet schools are told that they cannot offer "an elective, or anything that appears to be an elective" in order to keep them from competing with magnet schools for students. For those of us who are geographically segregated from the magnet program, this is grossly unfair.
Additionally, AG should NOT be treated as a magnet program. We should be adequately addressing the needs of AG children in all schools.
too sinister
Fri, 03/26/2010 - 21:02 — stepbystepI think WEP understands that a strong school system benefits everyone in the community and for whatever reasons that I don't understand a strong urban core sends out the right signals to businesses far away who are considering where to move. Have you checked with local chambers to see what kind of reactions they're getting these days from faraway people considering whether to bring business to the area? Wonder how all the recent press is affecting their interest?
I also believe WEP sees their role as a broad influence rather than day-to-day operations. Again I mention the Roundtable Series. Have you been to one in which they discuss World Class Schools? Go and ask all the questions you want during the discussion time. I found it quite visionary--much more so than discussions of who rides which bus for how long and how long is too long?
I don't think business looks
Fri, 03/26/2010 - 21:46 — red_balloonI don't think business looks beyond the bottomline. By itself, it is nothing illegitimate if done ethically. Wake county is not in danger of entering economic oblivion simply because WCPSS quits playing social engineer.
I have not been to WEP's sessions but, during my early days on this forum, I was quite impressed upon reading WEP's papers. However, once you actually have a child in school, you get to understand the school vs. student level metrics and the marketing spin so effectively spearheaded by WEP.
WEP does good things. And
Fri, 03/26/2010 - 15:36 — jenmanWEP does good things. And I don't deny that businesses have a vested interest in our school system--they hire our graduates.
The issue for many of us is their focus on central Raleigh schools. It is absolutely wonderful that we have good schools in the center of the city and I agree with WEP & Harvey Schmitt (Chamber of Commerce) that having a healthy city center is important for our economic development. BUT, we are a county wide school system and as such we cannot focus the majority of our efforts on the schools in one part of the county. While Schmitt and other business leaders brag about our wonder 'inner city' school and show them off to visitors, the rim schools, Eastern Wake schools, & Garner schools are hidden from view. How many tours of Knightdale High, Aversboro or Fox Road Elementary do you think Schmitt takes visiting business leaders on?
million dollar budget
Fri, 03/26/2010 - 11:20 — NWRaleighMomBy the time they pay their staff, the utilities, rent, buy office supplies etc.that doesn't leave much left. And that $60,000 they raise from Pieces (which was a great show this year) is a small part of their budget.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jane, again, how do they help out local schools, especially the ones with underfunded PTAs? Do they help buy supplies, sponsor field trips, fund additional teaching positions? Please share.
You're looking the wrong direction
Fri, 03/26/2010 - 11:30 — Dove314Instead of criticizing how they have behaved in the past, you need to be looking at how you can engage this group and the business community in general in where the board is taking the system.
Past?
Fri, 03/26/2010 - 11:42 — NWRaleighMomSo, WEP saw the light and is not going to publish lies any more? I am sure that most of the donors do not realize what their money are being used for.
Am I the only one who sees the problem with Pieces of Gold program? I don't mind them raising the funds but it should go back to the schools, not to be spent on politics.
learn something new every day
Fri, 03/26/2010 - 16:31 — loriacThis is from the WEP website for Pieces of GOld:
Pieces of Gold is a fund development effort benefitting Wake Education Partnership. Please visit www.WakeEdPartnership.org to learn more about the mission and work of the Partnership.
On another page they congratulate all the schools who were 'selected' to participate. Parents are not allowed to videotape the actual performance, just the dress rehearsal. Of course, they also sell DVD recordings of the performance.
From what I've seen of WEP, I would not let my kid participate in this.
Look beyond the Pieces of Gold
Fri, 03/26/2010 - 11:47 — Dove314At this point, I could care less about old grudges and old politics of how WEP interacted with WCPSS in the past. I said nothing about lies or historic problems.
I'm saying look at finding ways to engage them and others to support what is being proposed under a community schools model. There is much there that could become good combinations to help students achieve.
There is a way for WEP to make a difference today
Fri, 03/26/2010 - 11:58 — NWRaleighMomI would encourage WEP to visit Barwell Road elem and ask the principal how their million dollar budget can help raise achievement of students there.
So you're advocating
Fri, 03/26/2010 - 13:42 — danofncSo you're advocating disbanding all education groups and putting their money into raising student achievement? Or just the groups that don't see things your way?
OT - AG meetings this week
Fri, 03/26/2010 - 11:08 — JSBinNCDid anybody here by chance attend those AG meetings held Tues and last night this week?
Joe
Thu, 03/25/2010 - 21:07 — JaneknowsbestYour statements make no sense. "They have access to a lot of funding" means what exactly? They are a nonprofit, they raise money to support their work. Isn't that what your group does? Your statement about the election results also makes no sense. If anything the actions of the board majority will probably make their development officer's job a lot easier for the next few years, lol.
And isn't Pieces of Gold an annual fundraiser for WEP?
Pieces of Eight
Thu, 03/25/2010 - 21:35 — SDR256Pieces of Gold is a fundraiser run through Wake County schools, using Wake County students performing to raise money for WEP, which has big business interested in using schools as an economic tool behind it. WEP supposedly is commissioned to support Wake County Schools. Got that? They work for business. They use the students for their fundraiser. The support healthy schools but resist any reference to individual student achievement - those students who work so hard to keep their salaries paid. And their mission supposedly is to support the school system. Are we straight now?
Pieces of Eight indeed - har har har.
Round Table
Fri, 03/26/2010 - 07:47 — stepbystepJoe and Sara, I was wondering if you have attended one of WEP's Roundtable Discussions sponsored by your local Chamber? I attended one about World Class Schools, which very much addresses individual student achievement but in a much bigger and better way than EOGs ever will. We're a long way from getting there, but it sure makes a lot of sense.
Joe, I was wondering what part(s) of the recent In Context article you found incorrect? It seems to be a fairly accurate recounting of Tuesday's meeting and other recent events.
Sara, you seem to have a strong objection to the business community's involvement and interest in our school system. I think most people involved with bringing businesses to a community know how important a strong school system is. I'm suspect that a big reason we've had to build 40+ schools in the past 10 years or so is due to our thriving economy by companies who wanted to come here for the "total package" the area offers, including good schools. Many of the current school system critics came in that wave. I wonder how school systems are fairing in communities whose economy is suffering? Also, your disparaging tone of business interest is ironic since John Tedesco keeps talking about how his zone plan DEPENDS upon the business community to offer special assistance to high poverty schools that may no longer have the parental volunteer and financial support wealthier zones will enjoy.
Finally, have either of you attended Pieces of Gold? When I went in the past, I saw 900+ children and teens from non-magnet and magnet schools from all over the county who looked pretty darn happy to have a chance to showcase a performance they had been preparing for months. What was your experience?
Question
Fri, 03/26/2010 - 10:47 — NWRaleighMomWhat's the WEP's mission? I used to think that they are working with local businesses to raise funds for local schools. Are they doing that at all?
They are using the funds to manipulate the public by purchasing ad space and publishing lies in their white papers. Should we start contacting local businesses to re-consider their support of WEP?
Added: Children are raising funds for WEP??? Should not it be the other way around?
I'm glad WEP has dropped any
Thu, 03/25/2010 - 19:36 — CaryCurmudgeonI'm glad WEP has dropped any shred of pretense that they are unbiased. Just another part of the money machine meant to maintain the illusion of great schools.
Amazingly, WCPSS still funds WEP even though they are adding zero value to our school system.
How much? Why isn't this
Thu, 03/25/2010 - 19:40 — loriacHow much? Why isn't this first on the chopping block to help balance the $20M shortfall?
good question
Thu, 03/25/2010 - 19:44 — CaryCurmudgeonWCPSS funds a full-time WEP position, around $60K/year. WCPSS also gives WEP some of the proceeds from the "Pieces of Gold" student event. Think last year was around $60K.
WEP seems to have access to lots of funding (typically over $1M a year), so $120K wouldn't hurt them.
I would imagine Ann Dennlinger is feeling the heat right now, WEP's investors are probably asking how she could let the election results happen on her watch.