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You say you want to hear from "both" sides; does that mean you are tired of hearing from the opponents to the "choice" plan? You hear from them all the time! Or do you just feel the need for some press over this issue since the High Point Enterprise has recently given AWESOME coverage to the subject.

You know that opponents to the "plan" predicted these results long ago--are you asking to hear from those that are HAPPY with these results??

You ask, "What should we make of all this?" Are you joking? Is this a rhetorical question?

What we "make of this" is that this plan is a train wreck!

We "make of this" is that when students are NOT ALLOWED to choose their destiny that apathy replaces ambition.

What we "make of this" is that 11 people cannot determine what's best for students without involving their parents--who know them best.

What we "make of this" is that our school system is too big. We are losing track of not only students, but the "big" picture. The basics have gone out the window. And to top it all off, it's being run by a man that couldn't run SMALLER school systems. Do I need to go into his history of former firings?

What we need to "make of this"--in the BIGGEST way-- is that our school board train wreck is not only OFF the tracks, but there is no engineer. The only hope I see for this board is Ms. Garret, who all along has pointed out the many flaws in this plan AND has the backbone to question it; AND one of the newest members Mr. Quick, who seems to be "quick" to see already that our train is misguided. He actually stands up to Grier and questions his tactics.

Maybe one of these two will stand in front of this aimless train and say "ENOUGH!" Until then, say a prayer for the kids in GCS, especially the ones in High Point.

Griers smokescreen has cleared and the Board of Educations grade is in on "The High Point Power Lotto,Pick 3,Reassignment Extravaganza Choice Plan.The grade a low "F".
Dot and Susan shall long be remembered for their part in this failed experiment.

Looks to me like it wasn't only the parents that was upset over the "choice plan", and it is showing in their grades, attendance, and behavior.

It's unbelievable how this school board and superintendent could set these kids up for failure, while constantly telling you that they were only "thinking of the children".

Too bad they don't work where I do. A big time failure like this and they would be drawing un-employment.

Bruce,

This might be my shortest comment on record - hard for me.

After a year of many concerned citizens researching facts, costs, similar programs that failed elsewhere, knowing money wasn't there, actual bus ride times, actual busing costs, I have one final word.........

WE TOLD YOU SO.

This is the only way it could play out a year ago. Over 700 parents told the School Board this on a Sunday afternoon last February.

No doubt many of these children are not happy because they are not at their neighborhood school. Many children opted into the program because they thought they really didn't have a choice due to the lottery last year. What did they do? They choose the lesser of the available evils.

Now lets look at the children who truly wanted a different school. They have bus rides which are longer then the commute that I have to work every day. Therefore they are tired when they get to school and do not concentrate and they are tired when they get home and do not study well.

I understand that Dr. Grier is waiting to compare the High Point numbers to the rest of Guilford County. What will this analysis prove?

If the High Point numbers are truly lower than the other Guilford County schools it shows that this plan was a very bad decision and the children involved in the plan are in fact viewed as laboratory rats by the School Board.

Or if the rest of the Guilford County schools match the High Point numbers then it clearly demonstrates that the school administration and the School Board has corkscrewed the education system of Guilford County further into the ground.

As far as the suspensions being up, that indicates a more realistic representation this year of what has been going on for a long time. No doubt these figures were manipulated in prior years or the suspensions were not handed down. A second alternative is unhappy students arriving at school after long bus rides. Either way it represents further mismanagement by the same School Board.

I understand that it is popular opinion that 3 years are needed to fully analyze the success of this plan. Perhaps the School Board would like to come over to High Point for a town meeting. I would certainly like to know how the School Board plans are returning 3 years of all of these children's lives in the event of the total failure of this plan. By the way that is the same question I had a year ago, only now it appears there is concrete data backing up the assumption.

Well, guess that wasn't my final word. Just wanted to mention hope you all saw the N & R letters to ed today: "Na, Na,(pause) Na, Na, Na, (pause) Na, Na, Na, Na (pause) Na, Na, Na, Na, Na, Ruby McGee-e-e.... - Janis would be proud. Awesome letter today by Ruby. Puts a new prospective on what everyone knew all along.

Right on, Mark! These kids only have 4 years to build their transcripts for college. They can't afford to sacrifice the first 3!

It's sickening how the school board implemented the plan after a month but want to give it 3 years to see if it will work. Suddenly, they have developed patience!?

I think Susan and Dot will forever be remembered as being part of the worst thing that ever happened to the High Point schools. I hope they receive calls every week for the rest of their lives reminding them of what they have done (tried to do) to High Point's Class of 2008.

That's some legacy!

Let's also remember - there are many, many families who moved out of the High Point area into Northwest Greensboro as a result of this idiotic Plan. Also, I know many, many more who now attend private school in High Point. Wesleyan is in the process of doubling their facility in order to take in all the disgruntled families in High Point.

None of these families will ever return to the system and all the families I know who have moved (either to NW GSO or to private school) had excellent students.

Cynthia,

Great observatons. Perhaps it would be appropriate for each school's class of 2008 to make their class gift to the school a plaque with Dot and Susan's pictures, commemorating their roles in destroying their high school years. It would only be appropriate that it be hung in the main hall of each school, so that classes for years to come may see, remember, and never forget.