Let's Make Some Progress

Here's a letter I just sent to the Wake Board of Education members, CC'ing the County Commissioners and the Wake delegation to the General Assembly:

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Sent: Friday, February 02, 2007 11:56 AM
To: Wake Board of Ed. Members
Cc: County Commissioners, Wake Delegation - General Assembly
Subject: Let's Make Some Progress

Enough is enough. If we can't put aside pride, agendas, politics and game-playing for the sake of CHILDREN, then we are truly a pathetic lot. Space is needed for students. Some say mandatory year-round schools are the only answer. Others insist that seats can be found without forcing a major lifestyle change on families. Let's "cut to the chase" right now, and get on with our lives.

School Board members, you all say that you would prefer not to have to mandate year-round school attendance. Parents and other citizens claim that they have found viable ways to seat students. Have you sat down with them to go over their data? If not, please do so before Tuesday. It would do no harm, but would speak volumes as to your willingness to scrap MYR plans if at all possible. One suggestion I made was to see how many seats would be available if music and art teachers gave up their rooms and used carts. This is not preferable I know, but it is already being successfully done now. According to Chuck Dulaney, such a measure would definitely open up some classroom space. No, it wouldn't solve everything, but it would help. I was told that you would have "staff" look into this. What did they find?

As I've said a hundred times before, if you insist on forcing year-round school attendance, the turmoil we are experiencing now will continue to grow and grow. As additional information becomes public, which it will, you will see a marked increase in opposition from citizens who have no children in WCPSS. Some of us are still doing extensive research on local and national MYR-related issues. Our findings, some of which are yet to be revealed, give further proof as to why this plan needs to be dropped - now.

Earlier this week, I had the honor of speaking with a distinguished leader in the field of education. Dr. Howard Fuller, PhD, is an education professor at Marquette University who has dedicated his heart and soul to teaching. He is currently chair of the Black Alliance of Educational Options, a group which "supports policy initiatives that will provide options for parents and their children, be they public, private, or outside of institutional arrangements." Dr. Fuller believes in parental choice. To him that means "giving families the opportunity to choose, from a range of options, a learning environment they think is best for their children." That is what parents in Wake County are asking for. That is what their children deserve.

In a recent speech, Dr. Fuller referenced a quote by William Daggett. It bears repeating. Mr. Daggett said, "We must love our children's hopes, our children's dreams, our children's aspirations and our children's prayers more than we love the institutional heritage of the school systems." Do not force year-round schools on the children of Wake County. Let that calendar remain a choice. That is the only way it will succeed.

Sincerely,

Louise Lee