Some Hard Truths for folks thinking of moving to Cary: (Raleigh: housing, title)

[saturnfan]

Originally Posted by tbone65

Saturn,
Young families that have moved to the Triangle have the right to be concerned about the school systems. They also have the right to want the very best for their children.
If more schools need to be built, then it must fall on the taxpayers. I hope that this in not an issue for those opposing the current situation in Wake County.
Now, I am sure that you would never vote for a moderate tax increase to fund schools. That being the case, YOU have the option of moving out of the area. The folks moving in have every right to be here. They are looking for a better way of life and want the best for their kids. If this is causes you too much frustration, as is evident in your posts regarding "transplants" and your disdain for them, you have an option
End of rant.

The terms of this board require us to stay on topic, and I want to expand on the discussion that WCPSS is not doing a great job for its student body,

Education is very important to all families, and WCPSS has done a great job for my 2 children while keeping costs as low as possible.

Dr. Del Burns, who I know personally, is a caring educator who has the responsibility of being a good steward of the taxpayers' money as well as providing quality education for the students.

In my children's case, they were both well prepared for post-secondary learning, and both now proudly serve the great state of North Carolina in government agencies.

Throwing money at a problem isn't always the best way to solve it. Dr. Burns has tried to maximize utilization with YR school schedules but was blocked from doing so.

Young families are free to come here but need to understand the way things are done in North Carolina. We try hard to keep taxes within reason here instead of raising them to the point that residents are priced out of the community.

I have enjoyed my 20 years in Raleigh and intend to stay. I came here with reasonable expectations and did my best to fit into the community and accept the way things are done in this great state.

[findingmesomeday]

Originally Posted by SarahMom

Well, and the data has shown that the whole logic that it is for growth that reassignments and year round are happening is a big fat red herring. Many of the new schools open below capacity. If they were opened as traditional they would still be below capacity. They reassigned many kids out of our neighborhood school even though it was NOT over capacity and in a non-growth area. Took us out to put kids from across the county in. We don't have growth in this location any longer. Our problem is not the 'transplants', its the entrenched social agenda of the school board.

'Growth' is a smokescreen. Look into it.

It would appear that way to this outsider--and that the F&R is what they use to put the fancy gloss on a social experiment.

[saturnfan]

Originally Posted by NChomesomeday

It would appear that way to this outsider--and that the F&R is what they use to put the fancy gloss on a social experiment.

The policy has been used for years but the problems are made more difficult by growth coming without proper prior involvement of the school system.

Not knowing who's coming and where they will settle makes it quite a logistical challenge. Possibly restricting residential development in areas with no additional capacity might reduce the need to shuffle kids around so much.

[raleighjayne]

Dr. Burns has tried to maximize utilization with YR school schedules but was blocked from doing so.

They are STILL turning away applicants who WANT year round because they aren't the right demographic. I get so tired of hearing WCPSS blame this mess all on the judge's ruling. I swear my 4th grader has a better grasp on things than they do. If you can't have what you want, you have to make do with what you do have. WCPSS has empty seats in YR schools that they WILL NOT give to students who want them. Many of those students are instead sitting in overcrowded traditional cal schools (there are 5 kids on my cul-de-sac who fit this description this year).

Some of WCPSS's problems lie with growth that they have no control over. But many of their problems they have brought on themselves. I wish Burns had to guts to deal with what's he's got instead of trying to blame others.

[saturnfan]

If you knew Dr. Burns as I do, you wouldn't feel that way.

As principal of Millbrook HS, he turned the school completely around making it a great place for my son to complete WCPSS.

Students, teachers, and parents all thought highly of him and we all felt sad when he took a promotion into the central office.

It's not Dr. Burns. It's the emphasis on selling more new homes that's making things difficult for WCPSS.

In all their school careers, we never had a teacher who fell short of our expectations. One dear lady, Ms. Speight in Washington GT Magnet, completely turned our son around into a great student.

WCPSS rocks and I'll yell it to the world!!

[raleighjayne]

f you knew Dr. Burns as I do, you wouldn't feel that way.

As principal of Millbrook HS, he turned the school completely around making it a great place for my son to complete WCPSS.

Maybe he's better at being a principal than at running a school district? We've not had any bad teachers either (some better than others, but that's to be expected). I don't think that anybody's problem is with the teachers. It is with how the system chooses to run itself.

Yeah growth is making it difficult to keep up, but that is NOT WCPSS's main problem. They are insisting on following their current diversity plan without actually researching to see if it is working. I am not against a diversity policy at all. But they need to be honest about what their goal is and whether or not they are achieving it. They also need to be honest with the public as to what their goal is. If their goal is making sure that there are no schools with overwhelming poverty or minority enrollment, then they are not achieving their goal.

If their goal is to make sure that no central Raleigh schools suffer from overwhelming poverty or minority enrollment then they are pretty successful. If their goal is making sure that there are no schools that don't carry their 'fair share' of high needs kids even if it means that those kids get bused ridiculously long distances (more than 10 miles) PAST schools with F&R% lower than the county average, then they are doing a good job. If their goal is to make sure that low income/minority/high needs children actually do BETTER, then they are failing.

I have been very happy with the teachers, principals and staff at the 2 elem schools that we have been at. Its the curriculum and the lack of equity in this system that I have a problem with.

If you really believe that WCPSS rocks, then I respect that. Other people have different experiences than you do. The fact that you had a wonderful experience doesn't mean everyone does. And the fact that you've been here 20 years (or 50 years or whatever) doesn't mean that your opinion is more valuable than somebody like myself who has 'only' been here 10 years. (This is actually the longest I've ever lived ANYwhere in my life.)

If everybody took your advice of just 'dealing with' how things are done in NC, then we'd still have segregated schools and separate water fountains. Its ok to pursue something better. No matter how great our schools are, WCPSS, the BOE, and parents should ALWAYS be striving for better.

[saturnfan]

I agree but we must keep affordibility in mind too.

[SarahMom]

If they were more creative with the money they're using for busing, we could have quality neighborhood schools.

[convergent]

Yeh, how is busing kids all over the place making education more affordable? I don't accept that. Its is totally about leveling everything for everyone... one size fits all... no one can have better than the other.

They could always do what Vermont did. They have neighborhood or community schools and they just passed a bill that if any district collects and spends more than the state average per student, then the district has to give four times the difference back to the state to be distributed to the other districts. So if you had a house in a nice area that had better schools at a higher price, the price would go way up so they could redistribute your money all over the place. This whole redistricting thing just blows my mind. I have always looked at schools as being tied to the house you live in. If you buy a house, you know going in what kind of school its associated with since you are contributing a large portion of money to the schools. I guess you just can't look at it that way in Wake County.

[North_Raleigh_Guy]

Originally Posted by convergent

They could always do what Vermont did.

What's that? Lose population? There are more people (including school aged children) in Wake County than there is in the entire state of Vermont!

Wake County Population, 2006 estimate 786,522 (source)

Vermont Population, 2006 estimate 623,908 (source)

Vermont has one of the smallest populations in the United States. Vermont's populations is ranked 49th in the nation. Only Wyoming and Washington D.C. have fewer people.

Just another example of comparing apples to oranges. I'm sure it is easier to manage schools and growth when you aren't dealing with both at the same time.