Tuesday, July 31, 2007

We’ve TRACKED OUT already!

Our first “track out” has begun.  The initial 3 weeks of school passed very quickly.  At our house we called those first 3 weeks of school “School Camp”, because we were going to be in and out so quickly—-AND because it was hard to believe that 2 of my kids actually had to go to school when the rest of us were playing at the pool.  The term “camp” doesn’t sound as serious as “school”, so that’s how we handled it.  This year it wasn’t too bad because all 4 kids got out of school with the traditional calendar in early June, so we had 5 weeks of summer together before my 2 younger kids had to go back to school.  Next year will be the real test when the younger kids only get 1 week of summer vacation before going right back into school!

From the perspective of a parent, I feel that the start of the school year at Leesville Elementary went very smoothly.  Of course I wasn’t anticipating any problems, because we have such a wonderful principal and staff, and I knew they’d make it all come together for everyone.  As with anything new there were a few kinks to work out, but overall, people (students, parents, staff) were in good spirits.  Even though the conversion was not what we wanted, at least the majority of the kids at our school are at a familiar place with familiar teachers and friends.  I’ve heard from several people at some of the other converted schools where the transition was not nearly as smooth or positive.  I do realize we’re fortunate for many reasons. 

As a family, it was strange not having my younger kids home to enjoy daytime summer activities with us, but thankfully we’re on track 3 where they only missed 3 weeks of the summer together this year.  Tracks 1 & 2 are still in school, and when they track out their older siblings in traditional middle and high schools will be starting back to school, so they miss out on this additional “common summertime” that track 3 receives. 

It seems that in any situation, people are more apt to share negative experiences than positive ones.  I know that I’d like to read some positive stories from others, so if anyone has some of those to share please pass them along for everyone to read!

Monday, July 30, 2007

First Day Back for Track 4

Are you on track 4?  How was your first day back?

Today is another day with new changes going on in several Wake County schools.  Track 4 starts while track 3 tracks out.  Will this go smoothly or will there be some confusion and conflict?  Today started like any other school day for us.  We were up early and off the to the bus stop around 7:30.  One thing was missing.  Our neighbors are all on different tracks than we are so one was missing out there today.  I miss the morning conversations with my neighbor which are sometimes the only adult interaction I get in a day.  I had made arrangements to pick up and bring home our track 1 neighbor so that his mother wouldn’t have to go during the time that her usual ride is tracked out.  These arrangements are out of courtesy for each other. 

And that is what we have here.  Mutual respect and kindness for our neighbors.  Whether they are on track 1, 2, 3 or 4 we have come together to make it easier on our children and our selves.  We all come from different parts of the country but we seem to be able to come together here for our children.  Seems very nice.

Any way this is a short entry.  If you were going back to school today for the first time let me and everyone here know how your day went.  Was it confusing or exciting?  How did your children handle it?  And for those of you on track 3 how was your first track out?  What did you do today?  Was it nice to sleep in again?  Let us know!

Friday, July 27, 2007

What Exactly Is A Blogger?

What a crazy year it’s been.  A year ago I had never heard of MYR, VYR or GM (at least as they pertained to schools), and I thought school reassignment only happened to those who didn’t live geographically close to the school they were attending.  What I’ve learned and experienced during this time has been very eye opening, to say the least.

I certainly didn’t know what a “blogger” was, but if asked I probably would have guessed that blogging was some new form of internet dating.  Now I’ve been enlightened, and I have to admit that I am a blogger.  Whoa—what a difference a year makes.

I was first introduced to blogging last fall when I heard that a friend of mine was unfairly being criticized for saying things and acting in a certain way, and I knew for a FACT that the things said about her on that blog were not true.  Someone was actually putting my friend’s name on a blog, but in a cowardly way the person making the accusations was able to remain anonymous.  I couldn’t believe that people could do something like that in such a public fashion, so I had to find out what it was all about.  I became involved in that particular blog for awhile, but in the end I had to take a break because it was becoming such a negative place.  More often than not, I found myself constantly trying to be the “etiquitte police”.  It seemed so strange to me that people who didn’t even know each other felt compelled to argue and throw out insults at “cyber strangers”.  Unfortunately, when people can make statements behind a fake name/ID, they feel justified in saying things that they would never say “in person”.  My feeling is that if you are willing to say it, you should be willing to stand behind what you say.

When NBC-17 asked me to write this blog, they gave me “free rein” to write about my experiences and to share feelings and opinions that had been shared with me.  For the most, part people on this particular blog have had no problem revealing their true identity and saying exactly what they feel.  I appreciate that.  But there are still a few who feel empowered to dispute what others say, but then choose to remain anonymous.  I guess you’ll get that anywhere.  I continue to believe that if you’re willing to say it, you should be willing to stand behind what you say. 

One thing that has really surprised me during this past few weeks is the number of e-mails I am receiving “outside the blog”. I really haven’t counted, but a good estimate is that I hear from around 10-15 people per day.  That adds a whole dimension to what I write.  Many of these people are teachers, some are parents, some are administrators, and while they are willing to share their feelings with me (under their real identities) they fear retribution from employers and peers for saying what they say.  I don’t think they’ve been threatened in any way, but they value their jobs and friendships and I understand their positions.  Now I feel like a reporter who must protect the identity of “my sources”.  (and I have absolutely no problem doing that).  Because of this input, even though my blog entries ARE hugely based in fact, I have to present them as “general opinions”, and in turn I open myself up to being accused of seeking out negatives and spreading neighborhood gossip.  (I’m not complaining, but this is what it comes down to)  I personally want only the truth, and that’s what I pass along.  If I make a mistake, I’m the first to admit it.

I sincerely appreciate the honest entries added to the blog AND the “outside e-mails”.  This is a new process to many of us, and we’re all trying to work through it in our own ways.  It’s nice to hear that people are doing their best even though they’re in situations they didn’t choose. Hopefully we can all work together to make some positive changes for the future of Wake County Education.

Enjoy your weekends with your children!  I know I will!

Friday, July 20, 2007

Let’s Talk Shade Structures!

Back in the fall of last year when we were told that our school was going to be forced to convert to a Year-round schedule, we made up our minds that we’d research the subject as well as we could to see if there was any way to get our school taken off the list.  We felt that we had a very compelling case against the conversion,  so it was time to get to work on our strategy.

One thing we felt was misrepresented in the press was the TRUE COST OF CONVERSIONS.  What was printed in the newspaper as the “cost of conversion to year-round” was basically the cost of the teacher’s track-out carts (which was approximately $65,000)  As we dug deeper, we found that the cost of these carts was just a SMALL FRACTION of the true cost.

I’m happy to share our calculations with anyone interested, because it was close to $800,000 which is obviously a HUGE discrepancy.

But, one cost that was not included in the cost of conversion was shade structures to go over the school playgrounds.  We couldn’t believe that the school system was not considering putting shade structures over all of the playgrounds at the 19 Elementary schools being forced to convert to a YR schedule.  We all know how hot playground equipment can be in the North Carolina sun.  After a child slides down a hot slide or feels the burn of hot monkey bars on his/her hands, you can be pretty certain that he/she won’t be playing on the hot playground equipment for a long time.

I know that as an adult I am miserable being outside in the hot summer sun without a swimming pool nearby—-even just standing still.  Most children won’t stand still or seek shade when it’s recess time—-what they want to do is run and play with their friends, and this could really cause some problems.  (heat exhaustion, dehydration, and sunburn to name a few)

In the short time I’ve been involved in looking into shade structures, it appears that some schools are well on their way to getting these for their schools.  Unfortunately, from what I’ve been told (and I know that I could be wrong) it sounds like the school system is refusing to pay for these, so the funds have to be raised by the PTA at each school.

I thought that soliciting corporate sponsorships would be a great way to raise the necessary funds, however I was told that the Wake County School System will not allow corporations to fund these types of items.

What are other Year-Round schools doing in regards to shade structures?

Does anyone know if it’s true that the School System won’t allow corporations to pay for shade structures?

Does anyone have advice regarding grant applications?

THANKS for your input!

Thursday, July 19, 2007

The Challenge!

I was challenged by someone who supports WakeCares to dig deeper into the YR conversions.  I did and this is what I found.

Back when I first started blogging about how the conversions where affecting my family, I attracted a concerned parent who supported WakeCares.  We battled back and forth a couple of times with my side in support of the conversions for overcrowding reasons and the other side being fundamentally against it.  After several blog entries on both our parts, she challenged me.  She challenged me to dig deeper in the YR program.  To take a closer look.  I told her that with the access we have to information today that it would be easy to find items that both supported and undermined the YR program but that I would look anyway.  So I did.

I have poured over statistics and numbers trying to some how show those that believe that overcrowding is not an issue that it is.  I have read more articles in the last month or so than I can count.  I have spoken with school board members and asked many questions.  I am currently waiting for Chuck Delaney to email me back so that I can talk to him also.  I may have to email him again I guess. 

I have learned that the BOE does feel that most people don’t understand the WHOLE story.  I’m not sure I do, but I did learn that the conversions were originally intended to happen over 2 years instead of just one.  So when you see empty class rooms and tracks are being cancelled and people are being shifted its because they have converted these schools with 2 years worth of growth in mind.  Isn’t this what we needed anyway?  We needed more space but now people are complaining about empty classrooms.  There is no winning here.

I looked at each Elementary schools enrollment numbers and compared them with their capacity numbers with and without the mobile units in place.  That was eye opening.  Of the 19 Elementary schools converted 14 of them were over 100% capacity with trailers.  Some severely like Pleasant Union at 122% with no mobile units and Hodge Drive at 123% with 5 mobile units.  Most of them hovered around 105% on average.  There were also the schools that didn’t seem to need conversions with capacities lower like Lockhart that is only at 86% capacity with 16 mobile units.  Also Leesville at 91% with 19 mobile units.  (I’m   unclear if these are numbers for last year and projections put together but they were listed for the 2007-2008 school year.  And the numbers keep changing.  With track 4 starting in a week we should be able to get firmer numbers about this.)  While other schools weren’t converted with capacities at 120% like Hunter, Joyner, Cary, Dillard, Conn and Bugg. 

I have heard many rumors, all which I can’t confirm at this point, of tracks being closed at Rand Road and 1 grade on track 3 needing to be closed.  I would love to give you this information but my Principle won’t return my emails or calls.  I will continue to work on that. 

One thing that I find just wonderful at our school is the fact that the music teacher now actually has a room to teach music.  Before she was mobile pushing a cart from room to room to teach what I believe one of the most important things in school.  (Yes I was a band geek and I wouldn’t change it for the world)  I was completely unsettled by the whole mobile cart teaching and appalled that people don’t see that as an issue to be concerned about. 

One person asked if it was true that the conversions cost $6 million and only helped us gain 500 seats.  No, that would not be entirely true.  The conversion did cost $6 million with a seat gain projected at 3000.  Now,  it cost approximately $22 million to build a new Elementary school that seats 600-800 (they are now building them bigger, used to be 500)  I think $6 million is a bargain!  The seats acquired number changes from story to story.  The N&O reported only 500 seats were gained but we can’t be sure of that because not all tracks have actually started.  Also the BOE projected number of 3000 may have to be adjusted related to Judge Manning’s ruling.  We still have time to figure this one out.  Still seems to be a savings though.

What it boils down to is that most of our schools were over crowded and now with the conversions they are better.  Let’s give this conversion some more time.  Let’s see what happens in the coming year.

I welcome your comments and would love to hear from Rand Road families.  Where are you guys?