News-Record.com

Bruce,

Just a point of clarification. The A1 headline in the News & Record, as you know, said "High Point Plan Abandoned," but the High Point Enterprise reported "Choice Plan May Change."

Since both headlines were reported out of the same meeting, who got it wrong?

Well, I don't know if the HPE got it wrong, but I would suggest they understated the impact of last night's vote.

The board voted to abandon the lottery, which was the heart of the HP plan. Now, High Point students will have neighborhood schools again, which was the whole source of the controversy for the past two years.

So I guess you could say the plan changed, but that's kind of like saying World War II "changed" when the Germans surrendered!

Funny, you should mention Germans, because it seems to me that "neighborhood schools" is a euphemism for schools in North High Point with a far lower composition of certain ethnic groups than those in neighborhoods in Central HIgh Point.

Let's hope the execution of this new redistricting is fair to everyone.

Okay, after reading the HPE story, they didn't get it right. The board didn't vote to study eliminating the lottery - they voted to eliminate the lottery. Big difference!

And now for the maps:

We want neighborhood schools like the rest of the county. We don't want a map drawn for High Point to be drawn any differently than what is being drawn for the rest of the county. Hopefully the board has realized that HP is not the red-headed stepchild of GC. If Dudley can remain 90+% black without bringing in pockets of white kids, then SW should be able to draw from the closest families too.

We are celebrating but we aren't finished fighting for what is right. Sorry Bruce

Hey, that's fine with me. As Barbara Ann always says, it's guaranteed job security for Jennifer and me!

Nancy Routh with a clear head has realized for the board that the cost of the voodo shuffle was hurting the whold district. If we could now get to the heart of all this rot, that is why are we failing our children throughout the county, then we may go forward. Grier has created more schemes and floundered so badly and yet the Board refuses to get involved in the schools. There is no movement to unite the Board behind a common set of principles. 1. Prepare kids for life and improve their chances at college and trade schools. 2. Establish a race nuetral policy that ensures all kids are on level playing field (if a kid brings gun to school it should not matter what skin color or accent he has) 3. Target those schools that need help with intelligent support, do not throw money at it, get involved in it. I still believe that ALL staff in the big office be required to volunteer in schools that need help one day a week. Then administrators will really understand the issues and have a vested interest in the solutions.

We have fallen behind several years playing games trying to make administrators look good instead of fixing things. Time to get back in the saddle and address the real problems. Loosing the choice plan fixes very little. Our children and community deserve better.

I applaud the end of the "lottery". I am so glad that other families will not have to experience the uncertainity of their childrens future like those of us for the past two years.

I too encourage the board to be consistent throughout the county in drawing lines. Children in Greensboro, Pleasant Garden, High Point, Jamestown, Summerfield, etc. all need and deserve the same things......(an excellent education beginning with the basics, a qualified and dedicated staff, a safe learning environment, resources, supportive parents, and a caring community).

I encourage board members who believe that socioeconmic diversity is the best thing for the children in Guilford County to push for it and vote for it COUNTYWIDE. I encourage board members who believe that children should be and can be educated in schools closest to their homes to push for it and vote for it COUNTYWIDE. Please be consistent in your convictions and your votes. We can only become a united school district when the same rules apply to everyone!

Merry Christmas!

Peace on earth; good will toward kids. It's about time that this policy was re-thought. A solution is still needed; more community input MUST be sought before announcing another plan. If that's what comes out of this, I'm glad.

I have never commented on the HP plan and I will not start now. However, you should be concerned about how it was handled. Pulling the plug on the plan was not on the agenda. The agenda should have been amended to include the item. Also, principals from HP Central, Southwest and Andrews were not there. They did not know it was to happen. Also, if there was ever item that needed to go to the community this was it. The BOE goes to the community twice on drawing lines and twice on the calendar. I regret the community did not get to present the case for and against. It was sneaky and unfair to the staff. The staff is a big loser and there was noone at the BOE that seemed to care. They tried to dissociate Dr. Grier from the plan, but the rest of staff that tried very hard to implement plan was left standing at the alter. It was brutal and showed little respect for the people and teachers that support the plan. Does it matter?

It's almost a Christmas Miracle...

I say that because the nicely laminated, ALREADY prepared map that Grier ordered Eric to whip out last night, is a "lottery" in disguise.

This, somehow clairvoyant map that just knew it should be ready..just in case, has some families going to their FIFTH closest High School.

I totally agree with "Kay's" comments above that it's now time to be consistent county wide. If children over in Greensboro are allowed the luxury of going to their closest school, then High Point, of all times, deserves that same luxury.

It's totally understandable that EVERYONE cannot fit in their FIRST closest school, so sometimes the SECOND closest school is necessary. ...

AND....I could even live with being districted to my THIRD closest school if I knew that all attempts were made to create the best lines....

BUT carting off an entire area of a map, to their FIFTH closest school, is irresponsible and has the smell of "hidden agenda" all over it.

So there's no "IT's Finally Outta Here" party for me. I celebrate for the families that truly will get a "neighborhood" school. But Grier's map has been rolled up and ready for weeks now. He knew he needed a plan "B" just in case that bad lottery went away. Once again, a group of kids are being bused a long way, to save an administration from having to actually teach children.

I'll call this map the new SH"IT" map because it only replaces what the lottery was attempting to do.

Please join me in saying NO to a FIFTH closest school!--Especially when there's a High School ONE MILE down the road!!!!!

Joe Stafford!
"sneaky and unfair to the staff"???

The whole plan was concocted behind closed doors and implemented within weeks! This didn't need community input to be pulled. THE PLAN WAS A FAILURE FROM THE BEGINNING. The only people in the community that supported the plan were ADULTS whose property values were directly affected. It never had any educational value for the students.

If it was a great idea, the beloved "staff" would have been drawing maps to implement it countywide.

Principals from the schools did not need to be there. The programs were to be the same. Just the assignment process will be different. Principals aren't consulted before redistricting.

Mr. Stafford

With all due respect, the community has been presenting the case for and against this plan for three years now. I think the board has heard every possible argument on both sides of the issue.

I teach for GCS....

What is wrong with neighborhood schools??? Why do we keep having to mix kids up according to race?? Will my child learn better if sitting next to a child of different color? Of course not, don't be silly. If race doesn't matter (which I agree with) then SHUT UP and stop talking/obsessing about it!!

Do not celebrate yet. Wait until you see the redistricting lines....lots of kids closest to SWHS will be moved to Andrews, and lots of Andrews kids will be moved to SWHS. Sh"IT" by any other name is still SH"it"!

The battle might be won, but the major war is not over.

War strategy #1: solid, quality education in a safe environment; Invest resources where needed most...teachers, small classes, extra help for schools...not "new programs"

War strategy #2: must have consistent lines countywide for schools closest to home, or as close as possible!

War strategy #3: Insure that appropriate leadership is elected to school board to handle #1 and #2.

We must continue to fight until this happens! Don't stop til we have something we can ALL be proud of in our school system. (OK..I'm optimistic)

I guess all you southwestern people can breath again. The blacks have been kept out. Your daughters are safe. Lets cut ths BS Race was what it was all about and racism won.

Actually Dott..I mean Mimarin,

Southwest is getting bus loads of blacks. You must not have been paying attention to Grier's "new" map during the meeting last nite. Or maybe you're just illiterate when it comes to reading maps?

The vote last night was flip at best. It was not on an agenda nor was there any public notice that this would be discussed. Nor was there any thinking about what this has done to all the kids right before a holiday break. Thanks for giving us a bunch of stressed out middle schoolers for the holidays. Also I guess this puts the GCS mappers in to high gear for the holidays as well. Magnet applications are in February and the public doesn't even have any maps to react to. No public hearings are scheduled. Why can't the School Board think about the impacts before they vote. If they are going to make such a quick and unplanned vote the least they could do is make it effective for the 07-08 school year instead of the 06-07 school year, so as to give everyone a chance to plan and digest what is being done. Thanks for nothing!!!!!!!!!!!

Just a point of clarification, mapquest: the map presented last night isn't necessarily the way the attendance lines will look. It was just a proposal - in fact, some of the board members seemed lukewarm about it. The maps presented several months ago are still on the table, too.

RACISM IS NOT THE ISSUE!
The issue is all 3 High Schools in High Point are failing! Children are being shuffled to camo the problem, but in the end even our best school is belwo average. How can we address the real quality of education issues while hiding behind purported programs that are at best experimental and at worst public fraud. What is at issue is the failure on all parts of our school board and superintendent to address the lack of quality in our childrens learning environment. We need to address the problems at the head start / kindergarten to High School levels and PLAN FOR SUCCESS, not cover up failure.

Mimarin,

Is that you, Jon, coming under cover to this discussion? It has to be you because your old, unfounded accusations haven't changed. So, I agree let's cut the racist b.s. Let's deal with the real issues, and let race really not matter. I've found in the past when someone has no valid arguments left to use in a discussion, they always fall back on the "you are a racist and that is my opinion, so you have to defend yourself" attack.

2/10/04 Black Tuesday
12/19/05 White Christmas Monday (no pun intended - ever) a day in history after many battles fought

Just the end to the lottery of the human spirit. The lottery was NEVER right and never will be right for any children or their families.

I agree with whoever said above - magically a new map just appeared last night - give me a break. ESP - I don't think so.

Keep in mind that this PROPOSED map (one of many out there) is just another big SWAP-A-THON. It does not address EDUCATION. Just another big shuffle for the numbers. The problems at Andrews, one of the lowest states in the school (no disrespect meant - just reported facts based on the scores), need to be addressed head-on, strategies developed, TRUE magnet programs developed and promoted that will bring a draw to that school, resources provided. To just swap kids up to SW and pull other down for the sake of the right "numbers" solves NOTHING. It just appeases NCLB laws. It is window dressing at best.

Anita stood firm that her neighborhood map still has not been out there for public comments. Andrews is not our closest school, nor our second, nor our third, nor even our fourth.

If Dudley, Smith, Page, Grimsley, NW etc. have a neighborhood school or at least their second closest, we deserve no less!

It is not our fault it took this county 17 years to start building schools. Put the seats where the growth is. Fix the schools first before any swap-a-thons!

And Bruce, your job is very secure.

Emory Wood,

I think that you said something upon which all can agree. Let's make the redistricting fair and even for all, throughout the county. As someone else said, let's decide whether neighborhood schools is the plan or diversity balancing is the plan, and make it the same for all, not just in High Point, but Greensboro and the county. You can reduce controversy in your decision, as long as you treat everyone fairly and in the same manner. What is good for the Southwest folks is good for Dudley, Northwest, Central, Grimsley, Page, or whoever. It's still one school system, so let's treat it as such, not three different ones.

Bruce,

you're right. Last night's map was probably just the first of many. BUT, it had their agenda written all over it. So any new maps will be twisted and contorted to comply with the agenda of Dot Kearns for High Point. Until every family suffers like her old friends in Georgia, she will not be happy.

I would like to surmise what will happen should a map similar to the one shown last night ever be voted in: White flight.

I do not say this to egg-on dear Mimarin, I'm just saying what I know will happen. For two years a forced "diversity" plan was attempted. Now another diverse plan will be attempted with Eric's pen and ink while Grier and Dot are standing over him. But blatant swapping will not be tolerated. Hopefully by both races.

I have nothing but sadness today. Sad that I cannot celebrate the falling of the "IT" plan. Because it's really not gone. It's like Christmas finally coming and then finding that the Scrooge really did stuff it all in his bag.

What a sad time it is to live in High Point, and that for some reason its citizens are treated as the 2nd class citizens of Guilford County.

Emory Wood,

By the way, if neighborhood schools in NHP is an euphemism, what is the more offensive term that you would use? I don't really understand how Germans has anything to do with this. Are you trying and failing to make an analogy here? If so, it is getting lost in your words. C'mon, spit it out. What do you really thing?

You know that the dictionary defines "neighborhood" as a district or area with distinctive characteristics, whatever they may be. NHP neighborhoods have their distinct characteristics, as do OHP neighborhoods. And, in the end, neighborhoods are not inherently good or bad, it's what the people that live in them make them to be.

Thank you Nancy Routh! You are our Christmas Angel !

Mr. Stafford, I agree with Give Me a Break. It sounded like you were giving a blow-by-blow description of when the CP was PASSED!!!!

Thank you to the board members for eliminating the lottery. It was a poor and shallow way to treat children.

There will be arguments in the future some for and some against the new maps but it appears the board is making an effort to keep larger segments of neighborhoods together. That was not the case in prior presentations.

As a community we need to work towards an end to this mess, last night was a good beginning.

Alan and Amos made it clear it will take money and effort. I hope Amos is not disappointed and Alan’s comments were heard loud and clear.

Great job guys, I now have 77 e-mails to read. Back on the blog in a little bit.

All High Point and Jamestown parents need to make it known loud and clear that any diversity redistricting to be done that spares the old guard highschools in Greensboro but imposes such on High Point or Jamestown people cannot and will not be tolerated. Until these same people have a schoolboard representative that truly represents their geographic region, there can be no fair discussions of radical re-districting like that shown on Grier's maps last pm, that he just happened to have availbale.

Agreed John, this map Grier magically had available sounds an awful lot like the bag that the boys from Delta House carried around in the courtroom scene of Animal House.

When the 12-Star General checks back in I would like to suggest giving a couple of combat medals to Ms. Garrett and Dr. Routh. I probably will not get to see the tape until Saturday or maybe even Sunday, since I think I am getting a copy that says DO NOT OPEN 'TIL CHRISTMAS.

Over 80 e-mails cannot be wrong.

Now that the lottery is gone, hopefully we can refocus our efforts on what really matters, making all schools better. Imagine what we could have accomplished over the past three years if we had not ben hunkered down trying to defend our children from this plan.

There was a really good program on PBS in October called "Making Schools Work" with Hedrick Smith. It profiled new programs that showed real results in low income schools around the country.

The program demonstrated what we all know, that ALL kids are capable of learning and thriving in the right environment. The program focused on proper teacher training and putting resources to good use. There was no bussing and no blame game mentioned anywhere in the program. Here is a link to the web-site.

http://www.pbs.org/makingschoolswork/atp/purchase.html

Maybe Santa will leave each Board member a copy under the tree.

ScottB,

We've known for the last two years what it takes to solve the school crisis, but as was noted, the district has been expending effort and funds on a failed approach hoping it would work, thanks to the High Point politicians. And, there are those that said it just didn't have enough time. Well, as someone said, a dog is a dog, and how long do you need to recognize that?

Someone remind me how much was spent on making the 3 HP HS's into 'world class' programs. Does 7 million sound correct? It would seem that we are already spending money (probably not wisely)-- It is obvious that education was not positively impacted with that 7 million and I certainly hope that the next few millions, that will surely be spent will be spent and used wisely!

Hallelujah, Debora. I wish that our school board members would stand up and admit that we have wasted that $7 million trying to make a dog something that it is, and another 3 or 4 years would never change that. How many teachers like the one profiled by Jeniffer this week could have made a difference in the learning process of the children in these three schools with $7 million? We'll never know. But, I'd put my money on teachers like that in a minute rather than some goofy plan like was forced on us.

Debora,

I believe the $7 million you're referring to was actually what would have been spent if they had won the federal magnet grant.

They didn't add all of the teachers and extras that were outlined in the grant so I'm sure they didn't spend that amount.

I would guess the biggest costs would have been the money spent on labs/technology at Andrews and the performing arts classes at Southwest. That was about $2 million.

Next would probably be transportation costs. I know there's disagreement over how much those costs actually have been. Opponents to the plan said the costs would be in the millions. School officials have said the first year cost about $100,000. I don't know what has been spent this year, but I'm sure it was higher because of the gas prices.

Jennifer,

OK, how many teachers could we have hired like Tijuana Hayes over the past two years for the $2 million wasted on this plan? And, if we had done so, would the students' educational achievements been better or worse for having done so?

Jennifer, thank you for the brier summary of the lowlights of this plan. Allow me to expand:

The $7 million Federal Grant was not won because of the inablility of the current School Administration to read and follow the instructions of the application. An incredible chain of "lie & deny" events followed.

Never say that this group of people did not spend the entire amount of money. THEY DID. Always follow the money trail.

I would have to say the highest cost was the human cost as Dot Kearns' socialist agenda ripped through the lives of 1,000's of people in north High Point and Jamestown. Her plan is over and hopefully her political career as well. If she had 1 ounce of compassion for the students and teachers of Guilford County she would resign now and take Susan Mendenhall with her.

Cost of busing? Again follow the money trail. The School Administration has the facts and figures, it just lacks the integrity to share the information with the taxpayers.

Emorywood and others who are now appearing on this blog and questioning the opponents to the former choice plan.

Alan Duncan said quote "the only legitimate criticism of this plan has been the lottery".

He in saying that is CLEARLY admitting that the whole premise of the plan is wrong.

I rest my case. Now lets all focus as a community in putting pressure on Terry Grier to once and for all solve the real problems at Andrews and Central. No more BS and inventing new programs.
Accountability please!

If not get TG oudahere!

Splinter,

Not to "splint" hairs with you, but the $2 million couldn't have been spent on teachers. The money came from a fund that can only be used for capital outlay items, such as construction, renovation, technology, etc.

However, I understand the point you're trying to make.

Jennifer,

Point well-made. My bad.

On the other hand, could we have used it to help build some of the proposed projects from the 2003 bond referendum that got dumped because of the expensive new green school at Northern? Seems that we still aren't making good business decisions on the board about spending funds, especially if they are as precious as they would have us believe. As was suggested on the vote to approve the Northern High project, future bond referendums will be difficult to get approved without public confidence in the board's financial ability to invest them properly.

Splinter,

You've got the hang of it now! The $2 million definitely could have been used for any of the 2003 bond projects or any other renovation work that crops up.

I do think the board still would have spent at least part of the money at Andrews. I believe there had been some concern that the school's technology was not up to snuff and this was a chance to improve it for the kids there.

This changes nothing.

If the programs are still there and they are real it is not wasted money.

This is not a negative of the abandoned lottery.

Lets remember the facts.