Wanna play?

While, by virtue of his position as Chairman, Dennis Whitling is the face of the school merger debacle, the single most divisive player in this mess has been conspicuously absent of late - Liz Brown.

Liz has not been seen at public Board functions in over two months. She has been absent from the Board's regular meetings on July 9th, July 19th, August 6th, and August 20th, nor was she at the Board's "question and evasion session" at HES this past Tuesday. In fact, I can find no evidence of her existence since the Board met on June 18th.

Has the Board notified the authorities, or the media? Surely, they would be interested in the disappearance of an affluent, white woman - Nancy Grace would be all over it.

Where could Liz be?

• Perhaps she has followed the example set by the parents of 83 children in Orange County and made the choice to opt out of a bad situation. We should be so lucky.
• Maybe $100 a month isn't enough to make attending Board meetings worth her while. At least that is a reason I can understand. Why show up and deal with those pesky parents when you are getting paid either way?
• Perhaps after using her position on the Board to speed up the building of a softball field at her child's school, she figures her work is done.
• Maybe Board meetings conflict with her Reading & Discussion group at Internationalist Books. Afterall, those discussions are probably more interesting.

Who knows?

In an effort to find some humor in this blatant neglect of her responsibilities to the children of Orange County, I would like to start a game akin to "Where's Waldo?" - let's call it "Where's Liz?"

Here is a link to a satellite Map of Orange County. See if you can find Liz, and report back where you think she might be.

Hey Liz, come out, come out, wherever you are!

Dennis Whitling was right!

He didn't have any "intent" to answer parents' questions about his "Big Plan." And, he did just what he intended.

Nothing.

Well, not really nothing. He was able to justify taking another $100 from the taxpayers of Orange County for his time, and he did give "more than 100 parents" something to do on a Tuesday evening. That's something, isn't it?

As I wrote in an earlier post, "members of the Board attending the meeting hosted by the HES PTA don't plan to actually answer parents' questions."

And according to the Raleigh News & Observer, they were able to meet their goal with flying colors (if only they could actually meet the goals that count).

"The board could offer few details other than the intent to create a kindergarten-through-second-grade school on one campus and a third-through-fifth-grade school on the other."

In what was likely a much more difficult job for the reporter, the article attempts to list many of the questions Whitling could not (or would not) answer for parents. It would have probably been a much easier task had she listed the questions Dennis Whitling answered. But, then again, she did make the drive up to Hillsborough and needed to write something to justify the trip.

"Questions the board could not answer Tuesday included whether Title I funding would follow Central students in a newly constituted school, how the board would subsidize intercessions for poor families, and whether the schools would have staggered start times to enable parents to drop off and pick up students at both."

If you didn't get a chance to enjoy the show last night, don't worry, they are taking it on the road.

According to the N&O article, the Board is hosting two more question-and-evasion sessions in the next couple of weeks, but they don't know where. I guess if they are held in an undisclosed location, Dennis won't have nearly as many questions to not answer.

But, the meetings won't be for nothing - a new month means another $100 for Dennis. Cha ching!

And the number is ...

... "more than 80".

Too bad the citizens of Orange County have to get information about their school system from the University's student newspaper instead of their elected Board of Education or the district staff their tax dollars pay.

According to The Daily Tar Heel, "More than 80 students transferred from Efland-Cheeks and Central elementary schools" as a result of the mandatory school choice provision of the federal No Child Left Behind law.

Considering that the district claimed that a combined 739 students attended Efland-Cheeks and Central Elementary schools this past February, the percentage of eligible parents choosing a better performing school for their children exceeded 10%.

While 10% may not sound like much, it is more than 600% higher than reported in academic studies on the subject!

According to a 2006 Vanderbilt University study, "hardly any students and their families are actually exercising the choice option. In 2005-2006, only about 1.6 percent of all eligible students took advantage of transferring to a school that was making AYP."

Not to overstate the obvious, but 10% is much higher than 1.6%, providing clear evidence that there is strong demand for school choice in Orange County.

It is very interesting to note that of the 80 students taking advantage of their newly won school choice, over 36% chose the least convenient academic calendar in the district - year-round school at HES - rather than the four schools on a more familiar traditional calendar. And, this number will likely grow as new people move into the Efland-Cheeks or Central elementary school zones and immediately become eligible to transfer out.

Rather than continually pushing forward with a merger plan destined to divide the community and drive away a large number of involved parents, the Orange County Board of Education should take note of a 2004 study from the Citizens' Commission on Civil Rights, which found:

"Choice can further both racial, ethnic and economic desegregation as well as offer students immediate enrollment in successful schools that may be largely segregated."

Too bad they stopped "listening" when it became obvious parents were going to start speaking.

That sounds familiar. Where have I heard it before?

... oh yeah, I hear it almost every day from other HES parents.

In nearly every conversation I have with another HES parent, the issue of the CES/HES merger will inevitably come up. I guess that is to be expected. I have been so vocal on the issue that I am a magnet for such discussions.

In each of these conversations, the other parent will eventually express their resentment at being forced to find a new school for their child because their child "loves HES" and it is such a "good school." However, I have not heard a single one say they definitely plan to stay.

While it may provide little comfort to those of us struggling to figure out what to do next year, we are not alone.

Yesterday, The Washington Post printed a column that clearly shows how, like in Orange County, parents across the country are being driven away from the public school systems their tax dollars fund.

These parents (like the ones planning to leave HES) are not pulling out because their childrens' schools have been branded as "failing schools" nor are they the parents of children struggling to succeed in their current schools, rather they are increasingly the parents of high-performing children who are walking away from schools that have consistently met their yearly goals. But, why would anyone take their successful child out of a "good school"?

It is a last-ditch effort to escape local school authorities who's answer to the federal No Child Left Behind law "forces a fundamental educational approach so inappropriate for high-ability students that it destroys their interest in learning, as school becomes an endless chain of basic lessons aimed at low-performing students."

While the columnists lay much of the blame for the current state of our schools at the federal doorstep, the message should also be clearly sent to our own Board of Education - "it must address the fact that the requirements it imposed [and are currently proposing] are driving away many of the concerned and involved parents critical to our ailing public school system."

Too bad the message will likely fall on deaf ears.

What are the numbers now?

I took my son to school this morning and was delighted to hear that his first-grade class has two new members. And, I was equally happy to hear this afternoon that he had already made friends with them by the end of the day.

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:

1. 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?
2. Have you bothered to ask?
3. 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:

1. We have no idea because the OCS Staff hasn't told us, and they don't encourage us to have ideas of our own.
2. No. If it was important the OCS Staff would tell us it's important.
3. No. Only racists and elitists want school choice.

And not one second more

Your child's education is apparently only worth three minutes of the Orange County Board of Education's precious time.

Mirroring the rules imposed on people who wish to voice their opinions at regularly scheduled Board meetings, the rules for the upcoming merger "Q&A session" at Hillsborough Elementary School have been released.

Below is the full text of a letter presumably sent home earlier this week with every child currently attending the school:

August 21, 2007

Dear Parents,

The HES PTA is hosting the Orange County Board of Education members on Tuesday, August 28th from 7-9pm in the HES Cafeteria. The topic of our question/answer session will be the merger proposal between Central Elementary and HES. This is parents' opportunity to ask specific questions of board members and hear a direct response to their question. We encourage all parents to attend whether you have a question you'd like to ask, or if you are interested in gathering more information about the merger proposal.

In order to conduct the meeting efficiently, the HES PTA has determined the following format:

• The meeting will begin promptly at 7pm.
• Questions/discussion will be limited to those about the merger only.
• If parents would like to ask a question to make a comment, you will be asked to sign-in at the door.
• Parents will be called forward in the order in which they signed up to address the Board of Education members.
• There will be a 3 minute time restriction on questions/comments. There will be no limit on board members' responses.
• The HES PTA Executive Board will moderate the session.
• All comments/questions must be respectful and considerate of the Board of Education members, HES parents and staff, and the surrounding community.

To date, we have confirmed attendance from the following Board of Education members: Al Hartkopf, Anne Medenblik, Ted Triebel, and Dennis Whitling. All Board of Education members were invited. We hope to hear a response from other Board of Education members over the coming week.

The perception of the HES community has been less than positive. This is our opportunity to show the Board of Education and the surrounding community what a wonderful, supporting, and friendly environment HES is. Please mark your calendars to attend. The more parent participation in this event, the larger the demonstration of our commitment to year-round education. We look forward to seeing you on August 28th.

PTA Executive Board
Jackie Mignosa
Ashley Ward
Kathy Hartkopf
Teresa Tate

Same as it ever was

Well, it looks like the parents of Orange County can expect more of the same when it comes to the attitudes and policies of its public school system.

An article in the Durham Herald Sun, reveals that the Orange County Board of Education is using its Superintendent search process to find a veritable photocopy of Shirley Carraway.

According to the article, "The main response, first of all -- at least from the staff -- was that they want to carry forward a lot of the programs that Dr. Carraway started for the district," Whitling said. "They did not want someone coming in with a lot of initiatives that they thought have been pretty good so far."

Not surprisingly, the OCS Staff wants nothing to change. They don't "want someone coming in with a lot of initiatives" or ideas of their own. Why would they? This Board has done little more than rubber stamp the OCS Staff's plans - including the disastrous decision to disembowel the highest performing school in the district. What could they possibly gain from having someone with actual ideas of their own rock the boat?

I guess I need to check the org chart again, but who works for who here?

Dennis Whitling is also quoted as saying, "During the interview process, we found a number of candidates that fit some of the criteria but not all of it." I can only imagine what they saw lacking in some candidates.

Could it be that they clung to the antiquated notion that schools exist to teach children rather than foster "social justice"? Perhaps they naively felt elected school board members should be answerable to the parents they supposedly serve. Maybe they ethically believed that Board members shouldn't reorganize capital budgets to specifically benefit the school their child attends.

Any one of these things would likely get a candidate dismissed by this Board. Who knows? It's all a secret.

I shiver to think what a Superintendent chosen by these people will be like.

Most Orange County schools failed!

Just like failing to see the forest for the trees, paying attention to the performance of only a small number of Orange County schools puts you at risk of not seeing the big picture.

I will be the first to admit that I have been so wrapped up in the senseless destruction of Orange County's highest performing school that I nearly missed the "forest" all together.

Thank you to the Raleigh News & Observer for bringing it into clear view: the majority of Orange County's schools failed to make adequate yearly progress in 2006.

According to the N&O, "The passing rate was ... 42 percent in Orange [County]." That means that 58% of our county's schools are labeled failures!

And, even so, Board Member Liz Brown repeatedly argued for one of the schools that actually met its goals, Hillsborough Elementary, to be closed all together.

Under the "leadership" of Chairman Dennis Whitling, the Orange County Board of Education has presided over the ruin of what was once a jewel of North Carolina public education.

No wonder "they don't intend" to answer parents' questions. What could they possibly say?

Tell me again, why are you here?

If you schedule a meeting, purportedly to answer a group's questions, don't you think you should attend with the intent of actually answering those questions?

Of course that would make sense, but maybe that is why such an idea is lost on our Board of Education.

According to the Raleigh News & Observer, members of the Board attending the meeting hosted by the HES PTA don't plan to actually answer parents' questions.

"The Orange County school board members made it clear at a meeting Monday that they don't intend to have all the answers at upcoming community meetings about merging Central and Hillsborough elementary schools. Chairman Dennis Whitling said he thinks some parents mistakenly thought that any questions presented to the board ahead of time would be answered at the meetings."

If you don't plan to answer parents' questions at these meetings, tell me again why you are bothering to come at all.

Are we there yet?

According to the HES PTA, Orange County Board of Education members will attend the group's August 28th meeting to answer parents' questions about the proposed HES/CES merger.

Maybe someone should have told the Board.

They seem to think they aren't visiting the two schools' PTA meetings until September.

This message is posted to the Orange County Schools website:

"The Board of Education will hold meetings on Thursday, September 6, 2007 and Thursday, September 13, 2007 at 7:00 p.m. to provide information and gather input from parents about the merger of Central Elementary and Hillsborough Elementary Schools. The specific location of the meetings will be announced at a later date. Board members will also be present at the September PTA meetings for both Central and Hillsborough Elementary."

If they have so much trouble getting the little things right, is it any wonder so many people have so little trust that this group can get the big things right?

Barbarians at the gate

The HES PTA met last night and announced that Orange County Board of Education members will attend the group's August 28th meeting for a Q&A session on the proposed merger of Central Elementary and Hillsborough Elementary schools.

I strongly encourage every parent to attend! Make your voice heard.

This is the first (and likely only) real opportunity parents will have to receive answers from Board members. Unlike during the highly restrictive "public comment" period before each regular Board meeting, they will not be able to sit quietly and ignore parent concerns.

I have no illusions that this meeting will change any of their positions on the merger, but at least parents will have the chance to demand explanations from these elected "leaders" - whether they get those explanations is another matter.

I don't believe for a second that the entire Board will attend this meeting. I think there are Board members who lack the courage to honestly answer parents' questions for fear of publicly exposing their hypocrisy and personal agendas. As such, there will likely be some who are conspicuous in their absence. They should be remembered for their arrogance and cowardice.

That said, this is the last best chance to have your voice heard. Even if you are like me, and have never attended a PTA meeting, take this small chance to hold your elected representatives accountable.

Be there for your children on August 28.

Ask and ye shall receive

I guess there are some unanswered questions out there.

Since posting my call for volunteers to help the struggling Orange County Board of Education think of some unanswered questions about the CES/HES merger, I have heard from a few parents. But, none had as many really good questions as Kylie Snyder, the mother of two children at HES.

She sent me so many questions that I think it will take multiple blog posts to list them all.

Here is the first installment of Kylie's contribution to helping thaw the brain freeze that seems to have struck the Board mute.

• What about Efland-Cheeks? Who will you merge them with? You were told right away that Efland-Cheeks had the same stats as Central. Every excuse in the book for ignoring EC was given and you put the laser beam on Central. Then, you acted surprised that you have to punt with the opt out plans. You kept morphing the reason that CES needed to be merged. The scores, no --- the demographics, no --- the FRL. Yeah, that's it, the FRL. Yet, the Supreme Court is recognizing that FRL is just a euphemism for racial tracking. So what is next for BOTH of these schools?

• What will you do when the parents who choose to opt out of CES are not FRL and further exacerbate the FRL stats at Central? CES could go toward 80% if only the non FRL kids opt out. What is the plan then?
  

• Have you done the math? Merging the schools will not give the FRL number you are trying to get - especially if CES goes even higher this year. You do realize that, don't you?

• What is your "Plan B" when the other elementary schools are overcrowded and CES/HES are under-capacity and on two campuses? Is there a "Plan B"?
  

• Are you simply trying to avoid redistricting, or are you trying to eliminate HES because it skews the FRL at Central? What happened to the idea of capping the number of children from each school who can attend HES?

• Do you really and truly believe that "collaborative learning" will help children who are not passing the EOGs?

• Have you read any of the research that was provided to you? Many parents did major research on the topic of merged schools. They could only find one example of a successful school that merged. There were many examples of failure. I was told that we were way ahead of the board on the research issue. Then they voted to merge -- and there in lies the rub. An action item put into motion without a plan - any plan.

• What happened to the logistical questions the three subcommittee members came up with that were never addressed? (at the first meeting) "How would it look?" i.e., Staff/Administration, Bus Schedules, PTA meetings, resource sharing.

Wow, that is a really good start. All these questions from a one parent in one day. Now, tell me again why 7 (or 5) supposed education leaders couldn't even come up with one.

Maybe it is because you only want questions you WANT to answer, and not the questions parents you purport to represent want answered. After all, we don't seem to matter in the Board's decision-making process, they are only our children.

Any questions? No?

It appears that the Orange County Board of Education is having a difficult time thinking of any questions they might be expected to answer with regard to the CES/HES merger.

Really? The 7 of you couldn't think of a single one?

(Oh, I'm sorry, the 5 of you - since Debbie Piscitelli and Liz Brown decided to skip the last meeting. Maybe they decided the $50 just wasn't enough money to deal with these headaches.)

How about answering the questions parents have been asking for 6 months? That seems like a good starting point to me. I am sure there are plenty more that haven't been voiced.

Even though no local media bothered to report on Monday's Board meeting, I have been contacted by a few people who attended. These "citizen correspondents" tell me that the Board's brain freeze is so bad that Susan Hallman recommended that the CES/HES parent informational meetings (planned for two Thursdays in September) be pushed back to October to allow the Board time to prepare answers to the questions they may receive.

Until then, here are two questions you have likely not heard:

• If you believe in Dennis Whitling's "Big Plan" enough to force it upon the county, why do you need time to prepare answers?
• Shouldn't you be strong enough in your convictions to stand up and provide honest answers without a set of prepared talking points?

At some point you are going to have to take responsibility for your decisions. This seems as good a time as any, and better than most.

In the interest of helping our struggling Board members, I encourage parents to share their questions in every available forum.

Feel free to post your questions here. I know there are Board members who read this blog.

But, also ask your questions directly at the next Board meeting, grill them when they sneak into PTA meetings, write to the local newspapers, email them directly, call them at home, and post to local message boards. In essence, do whatever it takes to have your voice heard on this issue.