Fact checking

For only the second time since starting this blog in March of last year, I have published a comment that I originally delayed because I wanted to confirm a serious accusation by an anonymous poster.

The first time was last September when someone claimed that Liz Brown was criminally prosecuted for removing the campaign signs of another candidate while running for her seat on the Board in 2004. After doing a Google search, it turned out the commenter was correct, and I promptly posted the comment and explained why.

Yesterday afternoon, I received an anonymous comment that made serious claims about two current Board of Education candidates. I felt I couldn't responsibly publish the comment without some form of confirmation.

Now, I regularly receive anonymous comments that I feel make irresponsible or outlandish claims that purport to be statements of fact, but I refuse to post them without some kind of proof. Rarely does that proof exist, and I reject those comments. This time is different.

The following claims were made in a larger comment thread about who to vote for in the coming election:

"Tony McKnight thinks the school board should be able to raise our taxes whenever they want more money.

Eddie Eubanks is currently delinquent on his property taxes."

I will first address, what I believe to be, the most serious accusation made in the post - a candidate for School Board who has not paid his property taxes.

In light of the current debate over creating new taxing mechanisms to ensure Orange County has enough revenue to meet its needs and the ever present concern about meeting the funding needs of the county school system, the thought that a current candidate for the school board would neglect to pay his property taxes is unthinkable.

Unfortunately, it is true.

I searched the Orange County Revenue Department's website and confirmed that as of 11:47 p.m. last night Eddie Myers Eubanks was, in fact, "currently delinquent on his property taxes."

How can someone who has failed to pay his fair share expect a voice in spending $24 million paid by others? And, how can a voter grant him that voice?

Next, the commenter asserted that "Tony McKnight thinks the school board should be able to raise our taxes whenever they want more money."

In this case, I again turned to my old friend, Google. I simply entered "Tony McKnight tax" into my Google search bar. The second entry to come up was list of responses to a 2006 questionnaire from a group opposed to the merger of Orange County and Chapel Hill-Carrboro schools. Among the questions about the potential merger of the two school districts was this one:

"Do you support or oppose giving taxation authority to the board of education?"

"McKnight - Yes, I support giving taxation authority to the BOE."

It is possible that, given his resounding defeat in the 2006 election, that Mr. McKnight's views on the matter have changed, but he has failed to communicate any change of heart. I can only assume that his views remain the same today.

Given that the man who formerly controlled the Board of Education, Dennis Whitling, is under indictment on charges of felony embezzlement and "malfeasance," I doubt many Orange County taxpayers would be willing to trust this rogue group with the power to reach directly into their pockets to fund the scheme du jour.

First they came ...

Throughout the now settled discussion of what to do about the SES disparity between Orange County's elementary schools, many people have asked: What about academic achievement at our county's "failing schools"?

Unfortunately, there have been few answers to come out of the Orange County Board of Education.

Last year, three Orange County elementary schools failed to make adequate yearly progress (AYP) as determined by the state's end-of-grade tests - Central Elementary, Efland Cheeks Elementary and New Hope Elementary. For Central and Efland Cheeks, this was the second year in a row.

Because these two schools received federal education dollars under Title 1, federal law required that parents be given the choice to transfer their children to another district school. Nearly one hundred children changed schools; as was their right under federal law (ironically enough, including the children of Central's PTA President). Those days are over.

One less publicized element of Ted Triebel's failed "Original Charge", was the "redirecting" of the district's $300,000 in Title 1 money to fund a district-wide Pre-Kindergarten program. While such a program is likely to have a positive impact on the district, and should have been considered even outside the larger discussion of elementary school assignment, the only reason it was considered was that it provided an immediate way to remove Central and Efland-Cheeks Elementary schools from Title 1 School Improvement status without have to wait for those pesky test scores to improve. If the Board spends the money on something else, they don't have to play by the federal rules.

During a Board meeting held at Cameron Park Elementary School last December, former Board member and current felony indictee, Dennis Whitling proposed "redirecting" the federal funds as a way to "control" the ability of parents to opt out of either Central or Efland Cheeks.

Prior to resigning from the Board in disgrace, Whitling advocated the creation of "middle class schools" at Central and Efland-Cheeks. His reasoning was that the "peer effect" of compelling a number of affluent and middle class children to attend those two schools would raise the academic performance of their struggling students while simultaneously raising each school's average academic numbers. In essence, he argued that school choice under NCLB was hurting academic performance.

However, like in many other areas, he was wrong.

Recent research into the impact of Title 1 School Choice in Charlotte-Mecklenburg clearly shows that school choice options under NCLB actually raise academic performance and have the additional benefit of reducing suspension rates.

Published by the National Bureau of Economic Research, the research clearly illustrates an argument I have repeatedly made over the past year - Orange County parents need MORE choices for the education of their children.

However, the current Board we are saddled with seems determined to systematically reduce the choices parents will have for where their children attend school.

According to the "modified" reassignment plan the Board adopted last Monday, the next likely target in an attempt to exert its unchecked control of Orange County parents is the district's existing student transfer policy. For the 150 or so children currently attending schools other than those the Board of Education has mandated they attend, their days are numbered as well.

This process reminds me of the poem, "First, they came" by Lutheran minister and concentration camp survivor, Martin Neimoller.

First they came for the Communists, and I didn’t speak up,
because I wasn’t a Communist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I didn’t speak up,
because I wasn’t a Jew.

Then they came for the Catholics, and I didn’t speak up,
because I was a Protestant.

Then they came for me, and by that time there was no one left to speak up for me.

Like Dennis Whitling clearly said - it's a matter of control.

And, soon parents will have the opportunity to take back that control. Early "one-stop" voting starts this Thursday at the Hillsborough Library. Even if you are not registered to vote in Orange County, you can register and vote immediately at a "one-stop" site.

Don't be in the situation next year where you have to write:

First they came for the year-round school, and I didn't speak up ...

Take the time to speak up - Vote!

I feel like I've been Knighted

Thanks to a comment someone submitted yesterday evening, I found out that a high honor has been bestowed upon me and this blog.

We have been noticed (and linked to) by the reigning Queen of the Orange County blogosphere - Ruby Sinreich.

Ruby runs OrangePolitics.org, the blog of record for "progressive perspectives on Orange County" and those wanting to keep up on the latest uproar in Chapel Hill/Carrboro.

In the interest of full disclosure, I was an infrequent poster to OP before moving from Chapel Hill to Hillsborough about four years ago.

However, with the exception of a short thread on Dennis Whitling's recent troubles (I love Ruby's opening sentence: "Does anyone know this Dennis Whitling fellow?"), and a lengthy string of comments on the ASVAB controversy at Cedar Ridge High School, OP appears to have taken no notice of Orange County Schools in nearly four years. It is almost as if nothing of real note takes place north of I-40.

But now, Ruby has turned her bright light from southern Orange on the parents of Hillsborough Elementary School.

By titling her post, "Hillsborough parents get their way," Ruby seems to imply that HES parents, who have spent over 14 months fighting for the very survival of the only school their children have ever known, are little more than petulant children who whine until they "get their way."

Of course, it is entirely possible that I misinterpreted the meaning of her "get their way" comment.

If by that she meant that a group of diverse, informed, empowered citizens organized themselves to seek a redress of grievances from a democratically elected governmental body ultimately resulting in a less than ideal, but satisfactory, compromise, I guess she would be right.

Either way, I am honored to be noticed by the Queen. You can call me Sir Allan.

Credit where credit is due

While I may seem to more easily voice my opinion when I find something lacking, I also want to compliment things I feel are done well.

I have recently been very critical of the coverage The News of Orange County has provided throughout the entire HES/CES Merger/Reassignment debacle. In the course of that criticism, I specifically stated that I found the paper's reporting "significantly lacking in both objectivity and journalistic quality."

This time I want to compliment The News of Orange County and its Editor, Casey Ferrell.

Today's article about Monday night's Board of Education meeting is, by far, the best coverage provided by any media outlet. The News provided its readers with the most detailed account of the Board's options for altering HES in an accurate and fair manner, while still capturing the theater of the absurd that was this meeting.

Additionally, Casey's editorial on the lengths the District Staff took to go "above and beyond their call of duty" in an effort to keep as many children as possible at HES was directly on point and strong as well.

Great work, Casey.

Did you get yours?

Today, the mailman (and in my neighborhood he is a man) delivered a confirmation that the Orange County Board of Education has graciously agreed to allow my son, Carter, to return to the only school he has ever known.

Here is the full text of the letter:

April 8, 2008

To the Parents/Guardian of Aidan Scott,

At their regularly scheduled meeting on April 7, 2008, the Orange County Board of Education approved the Hillsborough Elementary School Student Selection Plan for the 2008-2009 school year.

Under this plan, Aidan Scott will be enrolled in 3rd Grade at Hillsborough Elementary School for the next school year. Ms. Horner, Principal of Hillsborough Elementary School, will be sending out information packets to the families of all enrolled students in the near future. If your child is enrolling for Kindergarten, please note that Kindergarten registration will be held on April 30th at 8:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. Please call 732-6137 to register.

Thank you for your continued support of Orange County Schools.

Sincerely,

Michael J. Gilbert
Public Information Officer
Orange County Schools

If you, or someone you know, received a rejection letter, I would be very interested in posting its text. Of course I would edit out their child's name before publishing it.

[For bonus points: Who can identify the grammar error in the first sentence of this letter?]

An open letter to OCS Staff

I received the following open letter to the OCS Staff from Board of Education Candidate Jeff Michalski. I think Jeff speaks for many Orange County parents.

Dr. Rhodes,

As a Hillsborough Elementary parent and a school board candidate, I wanted to take a moment to congratulate you and your staff, particularly Dr. Morton and Mr. Gilbert, on a job well done.

You were given a very negative task by members of our current Board, but rather than succumb to the negativity at hand, you made lemonade with those lemons. You were asked to expel a very small number of children from the only school they had ever known.

Your team did its job and reported on progress utilizing the board’'s original charge. However, by coming up with an alternative plan, you and your staff went above and beyond to fulfill the wishes of the board while protecting our children. For that, my family and I, as well as many others that I represent, are grateful.

It was strange for me last evening. I was so grateful and smiling, but I still had a pit in my stomach. I felt guilty about my relief. Yes, the educational opportunity for my kids and other HES kids had been protected, however, nothing had changed with regard to the discourse at hand.

1. The focus of the Board is still on SES, not student performance or school improvement.
   
2. It is quite evident that none of this was ever about helping Central Elementary School or Efland Cheeks Elementary School.
3. Finally, there is still the question of turning away federal funds, earmarked to help ECES and CES, in order to avoid Title 1 status and disallowing parents the right to pull their children out of failing schools.

These are issues I hope will be rectified by a new board in July. But more immediately, you and your staff have done exemplary work to provide a solution to the admission process at HES without expelling our children from a wonderful school.

Thank You,

Jeff Michalski
Parent
School Board Candidate

We've been modified, but Liz remains the same

After a very animated discussion and a period of confusion about what would happen if they couldn't get a majority to support any proposed plan, the Orange County Board of Education passed what the District Staff presented as a "modified" assignment plan.

The good news: Every child currently attending HES will be allowed to return next year! No HES children will be expelled!

The bad news: Twenty four children who had hoped to start Kindergarten at HES this coming July (and 7 others hoping to join the school in later grades) will be turned away; most to two schools at risk of failing AYP for the third year in a row.

Even in the shadow of this injustice, I must say that this was by far one of the most entertaining Board meeting I have attended. It was likely due to the fact that Liz Brown repeatedly vented her disdain for me and this blog during her futile attempts to kick out as many HES kids as possible.

Liz came so unglued at one point that Ted Triebel threatened to declare her "in contempt" when she accused me of "intimidating" the other Board members. She said, "the lesson is clear, if you don't like something the Board is doing, start a blog and intimidate the Board members. They are easily intimidated."

If nothing else, Liz proved yet again why she shouldn't be on the Board (as if we really needed another reason), and why the parents of Orange County are lucky that she will not be serving much longer.

Now that the short-term future of HES is clear, it is time to secure its long-term future as well. The only place that can occur is at the ballot box on May 6th. We all need to do everything we can to ensure that people who actively support HES are elected to the Board.

As of today, only three Board candidates have openly voiced their support for HES. They are incumbent Board Member Al Hartkopf, former school resource officer Jeff Michalski and former long-time County Commissioner and retired high school principal Steve Halkiotis. Only by electing these three candidates can we be sure HES will exist beyond next June.

Luckily, you don't have to wait long at all to make a difference. A fundraising gala is being held tomorrow evening to raise money for the campaigns of Al Hartkopf and Jeff Michalski. You can see the information here. Even if you haven't RSVP'd, you can still drop by to make a contribution to the candidate's campaigns.

If you can afford it, please donate money, if you can't please donate your time, and most important of all, vote for them on May 6. The future of HES depends on it.

HES Expulsion Plan Revealed

[Note that this column has changed since it was originally posted. After viewing the District Staff's presentation, it is was made clear that the 3rd, 4th and 5th grade students shown as being turned away from HES are, in fact, new applicants to the school rather than existing HES students being expelled."

Yesterday, thanks to Ted Triebel, I received a final draft of the Orange County Schools' HES Registration and Student Expulsion Plan. This is the presentation OCS Staff will give at tomorrow night's Board meeting.

Read this doc on Scribd: Rotated HES Registration and Student Selection Report

This presentation provides data collected during the HES "registration" process, and finally tells us how many current 6 and 7 year-olds our elected "representatives" have ordered expelled from the only school they have ever known.

There are some really repulsive things here, yet more fodder for outrage.

If the Board continues forward with Ted Triebel's debacle, the District will expel 34 children from HES.

In a surprising show of fairness for the children of Orange County (clearly lacking in our elected Board of Education), the District staff has also prepared a "modified" student expulsion plan. This alternate plan would return every current HES student to their chosen school - while also surpassing the Board's SES diversity goal.

According to this "modified" plan, only those children with no experience at HES would be denied admission. While the vast majority are newly arriving Kindergarteners, a hand-full are new applicants for the upper grades.

Given the insanity of this situation, I entirely understand why the parents of so many HES students made alternate arrangements for their kids, and simply chose not to reapply.

But, the surprises aren't just for parents of children at HES. Central Elementary parents are in for a pretty big surprise next fall.

Hidden on the last page of the District's presentation is a bitter prize for the Central Elementary community. The District Staff is proposing cutting the total number of CES teachers by 25% (and I presume an equal number of teaching assistants). Accommodating this cut, will require nearly doubling the size of each kindergarten class and increasing the size of 1st grade classes by 50%.

As if that wasn't enough, it isn't all.

After the Board robbed the children at its poorest elementary school of $140,000 in federal education funds, it would be logical to think that any new spending the District Staff proposed for CES would go to restoring funding for Reading Recovery and at-risk student programs. Oh, no. Instead, the District recommends spending $115,000 at CES, not for academic programs, but for renovating the school entrance and main office, and for lighting upgrades. I'm sure the children who failed to pass their EOGs last spring can't wait.

How exactly is doubling class size for the county's poorest students while renovating the school staff's offices supposed to help them succeed? Oh, it's a good thing that student performance isn't a concern any more, now that Central is no longer in School Improvement. Isn't it interesting how a lack of oversight changes things?

I can't wait to hear the spin Denise Morton puts on this tomorrow night. It should be a good show.