Voting Results!

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

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?

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

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

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

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…

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!

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

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

 

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…

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

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:

1. Increased costs
2. Staffing problems
3. No proven educational advantage
4. 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…

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

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!

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

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!

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

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!

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

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

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 (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 -

“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.

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!

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.

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 -

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...

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

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

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:

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 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

 

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

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!

  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)