Rather than come up with a plan to actually provide a better education or enriched educational experience to the children at the county's two poorest schools, the Board has decided to use a blatant accounting trick to hide its accountability for the decline of Orange County Schools.
Even though I was there and heard it first hand, I still had to hear it explained in this video clip a few more times before I could believe what I was hearing.
[The voice you hear from off-screen is Mary Alice Yarbrough, Orange County Schools' director of elementary instruction.]
So, by withdrawing $300,000 in federal Title 1 education funds from the accounts of Central and Efland-Cheeks Elementary schools, and depositing it into the account of an entirely new Pre-Kindergarten program, the District ceases to be accountable to the federal government for failing to teach its poorest children?
If it is this easy, why isn't everyone doing it? Well, maybe other school boards care more about actually helping the children they serve, than they do about appearing to be vanguards of social engineering.
As Former Orange County Board of Education Chairman Keith Cook told the Durham-Herald Sun, "You heard nothing about how we're going to raise scores for Efland-Cheeks or Central Elementary. It seems that we got caught up on a lot of things that don't matter." He is absolutely right.
In fact, there has been no discussion about how any of these changes will academically benefit a single child in Orange County. And, that is because the academic performance of children at the district's poorest schools "doesn't matter at all" to the ideologues on this Board.
Mr. Cook also told the Durham Herald-Sun that "he would be looking into whether Friday's process was legal." It is looking like this matter may end up being decided in a courtroom rather than in the Board of Education's meeting room.
I guess some Board members will be more comfortable there than others, after all Dennis Whitling is an attorney, and of course Liz Brown had that other thing.
11 comments:
I am afraid that Dennis, Liz, Ted, Susan, and Debbie will have some serious explaining to do....in a courtroom. Mr. Parker was asleep at the wheel when this was passed.
Can't the Board take off their blinders and see that nothing has improved at all?
Guess what everybody? The Board has decided that educating our children is not important.
If your child goes to HES, currently in Kindergarten or in First Grade, live in the ECES or the CES district, are not FRL, and did not opt-out of CES, you should be FURIOUS. The board's myopic view of equality has fallen on your shoulders. Take a hard look at the Debbie, Dennis, Liz, Susan, and TEd, and realize they are making EXAMPLES OUT OF YOU. Remember, they are not increasing the quality of education, but instead are using your little 6 or 7 year old.
It's time to get ugly. It's time to expose the five for the frauds that they are.
OK, how are they going to encourage the FRL children to apply at HES? It has always been open for them to apply and they haven't. To add to it, it doesn't look like they will be providing transportation to these children if they do.
I personally believe that this is the first step in closing down the school. Since they will limit enrollment from CES and ECES, then the school won't be full. The school board will simply say that there is not enough interest and close the school.... that's what they have wanted to do all along but did not have a legitimate excuse.
This Board will not close HES. This is the last year Liz will be on the Board, and she is really the only one championing that idea. Dennis probably wouldn't mind having it closed, but without dear Liz, he doesn't have the guts to go with the plan. He also has re-election this year, so his future on the Board is in doubt.
Ted has personally advised me that he doesn't want HES to close. I think he wants some changes within the school, but he doesn't want it to necessarily close (or become a year-round school). Debbie and Susan will not lead the charge to close the school down, either. Patrick Rhodes will not support the closing of the school.
If you really want to end the talk about closing HES, rush to the polls and study the candidates carefully. I think Al will handily be re-elected. Dennis's future on the board is in serious doubt.
I agree with the last anonymous--the Board will not close HES. I'm not sure why everyone is so convinced that the Board could close the school. Like what the last blog said, only 1 nut wants to close the school, and she won't be there for much longer.
Has Liz said publicly that she will not be seeking re-election?
Has Dennis said he will?
My guess would be that after this year, neither one of them would want the job!
Allan, run for Board!
Run Allan Run
Liz has confided with others that she will not run in 2008.
I know people who will spend whatever it takes in time and money, to ensure that Liz will not hold any public office in Orange County. She has made such a fool of herself this year that I don't think their efforts will be required, but you never know.
With the growth in our area and the money that was spent to refurbish HES, I think the fear of HES being closed is not valid. We need the seats for incoming kids it is just a matter of what can be done about the two schools being so close together and so different.
Having said that, it seems that the board is being stubborn on the magnet issue. Any research will show that magnet is a magic bullet for schools in poor neighborhoods. I get frustrated b/c the response about it costing money is ridiculous especially when there is monetary waste in areas that they see fit.
What I don't get is how Central not making AYP and kids who are not getting support from home and need extra services has fallen completely off the radar screen. There are children who are in need there and it goes back to extra stress on the social worker and teachers - so where is the change for them? It's as if the board is a scratched record in an SES hiccup.
My final question is - has the Board publicly apologized to the Task Force for throwing them together at the last minute, giving them an urgent task and then completely ignoring their advice? Oh, maybe they are going to wait for an opportunity to apologize to Andy Sachs and the Task Force at the same time. Hm....see a pattern? We'll ask for your in-depth opinion, nod and listen, pay Andy and then COMPLETELY disregard what was advised.
Do you get it Ted? You guys are wandering on the train tracks and you don't even hear the whistle in the distance!
I won't believe Liz isn't running until I see the ballot without her name on it.
She will lie to her friends as easily as she does the rest of us.
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