With the start of Orange County's traditional calendar schools, the county's only year-round school has a number of new students in each of its grades as well. While I don't know how many parents chose one of the other opt-out options available to them, I am told that a total of 29 new students became Dolphins earlier today.
I wish all of these families a heart-felt welcome! You have made a wonderful (if potentially temporary) choice for your children.
As we come close to the start of the only session scheduled for the Orange County Board of Education to actually answer parents' questions, I have a few new questions:
- How has the addition of 29 students to HES (and subtraction of 29 students from either CES or ECES) changed the "balance" of Free & Reduced Lunch numbers across the county?
- Have you bothered to ask?
- If it resulted in a positive change, would you have the courage to admit that increased school choice may be a less devisive way to foster diversity?
While I think I know the answers (see below), they might still be valid questions to ask.
Answers:
- We have no idea because the OCS Staff hasn't told us, and they don't encourage us to have ideas of our own.
- No. If it was important the OCS Staff would tell us it's important.
- No. Only racists and elitists want school choice.
5 comments:
I think this is great that we have 29 new students to HES. HES will be a better school with the addition of both the kids and the families.
Allan, concerning your very good questions, I think your anticipated responses are probably what the Board members think. They have not done the math. The board, as usual, are only going thru the motions concerning this meeting. They really hope that only a few parents show up. It's very simple: the Board does not respect HES parents, faculty, or administration. Why? They have been brainwashed by a certain superintendent that prefers vendettas over education, special interests over the common good, racial rhetoric over good politics, "yes men" over people that will challenge her, and wastefulness over fiscal responsibility.
Don't blame the School Board too much. I don't think they are trying to create malice in the lifes of HES families. They simply are tired of working on the Board and are looking for the "quick fix". We, the HES community, will be the ones that will suffer the consequence.
WAKE UP! The superintendent did not make HES a school of choice for Central and Efland. The school board members made that decision. The superintendent and other administrators told the board repeatedly what a bad idea it was and THE BOARD still made the decision. Quit blaming everything on the superintendent. Yes - she made mistakes. She did not cause all of the problems we are now facing. Think about how many different stories you've heard from the same board members. Their "answers" change depending on the mood, who they are talking to (not with), and whatever seems to be the popular answer at that moment. If your opinion differs from theirs, they do not want to hear it.
Wake up? I was wide awake when the esteemed Doctor got rid of the Orange High School Principal. Why? Can we say PERSONAL VENDETTA"? The Board members, once again, were brainwashed in this process.
Wake up? When an employee of over 25 years has their job eliminated because of an accounting mistake? Not only that, but in the middle of the year? What did the doctor do when the person called her? SHE DID NOTHING--DID NOT EVEN RETURN THE PERSON'S CALL. Not the respect I want to teach our children.
Actually, the Board did the right move by allowing HES to be a school of choice for Efland Cheeks and CES. The school board made the right decision because HES offers the best public education for these children. I'm not sure why the Doctor did not want to allow HES to be a school of choice. Maybe she saw that adding these kids would change the socio-economic status of HES.
As you did say, "she made mistakes". I totally agree with this statement. However, I am not blaming anyone. To solve a problem, you got to find out what the problem is. The need for leadership within the Orange County School System is the problem.
It's time we put away our petty differences and focus on the future, which does not include Shirley Carraway. It doesn't matter what she and her people believe in anymore. It's time to focus on each Board member.
These Board members need to find a qualified superintendent that will be fair to all students. This person also should not be one to pander to a selected community, and, yes, a person who will not hold personal grudges against people in his/her way.
Give your Board members some suggestions!!!!
The superintendent did absolutely nothing for HES. Except on October 1st, that is.
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