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I think if certain types of schools or programs are actually WORKING, then we could use more of them. Many of our school are way too big. But what would the cost be to create more smaller facilities? Above all EVERY child should have the true FIRST CHOICE of a neighborhood, traditional school. A magnet or specialty school, should be their optional choice not a forced choice. (An exception to this would be SCALES or the Community Service Program where a student made the CHOICE to not follow the rules and gave up his traditional school by his actions.)

When the principal of A & T Middle College spoke a few weeks ago, he did an excellent job. He spoke with poise and confidence and seemed like an ideal role model for an all boys school. He had some great ideas and what I admired most in hearing him speak is it sounded like he is the "end of the line" for some of these wayward students. If this model is working for a single sex school, than perhaps we should have more of them.

The other advantage to having more middle colleges like this, is it is less county school space the taxpayers have to pay for.

School systems in other states (I think I read where it was in Florida) are purchasing abandoned K-marts, etc. and turning them into schools. This would certainly save thousands of dollars. The shell is there, the site work and utilities. Parking spaces would also be in place. It certainly beats hundreds of trailer cities that could be blow away with the next tornado.

It is great to have a goal of increasing the graduation rate. However, I feel there needs to be emphasis that a diploma actually means something - that a graduate can read WELL, knows basic grammar, can write and do basic math; that a high school graduate could go on to college without having to take prep courses at GTCC or be able to go directly into a trade. There should not be "social" passing. There needs to be alternatives.

I thought the stat expert also said we need to start emphasizing education for the advanced learners. While all these other schools are great to "save" kids and have them graduate, efforts and programs need to be increased for our advanced learners. These programs should not be taken away. These are our future doctors, scientists and Nobel prize winners. They also deserve to have an education that meets their full potential.

We do not need longer school years for middle and high school. Children need a break. This might be necessary for some specialty schools only.

Barbara Ann,

I'm sorry but I don't think I was clear on the middle/high school topic. (It's been a long day and I think I'm a little food-deprived right now!)

Anyway, the proposal would be to pilot the "extended-year" at one middle and one high school. Brooks and Johnson Street global schools have the extended-year component. I think they go an additional maybe 20 days per year?
I haven't heard complaints at either school about the length of the year.

But at Hampton Elementary which had both extended year and extended day, parents complained kids got too burned out. The extra days and hours were dropped last year.

I don't know if the ultimate goal would be to use extended year at all middle and high schools - or only those that are struggling to meet academic goals - or some combination. I figure we'll get more details when they talk about this again.

Sorry again about the unclear post induced by my food-deprivation. I'm going to get something to eat now. I'm thinking that what sounded like thunder rolling across the newsroom a few minutes ago was actually my stomach growling.

Here are the percentage passing rates of the total number of ABC tests taken in each of the schools below for 03-04 compared to 04-05.
Southwest down 4%
Andrews down 8%
Central down 3%
Here are three other neighborhood schools with very similar demographics.
Southeast (similar to SW) up 2.5%
Dudley (similar to Andrews) up 8%
Smith (similar to Central) up 2.5%
The biggest success story is Dudley, which in the past four years has increased it passing rates by 22%.
This is not fancy rhetoric it is just simple fact taken from public data.

DONT GIVE US BS programs. Give us programs that actually work.

What is Grier doing aout the real problems? This is another diversion.

As was mentioned above, why does this school board keep charging off with more new programs, when terry Grier hasn't made the myriad of ones he's created over the past several years work? What happened to the world class magnet schools in High Point? Two years ago, we were promised three outstanding schools after spending considerable funds there. Now, no one on the board or administration even has the courage to mention them. And, when we have large numbers of students trying to succeed in traditional school settings, why are we so concerned about those that can't or won't function in that setting? Creating more new experiments only saps funds awayand ensures that no one wil be successful. The only thing that it does do is enhance the legend of Terry Grier, Educational Innovator and Pioneer.

Thanks Jen. Get yourself some gingerbread and eggnog. Better yet, you and Bruce should go to the Chophouse and put it on your expense account for all that overtime you put in.

Four little votes standing all alone
Kris changed her mind and said
Kids need close to home

Nancy loves her numbers
And this is plain to see
She has always said
There should be
NO LOTTERY

Then came Anita’s map
It’s common “cents” you see
Kids shouldn’t be on a bus all day
This should never be

Walter a newcomer
Wants to see her map
Did the Choice Plan help you
Or did you just get a bum rap

Amos on Ted Koppel
Says he loves those neighborhood schools
Did he change his mind
Or will this still be the rule

Alan still the leader
Which way will he sway
Lot of time to think
Could he change his vote today?

Six little votes
This is the gist
Waiting patiently
Santa’s checking his list

Will you be naughty
Or will you be nice
Our kids screwed once before
Please don’t let it be TWICE

Brooks Global is very successful and many parents that I have heard from like the extended time so they don't have to pay for daycare while they work.

Same-sex schools have had some success,but that and uniforms will not make a success of these schools unless academics are addressed.

Hampton changed due to funds running out from federal money and complaints of parents.

Its a no-brainer if only 5 kids sign up for something it is not worth time/money...Business college at Central.

I strongly disagree with taking any $300 million to do something with unless the three schools Ragsdale, Jamestown etc are taken care of first. That is what we voted for. It's bad enough to take them off due to construction cost but to replace them with 'new' ideas is WRONG!

I also don't think you need a longer day at middle school. My son leaves for school at 8-home at 4:30. Rides the bus to his local school. That is a long day; add 1 hour or so of homework and many adults don't work that long. Teach smarter, not longer.

Deb,

Ref: Your last two paragraphs - I agree COMPLETELY.

If voters vote for specific funds in the bond refs, THIS IS WHAT THEY SHOULD BE USED FOR.

Cost overruns are understandable if the economic times change, BUT the remaining funds should not do a 180 degrees turn. Finding ways to meet the ORIGINAL target goals should be the priority - not starting more new programs with those promised funds. (I was extremely disappointed when I read this in the newspaper this morning.)

It is the taxpayers'/parents' money and promises made to them.

Darlene has made similar statements with regard to the bond monies. If bond funds keep shifting, we will never see another bond ref pass in this county. I guess we will just keep building Trailer Towns.

Where was this "meeting" and who was in attendance?

The talk of using "LEFT OVER BOND MONEY" is the biggest piece of CRAP!!!!! There IS NO LEFT OVER BOND MONEY!!!!!! When the new Jamestown School projects are COMPLETE then and ONLY THEN could there possibly be "LEFT OVER" money!

Does Grier think this community has "REALLY STUPID" written across their foreheads?????

Let me make this CRYSTAL CLEAR for when the Board sits down to discuss these new, thought-of-in-the-middle-of-the-night ideas:

1. Take the World-Class High Point High Schools "PLAN" and FLUSH IT down the toilet.

2. Build the PROMISED SCHOOLS in Jamestown.

THEN

3. SHOW ME THE MONEY!!!

THEN LET'S SEE IF THERE'S LEFT OVER MONEY FOR YOUR "NEW" PROGRAMS.

Terry is going to continue his strategy of baffling people with BS instead of doing the basics. He laments in the HPE today that the people are not taking advantage of the "special programs" and curricula available at the different schools and even assailed the administrators at these schools for not "marketing" the programs enough. He just doesn't get that the students and administators are onto him. They KNOW it's all B.S. Does he think the pricipals at these schools have enough time to spend it marketing B.S? They know you can't take a school where over half the kids don't make EOG, where their are not enough quaility teachers to even teach the basics and rename the school the "Adavanced Center for XYZ Research" and have it mean anything except a big load of bullcrap. It's like renaming the 7/11 on the corner- "The Advanced Center for Community Delivery of Junk Carbohydrate, Fat, Ethyl Alcohol and Tobacco" and claiming it is a great advancement of some kind. IT'S ALL BS.

They know TG is a politician, not an educator. Read the letter from the teacher in this week's Rhino. Teacher morale is at an all time low, TEACHERS ARE LEAVING. THE POLITICS OF POLITICAL CORRECTNESS, APPEASEMENT TO SPECIAL POLITICAL INTERESTS, SOFT PEDALING LACK OF DICIPLINE, AND GRIER SPECIALTY-SCAM EDUCATIONAL GADGETS ARE DESTROYING US. NOTICE TO TERRY--EVERYBODY KNOWS!!!! repeat EVERYBODY KNOWS!!!!!

We need a leader who believes in the basics, who will inspire loyalty, engender respect, and motivate students and teachers, not somebody to baffle them with BS,

Show me the money,

The answer to your question is "Yes". He does see REALLY STUPID written across the forehead of the people of this community. And, why shouldn't he? He's been perpetrating these scams for about five years, and no one has said "ENOUGH". He keeps doing it and getting paid more each year to do it. What a gravy train. The people of this county will figure it all out in about 2020, a few years after he has retired, laughing all the way, to his house on Circle 8 Island.

After all, this is the same county that knows that Skip Alston is scamming them, but he continues to work his scams, make more money, and laugh at the people's stupidity.

The system is way below what it ought to be. We must make changes. If we do not, we will not improve. I appreciate new ideas. You will notice that they come from the staff not the School Board. The School Board should encourage staff to search for new ideas. Most of the time the Board discourages new ideas. We have to do something.

I thought I would post the article from todays HPE for everyone.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Guilford County Schools Superintendent Terry Grier talked frankly with school board members Thursday about the future of some of the district’s magnet/option programs, pointing out the lack of participation in some specialty programs in High Point.
  “If the leadership (at those schools) does not endorse these programs, they will not survive,” Grier said during an administrative session.
  Several high schools in the district offer specific academic programs, or “academies,” within schools that are filled through application only. The academies offer specialized courses in subjects such as advanced technology and agricultural science.
  Among High Point schools, T. Wingate Andrews offers specialty programs in advanced research, technology and health science; students at High Point Central can choose to take programs in business, international baccalaureate (college-level classes) and international studies and language.
  Distinct programs at Southwest High focus on education and performing/visual arts.
  Grier expressed concern that students, particularly in the business program at Central and Southwest’s early college of education, do not take full advantage of the curriculum. Grier attributed the lack of interest to weak marketing efforts and poor support from administrators.
  He asked board members to think about the vitality of the option programs in High Point as they look to the future of the High Point Choice Plan. The controversial plan uses a lottery system to assign students to their school of choice.

###

I would really like to hear from current or former teachers of the schools that Grier is talking about modifying to single sex schools with uniforms.

What do the teachers think is needed in these schools?
What accounts for the high turnover rate at these schools?
What do the parents think is needed?
What do the students think is needed?
Can you start a thread to pull in the opinions of the people that work in these schools?
Something obviously needs to be done, but I don't like seeing our poorer schools and students being used as Grier's guinea pigs.

Where is the evidence that either of these ideas works? Show us examples.

Frank B.

We could start a separate strand for teachers, but we honestly only have maybe 2 or 3 teachers who post at the blog. As far as I know, they don't work at either of these schools.

Bruce and I are working on a follow up story, trying to get more input from parents and track down some research on single-gender education.

If you all know anyone with ties to Washington or Hampton, feel free to send'em our way - jfernandez@news-record.com or 373-7064 or bbuchanan@news-record.com or 373-7078.

I would encourage all who are commenting on specific "plans" to take a step back and ask yourself the question, "Will this help most of the students in the county improve their BASIC skill level?" If we're failing at the basics, how/why are we pursuing these types of programs? Shouldn't we fix the problems at the source?

I have asked at two public forums (BOE meeting and Roy Culler Senior Center)and will ask the same question again here. What is our specific written plan as it relates to "specialty"/magnet schools/programs? What are our quantifiable objectives? How are they tracked? What is our budget for said programs?

A business that does not have clearly defined goals/objectives, budget, and a way to measure success/failure would NEVER venture forward without a plan. Yet Grier and the BOE use our taxpayer supplied $500 million without a plan for success or a way to measure accomplishment! They appear to believe there is also a never-ending source of funds.

Let's help put an end to this lunacy. Contact the county commissioners and BOE members and let them know how you feel about this "plan du jour" style of management.

Anybody see the quote from Terry Grier in the Rhino pg 11, in the article on "crime in schools.'

Terry says; "the community in which a student lives plays a role in whether a student brings a weapon or drugs to school."

Now we all saw when Bruce published the crime statistics for all the guilford co. schools last week and the schools that led the list are the very same schools that our board, under Grier's aegis and approval, decided to hold a raffle and send the "winners" to. He knowingly raffled 14 yr. old kids from somewhere else off into the teeth of something like this and he expects parents to get on board with this? After the above statement, is he going to plead ignorance of what he was doing. He knew exactly what he was doing and he didn't care. This is their policy? This is NUTS!!!!.

RE: Tim Mann's comment. It is not a "business". It is the government. Need I say more. We are surely paying the price in wasted tax dollars and our children's education.

RE: Frank B's comment. "Grier using the poorer schools as guinea pigs". He has used the "rich" schools as guinea pigs (SW) and the poorer before (Andrews). There is nothing new here. Where was the evidence that the "Choice Plan" would work? There was none. The research proved opposite. It was done anyway.

RE: C Boy's comment. Of course they knew. I guess it will take for someone to get shot in any of the schools before the public will realize what is happening every day in our schools.

Frank B,

Actually there have been studies to show that single sex school do work in some cases. Uniforms can help too.

As to finding what the parents want. Are they involved in the schools now? Maybe many are single parents who have to work. As for what the students want, these are elementary schools. I doubt they know what they need.

It is hard to as the teachers if they keep having turnover. I would think that structure is needed before the academic can be addressed. Maybe a same sex school and uniforms can help provide some necessary structure.

A lot of these children may start out developmentally delayed. Some don't have the advantage of having attended preschool.

If you keep doing the same things over and over and it is not working, then it seems like you do need some kind of a new plan.

It is hard to ask teachers if they keep leaving. A good place to start would be with an anonymous survey. Identify the needs and address the concerns honestly.

Sing to tune of Elvis' "Blue Christmas"

I'll have a blue Christmas, without Dougie.
When my wife won't let me go on his bloggie
Decorations of red on a green Christmas tree
won't be the same Doug, without you here with me...

And when those blue snowflakes start fallin'
and when those Southwest kids down to Central, go callin'
They'll be doin' allright, with their Christmas presents of white
But we'll have a blue, blue Christmas

I'll have a blue Christmas without Dottie,
without Susie drinking her toddie.
They'll be doing allright, in their Emerywood of white, but we'll have a blue, blue Christmas

They'll have a green Christmas in Asia
serenaded by Fantasia
While we'll all go to bed
in the Land of the Dead
and we'll all have a blue, blue Christmas.

Candy Boy,

Your songs are priceless! And to hear them in person is a true holiday gift!!!!!!

Thanks!

Check out this item for sale on Ebay..

Item No. 6235272427

Who is this Joe guy? I have heard rumours that he comes in many forms. Mostly good but the odd one that is not so good. The bad Joe drives a grey van.

Hi, I'm Joe! Not "the" Joe. A Joe!

whoisit?Joe?

is that the one with the maple leaf and dollar signs on his van?

I could use some lottery healing....I'll be bidding Joe!

The bidding is up to $19.50.

I thought it would be interesting to post the description of "the" ebay magnet on the Blog.

The Guilford County Education System in North Carolina lotteries the placement of its High School children in High Point. But in reality the only children who are sent to another school are those from Southwest middle of North High Point. This auction is for a Grier-End car magnet. Protesters of this lottery use this magnet on their cars.

The proceeds of this auction will go to this years rising ninth graders from Southwest middle who almost certainly will be sent miles away from their homes to a school faraway. Specifically it is hoped that the monies be used for "lottery Healing".

Seems like a good cause..

Lottery Healing. Now that is a great cause. Those young'ins need a lot of healing.