I had the very good fortune of being in town last night and decided to attend the Orange County Board of Education's "community listening session" at Central Elementary.
I was pleased to see that the number of people in attendance exceeded the school's expectations, as people stood around the walls and additional chairs had to be brought into the room as the crowd grew. The large turnout brought out some very pointed questions for the Board and extended the meeting past its scheduled two hours.
I am not too sure how much the Board actually listened to what the parents had to say, but they sure got an ear full. For my part, it was very refreshing to have the prevailing "us vs. them" illusion shattered.
Among the group, there seemed to be very little animosity toward HES parents even though outspoken CES parent Brad Davis seemed determined to drum some up by repeatedly interrupting other speakers and beating the same dead horse about HES draining away affluent kids who should be forced to stay at CES.
The message from the overwhelming majority of CES parents and teachers came through loud and clear: They do not support Dennis Whitling's "Big Plan" to merge CES and HES.
Given that the door is still open for any CES student to immediately transfer to HES under NCLB, the parents who chose to keep their kids at CES said they want nothing to do with a year-round calendar - "modified" or otherwise.
After the meeting, I was concerned that my feelings on this matter might cloud my perception of what was said, and I decided to wait before writing anything about the meeting. But, that concern was erased this morning when I read the media accounts of last night's event from the Raleigh News & Observer, the Durham Herald Sun and The Daily Tar Heel.
The Durham Herald Sun reported on what I felt was the meeting's pivotal moment: Dennis Whitling asked the audience, by a show of hands, to decide between two options: "'If choice is between balancing this school and the traditional school, who would rather have [socioeconomic] balance and go to a year-round than go to traditional?'" I only saw two hands raised in support of "balancing" the school, and the Herald Sun reporter saw the same thing. "One parent asked for a show of hands for the number of people who would prefer a traditional calendar. Nearly all in attendance raised their hands. "
The evening was filled with poignant, emotional comments from CES parents about how well their children have performed at the school, in many cases after struggling in a year-round school, ringing endorsements of CES's teachers and staff - many of whom attended the meeting - and pleas for the Board to not make the proposed changes.
But, the most direct and to the point comment came from a CES parent after out-going superintendent Shirley Carraway announced the great strides CES made in meeting its growth goals on the latest state ABC scores.
The Daily Tar Heel captured the moment of clarity perfectly: "Parent Christy Baylor cited those reforms that have increased scores and growth at Central as a reason to quell the merger movement.
'What we're doing is working - why scramble it all up? Why scramble the students all up if what's happening here is working?'"
That's a good question, and the answer is one HES parents have known for almost 7 months: It's not about teaching our children!
From the very moment Shirley Carraway presented a proposed merger to the Board, this has always been about hiding the children who are struggling, and most at risk, within the statistical averages of a combined school.
The Board has latched onto this idea as a "quick fix" to avoid what the district's Director of Elementary Instruction, Mary Alice Yarbrough, kept referring to as federal "sanctions" during last night's meeting.
In fact, it wasn't until May of this year - three months into the process - that the Board actually decided what problem they wanted the merger to fix. That is when "balanced schools" became the Board's mantra, only now replaced by Dennis Whitling's newest term - "middle class schools."
Seeing little support from parents at either school, the Board committed to coming up with a "Plan B", ignored up until this point, and communicating that plan to parents in time for binding decision letters to go out in December.
The Board will hold another "community listening session" at HES next Thursday at 7:00 and everyone is welcome to attend and voice their opinions regardless of where your children go to school.
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29 comments:
Central Parents: Please come to the meeting at HES. Let's show the board that we are a united front and that we don't want the merger. We can enjoy the close proximity of our schools with special activities and shared resources. I think that the one positive aspect of the merger talks is that we have gotten to know each other some. CES is a great school with super teachers and kids. You like your calendar and we like ours, but it doesn't mean that we have to be at odds. Although I think the board has fostered animosity between the two schools. Let's show them that we can move forward and keep our schools intact.
As an HES parent, I find it inspirational to hear the CES parents standing up for what they believe. These parents love their children. These teachers are truly patron saints.
Finally we have a new superintendent that cares for all students. Mr. Rhodes appears to be the guy that will build up alliances, not divide them. He will be the guy that will lead the Board to do the right thing.
BTW, I think Mr. Scott deserves all of our gratitude for posting both the anti-merger and the pro-merger comments. Lots of people don't like this blog. They feel the best way to act is to supress our right to communicate. The man is a guy of courage.
Wow, I just read back through this post, and IT IS WAY TOO LONG!
Sorry about that everyone. I guess I just had a lot to say.
Liz's not attending the meeting at CES is yet another slap in the face. Her issue is that she believes that all Orange County people are inherently stupid. It's a lack of respect.
I am glad to see us get a Superintendent who is actually an educator. Our last one was nothing more than a sociologist. Sociologists are important people: but when it comes to EDUCATION, you need an EDUCATOR.
Be careful what you wish for. "Plan B" is likely to be the dismantling of the HES year round schedule and turning HES into a districted school as opposed to a school of choice.
Well, Plan A sucks. I'm sure Plan B will also suck.
My problem with HES and CES, as a tax payer is we are paying for two segregated schools. The schools are segregated by race and economics. This is the year 2007 and it is wrong to have these two schools in our system. At that meeting Harcoft SAID minorities were welcomed at HES, but it is obvious that was just a white man giving lip service. Look at the numbers at HES!! It is not about test scores it is about balance.
I don't want our system to get embroiled in a lawsuit because of this long running problem. We don't need those problems.
Mr. Taxpayer,
You are right. Mr. Hartkopf is a white man. I can vouch that it is not his fault that he is white. Al is a fine person that led the charge in opening HES to the Efland Cheeks and CES families. Not Liz, Not Dennis. Al wants everyone who wants to attend, to actually attend. This is not called lip service, this is called ACTION.
HES welcomes all children, regardless of race or socio-economic status. Unfortunately, the year-round calendar has been the biggest segregation factor. It's not about race, and it's not about money.
Actually, the merger is about test scores. The Board did not come up with a wild hair and decide to merge the two schools. This would not have happened if CES made AYP. Let's throw away the weapons of the past and look towards a stronger and more united future.
To the tax payer:
As an HES parent, I was oblivious to all of the dynamics of our district prior to last March. I knew there was an elementary school down the street, but all I cared about was the year round schedule for my kids. So fast forward six painful months and I hear what you are saying about the segregation, however, I think we can work on this without closing either school.
Year round is so different that most people bristle at the idea. Once you try it though you are hooked. I think the two barriers for lower SES kids coming to HES are a lack of understanding of how the calendar works and the cost of child care. The three week breaks occur when there aren't a ton of cheap camps and high schoolers to baby sit. It is a more expensive. However, the benefits are awesome. I think that the board needs to provide camps for kids who are lower SES and as a school we can recruit kids to come and explain the calendar to people. Balance can happen it's just that prior to Mrs. Horner, no one was trying.
Regarding CES, they seem to be on an upward spiral and they clearly love their school. The only people who attend there now WANT to be there. They could have opted out to HES and still can until Sept. 30. I think their point is that if they wanted to be at HES and year round, they would be.
HES used to be a middle school so they didn't build two elementary schools next door, it just happened. We both love our schools though and the board just doesn't seem to hear that.
Just so you know, it is not legal for the BOE or a county to redistrict or manipulate school populations based on race. The Supreme Court made this illegal in the spring. Free and Reduce Lunch is being used as a gauge for how well a school is balanced. Unfortunately in our society there is a consistent link between the minority populations and lower Socio Economic Status (SES)
Kylie Snyder
RE:"Balance can happen it's just that prior to Mrs. Horner, no one was trying." WRONG! Staff members and administrators at HES have tried to increase the minority population at HES for YEARS! When Dr. Swainey left, the application process was changed. The essay was dropped. The applications no longer went to the school, they were mailed or delivered to the Central Office. School personnel did not see the applications. All of these were steps taken to make the application process less "closed door." Staff members went to day care centers and churches and shared information about HES to try to increase minority applications. Increasing minority enrollment and achievement has been important pieces in the HES school improvement plan for a number of years.
Do you know of minoritiy applicants who filled out the application but did not get into HES? For YEARS the school has tried to increase the enrollment of minority students and families. You can't force a family to apply. In recent years, several minority students have been accepted but chose not to attend for unknown reasons. Please do not state that HES has not tried to attract minority students.
I wasn't referring to Dr. Swainey. I was referring to the fact that NO ONE on the BOE, at Central office and apparently Mrs. Jay had any written objectives re: HES' SES balance. It is my understanding the Dr. Swainey's effort were of her own initiative and not in her job description. That effort was clearly not continued with Mrs. Jay and then HES was suddenly the target of major criticism. Had ANYONE in the district been held accountable for HES' demographics, we would never have been put in this position. The responsibility for this debacle rests on the BOE's shoulders for not having a policy in place for building and maintaining balance with a school of choice. I am very very tired of hearing how awful HES parents are. We are just plugging along trying to live life - like everyone else. It is our elected BOE and paid staff's responsibility to make sure the system works. It isn't my job to balance the district and make sure the schools are up to par, remember I'm "just a parent" (quote of a board member).
Kylie
There appears to be a conspiracy against HES. While some are going to the community to reach out to the minority population, there is another effort to tell the minority population that HES is not the correct school for their children.
Obviously this has been the plan of certain individuals to eliminate HES altogether. They throw this stupid plan out, knowing that HES would not buy into it, and then accuse HES of not caring for the disadvantaged. These same people are talking to the CES families that HES is an elitist school, a la newspapers. So when this merger fails from no buy in from the families (which it will), redistricting will occur, along with the elimination of HES. HES has been a thorn in their sides for years, and this is the perfect chance to eliminate it.
So remember this when the Central Office is moved to another location.
Anonymous 4:12am-
Bingo!!!!! You hit the nail on the head.
Based on the automated phone message from Shirley last night, the wording has changed. The school board has had this plan "b" all along that if CES did not "Buy in", they would eliminate the year round calendar all together. Watch and see!
I have tried for so long to simply keep quiet...but I am finished reading statements that are absolutely untrue.
It is interesting to me that people are so quick to assume what happened at HES several years ago even though their children were simply a sparkle in their parents eyes.
The admission process at HES PRIOR to Ms. Jay's tenure was riddled with opportunities for inappropriate procedures. Remember when people use to stand outside for several hours the morning applications were distributed? Remember how numbers were written in pencil at the top of the application only to be erased to ensure that some folks were "admitted"? Well all of that happened and it wasn't until there was an effort by Ms. Jay and the members of the school improvement team (i.e. your childs' teachers)to improve school diversity were efforts really taken. It was even a goal in the school improvement plan starting in 2004-2005 where it had not been previously. Minority enrollment increased every year.
I agree that there were few efforts by the school board to increase minority enrollment at HES. Honestly though, I'm not convinced that some board members were interested in having their children go to class with "those children".
Parents at HES...hear me and hear me good! All of this discussion and fussing and campaigning is creating a bad working environment for staff and a poor learning environment for kids at the school that you so dearly love. Teachers are frustrated and ready to walk out the door. They do not get paid enough and are too good to have to endure it. And they shouldn't have to.
HES is the place it is because of an absolutely amazing staff who will do anything in the world for a child. If you are going to represent it and the 65 staff members and the approximately 400 children please make sure you do so accurately.
This makes perfect sense. Certain members of the BOE got everyone to think HES was a white, elitist school that is stealing from the other schools. They come out with this merger plan, knowing exactly what our reaction would likely be. Then they try to make a modified year-round calendar so CES would be against the merger. So Plan B is "eliminate HES and redistrict these children accordingly".
I encourage EVERYONE to call the county commissioners to protest this move. The Board opened a school last year (GH), and now they want to close a school (HES). This is to send a powerful message to everyone.
Once Dennis finds the courage to do so, he will announce Plan B. It will probably be before a break (Thanksgiving, Christmas) when not many people will notice. At every meeting this year we need to show up and make them feel some pressure. Keep contacting the Board members (except Liz and Dennis because that would be a waste of time) and let them know we will not stand for this to happen. The last vote on the merger went 6-1. Al Hartkopf was the gentleman who stood up for HES--probably because he has the foresight to realize what is going on. I feel Anne would not allow HES to be dismantled. I feel Ted wants the best for education in Orange County, and I think he knows that includes HES. This leaves Debbie and Susan, which both of them have been more spectators to the whole process.
Anonymous at 9/11 3:23PM.
You portray an insight to the workings and feelings of the staff at HES so maybe you can answer a question for us. Why did FRL and minority enrollment decrease under Ms. Jay? When Ms. Swainey left the FRL percentage was around 22 percent. It dwindled to 13 percent over Ms. Jay's term. Why?
Why exactly are the teachers at HES frustrated and ready to walk out the door?
Do the majority of the teachers want the merger? The ones that I have talked to do not want the merger and will leave if it occurs. They can't say that though - they aren't allowed to have an open opinion.
I think people are opposed to it because HES will not be able to keep the year round calendar. What do you think?
FACT: MINORITY ENROLLMENT AT HES DECREASED UNDER MAMIE JAY'S WATCH.
Once again, let's look at what the Board is trying to do. First, the Board has been stradled with NCLB and knowing at the same time that CES was at risk. So they decide to show everyone that they are "proactive" and not "reactive", resulting in this idiotic merger. But drats, Efland Cheeks also did not make AYP. If you have noticed, NO ONE IS TALKING ABOUT EFLAND CHEEKS. WHY? They are not 1 block away HES!! This ruins their chances of showing how much they care for the struggling schools by the way they IGNORE EFLAND CHEEKS!!
Second issue is the funding problem itself. Certain members of the Board love spending money (our tax money, that is). Liz wants to get in the Commissioners grill and tell them to raise our taxes to support her own agenda. However, if they could look within and find ways to save money, then maybe some of her plans could materialize. But that's right, that would take an EFFORT. Why work hard when we can make those no account HES parents flip the bill?
Due to wasteful spending under Dr. Carraway's watch, a financial crisis has occurred. There has been little accountability within the District.
Mamie Jay's tenure at HES is also part of the conspiracy. She was used and manipulated by the Board and the administration. Now why would they place her in this position?
The Board members (the majority of them--there are a couple who really care for HES) knows the School System is about to go belly-up before too long. Maybe that is exactly they want to happen. It would make Liz's plan to merge with Chapel Hill-Carrboro a more likely scenario.
It is ridiculous to assume that a school should be solely responsible for the recruitment of any students, minority or not. Simply put, recruitment of any students has to be a Board initiative.
But I am curious to know how a school is to recruit FRL students? Did you know that information is protected by federal privacy laws and a school's principal and teachers don't have access to that information? Perhaps the school could pass out flyers in the community asking for all poor families to apply to HES? Or perhaps there is still the old assumption that if they are Black or Hispanic they must also be FRL?
Anonymous 9/11 3:23
You must live under a rock. Minority decreased under Mamie Jay. Maybe you should have continued to set back and kept quiet.
I don't believe that anyone was changing the numbers on the applications and if you weren't there and saw it being done- then you really should refrain from such accusations. If you were there and witnessed it, and did not say anything then you are just as guilty!
Let's do another recap on what will most likely happen:
--HES will be eliminated in the next few years. The HES kids, if they decide to go to public schools, will go to their districted school.
--CES will get absolutely no help besides lip service.
--Efland Cheeks? That is totally off the Board's radar. They will have to fend for themselves.
--The Central Offices will likely expand to make room for certain members of the Board's hidden agenda.
--Dr. Carraway will be hailed a hero for all the special (interest?) things she does.
--The majority of the Board will agree to spend more money on administration and less money on classroom education.
If you think that Liz, Dennis and the gang are not wanting to eliminate HES, THINK AGAIN!! They have secretly discredited HES since they were on the Board.
BTW--has anyone thought on why the new middle school in Efland was built when the Board wanted to close HES all the time? Part of being a good business person is to make sure you take care of your friends. Don't think that Gravelly Hill was built for free. I think an investigation needs to be made by the State Attorney's office for possible misappropriation of funds. Why on earth would you open 1 school and then years later close another school, a former Middle School at that.
Gravelly Hill was built because it was needed. Mebane is growing by leaps and bounds.
To author of of the 9/11 3:23 post:
THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YOU hit the nail on the head!
Answer this question 9/11 3:23 p.m. What are the teachers so frustrated about? It must be pretty bad to have them ready to 'walk out the door'. Are they mad that we are preventing the merger? The merger is not based on research and has not been supported with any details. The BOE totally put the cart b/f the horse and hoped everyone would jump on.
What do the teachers want? Merger? Do the teachers realize that Mamie Jay's refusal to get out in the black community and get some minority kids into the school opened the door for merger? Some people believe that Jay was put into place to open that very door. She let the school's demographics slide on purpose so there would be an excuse to close it. The fact that the woman packed up and left two days b/f kindergarten registration speaks volumes about her lack of character. Central Office did indeed make the enrollment procedure objective, but to what end? It still didn't get the balance that was needed.
So answer the question - what do the teachers want? You can't avoid the merger and sit quietly - the two are mutually exclusive. The BOE is screwing the entire district by not focusing on the whole picture. At least HES parents are making the BOE think b/f they act. Quite a feat if you ask me.
Actually the 9/11 3:23 pm leaves one tiny detail out: Under Mamie Jay's watch, minority enrollment decreased. Concerning the teachers at HES: they are wonderful, caring people. I will fight the Board to the gates of you know what for them. They not only care for our kids, they love our kids.
All of this finger pointing, what the application process used to be and such really do not matter much in the present situation. I, as a parent simply followed the procedure in place when I applied for my child in 2004. That's all any of us could do. The sad and really depressing reality is that Plan A, the merger has no support, and Plan B is most likely going to be to close HES. And the worst part of it is, the kids who go to that school who've made friendships and bonded with the educators there are the ones to pay the price. THEY are the ones who will have their K-5 experiences up till now thrown out the window and be forced into new schools, new classrooms, some which are over crowded already, with teachers they've even heard. And not for 1 second has the school board stopped to think of those children, OUR children as anything more than assets of the school system that can be reallocated to suit their needs. At least even in Wake County with all the chaos, kids who've attended a school are grandfathered into that school to provide continutiy and stabilty. Clearly the sytems greatest assets don't warrant any such consideration in Orange County. How easy it is for Dennis to stand there and run his mouth and never say anything, I'd like to see him explain to a 1st grader that he or she can no longer attend this school for no fault of their own. WAKE UP SCHOOL BOARD, these are children, not pawns in your game!
I know of at least 1 teacher that is embarrased by the postings on this blog. She says it gives the school and parents a bad name. I must agree with her!
Well that teacher will soon need to worry about the bigger issue of finding a new job. Too sad, he or she doesn't see the parents are fighting for them too!
I don't get it at all. What do you blog haters want us to do? If we hadn't been fighting for the school, it would have been merged this year and would be on a traditional calendar? IS THAT WHAT YOU WANT? Why would you be so upset with what we post when it has preserved the school for at least one more year. Honestly, if we hadn't kicked and screamed the plan would be a done deal and as Judge Manning in Wake said - you can't force parent to be year round. So there are two choices. Shut up and be traditional or fight like hell and make the BOE fix the entire district including CES, HES and Efland Cheeks. They need balance and success. Next year add New Hope to the list. And no, HES won't be closed. We have almost 400 kids that will have no other place to go. There are not 400+ seats in the other schools. We have to make this work -- shutting up and trusting this BOE is ludicrous. Do you get that? They are incapable of solving this problem b/c they have to think outside the box.
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