News-Record.com

Add to this the stabbings at our school last week.
When is the school board going to do something about getting these thugs out of our schools?

Quote

"LaRocco, a 23-year teaching veteran, said he's seen in increase in problems among students with behavioral and emotional problems as the school system has moved more of those students into the general population".

Morgan, what does "moved more of those students into the general population" mean?

HP Central parent,

What stabbings? I haven't seen anything in the paper about that. Can you tell us what happened?

Quest,
It has probably been hidden away by Grier and Co. We have a school board that wants to hide the real goings on in schools from parents. We are one step away from a disaster.

Agreed.
Problems with gangs have been atrocious, but it has constantly been swept under the rug.

In each article, every mention of a gang is followed up with some "expert" that declares it a minor problem.
Well, that "expert" is not in the schools watching children get beaten half to death while others hang up their futures.

Three kids stabbed. One or two in intensive care.

As horrible as these incidents are, we need to remember that the perpetrators are going to be with us for a very long time to come. These crimes deserve serious punishment, but the punishment won't last forever. We need to find some way to reach these adolescents and turn them around. If we don't, we'll be paying for many, many years.

Dave,

Agreed. That's why I feel we need alternative schools for both middle and high school students.

A second gun was found on a student at our
high school...I understand not blowing things
out of proportion...

but how much danger are we putting our kids in...

My son said you could just wear the wrong color to school and rub a gang member the wrong way......

Punishment:
Shipping them to IRAQ comes to mind...........
use them to locate car bombs...
if they survive ...I bet it changes them!!!

There wasn't a stabbing at Central last week. There was a stabbing in High Point near Central but it didn't happen on school property. The victim wasn't a student at Central. Don't know who the assailant was. Point being it was violence but not related to school. The schools cannot be held accountable to every incident that happens to school age children any more than they should be held accountable for the weather.

As for the teacher beating, that's horrible. Nevertheless, we don't know the student's history. We don't know if he has a violent past. We cannot judge the school system's policy based on this incident. We cannot assume that there is a pattern.

Finally, I hpoe the teacher fully recovers and I'm certain the offending stdent will be dealt with by the law.

Parent,

When you say a second gun was found at your high school, which high school?

As a veteran teacher, this community better wake up. Our schools have become a flat out dangerous place. There is so much pressure from the powers that be that students are getting very small punishments for very serious crimes. Acts of violence, theft, drug use, ect. are daily occurances in high schools here. The students that care are having their educations damaged as we cater to kids who have no business in our schools at all. I just don't understand it. By the way, teaching is my job and I love it, but my child will never step foot on campus of a Guilford County High or Middle School.

Jennifer, Morgan:

Do you know anything about another gun being found at a GCS high school? If it's true, can you find out if it was reported to the state? There are rumors that violent incidents are not being reported to the state because doing so might result in the school being deemed "persistently dangerous". Per NCLB, once a school acquires that designation, students can opt out to other schools.

If you look at the state statistics on violent incidents, the numbers look much lower than one would expect.

My daughter saw the the gangs in the car park at Central at end of school 3.30 pm. The actual fight took place somewhere else. A couple of the gang members that were hurt were from Central and Ferndale. One is definitely seriously wounded.

I think Morgan should investigate.

Jim, I agree. If my child were starting a middle school or high school in Guilford County, I would insure that she would be in private school. I would do whatever it would take, live in a tent or move if I had to. She is counting the days to graduation.

Our schools are not safe. It’s a shame when a student has to avoid certain hallways so they are not harassed or threatened for being “white” or avoid going to the bathroom all day for fear of getting jumped. What is it going to take for our school leaders to wake up and face the reality of what is going on. Teachers should have control in our schools, not the thugs or gangs. The problems are only getting worse. Students with borderline behavior issues see others getting way with drug deals, assaults, threats so the numbers are only growing. The thugs are in control and they know it.

Dave, I don’t believe the teacher that was injured is concerned about the underlying causes of this adolescent’s behavior. If someone has that much rage at 15, they should not be in public school. If the “pipeline to prison” is shortened, so be it. Whatever happened to Reform School? We parents are at the point that they we are not concerned about changing these adolescents’ behavior. We would rather pay in taxes for juvenile detention centers than to have our children to school fearing for their safety. First you have to remove the immediate danger to make our schools safe again. Next you can try to reform some of these adolescents. But for most of them, something drastic would have to happen to make them change by the time they reach their teens. Regardless, there must be alternative settings for these adolescents. No one should ever be allowed to hit a teacher or threaten them.

Why would this SE teacher who was assaulted ever want to step in that school again? Can you imagine the embarrassment and mental anguish he would feel from being attacked.

It is time our leaders face what is really going on with our schools, admit it and deal with it.

Wake up, your dead on....Bottom line is that I'm done talking about it. Until teachers can stand up and say NO to teaching in absolute awful environments and parents wake up and take a stand against sending their kids to school with known gang members and violent members of society, nothing will change. Much easier said then done as I can't even post my real name for fear of being fired. This county would much rather look good than be good, but there is only so much covering up that can be done with the stuff that is starting to become commonplace in our schools.

35% of kids that start High school drop out before they finish. They drop out even in our most sucessful schools. Grimsly for instance has one of the highest drop out rates in the County. These kids, I suppose, feel that they dont fit in. They refuse to be welcome. Who knows? GCS continues to try and ram a square pin in a round hole. One size fits all. Its not good for anyone. Its not good for the kids or teachers who are having there classes disrupted and its not good for the distruptive kid either.

We need some out of the box thinking.

Jim,

Sooner or later the coverups will be exposed. I guess they are waiting for a teacher or student to get shot. How will they not report that in the state records?

Amos Quick has stated he wants to know the truth of what's going on. We will see if he can handle the truth? And if so, how will he handle it? He has a daughter in the system so he has much at stake.

Thank you for teaching....and certain people have the nerve to ask why some people can't post their real names. Believe me. We understand.

I know that some schools have more trouble than others. However, I wanted Jim to know that I teach at a middle school, and I love our school. We have a good staff who get along well. Our students are a good cross section of ethnicity and free/reduced lunch. Sure, we have some kids who get in trouble, but they're not the majority. For them, we teachers can make a difference.

Central Parent and other Chicken Littles (the sky is falling),

Stop spreading false rumors. One boy was stabbed away from school. The kids didn't even attend the same schools. It was gang related but it was a neighborhood thing and had nothing to do with school. The fact that the altercation may have moved into the parking lot at Central but then moved away from the campus indicates that the gang members knew to take their stupidity eleswhere. The school did an excellent job of keeping the school safe.

The victim had been a problem in school (no surprize, turns out he was in a street gang) but his behavior so far had not warranted expulsion from school so unless one has a crystal ball and can see the future an alternative school would not have made a difference in this incident. What did make a difference was intervention by school administrators. Hats off to the School resource officer and principals who enforced school discipline preventing it from being a school incident. We should be congratulating our school administrators not blaming them.

You Grier critics always are so one sided an quick to blame the schools. I bet when you sneeze you say "Grier" instead of Achooo! Your glass is always half empty..Shame on you!

The Real Truth

Truth,

I am not spreading rumors. YOu have thanked the school admin yourself here for preventing it. We love our daughters school but worry about our kids safety. Why are you concerned in the real truth being told?

The Real Truth,
We have gangs on our school and they are coming to our schools with weapons (9 MM)to pick up their members...

This is real...are we going to deny this until a student is killed on campus....

I do not blame Grier or anyone else but us for allowing this in our society and neighborhoods...
The neighborhoods are where this is coming from...

The question is how do we deal with it. Sliding the number of weapons on students on campus under the rug is denial....

I do not want to use my name because of fear of
retribution from the administation on my child or
by members of the Crypts/Bloods.

Drive-by shootings happen. This is reality. This is the real truth. The school administrators and SROs can't stop a bullet from crossing through the air to "school property". It's only a matter of time.

This happened the past year in a public high school 3 blocks from where I grew up. This particular area was once very safe but the drive-by was from a gang member targeting a student walking out of the building. Next the gang went in the victim's neighborhood and shot his parents.
My brother and sister both graduated from this school years ago. It makes them both sad that metal detectors are at their alma mater. But this is the reality of today's violent society in our schools.

The administrative needs to tell the truth, be proactive and aggressive to keep the gangs and violence OUT of our schools.

I do not blame Grier for the gangs either. But I am tired of the "do not suspend" policy to make the number of black males being suspended look better. Whether a child is black, yellow, white, spotted, or striped if school rules are broken he needs to be OUT. I am tired of telling my child be careful in the parking lot and "stay with the group" always. I am tired of our schools not being safe.

A few years ago there was talk of putting metal detectors in our schools. I suppose that wouldn't look very good on the million dollar ad campaign by Action Greensboro to attract business here. But when the guns start appearing more and more in our schools and someone is fatally shot, no ad campaign will hide that.

I agree with tired, for I've been teaching for nearly 30 years, and the downward trend in behavior has accelerated in recent years. When all the little indignities--talking back, being surly constantly, not paying attention, etc.--are allowed to become the norm in a school, it sets a tone of permissiveness that makes schooling very difficult to carry out. In many young people's minds these days, letting them get away with the little stuff for a period of time means that eventually they will try to get away with bigger stuff later on until there is a major confrontation and someone gets severely hurt.

To my mind, the only way things can get back to normal is for administrators, from the top down to the building level, to treat all faculty and staff with utmost dignity and respect. The major way to do this is to insist that all students do the same. Good manners and respect are not the purview of any ethnic or cultural group, and while schools really are not responsible for what happens out in the neighborhoods, they can take a stand and be very clear and insistent about what is acceptable from 8-4 in each school.

It's always been interesting to me that when there is a school that's a major disaster and in despair they bring in someone to "clean up" or "straighten things around" that the reformer usually demands, and gets, two things. First, they insist on complete control over hiring and firing, for they know that assembling the right faculty and staff is crucial. Second, they demand total control over discipline AT THEIR SCHOOL and are willing to stand up to whomever stands in the way of getting the school back where it belongs. Then, invariably, after the school is back to getting on with the business of teaching and learning, those two empowerments are taken away . . . with the common result that the school slowly cycles back into awfulness.

I can't speak for other teachers, but I suspect that many of them who have been around the block more than a few times feel, as I do, that most of the joy and fun I felt when I started out has been eroded away over the years. And sadly, I think it has for many of our children, too.

On a slightly different note, here is a reasoned editorial that appeared today in the HPE. It relates to this discussion because it also shows how Grier and his people always stonewall on school matters important to us the citizens. Just like Mission Possible success, or lack thereof, discipline problems in the schools are being covered-up in a dangerous manner. Like Tired said, I don't blame Grier for the develoment of gangs, but by covering their existence and activies up, he empowers them. RT, this is the HPE in High Point, not the Rhino. Where is the News-Record on reporting on these things and asking hard questions? You not only have to ask the questions, but follow-up on and challenge the non-answers. C'mon News-Record, everyone is taking notice of your lack of investigative reporting. Grier and his people need to be challenged. Still, you got to admit that Jill Wilson earns her hourly payr. She makes a great screen for Grier preventing the public getting information to which it is entitled. It's even better when you realize that it is our tax dollars that pay her to do it.

OUR VIEW ---
Guilford Schools withholds public information

One would think that getting general, no�name information about the Guilford County Schools Mission Possible program would be a slam dunk.
But, as often is the case with GCS, such informa�tion does not flow freely. The GCS Board of Educa�tion, administration and, particularly their attorney seem to delight in doing much of the public�s busi�ness in private.

Such is the case with the Mission Possible pro�gram. None of the above want to share how many teachers have been hired, what the turnover rate has been for Mission Possible teachers, how much has been awarded or will be awarded this school term for teachers in the Mission Possible program, how well is the process going and whether it should be contin�ued, expanded or ditched. All that is general informa�tion that the board and administration, encouraged rather than restricted by the school board attorney Jill Wilson, should provide willingly to taxpayers who are footing the bill for the program.
Reporters who have asked for this information have been stonewalled under the pretense that it is personnel information when, in fact, most reporters haven�t asked for names to be attached to any of the information.

Amanda Martin, attorney for the North Carolina Press Association told The Rhinoceros Times, �You have a right to it (the general information sought) if it is in cumulative, aggregate fashion that doesn�t identify specific people.� Ergo the slam dunk refer�ence. But, oh no. Those of us deemed smart enough by the school board and administration to sign the checks for our tax bills aren�t to be trusted with gen�eral information about the programs our tax dollars are supporting. Hence, getting information about Mission Possible, sold as one of the tools to helping improve the education climate in the Guilford Coun�ty schools that need it most, has become Mission Im�possible.

The play on words has come back to bite us all.

"it was a neighborhood thing and had nothing to do with the school" RT

and you question why people do not want their children forcebly bused to "the hood" to help Dot's neighborhood... p l e a s eeeeeee

Stormy,
I'm not sure what you are referencing as it pertains to investigative journalism, but concerning Mission Possible, Grier said in the same board meeting that he would make a report available to the public (after Jeff Belton requested this). We feel no need to belabor the closed meeting issue because we at the paper anticipate getting the information we need to inform the public about Mission Possible's progress (we did so last year when we ran a story on how many MP teachers had been hired). If the board wants to talk about individual teachers in a closed meeting, that is on them. The appropriate question here is did members of the public or the media request this information in a format that meets the public records law and was it denied to them? The second question is did school officials plan to give the public information on Mission Possible or not? Given that the school year is not yet finished, it might be premature to say what the district did or did not plan to do.

Stormy,

Mission Possible is a big sucess! It may not seem that way to to you because your focus is on SW which is a segregated middle class school. If you had any idea what challenges schools impacted with high poverty rates faced staffing teacher positions you would see what a success Mission Possible has been. I'm not saying that all these schoools will pass AYP because of it but having a qualified teacher at the school (something they didn't have before Mission Possible) is at least a start. As usual you only care about your own and not the good of all.

Parent, How in the Heck Do you know about all these 9MM pistols are in cars picking up kids? I think you are making nutty, unfounded statements. You are just making judgements about safety on your own irrational fear of poor people. You have no real evidence about guns. You are ridiculas!

Gang violence is a serious problem but I think the last crime statistics I've seen show that violent crime is down not up. (I'm sure Numbers Game can offer us some insite).

PLEEASSe,

I don't live in Dot's neighborhood but I can assure you I don't want racists like you in my neighborhood!

The Real Truth

R.T.,

Where is the evidence that Mission Possible is a big success? We'd all like to see it. As a matter of fact, that is the point of the HPE editorial. We haven't seen it. And, who's fault was it that these schools didn't have qualified teachers before? That's the superintendent's job for which he gets paid a king's ransom.

And, would you get a new line? Calling people racist all of the time is getting old.

Morgan, your response seems to validate my observation. Two other newspapers have made statements about being stonewalled on Mission Possible information, and you seem to be satisfied that you'll get the information...some day. Going and gettinng information for your readers is what investigative journalism is all about.

Real Truth,

I know the 9mm gun which was actually in the pants of the "black" student not in the car is real because I saw the officer putting the student in the back of the patrol car.

The officer told me why he was being arrested and showed me the gun!!!

The report is on the Guilford County Sheriff website and is reported giving the street address of the school and it is listed as a concealed weapon!!

No one said the student was poor..
but he was black and is a member of an
all black gang!!

Morgan,

One other observation about the lack of information on Mission Possible. As I understand it, members of the board asked for aggregated information on results of Mission Possible in a budget session, and they were told that information would be considered personnel information and could not be shared in open session. Further, that Jill Wilson said that the information could not be made avialable to the public for that reason. So, no I guess that a FOIA request wasn't made at the time, but are you suggesting that is what should have to happen to get information from this public institution?

It may be that information will be leaked out at some future time, but the point is that it is important, now. This is a budget component, and the public has a right to know what is being accomplished with this money, especially if Grier wants his budget approved. When public officials request hundreds of millions of dollars in funding, and won't provide information on the need for it, I get suspicious. We may be able to pull the information out of Grier with FOIA requests eventually, but it wil likley be incomplete and too late. If Grier had good news to report on this project, I have no doubt that he would be writing a column in the News-Record, bragging o it. His silence is telling.

Surely, the people at the News-Record understand this. It's their taxes as well.

Real Truth or whatever you call yourself. Why do you call anyone who posts on here names like Grier hater, racist or worse? It seems to me that the most ignorant poster on this forum is plain and simply you.

Where is it against the law to question the education of our children? If we were not questioning then what would there be to discuss. There would be no blog. How would things improve?

I very rarely post on here but read these blogs quite frequently and have always found them full of quite useful information.

I am now just totally fed up with you. Please go away or start to make constructive criticsm preferably with facts and with no name calling. If you cant do that then please dont bother to post.

Thank God my children are grown.

It's time. Sadly.
Martial Law.
Brings stability and control.
From there discipline and improvement.

Not a nice thought ( martial law ) is it.

How did we get here?
Why do some still continue to fool themselves?

Striving, Achieving Excelling?

Our business community spent half a million dollars on this slogan.

Next we will drop Mission Possible For Mission Accomplished.

Half a million buys a lot support people.
Enforcement,Social services, Mental therapy
However slogans are easy.

RT,

FYI, I hate to burst your bubble. But many of us who post here suggested a plan just like Mission Possible several years ago for Andrews. One of the persons who posts here was told by the Chairman of the School Board that no amount of money would get a teacher to Andrews. Now all of a sudden VOILA! Mission Possible! This is not a new idea. Coincidently it came about after pressures from NCLB laws. If we were told that "no amount of money" could get teachers to certain schools, why all of a sudden will money get teachers to certain schools?

FYI also SW is NOT a segregated middle class school. Check the numbers. You make accusations with no facts to support your imagination.

Many people post here. You don't know everyone. I agree with Dave. Quit calling people names. You don't even know these posters. Say something constructive for a change.

I would rather be called a "racist" because I know it's not true than have my child shot on campus. Name calling goes away and means nothing coming from someone like you; lethal bullet holes remain. You can call me a "racist" every day if that makes you feel better somehow. But my child will stay safe.

Parent,

Thank you for that explanation. I heard a similar story from a friend whose son goes to Central. I guess now you are a "racist" because you said "black gang".

AMOS Q ARE YOU READING THIS? What are you doing to help black males in gangs? Listening to Deena talk about schools and SROs not suspending and/or
arresting black males will not solve the problem. The problem remains only other students have to endure being surrounded by this type of violent behavior. Once again, WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO REALLY HELP THE SOURCE OF THE PROBLEM? What are black parents doing to help their own situation?

You can call me racist if you want because I know it is not true. I do not hate anyone because of their skin color.

The truth is the fact that there are certain gangs in Greensboro that only allow "black" members into the gang?

If anyone of another race tries to immitate them or act like they are a part of the gang they are ...
let me correct that...
they have been jumped at our school.

Truth...gang members carry razors, guns and sell
drugs in Guilford County Schools
Truth...gang members are cowards that must jump
people from behind with three to one odds
Truth...our students, teachers, and SRO officers
can give you the names of every gang member
in every school
Truth...No one wants to hear it!!!

I feel sorry for young black males that are being faced with the moral and fearful dilemma to identify with the "all black gang" at our school.

They face harassment and intimidation for not doing so. If you look at BET or MTV on television at the "gangster" type of profiles that are being glorified for these young men, you will see that we are supporting and promoting this sterotype, especially the African American community.

Why don't we show more images of young black males
as astronauts, teachers, principals, scientists, preachers, fathers, or marines? The only options that are highly promoted and advertised are athletes or gang bangers.

This is a fact and as long as we as parents and citizens allow our commissioners and board of education to sweep this under the rug it is going to get worse.

FACTS:
The CRYPTS at our school IS an all black gang..
and are identified by the way they dress and act
They carry razors in their bandanas

The SUR 13 gang is an all hispanic gang......
that likes to spray paint our property like
cowards trying to claim their territory...

Ask the Guilford County Maintenance department employees how many weekends they spend power washing off the sides of our buildings to remove their graffiti!!!!!

They will not tell you....but I saw them doing it!
WAKE UP GUILFORD COUNTY PARENTS !!
We have to take back control of our schools...

In order to take back control of our schools a very clear and resounding message must be sent this year to the School Board.

NO NEW BONDS as long as the current Board includes Dot Kearns, Dr. Childs, etc. Then with enough votes on the School Board something can be done about the "hired help."

The current "hired help" is not capable of managing the taxpayers' funds and there are still not enough votes on the School Board to make the tough decisions.

P L E A S EEEEE -

I am indeed reading this and am energized by the fact that so many are concerned about this issue. As several members of the BOE have stated, it is the number one issue that concerns us as a district.

I also appreciate the opportunity to tell you about some of the things that are happening to address the issues of student achievement, gangs, etc. that I am blessed by God to be a part of. To answer your question of what am I personally doiing to help, I should first let you know that I began working with and for youth in September 1986 while still a student at UNC Wilmington.

As many of you know, I am the Executive Director of the 6 unit Salvation Army Boys & Girls Clubs of Greensboro. Annually we provide services to over 1,300 youth and their families. 4 of our 6 units are located on property managed by the Greensboro Housing Authority. "The projects," or low-income housing, or whatever people choose to call it. I simply see it as where some of our children live.

Recently our organization joined a citywide effort of more than 30 agencies - including the Dept. of Juvenile Justice, the District Attorney's office, the Dept. of Social Services, Youth Focus, the YWCA, the Black Child Development Institute and many others - called the HOPE Project. Our mission is to "establish a community-wide focus on youth through coordinating a system of outreach and agency collaboration." Our specific emphasis is on youth who are either already gang-involved or have been identified as "gang wannabees."

I also am a member of the MENTORS program at Dudley High School that was recently co-founded by "Skip" Alston that matches young men up with male role models and provides scholarships and internships to program participants.

The Black Child Development Institute of Greensboro continues to offer a program entitled the MLK Violence Prevention and Leadership Institute for youth ages 13 - 18 who have been identified as needing positive guidance and conflict-resolution skills. This is a program I developed while an employee of that agency in the mid 1990's.

This June The Salvation Army Boys & Girls Clubs will offer a similar Leadership Institute for youth ages 14 - 18 that I will convene and facilitate. We would appreciate all donations to this effort.

Although I could go on I will stop here because I don't want to sound full of pride, or boastful, but I hope you get the point that this is indeed a lifetime investment for me. I was doing this work long before I was on the school board and, God willing, I will be doing it long after.

I am assuming from your question "What are black parents doing to help their own situation?" that you must not know many black parents. In the long time that I have been engaged in youth development work, I have never had one black parent come up to me and say, "You know, Mr. Quick, I want my child to be in a gang." I would caution you about making broad generalizations about "black parents." Being one myself, and being friends with many others, I would answer your question by saying that black parents,like any other parents, are striving to provide their children with a better life than they had, the best way that they know how.

Black parents are working hard and dreaming big dreams for their children. But anyone who is a parent would know that sometimes, despite our best efforts, our children do things that are totally opposite of what we have taught them and it breaks our hearts. Some white parents know that feeling just as well as some black parents. And neither Hispanic parents nor Asian parents are immune from that feeling. That's why we as a community have to be engaged in and care about what happens to each of our children.

That many children get involved with things like gangs and mischevious behavior is not simply a black thing, no matter what your television tells you. It is a societal thing. And we as adults in this society - the black ones and the white ones and all others - have to band together to save our children - the black ones and the white ones and all others.

The black community is well aware that there exists many issues to be addressed with/about our children. But you should not be so pompous to think that because you don't hear about it, means it must not be happening. There isn't enough room on this thread for me to list for you the agencies and individuals in the black community that are fighting the good fight and improving their community.

Sometimes this discussion gets so silly and counterproductive when the issue turns to who is a racist and who isn't. Or what the black people are doing with their children versus what the white people are are doing. That's not the question of our time. The true question is: Who is willing to look past the barriers that exist in our community and help our children?

The truth is that children of all races and socioeconomic groups are in need of our guidance now more than ever before. Their is a national crisis brewing regarding the education of males in America. Not just black males or just white males or just Hispanic males. But males, period.

I read many threads on this board and am always amused at how issues as important as the safety and success of our students delve into personal attacks.

This Board of Education and this school system and the children of our county need people committed to improving this county beyond their own familiars.

We don't have one child to waste.

That should read "There is a national crisis..." instead of "Their is a national crisis..."

Mr Quick, I appreciate your comments. The question I have to you is what are your feelings about discipline in our schools?

Last week my bothers son, who is at Ragsdale, witnessed the following:

There was a fire drill at the school and as the children lined up two boys walked up behind another and tapped him on the shoulder. When he turned around one of the two boys hit him in the face.

These boys were both in school the next day!!!!

This is happenning everyday. If we dont discipline these kids are we not authorising them to do it again?

The gentleman under your employment, Mr Quick, seems to be ready and willing to hide this away. Is he not sending these children the wrong message?

This is a crisis that we must attack on all fronts, the social side and also on the disciplne side before we lose control.

Mr Quick, What is the school board going to do about the hundreds if not thousands of children per day who are having their classes disrupted or better still, their educations ruined by disruptive students?

As you say "we cant have one child to waste".

And one more question:

What about the unwritten rule from the GCS administration to lower the suspension rate this year - no matter what - even if it means returning disruptive and violent students back to the classroom?

As a parent of a student at a middle school in SW High Point my child comes home and tells me horror stories. Gang writings on the walls in the boys bathrooms, 6th graders bringing condoms to school and to top it off 7th graders having sex in the boys bathroom. I am not sure if they were disciplined or not. I have heard the teachers have given up making office referrals because they know nothing will be done. Some of the worst offenders are said to be out of OSS. What does that mean? Are they back in my child's room for the rest of the year causing trouble and not allowing the rest to learn? What can we do to get rid of the kids that are causing trouble. There is no respect any more.

Mr. Quick,

May I ask you a question? What happened to the Amos Quick that first came onto the school board full of energy, passion and fight? What I see now does not seem to be the same man. I herby ask you to become the man that you once were. Don’t settle for mediocrity. Be true to yourself, make a difference on this board!

Mr Quick,

At one time concerning SRO's you indicated that your
boys and girls clubs do quitr well without them.

I assume this means less problems.

If so why and how is this accomplished.

Thats a starting point.
What do you know that the school systems doesn't?

Are you getting the same cross section of kids.
Are you seeing a screended group ( school is mandatory clubs aren't )?

Fair question?

Mr Quick, I am a Grimsley parent. I completely with you. As a community we must do all we can to make sure we do not lose children. At the same time I agree with many of the other posters here. We cannot sacrifice the many for the few. There needs to be another way. Our classrooms should have no place for disruptive children. Its the Board of Education plus Dr Grier and not the community that sets the standard here. The community wants discipline. The board of Education wants forgiveness but offers no solution.

Its time for the BOE to step up.

Mr. Quick,

I know a lot about you and your work with our youth. I applaud those efforts. Asking what black parents were doing to help their own was a rhetorical question? (mostly in refernce to what we see on MTV and the rap music we hear) At least you admit that there are problems in our society and much work needs to be done. We hear Deena saying "let's not place blame. we must reduce our black male suspensions. we must reduce the pipeline to prison"

We would ALL like to do that but how? The starting point is admitting there IS a problem, not blaming the SROs for doing their jobs. It sounds from your resume that much of your work is in Greensboro? Do have you have any plans in place or know of any to help the youths of High Point? Forced busing has made our schools worse. Children are angry about being bused out of their familiar surroundings.

Off subject, but kind of on the subject...regarding the comments Imus made a few weeks ago, they were wrong, racist IMO and he should have been fired. Our media has gone too far with what is acceptable. I totally agree with "Parent" above. Why can't we promote more positive role models for our youth? MTV and the music industry only glories violence and trashes the image of black women.

You are making a broad assumption about me. Yes, I do have many black friends, Asia friends and white friends. We all love our children, worry about them and want the best for them. but above all one major priority is we want to send our children out the door to school and know they are safe, that we aren't sending them into a war zone. We want the troublemakers, no matter what color, out of the regular classrooms. We cannot afford to waste any child's education which is happening now because of all the discipline problems. As some have mentioned, teachers just quit doing referrals because nothing is done. The same troublemakers return.

The issue you need to address as a board member if you truly care about ALL our children is what are we doing to restore respect and discipline in our schools? We are losing wonderful teachers who do care about children, ALL children, but they just can't take it anymore. Look at the teacher who was attacked at SE, a veteran teacher. You cannot replace seasoned teachers with inexperienced ones and obtain the same results. These teachers wouldn't have lasted this long if they didn't love teaching and wanting to make a difference.

We are just failing the children that don't follow the rules of society, if there are no consequences. This just reinforces that violent behavior is acceptable, that nothing will be done.

We applaud your efforts with your youth groups. But we want SAFE SCHOOLS. Please help.

FYI

Amos has the FIRE back and is looking for common ground solutions that will work and community buy-in and support. He has my full support in this effort and he is under the gun with a self imposed deadline. This is a gut wrenching issue as thorny as a rose bush and as smelly as a skunk. You cannot address this issue without getting cuts and bruises and the name calling and results will be as difficult to remove as a skunks spray.

It takes Real Truth and Real Guts to take on the job and he is looking for one and already has the other. It is a key issue in our schools and he has chosen to lead the way. It is as great an accolade as one could hope that so many of us on the Board who wanted to address the issue in a much more aggressive manner would give Amos a chance at addressing the issue his way.

My personal view is we have little time to address a big problem. It is not the School Board that has created the problem and the main culprits will not address the issue, therefore there is little hope for what I would call a satisfactory outcome.

I saw the migration of the Barrios from Los Angeles to San Diego, along with the evolution of the Hoods into territories as well. The worst occurred when the Gangs went race to race. They evolved into formal organized crime units requiring initiation rites of maiming and murder. We are so very far from this right now and many of our so called gang members could well find themselves murdered or maimed if real gang members came along.

I have little doubt that we shall see this at the end of this decade or very shortly into the next. Can it be stopped? I do not know, but it will not be solved by a School Board. If City Counsels, County Commissioners, Law Enforcement, Criminal Justice and State Prisons do not sit at the same table with the little School Board, put skin color aside and address the issue in a mature purposeful manner, then there will not be a solution. Black, white Hispanic and Asian parents all fear these gangs. Name calling is a childish waste of hot air and is time for Real People with Real Work to approach this problem.

For those of you hypothecating what is happening, good luck. The Real Truth is much worse than most could imagine and not likely to get much better soon. Running away doesn’t solve the problem. It is not confined to schools, so private school or home schooling is just a way to bury ones head in sand. I left it 25 years ago, but alas it has come here as well. Wipe out institutionalized poverty and maybe you have a shot at it, but I reserve the right to doubt even that. When a gang member breaks into your gated community home and kills a member of your family for an initiation ritual or a few dollars you will find that the private school, the electronic gate, the best part of town and the expensive burglar alarm were all just grains of sand allowing you to bury your head. This is not a School Issue alone.

I believe sincerely that tolerance of excessive classroom misbehavior has far and exceeded civilized levels. Teachers need relief, students need relief and one of the greatest gifts of civilized society, discipline, must again find a way into our schools! Sadly we have reached a point where excessive tolerance of the few has now jeopardized the many and we must find common ground fast! The dumbing down and tolerance now part of our school policy is as detrimental in many ways as the violence and the gangs.

In ending, sadly, we as a society chose to bury our heads, fixing a problem taking decades to create will not be easy. It is a nation wide problem, yet our papers say nary a word. We allow and tolerate obfuscation, misinformation and non-response. Yes the school administration is great at managing the press and deserves the repercussions from attempting to do so improperly and excessively. Hold us accountable! Please also hold all your elected officials accountable! Get involved, please get involved. Last, where is the press? Sadly, they are managed and should be chastised most of all. In this good ole boy world they are controlled by what some perceive as best for us and few will fight to read between the lines.

Rome burns and the press report an increase of pollutants in the air.

Garth/Amos. Two good men.

We the citizens of Guilford County trust in you to bring back discipline to our schools. I am sorry but social problems aside it does no one, repeat no one any good whatsoever to perpetuate the current situation in our classrooms.

The school Board has the responsibility to pressure Dr Grier to bring us back to basics!

Discipline = Learning environment

Just do it!

...but didn't Amos recently vote to continue busing High Point children based on the color of their skin? Black and white! I'm not sure he is the one that can "lead the way" or that he really has the "FIRE" that it will take to solve problems with this kind of outdated thinking.

Sorry. I think he's a nice guy and could be a great role model but that NO vote was very telling.

IMO, He must of had good reasons for that. I still think he is a good man. I guess I am just a optimist but I feel that Amos imspte of what one previous poster had said is still a man for change.

I hate it but I have to agree with Dave. Amos seems to talk tough but when it is time to vote he disappoints me.

I haven't given up on him. We need him!! I hope I am a believer soon.

Garth/Amos, Thanks for posting.

Disruptive behaviour is like a disease. Once it starts even kids that might normally behave will join in. You have to stop as soon as it rears its ugly head. How many good kids are getting into trouble because of the few that do not fit into a normal school setting? Think about it! PLEASE!!!!!!!

My no vote was not a yes vote in favor of continued bussing.

My voting record has shown that I am indeed in favor of neighborhood schools. I made a point to participate in a meeting last year via telephone from Florida just so I could vote to begin to end what I saw as broken system in High Point.

It is very difficult to judge a person by one vote.

Over the past 10 years I have made it clear and will repeat here - I favor neighborhood schools. However, in order to achieve that we have to fix a lot of our schools in a lot of ways.

I dont like to open the High Point discussion because I think District 2 is finally at peace with the school Board and now we need to focus all energy into improving all schools.
I have to say one thing though. In the last seven years Smith and Dudley have NEVER scored better than High Point Central and up until the school year of 2003/2004 Smith and Dudley had NEVER scored better than Andrews. The focus of the school board should never have been High Point alone.
Now I am done and I want to say that I firmly believe that the future of our schools is bright when we have you, Mr Quick, on the school Board.
Thankyou for all that you do.

Discipline by what, the rod? Continuous suspensions? Why not simply incarcerate from the earliest signs of violence, before anyone gets really hurt?

The schools echo the society. The violence is often bourne out after living in stridently disruptive environments in the home and neighborhood. Look at the crime statistics and domestic disturbance issues across the cities and parts of the counties.
Do the maps correlate with the schools where the problems are highest?

What exactly is the kind of discipline anyone here would suggest?

Jim, first of all. Do you think its ok for an often-small group of kids to interrupt/disrupt the learning environment?

If you say no then what do you suggest to stop it?

This is a really good dicussion and I would like to thank Garth and Amos for being part of it.

About High Point: I believe that its best to take decisions based on facts and not the Dot Kearns irrational non fact based feelings.

Now about discipline. Society does not let crimes go unpunished so if our schools echo society then there must be punishment for inappropriate behaviour. Its obvious to me that we are losing more kids because of a few. We need to make a choice. Try and save 1 percent and lose 50% or do something else with that 1%. Simple.
Mr Langer, I agree with Dave. You make circular arguments. Let us know your solution.

I too want to thank the BOE members for listening and becoming a part of this discussion.
Behavior issues are as diverse as our children in the schools. I see many children act out continually. A few are just frustrated by being so far behind their peers and to make sure no one knows that they can't read etc, they disrupt and get attention, negative; but still its attention.
Some just don't belong in a normal school setting. Their parents never taught them how to act properly, what is acceptable in a normal society. Some are now hoodlums. They need a different setting.

I also don't think that PBS works in a middle school/high school setting. We have done PBS for two years, and here is what really happens. Not what we want to happen. Teachers give tickets when a child is caught doing something right, following the rules. Then twice a week some tickets are chosen and those kids get a 'prize.' Most kids don't get tickets EVER-- they are the kids that always do the right thing. The teachers give a ticket to a child that has issues, when.. yes! They followed the rules for 10 minutes. Then if their name is choosen for the prize, they come to the office to get their prize. Ask them why they are in the office... they have NO IDEA. Their are entitlement issues. They deserve a prize for following the rules. If it worked that would be great, but I have seen no improvement in the overall behavior of the small percentage that you are trying to reach. The majority follow the rules daily and never get rewarded.

I think rules need to be simple and easily enforceable. There should be no favoritism. All children are treated the same; no matter their sex or color. The difference should be on the infractions, not who does the infraction.

Teachers have to buy into the plan, and administrators have to back them up. I have heard from many, many teachers that just don't send referrals because they aren't backed up by administrators. Then it is a double whammy. The kids know that they can act up because they are no punishments being handed out.

And last, Amos and Garth... no matter what you hear from Dr. Grier; there is pressure to get down the number of suspensions! With that pressure only a very strong principal will continue to do what they think is right, if their numbers don't reflect a downward trend, they get heat. I too want the numbers down, but for the reason that students are following the rules; not just to get the numbers down.

AMEN Debora, Many kids know they are not going to be punished so the bad behaviors go on and on and on and on. They love to go to ISS or even OSS because they dont have to do work. They even act out just to go. Our good kids are suffering. Teachers cant teach any more. You are right it is the same good kids who are getting the rewards. And the administrators have to support the teachers!!!!!

Amos,

I've read your latest post 5 times. I do not understand - please explain. Your vote did not reflect your words.

Actually, I never attempted an argument. I simply asked what specific disciplinary actions people here thought were appropriate. Do we re-institute corporal punishment? Do we have set periods of suspension, after which we transfer the offenders to some specialized school for "troubled" students?

I also made a the statement of schools echoing society's problems; does anyone disagree? If not, is it not possible that we will have to address societal ills and seek broader-based solutions? Or do most of you think schools have just as much a chance to successfully effect changes in violent or disrutive behavior as the environment outside school and the agents of change who might seek to influence the child? Maybe some of you think the churches should get more directly invlved, perhaps even to the point of working hand-in-hand with the schools?

I am not proposing any specifics myself at this point. I am seeking others' opinions. Especially Messrs. Amos and Hebert.

i do believe that having the churches involved has been suggested. I have not seen that happen yet in the High Point schools, if they have I am not aware.

Dear Jim,
I fear that a school system will have very little influence in society as a whole.

I see the school system as a society in itself. Yes, we are part of a larger society; but we have to install the idea that we will have a set standard of appropriate behavior within our society. Anyone that chooses not to live by those standards should be sanctioned. I don't believe in corporal punishment (although back in my time, most kids that got sent to the principals office, got a spanking there and at home and ususally didn't go back often)

I would like to see some of iss be things like copy a page in the dictionary (theymight learn something)- there should be no easy time in ISS, make it hard and miserable so that the child does not think of it as easier than the regular classroom. Have one day where they dig a ditch, one where they separate trash, one where they mop floors etc. These are honorable vocational jobs, jobs that they will qualify for without a HS diploma. Make them WORK! Show them by example that getting a diploma is the smartest thing to do, and to earn that diploma they have to fit into the school society. Just like they will have to do in a work environment.

66 posts of fairly good discussion without anyone calling names.

I wonder why?

Amos,

I agree with Quest. I too have read your last post and it doesn't make sense. You say you are for neighborhood schools, yet you voted to continue the "swap plan". All the redistricting in High Point during the past several years, no matter what it was called, i.e. "choice plan (actually the lottery plan), Swap Plan, etc. has only made our schools worse. We have lost so many great students and families to private schools.

As I have said before many of these kids are so angry for being bused out of their own neighbhoods to a school where they don't want to be. Also their parents should have the first say in what is best for them, not Dot Kearns. I don't think the gangs at HP Central are hanging out at the HP Country Club with the Emorywood crowd. These kids aren't mingling with new kids at their new schools school because they don't see other kids outside their own neighborhoods as Walter Childs suggested that this is their only chance to "meet other kids". The constant turmoil and redistricting of HP has only intensified the behavior problems in our HP schools.

What do you mean by "we have to fix a lot of our schools in a lot of ways"? I agree our schools needs fixed but for all our schools starting with enforing the rules for all students across the board, not covering up problems for the sake of "the numbers", and having strict consequences is a start that must begin NOW.

I believe you and Garth are both good guys. Someone needs to take the lead here and restore order and respect in our schools. We want the violence to end, the drug deals to end, the sex on school grounds, etc. etc. etc. PLEA SSSSSE HELP. We want our principals to be able to enforce all the rules and suspend without getting heat for doing so.

I watched the SRO officer meeting with the board of commissioners and I was not surprised at what I heard on both sides. There is an overall disregard for respect for authorities in our schools and I believe a lot of this comes from home. I know that there are a lot of kids that are given many chances before they are arrested or suspended. However, my son has told me about a student that he believes was not treated fairly and had no recourse. Part of this was because of the students history of past misbehavior.

I think we all want to see change.
What I don't hear is how we can do this?
It is going to take more than the principal, the teacher, and the SRO officers...
They are way outnumbered and do not always have the time to listen to the students and teachers.

I know children that have problems in school and
the problem goes a lot deeper than not wanting to do an assignment in class.

By the way, a couple of kids were caught having oral sex in the gym and were slapped on the hand for skipping class......A year ago this would have
been a suspension...what is going on??

Sex in the Gym.. hormones gone wild! It goes without saying that these kids should have been suspended!

Of course they can't learn when not in school, but the example that sets is entirely wrong.
I remember shadowing.. when a parent was made to come to school and follow their child around for the day. If a parent has to miss work, then there would be consequences at home and this behavior might be fought from both fronts- home and school. The sad fact is in today's society the parents of the worst offenders are usually as much as fault as the students. There is no respect given to the teachers/admins from the parents; so the kids emmulate that attitude. I see it all the time.. how dare you send my child home for wearing a shirt with a beer on the front, or the skirt is too short... or it wasn't my little Susie's fault.

How do we change the attitude of the community? We have to attack this one person at a time. Get the churches involved, get the large corporations to come and mentor and give classes, be lunch buddies etc. Have strong and enforceable rules (and then enforce them) have education classes on proper dress code, manners, common courtesy etc. If we have teachers or admins that are unfairly targeting a group of children due to race then get rid of them. Forget tenur. If you can't do the job, go somewhere else! We already pay the best rate for teachers in the state, we should demand only the best! I bet that each of the posters here can say that there are unqualifed teachers in their schools. Either retrain them or show them the door.
The same for the students. Tell them the standard of behavior that is expected and enforce it. The vast majority will live up to those expectations. A few will make a bad decision, and a very few will repeatedly break the rules. Send them to boot camp/scales/late night school what ever will a) get them out of the regular classroom so that the majority can learn and b)help them learn how to fit in to society, read, write etc. It is pay now or pay later for those kids. We can try to reach them by special programs now, or pay to keep them in jail, or on food stamps and welfare later... harse but true!

As far as parental involvement-- I have no idea how to make parents care and get involved. I have tried for years. Most care, but don't understand the problems, are so overwhelmed with work obligations that the most important thing in their life (their kids) sometimes take a back burner. My husband says that if we were all neutured at birth and only when we pass a few parenting classes are we allowed to reverse the process, the world would be better off. You have to pass a test to drive, but kids come with no instructions!

Okay.. off my bandwagon.. what a mess the educational system is!

P L E A S EEE and Quest -

Reference my votes last February on the "choice plan." I am a supporter of neighborhood schools and have publically done so since my tenure from 1996 while on the redistricting committee.

The caveat in that is that we will have to address the high concentrations of poverty and the related issues that will arise in some schools. This community has yet to show a true williingness to offer the full range of support that would be needed in these schools.

My vote against the latest plan was due to being provided with two sets of numbers regarding how many children would be affected. Period.

Mr. Quick,

I do not wish to belabor the discussion concerning the specifics of one of your votes; rather I wish to understand your thought process behind the decisions you make.

To that regard, if you were given 2 sets of numbers (I assume conflicting), then I'm curious as to why you didn't ask for clarification prior to voting?

Amos,

If you support neighborhood schools please define "neighborhood." Garth's friends seem to draw lines based on income levels as upposed to geography. Many of these people live as close to Andrews as Southwest but they consider Southwest to be their neighborhood school because its largely middle class. Amos do you think concentrating / isolating poor children together is good for them or their school? These schools with high concentrations don't offer the same opportunities as middle class schools. They have less money, less parent involvement and lower qualified teachers. You haven't done anything to remedy those maladies. If you aren't going to balance diersity then you need to find a way to balance resources!

The Real Truth..

I hope that Mission Possible is helping to get better qualified teachers in our poverty schools. I am very concerned that we haven't heard how this is going, and I don't think for one minute that the public can't be told how this is going without breaking confidential personel info. If it isn't working then the millions spent on the program need to be spent somewhere else.

Most high poverty schools get more federal funding and county funding and have smaller class rooms.
I don't think anyone in their right mind would begrudge those schools these resources if they are helping... but are they? We never hear what programs work and which ones don't. How can clear, smart decisions be made about programs if there isn't any comparisons and analysis of the effectiveness of our current programs.
Money is not the only answer as many articles have said- we need more community involvement.

RT,

Again, please check the facts before you post.

As far as "less money" goes, that's not true -

from the GCS website: "During the past four years, the district has used Equity and Equity Plus Funding to provide increased funds and staff to the most impacted schools. Beginning with the 2006-2007 school year, a weighted student formula will be used to distribute resources to schools in an equitable manner."

Thus, poor schools receive additional funding from the county.

As far as "lower qualified teachers" goes -

from the GCS website: "Much of this program is driven by the availability of teachers for these positions. We have excellent teachers in all our GCS Mission Possible schools. We want to keep them and be able to add quality instructors to the excellent cadre of teachers in these schools"

I'm sure you don't mean to state inaccuracies, but's important to post facts and not opinions in the guise of facts.

Mr Quick,

What does this mean, and what kind of support do you think that the High Point community is unwilling to provide? Please give us some plain talk. Your statement is not clear.

"This community has yet to show a true willingness to offer the full range of support that would be needed in these schools."

You all don't know what exactly happened. The teacher knew to leave him alone because he was already mad. Instead of tring to solve the problem himself he should have waited for reinforcement.

How so, Dana? Please tell us what happened. The teacher knew to leave him alone because he was mad? Is that how teachers are supposed to deal with students?

In regards Mission Possible Southwest middle lost several really experienced teachers to Central and Penn Griffin. I know of one instance where there was a real rookie teaching math at SW middle. The kids almost lost half a year until she finally quit. I really felt sorry for her because the kids ripped her apart. To me that didnt make sense at all. Bus in dis-adavntaged kids and send the experienced teachers to what would of been their local schools. Next year SW is losing a few more I hear.
This is a clear sign of an administration that has no idea what it is doing.

RT, Do you have children in the system? If so where?

Why did the system bus students to SW schools with no resources following them? What sense did that make????

As Deborah and Numbers state, RT, please state facts. Title I elementary schools, for example, have 16 students only per class in certain grades
plus tutors. These children are getting the extra help. 16 per class plus tutors cost money. You don't see this at other elementary schools. It is more like 24 or more per class.

AMOS, Garth had check out the numbers thoroughly and this was backed up by Eric H. So what is the problem? Most students who left for private schools are not coming back to SW. As Garth state very clearly at that meeting he was trying to prevent more involved parents from leaving the public schools system. As someone said, if you had a problem with conflicting numbers why didn't you research this or abstain from voting? From what most of us understand there are very few students affected in this true choice plan. It is real choice without a forced lottery.

Neighborhood schools are definitely NOT 90 minute bus rides.

RT, you should have learned by now you cannot force redistricting. People will find a way not to go the one of the lowest performing schools in the state. It is that simple. Fix the school, bring up the scores, get rid of the violence and restore order in our schools and parents will come back.

Parent,

what school did the "gym" incident occur in?

Dana,

what student or blog are you referring to? what student was mad?

Amos,

There are a lot of people on this blog that want to find a solution. You seem to have some resources that could help. Let's continue this dialogue off line.

Where can we begin....let's not drop this important issue on this blog?

It is time to move on from High Point, hurt feelings and all we must address the Real Issues. My middle school son was almost in tears this morning as he had to go to school and face a class that is being disrupted and facing problems he cannot understand. Why? Because the staff at the school has no intelligent way to comply with their mandates.

One child (no names, no classes mentioned) is assigned to an AL class because he could not be handled in his class. The boy often sleeps, passes out pornography, slaps other children and the list goes on. He is told to stop, but this does little. He cannot be removed from class because there is no safety valve allowed for teachers being assigned these non-conforming kids.

This boys best behavior is to sleep through class. I have seen this situation before, a 6th grader was socially promoted having achieved a high career score of D in one class. Never achieved above a level 2 on any scoring, yet finds himself in a 6th grade AL class because the teachers can manage the disruptions and their students will still pass EOG�s and other tests, therefore it is a �safe� place to put child.

Both situations show an inability of the administration to address Real Problems. Now Administration blames teachers and their performance reflects the failure of them to have a child incapable of passing a 3rd grade level exam in any subject to pass their 5th and 6th grade exams as well. Who failed and when? This is a great thread, I just would like to redirect energies towards solutions. I sure wish I had some right now.

Post Script

Amos and the rest of the Board were given 2 sets of numbers, though not significantly different, my first set, a month earlier represented my best guess worst case impact numbers based upon conversations with Principals involved, common sense (oxymoron), and demographers numbers. Second set, night of vote, I clearly stated I used numbers suggested by Demographer as they were not materially different and I knew he would back up his own calculations. My set I believe will prove more accurate, but neither will be exact as they try to predict human behavior. Also, halfway through the meeting staff informed me that the recently updated bus routes were inaccurate and could not be relied upon. (I will not even go down the path of reliable info) What I will say is that in reviewing bus data I found myself vindicated in the numbers I calculated for busing in the original �choice plan�. We will be paying for that plan for a couple more years, it could also be called the full employment of bus drivers plan. Were I to be vindictive I would calculate the real cost of that fiasco and $66,000 it was not! Buy DaimlerChrysler stock if such a plan ever goes national. (They own Thomas Built) and I do not believe they will sell it with Chrysler.

No matter how much I wanted to change the mess Dot and Sue created in High Point, I would never play with the numbers! Truth must stand on all fours. I never intended for many kids to return to Andrews or Welborn and so far my numbers appear to be vindicated. Of the 17 from Whites Mill area that began at Andrews, I believe 14 are still there, of this I know 2 have told me they will not return to Southwest but will go IB at Central as will 2 more this year instead of using �choice� for Southwest. This School Board needs more credibility, not less, and as a CPA I have my own personal standards that keep me from playing the game the way some do. This is why I may never become a �real politician�.

Garth,
your child's class problem is going on all over the county. Let's put it on the agenda, lets here some truth without pandering to political correctness... just the truth!!
What can we do, clear steps, clear examples... most of the board doesn't seem to understand what is going on in the schools! Lets make everyone in the downtown office go volunteer in the office of a school for just ONE day.. their eyes would be opened. I would also suggest the BOE do the same and not at their kids school, but some school that has issues that need to be addressed.

Garth and Amos,
Just curious as to why High Point school students are given choices and Greensboro students are not.

We have quietly been asking for years to be allowed
to move back to the school (Page) which lights illumnate our back yard. Instead our children are still attending Eastern Guilford High School.
Granted it is closer to home now, but what about this fall.

You told us there was no room for the students at Page because there was no where to put trailers, yet a golf driving range is proposed for Page on the next bond referendom.

Instead of giving freed up seats to students that could walk to the school, you start an IB program which we may or may not be able to get in.

WHY do students that live in Greensboro attend
Eastern Guilford which is two communitites away??

Society has rules. If you break them you are punished. Why are children not punished appropriately in our schools?

I even think that some kids get into trouble with the law because they carry over this school behaviour into general society and get into trouble.

We are doing them no favors here...

That is a very good point.

http://www.aboutmakeyourday.com/PDF/tricityheraldkennewickDec2005.pdf

http://www.aboutmakeyourday.com/PDF/CONNECTICUT%20POST-editorial.pdf

I dont care what it is. We need discipline in our schools now. We are spoiling the education of many to try and save a few.

Try and save them some other way than to put them in the same class as my children.

They dont want to be there....

While there is no discipline.
While there is no money sense.

There will be no bond.

Page Pirate,

That’s an EXCELLENT question. Have you ever called your school board rep and asked her. Many parents have been asking this same question for several years.

I do know that for many years the school system preached that Satellite Zones were “illegal”. Then we find out from the paid-by-the-hour school attorney (around the time of the The “Choice” Plan busing fiasco) that they were never illegal. It seems that if GCS wants you to believe something is “illegal” then certain issues could be made to appear that way.

The old redistricting guidelines used to state that children should not pass one school on the way to another (satellite zones). But since Susie and Dot started messing with the HP redistricting this seems to constantly be changing. Also a year or so ago the school board voted that redistricting lines should not change but every 3 years. Of course we all know that “the school board maketh the rules” and “the school board can changethe the rules”. It just takes a vote of 6.