News-Record.com

To all the readers of this blog- use the links in Morgan's story to eventually get to Governor Easley's press release on this - very interesting.

An important point to remember is that money does not equal academic achievement. Read Judge Manning's report. He's already done the math. Schools in Charlotte-Meck spend more on average per student at its poor schools and they're some of the worst performing in the state. Likewise, Judge Manning provided examples of schools with a high percentage of poor children who are ACHIEVING without additional monies being thrown their way.

Children can learn - plain and simple. Just throwing more money at a school doesn't teach children.

Easley is ordering these audits at high schools that have been less than 60% proficient for 2 straight years. Wow - that will make for a full time job in Guilford County.

Guilford County Schools performing an audit on something??? That will be some high quality work.

After trying to blow the out of control repairs costs by the School Board (AND THE TAXPAYERS), its the school administration that needs to be audited. Obviously no one in that building on Eugene Street ever attended an ethics class.

I cant see for the life of me why Central would get more than Andrews or Smith for that matter. Anyways, I agree with Quest. We are spending a lot of money at these low performing schools and they still STINK!
I think that the numbers for SW are wrong. There are a whole bunch of kids at SW middle who when they get into trouble are shouting " Iwanna go back to Welborn". SW needs help urgently.

That school is out of control!

Things has a good point. A review of this list shows that Central gets the most per student. Why would that be? Is it due to everyone's favorite ant, Dotty? Ummmm...

What good is an audit if GCS doesn't heed the suggestions?

What good is an audit when Guilford County can LIE about their numbers?? You ask ANY administrator ANY question five times, and you will get five different answers.

I'd like to know where all the public school kids in High Point have gone? It's a simple question...and the numbers DO NOT add up.

.

The plain and simple answer is that students need parents and opportunity to succeed in school.

Today's public school structure and focus on scores negates the individual's ability to grow their own way and even worse, makes monolithic cogs out of our children in an age when creativity and out of the box thinking is at a premium in the workplace.

What charter schools and theme schools we have in place are successful, while the general high schools continue to turn out large numbers of students who end up in remedial math and English at the local community college.

The world is leaving American students in the digital dust, and we're still arguing about busing and racial balance in schools.

Jeffrey,

I hope you're not related to Marti Sykes. If you are I would recommend a name change. She and the likes of her are on the school board, and until they are OUSTED the busing and diversity issues will be the first--and only priority.

Just go to Guilford county schools website. They openly admit that diversity is their number one goal. ....Imagine that, a SCHOOL System, a system of EDUCATION and they publicly admit that DIVERSITY is their number one goal--Therein lies the problem.

But you're right Jeffrey the world is leaving our American students behind. ALL of our students, white, black, yellow and red. No one on Eugene Street seems to care that Guilford Co. schools are bringing in the booby prize.

Not related to Marti, that I know of. I'm from Winston and live in Reidsville currently. Never lived in GSO.

I have an 18-month old son so I recently became interested in public schools since graduating from one 18 years ago.

Ms. Josey-

Is it possible to get numbers showing the actual off-budget expenditures and funds raised at these same schools? I would bet the parents and faculty at Grimsley pitch in more than enough to counter the fed and state money sent to Central or Smith or Dudley, etc.

Parents with money and educated skills (not to mention expectations of same in their children) add gobs of cash to the coffers of their children's schools. I know a couple years ago Brooks Elementary had a larger off-budget surplus of donated funds than even Grimsley!

I personally that the differences here are too much. A child at Central gets 200 USD more than a child at NW for instance.
That is too much.

Personally,

You're right, but so is Freddy. The administration and board KNOW that certain schools are more apt and able to make up for items not provided by the schools. The folks at NW, for example, would never allow their children to go without in the schools. No matter what - they would find a way to fund whatever basics are needed.

To play devil's advocate here - as long as this happens, why should be board play fair with the funding?

Yes parents in more affluent areas raise more money, but I think the question is should they have to? They probably pay more taxes due to homeownership etc. Would it be too much to expect the money raised to be for extras, not basics. I was shocked at the difference! I don't think anyone would say that Western is an affluent school, and I know they are one of the most diverse ethnically in the system. I believe their middle school had 33 identified groups in the last EOG.

Its just more proof to me that the problem is deeper than resources.

I think it is all about parents and their expectations of children. So if we really want to improve then the people of power that wash their hands of the problem like the County Commisioners, HP City Council, NAACP need to pull together.. They need to stop blaming the school board and invest in programs in these poor communities.

Bussing these kids around and money alone will not help. In fact the bussing will just worsen other reasonably sucessful schools.

The school board cannot solve socio-economic problems.

This difference of money per child beteeen schools is too much.

An on-line bulletin board that I frequent had a poster asking what part of NC to relocate to -- here is a sampling of answers she received:

"Stay clear of Guilford County. Several schools in Greensboro were just about shut down by a federal judge for years of repeatedly low test scores. Also you may buy in a nicer area but they also bus kids all over the county there. It was a big controversy during the summer when they announced the change. Some kids are on the bus for 1-1 1/2 hours a day."

and another:

"In terms of Guilford County, I'd have to say that I agree with the previous poster's comments regarding MOST of the schools there. The superintendent leaves a lot to be desired"

GC Schools are becoming famous. Or should I say infamous!??

Freddy,
I will check with Jennifer (who has been here longer) to see if we could get those numbers. I'm not sure if the district would keep numbers on the funds raised by PTAs versus having to go to each school to get that information.

To other posters, on the issue of the disparity in funding, the federal government requires districts to do what is necessary to close the achievement gap between high-poverty and low-poverty schools and to direct funds accordingly. In fact, there has been a shifting paradigm over the past 15 years from equity to adequacy funding (moving from giving students equal amounts of money to giving money based on needs). Court cases in Arkansas, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, New York and North Carolina have been won off the argument that "equal" is not enough. For more information, check out tcequity.org. As I mentioned in the post earlier, the GCS weighted allotments are not based on race, but on the percentage of students who are low-income, have special needs or are English language learners.

Although I cannot comment on the fairness of this formula, I would suspect that weighted per pupil allotments in Guilford County and elsewhere are here to stay.

Morgan: Were it based on ratio or formula related to F/RL Andrews would be getting 319 per student vs 245 currently when compared with Central. Southwest would have 139 vs 119 currently. Good try in defending this rot, but it leaks like a sieve. Math is easy… unless you went to Guilford County Schools.

I agree that there should be an allocation based upon some form of need, but this has gone way too far up the political buyout ladder. Andrews and Southwest have a bad case of DOT ROT! Dot and Susan have managed to misspend even more money per pupil and get even poorer results for it! There is something rotten in High Point.

Worse, they have allocated the most spent per pupil in the entire district, redistricted High Point at least 3 times since I have been here and short changed North High Point residents each time, sponsored the failed High Point Choice failure and have hijacked needed Bond funds and tax dollars for their frivolous crusade for who knows what. Yes, Susan is gone, but it will take decades to fix what she and Dot have destroyed in just 12 years!

Morgan,

It is most interesting that this strand started out discussing Mike Easely's concern about how low-performing schools are using their resources, and your last post made an expert reference to tcequity.org. A review of the referenced website shows that one of the featured experts on this subject is none other than former San Francisco Superintendent Arlene Ackerman. Who is Arlene Ackerman? Take a look at this post that I gleamed from a school activist's website. So, we are to take lessons from Arlene Ackerman on how resources should be used in low-performing schools? Is it possible that the reason we don't have enough resounces in our public schools is due to excesses of the superintendents? Of course, the Chop House and Green Valley Inn are the favorite dining spots for our superintendent.

ACKERMAN'S $325,000+ BAILOUT = 10 TEACHERS' SALARIES
By Peyton Wolcott - February 23, 2006

SAN FRANCISCO USD'S SUPE LIVING HIGHER ON THE HOG THAN THE MAYOR San Francisco Unified's superintendent Arlene Ackerman has been claiming the kids come first but once again Arlene has proven that Arlene comes first. Why else would she be treating herself to a $325,000+ bailout--plus unused sick and vacation
time--when she leaves SFUSD in a few months? Why not leave it on the table if she's really "for the kids"--$325,000 equals ten starting teachers' salaries. As the San Francisco Bay Guardian points out in their editorial this week,
"Symbolism is a big part of running any institution, and when it's a public institution, the way things look really matters. So even if the $84,000 that top school officials in San Francisco spent on travel and meals in 2005 is just a small fraction of the district's budget, it looks terrible for the superintendent of a district that's closing schools for budget reasons to be eating meals at fancy restaurants and staying in $350-a-night hotel rooms on the public
dime. The mayor of San Francisco doesn't do that: When Gavin Newsom travels, he abides by the city's rules, which limit reimbursable hotel and food expenses to about $200 a day. [Newsom] doesn't have a city credit card, as Ackerman does (in fact, as Tali Woodward reported last week, nobody in city government gets a credit card)."

According to Woodward's public records searches, Newsom spent "a grand total of $2,265.69 on official travel" this
past year, compared with Ackerman's $45,000--on a single credit card (Diners Club).

NOTED: No SF teacher pay raises in 4 years-- while their supe lives it up in high style.
Re JARDINIERE, site of Ackerman's working lunches: "Service to die for. Wine prices that'll kill
you.....The food is top-shelf, if not life-changing. The service is the best I've experienced in years of San Francisco dining....Jardiniere is strictly on the 'nobody's looking at my expense account' list rather than the 'special occasions with loved ones' list. (SOURCE--Stephen Howard-Sarin/AMAZON.COM)

Oh, in case that isn't enough about superintendents, here's more about Arlene Ackerman. By the way, Ms. Ackerman is a close associate of Terry Grier. You'll recall that San Francisco was where they sent the student data for assignment in the ill-fated Choice Plan. Interestingly, our school board did not express any concerns about Terry Grier's outside acitivies either when it became public.

SAN FRANCISCO USD'S ARLENE ACKERMAN:
ONCE MORE, WITH FEELING
By Peyton Wolcott - February 11, 2006

Here we go again.

Watching Arlene Ackerman depart San Francisco public schools is like watching a train wreck. You know it's going to be big and noisy and messy
and you can't not look. And there's not a blessed thing you can do about it even if you're a sitting SFUSD board member because what needs to be done you as a board member should have done years ago.

First there were the clues from Ackerman's earlier employment history: Wouldn't you think twice about hiring a disgrunted employee who sued her employer (University City School District in Missouri) in 1992 for $200,000 then settled then refused her old job when it was offered back, even after having won the concessions for which she sued?
(Source for the $200,000 figure: Jay Mathews of the Washington Post.)

Then there was the July 2004 piece in a major American paper clearly listing Ackerman as an ERDI consultant. (For more, see my "Education, Inc." page, link at left.) Far from alarms going off in the SFUSD board room, this appeared to have elicited nary a comment--none that appeared in print, anyway. Did the SFUSD trustees even know? If not, why not? And where was the San Francisco press? Well, we know where one was--Heather Knight of the Chronicle was letting Ackerman pick
up her meal tab at a pricey eaterie (see "The Media" page).

PW NOTE: I first wrote Ackerman on January 2 asking about her side consulting, got an evasive answer a few days later on January 5 then immediately asked her again, this time specifically about Broad (The Broad Foundation) but Ackerman has still--six weeks later--to respond.

Side question about supes' side consulting
Why aren't our boards taking a closer look at their supe's consulting activities? Side
consulting by superintendents can be lethal for districts, a la Yvonne Katz at Spring Branch ISD in Houston.

Ackerman bails with a $375,000 "be nice" parachute--plus $45,000+ for travel, meals
And at this late date we have the SFUSD trustees asking Ackerman to leave behind the $375,000 "be nice or I'll take my toys and leave" settlement for which she asked and to which they agreed back in November 2004.

The SFUSD board appears to have just recently thought about looking into Ackerman's personal spending--which this past year surpassed the $45,000 mark for travel and meals. HELLO. You don't hand any employee anywhere a piece of plastic and then not check in on them from time to time. But this is typical of most school boards in America.

One of Ackerman's more extravagant trips was connected with The Broad Foundation awards ceremony in Washington, D.C. (she was named as a finalist). Ackerman "signed the tab for a $789 dinner last Sept. 18" at Morton's; other trip costs included "hotel charges of more than $3,500, another $559 meal, $144 for airport parking,
and–you guessed it–another trip to Morton's (this one costing only $277). It does not appear from the records that the Broad Foundation covered any of these expenses, though it is noted that the foundation paid for Ackerman's own room at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel." (SOURCE--Tali Woodward/San Francisco Bay Guardian)

And now comes the bonus round: Ackerman's hired an attorney, claiming she's being "harassed" because the board's looking at her spending. "I’m not going to be villainized on my way out,” she said. (SOURCE--Bonnie Eslinger/San Francisco Examiner)

A disgruntled employee who sued her school district in 1992 would be likely to do so again. Leopards don't change their spots.

Morgan,
How can parents review their schools budget?

Speaking of suing his/her school district, didn't Terry Grier threaten to do that when he left his previous position in Tennessee? It was reported that he wanted to be paid for all of his vacation and sick leave time when he left (apparently, he never took a vacation, nor was he sick; a real trooper), even though the district personnel policy didn't allow that. When the school board declined to pay him, he threatened to sue, and the county commissioners overruled the school board to avoid a messy lawsuit.

"A disgruntled employee who sued her school district in 1992 would be likely to do so again. Leopards don't change their spots." Guilford County should take note of that advice.

The leadership team of each school decides on alot of the spending for supplies (at least ours does) and of course we take minutes at each meeting. You should be able to get the school minutes. Ask your principal.

Garth,
The funds for the high schools noted in my post are a formula that gives a certain weight to students who 1) are FRL-qualified, 2) have special needs and 3) are ELL. You cannot make direct comparisons between schools unless you know how many students are ELL and how many have special needs (and how many are a combination of the three). I will try to get thoseEach characteristic gets a special weight (I believe FRL gets a 1.9 and ELL gets a 2; I can't recall the other). When I get a chance, I will try to get more detail on that.

In addition, remember that equity plus schools get an $125 off the top. You will not be able to do apples to apples comparisons. My point in posting those numbers was to show that the higher-poverty schools are getting more funds than the others, not to compare which out of the lot may be getting cheated out of dollars.

I dont deny that these schools should get more money but three times is just too much.

If schools with solidly middle and upper-middle class income parents have made up the funding differences out of pocket by fundraising, direct purchases for their individual children, etc., and we decide we want to close the fed/state funding difference bewteen these schools & children and those with high FRL, special needs and such, are we therefore demanding the parents at the latter schools thus find money they do not have? Or accept the alternative, which might well be schools bereft of basics?

I agree the discretionary budgets for superintendents and officers of the system are bloated. If there were a truly independent "State Education Czar" who oversaw the budgets, keeping frivolities to a minimum, we'd be better off. And the czar shouldn't be paid gobs her/himself.

All that said, education is a messy business...because it isn't strictly a business, nor should we want it to be. It is as much an art and l'affaire du couer. We should expect what the bean-counters and bottom-liners (some might say bottom-feeders) would consider "waste". Often, creative insight and inspiration, whether in the minds of teachers, students or the alchemy of the classroom collaborations, requires going down roads later abandoned, and thus spending time and money "not efficently spent".

Parental fundraising can only help so much. That money can not buy teachers, lower class room size, pay for TA's, etc. Things yes, qualified help no. That money can't help with building needs, or training, tutoring etc, no should it. The money per child is one thing, but couple that with class size that can almost be double what 'needy' schools have and the difference becomes more noticable.

When you come down to it, really, is GCS actually improving the educational process and closing the gap with the extra money? My view is that they are not successful with what they are spending, and wouldn't be with twice that, because their priorities are not about education. Diversity is the school board and administration's #1 priority. Until education is the #1 priority, you don't have enough money, and never will have enough, to do all of the things that they try to do and educate.

Let the teachers do what the were hired to do; teach students.

To be honest, Freddy, we would have a better product in the schools if it was run more like a business, i.e., return a value to stakeholders on investment. We, the stakeholders, aren't getting much for our investment in public education, and we have little ability to hold those in power accountable. They do not listen to or care what parents and taxpayers want. They are running their own agenda.

How do teachers teach kids that do not want to be taught?
Case in point is Southwest at the moment. Lots of classes with a few kids not interested. They are more interested in disruption.
The school does its best with social engineering efforts such as class seats of FRL,NonFRL ,FRL, Non FRL plus lunchtime assigned seating. Two FRL, two Non FRL and so on. Our kids cant even sit with their friends.
The point is that the disruptive kids are bringing down the class. All the kids suffer.
What can the teachers do? No power to punish.
The only alternative for us all is to get the hell out of here.
Debora, you complain of overcrowding. You dont know how lucky you are!

Freddy,

Visit www.guidestar.org. Any tax exempt that raises over $25,000 must file a form 990. These are republished on the Guidestar site. They offer a free search (look for PTA or Booster or Band for the city you are interested in) and you may well find a public 990.

It's surprising how much some schools can raise on a consistent basis.

Why is money being spent at the new Northern Middle School on a museum quality dinosaur to hang on the wall? How much is that costing? Can't student go to the local science museum to see this like other students or just open a textbook?

Certainly these funds could be spend on more necessary things. I can think of MANY.

I have heard many horror stories this year about SW Middle. Parents have tried their best to get their children in the honors classes. This has helped with less disruptions. For those students who couldn't get in those classes and are on the waiting list for private schools, it's been a bad year. And this is only September.

It looks like those High Point school board members who pushed for "equality" have it. Now you have 3 middle schools to deal with the same problems instead of 2. On the bright side in a few years SW Middle will become and opt out school, Judge M and the governor will soon have to add SWM to their audit list.

Barbara Ann,
The dinosaur is being donated from the brother of the architect. No money form GCS being spent (thank goodness!)

Debora,

That is good to know. GCS should probably mention that it is donated in their video.

When I saw the tape on this I thought they had really "lost it". It doesn't look good when so many other schools have so many needs.

I, for one, will be glad when the funds are straight to remove the remaining trailers from Florence Elem. Some are remaining but they need to be "finished" looking. How ironic that we have a nice new building in the back but half torn down trailers, hanging wires, dirt out front. Talk about "curb appeal" (NOT)

Morgan, Sorry, I stand rebuffed in part, but Central still looks seriously out of kilter compared to Andrews, Dudley and Smith in comparison. Even massaging the numbers as best I can I cannot come to the skew. Maybe they would show little ole me the calculation and related numbers?

Barbara: Trailer budget was raided for a good cause, the over budget screw up at the new academies that were not included in the bond issue, so we need to quit griping and be happy that they can start something new before finishing up an old project at a forgotten school in a run down part of town (sarcasm!). After all home values are not the Board’s responsibility.

You want them removed, complain to the county commissioners so they can allow the board to divert more money from bonds to be used on something else… Sorry Barbara, my cynicism is showing.

Yes, academia needs a bit of leeway, but it MUST BE MANAGED and ACCOUNTABLE. A half million for sensitivity training with local clergy is bologna no matter if you call it fillet of giant tube steak or thinly sliced fermented flesh. Giving Grier a raise when he says he doesn’t deserve one and doubling the School Boards compensation while schools are failing, well lets just say more of the same sausage. Shell games at failing schools instead of asking why they are failing and addressing the problem is pure mismanagement. Millions spent on facilities to train new pizza chefs for Dominos is a bit much, especially when we could piggy back at a community college with their program. If there is no accountability the public sill stop supporting the funding needed to improve the schools.

Garth Vader,

Garth Vader apparently you are still hurting from the beating that Dot gave you and your Dark Side Storm Troopers in the last election. Your rants sound like a spoiled child who was soundly beaten and won’t accept it.

This time you face a working mother of school age children who doesn’t have the money or time to launch a visible campaign. But Debbie has years of experience volunteering in our schools and is well liked by many (unlike you who is despised by most) so there is hope.

Nevertheless, there is a chance you may get a seat on the school board. Its going to be a low turnout and you have a group of storm troopers who will stop at nothing to advance their evil. But your negative attitude and disrespect for fellow board members and the administration will incapacitate you. You won’t be able to accomplish anything because you only represent a small group of spoiled adults acting like children that want to throw stones when they don’t get their selfish way. Dot will continue to slice you into pieces with her light saber just as she did in the last election when you challenged her. You will not be able to turn the good citizens of Guilford County over to the evil dark side. Your heart is filled with hate. It resonates in all of your posts. Your hatred has consumed you. “Once you start down the dark path, forever it will dominate your destiny, consume you to it will…” Yoda. You are uninformed and like many of your storm troopers followers, ignorant and blinded by your hatred. You resort to low blows and cheap shots. You get the poor sportsmanship award. You see yourselves as watchdogs and reformers but you are really more like hyenas, hunting in packs and attacking the weakest members of the herd.

You may be an accountant but you clearly don’t have an understanding of the budget or how the school system works. You are ignorant about the challenges our impoverished schools face and don’t really care as long as Southwest Schools remain white. You want to re-segregate our schools. Separate and un-equal should be your motto not accountable school board.

Unfortunately for you, good triumphs evil every time. Your hatred has consumed you rendering you useless to progress and it will ultimately be your down fall. The people of Guilford County deserve better than you. But I believe you can reform. You are obviously intelligent or you wouldn’t have passed the CPA exam. There is hope to recapture your mind and heart from the dark side. Being an optimist, I might suggest that you make an appointment with your compatriot doctor and take some Paxil (he needs some too by the way). It will help calm your nerves and may help you think more clearly. You may be able to put down your light saber and come to the table with something constructive. You might even be taken seriously. You aren’t completely wrong about everything. Even I’ve agreed with some of your comments. You just have a really bad attitude that consumes your intellect and since Dot is not running against you, the spanking you deserve won’t happen so you should resort to medication. It will help and everyone will be thankful. Do it for the children! “You will know (the good from the bad) when you are calm, at peace. Passive.” A Jedi uses the Force for knowledge and defence, never for attack. Yoda.

Your comment about training pizza chefs for Dominos is insulting and condescending to the children at Central High School. There is nothing wrong with honorable work, everyone cannot be an arrogant, racist, know it all CPA. You just cannot resist belittling other people. You really are a nasty person.

The Real Truth!

The Real Truth,

"Your heart is filled with hate." Brother, you said it, your heart is, indeed, filled with hate. I haven't read so much hate speech in a week or two since Demon Deacon left town and went to Georgia. Wait...Demon Deacon just returned to town today, so maybe you are one and the same????? It's amazing how the two of you disappear and return all at the same time.

P.S. This election isn't an at-large election against an incumbent who knows all of the election-day dirty tricks. It's in a district where the people know the alternative candidates. It's too bad that Garth isn't facing-off against Dot directly this time. It might be a different story this time. Of course, Dot will be the man behind the curtain, but will come up short in the end.

Garth,

You keep me smiling. I just was down Penny Road again today - parts of trailers still hanging out and blowing in the wind. Maybe we could all hang out at night, have a Garth rally and pretend we are camping. No bonfires though. Don't want another fire at Florence.

It sure is nice to see lots of those pretty green signs everywhere.

THE REAL TRUTH

Ahhh Have you seen some Starwar movies lately? We can get you help from Nanny 911. She is a cool person. She can help you deal with these kinds of delusions. She can help you find you inner place of upset.

Oh JENNIFER. Where are you? If the Real Truth is not dishing out a hateful, personal attack then what do you call it? Time for the afternoon censure button.

THE REAL TRUTH

Garth and his multitude of supporters will agree Debbie M is a nice person, a dedicated volunteer but Garth is the stronger candidate. He won't be fooled by budgets, numbers and political games.

Stormy, you are on target today. Could be Demon D, Emorywould maybe even BLJ but usually he is not that mean and delusional. My money goes on cat woman with a bunch of stickers on the old Volvo. Calling Nanny 911. Need a medication referral slip asap! The good Dr. G might have some samples on hand.

Bruce Davis had some interest comments last night about the Central cooking academy during the commissioners meeting. He mentioned McDonald's though not Dominoes. Close enough. It was great to see a black commissioner speaking on the importance of a BASIC education.

"unlike you who is despised by most"

Guess that means Garth would fit right in there with some of the other school board members. You mean public opinion really does matter to get elected to the school board? (sarcasm)

Hey Garth, your signs are working great. Even The Real Truth has memorized your campaign slogan "Accountable School Board". SWEET!!!

I am sure that Garth will not respond to such obvious baiting. The real truth is that Garth is a very passionate kind person that loves all children .He will look out for all of High Point and not just one section as with the current occupant of District 2's seat.

Jennifer,
where are you ?
The "real truth" remarks need to be deleted.

Paul,

Calm down.

Well “The Real Truth”, welcome back. You must be really running scared to babble on so. As best I can tell Dot must get a daily colonostemy based on all of the puckering up that you do.

I haven’t witnessed such hate since I listened to that clown from Venezuela the other day. You are just slightly confused, it’s Senor Grier es el Diablo.

No doubt, like most wild animals you can sense a seismic shift. Well your instincts are right because it’s about to happen.

You know the weirdest thing happened during the County Commissioners meeting when for about 5 minutes Bruce Davis was starting to make sense. It turns out Mr. Davis has some real concerns about Dot & Susan’s Culinary Institute turning out 18 year olds whose vocabulary includes the phrase “would you like fries with that/”. Perhaps my constant barrage of letters to him are finally taking effect.

Just for your benefit, I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I never looked at Dot’s win of two years ago as a resounding victory. I look at as if the rest of the county started at “0” and got to “48”. I’ll let you in on a little secret, I sincerely hope Dot runs again at the ripe old age of 126 or however old she is because we’ve located the other “3” to get to 51. (That’s percent of the votes, not a certain Board Member’s waist size who decided not to run again this year).

I hope you stick around in HP there Real Truth. You’re going to love the next Mayor of the furniture city residing off of Skeet Club Road.

Deebie doesn't need supporterd like "Real Truth".
She is too nice a person to have this type associated with her.

Truth, et al,

You all are so funny. Where was your outrage when Terrina and others were personally attacked? Now that it's somebody you like, suddenly it's not OK.

You should know by now that we've given greater leeway in what can be said about school board members and candidates and school officials who become "public figures," ie. the superintendent. That's why we leave most of what you say up on the Chalkboard.

If you want me to start deleting *all* personal attacks, well, many of you won't get a word in edgewise.

Garth is a school board candidate, that puts him in the "public figure" category. I reread the post and it's an opinion about a school board candidate. There's no cursing or sexual innuendos, which we've said many times that we'll delete.

We'll continue to delete crude or lewd comments. We'll continue to ask you to refrain from personal attacks against regular folks - especially those who use their real names on the blog - who aren't elected officials or public figures.

I'd rather nobody stooped to personal attacks on anybody, but I don't see that happening anytime soon.

Sorry it took so long to respond. I've been busy working on a story for Sunday and haven't had time to look at the blog until now.

The REAL truth is that some board members are scared. They are scared that Garth is going to take out his secret weapon, (his trusty calculator) and unveil some long-hidden nasty number secrets.

I don't believe that Garth has color of students' skin on his platform. I believe the only color that Garth is concerned with is GREEN.

It's very intertaining to see cowards pour their fear out in public disguised as a post. The Real Truth is just Real Scared.

Hey "Real Truth"----BOO!

EK you and Paul need to chill. Save your energy for November. It's only a few more weeks away. There is only one real truth that speaketh and that is the nice TRUTH.

"everyone cannot be a know it all CPA"

That is so true in Guilford County. You would have to learn math first.

Ohhh, can we do a really keen Star Wars magnet program in the Tomlinson Building next year once the pizza flippers have dropped out?

Guys,

I am good sportsman, but I just detest losing.
I am not a CPA but I wish I was.
I am not a racist I just dont like Blacks.
I am not a spoilt child I just like taking what is not mine.
My heart is not filled with hate. I just dont like people.
I wanted to be in the military but now I just want to be a storm trooper,
I am a generous person but I love picking on the weakest link.
I love everyone but hatred consumes me.
I am quite nice sometimes but I am a very nasty person most of the time.

That is me ....The Real Truth.

I am the Real Truth so who is this Real Truth?

The Real Truth is that I cant stand it so I lie!

The Real Truth is I am a clone. I said clone not clown.

To the real truth:

NO TRUTH 4 U!

SIGNED THE TRUTH NAZI

My head is spinning.

Hey Real Truth,

Didn't you know that leisure suits went out in the 1970's?

Perhaps your brain is stuck there too!!!!

Hear, hear, Jennifer, for your call for civility! The vitriol levels on this blog are astounding, as if using epithets and near-slander are convincing tactics in reasoned discourse.

Of course, I imagine the reason for the level of discourse (or lack thereof) is the vast majority blogging are "products" of the NC school system. It's not much better anywhere else in the USA, I am afraid.

Riverboat Bob, I see you came out under a new alias The Real Truth. In looking at old posts you say the same things over and over again. You really do need some new material.

OK folks-------something really doesn't seem to add up with the % per schools per pupil......Why is it that Central gets more $ per pupil--60%--$299, than Andrews (64%--$245), Smith (67%--$280), Dudley (65%--$265) or College @ Bennett (64%--$294)????? I'm with Garth----something just doesn't add up.......please explain someone!!