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This is where you sorta lose me man. Obviously Boston’s history with busing is a moment worthy of scorn forever. But you’re overlooking a key factor.
Schools should represent their communities; at whatever scale.
But when you have towns that are 98% white your schools will be too, if they are town schools. You were North Shore/ Metro West so I can’t speak to any of that first hand, but 95 corridor/South Shore is overwhelmingly White outside of Brockton and New Bedford Fall River, and there is nothing “keeping” it that way, systemically.
I agree with you on that part, but WCPSS busing for skin tone, now busing for skin tone disguised as socioeconomic diversity is all about not doing that. It's all about trying their best to equal out attendance as mush as possible. Focusing on actual education is not the top priority.
Do schools in MA *have* to be town based? I know counties aren't as prevalent, but they do exist. Why not switch to county based schools where the school system will be much more diverse? Take any rich town and within 2 towns over you'll have a town that's not rich.
Read up on the history of New England and the people that founded it. The concept of a strong town; be it in terms of Government or Schooling, is a foundational belief. Strong towns were a key to a functioning society and was the vehicle, in their mind, that could challenge the "tyranny" of a more centralized form of government because an engaged, vibrant town would have engaged vibrant people.
This isn't a new concept there. Its a core belief going back centuries.
If you have read American Nations by Colin Woodward, New England's "towns" are a proxy for the eternal fight between the "New England Yankees" and the areas down here, which he refers to as "Tidewater" (VA/NC) and the Deep South; where counties run by the gentry of society where the foundation.
Unfortunately, many people do not do the research. Then a situation comes along where they get mad and come on here and saying, this is not how we did it where I came from and they need to change the system here to be like it was in...(insert NY, NJ, MA etc). About 2 posts about this is an example.
That does seem to be an all too common response from some who relocate to the area, and it always perplexes me that they (those with such a response) act as if they didn't know the situation before they chose to move here. I mean, it wouldn't take much research to know that WCPSS is one of the largest (by # of students) school districts in the country and has been experiencing tremendous growth over the last several decades. If people wanted a smaller district, either geographically or by number of students, there are other options, especially for those who work from home or work in RTP.
I'm not saying people who move to the area and have kids in the WCPPS aren't allowed to complain (not that they need my permission ) or never have legitimate concerns, but the calls to disband the county system to make it more like it is elsewhere gets old and often lacks perspective as well as awareness of history. It often smacks of people wanting to have their cake and eat it too.
And as far as the whole if Wake were broken into smaller districts they could open or handle the pandemic better, I'll say it again, while we may have 1:1 Chromebooks (which was in the works BEFORE the pandemic), things really stink in CHCCS, at least for some (my family included), and we're not slated to open until January.
Yeah I agree with that. I'm not looking to break up the district but any time you say "this isn't working" people put their hands over their ears and sing "la la la la la we can't hear you, wcpss must be on county school" (and some of them aren't on county schools and even if they were wouldn't use them). I'm not after Cary, Apex, et al having their own districts. BUT this district is not manageable under the current model. ACKNOWLEDGING that does not make someone a bad person, a racist, a snob or any of the other terms that are thrown about (wink, wink, without actually being said). Frankly I am TIRED of people who don't live in this district weighing in so heavily on how those of us who DO live here have WRONG thoughts on WCPSS. Some of the most vocal people on the WCPSS threads have NEVER lived in Wake County. I don't weigh in on Chapel Hill school threads. I don't weigh in on Orange County and Durham County and Chatham County school threads. I see people here who have kids in private school and you never hear THEM saying what WCPSS should be doing or have those of us with kids in the schools should think, even when THEY LIVE IN WAKE COUNTY. Enough is enough! I live here. I've got three kids who used elementary, middle and high school. I had a kid in private school. I have spent COUNTLESS hours researching how the schools work here on a micro level. What really goes on. PTA board member, been to BOE meetings, talked to MANY parents over the years at volunteer events and school events. I have a right to say what I think without fear of people who have never laid eyes on me or heard my voice tell me what THEY think I'm REALLY thinking. It's gotta stop.
This district is NOT done growing. It is NOT going to magically get better. The fact that this BOE is considering Plan A in an election year speaks VOLUMES about what they really care about and how they operate. REactive rather than PROactive. They should have had a disaster plan in place and didn't. THen when disaster struck, they still did nothing.
As far as kids and teachers going back, my point was - if they open under PLAN A the people who are skootching for that are failing to realize that that doesn't solve any problems, and creates new ones. Kids who are committed to VA, kids whose parents have decided since July that they don't want them going back after all, teachers who have been allowed to teach from home (how are you going to make them go back). None of this has been addressed. My sister has two co workers, one is a part time real estate agent - she said she had to work from home. She's out selling houses. Another said she had to work from home because her father (who she doesn't live with) is high risk, then she posts pics on facebook of herself out in social gatherings without any masking or social distancing. My daughter has a teacher working from home, she's teaching in a nightgown with CNN on in the background and they have to tell her every day to turn off the TV. Like I said, sh*t show.
This is why change is needed and Covid is just highlighting that fact. Covid is also opening up an opportunity to make substantial change in the way we educate kids. Some type of hybrid system may be the best path forward, but no progress will ever be made when a certain segment of the Wake County population is going to throw a loud hissy fit and attack people every time someone starts discussing change.
This is why change is needed and Covid is just highlighting that fact. Covid is also opening up an opportunity to make substantial change in the way we educate kids. Some type of hybrid system may be the best path forward, but no progress will ever be made when a certain segment of the Wake County population is going to throw a loud hissy fit and attack people every time someone starts discussing change.
When you have some people still saying Tedesco was right, you're going to get hissy fits.
Read up on the history of New England and the people that founded it. The concept of a strong town; be it in terms of Government or Schooling, is a foundational belief. Strong towns were a key to a functioning society and was the vehicle, in their mind, that could challenge the "tyranny" of a more centralized form of government because an engaged, vibrant town would have engaged vibrant people.
This isn't a new concept there. Its a core belief going back centuries.
If you have read American Nations by Colin Woodward, New England's "towns" are a proxy for the eternal fight between the "New England Yankees" and the areas down here, which he refers to as "Tidewater" (VA/NC) and the Deep South; where counties run by the gentry of society where the foundation.
At the end of the day they're still choosing to have segregated schools, and that's hypocritical considering the political views of most in the state.
When you have some people still saying Tedesco was right, you're going to get hissy fits.
Tedesco was right on many things. People were totally closed minded and angry at any mention of change and Tedesco was not good at communication. If both sides gave a little, things would be much better than they are now. We could use a better communicating Tedesco now more than ever.
We need a moderate school board, and these days the only way to create a moderate school board is to have members from both political parties. Anyone that says school boards are non-partisan is lying.
The current board leans EXTREMELY left, despite one or two of them being registered republican I believe (Fletcher and Cash?). Hopefully that will change this year, but I won't get my hopes up.
Edit: Fletcher is unaffiliated, Cash is republican. Fletcher has consistently voted republican.
We need a moderate school board, and these days the only way to create a moderate school board is to have members from both political parties. Anyone that says school boards are non-partisan is lying.
The current board leans EXTREMELY left, despite one or two of them being registered republican I believe (Fletcher and Cash?). Hopefully that will change this year, but I won't get my hopes up.
Edit: Fletcher is unaffiliated, Cash is republican.
I agree with you. The school board is completely political. The problem is the loud ones are happy when their side holds power and they have a hissy fit when the other side holds power. It would be best if we could get true independent people controlling the board, but that will never happen. People usually see their side as moderate, when that really isn't the case. Just because someone agrees with a person doesn't make them a moderate. It just makes them the same as that person.
Yeah I agree with that. I'm not looking to break up the district but any time you say "this isn't working" people put their hands over their ears and sing "la la la la la we can't hear you, wcpss must be on county school" (and some of them aren't on county schools and even if they were wouldn't use them). I'm not after Cary, Apex, et al having their own districts. BUT this district is not manageable under the current model. ACKNOWLEDGING that does not make someone a bad person, a racist, a snob or any of the other terms that are thrown about (wink, wink, without actually being said). Frankly I am TIRED of people who don't live in this district weighing in so heavily on how those of us who DO live here have WRONG thoughts on WCPSS. Some of the most vocal people on the WCPSS threads have NEVER lived in Wake County. I don't weigh in on Chapel Hill school threads. I don't weigh in on Orange County and Durham County and Chatham County school threads. I see people here who have kids in private school and you never hear THEM saying what WCPSS should be doing or have those of us with kids in the schools should think, even when THEY LIVE IN WAKE COUNTY. Enough is enough! I live here. I've got three kids who used elementary, middle and high school. I had a kid in private school. I have spent COUNTLESS hours researching how the schools work here on a micro level. What really goes on. PTA board member, been to BOE meetings, talked to MANY parents over the years at volunteer events and school events. I have a right to say what I think without fear of people who have never laid eyes on me or heard my voice tell me what THEY think I'm REALLY thinking. It's gotta stop.
This district is NOT done growing. It is NOT going to magically get better. The fact that this BOE is considering Plan A in an election year speaks VOLUMES about what they really care about and how they operate. REactive rather than PROactive. They should have had a disaster plan in place and didn't. THen when disaster struck, they still did nothing.
As far as kids and teachers going back, my point was - if they open under PLAN A the people who are skootching for that are failing to realize that that doesn't solve any problems, and creates new ones. Kids who are committed to VA, kids whose parents have decided since July that they don't want them going back after all, teachers who have been allowed to teach from home (how are you going to make them go back). None of this has been addressed. My sister has two co workers, one is a part time real estate agent - she said she had to work from home. She's out selling houses. Another said she had to work from home because her father (who she doesn't live with) is high risk, then she posts pics on facebook of herself out in social gatherings without any masking or social distancing. My daughter has a teacher working from home, she's teaching in a nightgown with CNN on in the background and they have to tell her every day to turn off the TV. Like I said, sh*t show.
I feel that way about someone who just moved here and is lamenting the way things were done back "home"! What you are saying is different than what other posters on here are saying. The school district could adapt to his new larger size to better serve all of its students vs I want town schools like they have in the NE even if my taxes go up. For example, I think the district should look into creating weather zones to deal with snow days, although remote learning might be the new solution to that problem.
As far as issues with teachers, teaching from home, their principals need to be aware. It's funny, there was push back from education advocates about having teachers teach from their empty classrooms. They felt they were being micromanaged due to a few bad apples who were taking advantage of the situation. Sounds like your daughter's teacher is an example. Having teachers apply for a waiver and have an MD justify that they are high risk is a legal HR policy and could easily be enforced. I think the district has a long way to go before they are at that point. They need a plan to return to in person learning first, and yes they a bowing to political pressure. Don't get me wrong I have a kid who is not cut out for remote learning. I think his teachers are doing a great job but this is not a fit for his learning style.
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) or never have legitimate concerns, but the calls to disband the county system to make it more like it is elsewhere gets old and often lacks perspective as well as awareness of history. It often smacks of people wanting to have their cake and eat it too. 
