News-Record.com

Bruce,

Thanks for this information.

Do you know the format?

Will a group of panelists share their views?

Will it focus more on comments from the audience?

If there is a panel, will speakers from the floor be allowed to ask them questions or share their own thoughts and opinions?

Do you have any information from the previous forums?

Sorry for the flood of questions, but your post left me curious to know more.

Sincerely,

Hardy

It's my understanding that these folks are coming here to listen to what you, the public, has to say.

NCAE held a previous series of state-wide community forums on the achievement gap last year. One of those meetings was at A&T and I covered it. They had a panel and each of them said a few words, but most of the meeting was devoted to comments and questions from the audience. It's my understanding that this will be similar, in that it's focused on audience comment.

And one other thing I forgot to mention: refreshments will be served!

Here we go again with trying to find that magic solution of reducing the suspension rate among our students.

The ONLY solution to this problem is to change the behavior of the suspended student.

There are a set of laws in society that people must abide by, if they choose to break these laws then they must suffer the consequences.

Society should not have to loosen the rules to accomodate the unruly behavior of some,in order to
make it look like no one is breaking the law.

I do not understand why every time we talk about a certain group of kids getting suspended at a higher rate, we must put our teachers through diversity training.

The teachers are not the ones misbehaving!!!!!!

If we as a society continue to dumb down our rules and laws to accomodate a group of people that do not want to live up to the standards of normal every day life, then eventually the inmates will be running the asylum.

We do not need to reduce the suspension rate, we need to toughen the standards and force the students who don't want to behave to hit the road or straighten up.

To HELL with worrying with the dropout rate, there are plenty of fast food and construction jobs to be had for the kids that don't want to sit in an air conditioned class room and take cream puff classes.

We have a bunch of bleeding heart liberals on the school board that cannot understand the theory of Accountability.

I could go on , but I must go back to my second job in order to pay my taxes.

Our leadership must change or our public school system is DOOMED.

"The ONLY solution to this problem is to change the behavior of the suspended student."

I agree with that.

But if you're suspending students over and over again, that's evidence that you've failed to change that student's behavior.

I don't have a cure-all solution.

Students are indeed worst served if they are allowed to get away with all but murder without significant consequences.

But if the same consequences are failing, you also need to figure out what else you can do to try to save that child before he/she becomes nothing more than a forevermore menace to society.

The funny thing is that some of the toughest talking parents have never been tested, and when they're presented evidence that their own child may be a part of the problem that they previously assumed only other people's children were, they shift into an absolute state of denial, suddenly blaming teachers the exact same way they've always accused other parents of doing.

Just got together with some other teachers earlier today.

Case study we discussed, one of our own true-life stories:

One teacher had a student who would constantly mumble stuff under his breathe, generally accepted as a sign of disrespect toward a teacher.

Not the worst discipline problem in the world, but certainly a subversive means of undermining a teacher's authority.

That teacher would call him out on it. She admits she was probably guilty of treating him differently than other students; his attitude made it unpleasant for her to interact with him, though she still offered him the same lessons as other students.

His grades in that class drop.

Phone calls home to mom become regular.

Finally, mom demands a conference.

At the beginning of the conference, mom presents her case: according to her son, the teacher is treating him worse than the other students, telling him she doesn't want to explain answers to him, getting on his case all the time.

It's obvious the parent is fully on her son's side and regards the teacher as the problem.

But the mother listens as the teacher responds.

The teacher admits treating the student differently.

And she explains why.

She goes on to describe his regular mumbling under his breath and how he tries to seek laughs from other students in the middle of lessons, later having to ask the teacher to explain what she already explained while he was too busy distracting others and mumbling under his breathe.

Mom's looking at her son the whole time.

He's squirming a bit.

"Is it true?"

He begins a convoluted explanation.

Mom interrupts to repeat herself: "Is it true?"

"Well . . ."

He doesn't need to finish.

Mother has seen the light.

She quickly apologizes to the teacher.

She tells the teacher it will not continue to be a problem.

Conference eventually ends.

Now, in conferences, most parents will ultimately tell you how their child will no longer be a problem, that things will change immediately.

Sadly, it's all too rare: usually, the behavior might get better for a day or two, then it slides into the familiar pattern, sometimes even getting worse.

But this mother was one of the ones whose feet a teacher would not mind leaning over to kiss. (I'd kiss her feet in a heartbeat, and I wasn't even the teacher involved.)

Don't know how she did it.

But from that day on, her son was NEVER a problem again.

His grades improved. His attitude was good. No problems with his behavior. No more mumbling or trying to distract other students.

And no, I'm not presenting you a dream.

Once upon a time, I witnessed this, just as I've described it.

I just wish it was even remotely common.

Because if it was?

Well, we wouldn't be having this discussion right now, in no shape or form.

" But if you're suspending students over and over again, that's evidence that you've failed to change that student's behavior."

The solution at this point is to remove this student from the population of students who want to behave and learn.

Mr. Floyd, I respect you as an educator and a person. My oldest son had you as a teacher and had a great experience in your class.

Back to the suspensions, Students today get to many second chances.

Our administrators are to afraid to suspend students, in fear that their numbers would not look good.

When GCS gets a Superintendent with a BACKBONE, maybe then we may start to control the behavior of our unruly students.

"To suspend students over and over again...."the consequences must not be working.

By high school, I am sorry, but the mold has been set. I agree with the General.

What about the rights of the other students who want to learn and are sitting there frustrated day after day because of all the distractions? Why should they have to listen to bad language and disrespect?

Mr. Floyd, your story about the parent/teacher conference is ideal. If this would work always, that would be great.

I am not saying to suspend kids, as many kids who are troublemakers don't want to be in school anyway. So this is a dream come true. They could just hang out.

There should be in school suspensions where they are made to do work. It should not be "fun". More importantly, there should be alternative schools for those who are continually in trouble. They could do community service.

If they are suspended over and over again, you are right that it is not working. Many of the kids know that they will not be suspended and are taking advantage of our teachers. It is time for the parents and teachers to take back our schools.

It doesn't matter if you are white, black, yellow, purple or spotted, if you are breaking the rules of society there should be consequences. This is how the real world is.

All the middle and high schools that I'm aware of have an In School Suspension program. It is sometimes called BIP or Behavior Improvement Program as well. I worked as an ISS teacher one year (never again!) and I would say its effectiveness is hit or miss. Students who care about socializing and going to their electives usually will not repeat the experience, whereas the students who do not care about their grades or schooling will repeatedly be sent to ISS.

The other problem that I had along with some other ISS teachers was that a student could be rude, not do their work, etc. and would be sent to the principal or AP (depending on the school) and the student would be sent right back to ISS. This could happen repeatedly until the AP or principal got tired of dealing with the student and would send them home. However, if noone was available to pick them up, the student stayed at school in the ISS room. Students that were classified EC could not be sent home in most cases.

I also had issues with how many students were allowed to be in the ISS room for the whole day. I could have twenty or more kids with me for the whole day (other kids could be sent in for part of the day). This is a small number compared to a regular classroom, but these are all kids that have behavior problems and that may have gotten in trouble (for fighting, disrupting class, etc.) with some of the other students in the room. Keep in mind though that how ISS operates differs from school to school.

Does anyone else see a problem with this set up?

I bring all of these issues to light so that folks can see that both our OSS policy and ISS policy need to be evaluated. Students need clear consequences and obviously the ones we have are not working because they are not implemented effectively or because they are meaningless to many students. It is imperative that the community speaks out and supports teachers. Students should have the right to go to school and learn and teachers should be free to go to school and teach.

Students "have the right" to go to school...

This is what has paved the way for disruptive behavior. Let's equate this to driving:

Should students have the "right" to drive? If they violate laws or rules, should we send them back out on the highway to cause, possibly, great harm?

Why school rules are taken lightly, I'm at a loss to understand. Going to school should be a privilege, just as driving. Let's get the rulers back out and start smacking these rule-breakers on the knuckles.

Until these wise-asses see that they will be expelled, permanently, they will not straighten up. GCS is so afraid that this will tarnish their already bad record, OR the Alstons, Davis' and Hayes' will cry "race" and we'll have to be more lenient.

Our school administration needs to get a backbone and create a NO TOLERANCE policy. Until then, we'll all continue to scratch our heads, with our Gomer-hats on, and wonder why our schools suck.

It's so unfair to the kids that want to learn and the teachers that really want to teach. I implore anyone thinking that this is not such a problem to go to any high school next week and observe a class. It's disgusting to see how much teaching time is spent on discipline. You'll swear that you're visiting a daycare.

I just saw a commercial for an on-line High School. That's an option I hadn't thought of before.

AMEN Andi,

If Dot Kearns and the other Liberals on the school board had to put up with that kind of nonsense day in and day out they might reconsider worrying so much about the suspension rate in our schools.

Students should have a right to go to school, but this also must be considered a PRIVILEGE.

If our administration continues to allow students to misbehave without the fear of strict punishment, our schools will continue to plummet.

One question, if South West Guilford is one of only two successful high schools in GCS, Why in the hell would you make any changes to that school??????

Don't go pulling parts off of a car that runs smoothly in order to fix a car that needs a complete overhaul.If you do you will have two cars that don't run.

One more question, Why in the world would you hire a principal to run Andrews High that has no experience in that field???????

Does anyone remember Mrs. Barker-Carr.

What a failed experiment that was, Could this be another one of Grier's Girl Fr(I'm sorry), Students from Nova South???????

One more Question, Does Dudley High School have the same problems that Andrews does.

I continue to hear from our school board that we must equalize the racial and socio-economic make-up in High Point in order to repair Andrews High School. I think this is a COP-OUT by our administration for their lack of ability to come up with a solution to the problem.

Message to Alan Duncan:

The 8-Star General Slak is seriously considering taking your job in the next election. When this occurs, the Reconstruction of our Failing School System can finally begin

While I appreciate your post on suspensions. The education reporters at the N&R should be investigating what's going on in High Point.

At the last school board meeting, only a small portion of High Point was addressed. Thank you for making that public and the maps. But to wait until the next school board meeting, Aug. 25th to figure out what's going on with the rest of the city is just unfair.

Families have homes up for sale, and if they find out that next year they will be redistricted AGAIN, that goes against the policy that the board has about not redistricting families within 4 years--not that they can't go change this policy.

It strikes me odd that two portions of High Point get blatantly reassigned, and no one, NOT EVEN THE PRESS is asking what happens to the rest of the city of HP? Does this mean the HP plan will be gone? I know our School Board HAS this information, they are surely just letting the cat out of the bag slowly so as NOT to piss off the entire city AGAIN.

I'm SO SICK of being toyed with and controlled by these 11 morons!

Can someone at the N&R PLEASE find out what is going on so POSSIBLY families can figure out if they are coming or going??

News 2 must have gotten some info because they say Central will be a magnet and the remaining students divided between Andrews and SWH. Is this true? If so, the SAME students that are being FORCED across town THIS year will be REASSIGNED AGAIN next year?? Is this a fun game for the GC administration?

Enough is enough! Does anyone care?? The N&R should be DEMANDING answers from these folks. They are elected to ANSWER to the community!!!

You all should be calling them 24/7 until answers are found. I bet if you had children in the mess you would be more adamant about finding answers. Please put yourselves in the shoes of the kids getting the shaft!

It won't be the SAME students who are redistricted. Now they will have to figure out grandfathering, sibling preference, before the HP Choice Plan bussing, during the HP Plan busing, the phase out stage of the HP Plan busing, the after-the-fact HP Plan busing. Some bused the old way, some the new way, some a combination.

Bruce and Jennifer,

Why have you been so silent about the Central as Only High Point Magnet story? One could conclude that the News-Record got scooped by News 2, but given the resources committed to the school system by the News-Record, I find this highly-unlikely. Why would News 2 have better access to this information than the News-Record who has two people in yourselves focused upon education.

That leaves us with the alternative that you and the News-Record knew about the plan all along, but chose not to discuss it. If this is correct, why would you sit on this story? Did Tery Grier or Alan Duncan tell you to do so? Several posters have asked you direct questions about this, and you've been strangely quite, without giving a response of any sort. What's going on, and when will you give us some straight talk about it?

I think we all know that straight talk is against the policy of the N&R and is immediate grounds for dismissal.

As best we can tell they are on a manhunt to figure out how posting one sentence in Spanish is grounds for unkind behavior and attempting to translate this into racist behaviour.

If you are looking for the staff of the N&R they are probably gathering up the menu inserts at all of the McDonald's in Greensboro, which are not in English. I am sure this pack of liberals views this as racist activity as well.

What do they think then about the "School Zone" showing it's clips in Spanish? I tried to watch something yesterday and it was in all Spanish!?

2men&atruck:

it is not redistricting within 4 years

the last "redistricting" was in 1999

remember you had a "choice" of which magnet to choose

no standard curriculum for you

if you did not make the right choice then you where thrown in a lottery (unless you were at Central or Andrews)

but, of course, that is not redistricting

if you don't make a forced choice or gamble with your child's future

only then do you get redistricted

but, of course, it is more than 4 years

NO HABLA ESPANOL

That is why the PR lady makes the big bucks.
This is your tax dollars at work.

Frenchie

- To find solutions to reduce student suspensions
DISCIPLINE ENFORCED FROM FROM DAY 1 OF SCHOOL.

- To particularly reduce the disproportionate number of minority student suspensions;
IDENTIFY THE REASONS FOR A DISPROPROTIONATE NUMBER OF MINORITY STUDENTS THAT ACT UP AND MISBEHAVE PRIOR TO SUSPENSION

- To increase the understanding of cultural diversity among educators;
BE PREPARED TO BE SUSPENDED OR THROWN OUT OF SCHOOL REGARDLESS OF SEX, RACE, RELIGION

- To find ways to improve student behavior in school.

SHOW THE STUDENT THAT YOU MEAN BUSINESS. THE TAXPAYERS ARE TIRED OF HEARING ONE SOB STORY AFTER ANOTHER.

THERE ARE NO ALTERNATIVES AND NO NEGOTIATIONS. IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO BE IN SCHOOL MIGHT I SUGGEST THESE LITTLE ANGELS SEE IF SHERIFF BARNES AND HIS STAFF WANTS TO BABYSIT THEM.

PERHAPS IF THESE CHILDREN WOULD UNDERSTAND IF THEY HAD TO PICKUP TRASH FROM THE SIDE OF THE ROAD FOR A FEW WEEKS. ODDS ARE THEY PROBABLY THREW THE TRASH THERE TO BEGIN WITH.

Rent,

When you say redistricting "next year" I'm not sure if you mean the school year coming up next week (2005-06) or next year, 2006-07.

As far as I understand it, no redistricting changes would go into effect for the 2005-06 school year. Students have already been assigned and there's no way the board could approve anything in time for the first day of school, which is the same day as the next board meeting. Has anybody heard that changes are trying to be pushed through for the 2005-06 school year, which starts next Thursday?

As for the role Central High School would play in any of this redistricting in High Point, I was not at the last board meeting and don't know what was discussed. All that I have heard is that the board chairman asked about creating a Weaver-like school, possibly at Andrews.

I have not seen the News 2 report so I can't comment on it.

I'll make a few calls and see if I can get an answer.

Jen,

You can go tot he News 2 site and read the report. I wills see if I still have it and email to you and Bruce so you can get the scoop.

BA

Jennifer,

When I say redistricting "next" year, I'm talking about 06-07, which is when those proposed maps for High Point are supposed to take affect if they are voted in. I understand THIS year is a done deal.

What is so concerning to me, among other things, is the kids that will start this Thursday, going across town in High Point (kids who did NOT get their first choice in the famed lottery)....THEN NEXT year (06-07) will be reassigned AGAIN through redistricting. This is making a change 2 years in a row, something that the school policy says they will NOT do. Now I'm sure they'll say the lottery is NOT redistricting and get away with it BUT the fact that they are making changes AGAIN is ludicrious. I'm sure they're hoping that most kids will take the 'grandfather' option and stay put, but upsetting families AGAIN is pitiful. They knew they were going to redistrict, they should have done it over the summer IN TIME for this school year so that SOME kids might actually get FOUR years of High School in the same building!!

Also, NOTHING was said at the last school board meeting about Central being a "magnet" as the News2 report said. I believe you can still view that clip on their website. If not, you can call them and they will email the clip to you. They are great about sending old clips that way. Maybe you could also ask WHO their source was for this new "Central as the central magnet" info.

Are no board members talking about this latest Central news? I hear that some board members are already claiming that they know nothing about it. So who's in the know over on Eugene Street? Anyone? Is News2 just making up news?

The secrecy needs to STOP with these board members. They are supposed to answer to those that elected them and their closed-door methods to implementing new programs is NOT going over well with the citizens and very families that they are supposed to be representing.

Guess I'll have to get the Hammer boys on this one.

ready to rent,

Perhaps News 2 is practicing "faux news" as John Robinson called the Rhino upon their story about the commissioners' trip to Hawaii. Can it be that all of the other media outlets in Guilford County are faux news channels?

"Now is not the time to alter plan's course"

This editorial should be posted so that comments can be left.

I'll refrain from mine until it's posted and the author has identified him/herself.

Thank you

Are the Chalkboard editors on vacation this week?

Nope, just secret meetings with the School Board and Grier, so they know what to print this week.

hey bruce!
sorry this is a little off the subject of suspensions, but.....
i had notice a while back that board meeting "minutes" had been revised to board meeting "summaries" on the gcs website. is there a difference between the two? any idea where i can find official board meeting minutes?
thanks

Cheryl,
You can find board meeting minutes under the meeting where they have been approved or are up for approval. Just click on "board meeting materials," (under the leadership tab from the front page of the district web site) which shows what items will be discussed at that particular meeting. One item the board always goes over at the beginning of meetings is approving the minutes from previous meetings. Those minutes typically are links you can access.

One drawback is that it takes awhile for a meeting's minutes to get to the board. They have to be transcribed from a tape and notes first. So if you're looking for the Aug. 9 meeting minutes, you won't see them until at the very earliest when the next meeting agenda is posted. The board summaries are all you'll get immediately after a meeting.

Hope that helps.

"." AKA "period"

When I was in that super secret meeting with school officials today, I asked what the deal was with Central. Eric Hoekstra, who got the assignment to check on the viability of a Weaver-like magnet school, said he was told to look at how that would work at Andrews. So I'm not sure where Central has been thrown into the mix other than at News 2.

I haven't been able to reach Alan Duncan. Another board member said she had not heard this and Bruce (who missed the secret meeting because he was on one of those lengthy vacations Gamblin' Man thinks we're prone to take over here) said no board members he had spoken to about redistricting were aware of such a proposal. (In case no one got the sarcasm on vacations, Bruce is actually working a night shift tonight and the editors were too lenient - in my opinion - and let him sleep in this morning.) :-)

Jennifer,

Thanks for the update and the link to the minutes.
Very helpful for future reference.

Bruce,

I can't believe they let you sleep in. Would that be until 8:00 a.m?

BA

Jennifer,

Now that you've admited to secret meetings between the N&R staff and the school board, please let your readers know when the next secret meeting will be held. I'm sure they'll have lots of questions for you to ask, or may even like to sit in.

Also, it's just "." not "period".

Thanks

Jen - didn't mean to offend anyone regarding the question on vacation. Just a question.

Jennifer, by working a night shift does that mean that Bruce delivers the papers as well?

If so I would be willing to help him on the route in High Point that goes by:

614 W. Farris Avenue
1315 Longcreek Drive

Your circulation department has been receiving complaints from these 2 addresses that your paper is being left out in the road. I think that if I wrap the paper around a brick and secure with 2 elastic bands that I'll be able to reach the kitchen table both times.

Please call ahead and let these 2 customers know to leave their windows open in order to prevent any property damage.

Bruce,

I read the article yesterday on the forum. The charts were interesting but inconclusive in breaking down the ratios because they really didn't say how many white/black at each school to start with so the real ratios could not be calculated. (not your fault - I am sure the $122K per year statician might have figured this out.)

Of interest was the solution to suspensions comment by the substitute teacher (sad) that attended. She said we should have a two week training period for parents and PAY them to attend.

Now we have to PAY people to be good parents????

I think many would "just pass GO" and collect their $200 and still have their kids still end up in "jail".

I don't understand what this would solve. Alternative Learning environments are the answer. ANY student who continually disrupts the classroom and prevents others from learning should not be in that classroom.

Time to "ELIMINATE PROPERTY TAXES AND CHANGE VOTING LAWS"! Think! If you didn't have to pay such high taxes, you could put your children into good Christian Schools, or Home Schools, so they would get a good, moral, ethical, and responsible education.
It is a proven fact the Public schools are not the answer. Politicians and school board members are still going around the issues with their heads stuck in the sand. Daily, a news program discusses this with men and women and they've gone as far as "We'll give you $200.00 if you'll stop having illegitimates, HIV-aids and drug babies."
Too many Illegitimates born to single women, by several different men, are surely not going to be trained or disciplined. All kids born and raised in this type environment will continue to commit crimes, do drugs, rape, steal, kill, and have more illegitimates.
Until we change our thinking, realize what's been going on far too long, and correct the real problems, it's only going to get worse.
These children are our future! WAKE UP, AMERICA!

I don't find all these solution worth considering despite the research includes all the key points except for few important ones.

Hi all!
I like this forum!!