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That was a fair article on the situation in Raleigh.
This portion of the article is relevant:
Brent McKim, president of the Jefferson County Teachers Association, which often backs school-board candidates and supports the district's diversity policy, said he hasn't heard of opponents seeking to run. But he said he wouldn't be surprised if they do.
Despite a “small but vocal group of people unhappy with any system,” he said, “for the most part the community has a strong commitment to diversity. Everyone agrees we need to try to keep travel time as short as possible. To the district's credit, they have been improving that. “
He said local political parties, including the Republicans, whose party funded the Wake County candidates, haven't typically been big players in non-partisan school board elections.
Shellie May, chairwoman of the Jefferson County Republic Party, said she believes that long bus rides, particularly for young children, are “a huge problem,” but she isn't sure whether the party will take on the issue this year.
Louisville's civic and business leaders such as Mayor Jerry Abramson and Greater Louisville Inc., the chamber of commerce, say they still support integrated schools. Schools should “reflect the world that students will be competing and working in once they graduate,” said GLI president Joe Reagan
It seems the local community power structure is behind the plan, the teachers and PTA support it, and the local GOP is uncertain if they want to take on the issue.
So there is quite a bit of political weight behind socioeconomic integration. I think the situation in Louisville vs Wake County is that the surrounding counties are the "safety valve" for parents who dont want their kids bussed, as are the private schools. As I posted earlier it's a lot easier to move out of county than to engage in a political fight to change the policy.
Louisville is losing alot of new taxpayers due to the school system. I will rent or move elsewhere. I have a very young family and schools are extremely important to me-- I'm not interested in private schools. I just want the american dream buy a house and send my kids to a school nearby. Louisville does not offer that. I'm surprised it isn't deamed illegal I'm all for diversity but the system seems backwards to me.
Your opinion of Louisville schools seems awfully strong for not having tried them. JCPS system is not great. However, it DOES contain the best schools in the metro area. The problem is that it also contains the worst. If you are a motivated parent, it should not be a huge issue. To say that Louisville doesn't offer the American dream is not a correct statement at least IMO. I personally think allowing children to go to a diverse school is good for them. You cannot find that in "whitopia" suburbia/exurban areas.
Your opinion of Louisville schools seems awfully strong for not having tried them. JCPS system is not great. However, it DOES contain the best schools in the metro area. The problem is that it also contains the worst. If you are a motivated parent, it should not be a huge issue. To say that Louisville doesn't offer the American dream is not a correct statement at least IMO. I personally think allowing children to go to a diverse school is good for them. You cannot find that in "whitopia" suburbia/exurban areas.
What kind of parent would I be if I simply moved to an area and simply 'tried' the school system out? My child is smart enough to know the difference between a good school and a bad one by the 3rd grade. In relocating I would like to explore the schools, purchase a home, and simply live a decent life. Now I know there are major issues with the school system so why would I buy a home and take a chance. Also I live in South Carolina it is far from what you call "whitopia" suburbia/exurban area.
What kind of parent would I be if I simply moved to an area and simply 'tried' the school system out? My child is smart enough to know the difference between a good school and a bad one by the 3rd grade. In relocating I would like to explore the schools, purchase a home, and simply live a decent life. Now I know there are major issues with the school system so why would I buy a home and take a chance. Also I live in South Carolina it is far from what you call "whitopia" suburbia/exurban area.
emom... thank you for that simply but loving and brilliant logic. STX has never had a child in any school. I don't blame him, but you are correct. There is not a school in my knowledge anywhere of any style (public/private/parochial) that is a perfect school. Why? Because students, teachers, parents, administrators, & citizens are not perfect.
What bothers me most about JCPS is the "not fair" syndrome. I must be honest in my feelings that too many people of Jefferson County believe they should be given an education rather than having their children get an education. In the political sense, that makes all the difference. STX doesn't want to accept that I want JCPS to be the best. I want every child to achieve more than expected at every social and IQ level.
The most outstanding reason Oldham County Schools are the top school district of Kentucky is equally simple. Our parents are the best. Because we have local schools serving local students, parents are involved. Our parents don't just tell the system to deliver, they actually join with the system in helping to deliver. The teachers and administrators of JCPS are equal to or maybe even better than most, it's just that the third leg of the stool is not carrying its load. For any student to be successful, it requires that every "leg" carry its share of the load. Example, when my wife was a 2nd grade teacher at Blue Lick Elementary, to gain the required racial blend, a huge number of students had to be bussed. Even when the school provided free transportation of parents to the school for PTO and school events, there was very little participation by the "bussed parents." Manny Oldham County events are standing room only. That makes all the difference in a child's education.
emom... thank you for that simply but loving and brilliant logic. STX has never had a child in any school. I don't blame him, but you are correct. There is not a school in my knowledge anywhere of any style (public/private/parochial) that is a perfect school. Why? Because students, teachers, parents, administrators, & citizens are not perfect.
What bothers me most about JCPS is the "not fair" syndrome. I must be honest in my feelings that too many people of Jefferson County believe they should be given an education rather than having their children get an education. In the political sense, that makes all the difference. STX doesn't want to accept that I want JCPS to be the best. I want every child to achieve more than expected at every social and IQ level.
The most outstanding reason Oldham County Schools are the top school district of Kentucky is equally simple. Our parents are the best. Because we have local schools serving local students, parents are involved. Our parents don't just tell the system to deliver, they actually join with the system in helping to deliver. The teachers and administrators of JCPS are equal to or maybe even better than most, it's just that the third leg of the stool is not carrying its load. For any student to be successful, it requires that every "leg" carry its share of the load. Example, when my wife was a 2nd grade teacher at Blue Lick Elementary, to gain the required racial blend, a huge number of students had to be bussed. Even when the school provided free transportation of parents to the school for PTO and school events, there was very little participation by the "bussed parents." Manny Oldham County events are standing room only. That makes all the difference in a child's education.
Tom, this isn't about JCPS vs OC schools. This is about leading people to the right area for them. The fact is, OC is much more rural, sleepy bedroom communityish than most folks from large cities are used to. It gives you long commutes like you have in the big city--but that is not the point of Louisville. The joy of a city that size is being able to live SAFELY in the CITY and enjoy its amenities and get anywhere in 10 minutes. OC is very nice but there are tens of thousands of nicer suburbs across the country. However, there are very few neighborhoods like the Highlands. Not ones which mix family areas with young professionals, private schools, such great parks and walkability. Only the nation's largest cities have neighborhoods this vibrant where families can live safely. Having traveled to now over 75 of the nation's largest metro areas, I feel I can comment very easily on this subject. It appalled me in a city that isn't too big such as Louisville that I would occassionally run into people, especially shopping at places like the Summit, who were so unfamiliar with anything close to downtown! I even had a transplant tell me Louisville was nothing but chain restaurants! HA, come to find out they havent even set foot on Bardstown or Frankfort.
To emom, I respect your opinion, but I am not asking you to play russian roulette with your child. JCPS is not for the dogs. Trying the system for one year will have no detrimental effects on you or your family. Your child will still learn alot, and if you dont like it (I honestly think you will like it), you can move. I would focus on the area and home that feels right to me. Schools are a huge factor, but I really am tired of seeing folks jump all over JCPS unfairly. It really is a great school system. All the people happy with the system do not post here. It is just 2 or 3 constant naysayers that give it a negative light.
STX, you and I totally agree on your line "This is about leading people to the right area for them." I won't discount your points about the Metro parks, but since again, I have lived in Louisville, Oldham County, and rural Kentucky, I can tell you, since you have only lived in metropolitian areas, that living in Oldham County is as "good as it gets." From high quality medical and emergency services, to an outstanding public and private educational system, plus excellent staple shopping, nearby destination shopping, mega-movie theaters, and so much more, Oldham County is a no risk place to move to.
You are mistaken about one bad year in a child's education. Although, I attended 1st through 12th grade on the same campus, I had a terrible 4th grade in Kentucky which still affects me. My now 30 yr old daughter wanted to stay with her mom in Lafayette LA for 4th grade and it took over four years to repair the damage that one year cost. So, please don't tell a parent that one year doesn't matter. Thousands of Louisville parents and students can tell you about how bad that one bussing year hurt them. Ask any military brat how 5, 10, even 15 different schools while growing up affected them. Yes, sir, one year can ruin a child's entire life.
How long has JC been bussing kids to meet the 'racial' diversity? Our county in Florida tried that for a few years and it was a DISASTER. Granted, I do not know JC's diversity to begin with--but here it meant bussing kids from 'ghetto ville' into 'white suburbia'. Violence erupted as, social economically the diversity was too great. You had kids who got brand new cars (BMW etc) for their 15th or 16th birthday with kids whose parent's could barely afford one used car for their whole family.
I am all for racial diversity--how ever I do not want my child interacting/socializing with kids whose parents are drug dealers etc. REGARDLESS of their racial make up. I.E. I would push my child to befriend a child who is of different race whose parent's have similar values as us VS. one who is of same race whose parents' values are opposite of ours
STX has it all wrong unfortunately, emom has it 100 percent correct, Why run the risk ?
Here is the bottom line for those who don’t get it or do not deal in reality. This has nothing what so ever to do with diversification. It has everything to do with politics, cooking the books, teachers union and of course money . I have not had one person provide me any statistical data to support this diversification argument. I have not had one person to make the argument “Because we support diversification it makes the child a better person“. What about the kids in Fargo, North Dakota were the population is 94 percent white and one percent black or African American, five percent other. So are we stating the kids in North Dakota are less diversified and they are all going to be incapable of maintaining a career in the so called “real world” because there school system is 94 percent white and one percent black? What about Helena, Montana, 95 percent white, .25 percent black. Should we start flying blacks or other races out to Helena to support diversification. Give me a break. This is no more than a scam to distribute the non-contributors of our society across the county and put a few bad apples here, put a few over here, mix some of them in over here so we can hide the real problem. Jefferson County does not want to say it, so I will state it again in a non-political correct way. We as a society do not want to admit we have problems in minority and poor area of the county. The leadership does not want to answer why the poor and minority school systems fail compared to middle or upper class white schools, lets mix it up so I do not have to answer to the Federal Government why certain schools in the county have failed to meet academic standards. The real problem is not the schools. The real problem is this county continues to perpetuate the problem by hiding these kids and not putting responsibility on the parents or lack of parents. This county is a joke!!!
STX, you and I totally agree on your line "This is about leading people to the right area for them." I won't discount your points about the Metro parks, but since again, I have lived in Louisville, Oldham County, and rural Kentucky, I can tell you, since you have only lived in metropolitian areas, that living in Oldham County is as "good as it gets." From high quality medical and emergency services, to an outstanding public and private educational system, plus excellent staple shopping, nearby destination shopping, mega-movie theaters, and so much more, Oldham County is a no risk place to move to.
You are mistaken about one bad year in a child's education. Although, I attended 1st through 12th grade on the same campus, I had a terrible 4th grade in Kentucky which still affects me. My now 30 yr old daughter wanted to stay with her mom in Lafayette LA for 4th grade and it took over four years to repair the damage that one year cost. So, please don't tell a parent that one year doesn't matter. Thousands of Louisville parents and students can tell you about how bad that one bussing year hurt them. Ask any military brat how 5, 10, even 15 different schools while growing up affected them. Yes, sir, one year can ruin a child's entire life.
As always, we'll agree to disagree. Oldham County is an awfully nice area. To be honest, Louisville probably needs it to grow into the upscale edge suburb that most major metro areas have--the Brentwood, Carmel, Cary, Naperville etc. Even though I despise these areas, they are highly attractive to white collared families. Sad but true. And these are the people driving job growth.
Still, I hate when people come in here and discount such a great county/city such as Louisville based on a few parents badmouthing and stereotyping one of the nation's 25 largest school districts, which is JCPS!!!!
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