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I just read this thread about Wake County, Is it true that the school Dristrict reassigns students to different schools in the district whenever THEY think is right? And why....? Why do they do it? Is this still America? I am sorry but I just don't understand. We currently live in CA but we were thinking about moving to Cary, NC but when we heard about this we were schocked and now if this is correct we probably wont do the move to NC.
Also.... Is this for the whole state or just for Wake County?
Thank you
I moved from CA too...and yes, it is true. Instead of using normal "school districts" like CA, the county is one big district, and assigns to create diversity, not by your street address. It stinks, and really is the worst thing about living here. The schools are good though and its still a wonderful place to live. You might consider a neighboring county (Johnston) who is still commuting distance and does not reassign...but may have to look closer at the schools to see if they are up to standards.
There are threads GALORE about this issue. Use the search function to read some of the choicest morsels
Overall, reassignment happens annually in Wake County. Some families have been hit with reassignment almost every year, some families have been at the same school for years. It's a crap shoot, especially should you choose to live in the suburbs (or, as the locals call it "OTB": Outside the Beltline).
Reassignment, by and large, happens for a few reasons:
1) Growth
2) Opening of a new school
3) Balancing for Socio-Economic Diversity (Policy 6200 on WCPSS)
It is reason #3 that causes the most 'controversy'. For this poster (IE, me!), socio-economic diversity actually trumped education issues. So, we left Wake County.
In the triangle (Durham, Chapel Hill, Johnston County, Harnett County, etc..) ONLY Wake reassigns for reason #3. The other 2 reasons, well, that happens EVERYWHERE -- especially since this area is so high in growth. But reassignment is really limited most everywhere else.
This year alone, the 2009 reassignment in WCPSS is moving ~26,000 kids.
Let me say I am happy to see that families are finding this information "out there" and are learning the truth about WCPSS. In the past, families just 'assumed' -- and nope, their Realtors were NOT telling them the truth (at least, ours didn't, and the same was true for many other families we knew) about reassignment.
Good Luck, and Happy Research. For some, WCPSS works, and reassignments don't bother them. It did NOT work for us. (Especially when WCPSS threw mandatory-year-round schools into the mix -- but that's a WHOLE other topic!!)
There are threads GALORE about this issue. Use the search function to read some of the choicest morsels
Overall, reassignment happens annually in Wake County. Some families have been hit with reassignment almost every year, some families have been at the same school for years. It's a crap shoot, especially should you choose to live in the suburbs (or, as the locals call it "OTB": Outside the Beltline).
Reassignment, by and large, happens for a few reasons:
1) Growth
2) Opening of a new school
3) Balancing for Socio-Economic Diversity (Policy 6200 on WCPSS)
It is reason #3 that causes the most 'controversy'. For this poster (IE, me!), socio-economic diversity actually trumped education issues. So, we left Wake County.
In the triangle (Durham, Chapel Hill, Johnston County, Harnett County, etc..) ONLY Wake reassigns for reason #3. The other 2 reasons, well, that happens EVERYWHERE -- especially since this area is so high in growth. But reassignment is really limited most everywhere else.
This year alone, the 2009 reassignment in WCPSS is moving ~26,000 kids.
Let me say I am happy to see that families are finding this information "out there" and are learning the truth about WCPSS. In the past, families just 'assumed' -- and nope, their Realtors were NOT telling them the truth (at least, ours didn't, and the same was true for many other families we knew) about reassignment.
Good Luck, and Happy Research. For some, WCPSS works, and reassignments don't bother them. It did NOT work for us. (Especially when WCPSS threw mandatory-year-round schools into the mix -- but that's a WHOLE other topic!!)
I think this is a great assesment (particularly your description of the reassignments as a crap shoot). The only thing I would disagree about is the number of children being reassigned this year. 26,000 is the number of children that will be reassigned over the next three years based on the three year plan.
You're right about the 3-year plan, but the N&O (through the blog) has been updating us (those who still read there) regarding the plan... and right now, Growth and Planning has made some (not all) recommendations to actually move certain nodes in 2009 instead of 2010... so, slowly, those numbers are shifting to be next YEAR'S reassignment, and not 2 years or 3 years out.
But, yes, the reassignment proposal was with the 3-year plan in mind.
Also, keep in mind, WCPSS is still waiting for the State Supreme Court to issue a ruling on the year-round lawsuit. Should WCPSS win, you will see THOUSANDS of kids yanked back to their year-round base, and likely MAJOR overhaul to the current plan.
It's such a bloody mess... but again, that's another story.
I moved from CA too...and yes, it is true. Instead of using normal "school districts" like CA, the county is one big district.
Please, please, please - don't characterize how things were done where you used to live as "normal," suggesting that somehow the way they're done here is abnormal. Different, yes. I'm sure it's not the message you intended, but it's the kind of thing that rubs folks here the wrong way - so just be aware of your choice of words.
I too have lived in parts of the country with idenpendent school districts, and with town-based school systems, and I like the "equality" that the county system offers across the area - so there are not really rich areas and really poor areas; they share resources and funding. Still, WCPSS manages to muck it up pretty well when it comes to assignments. (Which is one reason I don't live there.)
Just an FYI to those out there who consider Johnston County over Wake simply because of the school situation. It looks like they (Johnston County) are considering altering the school calendar of three of their low performing schools in such a manner that would make them operate in a way very similar to the Wake County Year Round Calendar.
Johnston toys with longer school year - Johnston County - News & Observer (http://www.newsobserver.com/news/johnston/story/1378717.html - broken link)
As pointed out in the article, this is only conerning 3 schools in Johnston County and not the more popular Clayton Schools, but I think this shows how other counties like Johnston County and Durham may in fact be looking to the way Wake County does things as a guide as they too try to figure out ways to address growth and socio-economic issues. Just thought I would share for people to chew on.
Just an FYI to those out there who consider Johnston County over Wake simply because of the school situation. It looks like they (Johnston County) are considering altering the school calendar of three of their low performing schools in such a manner that would make them operate in a way very similar to the Wake County Year Round Calendar.
Johnston toys with longer school year - Johnston County - News & Observer (http://www.newsobserver.com/news/johnston/story/1378717.html - broken link)
As pointed out in the article, this is only conerning 3 schools in Johnston County and not the more popular Clayton Schools, but I think this shows how other counties like Johnston County and Durham may in fact be looking to the way Wake County does things as a guide as they too try to figure out ways to address growth and socio-economic issues. Just thought I would share for people to chew on.
Yes, but this issue that Johnston County has been kicking around for quite some time now is related solely to test scores and evidence that year round helps students retain the information they've learned. Its not a move based on forcing diversity.
Not that I have anything against diversity but it would sure tick me off if my kids couldn't go to the school down the street and instead were bussed 35 min away. Year round, both single track and even multi track- I have MUCH less of a problem with and can see the benefits for the students in particular.
For me, its the busing/redistricting that's an issue. Its one reason that we moved to Johnston County when we relocated to NC. The schools are fabulous, could NOT be more pleased actually.
Who knows what's going to happen here in the future, we try to keep our fingers on the pulse but what will happen, will happen and if it follows Wake County's lead, then we may be looking elsewhere to live.
Lauren
PS...found this cool link on a study in VA on year round schools; http://www.vbschools.com/schools/year_round/committee.pdf (broken link)
Last edited by lauren4521; 01-23-2009 at 12:38 PM..
Reason: ps
I moved from CA too...and yes, it is true. Instead of using normal "school districts" like CA, the county is one big district, and assigns to create diversity, not by your street address. It stinks, and really is the worst thing about living here. The schools are good though and its still a wonderful place to live. You might consider a neighboring county (Johnston) who is still commuting distance and does not reassign...but may have to look closer at the schools to see if they are up to standards.
Thank you so much for responding. We were so happy and so excited for the last 2 months about moving to Cary...Like most of the families in the US we are looking for a safe place, low/no crime and good schools. When we learned (last night) that there is what is called Reassignment in Wake County we just didn't know what to think. It is the first time that we've ever heard about that and after reading about it we are getting to the conclusion that maybe Cary is not the place for us.
Our kids are the no.1 prioroty in our lives. And we do not believe that moving them around from one school to another is a good thing. We do not like the idea whatsoever.
I called the Wake district today and to make matters worse the person that answered me was rude enough to burp outloud TWICE while speaking with me.....(WTH!!!!), he did apologize but if that is the quality people that they hire in a school district I will not be part of it.
When he transfered me to somebody else (she was very nice and polite) I was told that starting February 5th things can change but they do not know in what direction. She thought that it could be a good idea for me to go to their website on Feb 5th-6th and I could read there about the decisions they've made about the reassignment subject.
The reason why we want to move from CA it's because the state situation is not good, everything is very very expensive and the stores keep increasing their prices. It is beautiful and it is safe and the schools are pretty good but the economy makes it very tough for us to stay.
There are threads GALORE about this issue. Use the search function to read some of the choicest morsels
Overall, reassignment happens annually in Wake County. Some families have been hit with reassignment almost every year, some families have been at the same school for years. It's a crap shoot, especially should you choose to live in the suburbs (or, as the locals call it "OTB": Outside the Beltline).
Reassignment, by and large, happens for a few reasons:
1) Growth
2) Opening of a new school
3) Balancing for Socio-Economic Diversity (Policy 6200 on WCPSS)
It is reason #3 that causes the most 'controversy'. For this poster (IE, me!), socio-economic diversity actually trumped education issues. So, we left Wake County.
In the triangle (Durham, Chapel Hill, Johnston County, Harnett County, etc..) ONLY Wake reassigns for reason #3. The other 2 reasons, well, that happens EVERYWHERE -- especially since this area is so high in growth. But reassignment is really limited most everywhere else.
This year alone, the 2009 reassignment in WCPSS is moving ~26,000 kids.
Let me say I am happy to see that families are finding this information "out there" and are learning the truth about WCPSS. In the past, families just 'assumed' -- and nope, their Realtors were NOT telling them the truth (at least, ours didn't, and the same was true for many other families we knew) about reassignment.
Good Luck, and Happy Research. For some, WCPSS works, and reassignments don't bother them. It did NOT work for us. (Especially when WCPSS threw mandatory-year-round schools into the mix -- but that's a WHOLE other topic!!)
lol, yep that is a different topic that I would love to hear more about. i do not understand why year round schools...I mean.... what is wrong with the Summer vacation? Seriously? I understand that the year round consists on 9 weeks of school and 2 weeks of vacation? What happens with the families that both parents work? Isn't that an issue? And why Wake County has the need to be so different from everybody else?
I am more than anything dissapointed, like I said before.... we were very excited to make a move to Cary until we heard all this about the District and now we are back to zero, and have to make a search again; I still didn't give up 100% on Cary, I mean everything else seems to be just right, even the schools are good, but we will wait to see what they decide on February 5th..... All I know for now is that this will be going on for the next three years...2012. Oh my! Life..... what can I do?
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while speaking with me.....(WTH!!!!), he did apologize but if that is the quality people that they hire in a school district I will not be part of it.
