Voters Call for End to Wake Schools Diversity Policy (Apex: purchasing, live)

[NYer]

More magnets. More magnets. More magnets.

In addition to the AG-only electives, there are gifted electives the base and AG kids take, together.
The teachers are awesome.
The curriculum is amazing... advanced classes for those who need it, extra help in the basics for those who need it.
Base kids are nearby... they actually attend events, with their families.
Magnet kids are far, but far by choice... for the many who choose it, it is worth the drive.

So everyone is happy.

I know Many families in Wake Forest who would love the opportunity to attend a magnet.

Let's give it to them.

[TuborgP]

Originally Posted by NYer

More magnets. More magnets. More magnets.

In addition to the AG-only electives, there are gifted electives the base and AG kids take, together.
The teachers are awesome.
The curriculum is amazing... advanced classes for those who need it, extra help in the basics for those who need it.
Base kids are nearby... they actually attend events, with their families.
Magnet kids are far, but far by choice... for the many who choose it, it is worth the drive.

So everyone is happy.

I know Many families in Wake Forest who would love the opportunity to attend a magnet.

Let's give it to them.

Yes let's give the magnet to the students and parents and as a necessity we will also give the bill for the expansion to the tax payers. I wonder if the Republican Party will support that tax increase?

[CHTransplant]

Originally Posted by NYer

More magnets. More magnets. More magnets.

The N&O listed magnet schools as one issue that will be facing the new board, with this comment:

The board may need to consider eliminating or cutting back on magnet programs as Wake sends more neighborhood children back to what are now magnet schools.

So it may be less magnets, less magnets, less magnets.

[adlnc07]

Originally Posted by TuborgP

Yes let's give the magnet to the students and parents and as a necessity we will also give the bill for the expansion to the tax payers.

Well, I already know how I'm voting on the next school bond issue!

[Sayantsi]

The question is, why are magnets such a great option? Why aren't regular schools able to offer these programs?

[VaNC]

Many of the magnet curriculum options are great to have, but may not serve many people at each school. So, if you want to offer chinese, for instance, it is expensive to find and pay a teacher to teach it at each school. And each school may only fill one class, if that. But if you are really into language, you can send your kid to a language immersion magnet.

[TuborgP]

Originally Posted by Sayantsi

The question is, why are magnets such a great option? Why aren't regular schools able to offer these programs?

Magnets are called that for a reason. They are designed to attract/pull/draw students to a specific school. You can have the programs in all schools but they wouldn't be called magnets. With magnets comes open enrollment and the ability to attend outside of your normally assigned areas. You could have the programs at all the schools but they wouldn't be called magnets. Many of the programs are often specialized and you wouldn't have enough enrollment to offer at all of the schools. That being said if your school didn't have enough enrollment to offer the program should you be allowed to send your child to a school that has it? Will there be space there?

[Neicy]

Originally Posted by annesg

I'm not "for" the busing either, and I am glad some new folks with (hopefully) fresh ideas are on their way in. That being said, we can't just return to neighborhood schools and drop it. The "FNR" population, as they are so often referred to, have a right to a good education too, and I just worry that the poorest, who are also usually the least powerful, will lose access to good schools. There has to be a way to make sure ALL of our children have access to good schools, good teachers, and quality resources.

That is exactly the problem with neighborhood schools--as the rich keep moving further and further out, they won't have to "deal with/go to school with" the poorest children. They want to be in their little corner of the world and pretend that the poor don't exhist. The best teachers and programs flock to the further out schools so they don't have to deal with the poorer kids either. The poorer schools suffer and those children do NOT have the same opportunity for an equal education. It's happened in Wayne County--the richer people who live outside the city limits of Goldsboro, put their kids in the "neighborhood" schools and the schools inside the city limits are suffering-best teachers went outside the city, programs were cut due to reduced funding, the schools in thecity are going down the tubes. You all say fix the poorer schools at the source but you know that doesn't happen. Look at Charlotte/Meck. County. But I guess as long as your child gets the best, to he--double hockey sticks with the less fortunate. I can't believe that people are so quick to dismiss the least of us--how can you not care what happens to the less fortunate????

[plf86000]

Pay better at the lower performing schools
everyone has a price
including teachers.

and the school board only can spend what they are given. They do not have the power to TAX us. so their decisions do not hurt me.

My plan was to move out of Wake after my kids are out of school. I would love to expend my energy to get it right but I have chosen to put my energy towards other things.

[adlnc07]

Originally Posted by plf86000

Pay better at the lower performing schools
everyone has a price
including teachers.

I'd say that teachers who are primarily motivated by money are not teaching in NC... my stepmother makes at least $30K more teaching in New York (state, not city) than she would here. Not that she's in it for the money - I just bring it up because from what I've read here, teachers in NC are not well paid at all, and have to pay a lot for their health insurance as well.