Problem is when Grier leaves some of the socialist leaning bureaucrat will fill his shoes.

"Problem is when Grier leaves some of the socialist leaning bureaucrat will fill his shoes."

Now that's some real brilliant discourse there. If you can't say something intelligent, then at least have the decency to be vague.

Mrs. Hayworth,
Part of the problem lies with folks like you who cannot see past your nose. While Terry Grier makes good grist for the mill, he is in no way responsible for the success and failure of children in the classroom. Five years from now, others will be blaming a different Superintendent.
Do something positive for schools--teach your child right and wrong and send them in prepared each day to learn. Volunteer to help those whose families, for whatever reason, do not support or value education. Encourage those parents whose base prejudices cause them to avoid public education, to support public schools. Actually do something to make a teacher's life better--heck, send your child's teacher a gift card to Office Depot so she/he can have discretionary funds to use in the classroom! Think outside your little "blame the superintendent" box.

It's much easier to throw stones at the Superintendent than to actually take ownership of your own community, but for the rest of us, please come up with something that actually helps rather than adds to the problem.

DD,

And how do you know that Ms. Hayworth isn't already doing all of those things?

Deacon, while I find some extremely valid points in your posting above, I have a few questions: 1) What do we (society) do with the students whose parents are absent and the person responsible for that student could care less as long as they are not "in their hair?" 2) How long will it take before the aforementioned students are productive in the school system (classroom)? 3) How long do we give these students to "come around?"

I agree that intervention needs to be done. However, I have seen some of this mess first hand and know that it will not be solved overnight. To believe that is to believe that the the surge of troops into Iraq will "win" the conflict for the US Military!

I see bacsically the only option for these students is an alternative school with a strict regimen and disciplinary mode as the only feasible option. However, in all likelihood, there would be cries of all types should something like this be enacted.

There is my proposal; good, bad, or indifferent.

Shalom

Angie,
If Ms. Hayworth were doing those things, she would never have written such a "simpleton" letter.
*********
Darryl,
Don't know what the answer is to the problem of parents not taking responsibility. What I do know, is that blaming the child is not the answer. It is not the child's fault that their parents have abdicated responsibility for them. Guess Ms. Hayworth would blame the Superintendent for that too. :)

DD,
I will say the same to you - your post is much too "simpleton" for me to think that you have every done any of the things that you propose Ms. Hayworth to do.

Exactly what have you done to improve education in GCS - other than belittle others and their questions.

Ms. Hayworth asks valid questions and her questions, in no way, establish what level of support she has provided in the classroom.

DD,

What exactly has Terry Grier done for GCS that you worship at the foot of the Terry Grier cross like he's the new messiah?

Thought you might understand the question better framed in your typical language.

"What exactly has Terry Grier done for GCS that you worship at the foot of the Terry Grier cross like he's the new messiah?"

Nit,
Where does anything I said indicate that? My point is that Ms. Hayworth seems to blame everything wrong "in education" on the Superintendent. If only it were that simple.
As to your feeble attempt at humor, Terry Grier and I have had many run ins, but I am not so shallow as to think he is repsonsible for some of the things Ms. Hayworth gives him credit for. He'll be gone soon enough, and my hope is that Dr. Terry Worrell will ride in on a white horse to take the reins of our County system. Pity she has to leave to come back.
*****
Angie,
Suffice to say, I have done plenty to advance education in Guilford County. My hat is off to Ms. Hayworth for being concerned, but Grier is the board's responsibility and they have definitely been keeping his feet to the fire. Get more Anita Sharpe types on the board and less Garth Heberts and we would have a better system.

There is a new life on the board these days since Marti Sykes and Susan Mendenhall have gone. THANK GOD!!!!!

I actually think that Susan was very smart in manipulating the board to get her wishes. People like Marti and Dot just followed like sheep. You might excuse Dot because of her age but Marti was deadwood! A waste of space!

With people like Amos, Anita, Darlene, Nancy, Garth, Alan and Jeff Belton we will start to see some good things but Rome wasnt built in a day.

Demon,

You say that you have done plenty to advance education in this county, so please share with us what that is so that we can be informed. It's easy to criticize others and then claim that you do so much, without any proof. So, tell us.

At least Garth is willing to put himself on the line and serve on the board and try to make a difference. Why don't you do the same? Garth hasn't been on the board but a few months, so it might be fair to give him a little time to make a difference. Terry Grier has been here for seven or eight years, so he has had his chance to make a difference. His counterpart in Charlotte, who beat him out for the job, has only bene on the jog for a few months and he is already making progress. Grier is still muddling along. He's become the poster child for private and home schooling in this county.

DD,

You post as RT on other N&R blogs, don't you?

The sentiments and writing styles are much too similar to think that these are 2 separate entities.

I have had a child in one of the early college programs and I found it to be a fantastic experience for my child and her classmates. I have to give some credit to Dr. Grier for this program. Our county is seen as innovative by others thanks to these programs, and they make a world of difference to kids who may not fit the one size fits all system.
It is never black and white when looking at complex issues like education. It is too easy to try to pin all the blame on one person, but harder to address the real problems behind the education issues we face..Tracy

OakRidgeRunner strikes again!
Your curiosity is such, that you must be dying to tell us YOUR identity. No one really cares, but judging from your constant flowery remarks on Garth Hebert, you must have something you want to get off your chest. Oak, it doesn't bother me, because I'm a "liberal", but some of your close friends might start giving you the cold shoulder.

I may be simple minded in thinking of Terry Grier but I'd like to share my point of view. If a business was failing with a CEO that had been in place for years would that company look at replacing that CEO? The School System operates much like a business. We are not doing well, so what is so wrong with looking at other leaders that may be able to help? Someone educate me on this!

A good indicator of a school's success is whether or not they have to erect billboards to promote their success.

Guilford County is the first I've ever seen do such a thing.

DD asked:

"Where does anything I said indicate that?"

It didn't. That was my point.

Angie,

It would be a big hassle for DD to posts as DD. He'd have to change his typekey ID every time.

Angie,

It would be a big hassle for DD to posts as RT. He'd have to change his typekey ID every time.

Nit,
Billboards are not paid for with taxpayer dollars. Local business recruitment and foundations have paid for ads that tout our community and its educational system. Why? To bring business to the triad.

To any who care; does anyone think that when a business looks at the Triad area (Guilford Co. in particular) that the local school system is not examined as well? What would said businesses find when they examined GCS? We all know that it is not a pretty picture by any means.

GCS could have modeled WS-Forsyth Co. when consolidating. However, that was considered "backward." Now look who is "backward" and who appears to be progressing fairly well! Which of these systems has more high schools under the "microscope" for failure? No other system in the State has TWO high schools failing! What does that say for all of the $$$ wasted on misleading programs that had no record to view whem implemented? What does that say about an elected School Board that supports such a leader? What does it say about that leader?

And regarding the "CEO" question above, remember teh GCS CEO has either left (with strong suggestion) or been asked "to leave" from at least his past 3 or so positions! Why was he even considered by the GCS Board? These are questions that voters should be asking at election time!

Shalom

Okay, just so you don't think GCS and Terry Grier are the cause of educational woes, take a look at this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJuNgBkloFE

Now the scary part is that these are voters too!

"now the scary part is that these are voters too!"

I'd guess 95% democratic too.

Just kidding. Seriously, though. It makes you kinda glad that we don't have 100% turnout.

As far as the Terry Grier billboards go, it takes me back to Marketing 101.

Someone in marketing will be a lot more successful if they have a decent product. I'd liken the billboards more to 'salesmen'. You gotta crappy product so spend a lot of money on advertising instead of on the product itself.

I would just like to say this, ths each of you has been valid points in your statements. But my major concern is that Dr. Grier is now setting up a separate school for the Hispanic children because of the fact that they can not comprehend the English language! They are planning to use Guilford Primary for these students, and the ratio is 15 to 1! We can't get that type of ratio for our own children, and why should these children get more attention there our own. They are already allowed to register into the school system without all of the proper paperwork, they are not allowed to take the same test as our children for fear of them not comprehending what they are reading. I mean for the love of all that's good, how much more are we supposed to take. And the almighty board is setting around congratulating Grier on a successful idea. Instead of our taxes paying for this new school for these illegals, maybe the Board should think about taking that hefty raise that they gave Grier to pay for it. I don't see him fighting to give the teachers any more money!!

"In touch",
Are you also one of the ones who complain about hispanic children being in classes with other kids....?? Just checking.
You might want to check the NCLBA guidelines, as that may be the true culprit of the "separate" school. NCLB is the WORST legislation EVER put on our system!

DD,

You can thank Ted Kennedy for that.

In response to DD's post and everyone else that seems to be sooooooooooooo concerned with the race of a child, whether it be black, white, purple or green---Isnt it really about the system that we have not working here in Greensboro. Let's hold the Superintendant accountable- Our system has been getting further and further in the hole since he took over. Let's explore others and see if we can find someone that can begin to repair GCS.

In response to DD's post and everyone else that seems to be sooooooooooooo concerned with the race of a child, whether it be black, white, purple or green---Isnt it really about the system that we have not working here in Greensboro. Let's hold the Superintendant accountable- Our system has been getting further and further in the hole since he took over. Let's explore others and see if we can find someone that can begin to repair GCS.

In response to DD's post and everyone else that seems to be sooooooooooooo concerned with the race of a child, whether it be black, white, purple or green---Isnt it really about the system that we have not working here in Greensboro. Let's hold the Superintendant accountable- Our system has been getting further and further in the hole since he took over. Let's explore others and see if we can find someone that can begin to repair GCS.

Angie baby,
Sorry, but you can blame "YOUR" President for the NCLBA. He calls it "the Centerpiece" of his administration. Sure there was bi-partisan support in beginning, but the GOP led congress refused to fund the bill, so the states are left holding the bag. It will change sometime this year, but Dems have only been in power for less than 90 days vs years for the GOP.

Confused,
I have no idea what your last post was 'Supposed' to mean. One thing I can say, is that you certainly liked seeing it in print multiple times.