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!