Jefferson County Schools New Student Assignment Plan (Lexington, Louisville: crime, homes)

[logic28]

I just moved from Williamson County TN just outside of Nashville where the Reassignment Plan dosn't exist and the education system is one to be admired. I'm very disappointed and have great regrets in moving to Louisville KY after recently finding out that my children will be sent to a different school when I reside 1/2 mile /walking distance from a school. This is not in the best interest and safety of my children and others who are being effected by the "Racial Balancing Plan". The school board should take a closer look at investing into neighberhood schools by implementing special educational school programs, incentive plans that would attract the best of the best in teachers and work with the community to get parents involved in the education of their children.

Unfortunately my wife or I don't have family, friends or financial resources to register my 2 boys into private school. We are seeking stability and have serious concerns with my boys acclimating to again another change in their lives. I welcome and seek advise and recommendation on the best approach to address the School Board with a hardship transfer. We just don't know what to do, please help...............

[Molli777]

I absolutely do not understand this program, and wonder if it can be reversed at all. Why do this now, with our failing economy? Do these schools have the money to transport everyone around the city? Oh, I guess we will have to pay for it out of our tax money.

I have a preschool child, and another baby on the way. I worry about busing my child across the county. I attended some rural schols as a child that were the worst. Children getting up, pulling down their pants in class, using foul language against teachers and students, students allowed to use terrible grammar, students so distracted that they 'zone out' or join the crowd to please the 'bad apples' it really is not fair to any student. Let parents make the decision where they want to send their children. Our state has enough issues within its education system-poor test scores, bad teachers-we don't need this. This is just a way for more government control if you ask me.

I don't know how I will afford it, but when the time comes for my child to make a transfer, I am going to try to work three or more jobs to send him to the school of his/our choice. Why put a child in an area that is known for problem children, bad grades and lack of funding, if there are nice schools in our district? Why remove any child away from his/her community to make a point, if there is one? It is going to go haywire. Familiarity brings content, and with the bouncing around every year to different schools to please JCPS, all of the kids are losing out on their education.

[logic28]

Unfortunately it's here to stay unless some of the recent law suits againist Reassignment affect the the current plan. The School board should apply the same reassignment for the Teachers and themselfs and see how they would deal with the "reassignment". But of coarse this would not happen because the "Teacher's" association is a powerfull organization. Advise.... save for private school

[tomocox]

Unless a person is willing to take on racial politics, JCPS will always have a less than it could be school system. In even writing these words, there will be bitter words towards me. I will be called racist, I will be slandered and judged incorrectly when all I am saying is that the system is wrong now because of race, not because of caring about the children.

[MSL2828]

Logic28 - I have heard that it takes a lot of constant grating on the administrators' nerves to try to get something you want. Some parents have had to go down to Newburg road office DAILY to ask for status of their transfers, and talk to those people repeatedly and some succeeded in getting it. They recommend to be nice and respectful but be very persistent. You should keep trying even past the first day of school.

The rules in JCPS is really against helping out parents. I heard (not confirmed) that even if they granted you a hardship transfer, they can still revoke it at any time! And that once you've obtained your transfer, you are then responsible for your own transportation (but I also heard that you can still get on your bus because they don't really check.) That makes it just about impossible for a family to ensure their kids all go to 1 school, and the stress and anxiety isn't worth it so many families opt out completely and go private or move out of the county if they could.

I would still try to apply at some of the parochial schools, I have heard they offer some help and assistance if you are cash strapped, especially if you're part of the parish.

And please bear in mind I am just repeating what I read from other bulletin boards and haven't gone through most of this myself (I'm just preparing for this when my son has to re-enroll for 1st grade and I become part of the uproar if he doesn't get back into his resides school - which he has already spent a year at!)

GOOD LUCK!!

[missymomof3]

I think it is about time to get back to neighborhood schools, at least have clusters with neighborhood schools as an option. This is getting out of hand!

[wmac62]

Logic, I feel your pain. I have two daughters 4 and 7. My number one goal is to get them out of this hell hole of a city at all cost. I'm responding specifically to you because we are moving to Williamson County, TN. It is like night and day, hell and heaven, rain and sun. I don't know how any parent who cares about the welfare of their child or children would ever live in such a place were race dictates over common sense. What is the cost of this stupidity in dollars? The bottom line is to distribute all these thugs equally across Jefferson County School System so one school does not look so bad as the other. It is a program to equally distribute the non-performers across all the Jefferson County Schools so we can mask the real problem, PARENTING. Think about this, Have you ever seen a news channel interview a concerned parent from the predominately poor side of town ? No, because these are the same parents (if they even have a parent) who don’t care whether their child spends two hours on a bus and don‘t care if they get home at 6:00 or 7:00 P:M. These are the same people who do not provide any parenting to their children, so of course it does not effect them because they don’t care !!!!! Ms. Todd and the school board are doing this for self service and not selfless service. They are worried about the numbers and not your child. My advice, move back to Williamson County, maybe we can meet and have a Beer Summit over it !!!!!!!

[wmac62]

I had a dream last night, since the School Board has acted so stupidly, ha, ha. I have the perfect solution. Since we need diversification lets rotate all the teachers in Jefferson County through out the school system every month. Lets put them on the bus and ship the teachers around. According to Ms. Todd diversification helps with learning and higher achievement so this is the perfect solution!!! According to Ms. Todd’s theory I guess all the kids in Atlanta and Fargo North Dakota are less diversified and stupid, HMMMMMMMM !!!!!,

[beadster]

I have a really crazy idea. Why don't people demand that the school system invest in all their schools equally, so all students no matter what part of the city they are in, are getting the same equal education.

[beadster]

People are not more "dumb" when they are not in a diverse situation. For example comparing a city kid to a country kid. the 2 can get the same education, and do just as well in college. The issue is the country kid does not get exposed to a vareity of cultures and different thinking compared to the city kid. Why does that matter, because one day that kid has to grow up, and live in a world where there is a variety of cultures, and has to learn to deal with that, as an adult. That is why diversification has importance in education.
It is a fact, in hispanic, and black dominated neighborhoods, the dollars, and investment, and teaching etc is not the same as in upsale, white dominated neighborhoods. So here again, make the school districts invest equally in all their schools, and you won't have to bus kids around at all. Because parents will want to send their kids to those schools, and diversity will develop in those schools naturally.