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You're right. I exaggerated about living across the street and getting sent across town. However, look at the attendance map for Knightdale HS. There are people who live not far from Wake Forest-Rolesville HS and they are sent to Knightdale, a school that has SAT scores far below the county average. Last I knew from a friend who did some research on this, Knightdale also offers significantly fewer AP courses than other HS.
WF-R map: Growth Management Map (http://wwwgis2.wcpss.net/cgi-bin/mapserver/Production/WCMapscript.pl?MainOption=FindNodes&NodeType=BASE& MagProg=&SchoolInfo=588+Wake+Forest-Rolesville+High&ProgramTitle=Base+Attendance+Area+ (Current)&MagName=&CalendarYear=2007-2008 - broken link)
Also take a look at the attendance map for Wakefield Middle. There are lots of children who live very close to E Millbrook who are sent to Wakefield Middle--a considerable distance. E Millbrook has its problems (I hear good and bad), but it is a magnet that offer lots of electives and some advanced courses that Wakefield Middle doesn't. millbrook: Growth Management Map (http://wwwgis2.wcpss.net/cgi-bin/mapserver/Production/WCMapscript.pl?MainOption=FindNodes&NodeType=BASE& MagProg=&SchoolInfo=408+East+Millbrook+Middle&Prog ramTitle=Base+Attendance+Area+(Current)&MagName=&C alendarYear=2007-2008 - broken link)
NOBODY living within walking distance of Hilburn Elem actually goes to Hilburn. They aren't sent 'across town'--they go to Leesville, York & maybe Stough--but its still pretty pathetic. Growth Management Map (http://wwwgis2.wcpss.net/cgi-bin/mapserver/Production/WCMapscript.pl?MainOption=FindNodes&NodeType=BASE& MagProg=&SchoolInfo=442+Hilburn+Drive+Elementary&P rogramTitle=Base+Attendance+Area+(Current)&MagName =&CalendarYear=2007-2008 - broken link)
People need to be made aware of this. There is nothing stopping WCPSS from deciding that your node needs to be moved to better meet the diversity criteria. How many of those families in Wake Forest ever thought it was possible for them to get reassigned to Knightdale HS? WCPSS doesn't care if your kids have gone to school with the same kids for k-8 and your node will be the only one going to a different HS. It flat out does not matter to them. It doesn't matter if the school you are getting moved to has horrible test scores or doesn't offer as many electives. The impact on your child or family does not matter to WCPSS. It is the 'health' of the whole system that matters and when the whole system covers as many diverse towns as ours does (Wendell, Fuquay-Varina, Cary, Raleigh, Garner, Zebulon, Wake Forest, etc), the needs of the students and their families gets lost. Not to mention what happens to actual education.
I'm sorry for such a long rant and I don't mean to be picking on you or yelling at you, Desdemona. I just get frustrated when people (in general) think that just because these things don't happen to a majority of Wake students that it doesn't matter. These things only don't matter until it happens to you. Yes, on a whole the system is not a horrible or bad one, but people need to be aware of what can happen in this system before they move here.
I don't know, but the US News and World Report's top 1591 high schools didn't include any in the Triangle. I found that disappointing.
newsobserver.com | High school rankings offer some surprises (http://www.newsobserver.com/print/saturday/city_state/story/804621.html - broken link)
Well...the article is not all doom and gloom...
Quote:
The findings are sharply different from what Triangle high schools are used to on a similar annual list done by Newsweek. In that magazine, Raleigh Charter High School ranked 20th this year, and Enloe High School in Raleigh came in 56th. Seven other Triangle high schools ranked in Newsweek's top 1,000 schools.
Unlike Newsweek, U.S. News specifically factored the performance of low-income and minority students into its rankings. After factoring in those groups when looking at state math and reading tests, U.S. News assessed whether schools did better than expected.
No, but for all the ways Wake Co. attempts to help out disadvantaged children, the results of the US News rankings suggest they aren't succeeding.
Exactly. Our Economically Disadvantaged students are performing BELOW the state average of their peers.
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