News-Record.com

Bruce,

I posted the following at "Reassignment Plan: Year 1", but you probably don't check the archives for additional postings, so I'll include the post here.

Bruce,

Do you know how many total people appealed their HP Reassignment this year?

Do you know how many were successful in their appeal? How many were denied?

The letters are beginning to be delivered via registered letter this week.

Two good questions:

1. 95 students appealed their original assignment. All are asking to go to Southwest.

2. Those numbers haven't been made available yet, but we will put something both in the paper and on The Chalkboard as soon as we hear something.

And while I probably should check archived posts, I usually forget to do so -- out of sight, out of mind. So thanks for putting this post where I can find it!

Everyone should read Alan Duncan's Op Ed piece. There are no goals that are specific enough to mean anything. No recognition that poor students are not improving. Alan's main point is trust us - the only avenue to improvment is more money. I wish he would use inspiration as the main arrow in quiver. On the High Point plan, he should say that we will give it a full-scale review on Month--Year. People will not buy on to a big budget increase unless they know what they are getting. By that I mean, more of the same is not the right answer.

The appeal for my daughter was rejected. Its quite a desperate situation.

Reassigned,

I am sorry to hear of your appeal decision. In today's N&R, Alan Duncan has an article requesting that we all email or call the commissioners and let them know how we feel about the school's funding request during the budget review.

Reassigned - please, please call and email each of the commissioners and let them know exactly how you feel about the school's budget request.

Does anyone actually believe the HP Reassignment plan is worth the money it takes to run and the money it takes away from the rest of the county?????

I see where the N&R provided Alan Duncan with several lines of free advertising today for Terry Grier's misguided financial plan.

I seriously doubt that I am the only person in Guilford County that has no use for anything that comes out of Mr. Duncan's mouth or the mouth of the multi-tasking Terry Grier.

I believe that Willie Best's plan to cut the School Board's budget increase request in half is a good start. I would hope that the County Commissioners carefully listen to Mr. Best and cut even deeper if need be.

Below are the e-mail addresses for all of the Commissioners except Billy Yow. Apparently his posted e-mail address on the Commissioner's website is no longer active.

I would encourage everyone who has issues with the continued mismanagement of the present School Board to write the County Commissioners and express their concerns.

Bruce Davis
E-mail Address(es):
kidappeal@triadbiz.rr.com

Carolyn Coleman
E-mail Address(es):
ccolema@co.guilford.nc.us

Jenkins Crayton
E-mail Address(es):
jcrayto@co.guilford.nc.us

Kay Cashion
E-mail Address(es):
kcashio@co.guilford.nc.us

Kirk Perkins
E-mail Address(es):
kperkin@co.guilford.nc.us

Linda Shaw
E-mail Address(es):
imlshaw@aol.com

Mike Winstead
E-mail Address(es):
mwinste@co.guilford.nc.us

Paul Gibson
E-mail Address(es):
pgibson@co.guilford.nc.us

Skip Alston
E-mail Address(es):
salston@co.guilford.nc.us

Steve Arnold
E-mail Address(es):
sarnold@co.guilford.nc.us

Trudy Wade
E-mail Address(es):
jamestownvet@northstate.net

The N & R Editorial page is nothing more than a promotional section for Dr. Grier.

It still amazes me how Alan Duncan and Co. have a free pass on placing articles in the N & R.

Is their a connection between Duncans Law Firm and the N & R ????????

I noticed that the article in todays paper quoted most of the Board members as to what they would support or ditch in the budget. What about the other members? Were they unavailable or did they choose not to comment?

JWG,

I couldn't reach the other three board members. I left messages Monday and Tuesday.

Kris Cooke called this morning apologizing for not returning my call sooner; she has been helping out a friend going through a personal crisis. In her voice mail message she said she didn't know what she would cut and that the district is asking for what it needs.

I have not heard from Susan Mendenhall and I couldn't leave a message for Deena Hayes because her home voice mail was full and her work number was disconnected.

However, I did not try anyone's e-mail, just left phone messages or called their home/work numbers several times trying to reach them.

Based on today's paper showing what several of the School Board members would cut, those members who replied with things like "I hadn't thought about it" (Walter Childs), "Would not speculate" (Alan Duncan), "Wouldn't speculate" (Nancy Routh), and, per Jennifer's above post, Kris Cooke who said she didn't know what she would cut, are the ones who should be bombarded with telephone calls and e-mails asking them whether they are stupid enough to believe that absolutely none of the fat can be cut out of the budget (like possibly their own massive raises), or are they so incompetent that they can't take the time to actually look into the spending to find things that could be cut. In either case, those members should be asked to resign immediately. I did note that Anita Sharpe and Marti Sykes stated that they would cut their own compensation, and Amos Quick and Darlene Garrett said they would cut the High Point Reassignment plan - both good cutS. I will not tolerate any board member telling me that everything they are asking for is a legitimate need and that what they do is worth the money that they spend. It hasn't been worth it so far.

I wish Mrs Cooke could help my personal crisis.

Sandy.. You go girl ! Particularly appalling was Ms. Routh's dumb comment about cuts. An inveterate school bureaucrat for sure. They all should resign. Can we have a recall election ?

Chester,

Regarding Nancy Routh's comments: My editors cut everything down to fit into that tight format, which made her quote not make sense. I should have told them to drop it off if they didn't add the context, which was this:

She went to a dozen graduations including one at Dudley, where she ran into a former student. Nancy's comment was referring to those graduations, where she saw so many proud graduates, including the former student who hugged her in thanks. (Nancy was principal at Hampton Elementary when this student was at the school.)

So that is what she was thinking of when she said "What we do is worth the money that we spend."

I hope that clears that up a little bit.

Any news on the budget pitch?

Jennifer,
This is off topic, but could you please give a short list of what the school bond was supposed to provide and what it actually has provided thusfar?
Thank you!

There have been two bonds, the first for $200 million, the second $300 million.

here is info on the $300 million
http://www.guilford.k12.nc.us/construction/archlist.htm

hope this works and gives you an overall view.

Thanks, Debora!

Jennifer,

That's not the dumb quote from Routh I had reference to, rather it was her total lack of willingness to "speculate " on cutting out the lard from the budget. Please spare us your defense of these out of control spend crazy board memembers like Routh et al. Heaven help the hardworking property owners if this bunch ever gets independent taxing authority.I know we don't want to deprive the "chilllldrin". I still remeber Terry Sanfords " temporary " ( for education ) tax on food passed 45 years ago and still solidly in place.

On a $500 million dollar budget, doesn't anyone think they can find 1.5% waste? Businesses are forced to do it daily! Plenty of waste there if anyone decides to take the time to look and question.
The board took Negotiations 101 (with the help of Mr Duncan's legal background).... Figure out what you want. Double that figure. Ask and plead passionately for that doubled figure. Look and act disappointed when you get half of the double (i.e. what you want) High 5 each other behind closed doors because they fell for it again!

What accountability measures are in place to be sure we are getting what we (the taxpayers of Guilford County) are paying for? Until a plan and accountability is in place, the taxpayers, teachers and parents will have to live by an old military mantra....The beatings will continue until morale improves!

I think all those that are asking to support the budget are not affected by the "Nochoice" plan.I support children, I support the public school system. I do not support no choice. You have to understand that this is the only way to get our voice heard.
You will all with us when its happenning in GSO too. I heard it from one of the board members.
GSO next.

Lets get the hell out of here!

Louise,

Here's a short description of the bond:

The $300 million bond will provide 9,225 classroom seats, 11 new or replacement schools and 17 renovated campuses.

Among the biggest projects are a new Northern High School, which will be the county's 15th traditional public high school; a new Southern Middle, which will replace Allen Jay Middle; new elementary schools for the Cardinal, Reedy Fork and Summerfield areas; and replacement schools for Jamestown Middle, Gibsonville Elementary and Union Hill Elementary.

Right now, most of the projects still are in the planning/design stage. However, construction contracts have been assigned for a few projects, so dirt should be moving this summer.

The biggest waste of capital funds is the Pleasant Garden Elementary classroom addition. Perfectly good classrooms are available in the Idol Building. Crossing the road is something that has been done thousands of times without any accidents or close-calls. The BOE is wasting money on this project. It is driven by a few locals mothers that like to spend other peoples money.

Any Pleasant Garden folks who would like to weign in on that?

Most of the campus is on one side of Pleasant Garden Road. But one classroom building - the Idol Building - is on the other side of the street and kids must cross to get to the lunchroom, library, etc.

I certainly can see Joe's point. He's right that the classrooms in the Idol Building are perfectly good. Just a little historical note: the Idol Building was closed from 1990 to 1995. It reopened because Pleasant Garden grew and the school needed more classroom space. Parents and teachers actually asked the school board to reopen the Idol Building, rather than add more trailers.

But I also can see how elementary school parents could be worried if their 10-year-old had to cross Pleasant Garden Road several times a day.

Just because a few parents are worried about safety does not justify the taxpayers spending millions to correct the problem. The problem does not exist except in the minds of certain people that have no regard to the expense involved. Spending other peoples money cannot be justified in this case. I live in the Pleasant
Garden area and most people out here agree with me. Please stop this waste of money before it is too late.

I am also worried about safety. I am worried about all these children travelling on buses all over the place!!!

Buckmtn,

As you suggested I contacted some of the Guilford County Commissioners .. Democrats and Republicans. The Republicans listened but warned me that the idiot School Board majority would get most of what they wanted including the racist crap that is to be force feed to the teachers by Crossroads Ministries under the guise of it's the teachers fault that there are too many suspensions. The theory here is that teachers need to be more sensitive and gain an understanding why some students disrespect and call them vile names. The Democrats offered nothing but their pathetic naive guilt trip about fousing on the disruptive child ( to the detriment of those there to learn ). Bottom line nothing will change until the next election, if then, thanks to the District system. So for the time being it's always gonna be 6 to 5.