SOS (Save Our Students) Wake County

Voting Results!

2010-05-18T22:10:00.001-04:00

Here is a link to the WRAL website page where you can access videos of the entire school board meeting today: http://www.wral.com/news/education/story/7620684/ From what I understand, the “final” vote to focus on more parental choices and on neighborhood schools was 5 – 4 in favor of the change.

The school board also decided to have six (for traditional schools) early-release days for teacher “professional development” time. They plan to use Friday afternoons for that in the upcoming year. I think schools will dismiss two and one-half hours earlier on those days. This is not the same thing as the PLT days that we had every Wednesday this year.

Other items of discussion included Broughton’s IB status, “curriculum audit” progress, and budget items.

Critical Vote at Today’s School Board Meeting

2010-05-18T07:48:00.001-04:00

Please pray that wisdom and civility will rule at the Wake County School Board meeting today. A final vote (seems like there have been a hundred votes already!) is slated to be made on the proposal to give parents more say-so in where their children go to school by cutting back on large-scale forced busing. Four of the five school board members who favor such a plan were elected last fall to carry out that very goal.

The most vocal opponents of the plan are going all out to try and stop it ( lawsuits, etc.) so don’t be surprised if today’s meeting erupts into another volatile display of emotions.

The regular board meeting starts at 3:00, and is usually streamed live on WRAL. Check their website at www.wral.com to see and hear for yourself what is happening.

You can also check there (or at www.newsobserver.com) for media reports of the NAACP diversity rally that took place last night.

What’s the Real Point of This Lawsuit?

2010-05-07T13:54:00.001-04:00

What next??

Well… for one thing, a group of Wake County citizens filed a lawsuit against the Wake County Board of Education yesterday. The plaintiffs are accusing the Board of violating the state Open Meetings Law at their March 23rd Board meetings. There was no way that everyone who wanted to could fit into the room where those meetings are always held, so it was announced ahead of time that tickets would have to be given out.

It is my understanding that a larger facility was offered free of charge to the Board, but by the time that offer came through that day, there was no way that a last-second change could be made. Besides being a logistical nightmare, such a move would have been grossly unfair to folks who showed up at the regular meeting spot only to find that no one was there.

Oh - did I mention that the March 23 meeting was when a preliminary vote on a new school assignment policy passed? The plaintiffs were all opposed to that community-based schools resolution. Now they are pulling out all stops to try and delay a final vote on the matter.

Ideas for the new plan have been made public, and there is nothing “evil” there. Things to question? Yes – and they should be. I can certainly understand the concerns that some people have, but to resort to a lawsuit as a means to slow down work on those plans because they don’t match the plaintiffs’ opinions? Really.

I have attended the Board meetings that were crowded. The rudeness, disrespect, and uncivil actions were appalling. The Board has done nothing wrong by holding their meetings in the usual place, and they have already mentioned the possibility of moving the May meeting to a larger venue. That’s up to them. No matter where they meet, I hope Chairman Margiotta won’t be as gracious as he has been with those who disrupt the meetings. Wake County citizens elected most of those Board members (some were appointed) to carry out the business of tending to our students’ education. Groups or individuals who stand in the way of matters being discussed by yelling and interjecting ugly comments to the point that business has to halt because members (much less those in attendance) can’t even hear each other – or by acting in other immature and disruptive ways, need to be escorted out.

Here’s a link to the lawsuit:

http://media2.newsobserver.com/smedia/2010/05/06/14/File_Stamped_Complaint.source.prod_affiliate.156.pdf

Agenda for the Wake Co. School Board Meeting on Tuesday

2010-05-03T10:31:00.001-04:00

The Wake Co. School Board will meet tomorrow. The Committee of the Whole meeting is from 1:00 – 2:45 and is open to the public, but with limited seating in the boardroom itself. No public speaking allowed. The Board meeting itself will begin at 3:00, with public speaking opportunities starting at 4:00. The agenda for the Committee of the Whole is shown below. The 3:00 “Official Board Meeting” agenda can be found here: http://www.wcpss.net/Board/agendas_schedules/05_04_2010-agenda.html

Committee of the Whole

Time and Place

1:00 pm - 2:45 pm in the Board Conference Room.

Agenda

SS62: Student Transfer Process for 2010-2011

Staff will review Policy 6023 and R & P 6203 and raise some questions that Board members may wish to discuss; review guidelines that staff uses in considering transfer requests; and provide guidance to staff.

SS63: Superintendent Search Committee

Engage in discussion related to process for selecting and employing a permanent Superintendent of the Wake County Public School System.

SS64: Policy 1326: Public Participation at Board Meetings

Staff will present information to the Board.

FA8: Overview of Governor's Proposed 2010-2011 Budget and Implications for WCPSS including the possibilty of a meeting with the Local Legislative Delegation prior to the start of the Short Session

Staff will present information to the Board.

Tedesco’s Vision

2010-04-24T11:23:00.001-04:00

John Tedesco’s ideas for a community-based assignment plan were presented yesterday. He stressed that these were just his thoughts, and that maps, etc. were theoretical. The N&O has a link to the power point presentation here: http://www.newsobserver.com/content/media/2010/4/23/zones.pdf

Tedesco to Present Community Assignment Ideas

2010-04-23T13:12:00.001-04:00

At 4:00 today, School Board member John Tedesco will present his ideas on a community assignment plan that is still in the development stages. According to the Raleigh News and Observer, 150 ticket vouchers will be given out to view the presentation on video in the main board room at the 3600 Wake Forest Road WCPSS office building. Vouchers will be handed out beginning around 3:00.

Also, WRAL states that they will have live, online coverage of the meeting. Their website is www.wral.com

The Main Points…

2010-04-20T12:05:00.001-04:00

of an email I sent to Wake School Board members last night:

First of all, as you consider budget cuts and class sizes, I trust that you will take a hard look at a combination of less drastic measures first. For example, years ago, I suggested the idea of making all art and music classes mobile. No, this is not ideal (my art and music teacher friends hate me for this one!), but it is “doable” with little advance notice, and does not affect student achievement in core classes. As a matter of fact, it is already being done in some schools, I believe. Most importantly, it will free up classroom space that could potentially be used to ease overcrowding in select schools. At a Committee of the Whole BOE meeting in January, 2007, Chuck Dulaney offered the following insight. He said, according to the notes I jotted down, that 20+ students at each of Wake County's elementary schools would have seats if art and music teachers were mobile. Were you told that piece of information? I know many variables need to be considered, but it is certainly worth investigating.

Secondly, please remember the irrefutable data showing that year-round schools are not cost effective if tracks are not being filled! I am having a hard time understanding how certain severe budget cuts can be discussed while the savings method that is staring us in the face is ignored. The national track record for systems which have massively mandated YR school attendance is one of failure, and increased cost is the number one drawback. The research is perfectly clear on that. Please take a moment to study the graph attachments (#1, #2) that compare capacity, enrollment, and utility costs for the converted schools. (please skip Knightdale, as that is a traditional-calendar school). I appreciate your decision to go ahead with a few conversions back to traditional, and I hope more decisions like that will be forth-coming. There are many reasons why year-rounds should be the opt-out choice, but capacity was the only reason initially given for conversions to YR in the first place. If they are not fulfilling that need, please don't wait too long to see how capacity figures will pan out, before deciding to return more schools to a traditional schedule.

Even in the Year--Round (vs Traditional) Capacity and Utilization report presented by Growth and Management at your January COW meeting, figures were confusing if not studied properly. I had to keep reminding parents that the traditional calendar capacity figure for individual schools was a projected number, so utilization figures, seating difference totals, etc. represented a projected number as well. As you know, that capacity number can change from year to year depending on several variables, such as the number of special ed. classes the school has. An understandable mistake by many people was made by comparing the 2006-2007 membership figure with the listed capacity figure to see which traditional schools were overcrowded at the time of conversion. Such an analysis is faulty, however, since the 2006-2007 capacity number (which should have been used for comparison purposes) was not even included as such in the report.

I also remind you that, according to WCPSS staff, system-wide transportation expenses just during the combined two months of July and August more than doubled during the first year of massive YR conversions, rising from close to half a million dollars ($464,000) in 2006 to close to a million ($944,000) in 2007. By the way, according to data from the US Department of Energy, diesel prices were lower in 2007 than in 2006.

Thirdly, on the subject of bell schedules, I think if citizens knew how detrimental certain scenarios would be for our students’ academic progress, they would support some way of getting enough money for buses – or for whatever it would take to stop this schedule handicap that is placed on our children. If you haven’t had a chance to at least skim the following articles, please try to do so now. There is widespread scientific consensus on the connection between academic performance and sleep patterns.

http://nymag.com/news/features/38951

http://library.thinkquest.org/25553/english/well/ages/teen/hspro.shtml

http://www.newsweek.com/id/60154

What a Week!

2010-03-04T10:37:00.001-05:00

If you are a follower of Wake County school issues, your head will be reeling after this week! In a nutshell, the school board voted Tuesday (5-4) in favor of a new resolution which would set up “community schools”, doing away with the required system-wide bussing that former boards had instituted to ensure diversity. Rather than attempt to explain it myself, I would encourage you to read it for yourself by clicking on this link: http://www.wcpss.net/attachments/2010_march1_resolution.pdf It is important to note that this is not a “done deal”, since such a decision requires two separate votes by the school board. I’m assuming the second vote will take place on March 16, at the next scheduled public meeting.

Also, the board voted to convert back to a traditional calendar the following schools: Leesville Road Middle School, Leesville Road Elementary School, and Mills Park Elementary School. Mills Park Middle School will now open as a traditional-calendar school.

I don’t know how long it will be available, but as of this writing, you can view videos of the various segments of Tuesday’s school board meeting here: http://www.wral.com/news/education/asset_gallery/7144844/

More to come…

A Pivotal Time

2010-03-02T08:10:00.001-05:00

Family and Friends -

I only have a second, but wanted to ask for fervent prayer today as our school board (if they stick to their agenda items) votes on topics that have ripped our county apart: mandatory year-round school attendance and bussing for diversity. With four newly-elected board members who have upset the status quo, you can imagine how tensions have run here. I wish I had time to go into details, but suffice it to say that things have gotten ugly, even scary. Media spin has been out of control as false accusations, threats, speculation, and panic mind-sets have caused citizens to blow things out of proportion and throw facts into the wind. Groups and individuals are fanning the fires of anything controversial they can think of in order to promote their viewpoints – most noticeably, racism.

Things have gotten way out of hand, and now, no matter what decisions the school board makes, an uproar will ensue. Please pray specifically for God’s presence to be felt at the marathon school board meetings today/tonight. Pray for His will to be done, and for protection for board members, WCPSS staff, and all attendees. Please pray for those of us speaking today, that our words will help, not hinder. Pray for our children, who seem to get lost in the shuffle of political maneuvering and agenda-pushing.

National Attention

2010-03-01T21:50:00.001-05:00

I’m making time to at least share the following comment that a Raleigh parent posted on the NY Times website after this article came out on Sunday: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/28/us/28raleigh.html

One Raleigh Parent

Raleigh, NC

February 28th, 2010

7:52 am

Please be aware that the writer "parachuted in", according to the local reporter who has been covering our education beat for years, and tried to get a feel for the issues and cover the story. The devil here, as in our national healthcare debate, is in the details.
Some background: I've lived in Raleigh for more than a decade, have kids in the public schools, and was born in NC. I follow the school issues closely. I was at the meeting where Sam Haney spoke, and heard the quote given.
No one in Raleigh, at least, no one I've talked to in this debate, is "against diversity." The idea that "way down south they are ready to re-segregate" is both inaccurate and stereotypical.
The problem is one of defining how much influence the value of diversity should have over the district's decision-making. For instance, how many minutes should a six year old spend on a bus each day in order for him to go to a school that offers a "more affluent" peer group? And how many schools should a student drive past to attend one that "needs him" because of his family's income? How many students should be denied seats at the county's well-regarded magnet program, even if those seats are available, because to leave his "neighborhood school" would leave that school with one less affluent family? Is it fair to families in largely minority areas to require their students give up seats in local schools to kids who are coming from far away to keep their schools from being "too poor"? If people desire proximity for their children, do they have to give up academic excellence? These judgments are commonplace here.
Furthermore, the stress this constant reassigment for diversity puts on families is a topic of everyday conversation. Some families have three children on three different school schedules, as administrators have put the needs of a school over those of a family for years. And the areas divided are not at the neighborhood level. "Nodes" are the word the system uses for reassignement purposes. My node is quite literally my street. There are precisely five students on my street. My neighborhood has more than five nodes, and we are not a particularly large neighborhood for my area. In one local neighborhood, buses going to fifteen (15) different schools stop each morning. Keep in mind these are not municipal buses on their daily routes, but school buses that only pick up children going to a specific school. The transportation logistics required to keep the diversity balance to the levels the previous board mandated is tremendously expensive.
The story also implied the Republicans won the election. That's simply not the case. The issue won the election- the republicans were just the party who backed the candidates on the right side of this issue. You don't get such a large percentage of the vote in Wake County just by being republican. Many democrats, myself included, felt like our party gave more credibility to the "soft" argument that was pro-bussing, pro-reassignment, and anti-calendar options when parents, both affluent and challenged, desire stability, schools we can get to, and a calendar that will keep our kids home at the same time. If there were proof that the policy currently in place actually achieved educational gains, perhaps people would be willing to put up with the difficulty it causes. But to find out we're actually slipping since 2000, and still be asked to bear these burdens, is too much. The voters had enough, and request a more reasonable approach that is more child-centered and less system-centered.

Life Goes On…

2010-02-25T11:51:00.001-05:00

Yes, I’ve neglected my blog again – at a time when I need to be posting multiple times a day to keep up with what’s happening in our school system. Major family obligations have stretched me too thin once more, and of course I have to attend to those first. It seems like everything always hits at once.

Anyway, I’ll get here eventually. In the meantime, I’m still very much “in the loop”, and am attending meetings and speaking whenever I can.

A Correction, and My Handouts From Today’s/Tonight’s Board Meeting

2009-12-15T19:22:00.001-05:00

On the last page of the hard copy handouts I gave away at the school board meeting, the current enrollment for Ballentine Elementary should be “668”, not “66”. Sorry about that…

First handout:

Last month I came across the rough copy of a letter I had sent (back in the days of snail mail!) to School Board members almost exactly nine years ago. Members were getting ready to vote back then on whether or not to mandate year-round school attendance. I implored them to please "consider carefully the long-term ramifications" of their decision, which would "affect the unity of our school system for years to come."

In February, 2005, I attended a Wake Education Partnership “roundtable” on mandatory year-round schools. The Administration shared a power point presentation in which they included the following bullet points: “Mandatory year-round has not been successful in other districts” and, “The districts who use year-round as a choice option are the most successful.” In the months and years that followed, I reminded leaders of those findings, and questioned their sudden change of heart. I never received an answer.

A valid, little-publicized petition from the spring of 2006 (almost four years ago!) gathered, in less than a two–month period, over 3,000 signatures (most with comments) from citizens opposed to the massive mandating of year-round schools. Even though this petition was presented multiple times to various school boards then and later on, the voices of these citizens, from all walks of life, were never publicly acknowledged by those school board members. Many of these former members were the very ones who chastised parents a few years later for “speaking up too late”, and who claimed that they were hearing from equal numbers (citing maybe a hundred) of pro and anti MYR parents.

(Just one of many follow-up comments, this one from an email sent 2 years ago)
“The warnings that were ignored from months and years ago are being fulfilled even as I write this letter. Our county is slipping, and public school supporters are disillusioned to say the least. For the sake of the families who are barely hanging on, please, please turn away from more mandating of year-round schools.”

(Excerpts from emails sent in the Spring of 2009…)

Gang activity in Wake County is rising. WRAL reported in an August news story, that our school system has seen a 33% increase in gang activity since last year. That’s in the schools! The same article pointed out that 49% of gang-related incidents last year occurred in middle schools. Ruth Sheehan wrote an article in the News and Observer referring to a gang-related murder that involved testimony on the part of 6th, 7th, and 8th graders. Even though it can't be proven, officials in L.A. drew a parallel between an increase in "latch-key" children and implementation of year-round schedules.

To think of mandating more middle schools to a year-round schedule is unconscionable to me in light of this information. In fact, maybe board members should consider cutting back on the current number of year-round middle schools.

Think about it - these “latch-key” children are easy prey. Home alone for weeks at a time during every track-out period. Lots of these families have older students who can watch over their younger siblings when all are on the same schedule, but now siblings have been split between different calendars.

Claims that it is “too late” to convert schools back to a traditional school schedule and/or to drop plans to add MYR schools hold little weight when I consider issues such as the one just mentioned. Is there ever a time when we say “sorry – too late” when it concerns a child’s education, and even, potentially, a child’s very life? It’s a valid assumption to think that there are plenty of latch-key elementary children around as well. Even if skepticism exists over findings like those in L.A., dare we take a chance, especially if a conversion is not necessary? The least that our school board can do is to go back and explore that very question.

Too late they say? The Virginia Beach School Board just voted to convert four year-round schools back to a traditional schedule. They cited a savings of about $792,000, and claimed that, “most of the schools struggled to fill classrooms and [struggled to] show academic gains greater than schools on traditional calendars.”

(Excerpts from recent postings on my blog…)

I resent the implication, or in some instances, outright accusations, that anyone who speaks the words, "I am against the FORCING of year-round school attendance" really means, "Let's return to the days of segregated schools". That is preposterous!

In my opinion, lower income families and/or minorities have been ignored, pushed around, taken advantage of, and treated as if they can't even think for themselves. The strategy of select fact-sharing has resulted in a skewed idea of what the true picture looks like.

Take, for instance, the WRAL/ News and Observer poll in 2006. When asked about year-round schools, 52% of Blacks (that's the wording of the poll) and 52% of Latinos either opposed YR schools altogether or thought that they should be optional only. Fact ignored.

Some newer information (meaning less than 2 years old) – strictly data, no opinions - for those who continue to claim that year-round schools are a money-saving venture:

I asked the WCPSS for, and promptly received, data showing the 2009-2010 20^th-day enrollment figures for each individual school in Wake County. Let’s look at a few of the schools that were converted from traditional to mandatory year-round in 2007-08.

Ballentine Elementary: capacity prior to YR conversion, 761

current enrollment, 668

Lockhart Elementary: capacity prior to YR conversion, 885

current enrollment, 728

Wakefield Elementary: capacity prior to YR conversion, 1,009

current enrollment, 831

These are just some of the examples of converted MYR schools in which the current YR enrollment figure is less than the capacity figure when they were traditional. Wake County’s explanation for that has been that they couldn’t fill the YR schools because they had to have parents’ permission to assign students there. But the May 1, 2009 ruling by the state Supreme Court knocked that reasoning out of the picture. Now, even with the authority to assign students to YR schools against parents’ wishes, enrollment is down, and tracks are being dropped left and right (a story in and of itself).

This leads me to the cost issue:

Again, using data supplied directly from the WCPSS, I compared energy expenditures for the 20 converted schools. In 18 of those schools, the energy cost per pupil rose during the first year of conversion (2007-2008). That is to be expected, of course, largely due to air-conditioning costs during the hot summer months. What is revealing, however, is the percentage increase in some of these schools. Just looking at the elementary schools listed above:

Ballentine: 21.7% increase in per pupil energy cost

Lockhart: 23.1%increase in per pupil energy cost

Wakefield: 30.7% increase in per pupil energy cost

At Rand Road Elementary, where enrollment has consistently dropped since 2006, the per-pupil energy cost increased 59.2% the year it was converted. Hodge Road Elementary saw a 54.8% per pupil increase that same year.

To anyone who has taken the time to research and study the irrefutable facts surrounding districts across our nation who have tried massively mandating year-round school attendance, one thing is clear – it is NOT a cost-saving measure! The vast majority of these districts ended up converting back to a traditional calendar, with increased cost being one of the main reasons. I could fill pages with examples, but suffice it to say that this has been, and continues to be, the MYR track record for decades. Just this year, Virginia Beach school board members voted to convert 4 year-round elementary schools back to a traditional schedule, citing a savings of $792,000 for the district. According to the Virginia Pilot, an assistant superintendent that helped start the YR program recommended ending it, stating, “It’s the right thing to do…the wonderful things teachers do for the children…will not go away. Year-round is a schedule. Our teachers will still provide for these children.”

Also, the following numbers about transportation expenditures before and after the 2007 conversions should be of great interest to Wake citizens.

A quote from a WCPSS staff member -

“Transportation Department staff compared the monthly cost for July & August 2006 with the same months in 2007 to estimate a difference in cost for transportation of year-round students. For July & August 2006, the average cost for each of the 2 months was $232,000 and for 2007, $472,000.”

Additionally,

“Ms Lee, my understanding is that the costs were the actual costs for system-wide transportation for the two months. Thus, the data would show the cost for transportation for the schools in session in July/August 2006 as compared with those in 2007; those months were selected because most of the buses would be for multi-track schools.”

Unless I’m figuring something wrong, the system-wide transportation expenses just during the combined two months of July and August more than doubled during the first year of massive YR conversions, rising from close to half a million dollars ($464,000) in 2006 to close to a million ($944,000) in 2007. By the way, according to data from the US Department of Energy, diesel prices dropped during that interval.

This is truly just a thumbnail sketch of what you will find if you look through this site, Save Our Students, Wake County. Start at the beginning, and just skip over my opinions if you like. But don’t avoid the facts. Totally educate yourself, on both sides of the mandatory year-round issue, so that you can make decisions as an informed citizen of Wake County. There’s too much at stake not to do so.

Second handout – excerpts (minus some links) from a letter I sent to County Commissioners in March, 2006 – almost 4 years ago!

I want to begin by thanking you, on behalf of my family, for your dedication to the well-being of Wake County. Your job has got to be tough, and we appreciate your never-ending commitment of time and energy. Please know that you are not taken for granted!

I would like to specifically address the issue of over-crowding in our schools. First of all, it is important to note that I have been involved with discussions on this subject for years, often as a liaison with Wake Education Partnership. I am no stranger to our School Board members, and have had several opportunities to share important studies and other findings with them. I am very much aware of the situation in which we find ourselves, and stay well-informed on all aspects of the issue. I am also on the Superintendent’s Parent Advisory Council with Bill McNeal and have participated in many discussions with him about student growth.

I do not claim to have the magic solution for housing students now or in the future. I have shared ideas and hope to continue to work with our education leaders as they explore options. I was recently heartened to learn that leasing of existing facilities and other creative suggestions are now being seriously considered – and are being implemented in some cases.

The one option that is being billed as a certainty is, of course, the mandating of year-round schools. This option is especially enticing because it offers the “quick fix” that we need. It also appears to be the only choice on the horizon. The problem is – if put into practice, its potential (and probable) repercussions will more than likely tear our community apart. I beg your patience as I explain.

First of all, I am not speaking out against voluntary year-round schools. Replace the word “voluntary” with “mandatory” however, and a new dimension is added – a frightening dimension in my opinion. I base the factual part of my argument on the tons and tons of school calendar research I have had cause to explore (in depth) over the past two years. The amount of information on this subject is mind-boggling – much too extensive to share in one email.

Suffice it to say that history speaks for itself – the
“track record” for systems who have tried massive mandating of year-round schools is dismal at best. Study after study, account after account, reveal four main themes:

Increased costs
Staffing problems
No proven educational advantage
Community and family fibers are shredded

To fully present existing details on each of these themes would take days, but I have tried to highlight a few key findings.

1) Cost - I’m sure you have already been advised as to the added costs associated with mandatory year-round schools. While it initially saves on construction expenses, when new schools inevitably have to be built, the cost will be much greater. Studies such as the
one done by the Comptroller of the state of Texas show, for example, that air conditioning during hot summer months will cause utility bills to soar. Personnel expenses will increase dramatically, as will costs related to transportation and maintenance. Also, I have been told that during “track-out” time, Wake County funds remediation programs for low-achieving students. This is certainly an admirable practice, but will it be able to continue when the number of participants increases? If so, at what added cost? Even the School Board members have not been able to provide an answer.

2) Staffing problems - I hope you have already seen the report that Toni Patterson (of Central Office) submitted to the Wake County School Board in the late summer [if not, see
here (Adobe Reader required to read this link)]. The title was, “Key Human Resources Year Round School Conversion Issues”, and it detailed major conversion hurdles in categories such as “Budget Issues” and “Recruitment and Employment”. In systems that have tried forcing a year-round calendar, employee burnout has been a major drawback. Since we are currently buried in a crisis situation when it comes to teacher retention and recruitment, I find it hard to believe that we would intentionally dig ourselves into a deeper hole. I taught here in Wake County for 14 years, and still stay in touch with teachers from across the system. The words I’m hearing (which aren’t likely to be openly shared with administrators) reflect a similar sentiment. One veteran teacher of 30 years wrote, “It might just be the year that I retire if year-round becomes mandatory”. And this from a school social worker, “I’d probably leave, losing my 10 years vested in the retirement system and all. Another teacher (younger) pointed out to me that many young teachers still low on the salary scale have to work a summer job to make up for the low pay…with year-round they can’t do this because the time is so broken up….she will have to leave the system as well.” I’m wondering how Wake County plans to deal with the inevitable flight of teachers.

3) No proven educational advantages - Even Wake County’s administration acknowledges the fact that academic advantage cannot be used as a promotional tool for year-round calendars. Information abounds on the issue. In a 2000 Education Brief, entitled, “Year-Round Schools and Achievement in NC”, our own NC Department of Public Instruction came to the following conclusion after conducting an in depth study on the subject. I quote, “The results reported here do not imply any clear advantage or disadvantage to year-round education with respect to student achievement in reading or math.” Since I promised to condense this letter as much as possible, I’ll leave you with just that quote. If you want more research results, I’ll be glad to point the way to others.

4) Community and family - As for the fourth theme, which addresses family and community repercussions – well, I could fill up an entire book on this topic! Besides the obvious, such as loss of family cohesiveness, a decline in parental involvement/support, and the demise of community, other issues need to be given careful consideration. Lower income families (have their opinions even been sought??) know that childcare is typically more expensive in short spurts as opposed to one long break. Scholarships to summer camps, art and music programs, etc. offer opportunities that some of these children would otherwise never experience. Perhaps most importantly – many of these families depend heavily on income that their older students bring home from summer jobs – income that buys food, clothing, and other necessities of life. Also, has Wake County considered the legal quagmire which will develop as parents are forced to try and change court-ordered custody dates? Then there’s an intangible aspect that is especially disturbing, and difficult for some to understand. Most parents possess an intrinsic knowledge about what their particular child needs in order to grow into the type of individual they hope for. Should any school board have the right to force a change in a lifestyle that is vital for some families? For hundreds and hundreds of parents, a traditional school calendar is not just a preference – it is a necessity.

As I close, I want to thank you for seriously considering the points I have mentioned. I would never send an email this long if I didn’t think the information was vital for you to know. Believe it or not, I have only hit the highlights here, but hopefully it will spur a hunger for, and show the need for, a closer look before we “leap”. I have no doubt that we share a common goal to keep Wake County the ideal place to raise a family. I firmly believe that such a goal is attainable through compromise and the implementation of creative options, and by assuring parents that their “say so” in how to best raise their own child(ren) will be respected and protected. I have promised myself never to be part of the “I told you so” crowd. Please help me keep that promise!

Respectfully Yours,

Louise Lee

Just When You Think Things Can’t Get Any Crazier…

2009-12-08T07:43:00.001-05:00

I can’t keep up with everything! It was just a week ago that our new school board members voted in some important changes to Wake’s reassignment policies, including the real possibility of converting some of the MYR schools back to a traditional schedule. Yes, I’m excited about that! THEN – yesterday, Tony Gurley was elected as the new chairman of the Wake County Commissioners, replacing Harold Webb, who is recovering from a stroke. It’s the way it all happened that is so unbelievable. With a 3 – 3 breakdown now along party lines (sadly, it comes down to that), you can imagine the difficulty in getting anything controversial to pass! Apparently (I wasn’t there, mind you), Mr. Gurley was elected when Commissioner Betty Lou Ward left the room to take a bathroom break. Here’s the story as N&O reporter Keung Hui blogged it:

http://blogs.newsobserver.com/wakeed/using-a-potty-break-to-become-chairman

It gets better (or worse, depending on your take). A dead-lock over who would be vice-chair finally ended at 2:15 AM, after at least 8 hours of just sitting there and voting over and over every 5 or 10 minutes on whether Betty Lou Ward or Paul Coble should take that position. Apparently they will pick up the issue again on Wednesday morning, voting 5 – 1 to do so after Commissioner Stan Norwalk indicated at 2 in the morning that he was overdue for his shot of insulin. I kid you not! What will be next?? :^)

Last Night’s Outcome

2009-12-02T08:09:00.001-05:00

After the six or seven hour school board meeting finally ended last night, here’s where things stood:

* Ron Margiotta elected as the new board chairman, cutting short the term of Kevin Hill

* Approval of sending a revised student assignment plan to policy committee

* Approval of ending the weekly Wednesday early dismissals after this year

* Approval of stopping money marked for the Forest Ridge High site in northeast Raleigh until a review of alternative sites can take place

* Staff instructed to survey parents to help with decisions about which year-round schools should be converted back to a traditional calendar.

* Approval of appointing the law firm of Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak and Stewart to audit WCPSS’s legal services.

* Re-scheduled a Dec. 15 board meeting (which had been cancelled by Kevin Hill, the previous board chair)

Today’s Unbelievable School Board Meeting!

2009-12-01T19:33:00.001-05:00

Oh my goodness – where do I even begin?? As soon as the 4 new school board members were sworn in at 3:15 this afternoon, things started to happen. First of all, Debra Goldman was unanimously chosen as Vice-chair of the board. Then, THEN – by a vote of (you guessed it) 5 – 4, eight new agenda items were added for discussion today/tonight – EIGHT!!!! The first of those was to elect a new chair for the board, even though Kevin Hill could stay on until the summer. So, by a 5 – 4 vote, the new Wake County school board chairman is….ready for this???? Ron Margiotta!! Unfortunately, at that point, I had to leave (I had spent over three hours there) so I am anxiously awaiting news on discussion of the other seven new agenda items added on by the new board members, plus Ron. Here’s a list of what they were – we were only given a thumbnail version.

1) Resolution to appoint interim special legal counsel
2) Change in Student Assignment Policy
3) Resolution to ensure parental choice regarding year-round schools
4) Resolution to end all expenditures on the (Forest Ridge High) site and to seek an alternative site
5) A resolution to save costs and expenses
6) Resolution to end early release Wednesdays
7) Scheduling of regular meeting for Dec. 15

That boardroom was packed with citizens! Among the elected officials present were: June Atkinson (State Superintendent of Public Instruction), Representative Marilyn Avila, a couple of mayors, and Sheriff Donnie Harrison, just to name a few. Of course, there were also your "education-related" folks there as well - a lot of familiar faces!

More later, although I’ll be out of town with my mom for the better part of the next two days. Will try to post in the morning, however. Unbelievable day!!

Anger Management

2009-11-12T08:25:00.001-05:00

Good grief – when will all of the childishness and ugliness end?? Jennifer Lanane, president of the Wake County NCAE, sent out a blistering email to members of the teachers’ organization, attacking newly-elected school board members who have not even taken office yet! Angry about rumors of doing away with early Wednesday dismissals, Lanane urged NCAE members to contact the 4 new board members in a show of support for keeping the Wednesday PLT (Professional Learning Team) time. She said the new board was "throwing teachers and students under the bus so that they can show how powerful they are…They don't care about children and it [is] now clear that they don't care about teachers...WE HAVE [to] PLANT OUR FLAG IN THE SAND HERE AND NOW.” After Deborah Prickett exposed the email to the public, and wrote her own letter to the NCAE, Lanane sent a letter of apology to Prickett and the 3 other new school board members. She admitted writing the email in a moment of anger, declaring that it was only a draft, never meant to be sent as written. To see copies of all three pieces of correspondence, check out Keung Hui’s N&O blog here:

http://blogs.newsobserver.com/wakeed/wake-ncae-leader-apologizes-for-attacking-new-school-board-members

The Winner – John Tedesco!

2009-11-04T07:28:00.001-05:00

In the District 2 school board race yesterday, John Tedesco defeated Cathy Truitt by a 3 to 1 margin, garnering 77% of the total votes. Tedesco received 6,658 votes to Truitt’s 2,023. More later!

Truitt Changes Her Mind - Again

2009-11-01T22:16:00.001-05:00

Okay, this is getting too confusing. Now, Cathy Truitt is saying that if she gets the majority of the votes on Tuesday she will serve on the school board (see my last post). I’m getting dizzy just thinking about all of the switching back and forth. What is going on?!?

PLEASE READ NOW!

2009-10-30T23:01:00.002-04:00

On Tuesday, November 3rd, an extremely important and unique runoff “election” will take place for the District 2 seat on the Wake County School Board. I put the word ‘election’ in quotation marks because it’s hard for me to call it that. When candidates were voted on in October, John Tedesco received 49.4% of the votes, about 40 short of being declared the outright winner in District 2. The other two candidates split the remaining 50.6% of the votes. Cathy Truitt, in distant second place, called for a runoff. A few days later she decided to withdraw her name, and even publicly endorsed Mr. Tedesco.

But…according to the State Board of Elections, the vote must still take place, because Ms. Truitt’s name is already on the ballot. So even though she cannot “win”, people can still vote for her! And – here’s the catch – if Cathy Truitt’s name gets more votes that John Tedesco, the current Wake County School Board will fill the seat with anyone they so choose. I hardly call that a fair “election”.

Much “to do” has been made over the fact that some of the new board members are opposed to certain controversial policies that the current board implemented. Because they have dared question these policies, and even mentioned the possibility of looking at changes, some groups and individuals have already incriminated these new members before they have even taken office! Certain media has down-played data showing that academic improvement among certain student groups has not taken place. Their “spin” has fanned the fires, creating false accusations that many who favor more parental say-so for ALL families are anti-diversity and pro-segregation. Absurd!

Now, certain groups are willing to pull out all stops to ensure that John Tedesco does not receive the required 50% of the votes this-coming Tuesday. Mr. Tedesco has consistently been very open about his concern for all students of Wake County, and has vowed to do his best to see that individual needs are met. Opponents want the current board to be able to appoint the next new member, meaning that the “status quo” majority would more than likely remain in control.

How very sad that the election of school board members has turned into a political game, with our children as the pawns. To ensure a fair outcome to all of this, please take the time to vote on Tuesday if you live in District 2. And whether you live in District 2 or not, please spread the word to friends and acquaintances who reside there. Urge them to vote for a real person, not just a name on a ballot of someone who has withdrawn from the race, because that’s a vote for an unknown.

Don’t know where District 2 is? See map here

Finally! Plus – Big News for Wake County

2009-10-15T16:06:00.001-04:00

Okay – I am finally posting something after what, 4 months?! Hopefully that won’t happen again, but…when family (immediate and extended) calls, things like this take a backseat, which is how it should be, of course. Anyway, a lot has happened – too much to try and catch up on. Those who read this post probably already know most of it anyway.

The biggest news was the outcome of the Wake County school board elections last week. Out of four seats up for grabs, three were won outright by candidates calling for a closer look at Wake County’s reassignment policies. Massive busing has been questioned, as well as the forcing of year-round school attendance. The fourth seat will be decided in a November run-off election between Cathy Truitt and John Tedesco. Tedesco was less than 50 votes shy of a majority, while a third candidate, the incumbent, Horace Tart, was defeated.

Rather than rehash news that has been very much in the media, I’m just going to post a couple of things I wrote myself. The first is an email I sent out to friends the day before the election. I wrote the second letter in response to immediate “spin” that hit the day following the election.

1st email - day before election

I realize that many of you will not get this email by tomorrow, but I hope you will read it for informational purposes anyway.

Tomorrow is, in my opinion, one of the most important “off-year” elections Wake County has ever had. Even though we have all had our fill of candidate and media bombardment strategies, it is vital that we vote, and that we spread the word to as many citizens as possible. The School Board race is especially critical, and four districts (1, 2, 7, and 9) will be voting on members. Check here if you’re not sure about your district.

I am in district 7, and will be voting for Deborah Prickett. I have met her, and I believe her when she says that she will have families’ best interests in mind should she be elected. Just FYI, many who support Prickett are also urging support for Tedesco, Goldman, and Malone. I hope if you live in their districts that you have already checked out candidates’ websites for yourself.

I have a lot to say, but the hour is getting late and my back is getting too old to sit at a computer all day! Allow me to just pass on to you some general information that has been on my mind for quite awhile – information pertaining to two subject areas that have been a major focal point for candidates and many others. I won’t have time to share all of my findings, but will just highlight some facts that you haven’t heard or read in the media. This is just FYI, because I think citizens need to hear all sides of an issue. In the interest of getting this out ASAP, I will skip background information, except to say that I have been intimately involved with the mandatory year-round school issue for about ten years. I have based the bulk of my opinions on facts and data gathered through thorough and exhaustive research, and have respectfully shared my findings with leaders on a local and statewide level.

First of all, some new information – strictly data, no opinions - for those who continue to claim that year-round schools are a money-saving venture:

Late last week I asked the WCPSS for, and promptly received, data showing the 20^th-day enrollment figures for each individual school in Wake County. Let’s look at a few of the schools that were converted from traditional to mandatory year-round in 2007-08.

Ballentine Elementary: capacity prior to YR conversion, 761

current enrollment, 668

Knightdale Elementary: capacity prior to YR conversion, 616

current enrollment, 528

Lockhart Elementary: capacity prior to YR conversion, 885

current enrollment, 728

Wakefield Elementary: capacity prior to YR conversion, 1,009

current enrollment, 831

These are just some of the examples of converted MYR schools in which the current YR enrollment figure is less than the capacity figure when they were traditional. Wake County’s explanation for that has been that they couldn’t fill the YR schools because they had to have parents’ permission to assign students there. But the May 1, 2009 ruling by the state Supreme Court knocked that reasoning out of the picture. Now, even with the authority to assign students to YR schools against parents’ wishes, enrollment is down, and tracks are being dropped left and right (a story in and of itself).

Which leads me to the cost issue:

Again, using data supplied directly from the WCPSS, I compared energy expenditures for the 20 converted schools. In 18 of those schools, the energy cost per pupil rose during the first year of conversion (2007-2008). That is to be expected, of course, largely due to air-conditioning costs during the hot summer months. What is revealing, however, is the percentage increase in some of these schools. Just looking at the elementary schools listed above:

Ballentine: 21.7% increase in per pupil energy cost

Knightdale: 49% increase in per pupil energy cost

Lockhart: 23.1%increase in per pupil energy cost

Wakefield: 30.7% increase in per pupil energy cost

To anyone who has taken the time to research and study the irrefutable facts surrounding districts across our nation who have tried massively mandating year-round school attendance, one thing is clear – it is NOT a cost-saving measure! The vast majority of these districts ended up converting back to a traditional calendar, with increased cost being one of the main reasons. I could fill pages with examples, but suffice it to say that this has been, and continues to be, the MYR track record for decades. Just this year, Virginia Beach school board members voted to convert 4 year-round elementary schools back to a traditional schedule, citing a savings of $792,000 for the district. According to the Virginia Pilot (http://www.norfolk.com/2009/01/beach-schools-discuss-closing-yearround-programs), an assistant superintendent that helped start the YR program recommended ending it, stating, “It’s the right thing to do…the wonderful things teachers do for the children…will not go away. Year-round is a schedule. Our teachers will still provide for these children.”

Also, the following numbers about transportation expenditures before and after the 2007 conversions should be of great interest to Wake citizens.

A quote from a WCPSS staff member -

Additionally,

I’ll stop there, hoping that you understand a little more of the “rest of the story”.

Secondly, I continue to be amazed ( and disappointed) at the number of individuals and groups who have been using the word "diversity" to directly or indirectly push citizens to vote for certain candidates. I resent the implication, or in some instances, outright accusations, that anyone who speaks the words, "I am against the FORCING of year-round school attendance" really means, "Let's return to the days of segregated schools". That is preposterous!

Take, for instance, the WRAL/ News and Observer poll in 2006. When asked about year-round schools, 52% of Blacks (that's the wording of the poll) and 52% of Latinos either opposed YR schools altogether or thought that they should be optional only. Fact ignored.

In the spring of 2007, I attended a press conference that African American leaders held. I prefer to have first-hand accounts before I speak on anything. The purpose of the meeting was to encourage members of the black community to return the required (at that time) year-round consent forms – an excellent idea – and I saw and spoke with several leaders that I know. First thing, all attendees were called onto the stage to stand together in support of the WCPSS and the School Board. Some were hesitant, whispering that they came to get information, but none-the-less felt the pressure to go forward. Though it was heavily implied, only one speaker actually came out and told these citizens that they must check “yes” to year-rounds. My greatest concern, however, was the heavy emphasis on this thought: year-round=diversity, traditional=segregation. It’s one thing to wonder if reassignment plans will negatively affect diversity percentages. But to blatantly put the thought in people’s minds that if they choose traditional for their child, they are leaning towards the days of segregation? I have a real problem with that, and I certainly hope most others do as well. These parents – ALL parents – deserve to know the facts and make an educated decision, on their own, with no hints of coercion.

Sorry this is so long, but this is really only a drop in the bucket in the area of information that is not made public. I would also encourage you to continue to read and watch the news for the breaking story of an extensive and very important SAS communication (largely focusing on questionable academic growth data for a targeted group of students) that the WCPSS administration kept secret for months, until a school board member happened to hear about it, and the story was brought to light on Friday.

Thanks for letting me share this with you. Even if you consider this “junk mail”, at least get out and vote on Tuesday!

Louise

2nd email – day after election

This was not an election about "whites" vs "blacks, and anyone who spins it that way is, in my opinion, either extremely uninformed, or only trying to fan the fires of racism.

This election was about parents - no matter what their income or skin color - having a say-so in their child's education. It was about facts, warnings, pleas, suggestions, and logical reasoning being ignored for many, many years.

Many of you know that I have fought for over ten years for parents to have a voice when it comes to the best way to educate their particular child. Last night I came across the rough copy of a letter I had sent - by snail mail :^) - to School Board members almost exactly nine years ago. Members were getting ready to vote back then on whether or not to mandate year-round school attendance. I implored them to please "consider carefully the long-term ramifications" of their decision, which would "affect the unity of our school system for years to come."

Since that time, School Board members and other local and state leaders have been supplied with a steady diet of irrefutable facts about the subject - facts that were presented in an effort to balance out the one-sided information being fed to them by WCPSS staff. Through one-on-one meetings, 3-minute talks during their open sessions, emails, letters, phone calls - you name it - board members through the years were kept well-informed on what had happened, and what would happen, to districts who insisted upon the massive forcing of year-round school attendance.

In spite of a dismal (at best) national track-record, in spite of our administrations own findings that MYR schools were not the best way to go, in spite of legitimate suggestions on other ways to deal with growth, in spite of questionable information and/or select fact-sharing strategies from staff, in spite of thousands of concerned citizens speaking out in volumes over the period of just a few weeks, in spite of red flags going up all over the place about added costs, flight of supportive families and dedicated teachers, dangers to the growing population of latchkey children, hardships related to childcare - oh the list goes on and on - in spite of all this and more, the majority of the School Board finally chose to brush these things aside and go ahead with the plan to convert 22 schools to MYR.

I say mandatory because that's what they were until Judge Manning's ruling in May, 2007. Even after that, the rightful "choice" his ruling granted to parents, was often to a traditional school of unknown location or so absurdly far away that parents hardly considered it a choice at all.

That's when I first heard the word "segregation" being spoken in the same breath as "traditional calendar schools". I was appalled. Yet now, this same ugly monster is raising its head again.

Let me ask you something. Do you really think, REALLY, that these new board members are going to waltz in and talk the citizens of Wake County into suddenly throwing low income and/or minority children "under the bus" so to speak? Please. That is just not going to happen. Sure, there will no doubt be changes to Wake County's diversity policy, just like there were changes in 2007 when massive busing to YR schools began. But parents were told then that change is good - that they were just being ignorant, or selfish, or afraid, not to embrace it with open arms.

How quickly some folks forget that PRIOR TO the CURRENT "diversity policy" in Wake County, our school system was held up as a shining example to the rest of the country. Our superintendent was chosen as the national Superintendent of the Year, and education leaders were bursting with pride at the success of our school system.

Did we have fear-inciting headlines, getting people into a panic wondering what horrible fate awaited our school children when that policy changed? Did certain individuals or groups try to influence the outcome of subsequent elections by scaring people into thinking the end of our successful school system was just around the corner? Did respected community leaders rise up with implications (accusations?) that all of the progress gained since the merger of Wake County's two school systems (city and county) would soon be lost? Of course not - because the change was going their way.

My first year of teaching was the year of the merger, as a matter of fact, and my class definitely reflected the changes that were brought about as a result of that action. I did not teach in Raleigh, but in a school further out in the county. That "diverse" group of students endeared themselves to my heart, and I am still in touch with some of them to this day.

When I looked at those children, I didn't "see" the color of their skin or how ragged their clothes looked. I saw an opportunity to be a positive influence in their lives - to educate each one the very best that I could - to show them that someone cared and loved them for who they were, not for what they were.

Citizens of Wake County, we need to move past our grown-up theories, our tendencies to blow things out of proportion, and our stereotypes. We need to set an example for students (I have one) who are carefully watching our reactions to an election that was controversial, but nevertheless, fair. They are the reason we even have a school board election.

I will continue to be as passionate as ever about parental input into the education of their own children. I will also be ever vigilant in my efforts to see that ALL students are afforded every opportunity possible to reach their full potential. I believe that each one of us shares that same goal.

Congratulations to the winners, and best of luck to those still in the running. To those who lost - I expect to see you still "out there", continuing to stand up for what you believe is best for the children of Wake County. That is, when all is said and done, what unites us all.

Cutting Costs -

2009-06-02T20:08:00.001-04:00

Here's a letter that I sent out to all General Assembly members since they are working long and hard right now on the state budget. I still want to know if anyone in a leadership position in Wake County has bothered to find out if all of the year-round schools are absolutely necessary. The cost increases are incredible, and are, in my opinion justifiable only if no other viable option exists. In this letter I only refer to energy expenses, but as I've shared with you before, transportation, maintenance, and personnel costs increase as well with a year-round schedule.

Letter to General Assembly members:

First of all, I want to thank you for diligently working to come up with a budget that causes the least hardships for the citizens of our state. I know that is an overwhelming task, and one which I do not envy!

Like everyone else, I am concerned about waste and about where cuts will be made. As you discuss options, please keep in mind that holding classes during the hottest months of the year greatly increases expenditures. Below, you will find irrefutable data showing just one local example of how utility costs can soar. I have also included excerpts and a link to an extensive “Special Report”, by the Comptroller of the state of Texas. The findings in this detailed study are eye-opening, and are a “must-read” for all who are serious about putting politics aside in order to keep North Carolina on its feet economically, and to help ease the financial burdens of every citizen.

First, the utility increases – In 2007, Wake County converted 20 traditional schools to a year-round schedule, requiring them to be in full use during July and August. In 18 of those schools, according to Wake County Public School System data, the energy cost per pupil rose during the first year of conversion, in one case as high as 59.2%. Other schools showed increases of up to 54.8% and 49%. This percentage was figured in the fairest way, on a per student basis, since the cost per pupil is not affected by enrollment figures. Here is a link which shows, in a graph format, the energy cost comparisons per school and as a total: http://www.saveoursummers.com/pdfs/UtilitiesCostsForConvertedSchools.pdf

Secondly, the Comptroller’s report – I am providing you with a link to this all-inclusive study by Carole Keeton Strayhorn, in which she researches every cost-related area imaginable to find out how school calendar dates affect economy. In her opening statement, Ms. Strayhorn summarizes her findings by declaring that, “the benefits of stretching the school year have not been proved; what we do know—it’s costing Texans $790 million annually”. View the full report here: http://www.window.state.tx.us/specialrpt/schoolstart2004/

I thank you in advance for taking the time to not just read, but to intently study, this valuable information. I sincerely hope that it will help provide ways to prevent cuts that will place a strain on our students and teachers. That, we simply cannot afford. As I mentioned earlier, I realize what a daunting task you face as you develop a budget that impacts every citizen of this great state. I am confident, however, that you will weigh each and every factor fairly, and come up with a plan that will keep our children – our future – as a top priority.

With Much Appreciation,

Louise Lee

Finally back...

2009-06-02T19:57:00.001-04:00

I know it has been forever since I posted anything here - I doubt that anyone even bothers to check anymore! I have had added responsibilities with an extended family member that have occupied a bulk of my time. Plus, I have been working pretty much full-time trying to keep traditional summers as an option for North Carolina families. Thirteen bills were introduced at the General Assembly this year that pertained to the subject, but thanks to diligence on the part of many citizens, only two of those bills are still under consideration. For more information on this, you can visit www.saveoursummers.com

Speaking Before County Commissioners

2009-04-07T12:08:00.001-04:00

Here's a copy of what I said to the County Commissioners at their meeting yesterday. No matter what anyone says, they can still act as the "checks and balances" group for the Wake County School Board. I've included links in the body of my speech to graphs which show capacity vs enrollment comparisons and energy cost comparisons in the converted MYR schools. VERY interesting!

I am Louise Lee, a resident of Wake County, a former teacher, and most importantly, a wife and a mother of a high school student.l Thank you for letting me speak today. I’m going to go fast, but this is one of the most important talks I will ever make to you. I beg you to please, please, listen carefully to every word I say, even though you have heard other versions of some of this before.

Gangs – According to WRAL news, just in Wake County’s schools, gang activity has increased 33% in the past year. Half of those were in middle schools – 49% to be exact!! As you know, in YR schools, there are 3-week track-out sessions every 8 weeks or so. The # of children that are home alone increases during those weeks, largely because high school siblings are still in school- on traditional schedules, and also because many parents that have to work, can’t afford childcare. Gangs are everywhere now – not just in certain areas of our county. These “latchkey” children are easy prey for gangs, and you better believe these groups know that - and they know where to look.

Here’s my point – I think it is unconscionable that Wake County forces any family into a school schedule that puts their children in grave danger-even life-threatening danger, and I am not exaggerating here. How that can ever be justified is beyond me. However, since mandatory YR school attendance already exists, our school leaders – our county leaders - owe it to theseparents to only resort to this when they see no other way to achieve academic excellence.And ladies and gentlemen, that’s why the citizens of Wake County are looking to you for help – pleading to you for help! Hundreds, arguably thousands, of our children are being placed in harm’s way needlessly! After a two-year trial period, there are schools that simply do not need to continue on a year-round schedule! This isn’t coming from me – the numbers are there to prove it!

Once again, I’m going to leave with you simple graphs [ graph #1, graph #2 ] showing that yes, capacity has risen in those schools, but enrollment continues to drop. Tracks have been closed out, because they can’t be filled. Graphs #3 and #4 clearly show, in an easier-to-read format than what I’ve shared with you before, how energy money is being wasted – yet our leaders are talking of teacher cuts, of doing away with Community-In-Schools programs that provide one-on-one help to students who need it the most – students that will get it nowhere else. They threaten to slash programs that place long-term suspension students in a special classroom where they will be taught by a caring human being, and put them out on the streets – or expect all of them to sit in front of a computer screen and be motivated to get their lessons done. Does anyone see my point?

With each one of you, lies the last hope for many of our students – and I’m not trying to be melo-dramatic here – I’m dead serious. This is the only body left that can demand some straight answers from our school board members. I’m not asking that year-round schools be abolished. I only ask that you study the information that I will give you today – I mean really study it – and then find out the rationale behind keeping all of these schools year-round, especially in light of the budget crisis, and what I shared with you about latchkey children - the rationale behind converting Leesville Middle School to a year-round schedule when school board members themselves know that it is not at all necessary! These are legitimate questions that our school board has felt no obligation to answer for weeks!

In closing, I want to remind everyone listening here today, that we all need to step back and renew our perspective. This debate should not center on whether it will look like we are supporting the School Board or not, or whether someone might accuse us of being anti-diversity. It should have nothing to do with political parties, or how Wake County looks in the eyes of the nation. This is about the lives of our children – our future! Isn’t it time for some accountability, even for admitting mistakes if necessary? We keep hearing, "it’s too late, it’s too late". Who in this room can say to my face that it is too late to save even one child’s future – or life? Just by asking some questions and demanding some answers, you can make the difference. Please don't let our children down! Thank you.

IMPORTANT DATA, INCLUDING WHERE MONEY IS BEING SPENT

2009-03-31T09:11:00.001-04:00

Due to a serious, on-going extended family health commitment, I have been unable to dedicate the time and energy needed to organize pertinent information relating to the mandating of year-round schools in Wake County. I realize that the Wake County Board of Education will vote on their budget today(Tuesday). I am sending this email primarily to pass on fact-based material that the public needs to know.

I hope that some of you will receive this letter in time to use all or any part of it to back-up assertions that the School Board needs to take another look at expenditures, etc., before proceeding with plans to cut certain programs or to continue the massive mandating of year-round school attendance in Wake County.

· For at least 4 or 5 years, the School Board, as a whole, has been given (over and over) irrefutable data on the historic failure, repercussions, etc, of mandatory school attendance

· They chose to basically ignore a petition three years ago that gathered, in less than a two–month period, over 3,000 signatures and comments from citizens opposed to the massive mandating of year-round schools.

· There have been claims that minorities have not expressed opinions on the MYR issue, yet in a News and Observer/ WRAL poll, conducted in May, 2006, 52% of Black respondents and 52% of Latino respondents indicated that they either opposed MYR schools altogether, or thought they should be optional.

· If you will recall, it was in 2007 that the massive conversion from traditional to MYR schools took place. Here are transportation cost comparisons from before conversion and after:

From Associate Superintendent Don Haydon (Spring, 2008) : “Transportation Department staff compared the monthly cost for July & August 2006 with the same months in 2007 to estimate a difference in cost for transportation of year-round students. For July & August 2006, the average cost for each of the 2 months was $232,000 and for 2007, $472,000.”

Additionally, “Ms Lee, my understanding is that the costs were the actual costs for system-wide transportation for the two months. Thus, the data would show the cost for transportation for the schools in session in July/August 2006 as compared with those in 2007; those months were selected because most of the buses would be for multi-track schools.”
Unless I’m figuring something wrong, the system-wide transportation expenses just during the combined two months of July and August more than doubled, rising from close to half a million dollars ($464,000) in 2006 to close to a million ($944,000) in 2007.
*According to data from the U.S. Dept. of Energy, the monthly average diesel price in N.C. was actually less in the summer of 2007 than in the summer of 2006.

· Utility costs per student have increased in the converted MYR schools, while the majority of those schools have experienced a drop in enrollment: Here are graphs (see pages 2 and 3) comparing utility costs per pupil prior to and after conversion of 17 elementary schools. Leesville Rd. Elementary is not included because cost figures for Leesville schools are figured as one entire campus. Also, the graph on page 1 of this link shows the membership figures prior to and after conversions. All of these schools fell short of projected membership figures for the 2008-2009 school year.

· Gang activity in Wake County is rising. WRAL reported in an August news story, that our school system has seen a 33% increase in gang activity since last year. That’s in the schools! The same article pointed out that 49% of gang-related incidents last year occurred in middle schools. Ruth Sheehan wrote an article in the News and Observer referring to a gang-related murder that involved testimony on the part of 6^th, 7^th, and 8^th graders. Officials in L.A. drew a parallel between an increase in gang activity and an increase in "latch-key" children due to a year-round schedule.

OPINION TIME:

Claims that it is “too late” to convert schools back to a traditional school schedule and/or to drop plans to add MYR schools hold little weight when I consider issues such as the one just mentioned. Is there ever a time when we say, ”sorry – too late” when it concerns a child’s education, and even, potentially, a child’s very life? It’s a valid assumption to think that there are plenty of latch-key elementary children around as well. Even if skepticism exists over findings like those in L.A., dare we take a chance, especially if a conversion is not necessary? The least that our school board can do is to go back and explore that very question.

Too late they say? The Virginia Beach School Board just voted to convert back to a traditional schedule four year-round schools. They cited a savings of about $792,000, and claimed that,”most of the schools struggled to fill classrooms and [struggled to] show academic gains greater than schools on traditional calendars.”

I have already sent an email to School board members, asking that they delay a final vote on the budget. Too much is at stake. I’m just sorry I wasn’t able to get this out sooner.

Thanks Everyone… Louise

Excellent Letter on MYR Costs

2009-03-27T11:05:00.001-04:00

Here's a press release well worth reading. It was written by Lisa Boneham, a parent of Leesville students:

WCPSS Is Planning To Cheat Taxpayers Out Of $350,000 by Operating Leesville Elementary and Leesville Middle on the Year-Round School Calendar

Raleigh, North Carolina, March 25, 2009. The Leesville school community experienced a destructive and divisive year round school conversion at Leesville Elementary School in 2007. At that time, WCPSS claimed that the conversion was necessary in order to keep up with “explosive growth”. Eventually, the School Board studied the facts surrounding that conversion. They realized that converting Leesville Elementary to the year-round calendar was indeed unnecessary and would be a mistake. Unfortunately, by that time, all they could say to the Leesville families was “sorry, it’s too late in the process so we cannot change our minds now”.

Many current Leesville families vividly remember that negative experience, and they are not about to let it happen in their community again. Last fall, WCPSS proposed converting Leesville Middle School to the year-round calendar. The reason given for this conversion was “excessive growth in the area with no relief in sight”. Upon studying the growth projections, WCPSS realized that growth in the Leesville area was not at all excessive. In fact, based on WCPSS staff projections, it was determined that growth in the Leesville area is very flat and will be that way for many years to come.

What was initially a desire to keep families together has grown into a fact based mission proving that the Leesville schools should be operating on the less expensive and highly desired traditional calendar. During the past 3 years, this group of 1200+ Concerned and Committed Leesville parents has come together like no other grassroots organization of its’ type, and it looks like their efforts to stay informed and involved in school assignment issues should finally be paying off.

But after yesterday’s Budget Work Session, with an informal vote of 5-4, it appears that WCPSS still plans to operate Leesville Elementary and Leesville Elementary on the year round calendar, even after knowing that this will unnecessarily waste $350,000 of taxpayer funds. ($250,000 at Leesville Middle and $100,000 at Leesville Elementary) The excuse given by those voting to continue with the wasteful MYR conversions is “it is too late now to make the changes…” When the school system should be looking for ways to cut unnecessary spending, operating Leesville Middle and Leesville Elementary on the traditional calendar would instantly and painlessly cut $350,000 out of the budget. CCLP is hopeful that the School Board will take more time to study the facts and will formally vote on making these changes very soon.

“They used the ‘it’s too late because families have already made plans…’ excuse on us with our Elementary School, and this time they know they are completely wrong”, said Lisa Boneham, founder of CCLP. “It is not too late. The fact is, families and teachers have not even been given their track assignments, so no one has been able to make future plans. I especially feel for those who have to rely on childcare and track-out camps, because they are truly in limbo. They cannot confirm any of those things until track assignments are made. People cannot even make summer vacation plans yet. Besides the fact that the overwhelming majority of our families and teachers desperately want to keep Leesville Middle on the traditional calendar, we are still ‘up in the air’ waiting for track assignments. Saying that they have to go through with the year-round conversion, knowing that they will waste $250,000 at the Middle school alone ‘because they cannot upset the families who have already made plans’ is unacceptable. Plans have NOT been made. Making the decision to keep the desired traditional calendar will not upset us. Forcing a year-round conversion when it is not justified is what is upsetting.”

While converting a school to the multi-track year-round calendar does increase the capacity of a school, that additional capacity is not needed in Northwest Raleigh for many years to come. There is currently an overabundance of space at several area schools that is not being utilized, and according to Growth Management, there are no plans to utilize that excess space during the next 3-5 years. CCLP sees this as a waste as well.

“There is absolutely no reason to waste $350,000 by operating these 2 schools on the year-round calendar. Leesville Elementary and Leesville Middle can both operate on the traditional calendar, and can comfortably hold all base students who are assigned to the schools---and there will still be space available for future growth. Leesville Elementary will have 693 base students attending the school with a traditional capacity of 860, while Leesville Middle expects 1095 base students with a traditional capacity of 1222. Knowing the facts, but making the conscious choice to operate those schools for 12 months during the year (when they can educate all of their current base students in a 10 month school year) is completely irresponsible” said Angela Davis-Williams, a founding member of CCLP.

Boneham believes that everyone deserves transparency, not constant spin and hidden truths. “What they won’t admit to the general public is that Leesville Middle will now have 176 fewer base students assigned to the school for 2009-10. Our enrollment is decreasing drastically, so wasting money to create additional capacity that is not needed now and will not be needed for at least 4-5 years is insane. Now that the facts have been released, it is obvious that there is no justification for forcing another unwanted, unnecessary, and wasteful conversion on the Leesville community.”

“We have provided clear data and alternative options showing that converting LRMS to a year-round calendar is the wrong thing to do for so many reasons. The recent updated enrollment numbers are the icing on the cake. A year-round conversion at Leesville Middle would unnecessarily waste taxpayer dollars when we should all be looking for ways to cut expenses instead. WCPSS plans to fund the conversion, and will also increase annual operational expenses by over 20% while decreasing the number of students attending the school. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out what a poor decision that would be” said Eric Blau, parent of 2 children in the Leesville community. “The facts have been given to the School Board many times during the past several months. For the School Board to continue ignoring the facts and blindly proceed with this unjustified change would be very irresponsible.”

If the community’s overwhelming desire to keep their families together wasn’t enough to convince the School Board to stop Mandatory Year Round, the undeniable facts appear to be exactly what is needed in order to bring positive change to the Leesville campus. One thing is for sure…CCLP and their mission of ”One Campus One Traditional Calendar For Leesville” will continue to insist on transparency and honesty, and they are here to stay.

UNTHINKABLE AND UNCONSCIONABLE

2009-03-19T07:39:00.004-04:00

Well, here's the latest in the "challenge the school law" saga. I share this with you because the final outcome of all of this could be a precedent-setting decision for every school system in NC. As my last post explains, the Department of Public Instruction recently sent a letter informing Guilford County that they were not adhering to the law by setting make-up days as late as June 15th. That is indeed the case. Well... the Guilford County school board members voted to ignore that "ruling".

In steps the newly appointed head of the State Board of Education, William Harrison - the man who Governor Perdue tapped to take charge of education in NC, thus making June Atkinson's elected position as Superintendent of Public Instruction an office "in name" only. Mr. Harrison referred to DPI's sending of their letter as "an error", and stated that local boards could indeed revise the ending date of school if they deemed it "necessary". Whoa - big can of worms opened there!

Anyway, here's a link to Mr. Harrison's letter to the Guilford County School Board.

Here's a link to a letter I wrote that was published in last week's Rhino Times in Greensboro (before Harrison's decision)

http://greensboro.rhinotimes.com/Letters-15991.112113_School_snow_days.html

Here are copies of letters to the editor of the Greensboro News and Record

The school board models wrong kind of behavior

Your article, “Vote defies state on snow days” (March 11), fails to point out the unintended message sent to schoolchildren throughout the county: Guilford County Schools can pick and choose which law to follow.

Schoolchildren aren’t necessarily going to understand Jill Wilson’s argument that the state law is too vague. I do not believe the law is vague. I was part of the grass-roots “Save Our Summers” movement to contain the impact of the school calendar on family life. It is a shame there has to be a law to give families and children time to live free of the rat race of school. It is a crime to not follow that law. If Guilford County Schools does not have consequences, children will be taught that following a law is not really important. Education is about actions as much as it is about words.

Libby Thompson
Greensboro

Posted at the News & Record on March 16, 2009 3:00 AM Permalink

School board's defiance presents a poor example

Congratulations to the Guilford County school board. What a wonderful example you are making to your students, staff and the community at large. We don’t like the state rules; therefore, we will ignore them. The date of June 10 for the last day of school was set in state law by the Legislature. Saying the law does not apply to us is like telling the highway patrolman, “Sure I was doing 80 in a 65, but so were others; therefore, it’s OK.”
Shame, shame, shame.
Richard Schroer
Oak Ridge

Posted at the News & Record on March 13, 2009 3:00 AM Permalink

A Law is a Law!

2009-03-12T10:40:00.001-04:00

The Guilford County School Board has gone off the deep end! In a nutshell, I warned them weeks ago that their plans to make up snow days on June 11th, 12, and 15th were against the law that sets June 10th as the last day of school for traditional calendars. Nothing they didn't already know, of course. Well, when they received a letter from the NC Department of Public Instruction informing them of their non-compliance with the law, they voted (Tuesday night) to defy DPI - thus defying the law. What an example for a school board to set for our children!! Unbelievable! Below you will find a link to the article in the Greensboro Record, and a copy of an op-ed piece that I submitted to the Winston-Salem Journal (their system also listed make-up days after June 10).

http://www.news-record.com/content/2009/03/10/article/state_takes_issue_with_school_make_up_days

A “Heads Up” for Public School Parents

If you have a student in a Winston-Salem/Forsyth or Guilford County school district, please sit up and take notice. Your spring break might not be as long as you think.

Over the past few months, I have observed with interest the dates that various school systems have set for weather-related make-up days. Many weeks ago, when I found out that Guilford County had announced June 11^th as their second snow-day, I promptly contacted an administrator to remind him that such an action is against the law. Now, I understand that Winston-Salem/Forsyth has done the same thing.

Some of you will recall the 2004 “School Calendar Law” that sets August 25^th and June 10^th as parameters within which local school boards can establish their own school calendars. This law includes waiver provisions for qualifying school systems that typically have a large number of weather-related make-up days. A waiver can also be granted if it meets certain criteria, is deemed “reasonable” and “necessary”, and is “not an attempt to circumvent the opening and closing dates set forth [in the law]”¹. All other traditional schools are required, by law, to use days prior to June 10^th for making up those days.

I find it inexcusable that certain school districts are still leading parents to believe that June 11^th, June 12^th, etc. will be used to make up days missed because of recent snows. They have been well aware of the tenets of the calendar law since 2004. I realize that the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County school system has already cut into spring break, and to lose even more days that week would be a hardship on parents, students, and teachers alike. As a parent and former teacher myself, I empathize with those families; however, because of the way the local school board set up the calendar to begin with, they now have few options left.

No matter how the school calendar is laid out, make-up days will be established. For some families, a break in the spring might be most important; for others, it is a hardship to have days added on to the end of the school year. Who’s to say which is more important? Some year-round schools have their make-up days on Saturdays. Many parents are flinging a fit about that, and those schools are exempt altogether from the 2004 law!

Let’s face it - this has been an unusual year for us, weather-wise. Even so, creative and forward thinking from the beginning on the part of school board members could have prevented the situation that now exists. Other school systems are dealing with make-up days as well, and are carefully adhering to the law. Yes, the law limits options, but since it also (among other things) prevents traditional schools from opening in late July or early August, many think that it is well worth the trade-off. But… that’s a discussion for another day!

For now, suffice it to say that if I were a parent in the Guilford or Winston-Salem/Forsyth County school systems, I would be livid that, even after being reminded, leaders have still not let the public know that the June make-up days will not be allowed. On March 10^th, the Guilford County school board voted to ignore a letter from the Department of Public Instruction informing them that their plan was not in compliance with the law. This is nothing less than a blatant attempt to “test” the law, and to incite parents to blame the law for last-minute schedule changes.

At least some of us in other systems were forewarned more than a year in advance of the possibility of losing some of our spring break or weekend time. For this to drop as a “bombshell” now is unconscionable. Parents and teachers, I hope you will question your school board members about this. I would love to know how they respond.

A Fellow Public School Parent,

Louise Lee

1.Session Law 2004-180

Section 1, 115c – 84.2, (d)

The Truth of the Matter

2009-03-03T12:08:00.001-05:00

Wake County is using two days of Spring Break to make up days missed because of snow. Keung Hui wrote an article in today's News and Observer pointing out that some people are blaming the 2004 "School Calendar Law" for the loss of those two days. Below, you will find a copy of a response I posted on Mr. Hui's blog.

I could sit here all day defending the merits of the 2004 school calendar law, but I doubt I would change any minds at this point. I'll share the following points/observations for those who care, then I'm off...

1) Do I think a spring break is important? Absolutely – I used to teach, so I know that teachers need a break, as well as students, and even parents. Do I think it is worth doing away with a law so that a spring break can be more secure? Absolutely not! We need to look beyond our own doorstep and consider the thousands (arguably, tens of thousands) of families across NC for whom a traditional summer schedule is a necessity, not just a preference. That’s why the law was supported by citizens across every gender, racial, socio-economic, political, etc. line you can think of. Not many laws can boast that. Why a necessity? For summer youth jobs to put food on tables and pay for clothes, college, etc.; for scholarships to camps, etc., that offer life-changing opportunities, and the list goes on … (see http://www.saveoursummers.com/quickref.asp)

Besides, based on research and experience, I believe that most NC parents would forego an entire spring break if it meant not starting school in late July or early August. That's what the 2004 law changed, remember?????!!!!!!!

2) No matter what the school calendar is, make-up days will be established. For some, a break in the spring might be most important; for others, it is a hardship to have days added on to the end of the school year. Who’s to say which is more important?? Year-round schools have their make-up days on Saturdays. Some parents are flinging a fit about that, and those schools are exempt altogether from the 2004 law! Also, the law, to be fair and reasonable, includes waiver provisions for school systems that habitually miss a lot of school due to inclement weather.

3) As of right now, Wake County still has a 6-day spring break from school. Have we gotten spoiled into expecting 7-10 days?

4) As I mentioned in Keung's article, I empathize with families who made plans beginning April 6th. I'm not trying to sound callous here, but I must mention that we have known about these make-up days for well over a year, maybe even 2 years. We knew that if we made "set-in-stone" plans, we were gambling on Wake County not having much snow - probably a good gamble considering our past history - but surely we realize that no one “owes” us those days now.

5) Perhaps MOST IMPORTANT to some are the results of a statewide poll which show that an overwhelming majority of North Carolina voters support the state’s August 25th school start date.

A random-sample survey conducted in the fall by Public Policy Polling of Raleigh showed 71 percent of likely NC voters support the existing law passed in 2004 establishing a statewide school start date no earlier than August 25th. Furthermore, when given a choice between starting school in late July/early August or in late August, 80 percent of respondents prefer a late August start date.

In the Triangle area specifically, 78% supported the 2004 school calendar law, and 80% favored a late August start date as opposed to late July/early August.

I strongly encourage you to study the entire poll results, especially the crosstabs that break results down into almost every sub-category you can think of. Here's where you go:

http://www.publicpolicypolling.com/pdf/SchoolCalendarMemo1.pdf

Believe me, over the past 5 years, I have heard the law blamed for just about anything you can think of – it works to the advantage of those who see the law as a threat to their power and control, to tout it as a tourism scheme, and to stir up parental opposition to it. And what better opportunity than now? The 2004 school calendar law is so misunderstood, and has been so distorted, that it provides an easy and convenient “scape-goat”.

I find it ironic, in a humorous sort of way, that some of the parents (present company and those mentioned in Keung's write-up excluded) who are lamenting lost vacation time in April are the very ones who accused Save Our Summers - NC supporters of catering to the summer vacation crowd. Human nature is so interesting.

There you have it...have a great day everyone. I certainly intend to... Louise

Here It Is...

2009-02-03T19:17:00.001-05:00

According to a recent press release:

Tonight, the Wake County Board of Education approved an assignment plan that includes filling 10 new schools opening over the next three years.

The plan includes 24,654 students, 2,117 less than the original Nov. 2008 staff proposal and 832 less than the Dec. 16 recommendations. Grandfathering opportunities provide the option for more than 11,000 students to remain at their current school as long as families provide their own transportation to school.

Here's the WCPSS website if you want the details. I can hardly stand to read them myself...

http://www.wcpss.net/news/2009_feb3_assignment/

I'll not slow down for a second as I continue to fight against the forcing of year-round school attendance. This just fires me up to do more!

Important School Board Meeting on Tuesday (Feb.3)

2009-02-02T21:57:00.001-05:00

Tuesday is the big day when the Wake County School Board is to "finalize" plans for reassigning thousands of school students across the county. The meeting starts at 3:00, but if you want to hear preliminary discussion, come at 1:00. I have an idea it might be crowded...

Supreme Court Hears WakeCARES case

2008-12-16T22:28:00.001-05:00

I was out-of-state caring for a loved one, so didn't get to attend the hearing today concerning WCPSS forcing students to go to year-round schools without parental permission. From what I heard, lots of detailed questions were asked, and it could take months for a ruling to be announced. Here's what ABC local news reported:

http://abclocal.go.com/wtvd/story?section=news/local&id=6558290

One Campus One Calendar

2008-12-04T08:26:00.002-05:00

Leesville parents have formed a group called 1Campus1Calendar. Their mission is "To maintain STABILITY for families and bring true CALENDAR CONTINUITY to the Leesville campus by ensuring that all 3 of the Leesville Schools operate on the traditional calendar."

Please visit their site, it is quite extensive and persuasive.

Community Engagement Meetings This Week

2008-12-01T08:06:00.001-05:00

Tonight, December 1, the second community engagement meeting on Wake County Public School System's proposed student assignment plan is scheduled at Cary High School.

These meetings provide parents, teachers, and other citizens a chance to voice their opinions to WCPSS staff about a multi-year draft, which assigns students to schools for the next three school years.

Under the proposed plan, close to 27,000 students are to be reassigned.

The meeting is scheduled to run from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the Cary High School auditorium.

The remaining community engagement meetings are:

Dec. 3 at Wake Forest-Rolesville High School

Dec. 4 at Holly Springs High School

Dec. 8 at Broughton High School

Find the draft of the multi-year student assignment plan here.

To My Teacher Friends, and to All Who Have "Touched" My Life---I Am Thankful

2008-11-25T12:10:00.003-05:00

The Daily Encourager
David Langerfeld
Nov 25, 2008

THE HAND

Thanksgiving Day was near. The first grade teacher gave her class a fun assignment -- to draw a picture of something for which they were thankful.
Most of the class might be considered economically disadvantaged, but still many would celebrate the holiday with turkey and other traditional goodies of the season. These, the teacher thought, would be the subjects of most of her student's art. And they were.

But Douglas made a different kind of picture. Douglas was a different kind of boy. He was the teacher's true child of misery, frail and unhappy. As other children played at recess, Douglas was likely to stand close by her side. One could only guess at the pain Douglas felt behind those sad eyes.

Yes, his picture was different. When asked to draw a picture of something for which he was thankful, he drew a hand. Nothing else. Just an empty hand.
His abstract image captured the imagination of his peers. Whose hand could it be? One child guessed it was the hand of a farmer, because farmers raise turkeys. Another suggested a police officer, because the police protect and care for people. Still others guessed it was the hand of God, for God feeds us. And so the discussion went -- until the teacher almost forgot the young artist himself.

When the children had gone on to other assignments, she paused at Douglas' desk, bent down, and asked him whose hand it was.
The little boy looked away and murmured, "It's yours, teacher."

She recalled the times she had taken his hand and walked with him here or there, as she had the other students. How often had she said, "Take my hand, Douglas, we'll go outside." Or, "Let me show you how to hold your pencil." Or, "Let's do this together." Douglas was most thankful for his teacher's hand.
Brushing aside a tear, she went on with her work.

The story speaks of more than thankfulness. It says something about teachers teaching and parents parenting and friends showing friendship, and how much it means to the Douglases of the world. They might not always say thanks, but they'll remember the hand that reaches out.

"Though he stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand. Psalm 37:24

"My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me. Psalm 63:8

Quite a Crowd!

2008-11-17T22:07:00.001-05:00

Wow! It was standing room only tonight as parents and other concerned citizens gathered in the Leesville Rd. High School auditorium to discuss Wake County's decision to mandate a year-round schedule for Leesville Rd. Middle School. Chuck Dulaney and Patti Head were there, and Mr. Dulaney shared a short power point presentation detailing the plan. That was followed by over an hour's worth of 3-minute talks by at least 35 attendees. The majority of the speakers opposed the conversion, but there was definitely a vocal group who favored the idea. Many questions were posed, some of which were answered by Mr. Dulaney or by two year-round school principals he had brought to the meeting.

I will try to give you more advance notice on other meetings that will be occurring. I do know that the following dates and locations have been announced for feedback on the WCPSS 2009-2012 draft reassignment proposal (posted at www.wcpss.net):

Community Engagement Meetings to get public feedback on the plan are scheduled for:

Nov. 20 at Knightdale High, 100 Bryan Chalk Lane, Knightdale, NC
Dec. 1 at Cary High, 638 Walnut Street, Cary, NC
Dec. 3 at Wake Forest-Rolesville High, 420 W. Stadium Drive, Wake Forest, NC
Dec. 4 at Holly Springs High, 5329 Cass Holt Road, Holly Springs, NC
Dec. 8 at Broughton High, 723 St. Mary's Street, Raleigh, NC

Meetings will be held from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the auditorium of each high school. You can also submit comments online.

IMPORTANT MEETING TONIGHT!

2008-11-17T10:53:00.001-05:00

On Monday evening, November 17th, administrators from the WCPSS Growth and Planning Department are holding a community engagement meeting in the Leesville High School auditorium from 7 pm to 9 pm. The purpose of the meeting is to explain draft staff recommendations for student assignment related to the change in calendar, to answer questions about those draft recommendations, and to listen to alternative proposals and ideas.

If you are opposed to the Wake County School Board's proposal to mandate a year-round schedule for Leesville Road Middle School, attendance at this meeting is a must. To access the website of "1Campus1Calendar", a group that is spearheading the initiative to keep Leesville families together on one traditional schedule, visit www.1campus1calendar.com

If You Haven't Voted Yet...

2008-11-01T11:22:00.001-04:00

Although millions have already cast their ballot early, I personally like to wait until Election Day to vote. In case you're interested, WakeCARES has listed their endorsements for certain candidates, and has posted extensive and thought-provoking candidate replies to a survey they sent out with education-related questions. Well worth checking out, in my opinion...As for me? Well, sometimes I prefer not to disclose who I'm voting for until after I actually vote. This year, however, with local election results every bit as crucial as national ones, I'll share just a few.

Bill Daughtridge for Treasurer

John Miller for Judge

Neal Hunt for Senator

Kenn Gardner for County Commissioner

Vernita Peyton for County Commissioner

Nelson Dollar, Marilyn Avila, Paul Stam for NC House of Representatives

There are others, of course, but these are some that came right to mind. Whichever side you support, just make sure that you do take advantage of our precious right to vote here in America. There have been plenty of times in the past when Wake County races were won by very narrow margins - times when every single vote made a difference. Get to the polls on November 4th, and you can have a role in shaping the future of our great state and county!

FYI - Next Tuesday

2008-10-24T23:04:00.001-04:00

Parents and Children First: A Forum for Equal Opportunities in Education

North Carolina gubernatorial candidate Mayor Pat McCrory has confirmed to attend and speak.

Tuesday, October 28, 2008 at 6:00 p.m.

King’s Park International Church—Durham, NC

Click here to register!

Please join us on Tuesday, October 28^th at 6 p.m. at King’s Park International Church in Durham, NC at Parents and Children First: A Forum for Equal Opportunities in Education. Sponsored by Partners for Educational Freedom in North Carolina, this public forum will allow parents, children and leaders throughout the state to discuss how greater educational options would benefit us all.

That is why Parents for Educational Freedom in North Carolina is inviting you to join us on October 28^th. Please take a stand with all of those who care about parental school choice and increased educational options for our children.

If you have not already registered, please do so today. Don’t miss this opportunity to help make a difference for our children!

This Was Sent to Me, So I'm Passing It On

2008-10-24T10:28:00.002-04:00

WAKE COUNTY CANDIDATE RALLY

"We are all affected daily by the policies, decisions and actions of our local officials. As citizens of Wake County, we can have a positive impact on the future of our county by supporting candidates whose views support change and accountability, especially within our school system. Whatever your decision in the National Election, it is imperative to support local candidates who support the families and taxpayers of Wake County.

Please join us for a “Meet and Greet Rally” on:

Saturday, October 25^th

4:00pm to 6:00pm

Oak Ridge Farm

1025 White Oak Creek Drive

Apex, NC

Hotdogs and drinks will be served.

Please bring your whole family!

Rain or shine

Local Wake County Commissioner candidates, Kenn Gardner, Larry Tilley and Venita Peyton will be in attendance to discuss the issues facing Wake County. Apex Mayor Keith Weatherly, Holly Springs Mayor Dick Sears and Sheriff Donnie Harrison will also be in attendance. This is not a fundraiser but simply a get-together with your local candidates in this important election."

DIRECTIONS:

Hwy 64 W - Right on Green Level Church Rd (1^st light after Hwy 55 exit)

1.5 miles – Turn left on Secluded Acres Road

Follow road to right at end – Turns into White Oak Creek

Farm on the right

Free Seminar on Saturday

2008-10-15T22:20:00.001-04:00

Some of you night be interested in this:

According to the News and Observer, a seminar will be held on Saturday, October 18 to inform parents about Wake County Public Schools' grading practices, homework policies and math courses.

Parents will learn about elementary school grading, which is based on levels 1 - 4 instead of on letter grades. Middle and high school grading systems will also be discussed.

Parents will be informed as to how much homework is expected and how much time, on average, should be spent on homework each day.

The seminar will be from 10 a.m. to noon in the Wake County Commons Building, 4011 Carya Drive in Raleigh. It is sponsored by the Coalition of Concerned Citizens for African American Children.

Guest speaker is Christy Falba, Wake's senior director of elementary education.

Call 231-9057 for more information.

HOT OFF THE PRESS: POLL SHOWS NC CITIZENS OVERWHELMINGLY SUPPORT AUGUST 25th SCHOOL START DATE

2008-09-24T14:47:00.001-04:00

A must see!! This poll, conducted by the well-respected Public Policy Polling firm, has pertinent questions concerning school start dates and summers. Here's one example:

Q2 If you had a choice between starting the school

year in late July-early August or starting it in

late August, which do you think would be the

better choice? If you think it’s better to start the

school year in late July-early August, press 1. If

you think it’s better to start the school year in

late August, press 2.

80% Late August..........

20% Late July/Early August...................

PPP states that support is evident across all demographic subgroups, including race, gender, political party, region, age, and whether or not the respondent had school-aged children. Check out the entire poll here:

http://www.publicpolicypolling.com/pdf/SchoolCalendarMemo1.pdf

CAUTIOUSLY OPTIMISTIC

2008-09-17T08:39:00.001-04:00

Do we dare start applauding? At yesterday's Wake County School Board meeting, it seems that members decided to at least consider the possibility of converting a few mandatory year-round schools back to traditional, and to revisit the plan to open all new schools as MYR. This comes after actual enrollment figures have been way off base - much lower - than projected. I'm not holding my breath, but I'm going to speak out strongly in support of these changes. I hope you will do the same!! Check out the media links below for more details.

My favorite quote is from Lori Millberg: " 'Our planning has assumed that every new school would be year-round, which means an increasingly large percentage of Wake Schools would be year-round. And we're not sure that's what families want,' School Board member Lori Millberg said." (emphasis added by me).

http://abclocal.go.com/wtvd/story?section=news/local&id=6395265

http://www.newsobserver.com/news/story/1221657.html

COURT DECISION - THIS IS HUGE

2008-08-27T12:54:00.001-04:00

Today, the state Supreme Court decided to hear a case that will determine whether or not the Wake County Public School System will be required to obtain parental permission before assigning students to a year-round school.

The court granted the request from the parent group, WakeCARES, which appealed in opposition to Wake County's claim that they do not have to seek parental consent. A previous ruling by the same court was left in place. That order blocked enforcement of an NC Court of Appeals decision that also claimed consent was not needed.

With the WCPSS being heavily criticized for under-enrolled MYR schools, the cancellation of numerous track offerings, off-the-mark enrollment projections, increased transportation and utility costs, etc., this decision will play a huge roll in what the future holds for our school system.

Here's a link to the News and Observer article:

http://www.newsobserver.com/news/story/1196029.html

WHERE IS THE OUTRAGE?

2008-06-11T22:02:00.001-04:00

And what happened to "safety first"?

Below, you will find an excerpt from a N&O article in today's paper, entitled "Heat Takes a Toll On Buses". You can view the entire article at: http://www.newsobserver.com/news/story/1103708.html

"Meanwhile, some school buses lack air conditioning altogether.

Raleigh resident Colleen Hodges said her 6-year-old daughter sometimes comes home with a red face and matted hair after a half-hour ride on the school bus.

Alvin McNeill, director of operations for the Wake County Public Schools transportation department, said the school system does not have enough air-conditioned buses to transport all of the students in summer school and year-round schools. Of the system's 874 buses, 313 have air conditioning, he said.

Wake County has 46 year-round schools, including 26 added in the 2007-08 school year.

Hodges said she plans to start driving her two daughters to school, despite high gas prices.

"They're so little," she said. "We don't want to have to keep subjecting them to that."

(Staff writer Zo' Buck contributed to this report.)

sara.peach@newsobserver.com or (919) 932-8742"

Just another reason why massive, forced, year-round school conversions are not a good idea. Speak up, everyone. Speak up!

What I Said...

2008-06-04T10:37:00.001-04:00

I spoke before the County Commissioners at their 7:00 public hearing Monday night -there was a 3-minute time limit. The large room was packed as people gave their opinions about the proposed budget. I spoke specifically on the subject of the budget requests that the Wake County School Board has made. I mentioned the transportation report I had given to the Co. Comm. (showing the dramatic increase during the summer months - according to WCPSS data), and brought up the increase in electricity expenses despite a decrease in membership for all except 6 of the 19 converted elementary schools.

I left with them a graph showing the projected 2007-'08 increases in membership for those 19 schools, and the actual increases (mostly decreases). It's slow-going, but I'm still figuring out, per school, the electricity increase during the summer months and comparing that with the enrollment decreases. One example I mentioned was Middle Creek Elem. that decreased in membership by 84, yet increased in electricity costs by over 60% per student (66% I think - I'm going by memory).

I know there are variables, etc., but I'm just tired of board members pretending like MYR conversions haven't been costly. Yes, I know it's cheaper than building new schools, but... well, that's a whole discussion that I won't dare get started on today!
Anyway - I did put in a quick plug for teacher salaries and the AG program. I also urged Co. Comm. or someone to look into specific requests on the budget, and find out what input the stakeholders had in deciding where to spend that money (one example - professional development days - is that where the teachers themselves want to pour that money? Will they be beneficial, or a waste of time like some are?)
I threw in the fact that the School Board has been warned for YEARS about the repercussions of implementing a plan that has an extensive, documented track record of failure. Added costs is always listed as one of the reasons for converting back to traditional calendars.

I did put in some positives, and stayed respectful, but ended up like this: I would love to support the entire budget, but until the School Board (Admin. too) can admit that they have made some mistakes (which I think they have with the forcing of YR school conversions) I just can't be on board.

I also spoke earlier at the 3:00 hearing downtown before the Wake County delegation to the General Assembly. My subject was MYR school conversions. I was hoping others would speak about the schools, but of the 17 people signed up to speak, no one else did. I had to leave early, so I guess someone could have decided to speak that wasn't signed up, but that's usually rare.

I hope lots of folks have called, emailed, and visited these General Assembly members. I can't stress enough how important it is to let these legislators know what is happening. I still think some key decisions will have to be made by them. PLEASE let them hear from you!

IMPORTANT MEETING ON MONDAY

2008-05-29T12:34:00.001-04:00

The Wake County delegation to the General Assembly is holding a public comment meeting on Monday, June 2nd from 3:00 - 5:00. This provides a rare opportunity to speak at one time to all of the legislators who represent our county. There is a cut-off time of two minutes, which is short, but still - it doesn't always take a long speech to make an impact!

If you have ever wanted your voice to be heard, on school issues or any other matter, this is your chance. I would suggest calling ahead of time to ensure that you will be called upon to speak. You are allowed to sign up at the door, but if time runs out, that will be the list that is cut short. To sign up, contact Senator Richard Stevens' office at (919) 733-5653. Here are the details:

Wake Legislative Delegation
Monday, June 2nd
3pm to 5pm
Legislative Building
Jones Street
1st Floor - Room 1228

Please encourage everyone you know to show up and speak up!!

County Commissioners and School Board Members - What Happened at the Joint Meeting This Morning

2008-05-21T14:03:00.001-04:00

The joint meeting today between the Wake County Commissioners and the School Board was packed, and covered a lot of topics. Of course the BOE budget requests were discussed at length, with commissioners wanting to know how certain line items directly correlated with students' academic growth.

Things didn't really heat up until around 11:45 when the issue of lost tax revenues due to tardiness on the School Board's part (having to do with recouped sales tax revenue) was brought up. There was a lot of discussion (arguing on the part of some) over exact dates decided upon for deadlines, etc.. Lori Millberg kept focusing on what was in-writing, basically closing the door to validity of verbal agreements on the part of both boards.

The person sitting beside me kept commenting that it didn't matter - what's a few thousand tax dollars anyway. While I agree that they need to move on now and focus on the future, it IS important in my opinion that this and other "lapses" be brought up. The School Board needs to know that yes, someone can finally hold them accountable for their mistakes. They need to admit that they "goofed", apologize, and promise to be more diligent from now on. Did that happen? Three guesses - first two don't count!

Tuesday Night - District Dialogue on Election of School Board Members - Everyone Is Invited

2008-05-19T13:47:00.001-04:00

The following information is from Representative Ty Harrell's website. Should make for lively discussion!

May 16th, 2008

Ty Harrell will moderate a "District Dialogue" Tuesday, May 20, from 7:00-8:00 pm [probably more like 8:30] at the Herb Young Community Center in Cary (101 Wilkinson Avenue). Many constituents and Wake County residents have expressed varying opinions about how we vote for Wake County School Board members - this event will provide a forum for discussion. Special guests include Gale Adcock, Town of Cary Council Member and Alexis Kateron, NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund.

Representative Harrell did tell me that Joe Ciulla (champion of at-large School Board elections) was to have been a panel member, but found out he had family conflicts. Harrell is trying to "even the playing field", but I think he's having some difficulty because so many who share Joe's viewpoint are parents and have to be with children at night...

Court Ruling on MYR Just In

2008-05-06T12:39:00.003-04:00

I just received this verdict from the Court of Appeals regarding the mandating of year-round schools. In a nutshell, they over-turned the decision of Judge Howard Manning (requiring parental consent). More later...

"Appeal by defendants from order entered 3 May 2008 by Judge Howard E. Manning, Jr. in Wake County Superior Court. Heard in the Court of Appeals 9 January 2008.

GEER, Judge.
Defendant Wake County Board of Education ("the Board") appeals from the trial court's order concluding that the Board "lacks the statutory authority to convert traditional calendar schools to mandatory year round schools," but ruling that the Board "is authorized by law to operate, on a voluntary consensual basis, year round calendar schools," so long as it obtains "informed parental consent." (Emphasis original.) Based, however, upon our review of the controlling statutes, we hold that the Board is authorized by the General Assembly to establish year-round schools and to assign students to attend those schools without obtaining their parents' prior consent. We, therefore, reverse the decision below" [Manning's].

Transportation Costs - an Eye-Opener

2008-04-15T13:34:00.001-04:00

I finally have data on the increase in transportation costs since the conversion of 22 Wake County public schools to a mandatory year-round schedule. I have been trying to get this information since February. I believe the school system has tried to obscure the fact that the massive reassignments (largely due to the MYR schools) have caused transportation costs to spiral upwards. Some of us warned them about this years ago, based on reports from other systems that had to abandon MYR school plans due, in part, to rising transportation expenses. The following information given to me by Mr. Don Haydon is a major eye-opener and should have been front and center long before now. I quote:

Additionally,

In other words, the system-wide transportation expenses just during the combined two months of July and August more than doubled this school year, rising from close to half a million dollars ($464,000) in 2006 to

close to a million ($944,000) in 2007.

Ponder that...

Follow-Up Comments on the Joint Meeting

2008-03-27T22:06:00.004-04:00

Here's a copy of an email I sent tonight to the School Board members, CC'ing the County Commissioners.

====

Sent: Thursday, March 27, 2008 10:02 PM
To: 'lmillberg@wcpss.net'; 'htart@wcpss.net'; 'coparker@wcpss.net'; 'rgill@wcpss.net'; 'skparry@wcpss.net'; 'bsclark@wcpss.net'; 'prhead@wcpss.net'; 'rmargiotta@wcpss.net'; 'egoettee@wcpss.net'
Cc: 'joe.bryan@co.wake.nc.us'; 'Tony.Gurley@co.wake.nc.us'; 'citizens4kenn@earthlink.net'; 'Harold.Webb@co.wake.nc.us'; 'lindy.brown@co.wake.nc.us'; 'paul.coble@co.wake.nc.us'
Subject: Follow-Up Comments on the Joint Meeting

Dear Members of the Wake County School Board,

I hope this letter finds you well-rested after an Easter break. I know that last week was a busy and intense time for you. As I’ve stated before, I do not envy your job, nor do I take your service for granted.

I wanted to follow up on a few points that came up during the meeting with the County Commissioners on Wednesday of last week. I warn you in advance that this email is extremely long. But my frustration with misleading and conflicting remarks has spilled way over the three-minute limit allowed at your board meetings. I am not just "sounding off" either. I am presenting facts that you need to be reminded of if you are to gain back the public's trust, and if you are going to make fair decisions. Knowing most of you, I place my trust in the fact that you will read every word of this very carefully. I beg you to do so. This is important.

First of all, take a look at some of the comments made last week about the 2006 bond. Not enough was asked for, the public wouldn’t have supported a larger amount, no one wanted taxes raised, we had no choice but to convert schools to mandatory year-round, etc., etc. While it is true that folks don’t jump for joy at the thought of a tax increase, there was, in fact, some support for doing just that if it meant no forced year-round school attendance. It was a “lesser of the evils” for many, many parents. You don’t have to just take my word for it. Remember the petition against MYR schools that gathered over 3,000 signatures in just a few weeks? The petition that seems to have been ignored, despite the large number of comments shared? I’ve gathered some here for you – and yes, I’m including them all even if it makes this email pages long! I hope you really will read every one. I promise I did not take these excerpts out of context. I quote:

· Please raise taxes

· Increasing taxes in this case is not a bad thing.

· Raise my Taxes Instead of Year Round!

· raise my taxes to support my services!!

· Taxes will need to be raised

· I am also in favor of raising taxes to provide for those schools

· Wake County residents do have the money to pay more taxes but you as the school board just want to push for this year round option

· I have some suggestions for the board to consider: Raise impact fees on new housing and development, approach large corporations for educational funding, and raise our taxes.

· It is a responsibility for every tax payer in the country to have ensure good schools…

· Let's take the high road and fix the capacity problem properly-my taxes are going up no matter what we do anyway. A band-aid solution does no good in the long run.

· Willing to pay higher taxes to keep schedule as is.

· TAX ME PLEASE

· And raise our taxes.

· Please Raise my taxes- No ST YR

· I strongly dissagree with year round and am willing to pay higher taxes to prevent it.

· Also, from what has been reported the amount of tax increase to fund the needed schools is not that big of an amount especially when you consider all the effects of mandatory year round.

· I will pay more taxes to keep my kids on the same schedule!

· Please just teach the children with my TAX dollars and leave the schedule alon[e] that IS NOT BROKEN!!

· I am willing to have my taxes increase…

· I would rather pay more for taxes and less for endless babysitting and track out camps. We moved here from Wisconsin where we had the BEST public schools in the state and we were HAPPY to pay more taxes because 1. our houses maintained their value due to the excellent schools and 2. our children were getting a fantastic education.

· Please raise my taxes--it will be cheaper for our family than to have my two teenagers lose their summer jobs!

· Raise my taxes instead. Year round schools are only a temporary fix, depriving our children of their summer experiences.

· raise my taxes instead !!!

· Pass bonds & increase taxes & BUILD

· No to year-rounds! Increase my taxes

· don't settle for a short-term fix---both the board and commissioners need to make the hard decision to raise taxes to pay for physical schools for all children present and future in the county

· I would be willing to raise my tax rates to avoid this year-round fiasco.

· I am willing to pay higher taxes to continue a traditional school calendar.

· [Our] taxes need to be raised to help provide the necessities with all the growth that is occurring

· Raise Taxes

· I favor a one-cent sales tax to raise funds for school construction

· There has got to be other solutions that do not anger and disrupt sooooo many families.. I would be willing to pay more taxes to keep my kid's summer longer..

· I would rather see higher taxes both to homeowners and businesses to support the needs of the community.

· Raise taxes and put the money to making Raleigh and Wake county sought after by individuals and businesses for our school system - not avoided because of it.

· a need for a tax increase in order to construct the schools necessary to provide for the current and projected growth of Wake County.

· Please consider raising tax rates to fully fund schools.

· My parents will pay more taxes to keep us [siblings] on the same schedule. Please pay attention to what people are saying.

· we know you get what you pay for, and are very willing to pay higher taxes to support the schools.

· I will be happy to pay the increase in taxes; the value of our educational system is worth the investment.

· I have no problem paying more taxes to maintain the traditional school calendar

· We need to be willing to pay higher taxes ourselves to invest in our future (our children) –

· It is time that we adjust taxes to keep up with the changing times.

· I'm opposed to year-round schools for many reasons and am willing to pay more sales tax, property tax, or other fees to retain year-round schools

· I am okay with higher property taxes,

· Also, there are many Wake County families that would happily pay more taxes to permanently end the possibilities of mandatory year round schools and constant threat of reassignments by building the proper number of schools.

· We need to raise taxes or pass a higher bond issue.

Oh, but the polls showed us differently, you say. Let’s take the time to examine those polls. The News & Observer / WRAL poll from May, 2006 did indeed show opposition to a large bond or to property tax increases. BUT, that same poll showed the following results:

What percentage opposed year-round schools altogether or thought that they should be optional?

ALL – 50%
BLACK – 52%
LATINO – 52%
WHITE – 49%

Did you point out those results? No, they would not have helped advance the MYR school cause. I did point them out to you, though. This was also the poll that showed the following results when respondents were asked to describe the quality of the Wake County public schools - “fair” or “poor” percentages were as follows:

ALL – 47%
BLACK – 56%
LATINO – 56%
WHITE – 45%

I could go on, but you get my point, I hope.

What about the Chamber of Commerce poll conducted in Feb./March of 2006? That’s another poll that you pointed to as proof that a larger bond would never pass. That poll focused on bond-related questions and questions about year-round schools. While support for larger bonds was low, it is important to examine the results more closely. How reliable were they? Well, for starters, 63% indicated that they had heard very little, if any, information about the bond issue. 53% said they had heard or read some, very little, or nothing at all about the idea of year-round schools. Yet they were the ones answering questions on those very subjects! And with 43% of participants saying that the Wake County Public school system has “gotten off onto the wrong track”, this poll is pointing out, once again, that citizens simply do not trust the school system to spend their money wisely. Also, the wording of certain questions was definitely leading. For example, when year-round schools were mentioned, it was pointed out that they would “conserve classroom space” and cause “less demand for more buildings”. Such words as “mandatory” or “forced to attend” were never uttered, of course, and negative aspects of year-round conversion were never mentioned.

How could you place so much stock in these surveys unless you didn’t take the time to examine every answer in depth?

Now I realize that you had education professionals, political leaders, business groups, etc. giving you “advice” and urging you to make this decision or that decision. I also know what inevitably goes on behind the scenes in cases like this. I am not saying that you make any of your decisions lightly, nor am I second-guessing your motives. Yes, you have to listen to all sides, but when it comes right down to it, the parents are the ones who know what is best for their children. They have simply not been listened to, and look what has happened…

Besides, the County Commissioners publicly stated, on more than one occasion, that they would agree to whatever amount you asked for in the bond. (See Commissioner Gurley’s quote in this WRAL piece.)

As for statements that you had no choice but to convert all of those schools to mandatory year-round (also stated at the joint meeting), well that is simply not true. I know for a fact that I, and others, presented you with other sound, less-intrusive scenarios to at least seriously explore. These options were not without drawbacks, but many of them would have, at the very least, cut back on the number of schools you converted, and arguably had the potential to prevent conversions altogether. I'm not referring to drastic measures, such as split sessions, etc., but to viable, sensible suggestions. You might have been told that you had no choice, and you might have agreed that the current plan was the best choice, but it was just that---your choice.

I also know that you were advised more than once that your predictions for enrollment increases were too high. That advice came from well-educated parents who presented convincing research results. I'm not saying you should have "bought in" to their advice, but according to them, they were quickly brushed aside.

As far as successfully passing a new bond? Good luck. In 2006, citizens were grossly misled to believe that a "yes" vote on the bond had nothing to do with year-round conversions. And yet, since the bond's passage, many bond supporters have been quick to point out that the public voted their support for MYR schools when they voted in favor of the bond. Someone even said as much in last week’s meeting. Here are some of the comments sent out to citizens prior to the bond’s passage, explaining what their "yes" vote would mean. The first is from a very active community leader, especially in education-related areas. She wrote: "Let's approve the funding for the schools - and then let's work with the appropriate authorities to ensure that our schools are built in the best possible way and parent's choice continues to be a valued aspect of the school system. We can have both." Really? Here's what Mrs. Goodnight and Mr. Atkinson wrote in the large color mailing that went out: "Bond monies cannot be used for administrative costs, but will be restricted to new construction, renovations and repairs, technology upgrades and land for future schools." If that’s the case, then how can you possibly say that approval of the bond signaled support for mandatory conversions??

Talk about enraged citizens! Many voiced their shock at finding out that the "just pass the bond and we'll work with you on the MYR issue" words were just that - words. They felt betrayed and lied to - and rightfully so. Now, I know plenty of supporters of the last bond referendum who will work diligently against new bond proposals. Biting off their nose to spite their face? Maybe so, but they were stabbed in the back one too many times.

For eight years now, I have patiently persevered in my fight against the forcing of year-round school attendance. This email is not meant to put you on the defensive, and believe me, I know what you’ve been up against. I simply cannot stay quiet, however, when comments are made that leave out vital facts.

I will leave you with a comment that was recently written on a survey conducted by the Chatham County Board of Education. That school system is in the process of searching for a new superintendent. At the beginning of the search, Board members sought input by releasing two surveys, one for teachers and staff and one for the community. All of the survey comments are worth skimming, but one in particular caught my eye (#43 here). It read, "Please do not consider anyone from Wake county schools. We have incorporated enough of their policies and procedures at this time. In addition, they are not a good example to follow in handling overcrowded schools." That is not an isolated case. I (and many others) continue to receive emails from out-of-town strangers who are thinking twice about moving to Wake County solely because of the school situation. I answer them as fairly as I can, but my response is hardly as positive as it would have been a couple of years ago.

The warnings that were ignored from months and years ago are being fulfilled even as I write this letter. Our county is slipping, and public school supporters are disillusioned to say the least. For the sake of the families who are barely hanging on, please, please turn away from more mandating of year-round schools! Things have not turned out as you imagined, and no, Judge Manning’s ruling is not to blame - you know I speak the truth when I say that you were duly warned about the repercussions of the decision you chose.

For the sake of the children, do not simply dig us into a deeper hole. It won’t be easy, but you can start us on the road to healing. You, not the administration, have the power to do so. Take the first step towards patching up broken trust.

As always, I thank you your time and consideration of this matter. Once again, I apologize for the length of this email, but I’ve needed to bring some of this information back to the forefront for a long time.

Sincerely,

Louise Lee

Important Meeting Today

2008-03-19T07:38:00.003-04:00

At 9:00 this morning, the Wake County Board of County Commissioners and the Wake County Board of Education will meet jointly to discuss school issues - mainly as they relate to funding. I plan to attend the two-hour meeting, and will report back after the fact.

IS THIS THE WAKE COUNTY WE WANT?????

2008-02-06T23:47:00.001-05:00

Well, so much for facts and parental pleas. Last night the Wake County School Board voted 6-1 (Ron Margiotta was the lone dissenter) to continue with plans to move 6,464 elementary school students for the 2008-2009 school year. Check any of the local media stations/newspapers for coverage of last night's meeting, or go to WCPSS's website for their version of what took place. Thousands of parents are heartbroken and/or angry this morning with the realization that their concerns once again fell on deaf ears.

As predicted long ago, Wake County is already seeing the adverse effects of the School Board's insistence upon forcing families into situations that are counter to their needs and wishes. Supportive public school parents are fleeing the system for charter or private schools. Some have even moved to neighboring counties. Teachers and administrators are leaving as well, fed up with suddenly being mandated into schedules that they did not choose. Neighborhoods are being pitted against neighborhoods, schools against schools, families against families - and tensions are increasing as more and more restrictions are placed upon parents' choices for their children.

Whether you are a parent, teacher, or a concerned citizen - if you believe that the Wake County School Board is wrong in forcing parents to go against what they know is best for their children; in splitting siblings up on different school calendars and, in some cases, into rival high schools; in completely ignoring hard facts and data showing why such a plan has failed year after year in other states; in placing families in situations where they have to compromise their child's after-school safety due to increased costs for childcare and/or the absence of older siblings who are now on a different schedule....IF you see the writing on the wall that these and many other repercussions will continue to chip away at the strong sense of "belonging" and the sturdy educational foundation that this area has always boasted...PLEASE waste no time in contacting the Wake County School Board, the County Commissioners, and the Wake County representation in the General Assembly. Many of you have already done this over and over, but don't give up. Keep calling and writing. Urge others to do the same. Write letters to the editor. Call local (and national, for that matter) TV and radio stations. History has proven that this is not the way that Wake County will improve. In my opinion, we have already started on a downward spiral which can only be stopped if enough people step forward and demand a stop to this unbelievable display of control.

Contact links for the aforementioned groups are listed in the panel to the right. Thank you!

Watch and Listen to the Court of Appeals Hearing on MYR Schools From This Afternoon

2008-01-09T16:20:00.001-05:00

Go to http://www.wral.com/news/video/2277200/ to hear and see the tape from the Court of Appeals hearing today. This is the hearing where WCPSS appealed Judge Howard Manning's decision months ago that required parental consent before mandating year-round school attendance. Judge Manning ruled in favor of the parent organization, WakeCARES, at that time. Now it's a wait-and-see game as to what the ruling of the 3 Appeals Court judges will be. I attended the hearing today, but I would encourage all who are interested to listen to the proceedings for themselves.

Public Hearings on WCPSS's 2008 Growth Management Proposal

2008-01-04T12:11:00.001-05:00

From the WCPSS website:

The Board of Education will hold public hearings on the 2008 Growth Management Proposal at three high schools this month.

The board will hold public hearings Tuesday, January 15 at Sanderson High; Thursday, January 17 at Green Hope High and Thursday, January 24 at Middle Creek High. Each public hearing will be held from 7-9 p.m.
Persons may register to participate in a public hearing online or by calling the WCPSS Customer Service Center at 850-1600. Online registration ends at midnight the night before the hearing day.

Persons may register at the public hearing site between 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. The board will first hear comments in the order in which people have registered online or by phone prior to those who sign up in the hour before the hearing. [If you really want to speak, I advise signing up right away!]

To allow the maximum number of speakers, persons may sign up to speak at only one of the public hearings. Each speaker will be provided three minutes to speak.

Important Dates

2007-12-21T12:16:00.001-05:00

Merry Christmas, everyone! Sorry I haven't been able to keep up with new postings - family health issues took precedent.

I hope and pray that your New Year will be filled with blessings. May we all strive to keep things in perspective and to choose our priorities wisely.

Some dates to keep in mind:

January 1 - deadline for comments on the WCPSS draft proposal.

Jan. 8. - revised plan will be given to the school board

Jan. 15, Jan. 17 and Jan. 24 - reassignment public hearings

Feb. 5 - final vote by School Board

It's About Time!!

2007-11-19T20:50:00.001-05:00

Finally an "official" group has come to the same conclusion parents came to years ago - our children are being tested to death!

The Blue Ribbon Commission on Testing and Accountability for our state has reported that too much time is being spent on testing. They will send their recommendations to the State Board of Education, which will decide whether to embrace them or not. Please read the article from today's "News and Observer" by clicking on the link below. If you agree with these findings, NOW is the time to speak up and let the State Board know how you feel. I hear so many parents complaining about the rampant "teaching to the test" mentality that pervades our public schools. Don't miss this chance to do something about it! Here's the link:

http://www.newsobserver.com/news/story/780273.html

P.S. - If I have a chance, I'll try to post the email address for you...

UPDATE:
Contact info for members of the North Carolina State Board of Education can be found here:
http://www.ncpublicschools.org/state_board/members.html

Community Engagement Meetings (Again) on Student Assignment, etc.

2007-10-31T11:04:00.001-04:00

I'm passing on the following information from the WCPSS's website concerning "community engagement" meetings on student assignment. I'm sorry I failed to post this before the first meeting last Monday, but here are links to the power point presentation and to handouts:

http://www.newsobserver.com/content/media/2007/10/30/CEPresentation.pdf

http://www.newsobserver.com/content/media/2007/10/30/CommHandout.pdf

The community engagement meetings will provide families the opportunity to hear the most current information used in making decisions on school construction and student assignment, as well as an opportunity to provide input into the development of new plans.

The school system will hold three community engagement meetings in various areas of the county. Following are the meeting dates and locations:

Oct. 29

Green Hope High, 2500 Carpenter Upchurch Road, Cary, NC 27519

Nov. 13

Knightdale High, 100 Bryan Chalk Lane, Knightdale, NC 27545

Nov. 15

Sanderson High, 5500 Dixon Drive, Raleigh, NC 27609

Nov. 27
Middle Creek High, 123 Middle Creek Park Avenue, Apex, NC 27539

All meetings are scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. and last for approximately two hours.

A draft Growth Management Proposal will be available for review and public comment on the school district website beginning in early December and the school system will receive suggestions on the proposal that will be used in presenting a staff recommendation to the Board of Education at the board's meeting on January 8. The Board of Education will then schedule public hearings and work sessions. The board is expected to vote on a Growth Management Plan at its February 5 meeting.

-wcpss-

WCPSS Enrollment Less Than Predicted

2007-10-11T14:57:00.001-04:00

The 20th-day enrollment figures were finally released today by the Wake County Public School System. Their original prediction (insistence?) that the increase would probably be around 8,000 students did not come to pass. There are about 6,000 more students this year - a huge jump, but 2,000 seats less than envisioned. Some of us who oppose the forcing of year-round schools find this especially disturbing given the fact that other arguably less- invasive options for creating seats were not sufficiently explored. Another interesting topic of conversation centers around the county dollars that were given to the school system based on the 8,000 number.

Today's "News and Observer" article stated that, "Tony Gurley, chairman of the Wake County Board of Commissioners, said the board can't legally force the schools to return more than $4 million in funding that exceeded the county allocation of $2,172 per student.

But Gurley said commissioners might ask the schools to give back the money voluntarily."

You can find out more at: http://www.newsobserver.com/front/story/733410.html. There is also a post on the WCPSS website, www.wcpss.net .

VOTE ON TUESDAY!!!!!

2007-10-08T14:44:00.001-04:00

Most of you know (I hope!) that tomorrow (Tuesday) is an election day for Wake County. It is so very important that each one of us takes advantage of our precious right to let our choices be known. Turn-out is expected to be low - let's prove that prediction wrong!

FYI - I have been contacted by many folks who share my view that the mandating of year-round schools is wrong. Support for Sean O'Brien in District 6 and Alfreda Wilson in District 3 is growing. I don't live in those districts, but for those who do, I have provided the following links:

http://www.electseanobrien.com/

http://www.electalfredawilson.com/

Please urge everyone you know to make a difference and go out and vote! I think we all know what is at stake here in Wake County. We are desperately in need of some positive changes, and the best way to bring those about is to show up at the polls tomorrow!

Planning to Vote Early? Please Read This!

2007-10-05T09:21:00.000-04:00

From today's N&O:

"Today and Saturday are the last chances to use the one-stop process to register and vote in the municipal elections in Wake and Durham counties."

"If you've registered, you can vote today or Saturday. If you haven't registered, you can do that, too, and vote at the same time. You can also change your registration and vote. "

Read the full article here.

Survey Glitch

2007-10-02T13:29:00.001-04:00

I have received word that when parents have attempted to send in their comments for the online WCPSS survey posted by NBC17, their message is rejected unless the top portion is filled out. Well - the top portion is only for traditional-school parents.

When I questioned NBC17 about this yesterday, they were the ones who said, “just fill out the bottom”. So much for those directions!

I just spoke with the reporter and she is now aware of the problem – says she’ll pass it on. I had hoped that NBC17 would put out a survey of their own for input from MYR parents. I don’t think they quite “get it”. Don’t know how effective this one will be now. I also mentioned that just passing the comments on to WCPSS isn’t enough. Many of you did that long ago. Others need to be aware of the dissatisfaction out there.

Sorry for the faulty instructions. Please let others know, and in the meantime maybe the news station will come up with something. Even if they discount the top info., they can still focus in on the comments.

Thanks everyone.

Here's Your Chance!!

2007-10-01T19:57:00.001-04:00

I posted this on the N&O WakeEd blog tonight. PLEASE take this opportunity that has been laid out for you, and pass this on to others! I assured the person who interviewed me that if NBC17 did this, they would get an overwhelming response (especially from unhappy year-round conversion parents).

Thanks - Louise

If you watched the NBC17 6:00 news, you know that they have put the WCPSS survey online.
They did this so that ALL parents who faced a decision about where to place their child this year (because of the MYR issue) could let their voices be heard. NBC17 interviewed me about this today, and indicated that parents who stayed at their converted year-round school - against their better judgment - should let their reasons be known.

Skip down to the "COMMENT" section on the survey and type away. This survey is for you!!

Access the survey at the following link and go to "CLICK HERE".

http://www.nbc17.com/midatlantic/ncn/news/Education___School_News/wake_calendar_survey.html or use this short one which goes to the same page
http://tinyurl.com/2rso97

UPDATE: Here's the text from the NBC17 story from tonight.

Interview With NBC17 for Tonight's News (just a "blurb" at best!)

2007-10-01T13:07:00.001-04:00

Well...I just interviewed with NBC17, with regard to the many, many parents who "opted" to stay at their converted year-round school because their only other choice would have been an "unknown". To me, THEY are the ones who need to be surveyed, and I am hopeful that they will soon have a venue where they can express their opinions. Stay tuned...

"Opt Out" Survey

2007-09-28T22:18:00.001-04:00

You may have heard about the school calendar survey ( very rough example) that the WCPSS just sent out to families who "opted out" of year-round schools. David Holdzkom, assistant superintendent for evaluation and research with WCPSS, is the contact person. To request a survey form, call 850-1863. They are due back Oct. 12. There are a lot of questions surrounding the survey, such as: What about those families who "opted out" prior to Judge Manning's ruling? Some have indicated that they haven't received a form. Were they supposed to? Also, some parents are questioning why the results will be summarized across sub-groups.

What the public really needs to see is a list of those who stayed at their converted school, but wrote "under duress" and other such comments on their consent forms - the ones who didn't want to "opt out" for some unknown location.

Anyway - just wanted to pass this along.

WCPSS Audit

2007-09-06T08:04:00.001-04:00

Many of you know that in January, Superintendent Burns initiated an independent curriculum management audit for the Wake County Public School System. The purpose was to have an outside organization come in and completely open up and scrutinize all areas, in hopes of providing feedback that would lead to improvements in our school system.

On Tuesday, September 4, the auditors presented their findings to the Board of Education. You can access the full report at http://www.wcpss.net/curriculum-management/. I attended the meeting, and came away with mixed feelings. The main theme seemed to be lack of consistency and coordination in all areas. While I agreed with many of the findings, I was disappointed in the way that some were presented. I commend Del Burns for calling for the optional audit, and much good can come out of it, depending on where the School Board and Administration choose to place their focus. My fear is that the teachers, principals, and County Commissioners will bear the brunt of any finger-pointing that takes place.

At the September 18 School Board meeting, Dr. Burns will present the Administration's response to the audit.

Just One More Example...

2007-08-28T10:14:00.001-04:00

http://www.fresnobee.com/263/story/122003.html

Updates (finally!)

2007-08-08T18:23:00.001-04:00

I am the first to admit that I have done a sorry job keeping this site up-to-date. I plead guilty to being out of town doing "summer things" for the majority of the past 2 months. Still - I should have been more diligent.

Secondly, for those of you whose children were shortchanged on their summer vacation (due to the mandating of year-round schools), I have thought of you often, and my heart goes out to you. For what it's worth, I am still determined to fight this issue. It is not over by any means, especially since the Wake County School Board has appealed Judge Howard Manning's ruling.

Last of all (for now), I have some good news about the School Calendar Law of 2004. This law preserves a traditional summer vacation for most families in North Carolina, and was extensively used (to my surprise, quite frankly) by Judge Manning to defend his decision that parents cannot be forced into a year-round situation. Of course we all know how Wake County squeezed around that decision by still mandating that certain schools would go year-round, and leaving parents with a so-called "choice" to opt out for an unknown location.

The 2004 law, which sets August 25 and June 10 as parameters within which local boards can set their own school schedules, is even more important in light of Judge Manning's ruling. Save Our Summers - NC, a grassroots group that I founded and for which I currently serve as president, fought hard to get the law passed, and we have had to fight just as hard to keep it from being "gutted". Below are excerpts from emails that will go out to SOS-NC supporters this week. Many of you are interested in what happened legislatively this year and in how things stand now, so this should answer some of those questions.

" The 2007 Session of the General Assembly ended last week with a flurry of bills, but thanks to the hard work of our volunteers and the willingness of supporters to get involved, none of the damaging bills introduced dealing with the school calendar were passed into law. This was not an easy feat, considering the North Carolina Association of School Boards, the Association of School Administrators and many other powerful education lobbying groups have made overturning the uniform school start date their top priority. The opposition’s extensive efforts over the past year looked like they were going to come to fruition when, in early April, House Bill 359 Restore Flexibility to School Calendars passed the House of Representatives by an overwhelming vote of 77 to 35. Thanks to a quick response by our grassroots coalition and continued strong support in the Senate, the bill that would have returned total control of school start and end dates back to local school boards was not heard in the Senate this year. However, it remains eligible for consideration in 2008, so we are asking our supporters to continue their efforts to make sure this damaging legislation dies again in next year’s General Assembly Session.

When Virginia passed school calendar legislation, the school boards and administrators spent approximately seven years trying to overturn it. In North Carolina, we have three years already under our belt. With a few more years’ vigilance, we can convince lawmakers and the opposition that North Carolinians are serious about their summers.

Please sign up to receive our notices and alerts so that we can contact you as soon as this bill or any other that would harm the school calendar law begins to move again through the General Assembly. And please continue to spread the word to other parents and concerned citizens who believe in a sensible school calendar - the battle is not yet over.

Lastly, check out how your Representatives voted on school calendar issues this year and take the time to thank them (or ask them to reconsider their position, whichever the case may be) by e-mail or phone. It’s important that legislators hear from their constituents even when the General Assembly is not in Session.

A huge “THANK YOU” to everyone who chose to get involved. Save Our Summers - NC is about preserving a traditional summer and all the experiences that can go along with that for our children, but the movement has also been about letting our government, elected and otherwise, know that North Carolinians can and will stand up for what we believe in, especially when it comes to our families.

Please keep up the good fight, both locally and with the Legislature, and be on the lookout for our bulletins and alerts. YOU made the difference!!"

Wake School Buses Used for Lobbying

2007-07-14T13:24:00.000-04:00

The Carolina Journal had an interesting piece last week while many (including my family) were on vacation. The article is about the improper use of Wake County School buses by the N.C. Association of School Administrators, of which former Wake Superintendent Bill McNeal is now executive director. Here's an excerpt, but be sure to read the whole article by clicking on the link above:

“Yellow buses can only be used for instructional purposes by the local school district,” Graham said, writing from a school transportation conference in Asheville. “Activity buses are for school activities, either instructional or not,” such as trips for athletic events— “[but] state law also allows them to be leased to non-profits for transporting school age children,” he said, referencing G.S. 66-58.
That statute says that state and local government will not provide transportation services in competition with private enterprise, except for the use of public school buses and activity buses for specified purposes, including nonprofits using them to transport schoolchildren to activities at their facilities. Other statutes stipulate that such use, even by emergency management teams or the National Guard, must be fully reimbursed to the local school board.

The Time Is Now

2007-07-08T16:06:00.001-04:00

If the past couple of years (plus) of terrible MYR and school assignment decisions by the current Wake County School Board have made you consider running for a seat yourself, the time is at hand. Seven things you should know (if you don't already) are:

The filing deadline for the October 9th election is only 12 days away - July 20th at noon.
Here's a pdf map of the five seats that are in play this election cycle. (Here's a .jpg of the same map.)
If you don't know what district you're in for School Board elections, go here.
UPDATED: Here are the lists of candidates who have filed as of 7/9, 7/10, 7/11, 7/12, 7/13, 7/16, 7/17, 7/18, 7/19, and 7/20. (Each link should become active sometime on the date itself).
Here's the Wake County Board of Elections website, and the office location.
Even though MYR proponent Susan Parry is not running for re-election in District 5, "a longtime friend and neighbor in Boylan Heights", Anne McLaurin, M.D., is running for that seat.
Dr. McLaurin is an employee of SAS Institute, as is Sean O'Brien, a candidate who has filed for the District 6 seat currently held by Beverley Clark.

Three Items of Note

2007-07-04T10:31:00.000-04:00

Happy Independence Day!!

First Item:
WTVD News is reporting that some schools set to open Monday do not yet have traffic signs warning motorists to slow down. Apparently WCPSS did not request the signs until yesterday! Wake County spokesman Michael Evans says that it's the media's job to remember those kind of things...

"Often times not everything is up by the first day of school," said Evans. "That's why it's important for stations like you to cover this and let people know that come Monday school starts, and you need to be careful with the kids."

Second Item:
Susan Parry will not seek re-election to the Wake County School Board.

Which brings us to the third item...
"The filing period for candidates in the October and November school board and municipal elections has shrunk to two weeks this year, elections officials said Tuesday."
The deadline for filing is noon on Friday, July 20.

QUALITY CANDIDATES NEEDED FOR SCHOOL BOARD POSITIONS!

2007-06-25T22:03:00.001-04:00

FIVE School Board seats will be up for grabs this fall. In District 3, Carol Parker will be "retiring" from her position. Rosa Gill, the new Board Chairperson, will be running for re-election in District 4. Susan Parry (District 5) and Beverly Clark (District 6) will more than likely run for re-election, although it's not official yet. In District 8, Ron Margiotta is expected to run again as well.

So far, only one new person has indicated that he will run. Kevin Hill has announced his intentions to run in District 3 to replace Carol Parker. The News and Observer tells a little about him in this blog post.

A huge opportunity exists here to "overhaul" the School Board, but quality candidates are needed. If you know of such people in any of these districts, please encourage them to consider running, and/or to think of other possible candidates. This is one of those "thankless" jobs, yet we all know who will benefit from wise and fair leadership -- the childrenof Wake County.

JULY 6 - JULY 20 marks the two week time period when candidates can file with the

Wake County Board of Elections.

This deadline is fast approaching, so please put some thought and prayer into this now!!

Commissioners vote 4-3 on WCPSS $$$$

2007-06-18T18:01:00.001-04:00

In a 4-3 vote today, the Wake County Commissioners approved an increase in funding (from the original budget proposal) for the Wake County Public School System. Although they stopped short of funding the full amount requested by the School Board, they did give the board 24.9 million instead of 18.9 million (I think). Here's a link to the N&O article, and I'm sure it will be all over the news tonight.

http://www.newsobserver.com/news/education/wake/story/608001.html

Time Correction

2007-06-05T09:47:00.001-04:00

Concerning my post just before this one - The School Board is actually starting their Committee of the Whole meeting at 11:00 today, not 12:00 as is the norm. I've been told that they will first discuss the magnet school issue, but who knows?

TODAY - Big Discussions Slated for the Wake School Board

2007-06-05T09:35:00.001-04:00

The Wake County School Board has a busy day ahead. Word has it that they will discuss year-round schools (especially where to place families who opted out), magnet schools (some might lose their magnet status), and the budget (WCPSS is asking for more money than the County Commissioners have alloted in their proposed budget). The Committee of the Whole meeting begins at 12:00 noon. This is where the board "hashes out" everything. It's an open meeting, but just to listen. The regular School Board meeting begins at 2:00, and 3:00 is the time designated for public comments. Three minutes is the time limit for comments, and you must sign up to speak prior to 3:00 (I'd say by 2:50). I am still hoping to be there, but due to a change in my daughter's schedule, I might not be able to stay past 2:30.

TODAY: A Chance to Speak on the County Budget

2007-06-04T11:58:00.001-04:00

Sorry that this is such a last minute notice, but I just found out.

Wake County Commissioners will hold two public hearings today (June 4) on the County Manager's Budget Proposal.

The first is at 2 p.m. at the Wake County Courthouse in Room 700. The second is at 7 p.m. at the Wake County Office Park in the Commons Building.

I believe that WCPSS has requested $10 million more than the county manager has is proposed.

Choices and Voices

2007-05-26T10:49:00.001-04:00

Thanks to all of you who gave me your name to read to the School Board members at their meeting this week. In a 36-hour period, I received over 75 names. That's not bad, considering the very short notice and "word-of-mouth" publicity. I was proud to represent the many, many parents who really had no choice but to opt to stay in a year-round school that their child considers "home". I also pointed out to the School Board members that many of the parents would have been at the meeting themselves, except the vast majority of schools in Wake County dismiss between 3:00 and 3:45. Public comment at School Board meetings is from 3:00 until 3:30. Yet some members complain about seeing the same old faces at every meeting. This really needs to change!

The personal stories that you took the time to share with me really speak to the heart of what this is all about. I think it is important that certain other folks hear these accounts. More about that soon. In the meantime, have a blessed Memorial Day weekend, and take a moment to remember and to thank those whose bravery and love of country made it possible for us to freely voice our opinions today...

Key Points

2007-05-22T10:52:00.002-04:00

Today’s post topic is no surprise – the forcing of year-round school attendance. I know some say it is a “done deal” now, but the magnitude of recent decisions has not begun to sink in. There are some key things that the public should have known (via the media) long ago.

#1 – This debate is not new. I jumped in 6 or 7 years ago, and have worked with the School Board and the Administration since then to provide data, research, etc. (on this and many other topics). Naturally, they get my opinions and other feedback as well, but they know that, as a Wake County teacher for 14 years and as a parent and advocate in the field of education for double that number, I have a good feel for the “pulse” of the grassroots folk. I am not a School Board “basher” – they know me as someone who tells the truth in a straightforward and respectful manner, yet expects them to have accountability. I am also quick to commend when the occasion arises. Same with the Administration – I have served in many capacities on various committees, task forces, etc. over the years, and am currently enjoying my tenure as a member of the Superintendent’s Parent Advisory Council.

These leaders have received countless copies of studies and documentation on the long history of large-scale mandatory year-round conversions across the United States. They have known for over a year that the track record is dismal at best, and why the concept has failed. Time after time, I have asked to see the success stories of this much-touted plan, but not a one has been proffered. They know that if any such accounts even exist, they are few and far between.

Over three years ago, in February, 2005, I attended a Wake Education Partnership “roundtable” on mandatory year-round schools. The Administration shared a power point presentation in which they included the following bullet points: “Mandatory year-round has not been successful in other districts” and, “The districts who use year-round as a choice option are the most successful.” Please do take a look at the entire presentation available here in PowerPoint format or here in PDF format. In a letter a few months later, I reminded the board of those findings, and questioned their sudden change of heart..

#2 – Thousands of citizens expressed their opinions and asked for help on the MYR issue very early in the game, but were ignored. Helpful alternative options were offered as well. There’s plenty of proof, and to me, this is huge.

Over a year ago, in September of 2005, my husband talked me into setting up the http://www.soswake.com blog (one-way communication) to keep the public informed about local school issues - most specifically, the MYR debate. I have posted countless fact sheets, copies of letters, personal findings, research results…and on and on. (SOSWake post archives can be accessed on the lower right side of the main page.) But perhaps most importantly, I set up a petition, promising those who signed it that I would pass their names and comments on to the School Board members, and assuring folks that their voices would be heard. In one month’s time, 2,200 signatures had been entered, as well as hundreds of comments. This petition was not openly publicized, nor did I keep it “active” for a long period of time. When I stopped collecting names, the total was 3,000+. Do you know that the School Board has never once publicly acknowledged the existence of these citizens? I’ve even printed out hard copies for board members, and have asked time and again why they have never mentioned these names and comments – for over a year! They are quick to alert media outlets when they hear from MYR supporters, but when I question them about it, the number is miniscule when compared to the thousands who have opposed it since Day 1. Why, School Board members have even openly chastised parents for speaking up too late – referring to anti-MYR groups that have popped up - while once again never mentioning the 3,000+ citizens they heard from early on.

#3 – Hard facts have been ignored and kept from the public. This has been so blatant that it’s unbelievable. I have always contended that every citizen has a right to know all available information on any issue prior to making any kind of decision. That has not happened in this case. I have done all in my power to publicize certain information, but I am only one person. I can’t begin to list all of the facts to which I refer, but I beg you to check some of them out here. They include statistics from the National Association FOR Year-round Education showing the decline of MYR schools in N.C. and in the U.S. They list repercussions which many people have never thought about, such as the nightmare this creates for parents in different cities and states who share custody of their children. They include information on the added costs for year-round schools (especially for air conditioning and transportation) all of which can be backed up. The list goes on and on, but I am truly trying to cut this back. It’s all so important.

#4 – Parents are not only uninformed, they are misinformed. Here’s one example – Soon, here in Wake County, we will see an increase in the number of “latchkey children”. Most parents work, and those with low incomes cannot afford childcare during the frequent year-round track-out periods – childcare that is more expensive than during the summer months. The vast majority of high schoolers who typically look after younger siblings will be in school during the two-week breaks. That leaves the younger students at home – alone. I’m not one to blow something out of proportion, but this scenario sets the stage for a further concern. In Los Angeles, officials directly tied an increase in gang activity to the increase in year-round schools. Think about it – these children are easy prey. Heaven forbid that this would happen, but I see no way to prevent it. Our education leaders, however, have chosen to take that chance! That’s a ripple effect that will be felt county-wide. I recently asked a working mother what she planned to do with her children during track-out times. She was under the impression that WCPSS provided programs for these children. Call WCPSS and ask. You will no doubt get the same answer I got – a big “maybe – but only for certain students who qualify for remedial help, and that’s not a sure thing”. This is just one example. A rude awakening awaits thousands of families.

#5 – The “choice” that parents are being given is grossly unfair. Several parents have used the word “extortion”. Here are what the 2 choices boil down to: A) Stay in the school your child has come to know, one that is likely near your home, with familiar faces – but with a forced year-round schedule or B) Opt out for a traditional school “somewhere” – maybe close by, maybe far away, with new teachers and classmates. I just can’t get past that! Naturally, most parents are checking the “stay in year-round” box, even though they know that is not best for their child and family, and that it runs completely counter to all they have been fighting for and to every parental instinct in their body. Very few are willing to gamble where their child is involved and choose an “unknown” over a “known”. Who would? Therefore, the WCPSS is already touting the fact that the vast majority of the forms are coming back in favor or the year-round conversion. That is so twisted and so misleading! Here’s a poll question that would bring more realistic results: “Would you prefer that your school be converted to year-round, or stay traditional” It’s that simple.

Of course I could write volumes on why this is devastating families, but I know I can’t. Just please believe me when I say that it has already damaged plenty of lives. Yes, this is a two-way street, and I know that families are now feeling frustration on both sides. All parents want what is best for their child and for their family. Those who prefer year-round school should be able to choose that. Same for those who need a traditional schedule. What I think a lot of people don’t realize is that, for thousands of families, such a choice is not based on preference, but on necessity.

#6 – Facts speak for themselves, but the personal side of the MYR issue deserves just as much attention, if not more. This is not about more time to sip lemonade on the porch of an expensive beach house!!! Yes – some continue to accuse opponents of MYR schools of such “selfish” motives. This is about a mother who called me this week, in tears because she didn’t know what to do. Her only son is severely autistic and must have the consistent schedule that a traditional calendar offers. His school is being converted, however, and to move him to a strange setting in a traditional school, away from familiar faces, possibly far from home, would be devastating. Not much of a choice, is it? This family is contemplating, in anguish, moving back to Michigan.

This is not an isolated case by any means. There are thousands of others who are being forced into a “no-win” situation. Will their stories ever be heard? Probably not. Neither will those of the droves of active parents and veteran teachers who have already left or are planning to leave the Wake County Public School System. Oh, but we will know they are gone, for the void left behind will be evident. Their spaces might be filled, but their experience and expertise can never be replaced.

Believe it or not, there’s much more still to be said, but I’ll stop for the sake of your eyes! Trying to crowd so much into a limited space brings back memories of essay assignments such as, “Share your life history – no more than 2 pages.” Obviously this is a multi-faceted, complicated issue. Much of the anger being aimed at certain groups and/or individuals results from a lack of knowledge and factual background information. The School Board has been given the benefit of the doubt many times, and most of us understand the “no-win” situation that they find themselves in right now. We also know that other options have been suggested time and again, a combination of which just might have worked, with much less devastating consequences. Even now, numbers and studies are questionable, and need to be re-evaluated.

Was all of this inevitable? In my opinion, no. But, we are where we are. For now, at the very least, Wake citizens deserve to know that thousands of parents did speak up very early on – not as a part of some organization, either. They should know that the School Board and the Administration made a conscious decision to ignore key facts, even facts that they themselves uncovered! Most importantly, the word must get out that the large percentage of “yes” forms that were returned to WCPSS are a result of a “no choice” choice. It’s no wonder that parents feel betrayed and trapped. Unless the truth comes out, false accusations, misunderstandings, and rage will continue to thrive. Wake County has always had the reputation of being a big place with a friendly, “small town” atmosphere. Would newcomers today see and feel that? Not for long. I hope and pray that we can mend some wounds and set some records straight. There’s far too much to lose if we can’t – far too much.

Thank you for reading this. I have just felt so frustrated throughout this whole debate because people were seeing bits and pieces but not the whole. To get a clear perspective on an issue such as this, you must pull everything together. I appreciate your time and your concern for Wake County.

P.S. – My own daughter, a rising ninth grader, has never faced reassignment. This is a cause I believe in, and will continue to fight for, as long as I feel led to do so.

RESPOND TODAY

2007-05-21T06:53:00.001-04:00

I will be speaking at the Wake Co. School Board meeting on Tuesday (tomorrow) afternoon. I am trying to collect as many names as possible of parents who consented to stay at their converted YR school, but did so only because the "unknown" of the traditional option was too much to risk. I plan to read these names before the board - that's it. People just need to know that headlines which indicate parents' support of YR schools because they checked "yes" do not tell the whole story. Names can be sent to me at: louise.lee@soswake.com Please, please spread the word about this. Even if names come in after Tuesday, I'll send them on, and/or read them at the next meeting. Thank you!

Please Consider This:

2007-05-17T19:35:00.001-04:00

Those of you seeking an outlet for the recent school board decisions and the MYR debate, please see below. I hope MYR opponents will speak up loud and clear!

Dear Parents,
Is your family prepared to go year-round for the first time this year?
Are you happy or disappointed? We want to hear from you. We would
like to follow your family the weeks leading up to the start of the
school year. We are also looking to find some families that would be
willing to blog about how traditional or year-round impacts them on a
day to day basis.
If you are interested please send an email to newstips@wncn.com and
put in the subject line: year-round family story.
Thank you,
Jason Clough
Multimedia Content Manager
NBC-17

A FAIR "CHOICE"? I DON'T THINK SO!!!

2007-05-10T11:23:00.001-04:00

Yesterday, Judge Howard Manning announced that the Wake County Public School System can lawfully proceed with their "opt-out plan" for families who oppose mandatory year-round school attendance. Judge Manning ruled earlier that WCPSS could not force children to attend year-round schools against the wishes of their parents. The Wake School Board decided to still go ahead and forcibly convert 22 schools to a year-round calendar, with one change in plans. On Friday,they are sending home 30,500 letters by students at these 22 schools, asking that parents return a "consent form" to give permission for their child/children to stay at the converted school. Parents who want to remain in a traditional setting will have to leave their now-converted school, and be reassigned to a traditional school elsewhere. Where? Well - parents won't exactly know! The letter is supposed to name a traditional calendar school assignment, but school leaders say they can't guarantee that choice.

So, here is the question that the WCPSS is asking parents: "Do you want to stay at your "home" school (for which we have mandated a year-round schedule) - OR do you want your child to be removed from the school he/she currently attends and be placed in a traditional school somewhere (we can tell you which one it might be, but that could change - oh, and there's always a chance it could be very far from where you live, but we still need your decision, even with that uncertainty).

Sound fair to you? If not, you need to get busy right this second, writing and calling Wake school board members (who say they are hearing from folks who back their plan), County Commissioners, and media personnel. There's a quick link to these folks on the right (only media link is to N&O editor, but you can find others). Time is running out, so please act quickly. In my opinion, they should leave the schools as they are for now (no conversions), fill current year-round schools with volunteers, re-check attendance estimates for the 2007-08 school year (these have been questioned by many) and look for other ways to find extra space - ways that are not ideal, but that are far less risky than what they now have in mind. These could include keeping mobile units in place where students are already successfully performing, using music and art rooms as classrooms (opening up 40 seats) and putting those programs on carts (that's been done forever, and it works!) - and other options as well.

What a shame that in all of this bickering, finger-pointing, and name-calling the FACTS (which have never changed) about the negative side of MYR schools seem to have gotten lost by the wayside!!! I think I'll re=post those..

Here are a couple of links - one to the N&O story yesterday, the other to the WCPSS site for specifics.

http://www.newsobserver.com/146/story/572419.html

http://www.wcpss.net/news/2007_may4_board_responds/answers.html

Public Hearing for Input on Dropout Rates

2007-05-07T11:52:00.001-04:00

RALEIGH _ The House Initiative on Dropout Reform will meet on May 8 with administrators, teachers, parents, students and community leaders for a public hearing on how to improve the state's graduation rate.

This meeting at Southeast Raleigh High School in Raleigh will be the second public hearing organized by the leaders of this initiative, Representatives Susan Fisher and Earline Parmon. They hope to hear from all sectors of the community about the issues facing students at risk of dropping out of high school.

Members of the public are encouraged to attend, and each presenter will be given up to four minutes to speak. If you plan to present, please have the presentation printed for our records.

We hope you will be able to attend.

What: Meeting of House Initiative on Dropout Reform

Where: Southeast Raleigh High School Auditorium, 2600 Rock Quarry Road Raleigh, NC.

When: May 8, 6-8:30 p.m.

Yes, or No? Respond Now to This Poll About Mandatory Year-round Schools

2007-05-04T18:46:00.001-04:00

> http://www.wptf.com/default.asp

School Board Makes Decision On Judge's Ruling

2007-05-04T14:26:00.001-04:00

In an "emergency" meeting this morning, the Wake County School Board voted to appeal Judge Manning's decision about the unlawfulness of forced year-round school attendance. But there's more to the story than that. Here's a link to the latest News and Observer take on it: http://www.newsobserver.com/100/story/570712.html

They Did Have A Clue...

2007-05-04T09:07:00.001-04:00

One year ago today.

Reading Through the Ruling...

2007-05-03T22:46:00.000-04:00

Below is an excerpt of the court's ruling. In this section Judge Manning is addressing the Wake County Board of Education's "assignment appeals process":

From page 20 of the ruling:

In plain English, the law does not require a person to go through a process in which the outcome is already predetermined under the guise that the person will receive a fair and impartial hearing, an absolute right under due process standards. In this case, requiring each student and their parents who are affected by a mandatory assignment to a four (4) track year round school without their consent to appeal the "assignment to a particular mandatory year round school" decision is futile. This is because the underlying decision to convert is non-negotiable.

Because the BOE will not, and emphatically refuses, to undo its decision relating to the mandatory year round schools, the only crumb left to the affected students and their parents in the "assignment" process is not whether or not the student's base school is traditional or year round, but rather whether or not the BOE, through its cumbersome and lengthy "assignment" process will permit [emphasis in original] the student and the student's family to get "off the hook and allow transfer to another school for the 2007-08 which has a traditional calendar.

JUDGE MANNING RULES AGAINST MANDATING YEAR-ROUNDS!!!!!!

2007-05-03T14:51:00.001-04:00

HOT OFF THE PRESS! Judge Howard Manning has ruled in favor of WakeCARES parents who took legal action against the Wake County School Board's plans to force 22 schools into a year-round schedule. This decision is HUGE, with all types of potential repercussions. I've included a link to WRAL's report, and as I hear first-hand information on the decision, I will pass it on. I guarantee that the General Assembly is abuzz right now.

http://news14.com/content/school_news/582020/judge-stops-year-round-schools/Default.aspx

Update: More stories here.

Download the ruling in its entirety here. (This is a large 3MB file, and a PDF reader is required to view it. Adobe Acrobat Reader is free and can be obtained here.)

SPEAK OUT ABOUT WCPSS CURRICULUM - FRIDAY DEADLINE FOR SIGN-UP

2007-05-02T08:38:00.001-04:00

The Wake County public school system is looking for people to participate in 15-minute interviews about the district's curriculum. This is part of a Phi Delta Kappa curriculum management audit of the WCPSS.

All interviews will be scheduled between 4:30 and 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, May 9. They will be held at either Carroll Middle School, 4520 Six Forks Road, or Wake's Crossroads facility, 110 Corning Drive in Cary.

You can sign up at www.wcpss.net/signup/curriculum-audit/ or call the WCPSS Customer Service Center, 850-1600, between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. DEADLINE TO REGISTER IS FRIDAY, MAY 4.

Scare Tactic??

2007-04-27T08:27:00.001-04:00

Some of you already know that Superintendent Del Burns recently stated that, if the 22 mandatory year-round school conversions do not take place, he would have to put elementary children on split schedules. This is an option that has just been thrown out - never before mentioned to the public in all of the months and months of discussion. Allison Backhouse addresses this issue in a letter to the editor in today's News and Observer. Take a look: http://www.newsobserver.com/580/story/568070.html

Judge Manning's Decision on MYR to Come Later

2007-04-19T18:53:00.001-04:00

Judge Howard Manning announced that he won't be able to come to a decision in the WakeCARES' lawsuit against the Wake School Board until the week of April 30th at the earliest. He has other pressing commitments up until then.

Court Hearing on MYR - After the Fact

2007-04-18T14:18:00.001-04:00

I just returned home from the hearing about mandatory year-round schools. Judge Manning gave both sides (parent plaintiffs and the School Board's attorney) plenty of time to have their say. He seemed pretty fair to me - don't know when a decision will be made. It was frustrating to have to sit there and listen to some statements that were twisting and/or misrepresenting certain facts.

The N&O account can be found here: http://www.newsobserver.com/237/story/565401.html

COURT HEARING ON MYR - WEDNESDAY, 10:00

2007-04-17T16:33:00.001-04:00

The court hearing on the Mandatory Year Round issue (initiated by WakeCARES) is at 10:00 A.M. tomorrow morning (Wednesday) in room 10C of the Wake County Courthouse. Judge Howard Manning will hear the case. For information on how to follow the hearing remotely, click on the following N&O blog:

http://blogs.newsobserver.com/wakeed/

Speaking Out On the Proposed WCPSS Budget

2007-03-18T21:18:00.001-04:00

On TUESDAY, MARCH 20, citizens will have an opportunity to voice their opinions about the proposed WCPSS budget (see N&O link on Wed., March 7 posting). The public may speak beginning at 3:00 at the School Board meeting on Old Wake Forest Road. There is a 3-minute time limit. Find out more here:

http://rdu.news14.com/content/top_stories/default.asp?ArID=102019

WakeCARES Lawsuit Filed Today

2007-03-13T23:13:00.001-04:00

To view the legal complaint against the Wake County School Board filed today by WakeCARES, click below.

http://www.wakecares.com/complaint.pdf

Conversion Costs

2007-03-07T08:19:00.001-05:00

This News and Observer article is about the WCPSS budget that was presented to the School Board yesterday by Del Burns. It confirms last month's entry on this blog that the 22 MYR conversions will cost the county an additional 3.3 million dollars. Keung Hui broke it down like this in his blog:

One of the frequently asked questions is how much more money will it cost to operate the 22 schools that will be converted to a year-round calendar.

School administrators put a number out there today as part of a $29.4 million requested increase in funding from county commissioners. The additional funding for converted schools represents $3.3 million of that amount. Here’s the breakdown of the conversion costs:

* Local literacy months —$113,987
* Media specialist months — $6,918
* In-school suspension teacher months of employment — $4,125
* Social work months —$19,166
* Psychologist months — $21,547
* Counselor months — $43,471
* Salary differential for year-round school positions (principal, assistant principal, lead school secretary and NC WISE data manager)— $206,719
* Assistant principal months — $136,488
* Utility budget increases — $536,376
* Maintenance dollars to maintain year-round conversion square feet — $317,853
* Custodial dollars to include housekeeping of year-round conversion square footage — $39,732
* Intersession teachers and teacher assistants — $1,798,360
* Substitutes for 12-month staff for planning days — $53,609

This comes on top of the $2.9 million in capital costs the school board agreed to fund last month out of its reserve funds.

To Save, or Not to Save - That is the Question

2007-02-26T13:55:00.000-05:00

There's an interesting article in Friday's "Beaufort Gazette." Here are some excerpts:

"While the Beaufort County Board of Education is toying with idea of eliminating year-round schools to save money, educators in Wake County, N.C., are examining them as cost-savers. Wake County residents last fall approved a nearly $1 billion bond referendum to build schools, but it wasn't large enough to satisfy all the system's needs to house students. Consequently, officials are examining a year-round calendar to alleviate crowding. According to The News & Observer of Raleigh, the year-round approach adds seating capacity without having to build more classrooms because more students can be accommodated in schools that are used 12 months a year. The school board plans to put new elementary and middle schools on a year-round footing and to convert a couple of dozen schools to year-round, to hold down construction costs, the newspaper reported. In Beaufort County, officials say they can save about $500,000 by eliminating year-round schools."

What If He Had Quit?

2007-02-22T15:43:00.000-05:00

Today is the birthday of George Washington. As I pause to reflect on the courage and wisdom of this great American, I would ask that you take just a moment to travel back in time with me.

The date is December 25, 1776. A ragtag group of soldiers, some shoeless, stood by the Pennsylvania shoreline of the Delaware River, awaiting orders from the Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army, General George Washington. Morale was at a low point. British successes on the battlefield left any hope for an American victory hanging by a thread. In six days most of the men would be free to return home, the terms of their enlistment having been fulfilled. The weather had taken a turn for the worse. Sleet, snow, and rain, driven by a fierce wind, tore through their tattered clothing.

Washington had every reason to turn back. No doubt he had been advised to give up and let his haggard troops go home now while they still had the strength to make it. His plan to cross the Delaware River, march to Trenton, NJ, and defeat a Hessian Garrison sounded ludicrous. Some today would have questioned his sanity. They would have tried to stop him through Congressional action, and if that didn't work, legal steps would most certainly have been taken. After all, he was about to embark on a mission that was doomed before it even started!

But no - George Washington gave the orders that Christmas evening to load up the boats and head across that treacherous, ice-laden river. It was 3:00 in the morning before the total contingency of about 2,400 troops made it across. Other forces attempted the crossing as well, but had to turn back. The subsequent march by Washington's troops to Trenton seemed impossible, but they made it. In spite of extreme delays, General Washington's army was able to take the Hessians by surprise, thus successfully completing that phase of their mission.

Historians have pointed to that victory as a turning point in the American Revolution. As news of the Hessian defeat spread throughout the colonies, morale was boosted, hope was renewed, and the rest is...well,...history!

The ending could have been quite different of course. What if Washington had recognized all of the odds against him and decided to quit - to just give up? Take a moment to ponder that question sometime today, and to give thanks for a leader who saw beyond the probable, and took a leap of faith.

Louise

(References included "Eye Witness to History" and "Wikipedia")

Grassroots Group, WakeCARES, Opposes MYR

2007-02-22T11:53:00.000-05:00

There's a link on the right to the website of WakeCARES. They have retained attorneys, and are trying to raise money for legal action against the Wake County Board of Education. They welcome any help they can get.

$285 Million to Avoid Year-round? There's More to the Story Than That...

2007-02-22T11:33:00.000-05:00

Did you read the article in Wednesday's N&O entitled, "$285 Million to Avoid Year-Round?" That headline is a bit misleading. I attended the Committee of the Whole School Board meeting on Tuesday, where Chuck Dulaney went over a nine page handout that he had prepared on the subject. He stated that the information was in response to this question: "Should the assumption of opening all new schools as MYR be changed?" The report was extremely detailed and broken down into headings such as:

--The Cost of Returning to Voluntary Year Round by 2010
--Impact on the Next Five Year CIP

Two IMPORTANT points to note:

1) Dulaney defined the word voluntary to mean, "Year round as it was [in Wake County] in 2005" - meaning still some mandatory year-round
assignments. I think he said that, on average, 30-40% of the students in voluntary YR schools now are actually assigned to go there.
2) According to my notes, the report was based on the premise that a decision to go voluntary could not be made prior to 2010. Board member Carol Parker explained it to me as follows:

"#2. The report is based on increasing the number of schools to be built so that traditional schools could open instead of all new schools as assigned year round. These additional schools would then allow the 2005 year round model--with the new year round schools opening with seats available by application. It could not be implemented before 2010 school year providing the funding for the additional schools is available to start planning in 2007-2008 timeframe."

I will see if a link to the report is available. If not, you can contact the folks at WCPSS and request a copy.

Update on Last Posting

2007-02-19T23:36:00.000-05:00

Sorry that I'm just now getting back to last Thursday's discussion forum with Rep. Ty Harrell, Susan Parry, Lindy Brown, and Chuck Dulaney. The most eye-opening revelation to me was in response to a question I posed separately to Mr. Dulaney prior to the meeting and to Susan Parry during the discussion period. In a nutshell, I asked them what the response would be if someone was able to find the needed seats for 2007-08, without creating major disruptions or taking drastic measures (I personally still believe it can be done). Their answer? Basically, thanks but no thanks - we're looking beyond 07-08.

Just another example of how people have been falsely led to believe that if they can come up with a viable option, the Board would consider it. We also heard the same talk about poll results, wanting to do what is best educationally for the children (that one really gets me fired up!), no support for additional monies to build schools, etc., etc.

There is more to the MYR agenda than meets the eye, that's for sure.