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NYer--I attended a 'meet and greet' with Tony Tata (new super) at Athens Drive HS last night. He mentioned the problem with magnets in that choice model. He said that was why he asked the Board to let him incorporate the magnet review in with his (and the staff's) assignment plan.
I don't know how much of that choice plan is going to be incorporated--there are a lot of issues with it. I was very encouraged, though, to hear that Tata recognized one of the weaknesses. The plan also hasn't addressed calendar choice very well either.
NYer--I attended a 'meet and greet' with Tony Tata (new super) at Athens Drive HS last night. He mentioned the problem with magnets in that choice model. He said that was why he asked the Board to let him incorporate the magnet review in with his (and the staff's) assignment plan.
I don't know how much of that choice plan is going to be incorporated--there are a lot of issues with it. I was very encouraged, though, to hear that Tata recognized one of the weaknesses. The plan also hasn't addressed calendar choice very well either.
Thanks for letting me know, Jayne! That is an important issue for me. I am mor econcerned with AG instruction in math & Language Arts, than, say... getting 20 elective choices! Although I know a few moms who are thrilled with their non-AG magnets...
"We came to the conclusion that elementary/middle school was primarily a social experience and the real learning takes place at home, regardless of whether they were homeschooled or not."
I can only speak definitively for three Wake County schools: the one where I teach and two my children attend.
But in those three schools...not true. I do teach my own children quite a bit. After all, that's my job as a parent. But if they were waiting on me to teach them the chemistry, calculus, etc. that they are learning in school (or even to facilitate the learning), the results would not be comparable. And very few parents have the content base (undergraduate and graduate degree) to teach what I teach my students.
I am not speaking out against homeschooling. I am addressing the assertion that my career has been spent watching adolescents socialize before they go home to learn.
Didn't mean to step on any toes. I apologize. And as I said, this was in Minnesota. Sounds like academic standards are much higher in Wake County. For example, Minnesota elementary/middle schools do not even offer chemistry or calculus. Go figure.
As to parents needing degrees in order to teach content to students, that hasn't been my experience. We used to live in Alaska where many students are homeschooled. As I recall, numerous studies documented that overall the students who scored highest on state graduation tests were from families where the parents had only graduated from high school. No post secondary degrees at. Perhaps they understood how important a decent education would be. Who knows? But their kids consistently scored at the top.
What I do know is that our kids spent enormous amounts of school time waiting for one thing and another, at assemblies, watching videos, immersed in multi-cultural experiences.. and relatively less time on learning math, reading, and writing.
I don't want to discount the valuable social skills learned at school and I truly do believe teachers face an uphill battle trying to engage 25+ students with various learning styles and all sorts of abilities and skills.
I also know that it seems that the student who do best are those who have parents who monitor homework, have books/magazines around the place, take their kids to museums, etc. It is not such a long jump from there to homeschooling.
I just received this from our school. Wake County has proposed a new plan that will give us more choices for our children. I think it's good, but did not have time to read the whole thing. What do you guys think, will we get to choose our schools now? Will this create overcrowding in the good schools? Am I reading it wrong?
This is an external proposal being advocated by certain groups for adoption by Wake County Public Schools, based on some consultant recommendations. It is not a product of the WCPSS or the Board. It is a product of the Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce and the Wake Education Partnership. As the website says:
Quote:
In response to the Wake County Board of Education’s request for community input, the Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce and Wake Education Partnership hired Alves Educational Consultants Group, Ltd., to help create a parental choice school assignment plan.
Isn't it interesting that KFran got this from their SCHOOL? why would they circulate that? Wouldn't that only create confusion? Okay, maybe contribute to confusion would be a better way to put it.
I for one really hope the choice thing goes through...although I have serious doubts that it will. We love our home but are considering moving because our base school is not good at all. Under the choice plan we might have a chance at some much better schools (one we love is only 2 miles away, our base school is like 1.5 miles away) without moving. Our kiddo starts kindergarten in 2012, so we are seriously considering moving in the next 18 months....but it's hard to know what to do with these plans swirling around! I know everyone is in this same uncertain boat though!
Peacegirl...I have to wonder...with everything shifting around, maybe the factors that make your base school less than desirable in the recent past will be juggled and give your base school a whole new set of students, or personnel, or parents...or whatever would make it more desirable to you.
In my experience kindergarten is not only a starting point for children, but also a good intro for parents into the school culture. In your shoes, I would stay where you are and see what happens, and maybe even give that base a chance if you can.
Of all the factors that impact school quality, the one that is most fixed is reputation! ;-)
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And as I said, this was in Minnesota. Sounds like academic standards are much higher in Wake County. For example, Minnesota elementary/middle schools do not even offer chemistry or calculus. Go figure.
Wake School Assignment News --More Choice
