News-Record.com

I noticed that Mr. Doyle who has taught high school chorus in Guilford County for 37 years said the arts build self-esteem and give kids a chance to succeed. He said he's seen students who struggle academically but excel in music. For these students, participating in arts may be what keeps them in school.

It occurred to me that same argument could used when referring to athletics.

Are high school art students required to abide by the same academics requirements as high school athletes?

Is there anybody left out there that doesn't think the Arts magnet in High Point should have been placed at Andrews, just like we tried to tell the knuckleheads on our school board 2 years ago?

To answer your question, Sally, I don't think arts students have the same academic requirements as athletes and here is why:

High school sports are governed by the North Carolina High School Athletic Association. So the eligibility rules are set forth by the NCHSAA, not the local school or the school district.

For example, Grimsley's opponent in the semi-finals of the state football playoffs had to forfeit because they had used an ineligible player. Those eligibility rules were set forth by the NCHSAA.

Plain Jane,

We all know why they placed the so called 'art magnet' at SW! They want our middle class, white children to go to Central and when they get their demographics at Central, they will work on Andrews. Or do they even care about Andrews? It is hard to tell sometimes!!

Bruce,

Art Basics should be taught in our schools.

The Curriculim Guide for Southwest High School runs the Gamut on the Arts....We have Tap Dance,Modern Dance,Ballet,,,,,Polka maybe?????

We have beginners guitar,intermediate guitar,advanced guitar,,,,air guitar maybe?????

We have Theatre,,,,and so on and so on.

We have students in Southwest who can't read at a middle school level,,,,,but we continue to toss $$$$$$$ into a "BLACK HOLE ARTS PRORAM",,,,while ignoring the basic Educational needs of our children.

Why should a Violinist expect to recieve advanced lessons at the expense of the Taxpayer?????

I pay alot of $$$$$ for my sons Private BASEBALL Lessons,,,should this to be offered and paid for by our School System????????

When GCS finds the Leadership that can successfully administer the teaching of BASIC EDUCATION,,,,then and then only should we reach out and start educating students in the Specialty Field of Their Choice.

Bruce,

Maybe the school board should look at implementing a plan that requires band and chorus members etc to be held to the same attendance and academic rigors as Guilford County school athletes.

If Andrews had offered the world class art school when Fantasia was around she might have finished school. If GCS required the art students to read, write and attend class she might have finished school with an education.

"Arts in the Schools"

...and we wonder why we have to import computer engineers, scientists, & even in some school districts across our great land, math teachers, to staff our companies and teach our kids.

This can in large part be attributed to our kids taking "artsy fartsy" courses such as art, painting, music, home ec, and for our athletes, the course of choice, "rocks for jocks (geology)", instead of the courses that keep our kids competitive in this fast ever changing global economy.

We my friends are witnessing the DUMBING DOWN of the country I love, the USA, including the great commonwealth of Kentucky.

Thankfully, the HP employer community has taken a stand and expressed concern that the HP schooly system of Guilford County needs fundamental change in order that the kids of HP can manufacture furniture better.

Encouragingly, the GCS is taking the necessary steps and implementations to address this sad situation, albeit too late for one of the entertainment icons of this area, Fantasia Barrino. So that the other two icons, Billy "Crash" Craddock and Mr. Racing himself, Richard Petty, aren't hurt, I want to reference them also, even though to my knowledge they aren't products of the HP school system.

GCS has stats on the number of band members (I was a band parent) who graduate and how well they do academically. The number is much greater than the general student population. I believe it holds true for orchestra, choir (or whatever it's called now) and other art-focused activities. Check the numbers; I think you'll be very surprised. (It matters not what student athletes do; that's just fine. This is a discussion of arts/music students and how well they do, methinks, and I don't want to enter into an argument. I just want to point out how well arts students do.)

That's true, Sue. Pam Farlow, the school system's arts and foreign language curriculum coach, said students who participate in arts have, on average, better grades, lower dropout rates and fewer discipline referrals than students who don't.

Nationally, kids who participated in a performing art in high school score an average of 98 points higher on the SAT.

Also, it's my understanding that students in UNCG's School of Music have the highest average GPA in the university.

And as professor Brett Nolker pointed out, the arts have been a part of organized education for thousands of years. I don't see teaching arts as dumbing down the curriculum at all. Quite the opposite; students are returning to something that has worked for generations.

Lets make sure we know why arts students do better than the average student. It is because they must memorize notes, lyrics, etc. This causes pathways in the brain to be more receptive to the learning process. Another way to put it is that arts students do more reading than non arts students. It is not rocket science. If you read, you will do well compared to those that don't read.

Well of course the students who major in the "soft" courses grades are probably higher.

Let's see how they'd do in the "hard" sciences. They'd more than likely see those GPA's graph downward.

I recall in my college days that when my GPA was looking weak, I new I could always take that "soft" course, the "artsy fartsy" type, to help bring my overall GPA up. Oh how I loved to listen to the 17th century composer of Baroque music Domenico Scarlatti, especially when I knew my GPA would melodiously be lifted up to the heavens.

Art is for those students who lack the competitiveness to duke it out on the global scene, just as soccer is the sports of choice for those kids unable to compete in the manly sports such as baseball and football.

Jon,

You keep ducking my question about your kid's 2 hour bus ride each way every day from Greensboro to High Point to attend middle school, when you could see his nieghborhood school from your house. Are you going to explain that one for us? Was it a true story or did you embellish it for us? If he didn't attend a magnet school by choice, I just can't understand how that could be true.

I also posed some questions to you Jon, which remain unanswered. You must realize that when you swoop into a thread and then back out again, you might be perceived as a troll.

Stormy & HP Resident,

The subject at hand is "Arts in the Schools."

The riding habits of my son to and from his school are irrelevant with respect to the subject at hand.

Keep on message, please.

Bruce, oh Bruce, please help me to keep everything focused on the topic. Stormy & HP Resident are endeavoring to hijack the topic again.

Jon,

I too am waiting to hear why your son had a two hour bus ride.

You are the one who put the information out there for speculation. So why are you ducking the questions?

Don't look to Bruce for help my guess is you're a big boy. Deal with it!

Since you are dippin and dodging now we can safely assume your son traveled a great distance on a bus 2-4 hours a day because you wanted him to!

Jon,

How's this for staying on topic.

I completely disagree with your comments about the arts. First of all, students in traditional high schools do not "major" in the arts. They may take a few courses as electives, but are still bound to the requirements set out by the state for graduation. So your comments about a "soft" curriculum do not hold any water. Also most art classes are cp credit, and do nothing to pump up a GPA. There are few exceptions.

My daughter pursued her interests outside of school (which we payed through the nose for!) She was a principle dancer for a ballet company and studied dance 3 - 4 hrs. per day, 6 days per week. She danced with American Ballet Theatre (New York City) during the summers. She obviously took this to a level that GCS could not help her with. Because of the hours involved in her participation in dance, she was forced to be extremely focused in her academics. (We told her she could continue doing what she loved as long as her grades were good. Academics are forever, dance is not!) Her particiation in the arts helped her immensely with many life skills (useful in college) such as time management and confidence (helpful in interview situations.) She graduated in the top 10 in her class and scored very well on SATs. She took many challenging classes in hs including AP sciences and maths. She is now a sophomore in college and doing very well. I would not trade a moment of her involvement at that level, but let's be very clear on that. GCS had NO involvement in her success. She no longer dances (so sad!) because in her words: "I don't want to be a starving artist.

Because of our family's involvement in the arts, I have no problem in a few classes offered at the high school level. Students should be aware though, that a lucrative career in the arts is like the proverbial "needle in a haystack." Based on our experience, I do agree that the arts can enhance academic achievement, but I'm not sure a couple electives would give the desired effect.

I believe I stayed on topic Jon, so you don't have to ask Bruce for any help with this one!!!!

YEP, JOHN MUST BE THE TROLL. I GUESS HE CAN'T ANSWER THE QUESTIONS STORMY & HP RESIDENT. HE PROBABLY EMBELLISHED SO MUCH, HE FORGETS WHAT HE SAID AND ON WHAT STRAND. OH THE TANGLED WEBS WE WEAVE......

AND JON YOU DO NOT OWN EVERY BLOG STRAND OUT THERE. IT IS CALLED FREE SPEECH.

I guess it could bring Jon's GPA up if he was at a level 2 in his harder math and science courses. He could take music appreciate or photography and hope to get a 4. He could then bring his GPA up to a 3. It depends on what you are bringing your GPA up to.

Music can help a student because they have to memorize and read. It could help a student who has to have a set GPA in order to participate in band, chorus, drumline.

As far as a career, I agree with Sandy's starving artist story.

If "Jon's" child traveled to High Point for middle school then the ONLY middle school in High Point that has open enrollment is Penn-Griffin. Funny that "Jon" would send his child to a school for the Arts when he speaks so poorly of Arts in general.

"Jon" what's are your REAL agenda here at the Chalkboard? If I were you, I'd go make an appeal to Santa that you'll be a better boy in the coming year.

Merry Festivas "Jon"!

Plain Jane,

Great point about the arts magnet at Andrews. That was mentioned to them. Several school board members really liked this idea. Of course, I think Dot and Susan were not for this.

Remember a few meetings back Amos questioned it wouldn't fill the school? Well if the right programs were there, it could. And besides that does "Craven" ring a bell? How long has that school sat empty. What about other schools that were closed for several years and then reopened. Gillespie might be one of those (not sure).

A few empty seats cannot compare to the cost of long bus rides across town.

Anyway....since when are a few empty seats the problem? What about 15 student per classroom? Smaller learning communities of which the 3 HP high schools received a $847,000 grant for this purpose around election time 04.

A few empty seats is the least of problems at Andrews. Did the IT Plan relieve the overcrowding at SW? Has the IT Plan increased the scores in the three schools?

Yes a true Arts Magnet with a small attendance zone could be ideal at Andrews. It could feed from Penn-Griffin. You have access to theaters in Downtown High Poiht.

Why an pretend magnet ("Arts Focus") was ever put at SW is beyond me. But we all know the reasons.

It's not too late to add Jon to the Christmas display.

Jane of the Jungle GOTCHA JON. BUSTED!!!!

Bucky,

SUPER IDEA. E-MAIL THE NHP COMMITTEE WITH THE PLAN SKETCHES.

Janora

I think Jon is really Susan Mendenhall in disguise!

I also agree with Sandy. The Arts are an important element in developing one's interests, but how many talented people actually make it? I think there is a reason someone coined the phrase 'straving artist'. Fantasia was VERY lucky to break into the entertainment business by winning a contest. If American Idol did not exist, would she have had the same level of success she does now?

I would love to laminate Jon's face.

Impossible Joe2. Last I saw, Susan was lying down on Southwest School Road and a reindeer was on top of her. Now don't ask me what it was doing but that was what I saw. I'm not sure how she'd be blogging from that position. Maybe her friend Dotty is blogging for her?

Jon is the fictitious character looming in someone’s fantasy mind!

If he wasn’t he would answer the question! It’s not a hard scholarly inquiry it’s a “real life” experience. No one asked for his son’s name or even what school he attended.

Let’s face it Jon’s son did not travel fifteen miles to school unless he lives in Davidson or Randolph County. Jon does not exist!

Sandy is right about the arts being a tough field to successfully break into. The powers that rule school athletic requirements figured that out long ago. Many talented athletes will never make it big either. By requiring them to attend school and make passing grades is effort to ensure they have something to fall back on. That something is an education.

Jon=Joe...Ooops

Jon=Joe=Emma? or someone who lives in Greensboro and is friend of SB members who support the IT Plan=definitely friend of Doug

How did the Pumpkin Face kids and Susie, Scrooge and the Ghost survive the ice storm? They may need some new ponchos.

Jon,
whoever you are. Dont think you can come on this blog and wind us up. We have seen through you already. Its so easy to see where you are coming from. All the folks on this blog are over the top .Ok. They are abusive if necessary, passionate, caring, you name it.

They are genuine!

It is so easy to see when other people are not. You dont wind me up. You make me laugh. A joke!

Go back to "up the rectum" my friend!

I haven't been by to check on the Christmas display. I bet Santa needs a new roll. He has been on Grier's chimney for quite a while.

Jon,

Bruce didn't come to your rescue this time. This is the educational blog, so discussions involving education matters are fair game. Now, are you going to level with us about your claim about your son riding 2 hours each way to middle school or not? You criticized us for being concerned about our kids having to ride a bus a long distance against their will, and you shot off about how your kid did it with no problem. Give us the information, Jon. Or are you going to cut out of this strand, as usual, when this question comes up? It is now the the third time.

"Bruce, oh Bruce, please help me to keep Stormy and....on topic" (did you play soccer and not football?)

wah, wah, wah

Better get used to IT Jon. The IT Plan IS the topic until IT goes away.

People on this blog have raised relating the subject to the Choice Plan an ART FORM. It must be from all those art classes they took at Guilford County Schools. You can see the fruits of their their labor in 3-D across from SW Elementary School. Those students must have taken some Honors Art classes in soft sculptures, painting and design.

Jon,

its so much fun having you here!

We love pooping on your ridiculous posts.

Answer Stormy or we will track down your IP address and laminate you.

We have friends in the FBI.

Be careful how you post my boy..

NevergoawayJon

You forgot the CIA and the White House. And that is the truth. IP address. Piece of cake.

Have you answered Stormys question Jonfake?

Joe 2

what question? which one? I think I forgot. Was it this strand?

Jon,

I'll refresh your memory. Why did your kid ride a bus 2 hours each way every day to attend middle schol in High Point for three years, as you claim? Was this to attend Penn-Griffin, and did the kid do this voluntarily? Or is this just a fabrication because it sounded good? You can answer now, as this question is on this strand, less than one hour later after your last post. Let's hear from you, Jon. Please stop evading this question.

Did anybody catch Jon's latest fabrication? He is acting like he SAW the display but says that it is across the street from Southwest Elementary School.

Wanting to be fair, as always, I will let you guys decide. Is this another lie? Did he assume the location from reading parts of other posts? It's not really "across the street" from SWES.

If this is ANOTHER lie, we will put Jon into the display as Pinochio with a big, long nose. I will wait to hear from my pals Jane and Joe before I purchase the plywood and find just the right branch for a nose.

Jon=Doug's hidden identity

I think that the next thing that we will hear from Jon about his kid riding the bus for 2 hours each every day, that the kid actually walked to school 15 miles each way. That's a better story than riding an ole school bus (which any Southwest kid can do), besides as Barbara Ann always says, those school buses are very dangerous places.

Stormy,

As a result of the following that I have attracted traveling to and fro through the great blogisphere, sort of makes me feel like the great Maharishi Mahesh Yogi whose toadies gathered around him to feast on every wise utterance that came forth from his mouth.

You obviously misread my statement with respect to the number of hours my son spends on a GCS bus. It's NOT two hours one way but two hours EACH day, though that has changed since we last conversed. As I recall you replied to me in quite a huff about a certain part of my statement that was directed at you and your ilk and how I felt your issue of concern that my son or somebody's child was spending to much time on a bus wasn't the problem but something more deep and sinister, something cultural.

Yes, I just then did digress from the subject; now let's get back to riding yellow buses. And I think this is very germane to the topic. You know I said his bus ride to school was one hour each way, though you initially read wrong. Guess what, my son's bus driver realizing he lives close to the HS got proactive, changed the schedule in order that my last born gets picked up last and dropped off first, and enacted this change all without dear old dad doing a PAB. What was a daily two hour inconvenience, is now a half hour walk in the park, and all as a result of the actions of a lowly GCS bus driver.

In reply to your concern that my son is attending a magnetized school, and apparently your child is not. I assume you have children attending school in the GCS system or you wouldn't be on this blog. I don't believe it is. Though there is a great diversity in enrollment with many nationalities & ethnicities represented, I've noticed there to be too many Caucasions students with varying shades of redness on their necks. Nope, nope, I'm confident it can't be a magnetized school.

Well sun's going down, gotta go. Bruce, oh Bruce, where are you? Seems to me Bruce is sort of like a potted plant at times.

Jon,

Now, I am really confused. Ok, it was a one hour bus ride each way for a total of 2 hours each day. but, you said on another strand:

"My son attends High School in Guilford County in the Greensboro address zone. He attended middle school in a High Point address zone and was bused on a daily basis 15 miles one way to attend that school for three years."

This brings up many questions.

1) Can a school bus traverse a 15-mile bus route in one hour?

2) How did a proactive school bus driver change his bus schedule to make a 15 mile commute into a 30 minute walk in the park? That's fast walking.

3) If you lived in Greensboro, why was your kid attending middle school in High Point? Again, was this where he was assigned to school or did he attend Penn-Griffin on a voluntary basis?

4) Why would you assume that I have kids in this school district? Why would you even assume that I live in this county? A person can have interest in the field of education whether they have kids in school or even live in the county in question. Shouldn't a smart person like you know these things?

5) I understand that your son now goes to a redneck high school (by your own definition). But, you said he was in high school now, and we were talking previously about the bus ride to High Point to middle school being 15 miles. That is the question, Jon. Please try to stay focused.

Jon,

Welcome to the Chalkboard.

Bruce actually has the day off, which is why he was somewhat of a "potted plant" today.

There's not much he could do for you anyway. Any attempts to steer the conversation on the Chalkboard go nowhere. You're pretty much on your own. Just think of it as a chance to hone your rapier wit and debating skills.

We've pretty much allowed anything to stand, except really vulgar stuff. We've deleted a few crude comments over the past year. Everything else has been fair game.

Good luck.

Jennifer,

I like your style!

Keep up the good work.........

Jon,

How many Caucasion students with varying degrees of rednecks is too many? You said the school had a great diversity of ethnicities and nationalities, but too many white rednecks. Well, which is it? You aren't focusing again, Jon. Perhaps, Dot Kearns can come to your rescue and set-up her little lottery to lotterize your rednecks out of there. Maybe send them downtown Greensboro somewhere. And, since you aspire to be accepted as a redneck with your love of stock car racing and your #9 hat, you can be the first to nominate your kid for the ride. Whatcha think, Jon? Must be OK with you since kyour kid is accustomed to long school bus rides.

Maybe I can get the strand back on subject. I teach graphic design (some consider it art) at a local community college. Most of the high school graduates I get in my classes have woefully inadequate basic skills in reading, writing, and math. I mean like can't read a ruler, can't write a coheasive paragraph, etc.

What good are all the special programs in arts or anything else if so many students are functionally unemployable. This has been verified by the study commissioned by the city of High Point. Fundamentals must be taken care of first. How about world class fundamentals?

By the way, my two staight A students will NEVER be forcibly bused to the FIFTH or SEVENTH school from my home. All the hypocrites on the School Board who get special treatment by being assigned to their NEAREST school need to make some sacrifices too! I'm waiting School Board hypocrites.

I've been waiting 2 years!!!!!!!!!!!!

......still waiting........and waiting.........and waiting........................and waiting.............................................................imbeciles!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Jon, Redneck??? Does that qualify as a person of color?

Well all I can say is Merry Christmas from the North High Point family...

Mom got drunk and Dad got drunk at our Christmas party
We were drinking champagne punch and homemade eggnog
Little sister brought her new boyfriend
He was a Mexican
We didn't know what to think of him until he sang
Felis Navidad, Felis Navidad

Brother Ken brought his kids with him
The three from his first wife Lynn
And the two identical twins from his second wife Mary Nell
Of course he brought his new wife Kay
Who talks all about AA
Chain smoking while the stereo plays Noel, Noel
The First Noel

Carve the Turkey
Turn the ball game on
Mix margaritas when the eggnog's gone
Send somebody to the Quickpak Store
We need some ice and an extension chord
A can of bean dip and some Diet Rites
A box of tampons, Marlboro Lights
Haleluja everybody say Cheese
Merry Christmas from the family

Fred and Rita drove from Harlingen
I can't remember how I'm kin to them
But when they tried to plug their motor home in
They blew our Christmas lights
Cousin David knew just what went wrong
So we all waited out on our front lawn
He threw a breaker and the lights came on
And we sang Silent Night, Oh Silent Night, Oh Holy Night

Carve the turkey turn the ball game on
Make Bloody Mary's
Cause We All Want One!
Send somebody to the Stop 'N Go
We need some celery and a can of fake snow
A bag of lemons and some Diet Sprites
A box of tampons, some Salem Lights
Haleluja, everybody say cheese
Merry Christmas from the Family

Jennifer,

As did Sally, I to liked your response. Sort of cheeky in a good way. Maybe you could replace Bruce for a time and provide some levity to this blog as well as some needed wit.

You've got spunk, and that's good when having to deal with those in this blog who desire to be "armchair educational experts" with respect to telling the experts how their children should be educated. Sort of reminds me of the employee who constantly expresses to the employer what the company needs to do in order to be successful though the company miraculously was able to remain a viable entity for half a century prior to the employee being hired.

Jennifer, were you the recipient of one of John Robinson's "minority set aside jobs (msaj)" that he touted several months ago in an editorial?

In one way I sort of wished I were born a minority in order to get one of those "set aside jobs." Perhaps I need to research my lineage to see if there's some minority blood somewhere's flowing in these veins and apply to the N&R for a msaj. I wonder, do religions that are considered a minority in this great land count towards receiving msaj?

Robert Earl Keane,

Now that's what I call good levity.

I announce to the world that you are the next Bobby Frost.

Jon,

Jennifer and I both administer this blog, so you'll see us both popping up from time to time. But we both try to stay out of the way - don't expect us to come to your rescue if you get folks mad!

Jon,

Jennifer has been an education reporter for the News & Record a long time.

I don't think Jennifer being employeed by the N&R has anything to do with "minority set aside jobs"

I'm certain she could give you a good schooling though and maybe she will!

Your comments get more wacky by the day....

Jon, you been drinkin' Susieeee's Eggnog???? You better be nice. I'm watching your every move.

Jon,
you are a nasty, nasty, person. With issues!

Jon,

Having worked at business for 40 years in mangement positions, I can tell you that a company's greatest asset is its employees, and they better value the input of their employees who are the ones who produce whatever product that is produced. Companies that don't listen to their employees or value their input, won't continue to be successful. And, that in an executive overview, is why our school board and administration is struggling right now. They don't do either, experts or not. And, who says that some of these people are more of an expert anyway?

Sounds like your work experience is with one of those companies that spurns employee input. How's that working out?

And, lighten up and apologize to Jennifer. She's doing her job well and competently. She doesn't deserve getting slams from you, just because she told you to fight your own battles that you brought upon yourself. Bruce and she made it clear what their roles are here, and its not to protect you from your own weak arguments and positions.

Also, would you please answer the question about your kid riding 15 miles to middle school in High Point from the eastern reaches of the county, and you shortened it to a 30 minute walk in the park? It's one we would all like to hear how all of that happened.

This is great now we have a management guru, 40 years of experience, shedding light on the "crisis" that is effecting the HP school issue.

The "crisis" relates to the cultural attitudes of probably 95% of the parents respecting this issue.

And that is, and it's very simple to decipher as a result of the code words that have been bandied about on this and other blogs. Such words as NAACP and others too many to relate.

Quite frankly, most of these parents have an issue with sending their kids to BLACK or low income schools and in turn have these kids come to their schools. That is the issue and not "that my child has been kidnapped by Terry Grier," or that "he goes to school 5-20 schools away." The problem is that these parents have a problem that no School Board, nor all of the Terry Griers in this land could ever resolve.

Truth be told, this isn't that great an issue with the kids, they're pretty resilient, it's the parents who are the problem. G-d help the kids that they will not be infected by this insidious disease, and unlike their parents, will grow to be matured open minded adults.

Jon,

You don't like it when some else answers you arguments directly do you?

Yeah, I am a management guru with 40 years of experience, and I gave you a solid, valid answer to your statement. You were the one that brought up the analogy of companies not listening to employee's input, not me. Live with the response, Jon.

And, I'll give you another one. You keep attributing racial bias to the motivations of others on the lottery. You have no idea what is in these people's minds. All you have is your own opinion, and after reading your response to Jennifer, it sounds like you are the one with racial bias problem. I suppose if that is what you always see, then that's why you see other's concerns as racial bias. Too bad, Jon.

You are losing credibility on this board rather fast, Jon. No one take your arguments seriously anymore.

Note to Jon: Learn the proper use of affect and effect before posting on education-related boards. You should have learned that in 10-grade English class.

Splinter,

Correction, your comment it should have read "..no one takes your argument...," and not "...no one take your.."

I admit I was probably a little smart allecky with Jennifer, I'm big enough to say, yeah shouldn't been said. Probably Jennifer would have gotten a hoot out of my comments. Seems like she has a sense of humor. But, if I offended her with my pithy comment, she knows my heart. Bruce, take me out to the woodshed.

My other comments with respect to the attitudes of some of the HP parents to this issue. I believe I'm dead on target. I believe the issue is racial.

Jon,

I have a sense of humor and a pretty dry one at that.

I can't imagine what Jennifer would find entertaining or amusing in your comments.

So what is your field of expertise? We know you like to stir the pot but do you have any useful skills?

Sorry, about that typo. I have difficulties with blog typing.

I know that Jennifer accepts your apology. She is gracious in that regard.

You are going to cling to your notion that this is all racial biased on part of these parents, but you are dead wrong. You can have your opinion, if you like, but it is not fair to individuals to label them with such egregious words, until you know them and have walked in their shoes. You see their emotion, but you haven't really listened to the facts, nor understand High Point politics that are at the root of this plan. You haven't gone to school board and community meetings on this subject for the past two years and had your concerns and your facts ignored. And, to make everything even worse, the district hasn't delivered on anything that they promised as part of this plan. No world class schools, no achievement gains. All they've done is burn needed capital within the district on this failed plan, but two board members will not let it go.

Get to know people, Jon, before you label them. Remember, if you do not do so, then others are labeling you as well, and you may not like that label. Go to some school board meetings and learn the facts. You'll meet these people there (because they go), and you can then make your judgment whether this all based upon race.

Jon,

pithy

adj : concise and full of meaning

Your comments to Jennifer were neither concise nor full of meaning. Frankly, I would have placed a different label on them. Get a dictionary, Jon

I would like to make a motion.

Lets ignore Jon.

Do I have a second? If so then the motion go's imeadiately into effect.

PS.I think I may have been watching too many Board meetings...

Took a while to get through the blog-flogging of the hapless Jon...

Just wanted to reiterate the importance of the arts to manys tudents and its positive effect for amny academic subjects, even the "hard sciences":

My own experience has been as both a starving and now middling successful artist (painter, singer and actor) and through years long-term substitute teaching in public and private schools, plus many years part-time as a college instructor. What I have seen is proof of great overlap among music and math, movement and physical science, drawing and thinking skills in general.

I have seen many kids of all ages go on to success in arts fields (a recent grad was at Southwest and earned summa cum laude at our college taking a full scheduale of liberal arts and sciences; now to graduate school as a painter) or in areas of business (often as entrepeneurs) and even the sciences (chemistry and biology seemed particularly apt, but architectural engineering also works out well for visual artists especially).

My own school career was equal evidence for this: high SAT, magana cum laude from a very fine university, diverse interests and honors (including math and science). I belonged to band and chorus, acted in plays in and out of school, and made money as a sign-painter's apprentice.

I wish I could say as much for the vaunted effects of athletics. In my experience, while athletes often learn good sociual skills, they can sometimes easily slide into anti-intellectualism and thus dismiss and discount their academic life. This may ironically help them later in life when the good-old-boys' network kicks in full force. Witness the current Chief Executive.

There are, of course, many true scholar-athletes, and this means there must be something substantially enhancing about thsoe programs as well. We can think often with our entire bodies; I insist on it with my drawing students. Dancers, like the young woman already mentioned, attest to this.