News-Record.com

CLOSE THEM OVER MY DEAD BODY!!!!!

daH!!! This is a NO-BRAINER!!!!!! You go collect a bunch of white kids on a bus and you force their white butts over there!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Really, it'll be okay. It works GREAT in High Point so I KNOW it'll be GREEEAAAAAAAAT in Greensboro too!

I believe that Washington is a magnet school-- Leadership if I remember correctly. Also Wiley used to host the VSN program, but you had to qualify for that and there was some very sharp criticism about the 'devision' and the regular students didn't get to do the things that the VSN did. Now all VSN are at Lincoln 4-8 grades.

I can not believe that Grier or anyone else is suprised that parents are removong their kids from a poor performing school. Likwise, I think I am going to puke if I hear about another unwanted magnet program. Will the shell game ever end. Please will someone on the board start looking for real solutions for struggling students and schools. Busing and useless magnet programs have not and will not create real improvment.

This is just another example of people voting with their feet and moving out of a low performing school if they are given the chance.

Are people like Bubba, David Hoggard, Real Truth going to call the people that have left names?

The root cause is that Grier has failed. Until he trully fixes these schools and really teaches these kids this is a vicious circle that will never end.

It will only end when Terry Grier is gone and we hire someone that can teach and doesn't hide behind excuses.

Southwest is next. If you are smart you should get your kids out of there. Fragile kids come in. Good teachers move out. What does that mean?

Get the xx out of here.

I can not believe that Grier or anyone else is suprised that parents are removong their kids from a poor performing school. ... - Hpt Short Timer

I used up too much energy on yesterday's topic so I'll just suggest here that it does NOTHING to solve problems in education, to perpetuate the awful misconception that a school populated with students who are not succeeding is the same thing as a "poor performing school."

What HST describes is actually the oldest form of "school choice" in the world: Parents working to put their kids in schools populated with successful kids. Since poverty and other factors tend to be strongly correlated to academic success, this very often means "moving to where the well-to-do families live," and leaving behind those least able and most impoverished, further contributing to the misperception that "those poor schools" are "failing."

Compound that situation with the influence of policies basing school funding on property taxes, and of typical increases in parent involvement in schooling and household value of education that come with higher household incomes, and the result can be really rough on kids in those families who can't move out or move up.

K

K,

Yeah, the result is "really tough". That's why we hire a superintendent with a big bucks salary to solve it, and he can't. So he needs to lose his big bucks and take his sorry butt home to mama.

If you close the schools where do these students go? Are they bused across town to a trailer school? What would the empty buildings be used for? Another "Craven" situation. (We could use more SCALE type schools.) Why does GC need more bond money while they are creating empty buildings?

Good old High Point was promised fresh new bodies first, bonds later.

Why is High Point always treated differently?

In a county-wide allocation system for precious tax dollars, Knestis, one would think perhaps the quality of school resources would be more level.

However, huge amounts of extra cash do flow to the schools attended by the middle and upper-middle class, from parent contributions, including valuable volunteer time.

That means the schools in poor neighborhoods often have to squeeze by as teachers pitch in hundreds of their own dollars a year for their own classroom supplies, etc.

Pretty soon, as in Detroit, we see such teacher burnout and discontent, along with the usual principal-churning, until few of the "best" teachers stick at these schools (Mission Possible has a chance to change this for math and science teachers).

I think that if the school board is going to use magnet programs to draw students to any school, they need to pay more attention to the program once it's there. Have you seen the orchestra room at The Academy at Lincoln? It's the county's middle school magnet for Visual and Performing Arts. Performing Arts. Like orchestra. Please take a look, it's an embarassingly small room in the basement with condensation dripping from vents, overcooling, and noise from the gym above (to name only the chief concerns). Makes it hard to concentrate on tempo. I really don't understand.
My bottom line: it's dishonest to offer magnet programs to draw students to a school, when you aren't going to maintain it once it's there.

"Poor" schools get a ton more financial support than other schools, per student. They get title one money, equity plus, equity plus 2, grant money, small class sizes etc. So far none of that has helped. At a treasurer meeting for the middle schools it was actually said outloud that NWMS didn't get any grant money since their PTSA would take care of their needs(as well as other 'good' schools)... guess what, we will try but we pay taxes like everyone. Our school has about 150 FRL kids and we get no dollars for those kids, no extra help for our level ones and two's-- it is up to the school to figure it out- what to cut for the average student to help the neediest, there are no small class rooms, no extra tutors or dollars. I think poor schools deserve more help, but the parents can volunteer and help in some areas-especially by teaching that education is the way to advance in life.

As I have said before, the community must be involved in this social problem, the school system can't make all the changes.

BTW, magnet programs, might fill the seats but any extra money spent there will not be used for the local kids.

Finally, how can they close a school when we need seats everywhere? Doesn't make sense

K,

When Hpt Short Timer says that these schools are poor performing schools, he/she is right. If the enrollment is down because of kids opting out under Title I, the school has continuously failed it's AYP's making it a "poor performing school".

Also, if Grier decides to close these schools and send these kids to other schools that are successful, he no longer has to provide tutoring for the struggling kids.

It's just like busing the Parkview kids to Southwest. These kids need extra help but when you rip them from the school that is required to provide tutoring (partially because of their scores the previous year) and send them to a school that is not Title I and gets NO help, they get left behind and Grier saves tutoring money that can now be used for diesel fuel.

He has no idea how to educate poor children!

I agree with several of the above comments: it makes no sense to close three schools when Guilford County badly needs school space. Remember, last week the school board talked about another $300 million bond to build more seats. That just doesn't compute!

Then there's the question of what to do with the children at those three schools. I guess they would be sent farther away from home, which isn't a good option (please, no snide comments - we know already). I know many of the Washington kids walk to school. Uprooting these students makes little sense.

On the other hand, people who want neighborhood schools need to realize that some schools - like Washington, Wiley and Vandalia - are going to require more resources than others.

You and I tend to avoid things we do not find attractive and pay attention to what we do find attractive. Just as you might prefer Target over Wal-Mart, or the person you married over the person you didn't, there are 28 Principles of Attraction that can apply to these schools.

The unique problem with these schools is that they have become unattractive to a majority of people. Other schools have become more attractive and so people are attracted to send their children elsewhere.

I do not believe that any of us are starting out with the intent of making someone else have a bad day, or to ruin the lives of others or the children who attend these schools. I do see that many of us are angry and very emotional and are looking to place blame. Placing blame can allow us to vent our emotions, but usually results in focusing our energy on ourselves instead of the issue. Really, isn't the thought of dealing with a lot of angry, emotional people unattractive?

We have seen how bad it gets when we FORCE people into unattractive school situations. If we want to keep these three schools open, we have to make them more attractive so that people will WANT to have their kids attend there.

I would be curious to know what has made these schools so unattractive, and does anybody want to discuss how to make a school more attractive? What different attraction factors apply to the different people we want to attract there? What makes a school attractive --the people, the programs, the learning, the buildings? What has to change so that people will want their kids there?

Mack,

The first problem is if the schools are not officially closed down and re-opened with a fancy new name, then it remains the same schools with the same NCLB requirements, like offering "opt outs" and/or tutoring.

If Grier can close them, and then re-open, he will successfully circumvent NCLB rules. He then has a "clean slate".

He's very clever. He'll do whatever it takes to avoid actually teaching a child.

Also, the first step in making these schools "attractive" as you say, would be to hang a new Superintendent photo at the front entrance. Then, get a nice new shiney bus and bus kids in. That's how it's always been done around here. I don't see any need to change our thinking now.

Frog in a blender?
Good old Terry is directing the Board to think about what he wants um to think about. They already look like a frog ina blender. Great job, keep um blendin Terry.

Where is his solution? How much we pain him to tell um to thin for him?

Is his solution spend more good buddy money? Who does "he" want to give the property to this time? Another private college maybe? How about auction greaseboro for a park?

Another food school for McDonalds kids? They look younger and younger now. Graduate from 5th grade with an emphasis in french fries...wow!

Sounds like a solution from an enterprising super.

This is a tricky situation for the SB and Grier. People are opting out and they cant do anything about it.
If they close the school and re-open under another name lines can be redrawn and the children will be forced back (I think).

This might be ok but unless they couple this with a REAL fundamental change the cycle will just repeat itself.

... That's why we hire a superintendent with a big bucks salary to solve it, and he can't. ...

Again - I'm not a Grier defender but to be fair, some potential solutions to some of the problems are not politically palatable.

Any superintendent who proposes policies that marginalize vocal, politically active subgroups of parents is going to be pilloried by them, even if programs put in place benefit a sub-population of children, not offspring of those who are upset.

But we know that already.

In a previous job (district in another state), I was confronted by an angry parent who voted against a technology-enhancement levy because the district wouldn't create a math-centered gifted and talented program that she was convinced HER son needed, despite his apparent success and happiness in his classes at our school...

Education can be seen as a social contract or a consumer-driven enterprise, and those two views are odds with one-another.

K

Well, Mack...if these schools are unattractive to some people, our school board better say "TOUGH!!"

If the people won't go willingly, the next step is to force them there. Draw new maps in the areas around those schools (or up to 12 miles away). Exchange a scoop of vanilla for a scoop of chocolate. Who cares if the parents complain?

Let them go to private school, homeschool or across the county line. Nobody cares!

Are you new to Guilford County? This feel-good stuff doesn't work with the current administration. They are heartless jerks trying only to avoid NCLB sanctions.

If they even try to pull some colorful, feel-good solution to this, I think there will be people in North High Point that will finally explode.

Why not make class sizes smaller, and help these kids get the attention they deserve ahead of time? It seems like there are more magnet schools than traditional schools, thus costing taxpayers more for busses and less effective teachers because of magnet distractions. What is wrong with traditional schools?

I am not saying one size fits all, rather let's manage what we have better. Use what we have more efficiently. Close a school that is in an area that needs help? Change magnets? Let's just offer quality, safe normal education in a disciplined environment helping these kids get a head start in life! Spread Admin staff over 2 or 3 schools, 1 principal, 2 or 3 assistants, 1 at each school. Keep kids near their home and improve the quality of educational environement offered by smaller classes. Review costs and see what can be contained. Every time I suggest to a Board Member make class sizes smaller they say we don't have room. Here is a case of we have plenty of room, let's use it properly. Cell phone and car for 1 principal is cheaper than 3 principals. Same for resource personnnel.

We cannot afford new schools as it is and it is doubtful a new bond will fly. Time to use what we have intelligently. Time to be accountable for our money and our real purpose, education!

Ignore Terry's thoughts, hold him accountable for making these schools flagships of quality traditional schooling where they are and quit playing shell games with the numbers and our kids. I still want to know how he got to 7 mil from 1.5 mil on repairs.?

What ever happened to that shell game?

Everyone here needs to read Clarence Page's column in the 9/8/06 edition of the News-Record, entitled, "Africa vs. the 'hood". This is a remarkable column that hits head-on with the issue being discussed in this blog.

Here's the final paragraph of this column:

"Environment counts. Responsible parents often do a better job than government agencies of deciding which schools and neighborhoods are best for their kids. They deserve a chance to show it."

In this column, Mr. Page is making a case for private school vouchers for African Americans that would allow parents to select schools for their own kids. Of course, that would be anathema to Terry Grier and the school board. It would represent a great loss of power.

Garth,
years ago, we suggested that Summerfield/Laughlin have one principal and 2 ap's, but the state says that their must be a principal on each school campus. Now that I remember that, wonder how we are housing Northern Middle on two campuses, with one principal and one AP?
Interesting

Debora,

You're so sweet and innocent! You always try to find logic among the illogical. I'm sorry to tell you that when it comes to Terry and his minions, there is no logic, no rules, nothing. Whatever it takes to enact their newest hidden agenda, they do it.

Rules, schmules! I hear he mumbles that in his sleep.

Low enrollment at the Gate City ghetto schools you say?

Hang on, there is this pack of young white kids that pass through my neighborhood on their way to HPCA every day. My personal lapdog Soooosssie and I are on it.

Dear Aunt Dottie,

Please don't waste the time you have left trying to get those HPCA kids back to public schools. It ain't gonna happen. Just sit back and watch them go by. I've heard that the administrators at their school thank you everyday for their enrollment. Just take pleasure in that and let it go.

And Dot, one more thing. Naming the new academy High Point Central Academy is one thing. Trying to use the letters HPCA on shirts and signs is misleading and nobody is going to fall for it.

Now get back to your nap and I'll see you Sunday for lunch.

A school is more than mere bricks and mortar. It is a learning community. The most important people in the learning community are the children. Programs and policies will come and go. If not NCLB, it will be some other idea/program that sounds good and serves as fodder for campaign speeches. But, our children will still need to be educated. What is happening to Washington, Wiley and Vandalia is going to repeat all across the United States.

Consider the following:(1)Why were the opt schools so far away? Was it to actually discourage families from going to the opt out school and apply for a closer magnet instead? (2)Before NCLB was passed, why was the successful Math and Science Magnet program at Washington terminated? (3) Is NCLB accomplishing its goals? Or, are those students that are most vulnerable being scattered and thinned out in numerous schools but still being left behind? (4)Has a study been made of how those students who have opted out are performing? Are they now on grade level? Are they scoring a 3 or 4 on the EOG? Guilford County has an opportunity to find a creative solution for schools in this situation. There is concern about the cost effectiveness of maintaining Washington, Wiley and Vandalia with such low enrollment. Everybody can't move to the suburbs. Low income families need to be within walking distance of their children's schools. We are looking at making the high schools smaller. Perhaps these 3 schools are now the size that is needed to truly help these children achieve and not be left behind. The Mobility Project pilot shows that there is some understanding of the need to provide the more vulnerable students with as much stability in their school environment as possible. Some research has shown that children who move and change schools can loose 3-6 months of academic growth with each move. So it would be extremely detrimental to the children in these three schools to be moved. If I'm not mistaken, this is the first time in about 3 years that students have been able to return to the same principals at Washington and Wiley. Stabilizing the head will stabilize the school. If the school and staff are stable, energy can be directed at providing the best possible education for the children.

How do you misplace 201 students at Central? Did Dottie have them shipped-out to Grimsley? Is this the result of a new phantom choice plan or is it just a result of some families slipping across the county lines into Davidson and Forsyth to get a better education?

To "What about the Children"

You make great points, but how does this help Terry Grier? You see, he needs to make it look as if he's done something big and earth-shattering, "worlD-class" if you will. So closing schools, picking a new fancy schmancy name and then WAAALAAA!!!!! He markets the "new" schools to his Nova friends, Newsweek Magazine, and then he adds it to his personal resume. He wants to be known as the "TURNAROUND GUY".

It's laughable that you think he actually wants to educate students??!!!!!

HAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAH!!!!!!!!!!!

Check this out boys and girls. All my complaining is really getting results. My husband's Company CoMor has now just over 1 Million bucks in contracts from those mugs at GCS.!!!

http://www.guilford.k12.nc.us/boe/2006/9_12/construct_update.pdf

Its like taking candy from a baby!

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

We are being well and trullu suckered in by this women.

I bet Alan Duncan is too scared to challenge her on this?

Come on Alan. We know you are only a "white Male" but you are in charge too!!!

This is the tax payers money and it should not be given away for political favors..

Forget the Lexus. I am going for the Porsche this time and early retirement!!

Oh wait a sec. I dont really work do I?

HAHAHAHAHA!

I noted in the N-R article that Central is 201 students shorter on enrollment than expected. Now, what has happened to those students?

I noticed today that the renovation costs for the High Point Academy was $2.2 million (per GCS) for the culinary arts and public safety segments. According to this report from the Rhino a few weeks ago, Dr. Becoats reported that 67 students would be enrolled in public safety and 48 students in culinary arts. That's a total, at best, of 115 students, if they all had shown-up, or nearly $20,000 per student just for the renovation costs of Tomlinson. If 50 or 60 of the 115 students opted out of the academy, then we are looking at something like $40,000 per student renovation costs. Staff and supplies will be extra. Now, it seems that many of those students didn't actually show-up because they didn't want to be in the academy. So, what is going on at Central? We are spending serious tax dollars there, and for what? Something smells in High Point. Where are the missing 201 students? Why are we spending $2.2 million on renovation costs for fewer than 100 students? Who is getting rich off on this boondoggle? Who got the construction contract on this project? Morgan and Jennifer we need some serious investigation.

"Recently, Guilford County Schools Chief of Staff Eric Becoats gave Guilford County Board of Education members an update on the Central academy at the Thursday, August 24 school board meeting.

Becoats told the school board that the facilities would be ready but there were a few things the school system was waiting for.

“We’re still awaiting computer textbooks,” Becoats said.

Becoats said he was aware that 19 teachers would start the year floating and noted that Tomlinson classrooms should hold 20 students each.

The academy offers students courses in public safety, culinary arts and medical careers.

Becoats said he was aware that there were 125 students enrolled in the academy: 67 students in public safety, 48 students in culinary arts and 10 students in medical careers."

But rumor has it, some 50 to 60 students did not want to be in the academy but were yanked out of their regular classes, forced to be in it. Word is that those students opted out of the academy as early as Monday, August 28 and had originally only expressed an interest, not a guarantee, that they wanted to be in the academy.

A school board member said the central office staff had to stack the numbers in order to make the program appear successful.

Morgan and Jennifer:

What were the enrollment numbers at Welborn and Andrews? How many hundreds were they down from the projection?

True, K, there is a distinction between "social contract" and "consumer-driven" (or "consumer-drivel"); trouble is, in our mode of economy and government, run by and for the upper classes, that may be a distinction without a difference. Our unspoken social contract is "Offer everyone a lottery-ticket-like shot at riches, and string the masses along with false hope, and we'll let the 1% have 80% of everything while the rest duke it out for the scraps."
Heck, the actual lottery is called an "education lottery"! But there's a far more insidious elixir being gullibly gulped.

Clarence Page has certainly become the darling of the GOP and the right who would unconstitutionally funnel our tax dollars into private (including religious) schools. Page would like to have a dream world where vouchers are available for the full cost of such parochial instruction, given only to the most needy, while not cutting any money from public schools. Ain't gonna happen. As many GOP bloggers and writers from "think tanks" (no tanks, I say) point out, once that money would ever leak out the coffers of BOEs all over the country, it would never come back. Of course, many are quite giddy at that prospect: Bingo! Exactly what Bush, et al. want: government-backed religious indoctrination.

Would said monies be doled out, too, to the far-faster-increasing numbers of American Muslims to set up K-12 schools?

I think that at Wiley, if you adjust the numbers for the VSN program moving to Lincoln, enrollment is actually increasing.

Warning:

GARTH is coming to a school board near YOU SOON!!!!

He's got a calculator, and he's NOT AFRAID TO USE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Jennifer and Morgan,

Do you know where the 10th day enrollment data is posted (for each school)?

I'm not sure why it's so bad having 152 kids in an elementary school, when we are building academys for 200 or so at the cost of 5 or so million. I hope that one of the board has the guts to ask for the 10 day numbers at all schools including the academys. And while I am on a roll, all the talk about Dudley/Smith/HPC/less about Andrews and NONE about middle college at A&T, Bennett-- they are alos on Judge Mannings list

Debora, Well said.

Andrews has dropped off the map. Why has no academy been discussed for it? What programs from those world class Choice plan programs still exist?

The Black political powers only care about Dudley and Smith just goes along for the ride. They couldn’t care less about Andrews. Just bus those kids off to another school and try and dilute them away. No real education solution for them.

I for one am sick of hearing about Dudley. If Grier and Duncan get any further up Amos's Butt their feet will disappear.

Dudley must be one of the Counties state of the art school's but there is a whole new list of improvements being quoted for Amos.

There is a saying that people are promoted to their level of incompetence --meaning that once they master a particular job they are then promoted to the next level.

Grier has reached his level of incompetence and is incapable of balancing out this mess that has been created over the last few years. As soon as they implement a "solution" it creates 5 more problems.

The school board is rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic while Grier plays musical chairs.

Trip,

Well said about Dudley and "state of the art". Has the new renovated building helped the scores there?? It seems like help started to come whent he alumni became involved. This just proves throwing all the money into renovating a school building does not fix the problem. It is window dressing. Busing does not fix the problem.

Children in past years had a book, paper, a teacher who could teach, discipline, a principal that backed the teachers and a family life at home. Before computers, electronic white boards, answer buttons, etc. children actually DID learn.

The "fixing" must come from within. It is the human factor that needs "fixed". A building will not do the trick.

Re Andrews. I only watched part of the last school board meeting. Darlene had asked something about Andrews and questioned space (I think it was about smaller learning centers or could have been academies). Terry Grier replied that were looking for space off campus. So you can bet plans may be underway for more "academies" there too.

I do agree that while the answer to High Point is "busing" and swap redistricting why is this never discussed about the empty or under utilized school buildings in Greensboro? or for the schools that aren't working?

One other thought could you combine some of these elementary schools and turn two empty elementary schools into a small high school, academy? or an alternative learning center for kids at risk?

GCS should not continue to have empty buildings and expect people to vote for bonds for more "space".

Barbara Ann,
Combine and reuse for a different set of students? Novel idea! (Tongue in cheek)-- that is too logical for GCS. Of course my thought is we could retro fit the toilets and new desks for less than $5 Mil, but of course I don't make the big bucks that Mr Lear does, so I am sure that would not be feasible.

Everyone,

I might be late getting this information, but are you aware of the latest grading scheme.

Students are put into groups (not of their chosing) and given a group grade, if all of the work is turned in 100 for everyone.

If one student does not turn in their work ,
an 85 for everyone.

If two students are talking -15 points for
everyone in this group.

Since my child and one other is grouped with two that normally do not do their work, they are
now doing their work and the other students to
avoid getting a bad grade. The student that
should receive a zero , gets a 100.

If that student does no work and talks during
the grading time, the four of them can make no
higher than an 85.

What are they trying to accomplish with this?

Is really a way to raise the scores of
a child that does poorly in school and lower
the scores of students that normally do extremely well, but its not going to help get either one
of them in college.

If it is diversity training, it's not working. My child absolutely despises the child that does nothing and brings his grade down.

We worked in groups at times in school, but we were
allowed to choose our group.

My child doesn't like groups either, seems he always does more than his fair share. I do believe there is merit to learning to work with others, but they should get the grade they earned. I would talk to the teacher and leadership team (if necessary)-- this grading process has no merits.

What will they come up with next?

Let's see if I understand this. Since the teachers cannot teach the students the teacher will get the children to teach their peers. This is a dumbing down concept if I have ever seen one. Working together in sports and activities is fine. It is necessary and critical for proper development of a child. However, in academic matters, each child should be learned at his/her own pace. Noone is happy with mandatory group work. The top students feel they are being held back and the lower performing students only get the rath of their peers which may or may not help them. Some group work is fine, but way too much of it is mandatory and the scores show that the job is not getting done.

I have seen both of my children suffer through this. Each is a leader and is forced to take on more work in order to achieve an A for the group. Each of my children (and I) hate this because it means that my children do their work plus the work of others. And - these other children KNOW that going in - they know that my kids (and there are others like them) will do it.

There is absolutely NO incentive for these lower performers to work. Why should they?

And - the teachers have fewer projects to grade when they're all done on a group level.

Morgan/ Jennifer, any chance that you can get us access to the ten day numbers.

Interesting comments on Hoggsblog with a link to Greensboro.com this am. Appears GCS has blocked web log access on school computers. Guess that would include the chalkboard... How does the N&R feel about that?

Also Jennifer or Morgan, any idea why the LTE titled: Did local school leaders ignore own procedures? not appear on the LTE blog for comment?

Interesting...

Terp,

I'll ask about the 10-day numbers and post something once we get it.

want to know,

I haven't seen Hogg's blog today yet. I'll go check it out. As for the LTE, I don't know how those are put online. You could check with Allen (Thinking Out Loud) or Doug (Off the Record) at their blogs and ask them. They're in the editorial department, which oversees LTEs.

Those of you with problems with these group grades please email me with the details... ie school, teacher, grade.

This is a great way to create racial hatred and must be stopped. The idiot who figured this one out needs new employment ASAP.

garth@thecpafirm.com - I will not release personal info, but I am taking notes.

Garth

Back to the original thread about Grier's thought to just close Wiley, Washington and Vandalia, do you all think he's just trying to SEEK REVENGE for something?

Allen Johnson has been having diarrhea of the mouth again over at his bloggity blog, and feels that if any changes are made to schools in Greensboro that it's just out of REVENGE? But other changes in other hoods, are just that--changes.

So, just wondering?...

Thank you Jennifer.

want to know

you can still get on many different blog sites from school computers. you just need to know a little about "back doors"

I think a better solution might be to leave the schools open. Get some experienced teachers, cut out the fluff in curriculum, teach the basics from the beginning including social skills bring the schools up and I bet the parents would re-enroll their students. All research shows it is up to the teacher. However, before the teacher can do her job, she needs less students per classroom, support and let her do her job and the students will learn. All teachers have asked for were less students in the classroom and time to do her job. This means no meetings unless absolutly necessary, no workshops on workdays. The teachers are to work in their classrooms on planning. I would try this before I would closed these schools. There is a lot of new houses being built in some of these areas.

piece of cake...

I bet Grier knows plenty about back doors.