News-Record.com

The Council of the Great City Schools is an organization that Dot Kearns frequently quotes.

The organization has been around for 50 years. I think Dot was one of its first members.

Um, the headline of this strand seems to indicate that the News-Record has decided that you agree that the Bush Administration is acting two-faced on the matter of racial balancing of schools. My interpretation of the Bush Administration's position would be that they believe that all children can learn, but those children don't have to be in a racially balanced environment to do so. The appropriate allocation of qualified teachers, a challenging curriculum, and necessary resouces, along with high expectations will serve the purpose. Busing of students to achieve racial balance has not accomplished the goal.

Most reasonable people would agree that working to eliminate the achievement gap between white and minority students is an admirable goal, but not agree that forcing racial balancing of the schools is appropriate or even legal. The Seattle case is not about achieving diversity in our public schools, but rather racially balancing them. Quoting a law individual named Hans Bader who has worked on an amicus brief in support of the plaintiffs in the case:

"It is clear that the Seattle Schools' use of race violates both the requirements laid down in Grutter v. Bollinger (2003), which upheld the use of race in law school admissions but declared that "racial balancing" is "patently unconstitutional."

The Seattle Schools' use of race also clearly violates the Supreme Court's decision in Grutter's companion case, Gratz v. Bollinger (2003), which struck down the University of Michigan's undergraduate admissions policy even though it was far less mechanical than Seattle's crude use of race.

In Gratz, the Supreme Court forbade the mechanical use of race, such as quotas, and forbade the use of race unless diversity is also sought through race-neutral means, making race just one of many factors in student admissions.

The Seattle Schools focus on race, without considering race-neutral diversity factors, and thus clearly violate the Gratz decision."

So, it is far from clear that there is widespread agreement with the Council's view that the Bush Administration is being two-faced on this matter. We in Guilford County have had our own bad, abortive experience in this matter with the High Point Choice Plan, which was also a managed choice student assignment plan designed to achieve racial balancing. We can also expect that if the Supreme Court rules that student assignment plans implemented to accomplish racial balancing is legal based upon a compelling interest, you will see GCS take up the matter again here in the county. Some may welcome that, and others will not be pleased about it. And, yes, Numbersgame, I am sure that Dot Kearns helped write the Council's amicus.

People who believe that black children can only learn next to white children are racist.
Full stop.

Hey Truth,

Grier doesn't exactly make me feel warm and fuzy either. I've been mad at him before. He has been condesending toward me. He clearly lacks some relationship skills. However, he really does care about our children and is working hard to improve GCS and I think he's doing a good job (but I wish he was more personable). He's not perfect but every time I've brought a problem to his attention its been decisively fixed. I'll take action over personable any day. THe has implemented some great programs in our schools and their are great opportunities available to our children if they choose to take advantage of them. I'm certain these programs and opportunities wouldn't be here if it weren't for Terry Grier.

By the way I had a 16 year old student at South West call Grier a liar so I asked her what he lied about and she responded that she didn't know but her parents said he was a liar. I imagine the four year old was only responding to behavior she observed from her parents. The most damaging part of this whole controversy is the behavior of parents. Their lack of respect for authority. Their uncivil behavior and childish actions. Children are watching and learning this behavior from their parents. Parents need to be more careful about the behavior they are modeling for their children. Its not ok to be disrespectful. Its not ok to try to hurt our civic institutions just because you don't get your way. Its not ok to make-up stupid accusations. Its not Ok to call people liars when they have no evidence of a lie. When one does so they not only hurt others but themselves as well.

The Real Truth

The Real Truth,

You can't even get your made-up story straight! Was it a 16 yr. old or a 4 yr. old?

Glad you can find such great qualities about Grier. I haven't been able to utter his name since he kidnapped my child.

Children are watching all right, and they see him tell kids they can't learn unless they're bused across town! That's great for the confidence level!!!

Real Truth,

What are the great programs that Grier has implemented, and how do you measure them to show that they are great? I don't see many that appear to be working, much less great. Most of them are discarded one year later, and he is off to something else. I'm sorry, but I just don't see it.

What are the lies? And, what evidence do you have to show that they are, in fact, lies?

I agree that he has done some good things with programs like the Early College for instance.
Now, ask Andrews parents. He ruined that school over the past five years. In fact he has done hardly anything for the low performing schools like Smith, Central and Dudley. He's all about the upper end. The resume making stuff.
That is just plain fact.
Its the truth.
Real Truth, wake up!

Real Truth,

Are you implying from your post that you are a teacher at Southwest?

Bravo Real Truth, you must really enjoy drinking Dot's Kool-Aid.

Now for your benefit all of these parents you talk about are going to give their children a little Civics lesson next Tuesday and put a person on the School Board with the ability to QUESTION - QUESTION - QUESTION. Not just accept the lip service that Dr. Grier has provided for the last 6+ years. I hardly consider that to be civil disobedience.

Then hopefully one day soon all of the little boys and girls will understand that a School Board doesn't just hire people, it can also fire those who are inept and mismanage everything into the ground.

Stormy, the Real Truth probably is a fairly new teacher at Southwest. Keep in mind that with the mass exodus of students and qualified teachers out of the high school the last few years that the standards for teachers have probably been lowered.

More Truth, I was responding to your made up story about the Harris Tetter parking lot. I said 4 year old but it should have been 4th grader. Either way my point is the child's mind has been infected by its parents. The child is just repeating what she heard just like the 16 year old Southwest Student who said Grier is a liar but cannot explain why. Dr Grier isn't a liar or mean.

Truth,

Programs that work... IB at Central, Early College, Triangle Lake Montessori, Penn Griffin, Fairview Elementay, Brooks Global Studies to name a few. For the first time in quite a few years schools that are predominately free and reduced lunch students have teacher positions filled due to Mission Possible. He's done a lot for struggling, low achieving students like lowering class sizes, Saturday academies. The list is long.

Buckmtn,

As for a civics lesson, first you need a lesson on behaving like an adult and showing respect. Vilifying people just because they don't agree with you isn't civil disobediance its the action of immature, ignorant person. Do you really think you are going to influence the superintendent and school board by calling them names and making ridiculas accusations. Are you that dumb? As for Garth, if he wins Tuesday so what. He will be an island to himself. Does he really think he's going to be able to accomplish anything when his only real agenda is revenge for redistricting. Everybody knows his only concern is resegregating Southwest Schools. He came in a very distant third in his last election bid because Guilford County Citizens know what he's about. He's not even well liked in North High Point but he's the only segregationist running so I guess you have to support him. Do you really think anyone on the school board is going to show him any respect after the way he has behaved? Having said that though having an antagonist on the board isn't a bad thing. If there is money wasted maybe he'll find it. That won't be a bad thing. But he's not going to be able to get rid of Dr. Grier and Dot will keep her seat on the board as long as she wants it. Garth will likely show his true colors and be an emabarrasment to the board and the county.

The Real Truth

RT,

IB Program at Central? Isn't that the segregated white school within Central?

Real Truth,

It'll be difficult for Garth to be an embarrasment to the board..that position is already taken by many of the current members. He doesn't have to try to get the respect of the board. Many of them are too busy trying to find some respect for themselves.

And, would you just get over this segregationist bit? It really isn't very becoming to you.

Are you still implying that you are a teacher at Southwest by calling the 16-year old a student? You've got too much hate in your heart for a teacher of children.

"For the first time in quite a few years schools that are predominately free and reduced lunch students have teacher positions filled due to Mission Possible." If you are a teacher, you need to learn someting about using the English language. This sentence construction is terrible.

I am a Central parent who knows both Debbie Maines and Garth. I think both of them could do very good work for district 2 schools.

I have to agree, however, with the endorsements of the news media. Garth has the edge. I believe that he is more equipped to support District 2 and in the main at my local school High Point Central with its wonderful Principal Revonda Johnson. In my opinion Revonda needs the support of a strong Board member to continue the improvements that she has made. Garth's business experience will also be a great help to the rest of the board.

Its going to be close and either way we will be better off than we are today than Susan Mendenhall who has hardly ever been at Central.
I think that the people on this blog need to stop fighting and come together looking forward to have a distrct 2 member that will unite our district instead of dividing it.

Our children deserve it.

Grier does lie, here's the evidence:

"You'll have 'World-class Schools'...I don't see them.

"Jamestown will have a new school"...it was taken OFF the bond list AFTER the bond vote.

"We have to redistrict High Point because Southwest is over-crowded"....he sends MORE kids to Southwest.

"We need a 9th grade Academy at Central, it will benefit the transition for them"...he takes it away because he now envisions a cooking school.

I could go on and on but it simply makes me sick.

Yes, I agree with the 16 yr. old AND the 4th grader! Grier lies AND he's MEAN!

CentralParent,

I believe that I can speak for parents of the Southwest area, and say that we are in total agreement with everything that you just said. I know Garth Hebert, and everything that was said by Real Truth is garbage. Garth cares as much about Central students and parents as those of Southwest. For that matter, he cares about the children and their parents throughout the county, and he wants this school district to serve their educational needs.

Do you think maybe the reason this thread quickly left the issue raised about the Bush administrations ministrations is because most people on this blog would be perfectly happy with utterly segregated schools...again?

Freddy,

Where do your kids attend school?

My child will be attending the school where my wife works, Brooks Global, which is a very integrated school, both because it is a magnet and because the neighbors who are allowed to sign up tend to want an integrated education. The very idea of the "global studies", in fact, is to foster understanding across cultures, even learning languages including but beyond only English as early as possible. I think Brooks also had one of the highest scores on AYPs among elementary schools this past year. That said, it is not perfect, of course. but the level of parent voluntarism is very high (I have done a bit, but will be getting more involved as my child attends).