News-Record.com

Morgan,

Best wishes to you for a healthy delivery. This will be the happiest day of your life and a blessing to you. I can't think of a better Christmas present!

Morgan you will be in our hearts and prayers during this joyous time!

All the best once again, Morgan. Not to toot horns but we'll fill in while you're away.

See:
http://erikhuey.wordpress.com/2007/11/27/new-magnets-your-thoughts/

and
http://erikhuey.wordpress.com/2007/11/26/press-conference-next-monday-dec-3/

E.C.

Any time the baby sleeps, you need to sleep also. The only thing better that a child is two children. Best of luck and I hope you write a story about it when you return.

From the High Point Enterprise

“Grier wants more schools to add on the additional days. For now, the school system will pilot an extended-year cal­endar at Ferndale Middle and Washington Elementary that will apply to students in the newly developed mag­net programs at those schools.
“For those two schools, that’s our plan,” Grier said during the meeting.”

Just so everyone has an idea of where I stand, read my lips NO MONEY HONEY! Help I am trapped in a nut house packed by fruits. It appears the chef is baking a fruitcake for Christmas. Some are thinking I am to vocal, well hang on to your pocket book I am tired of biting my tongue and if SOMEONE hasn’t figured it out I bit my tongue a lot during budget time, maybe the commissioners could strip another 8 million from spending next year. As my sons would say “duck” when they know they have said something wrong.

Signed, very ticked off Board Member!

Not to worry, the same "behind the scenes" work that went on last year WILL take place again this coming Spring. If Grier and Duncan were ticked off by the cuts that took place last year they'll love it when the silent majority doubles its pleasure this year.

It's going to be a great Spring!!! These cuts are going to come on the heels of the Bond rejection in May.

Congratulations and Best to you, Morgan!

If Ferndale and Washington continually fail AYPs, don't you think something has to be tried at these two school to draw students back to them? Wasn't Ferndale and Opt Out school under NCLB? What happens to that school if students keep opting out???

I don't understand how you could have (or need) and IB program at an elementary school??? What about the basics first???? like reading, writing and math???

A successful magnet (and that's the key word "successful") at Welborn and Andrews is a great idea. Both of these schools need to have some programs that will make these schools attractive and build up their reputations. However, enough seats need to be left empty to allow each school to have smaller classrooms which has helped struggling students receive more of the individual attention they need.

And of course, at all these schools rules need to be enforced for all.

I am not against trying something different, but there is a strong group of parents fighting to improve this school and they have been betrayed by us. Many promised AL left private school, or opting out and tried to make a difference. They were defrauded by the district. After detecting the fraud, they were lied to not once but twice as were Board members. Now just to add to the fun they are told that any advanced kids in the IB program at this school face a longer school year. We couldn’t deliver an AL program at middle school level, what makes anyone believe we can do an IB program? Credibility is non-existent and now we say we can deliver more, better and longer. Trusting a school board and superintendent that consistently deceive the public…
Tomorrow Jamestown can sound off about changing our promise on middle school. This after using construction funds from prior bond for another failed magnet fiasco in High Point. Doesn’t anyone think people can remember 3 years ago?

The Board could tell Terry to leave it alone, offer IB as enticement at Ferndale, leave AL option, real AL option not the hollow promises of one and leave schedule alone. This might fly… now about flying options…

Congratulations Morgan. If you hit Dec. 3 you'll deliver on my wedding anniversary.
Hope things are going well and we miss you every day at your old paper.

Garth,

What school are you referring to in first sentence as "this school"? Ferndale?

What is the reasoning for an extended school year at Ferndale? I could understand an elementary school such as Washington having a longer school year. This might help the single parents with cost of "day care". Also Johnson Street has an extended school year and that seems to be working out just fine.

Ferndale

We are lengthening our year and our day because our superintendent cannot get it done in the time allowed, yet elementary school in Japan is about half as long a school day and they recently pushed to shorten their year as too much stress was causing problems. Their kids have much broader exposure to arts and sciences and even do bit better. We just took away from this, spend more time learning less and now want even more time to do even less and say, it’s the kids, it’s the tests, it’s the short year…

I just keep looking in the mirror and see that it is probably us, the Board who is responsible and we must step up.

Garth, Have you been to Johnson st as the poster mentions? Why not benchmark what other parents are saying there? What have been the results since implementation? Instead of all out criticizing as Dr.Grier for these facts before making a judgement.

Thanks everyone for the well wishes!

Garth, This is a problem all around the country. Its not just our super that cannot make poor kids suceed in schools. Why not offer solutions instead of throwing stones?

What are your suggestions? As the other poster pointed out what is happenning at Johnston St.

The stones I am throwing are aimed well! Ferndale has now the tremendous support of parents and staff who want to make a difference. Let’s give teachers a chance and allow discipline and order back into the school as item 1.

Item 2, bring back some fun, arts, music etc. to the mundane hammer it home test based curriculum. Science can be used to teach language arts, art, music and math all at once and it can be fun.

Music can be used to teach social skills, math and science as well as language arts.
Art can be used to teach social skills, language, science history etc.
Learning can be made fun.

Item 3, Improve AL to a real program and actually follow plan.

Keep It Simple Silly, it usually works.

Congratulations on your pregnancy. What an exciting time for you and your family.

I would hate to see the chalkboard blank for 2 months, wouldn't it make more sense for the paper to ask someone like Terina Picarello, or someone comparable to her, to step in in your place while you are out? Someone who knows what all is going on in the schools and voice it to the public appropriately?

Just a thought.

Item 4

Create a summer school system allowing kids to take a mix of skills strengthening courses combined with arts/music and prototype to get kinks out. The majority of the performance gap comes from summer fall back in learning among lower income kids who do not experience summer at camps, traveling, and other heavily directed activities.

I am against more of the same offered during school year, this needs to be a broadening experience. Yes, it cost money, but school buildings are unused during summer and because programs would not be mandatory in most cases, we would have to offer a curriculum enticing enough to get kids and their parents to sign up.

Garth

Congratulations, Morgan! The old gang in Gastonia wishes you well.