Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
The busing issue definitely has more to do with overcrowding than with social diversity! I don't have time to look them all up again, but the statistic are on the WCPSS website and when I looked them up last year, they showed that around 90% of kids in Wake schools go to school within 5 miles of their home! There are a few areas in wake that are being too sent far away and I agree that they should not be on the bus so long, but that is fixable! You don't have to throw out the baby with the bath water!
As a product of Wake County schools when they first started bussing, there were hardly EVER reassignments. It was an extremely stable system with good teachers and produced strong students in diverse schools. In fact it worked so well, that it created a school system that appealed to people who wanted to re-locate from other regions of the country for a better quality of life. When they all started moving here and over-taxing the school system and it's resources, that is when the busing got out of control and schools started bursting at the seams!
Anyone who says that the "majority" of busing is for socioeconomic reasons and not to alleviate overcrowding is either not looking at the facts and numbers or is trying to stir the pot with an agenda.
Well the argument is flawed. Schools aren't "segregated" for the sake of segregation, schools are segregated because certain races of people choose to live in certain areas of the county (city, etc). This is the type of argument intended to get people all riled up.
This statement is only true for those wealthy enough to choose where they want to live in Wake county. Believe it or not, there are some hard working individuals that do very much needed jobs like pick your trash up, cook your kid's lunch, clean your workplace, etc. that can only afford to live in the poorer areas of the county. Schools filled with high poverty kids have issues. They have trouble attracting and retaining good teachers. That is a known fact. I don't feel the quality of a child's education should be based on how expensive of a house their parents can afford.
This statement is only true for those wealthy enough to choose where they want to live in Wake county. Believe it or not, there are some hard working individuals that do very much needed jobs like pick your trash up, cook your kid's lunch, clean your workplace, etc. that can only afford to live in the poorer areas of the county. Schools filled with high poverty kids have issues. They have trouble attracting and retaining good teachers. That is a known fact. I don't feel the quality of a child's education should be based on how expensive of a house their parents can afford.
That is the old argument. The schools are not good, therefore, the childrens' education suffers.
The fact is that substandard performance starts in the homes of these children. Is it all families living in S. Raleigh, absolutely not, but there is a major problem.
BTW, the overcrowding vs. intergration argument are separate issues. Most school systems, at times, face overcrowding. Temporarily, there may be some stress for families moving to new schools. This, though, has nothing to do with taking a kid from S. Raleigh and plopping him on a bus for an hour each way and replacing him with a kid from Cary (attracted only by the magnet program). It creates a school within a school.
The times are changing, get on board or get out of the way.
BTW, the overcrowding vs. intergration argument are separate issues. Most school systems, at times, face overcrowding. Temporarily, there may be some stress for families moving to new schools.
Not sure where you're from, but most school systems have not had to deal with the growth Wake County schools have dealt with over the last 20 years. And you are wrong if you think the majority of the reassignments and bussing has been for diversity.
I guess I missed the new findings that high poverty schools are now healthy schools.
Take a look at Abbott districts in NJ. The schools are extremely well funded and they are terrible. The schools have more money than any suburban school, yet they fail miserably.
Not sure where you're from, but most school systems have not had to deal with the growth Wake County schools have dealt with over the last 20 years. And you are wrong if you think the majority of the reassignments and bussing has been for diversity.
It's growth that Wake County welcomed, but they did not effectively plan for the growth. Voters shot down bond issues to build schools...don't want any new taxes.
Would someone point me to the data that shows the kid from S. Raleigh is being relocated to W. Cary because its the logical choice?
Is it only a matter of time before certain suburban areas attempt to break away from WCPSS?
Is it only a matter of time before certain suburban areas attempt to break away from WCPSS?
While this area does have some experience with secession, parts of the county aren't just free to break away from the county schools. It would require an act of the state legislature, and probably county action as well to deal with property issues, etc. On top of that would be constitutional issues under Article 9, Section 2 of the North Carolina State Constitution - which requires the state to "provide . . . for a general and uniform system of free public schools, . . .wherein equal opportunities shall be provided for all students."
It would require an act of the state legislature, and probably county action as well to deal with property issues, etc. On top of that would be constitutional issues under Article 9, Section 2 of the North Carolina State Constitution - which requires the state to "provide . . . for a general and uniform system of free public schools, . . .wherein equal opportunities shall be provided for all students."
Bottom line - it ain't gonna happen.
As long as the schools are showing Adequate Yearly Progress, the legislature will not touch them.
I think that is the bottom line with Wake. You can complain all you want about logistics but as long as the schools are meeting federal requirements....
Look at Atlanta...Big news there!!! Hope they throw the book at those cheating teachers!
That simply is is not true and is not supported by the facts.
The truth is that even under the proposed community school plan the new board proposed many parents were angered to learn that their children would still not go to the school closest to their home due to overcrowding issues.
NRG is right!
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Yes, there would have to be...
