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And to the poster who said you shouldn't be able to buy a better school I wholeheartedly agree but that's not the reality of the situation. And until it does we'll still be in a scenario where you can basically buy your way in. If you look at the numbers and go on the tours you'll see a strong correlation to the quality of the education and the free lunch ratio. I mentioned it to an attorney I know and said someone should sue over the inequality of it all.
I know the reality of the situation. But for anyone to argue that they since they paid more for a house in order to go to a better school then they somehow deserve not to be reassigned out of it is both wrong and arrogant.
On the positive side I was really impressed with Jeffrey's Grove (favorite!) and North Ridge. North Ridge didn't have a wonderful great schools rating but the principal was really fabulous and did the entire tour and took time to answer any questions as well as gave out his personal email and direct line for questions. Then there were schools who don't even do tours during school hours (Durant being one that I remember). It was hard for me to trust a school who doesn't let you see them in action but I know they have reasons for this.
The only schools I've ever been able to tour during school hours were magnet schools. None of our base schools allowed it.
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I like the busing in theory. In actuality it's just not a great model. You're taking kids who are already disadvantaged as a whole and busing them for an hour each way to a school that is perhaps "better" but what about those two hours or more they're spending on the bus? It seems to add even more of a disadvantage as they have to get up earlier and get home later than a traditional bus system. But I'm sure the people who make these decisions have all of the data behind it that have been studied and support this model.
Yeah, that was part of the problem. The data didn't show that the busing was actually helping the kids. It just helped prevent some schools from not meeting NCLB standards.
So parents are pissed because they aren't getting the school they wanted and kids have to be bused just a little farther? Aren't all schools in West Cary great? Parents will complain about Traditional or YR. Parents will just get pissed at anything and everything and feel entitled. Give me a break.
The first draft takes the kids who live the closest to Mills Park (many who are walkers) and puts them 3 1/2 miles away to the new school. They then want to ship kids who live close to the new school over to Mills Park. If the plan was to increase bussing, then they will certainly achieve this. It is just dumb.
For what it's worth, I have not heard anyone I know express concern over what the quality of the new school will be. It will be a good school.
Thankfully my little one will be unaffected, but it is still a dumb proposal. I am glad the neighborhors step up to point this out.
I've sent two of my children through MPES, and I have to comment on your assertion that many of the kids who live nearby walk to school. Honestly, there are VERY few children walking to/from MPES, except on that one day a year where they're encouraged to walk to school, lol. Even the older kids at MPMS seldom walk, unless it's a Friday, early dismissal day, or there's a home game after school.
I do think they should divide the kids at Carpenter Fire Station Road, though, rather than taking a few random streets and reassigning them to Horton's Creek. I'd hate to watch my kids grow up with their neighborhood friends, go through school with them, and then randomly my kids are sent to a different school from their good friends who live down the street or around the corner. I think the area SW of Carpenter Fire Station and Green Level (Cary Park, a little chunk of Amberly, Southbridge, etc.) should be kept together at MPES.
I've sent two of my children through MPES, and I have to comment on your assertion that many of the kids who live nearby walk to school. Honestly, there are VERY few children walking to/from MPES, except on that one day a year where they're encouraged to walk to school, lol. Even the older kids at MPMS seldom walk, unless it's a Friday, early dismissal day, or there's a home game after school.
I do think they should divide the kids at Carpenter Fire Station Road, though, rather than taking a few random streets and reassigning them to Horton's Creek. I'd hate to watch my kids grow up with their neighborhood friends, go through school with them, and then randomly my kids are sent to a different school from their good friends who live down the street or around the corner. I think the area SW of Carpenter Fire Station and Green Level (Cary Park, a little chunk of Amberly, Southbridge, etc.) should be kept together at MPES.
I don't know if you still have kids attending these schools. There are lots of kids walking and biking every day, weather permitting. I know this to be true because I see them everyday.
The only schools I've ever been able to tour during school hours were magnet schools. None of our base schools allowed it.
Really? All of the schools I contacted to tour (and we toured A LOT) offered school day tours except one. Even the regular non-magnet schools once we realized we weren't going to get a magnet option. The one that didn't offered to let us come to their carnival night which we did and we ultimately did go with that school based on the parental involvement and it being our only public option in the end...
So parents are pissed because they aren't getting the school they wanted and kids have to be bused just a little farther? Aren't all schools in West Cary great? Parents will complain about Traditional or YR. Parents will just get pissed at anything and everything and feel entitled. Give me a break.
Are you a parent? I thought this way until I had a child. If all schools were equal it wouldn't be an issue but since they're not I get it. And as a parent you will always fight for what is best for your child.
Are you a parent? I thought this way until I had a child. If all schools were equal it wouldn't be an issue but since they're not I get it. And as a parent you will always fight for what is best for your child.
These parents are not being told their child will sent to a poorly ranking school a one hour bus ride away. They are going to be sent to a new school. New schools in WCPSS get a top principal from the district who takes a few of their best performing teachers with them. The parents do not want there kids to change schools, not matter what school it would be. Once again, this does come back to due diligence when buying. These issues of reassignments and overcrowding have been front and center for West Cary for years.
With reference to the Year Round vs Traditional schedule in this case, the school was designated to open Multi Track Year Round, which helps alleviate crowding. The parents fought that decision. How was that for the best for their child, that was just what they wanted. It was WCPSS's fault for giving in to the pressure from one school and forgetting that their job is to serve the entire district.
Any new school is a risk (personally I'd be fine with it but I can see why parents might be leery). I do have empathy for them and think that they should be able to be grandfathered in somehow like they do with capped schools. This particular change doesn't impact me personally but I think we need to see it from their perspective.
As for the calendar I don't think we can determine what's best for someone else's child. We do YR and it's best for ours but that doesn't mean it's best for someone else's. I can see the issues with it (i.e. if you want to send your child to traditional summer camps that are overnight, spend summers at the beach, have a job with your summer off, etc). What's right for one family may not be for another. I know families who have moved to either avoid or be in a YR base.
Any new school is West Cary will be excellent. Look at White Oak- they got our principal, Robin Swaim who is amazing. She took a good amount of her staff with her- all excellent teachers. I would not worry about any new school in West Cary.
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