News-Record.com

Hey Jennifer,
You have published some interesting facts on trailers in Guilford County!
Here is another tidbit of information.
When the 2004 bond referendum passed, almost $8 million was earmarked for expansion at swhs - including 10 new regular, core classrooms. Great!
Since that time, the board has forced those magnet programs on us. So now, the board is going to spend close to $1 million demolishing precious little core classroom space now existing & replacing them with 8 new trailers (2 quads - already in place - 29 trailers). So that $8 million now does not provide new permanent classrooms for us.
For almost $9 million dollars - swhs nets out at NO NEW REGULAR PERMANENT CLASSROOMS. 8 replaces the ones torn out for hp chance plan and the other 2 just replaces 2 being remodelled into extra media space.
thanks - i do have more info & will forward to you later.

Jennifer, thanks for the trailer info.

Your comment "that since 1998-99, the state has reduced class size," makes me want to see evidence that Guilford County has done just that. Also, I always hear our superintendent taut that he has reduced class size in the lower grades. But, in my child's particular school, I don't see any evidence of smaller class sizes.

In fact, when I hear our administrators speak of class size, they always refer to them in averages. The "average" class size. I wonder if they have just made some super-small classes in some of the special schools or like you said, low poverty areas, and then when "averaged" it looks as if the total school system has small classes.

My child's kindergarten class has 23 children. THAT is not what I would consider SMALL.

Sudies show that 15 is the magic number. Studies say that if children can have 15 or fewer for K thru grades 3, that the benefits last well into High School, even affecting SAT scores. The thought of this in Guilford County is laughable with our current administration.

I would love to see the K thru 3 listings of all class sizes in all schools in Guilford County. May you could dig for that while you're digging around! Thanks and the new Chalkboard blog is great.

I would like to add that the number of trailers added to Guilford County Schools campuses increases by 16% (from 443 to 525) since 1999, but the number of students has only increased 9% since that same time.
Were you aware that most of these trailers do NOT have covered walkways to them? 14,000 students must walk to and from classes in these trailers up to 8 times per day carrying 20 pound bookbags - regardless of weather conditions: tropical storm, tornados, icy, windy, rainy and cold. This is shameful.
Were you aware that Guilford County Schools does not have a county-wide tornado policy? Each school is responsible for determining when to bring children into brick & mortar structures during potentially dangerous weather conditions. For example, at one school, students remain in trailers during tornado watches and come into the main structure during tornado warnings. The problem with this is that meteorologists recommend moving into safe structures during the watches and staying where you are during the warnings.
Taxpayers and parents were promised in 2000, if the bond passed "the school board will not have to worry each year about where money will come from for school construction." "The board's long range plan will remove about 170 trailers or nearly 50 percent of the 441 existing mobile classrooms."
Why does it appear that the more money the current board has, the more trailers GCS ends up with?

Jennifer, I am glad that you brought Trudy Wade into this because she did an outstanding job on behalf of all the taxpayers of Guilford County during the entire school budget process this spring and summer with the County Commissioners. Dr. Grier and Alan Duncan enjoy talking down to everyone; however when they came Dr. Wade's way looking for more money they had to talk up and say "Yes ma'am, no ma'am."

When Dr. Wade was done there was couple of pretzels where Grier and Duncan were once standing.

To "common sense" - you sure live up to your name.
I am a substitute teacher for about 5 years now. I only teach elementary school and I float. The article of 18 kids per class when Gov. Easley came for a tour was laughable, to say the least.

I too find the class average to be 24 based on my experience. Sometimes more. I tought about the second week of school and had 30 kids in a classroom; all day; 4th grade; no assistant; unassisted lunch. (Same class now has been "reduced" to 24 or 25.) It was constantly up and down to open ketchup, stop fights, get napkins, answersilly questions. You might get 5 minutes to eat without interruption and it is a very noisy 5 minutes.

The reason I know about 24 per class is I sometimes bring the kids treats like donuts or cupcakes and easy to buy 2 dozen. I joke with them and say "good so and so is absent this week - 2 dozen easier to bring in".

Thanks "Common Sense" for sharing this. Jennifer F, where are those actual numbers on number of kids in each classroom?

Just woke up thinking of all the hard working parents out there for our children. They have dedicated their time and given selflessly to the cause to improve our schools. They have been at this for the good of this community for such a long time. Please be sure to say "thank you" when you see them. They have sacrificed personal time with family to "right the wrong" for our kids. The facts and statistics are there; but it takes time and organizational skills to put the whole picture together. Thank you for all your tireless work all you great parents.

"To laugh often and much;
to win the respect of intelligent people
and the affection of children:
to earn the appreciation of honest critics
and endure the betrayal of false friends:
to appreciate beauty:
to find the best in others:
to leave the world a bit better.
whether by a healthy child,
a garden patch or a redeemed social condition:
to know even one life has breath easier
because you have lived.
This is to have SUCCEEDED."

--Ralph Waldo Emerson

Jennifer:
Can you find out if any of the 106 schools are not at full capacity? I am curious to see if there are schools in Guilford County that have open seats. If this is true, maybe a redrawing of attendance lines could help to alleviate some of these trailer needs.
Thanks,

Jim

To Barbara Ann et al:

Please don't bring kids doughnuts. Try fruit or crackers or something more healthy. As a parent with a child in school, I have to battle other parents and teachers who continually "reward" with "treats."

We no longer allow our child to buy food from the cafeteria because:

1. She has a food allergy, which is of major concern 'cause she could die if given the wrong foods. Ever walk into a school cafeteria? Obviously you have. How many kids are eating peanut butter? It costs us quite a bit each year to have three Epi pens for school, afterschool and home. We still have to worry that all those people know when and how to use one.

2. She's lost four pounds since she completed kindergarten. Our pediatrician would have been happy if she maintained her weight, which she's doing now, but she's actually done better by not eating school food.

We tell her teachers and her afterschool program not to reward with "treats," but sometimes it's better talking to a brick wall. Most of the time, though, it's "well-meaning parents" who bring in the junk.

It's a struggle for two working parents to get that lunch made every day.

But it's better for her.

For all you "well-meaning" folks out there, please call the News & Record's library and ask for a copy of Melissa Turner's series on childhood obesity.

On the trailers: I'm no expert but before the $200 million bond, when was the last time a bond was passed for school construction? The point: I don't think this county had been doling out the dough for schools on a regular basis. You can't build with money you don't have. Now we have a whole bunch of priorities. And my priorities are going to be different from somebody else's priorties in High Point or Oak Ridge or Summerfield and vice versa. It may take another $600 million (I pulled this number out of the air, by the way, but it's going to cost a lot) to address the concerns of every parent in this county. Are we as residents ready to ante up if it means higher taxes?

Just askin'.

Herb, your points about the bond money are well taken. However, I would never vote for 1 dime more in funds to be under the management of the present School Board.

The bottom line is that collectively they are VERY POOR STEWARDS OF THE GUILFORD COUNTY TAXPAYERS' MONEY. As long as the tail, Dr. Grier, is permitted to wag the dog the entire process is grossly mismanaged.

As a reminder this body failed at the opportunity for a $12 million federal grant because no one with a PhD could read an application. Apparently not only the schools missed AYP, the administration does as well. Why would I vote to put more tax dollars in the hands of people that are so incapable?

Just to answer Herb's question, the last time Guilford County voters approved a bond before 2000 was in 1979, when a $32.5 million bond was passed. That package built the Gateway Education Center and paid for renovations throughout the county.

In 1994, voters rejected a $198 million bond by a two-to-one margin. Many voters, particularly in the outlying parts of the county, still were mad about the forced merger two years earlier, which combined the Greensboro, High Point and old Guilford County systems into the current district.

Of course, county voters approved the $200 million bond in 2000 and a $300 million bond in 2003.

Y'all have a great discussion going; keep it up!

Someone please fill me in on what I've been hearing the last few weeks. I've heard that the school board is thinking of changing the High Point Choice Plan lottery to the middle schools and then the kids would already be in place to go to their feeder High Schools.

From what I've heard, the High Point middle schools will have a lottery for 6th grade instead of for the ninth grade like it was this year. Something about 9th grade being a bad time for abrupt changes???

Will this start next year? I'm guessing another busing fiasco at the start of next year?? I guess this is a way for the board to say "yes, we listened to you, we took the lottery away from the high schools..." but now it'll just be for the middle schools??????

Anyone??

Commonsense, it would appear that the present School Board has already established the required underpinnings for a countywide lottery at any grade level with the rapid expansion of the magnet programs. When you think about it, the lottery is already in place because students take a chance in signing up for a particular program. The key difference is that there are no forced losers, where students are forced into a school or a program within a school that they do not want. That “benefit” is currently only the property of the High Point Choice Plan.

Your point about the ninth grade being a bad time for changes is valid because I believe I have heard various members of the Board of Education make this exact argument. Therefore, I strongly feel that those board members who supported the High Point Choice Plan will also find a way to support a “Middle School Guilford County Choice Plan”, including those incumbents who denied any such support on the high school level during the recent candidate forums.

I see the headline in the News & Record today was that Dell has expressed its interest in the Triad. It would be interesting to know how many Dell personnel would be transferring to the Triad and how many of these people would be excited to know that one of the counties pursing their company has such a radical school attendance plan.

There was an obvious omission of anyone from the High Point Business Development office commenting on this deal. Is it because the City of High Point knows it has no chance of attracting a company the caliber of Dell with the High Point Choice Plan in place? If Dot Kearns loves her city so much why doesn’t she inform Michael Dell that he needs to open a facility in a city with such a wonderful educational opportunity for his employees’ children? Think about it what better fit could there be; is not one of these schools a technology school?

4off&on,

Thank you for your information. It's so scary to think that our school board can just secretly make decisions like this.

What I heard was from a reliable source and even one of the middle school principals was talking about it.

You would think that if something like a middle school lottery was going to happen that the board would just be honest and explain it and ask for parental input. If they just spring it on students like they did last year, it will be like watching a Lucy re-run.

This being an election year is surely the cause of all the hush-hush.

I have called my district's board member but have not gotten a reply. I'm guessing I won't hear a thing until after Tuesday.

Just a rhetorical question, but what happened to good old common sense? I guess we can only dream of the days of the basic R's and a school at the end of the street.

I often wonder if this school board purposely does backward things to drive parents to private schools.

If I were Dell transfer, I would make sure that my transfer included a provision that would pay for private schooling so my children would never have to be subjected to the uncertainty of the Guilford County schools.

Herb,

You have many great points about nutrition. Being a Type II diabetic myself, I am well aware of the lack of nutrition in our school cafeterias and high carb menus. I study nutrition all the time. Sorry you missed my speech to the school board about two meetings ago when they met in High Point. This was the subject of my speech; childhood obesity and lack of schools' proper nutrition.

I also reward with stickers and other little prizes. I make sure I have a list of children's food allergies and other medical problems. Most teachers are very aware of the peanut butter situation. This has been a major awareness for years.

It has indeed been a long time since I brought baked treats - no time to bake for them lately. Too busy with other school issues. But I can say that just this week had 25 kids in a class. I have never had 18. I just used for an example - two dozen of anything easy to remember and at times classes are 27 or 28. It is certainly not like Governor Easley's visit in High Point where they quoted 18 kids and we are working on reducing attendance. If so, where? Not at any school I am at.