News-Record.com

This is so typical of what we figured the N & R editorial staff would say. No surprises here. That's the advantage of being editors/owners of a newspaper, you can always put your slant on things.

I think it's unfortunate that the editorial left out the part about the failures of the forces of re-segration in North High Point. That despite their ridiculous threats in the past, they were unable to unseat even their district representative. Even so, they're now threatening to withhold support for future bonds. High Point didn't take that blackmail seriously when it was raised in regards to city bonds. Now, the school board is proceeding exactly as wishes knowing that no matter how much heck these groups raised in '99, last year and this year, there's not enough group cohesion to elect a dog catcher, let alone unseat an actual school board member.
So, paper your cul de sacs with bumper stickers because the school board is giving your protestations exactly as much attention as they deserve--based on recent voting patterns.

"That despite their ridiculous threats in the past, they were unable to unseat even their district"

If you are talking, "Emery Would" about the North High Point district, then you have your facts wrong. You're right in that the District Rep. was not unseated because that seat was not up for re-election. The District 2 School Board seat, held by Susan Mendenhall is up for grabs this year.

I believe that you're thinking about Mrs. Kearns. She is an AT-Large rep. Why is it that people think she's the rep. for High Point?

Also Emery, we're being nice over here. So Lock down your NICE key please. You remind me of another poster? Is it...now who was that?...Oh yeah, "TROLL".

Sorry there Emery, but you are the one is not taken seriously. Unless I missed something it is this year that the NHP district representative would have been up for unseating and she already announced that she is jumping ship. I equate her actions to jumping off the train before it jumps the tracks.

Come to think of it I don't have a School Board Representative anyway since our daughter is at one of the private schools that are located right under your nose.

I choose to stay in involved in order to support my many friends and neighbors. Plus as a taxpayer I want to know severely the School Board is mis-managing funds trying to meet the misguided wants and desires of the socialist pockets of High Point.

Emory Would,

The District 2 seat was not up for graps last year. It will be this year though (YEAH!)

Two other board seats were also replaced last year. So it is changing one at a time. Other seats can get replaced too. People easily learn from mistakes made in past elections. They have had lots of time for new strategies.

fyi, the REAL SCOOP is the City Leaders of High Point approached a certain, verylarge, well known group of parents at the time to back off the city bond issue. In return, they would offer their support in other ways. That's why it's called "POLITICS".

Now everyone be nice.

Cohesive parents can regroup in time of need. They are just saving their energy for the big election. Isn't the electronic age and the power of email great.

You cannot attack what you cannot see or find.

You cannot fight what you do not understand.

Barabara Ann

I'll have you know the editorial staff at the N&O and HPE are not leftist. In fact Doug Clark is a registered Republican as is Tom Blount and Doug worked for a Republican Congressman. You continue to attack anyone, company or organization who doesn't see it your way. slinging accusations and unfounded negative assaults.

I'll stop with the personal stuff out of decency and stick to the issues. But I still think the real issue here is race. So if you can call people leftist why can't I call you racist? After all I believe the issue is race and nothing else. Do you think because Dr. Grier, Susan, Dot, Marti & Alan are somehow fair game because they are elected officials. They are very decent people who are trying only to do what they think is best for all children. They have families and children and your assaults on them are disrespectful and unhonorable.

Anyway the N&R editorial articulated my feelings about this issue much better than I could so thank you N&O. Right On!

Troll

Sorry Barbara ANN My post was directed at Emory wood. Your name was at the top of the post but your post was the one above. It was Emory wood who used leftist comments. My apologies. Troll.

I drove through Trolldom today and saw many people outside but it was not a diverse neighborhood at all (except for the one house decorated for the Chinese New Year). I just can't understand the reason certain people keep screaming about diversity but choose not to live it themselves. Neither Troll, Alan, Susan nor Dot live in diverse neighborhoods. I guess they all think diversity should start and stop at the school door. Very convenient.

{Help me, please. There is a troll that is confusing the crap out of me!!}

I know that few people here will actually do it (or at least few will admit to doing it), but I invite you over to read what I wrote today about redistricting and segregation.

www.hoggsblog.com - Comments are open and all are welcome to say their piece without moderation.

Troll,

What are you talking about? What leftist comments were made by Emory Would? Emory did say "editorial left out", but I don't think that meant to say that the editorial was leftist. ???????

TROLL

ARE YOU HALLUCINATING AGAIN?

She MUST be hallucinating saying I have personally attacked people that you mentioned. It is laughable. Troll, you really need to move on. You are really out of touch.

And I'm not being flip, I am serious.

I'm not in the habit of making personal attacks on anyone. You must be looking in the mirror. PLEASE get some help. People won't be responding to your ridiculous posts.

The News & Record has your IP address. This needs to stop.

What is disturbing about wanting to live, socialize and go to school with friends and neighbors?

Has the Greensboro News and Record ‘s editorial board spoken with Guilford County citizens that live in diverse or not so diverse neighborhoods to determine how the county’s citizens view their lives?

The short-lived reassignment plan is High Point never lived up to the hype or the world-class magnets that were promised. My children (higher and lower classmen) never even noticed a difference in their school with the exception of the elective classes being offered or not.

The News and Record questions whether or not the High Point plan was given a chance I question whether or not the programs were ever properly put in place. The High Point Plan was conceived and hatched in a matter of months. Was that sufficient time? Is the school board once again rushing to draw new school district lines?

I’m tired of Guilford County students being referred to as disposable commodities.

What exactly is the News and Record trying to say?

Why are you trying to make others feel they are of a lower class? I realize that is not the term you used but when I read you editorials, I’m left with that impression.

Why not work with the students and parents where they live and inspire them to help others! I think you would be surprised at the diversity that already exists in the county.

My heart goes out to the students that are continuously referred to in school reassignment. Has anyone talked to the parents or the students that are talked about?

Would you be as interested in redistricting High Point if the city was 95% white and 65% socioeconomic imbalanced?

The first thing that needs to happen is a demand for good behavior and respect for others. Stop giving students an opt-out and start making them accountable! If students know, what is expected at school they will get with the program or they will get out.

Adults in the workplace are not reassigned and moved because others are not performing they are reassigned or moved because they are not performing.

Diversity is/can be a wonderful thing, but without respect for others, it’s never going to happen.

We must teach the basics and that starts with respect and manners for others.

If you don’t have someone’s respect, you don’t have his or her attention!

Think what could happen if the teachers in this county felt respect from the school board, community and yes the students! Instead of teachers spending classroom time disciplining, they could spend classroom time teaching and living out their dreams of helping others learn and grow.

I am hallucinating. No not really the leftist comments were from another Thread. Troll

What the Troll doesn't appreciate is how she represents what happens to otherwise good people when they are re-districted against their will. Because we see the real cost to people (being turned into belligerent maniacs clamoring, exhorting and demanding that what happened to them now happen to other people). She doesn't understand that once you resort to "socio-economic" kid grabbing it never ends, it goes on and on in a never-ending shell game. If people could go back and undo what happened seven yrs. ago they would. All we can do is try to prevent it from happening again. Seeing what happened to others is what gets us out of bed in the morning.

Barabara Ann,

I don't remember you getting upset when "C Boy" said "I'ld like to strangle the lady" referring to Dot Kearns on November 15, 2005. I didn't see any posts condemning "Remington Squeal" for comments about Doug "running with a shotgun up his ass." Those are statements of violence but that was ok by you as long as they are on your team. You fell into my trap. You only condemn those who are for diversity. There are no standards of decency for your segregationists. Anything you say is ok but anything the opposition says is inappropriate.

The News and Record is being very irresponsible for letting people post without revealing their identity. It invites all kinds of nastiness and untruthfulness.

Bruce please change your policy to require a name and address for each poster going forward and you will stop the nonsense and get debate about the real issues and not inflamatory comments.

Kirk LeJeune and Buck MTN,

My apologies if it wasn't you that posted the comments about the shotgun.

I suspected that you were Remington Squeal. Might just be a case of mistaken identity.

Troll says: "Bruce please change your policy to require a name and address for each poster going forward and you will stop the nonsense and get debate about the real issues and not inflamatory comments."

Let there be accountablity on this blog, and let it begin with Troll.

Do what you wish for others, come on out into the sunshine.

Troll, since you have quite a memory, can you elaborate on the context of the "strangle" comment? I can't recall it specifically. I don't think it was made in a direct threat context.

ps thanks for the laugh about posting under real names and then signing "Troll" . (Unless that is a real name then dis-reguard this comment.)

It's not my policy, Troll. I have neither the authority nor the technological know-how to require folks to give their real name and e-mail address.

Allowing people to use anonymous names may not be a good idea, but Tim, David and Barbara Ann have been singled out for attacks simply because they have the guts to use their real names here.

Any changes in this policy will have to come from above me.

Whew! Medication is a wonderful thing! We should all take it as directed.

(checking Nice-Lock button...yep, it's still on)

Sorry Barbara ANN My post was directed at Emory wood. Your name was at the top of the post but your post was the one above. It was Emory wood who used leftist comments. My apologies. Troll.

Posted by: troll at January 23, 2006 09:03 PM

I am hallucinating. No not really the leftist comments were from another Thread. Troll

Posted by: troll at January 24, 2006 08:23 AM

Troll, you can't seem to keep your thoughts together. So, which post is the right one?

To Troll, et al

I have not personally attacked anyone.

You need to specify if you mean "you" plural or
"you all" and what would that matter. You ASSUME everyone knows every anonymous poster like there is some "conspiracy" - scary. Give me a break.

If anyone knows anything about computers and blogging, the experts recommend not using a real name and address because of the nuts out there that will send people SPAM and viruses. As Quest has stated somewhere in a strand, she had received viruses before for using her real e-mail address.

What is important is to hear the MESSAGE of what various people say. A name doesn't matter. If someone wants to use their real name then fine, if not, I could care less. It is BLOGGING for goodness sake - a bunch of people with "opinions" - it is not CBS, ABC or NBC, etc.

There are people (and Hoggard even mentioned this before) that are employees of the schools sytem or have lucrative contracts with the school system, they are not going to risk their livelihood because they choose to voice their "opinion" in opposition to the establishment just to make you and David happy.

It seems that David is just dying to know everyone's name. WHY????

And in conclusion I usually don't respond to irrational posts.

If you study politics, satire and adverse comments are used continually in the newspapers, i.e. Washington Post and the New York Times against both Bush and Clinton (in the past).

Making personal attacks on private citizens and having fixations on certain invididuals is a totally different issue. And it's downright strange.

Actually, I think David's point was, "Would people make these types of personal attacks if they had to do it under their real name?" That's a good question.

Exactly my point, Bruce.

And BA, regarding "the nuts out there that will send people SPAM and viruses." I post under my real name, my real email address and list my real website, and have been for many years. None of what you fear has ever happened because of it. What "Quest" may have reported is an anomoly at best, and a feeble excuse at worst.

I believe that, *for the most part*, people post anonymously because they don't have to be held accountable for whatever they might have to say. Therefore, I don't place much stock in the opinions of anonymous posters unless I know who they really are in the offline.

You, however, I greatly respect.

I have a question about the elementary schools in High Point. I remember a few years ago that Shadybrook was struggling to meet test scores and may have to offer the kids the option of attending another school. My children attend Southwest and it is at capacity and I would hate to see them have to bring in trailers. Does anybody know the status?

Why should the News & Record blog be different from the rest of Guilford County's blogs? How many other blog sites in this area require their poster's identities be disclosed to the public? It’s easy to setup a legitimate email account under a false name. So what are you really accomplishing? The feeding of someone else’s curiosity of a poster’s identity is not a legitimate reason!

Ignore troll or whoever else bashes on this site. To do otherwise will lead to the demise of this blog!

If you want your name out in the public then use your real name.

Troll used names of "real people" that have never posted on this blog!

Currently, Southwest Elementary is well over capacity, I believe. The school's class sizes are bigger than the GCS average, significantly at the 4th and 5th grade level.

However, Shadybrook is hardly struggling academically. Quite the opposite, in fact.

About 93 percent of Shadybrook students passed state tests last year, making it one of the highest-performing schools in the county. It also met federal AYP test score targets.

Just want everyone to know that the Chairman of the School Board came and did an assembly on redistricting for the 5th graders at Florence Elem today. Most of them had no idea this was getting ready to happen to them. Very few parents were in attendance because no note was sent home.

So much for "communication" and community participation - one of the goals to be discussed at the upcoming Retreat.

Hmmm...

Alan Duncan shows up at Florence Elementary, without any announcement to parents, to tell the kids they're changing schools. I guess it's a done deal. What else am I to think?

Why do we bother? We just get called names and told we deserve to be bussed because we're affluent. Last I checked, my husband and I both went to graduate school, got PhD's, put off starting a family until we were in our 30's, and yeah, I almost forgot, we both work to provide for our family. We're not from old money, we work.

I'm really tired of the way the elected officials in this two-bit town treat people. You want companies to relocate here? You want educated people to move here so you can collect taxes? Are you crazy?

I'm tired of fighting for my kids to attend a school close to where I live and work.

Troll says: "Stop the nonsense post real names...talk issues and not inflamatory comments....not using real name invites all kind of nastiness and untruthfulness..."

If that ain't the pot calling the kettle black (no pun intended)

Troll: I suppose a REAL name (like Pope)

Calling someone a KKK leader, making derogatory comments someone's appearance because you don't agree with them: I guess that is not inflammatory. Oh it's not nasty either. It is UNTRUE.

Comments by others about board members: When you mess with people's children they get angry. Anger comes out in many ways. When people shove their personal political agendas down people's throats, they finally choke and regurgitate. That's a natural reaction.

Study history on taxation without representation. It didn't go over so big in the colonies. It is not going over so great now.

I suspect you will see a lot of negative campaigning in the next election. That is TRULY a shame. Money buys ads and politics is not always "nice" but it can be truthful.

This infuriates me!! If a controversial subject is being discussed with my child I want to know about it!!! And if it's being told to them by the likes of Alan Duncan I want to be able to tell them the other side of the story -- the truth!

Maybe Alan should use his free time explaining redistricting to the parents. I know I've sent him several e-mails with questions and he NEVER responds.

PO'd, Barbara and Transplant,

Before everyone gets all riled up, make sure you know that something improper actually happened.

I sincerely doubt that Alan Duncan went to Florence to do anything untoward or against your wishes. He and other Board members are slammed here for not visiting schools enough, but when one them makes the effort - he gets slammed for that too.

Sheeese

Check with Florence's principal. I'll bet you will find that the chairman was invited. If that's the case, get mad at the principal, if you feel that is a constructive course of action.

If Alan Duncan truly showed up at Florence Elementary for a Redistricting Brainwashing assembly for 5th Graders,,,,,he has reached a new low on the Scumbag Scale.

I think it is a form of Child Molestation for a Government Official to try force their Political Agenda on Innocent School Children...

What Play Ground will you be hiding at next ,,,Alan???????

Did you go to the other schools that might be effected by redistricting,,,, or do you feel that some will just get on the BUS without a fight?????????

This time,,,you have gone to far.....

I Hope this Meeting never took place and all is a misunderstanding,,,,but just Remember Folks,,,,When an Animal is backed into a Corner trying to protect their young,,,,,

David my child was there. I know what I'm talking about. But thanks for your advice. I bet you are a super father, always exercising rational, sound thinking.

David,

I would love to be a partner with the schools. I'm tired of being left out of the equation.

Alan Duncan can go to any school, anytime. The issue is, why take instructional time to address redistricting? Is this happening at other schools? or is it just Florence?

I'm sure the decisions about High Point redistricting have been made. This is just preparing our children for what's to come.

How would you feel if someone showed up at Aycock and told your kid that they had a 50/50 chance that they wouldn't go to Grimsley?

Thank you Hoggy for telling me how to behave when Alan Duncan secretly has a meeting with my child and explains that too many babies are being born!!! Did he pass out condoms too? What next, Alan Duncan explaining the birds and the bees!!!!!!!!!!

Alan was asked by a 5th grade teacher to come speak to the 5th grade class about how School Board government operates. Among topics of conversation were preparation of the budget and various other responsibilities of the board. Alan accepted questions from the children and some of those questions were in regard to the current redistricting process.

Alan explained that he is but one of 11 board members who will vote on the proposed redistricting maps and he did not tell them how he felt the vote would occur nor how he would vote. He also explained the reason that the board is looking into redistricting - growth, etc.

Please take from this message - Be Calm - there was no ulterior motive involved here. The Chairman of the Board was asked to speak to a class of public school children and he did.

From now on, please refer to me as 'Paris, The Lightning Rod of Reason.'

Troll,

somebody told me that your name is Emma something?
Is that true?
Is that you?

I said "so much for communication". I don't think that sounded riled up, David. You definitely need to see me when I am "riled up". I save that up for when necessary. I choose my battles wisely. That was a great idea too to check with the Principal.

Everything "Calm Down" has said has been reported by some others today at Florence.

Once again, key word is "Communication".

Now we have the right information communicated. I do like that word - works for teens and grown-ups alike.

Reminder - everyone keep you nice typing keys on.

David,

We haven’t spoken in a while; I hope you and your family are well. It is amazing to me that the BOE and media (including the blogosphere) have everyone pointing fingers, rumors running rampant, and name-calling. Whether it’s me or you, a NHP parent or a parent from the poorest neighborhood in Guilford County, or any parent in the world, we all want the same thing for our children and that is a quality education. It’s not about what color of skin the person next to your child has or how much money their parents bring home. I happen to believe that diversity brings knowledge and a comfort that chases away fears of the unknown, and gives our children the building blocks to succeed in our increasingly globalized society. The issue that needs to be addressed here and in the media is the failure of this school board to ensure that all schools in Guilford County provide the bare minimum education for our society (yes I mean society). We must hold the BOE accountable to provide all children with a basic education, and also to establish outstanding educational opportunities for any child in any area of Guilford County. I realize that the word failure is strong. However, the BOE needs to understand that one can learn from a failure and make improvements. There is a lack of trust between the BOE and the residents of Guilford County. This is especially true for the NHP area. When the choice plan was first presented to the parents, the parents raised concerns over the transportation costs and logistics, the ability to procure grant funds along with the promise that if the grant was not funded, there were more than adequate resources to make the three magnet programs “world class”. You and I don’t have to rehash the results of the “choice plan”. We see our BOE talk about FRL students with concern in their tone and yet this is the same BOE which took the Title I status away from Smith, Dudley, Andrews and Central. This amounted to turning down $1.5 million in federal funds for our most underserved students so that kids in these schools would not be able to opt out of their assigned school to an “opt out” school. Perhaps you could ask school board members you know what the logic was behind this move. To a newcomer it looks like the BOE is trying to minimize the tragic results of these schools not meeting their federal and state mandated goals. Furthermore, I am wondering if the current reassignment fiasco is nothing more than a resetting of the clock in an attempt yet again to circumvent federal and state mandates. I would love to hear any thoughts on this. Perhaps I am too cynical but I believe that political pandering is playing far too great a role in the current events. If all schools are given the necessary tools to achieve (yes schools with high FRL numbers should be given additional resources) then all students will benefit from a quality education and the ideal of community based schools will be a model for others to emulate. In an attempt to overcome the rancor I will try in the near future to post examples of other school systems that have overcome greater obstacles than those currently facing GCS.

BTB

David,
I liked your thoughts on redistricting. They make sense to me.

Whew... Biotek, thanks for all of that. (You know you could leave a comment at my place as well)

I agree with much of what you said, especially this... "There is a lack of trust between the BOE and the residents of Guilford County. This is especially true for the NHP area."

To me, this is the biggest challenge the board faces... restoring that trust. But, in light of how some jumped to such an outlandish conclusion about Alan D. above, I'm afraid that it may be impossible for many parents at this point. But it is important for all parties to at least try.

Also, I agree, to a large extent, with this statement of yours... "...the current reassignment fiasco is nothing more than a resetting of the clock in an attempt yet again to circumvent federal and state mandates.

The NCLB law is such that if a school fails the standards for (I think) 2 years running, the school board can avoid federal sanctions by significantly changing the focus/makeup of that school. Thus "resetting the clock" as you say. To me, this is so much "passing of the buck".

As others have stated here, the administration needs to dig in and create excellence where none normally exists.

We need to "do lunch" again soon, this time... my treat.
***************

Thank you, Central Parent.

It will very difficult for this community to start trusting the SB again. It will take time.

It will start first of all by leaving the school district lines close to where they are now. Then they can build up by really making the magnet programs world class and providing consistency to Central and Andrews by keeping the current Principals and giving them ALL the resources they require. I dont not believe they are doing this because all the focus on the choice plan keeps them away from the basics.

David, keep it up with your nice button. Everyone else too!

Biotec Boy and Silent Blair,

This is how MANY of us feel. It is a big difference to have beaucoup highly paid employees who do this full time, know the NCLB laws and how to possibly circumvent NCLB and are paid well verses community volunteers just trying to let everyone know what is really going on, who want education and accountability in all of our schools.

Biotec Boy you said it best. I invite you to paste and copy your post and put it on Allen Johnson's strand under Segreation. There are some great comment over there. I may just do that now.

Also I HOPE you are speaking and will make this your speech at the BOE on Thursday. Please say that you are.

Silent Blair, I hope you will get "unsilent" and speak up too or have a friend say what you just said.

We all want the same thing quality schools and accountability. It is easier for people to try the "divide and conquer" strategy to hide GCS's failures and try to make the public focus on "race issues" which is not the case. It's called a distraction.

No one that I know has never said they don't believe in the benefits of diversity. They do want a school that is SAFE and a school that is not failing our children miserably. They do want 1st or 2nd closet schools and to have ALL of our schools quality. What they don't want is to make a school that is OK (not a great school just OK) and ruin it, equally making all three schools have additional issues to deal with. The same failing students need to be educated. The same students that are breaking the rules must have consequences. They should not be allowed to take away the education hours of students who want to learn in a traditional classroom environment.

I feel, more than anything else, we must all insist on safe schools. And ANYONE running in the upcoming election must insure our schools will be safe and must present a plan on how they intent to make this happen.

Please excuse the double negative - was a little early this a.m.

I meant to say: No one that I know has EVER said they don't believe in the benefits of diversity. I think we can all agree that diversity is a good thing.

I think we can all agree that SW IS a diverse school - check the numbers and visit the school; that we would all like to go to our closest or second closest school AND have it be SAFE, free of violence and gangs, be at least an average performing school, not one of the lowest in the state; that additional resources and help should be given to schools that continue to struggle; that our school administration and school board should be held accountable for the current state of affairs in our schools; that the solution is not in higher achieving kids teaching kids next to them. We pay teachers and curriculum facilitators, etc. to be teaching our children.

When you go into the schools, they are divided from within: you have AP classes, Honors and CP. You have kids who choose easy electives and ones who choose higher level courses. Students separate themselves by their abilities in the classes they choose. We have schools within schools in magnet programs and academies throughout this county.

The buck stops with the school board and the administration. All schools should be FIXED FIRST and SAFE before anyone is forced to go there either by a fixed lottery or forced redistricting.

I think that we can all agree in looking around Guilford County and the number of houses going up and the number of trailers at $60,000 a crack at our schools, that we will need some new school buildings. That, in fact, we have needed them for a long time.

If we are going to set "quotas" for schools and certain classes, then we should have "quotas" for the exact mix on our athletic teams - basketball, golf, cheerleading, whatever. What would that IDEAL mix be? Are kids who are weaker and not the top athletes being discriminated against because they aren't given a chance to participate?

What it gets down to is in academics, sports and other activities,there are different levels of ability. But everyone has different abilities. It is striving to take each individual's abilities to his or her highest possible level that matters.

And in conclusion, if programs are so "great" and you cannot get students to go to a school by offering a true choice, how do you expect people to go if you force them? They won't. They will only continue to leave our struggling public school system.

Why is the School Board afraid to just take a breather, let the dust settle, make the three schools work first, and ABOVE ALL WORK AT RESTORING THE TRUST THAT HAS BEEN TAKEN AWAY THE PAST FEW YEARS. To me, this is the only place to start the process, in building back the trust for this administration and school board.

Without Trust, we cannot move forward.

In reguards to Alan Duncan's recent visit to Florence Elem. School, I read the "secret" memo myself and it stated that he was to discuss proposed redistricting to the 5th graders. As smart as Alan appears to be, what a bad decission he made to go to Florence at this time to discuss redistricting. He had to know parents would be outraged..especially when the parents were not informed.......it stops to make you think why did he go now, why not after the maps have been voted on???!!??? Once again, he made a poor decision at the cost of my child having to listen to him.