News-Record.com

How will Eastern Guilford Middle school have
their open house when the teachers still cannot
even get past the security guard at the front door?

What is going on at our school?

How will Eastern Guilford Middle school have
their open house when the teachers still cannot
even get past the security guard at the front door?

What is going on at our school?

Morgan and Jennifer,

Are you working on a story about Eastern?

Can you tell us what company is responsible for the original roofing system at Eastern? I heard it was DDeena's Sugar Daddy's company.

Also, didn't they also close Kernodle's gym this year? Is their entire school closed now too?

Rumor has it that Kernodle, Hairston, and Eastern
are all in the same boat. The entire roofing systems
are unsafe and were throughout the entire school year, but you need to get a copy of the Rhino
times to find out what is really going on because
they are the only "real" reporters in Greensboro.

EG Parent,

I suggest you contact the Rhino if you want any in-depth reporting. Typically the N&R is a mouthpiece for GCS and the administration.

Yes. The security guard at Eastern Guilford
specifically said that his purpose there was to
keep the reporters out. My guess would be that he
meant the Rhino times.

Why would Eastern Guilford need a security guard to keep the "reporters" out???

Of course, if the doors do not open on time, something will have to be made up...........

I just called Eastern Middle and there was no answer.

I called Kernodle and was a little surprised that they did answer. The person told me they were not allowing tours because of construction. The only part of the building that is open is the main office. No other parts of the building will be open until the first day of school.

A good investigative reporter (hint hint) should be able to get details.

Why did we not hear about the full impact on these schools at the construction update. Someone told me that they discussed this in closed session. If they did, that is against the law.

Eastern Guilford Middle School's gymnasium was closed almost all year because of a construction fault found with the roofing system. There were no home indoor sporting events this past year because of this.

An unidentified construction worker commented that
the roof in the cafetera, which had been open all year, was actually in worse condition than the gym.

A heavy snow fall, strong wind could have caused the roofs of Eastern Guilford, Kernodle Middle, and Hairston Middle to have collapsed on our students.

You are right on the money Joe.

Why are we not receiving any updates at all
about the construction work going on at these
schools? Also, who is paying for these repairs?

Did you notice how several schools have increased the number of children in each of the lower grades, from an average of 17 or so to 24? That's a good third more, while paying the teachers a flat extra $2,250 per year, which works out on a sliding scale to about a 5% raise for the more experienced teachers.

So, while the demands go up for productivity (and the odds get better for less performance from kids who get less one-on-one attention), the previously advertised "8%" raise is actually shown to be rather less for the majority doing the heavy lifting.

Wait 'til the test scores drop.

You all are scardin me with the talk bout skewls fallin in. Im dern luky all my skoolin was in a trailer. I luv trailers.

Ya know, win i finly git myself a payin job, i'm gonna git me a dublewide. Why dudn't Gifford just git some dublewides?

you folks sure are nice. Thanks fer all the job offers. its nice yall nderstand bout the secund rate edukashun i got her in Gifford.

Gracias!

Eastern Guilford Middle schools double wide trailers
are working fine, along with everyone elses.

By the way that may be the answer. Just move 100
more trailers to the school until the roof is fixed!!

We will all find out at open house...unless they decide to open the school without finishing the work.
After all, they left all the students in the schools last year. Why not??

Morgan and Jennifer,

In all seriousness - can you try to find out how much this re-construction at Eastern, Kernodle, and Hairston middle schools costs?

And, who is paying the bill??

If the answer is GCS - WHERE is the money coming from? I don't remember it discussed during the budget sessions. If programs were cut because the commissioners didn't fully fund the GCS budget request, where in the world is this money coming from??????

Freddy - Yes, I know I phrased my sentences above ending in prepositions - let me pass this time!

Numbers, you have confused me with Basics First, who was the one insisting we shouldn't teach another language until every student got their English perfect. I actually think there's a lot more flexibility in English! (Remember Wittgenstein?) My corrections were aimed to show how hypocritical Basics' position was, when he/she made errors. I personally embrace failure : "Ever tried? Ever failed? Try again. Fail again. Fail better."- Sam Beckett

Say, I see AYPs are revised to show passing for Grimsley, NW, SE, Western and Southern now. I guess having 35.4% as the bar in reading really helped this year. It stays that low, apparently, for another year. Then we'll jump back to having to get 70%+. Hmmm. Hope this progress is up to being that "adequate", as Dr. Grier says.

Freddy,

I extend my apologies to you for my error.

I went by Eastern Middle school and there is a
large big blue tarp on the outside of the sixth
grade hall. It looks like there is a lot of work
going on there, not just in the gymnasium as the news
has reported.

This gives a whole new meaning to the term "Open House".

***************** GOOD NEWS *****************

I visited the new Northern High School yesterday. I looked up at the roofing system and saw STEEL BEAMS!!! That's right folks! No more cardboard roofs in Guilford County!!

***********************************************

Don't celebrate too soon!
Eastern, Kernodle, and Hairston had steel beems too!! They just were not installed properly and could have collapsed on our students.

...bummer.

i'm tellin ya folks, dublewids is the way to go. We dont need no stinkin xpensive bildings!

Hasta la vista

I passed the N-R story of today along to a major insurance company commerical liablity underwriter, who has certification in risk management, and his comments on reading the story were as follows:

"I would agree that there are some serious problems with their work. Could be the school system took low bid, and they did not purchase a design plan that protects against worst case scenario weather. I can't believe the school official stated that the additional work is for the rare weather event. The design of the building housing young children should exceed the expected, but rare, weather event.

Sounds like the architect, engineer and construction company have some potential liability and contractual issues to deal with regardless if there is a problem."

Parents, you should be aware of the risks that your children are taking every day going to these school buildings, where it appears that shortcuts have been taken. Someone should put Terry Grier and his people on notice in the event that something happens that they will be held legally accountable.

Stormy,

I think Grier and company are very aware of their liablity. Why else is it being kept so hush..hush?

We were told about the gymnasium and the students were not allowed in there last year, but a construction worker said that the cafeteria was actually in worse shape.

How long have they known this?
Is this true, I don't know we don't have any body willing to do an investigative report on this?

Unless it comes across the AP press or directly from the school board, you want hear about it here.

EG Parent,

The greatest concern that I have is the statement: "The design of the building housing young children should exceed the expected, but rare, weather event."

This is the concern that they are constructing buildings in such a shoddy manner as to be dangerous to the health of small children. They are willing to spend extra millions to have "green" schools, but not a penny to have "safe" schools. I can't decide whether these people are incompetent or corrupt...maybe both. But, the day will come when there will be an accounting, and which of them will stand to say "I am the one that is responsible"? I can assure you it won't be Terry Grier...he will have been finally outta here and nowhere to be found. Who'll be left holding the bag?

O..K...won last time:

D-U-B-L-E-W-I-D-S!!!!!

i think ALL of Gifford county kidz shud be in a trailor! Dublewids fer all!

Did anyone see the board meeting on cable last night.

Darlene was turned away from Kernodle Middle and not allowed past the parking lot because of the construction, but primarily to keep the media out.

Does the school board even know what is going on in these buildings?

The modifications that are being made to these buildings should be available for the public to view.

After all, it's our tax dollar and our children. A letter sent home to our students call this an "enhancement"..........bull!!!!

Come on Kevin we are not complete idiots even though most of us graduated from Guilford County schools.

We want the truth!!!

What are you doing in our schools and why????
How much is it costing???

We have "real" reporters, but they still mananged to not provide any detailed information.

WFMY News has started covering the construction that is going on at Eastern, Hairston, and Kernodle, but there is still not a description of what is actually being done to the buildings.

How much of the building is affected?
How much is it costing?
Where is the money coming from?

None of these projects were within the scope of the construction or maintenence plans that I have seen or heard, unless I missed one of the school board meetings where it was explained.

Last night it did not seem like the school board was too knowledgeable themselves about what was going on.

This should be public record and since it is not
how do we go about requesting this.

Enhancements..."new" construction. Again, how
did work start without a building permit until July 31.

If these buildings had been properly inspected to begin with, would there be any "enhancement".

FYI: The times for Erwin's open house are wrong. The open house is from 5:30-7pm.

Thanks!

EG Parent,

Kevin said you can't handle the truth!

Freddie,

FYI

There is a BIG DIFFERENCE between a few quickie posts late night posts on a blog to make a point and teaching children correctly in the classroom to help them write simple essays, letters, short stories, and in high school, a business letter. Examples one hears everyday in school:

"We don't got none."

"I ain't not going over there."

"I's be good."

"They is real bad."

"She be tellin on me."

"He fronted me." (referring to "cutting" in line)
"fronted" is not a verb.

Children who can't spell "ear" and write "I" with a small "i" in 4th grade.

Children who can't even begin a sentence with a capital letter in 5th grade, don't end sentences with punctuation, nor know how to break into paragraphs.

Children who speak grammar so poorly, mumble, etc. that you can't understand it to be close to "English". (yes, notice the quotes around English)

FYI, I have received various writing awards. There is a difference in "poetic license" in writing styles and teaching English mechanics.

My point was that in Spanish, Latin, French poor pronounciation, wrong spelling, incorrect accent marks, etc. would not be tolerated. Students would not receive a passing grade. English tense, conjucation, etc. is not taught. When children were taught how to diagram a sentence (as painful as it might have been to some) they learned parts of speech.

Give me a break.

I personally would love to see a second language taught in elementary schools as it is in other states. There isn't time in the current school day nor the money to fund the programs.

As Garth mentioned on another strand....it would be good to succeed at something first like Reading, Writing, Math before we put money into more programs for which we don't have funds nor teachers.

I also strongly agree with "Numbers" on teaching Science. It is a shame that it is only now starting to be taught because there will be a standard test.

Just as soon as GCS thought we needed more starving artists coming out of SWH, the "School of the Arts" simply vanished to suit their Social Equality programs.

"I see through the Bull" and others

What about a report from "2 wants to know"?

Early or late, I hope my blogging-style might meet your high expectations for proper English grammar and spelling, Basics, if not win any awards.

"Fronting", "to front", is a verb, as it is used and understood by millions of children and, now, their teachers.
English would be a boring, boring thing --- a dead language --- if it did not evolve and incorporate new words all the time. Whether this particular usage will be long-lasting enough to enter a prestigious dictionary is up to the lexicographers. It already meets Wittgensteinian demands.

To return to the original thread of this blog post: is it possible all the fuss for so many years over AYPs and their ilk are a device to essentially sap teachers of any hope for igniting imagination in their charges they once had? That way, the powers that be --- going back to Carnegie, Ford and Rockefeller --- can anticipate exactly the dreary, docile masses they would like as the product from the public education system?

Well then Freddy, Gifford Grad is looking for a job. Why not make him/her your personal assistant and let them be your spokesperson the next time you are interviewed for a prestigious tap dancing award or a mah-velous rendition of Shakespeare?

Show the world how accepting you are.

I have no doubt that Gifford Grad could take over the job of Superintendent...if nothing else, he/she could be on the Guilford County Board of Education. The only qualification is to be able to SIT and BEG.

By the "mah-velous" spelling, you imply Shakespeare and other dramatists intend their words to be spoken as if made of marble, and that actors and artists are all elitists. Maybe some are, but I don't need a spokesman to tell you the very animosity unleashed by so many against the schools is a waste byproduct of the bureaucracy we both revile, and it's born of boredom.

I am amazed so many people attack those who would like to untether children from the bonds of forced mass education. Want to know how to get more kids to love learning, instead of being anti-intellectual, anti-aesthetic? Stop corraling them like animals and testing them like lab rats.

FredD

"An" is used before a vowel. "A" is used before a consonant. Examples of Shakespeare do not count. His writing are considered poetry. They do no follow the same grammar rules for writing prose.

I guess you think Gifford Grad will get a high paying job when she fronts in line. Maybe she might get lucky and be the next American Idol. I bet with her great writing abilities she might even get into remedial classes at GTCC after she finished middle college.

The only "born of boredom" is reading your boring, insignificant posts on this blog.

FreddY,

My kids are "corralled and tested" yet they LOVE learning! ...Hmmmmmm, what could be the difference, you ask?

They are in PRIVATE School!!!! Isn't that MAH-VELOUS!!

Boring-

Shakespeare wrote in imabic pentameter, which is not necessarily always "poetry". Most of us, infact, unknowlingly speak in iambic pentameter!

I thought of a use of "front" which is fairly common even among "non-Ebonics" speakers: to front soemone money, for example, as means to support them with an advance. Or, to go with your American Idol reference, most bands have a "front man", or woman, who is said to front the band. That is, to stand in front of them while performing. Sounds close to the usage by children standing in line.

As for the wonders of private school, if they are run with the same industrialized bureaucracy as the public schools, I am sorry for your children. If they instead use innovative and curiosity-nuturing techniques, I appluad them and congratulate you for finding a good school. Too bad you still pay taxes for the other ones, eh?

AMEN Freddy to the mandatory "fronting" of my tax dollars for Grier to swindle away, while I also shell out for private!!!

...Ay, there's the rub...