Before It's Too Late...

This is very long, but I thought that it was important to share with you this email I just sent to the School Board. Another late night tonight fighting this thing, just like many of you.
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From: Louise Lee
Sent: Friday, May 12, 2006 12:38 AM
To: Wake County School Board Members
Cc: Wake County Commissioners
Subject: Before it's too late......
Dear Wake County School Board Members,

I've included at the bottom of this email a couple of notes I received from a husband and wife in Florida who are rethinking their planned move to Wake County. It saddens me to say that I have no choice but to discourage this family from moving here. Most of you seem to be concentrating so much on the bond amount that you are missing what is happening now right before your very eyes. This is not an isolated case. For years, you have been warned and informed about the repercussions of mass mandating of year-round school attendance - yet you refuse to take seriously documented accounts of failure. You have already been shown statistics from NAYRE, the national advocacy group that pushes mandatory year-round conversion, which show the steady decline of year-round districts in the U.S., and the drop-off (30%) of year-round schools in N.C. over the past five years - yet you turn a deaf ear to reports indicating why systems are returning to traditional calendars. How can you continue to sit back and refuse to face the clear-cut facts - in other words, the truth - about what Wake County's future will look like if your proposed solution becomes a reality?!

In addition, you seem to ignore valid suggestions by the citizens of Wake County on ways to cut down on the projected additional 6,000 number of school seats needed in 2007-08. Have you pressed the administration to go back to Governor Easley and stress the urgent need for a temporary reprieve on the requirement to lower third grade class sizes? Have you conducted a "what if" study to show what would happen if you opened year-round schools up to voluntary attendance ( to everyone - not just those who applied for next year)? If so, where are the figures showing what the results would be? You say that F&R ratios would be compromised. Where is the data showing which schools and by what percentage? Have you publicized how you plan to minimize school construction costs by building functional, efficient schools - not by compromising educational needs, but by omitting all structural and physical "frills"? Have you gone before the Wake County contingent of the General Assembly and urged them to advocate lifting the cap on charter schools? The citizens of Wake County deserve detailed, straight answers instead of contradicting statements that keep them confused.

You continue to base support for a bond referendum on questionable poll results. Are you keeping up with comments from your constituents, 2,250 of whom have signed a petition against mandatory year-round school attendance? That petition has only been online about four and a half weeks, and signatures continue to pour in as news of its existence spreads, mostly by word-of-mouth. To my knowledge, no reference has even been made to the suggestions and opinions of these individuals.

I have saved the most important consideration until last. What about teachers??? This one absolutely astounds me, and leaves me wondering why you continue to threaten the public with talk of forced year-round school attendance, when you know that staffing those schools would be next to impossible! Everyone is scurrying around in "panic mode" trying to find one magic solution to our overcrowding problem, knowing full well that without enough teachers any plan is doomed! What is needed is a mega-dose of reality! Go ahead and admit that it is not feasible to charge ahead with plans for the large-scale mandating of year-round school attendance. Do it now! Even as you and other county leaders toss this proposal around, quality teachers are leaving - not just threatening to leave - they are officially resigning! The proof lies in letters such as this one, taken from the N&O WakeEd blog - "As a high school teacher whose children will next year be forced to attend to new base year round school, The current high school schedule (and even the proposed new schedule) did not allow me enough time off with my kids (one of the major reasons I became a teacher - it certainly wasn't for the money!) You know what I did? I am leaving the district. I have been offered a job in a neighboring county. My children will the other district for free and we will have the same schedule. Yes, I will make a couple thousands dollars a year less than I am this year, but I will not have to pay for trackout childcare and I still will have time with my kids! If this new plan takes hold, I imagine that there will be a mass exit of high school teachers with children. The neighboring school districts (Durham, Johnston, Harnett, Chatham, etc) will benefit greatly and Wake county will have problems attracting teachers to fill the vacancies. (BTW, I am one of those hard to replace highly qualified physics teachers.)"

Teachers such as this can't afford to wait for last minute discussions, or for political games to be played out, or for elections to take place, or for bond amounts to be set. If a new opportunity for employment presents itself now, they have to make a decision - now. The best and the brightest will be highly recruited. What are we to think when we read quotes from Central Office personnel stating, " The majority of them {teachers} would not leave", yet we have friends who are already making plans for early retirement or for employment in neighboring counties? What are we to make of emails from teachers in other states who have decided not to include Wake County among their resume recipients? Some people are saying that teachers will stay because they are dedicated to helping children. I know that is true in many cases. However, those that have to work during the summer to make ends meet won't be able to stay. Neither will those whose time with their own children would be sacrificed. I was one of those dedicated teachers, but if I had to choose between my teaching career and my family - well, that's a "no-brainer"! Again - read the comments on the petition! Take them seriously. Take the teacher survey results seriously as well. I only wish that you could see the many emails I have personally received from teachers whose whole schools are against this!

For the sake of every public school student in Wake County - make that every citizen in Wake County - I ask you to do something that I know will not be easy. Please, please - stop - set aside the proposals, updates, reports, analyses, revisions, etc. from Central Office staff. Concentrate on the irrefutable facts you have read about districts which have tried mandatory year-round schools. Think about the number of citizens who are just now starting to speak out about this issue. Go back and see why they oppose it. Remind yourself that you will see a noticeable flight of supportive families from the public school system - it is already happening. Consider the "Likely Consequences" list, and how this one decision will affect more than just families with children. Be realistic about the teacher situation, and admit that this proposal will not work! Go back to the drawing board and come up with a combination of options that, when added together, will work.

My subject line reads, "before it's too late." I was wrong to put that. It should read, "it's already too late, but you can stop further damage." Much better to admit you've made a mistake now than to find out the hard way that you have underestimated the passion and savvy of citizens who are determined to protect their families and save their county. I, for one, will never give up.

Louise Lee
http://www.soswake.com/


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Tim King said...
Can I sign the petition if I do not live in Wake County. My wife and I have our home up for sale in Florida with the hopes of moving to Wakefield. But since the recent developments of the year-round schools, we have halted our move :( We absolutely LOVE the area and it is our dream to build a house there, but having 3 kids in different grade levels (elementary, middle & high) year-round school would kill our family time to travel or do anything together. Another question...if the school board approves in May and the bond goes on the ballot on November...if the bond does not get approved, do year round schools go bye-bye???
8:04 AM, May 01, 2006

My name is Nancy King and we currently reside in Central Florida. We are thinking of moving to Wake County area in Wakefield, but now are so hesitant due to the schools going year-round. I just do not see how that makes anyone happy. Even when I read what the school board is saying about it, they seem saddened and discouraged, which in my opinion is a good sign that this may not be a good idea if even the school board members are sad about it. Anyhow, do you know the latest on this issue? My realtor keeps telling me that there is a lot of opposition and that it probably won't go through, but I need to hear the truth before I sell my home and leave my family and friends for our big move!!! Any info on the subject would be greatly appreciated! I have been on Wake counties website and it seems as though the elem. is definitely going year-round. What about middle and high school? If/when this passes, I will have a 4th grader, 9th grader and 11th grader. Thank you for your time and keep up the good work!!! Nancy King

PS- we tried YRS in FL and it flopped!!!