AIG Center Closing

agree 100%

 

The time on the bus is not really a factor--according to my kids they have over an hour each day that they spend free reading since they are done with their work or are waiting while the part of the class is in remediation. The AIG center also does not have recess--so that alone would compensate for most of the travel time. My older son's class does book buddies on AIG days so there is not that much instruction they are missing there and my middle one's classmate said (hearsay I know) that the class spends time with the guidance counselor during AIG days. There is also not time spend for discipline problems at the center-- in five years I have never had one of my kids tell me the teacher had to stop the class because someone was causing a problem or the teacher got mad at so-and-so and we all had to put our heads down on our desk.

If you are really worried about instructional time being wasted--take some issues with the base schools!

If the schools would ability group the kids for each class every day there would be much less wasted instructional time for everyone.

 

So in other words since little Jimmy is gifted and has to be bussed to a special center once a week, the rest of his class gets to have book buddies or spend the time with a guidance counsler, in which case they aren't learning anything anyway. To me it seems they are making special arrangements for a select few "gifted" children and the "regular" children are left behind by not having real educational instruction on those "AIG days".



What really is "gifted" now days anyway? When I was growing up and in school "gifted" had a totally different meaning.

 

good case for vouchers here

 

:iagree:

and furthermore....how about NO LABELS for any child....if your child is gifted he/she will be gifted no matter what, doesn't matter if they're labeled that, have special books or classes or a gold milk carton to drink out of. It's completely unnecessary for a child to be labeled with a "learning disability" or any of the other numerous labels ALL school systems want to place on them.

My kids are just normal kids, make great grades, and I refuse to have them labeled on any level as "gifted" or "LD"....and they've been accused of being in both categories...which goes to show you the BS that goes along with the label. :roll:

 

why?

DB's wife

 

Labels are necessary for more $$.

 

:ack:

 

Aren't the charter schools, et. al. supposed to be better schools?

If so, then wouldn't the vouchers be good way for "gifted" kids to get out from the umbrella of the crummy public schools? Seems like a win/win to me. If the "gifted" kids are spinning their wheels, they move on to a better school that moves a little faster. Meanwhile the "slower" kids get more detailed attention.

I admit I'm still learning about how all this works, but if that is the case, then is seems like a good idea to me. I'd be curious to know what Mr. Danger thinks of this.

 

First, I ask those that are getting responses concerning the AIG program, please PM me. I'd love to hear what you are being told versus what I'm being told. I am still waiting for Beamon & Godwin to get back to me.

Second, I must say that the county's school administration has done such a great job over the last few years of convincing the county how worthless the AIG Center is, how it's a waste of money and time. They've systematically over the past few years, put into policies and made decisions that little-by-little have torn down not only the Center but the AIG program overall. But many don't know all that's happened because it's not affected them directly, so why do they care? They just buy into what they're being told by those with impressive sounding job titles, take what they're saying at face value. Somehow the concept of educating ALL our county's students is getting lost while our school administration is trying to pit the gifted against the more challenged.

Once again, I'm so glad that I'll be done with Johnston County public schools once this school year ends.

 

Let me say that this is important because so many have come out to say the Center needs to be closed when they have no idea what the Center is truly about. They just listen to "the powers that be" and decide to push for the closure of the Center convinced that it's a way to find the "extra" money that the county needs to fund education.

 

A voucher is so you can use your tax dollars towards tuition.
Charter schools are free to attend. There is no tuition. There is a free lottery to get in if there is a waiting list.
Most of the tax dollars automatically follow the student from their base school to the charter school. There is no need for a voucher to move the money.

Charter schools aren't just for gifted students. There are charter schools with many focuses. But all of them are for student whose parents who want more involvement in their childs education. Students who attend schools with high parental involvement tend to do better in school. Thats any school. Not just a charter school.

Vouchers would help pay for your child to go to a private school. Going to a private school doesn't guarantee your AIG child is going to be served well. It just means you have money:lol: just kidding. There are plenty of good private schools. There are plenty of mediocre private schools too. Same for charter schools. You just have to do your research and hopefully with a lot of luck find the right fit for your child.

By the way, my child's school believes every child is gifted. We have a very diverse student body both academically and socially yet were a High Honors School of Excellence with a 92.3 score (without ever attending the AIG Center! )

Im sure Mr. Danger will comment eventually.

DB's wife

 

I see, thanks for the clarification. So I guess my example would be better suited for private schools that charge tuition as opposed to charter schools.

 

The charter school has in place a plan for differentiating students as needed. Johnston County base schools--in my experience--do not. When my boys were at the charter school the first thing they did was grade accelerate my oldest because they recognized he was above level for the grade he was in in public school. Next his grade was ability grouped. The higher kids had reading and math with higher kids. In JC I am told it is against the law to ability group--as I see the law, there must be a diversified homeroom, but you could ability group after that--but the school for whatever reason does not do it--so 3 times a day the 5th grade math teacher has to teach high, middle and low at the same time.

Also, from what I understand, at the charter school all kids have reading at the same time of day and the kids can go to whichever gradelevel or class is best suited for them. JC does not offer that type of option in our base school.

The charter school does not operate like Johnston County schools and it is not fair to compare the services offered between the two.

We made the decision to leave the charter school and even though my child had straight A's at Neuse--and for the 3 semesters we were there he was the ONLY boy in the school to have straight A's--when we returned to our base school he was made to go back down to the previous grade level.

From everything I have experienced JC does not attempt to serve or encourage the AIG students other than the center. I sincerely hope that a proper plan is put in place, but I am not optimistic.

As for vouchers--if a parent feels the public schools are so great and meet their child's needs, I am sure they will chose to send them to public school. If I don;t feel that way, then why can't I have a portion of the tax money assigned for my child to pursue another option?

I am glad to see the expansion of charter schools--this is a great step in freedom in education, but there is still more that needs to be done. I hope to see more charter schools in this area in the future.

 

Im totally for vouchers. If my child wasn't attending the school he is in I would definitely like to have the opportunity to take my tax dollars elsewhere.

Did you know that a poor performing public school can be converted to a charter school? Maybe some parents should check out this possiblity. But I dont think any schools in the 40/42 area are considered low performing. And running a charter school is HARD work.

Its not against the law to group students by ability. Who is telling you that?
Then the AIG Center would be against the law. Or Special Education Classes, and honors classes in high schools. (They do have honors classes in JOCO dont they? I dont know because I grew up in Wake Co where they did and I don't have a child that old.)

I think what is required by law or DPI guidelines is having grade levels like K, 1st grade, etc. probably to separate students by age but it just doesnt make sense that you wouldnt be able to group by ability.


DB's wife

 

AIG students are "clustered" at the minimum in JCo. That means they are grouped with others identified as AIG.

 

They are? I thought the argument going on here is that students don't get AIG level attention at their base school just at the AIG Center once a week. Am I misunderstanding?

DB's wife

 

Placement for AIG falls into 2 categories: Clustering and Clustering with AIG Center. Those who fall in the top 2% for achievement go to the Center. I am not sure of the standards for clustering. It is then up to the teacher in that classroom to differentiate for the AIG students placed in her class (as well as the EC, ESL, and general population). What JCo will not allow is for AIG students in elementary school to be placed in a "self contained" AIG class at their home base school. Meaning that they cannot be placed in a classroom with all AIG/high achievers. It has been proven to not be beneficial to the achievement of the school as a whole.

 

No they are clustered with other identified students. My child did not quality for the center b/c he was not high enough in Reading (they have to be high in bith Reading and Math to go), he is identified in Reading, but there is a certain formula for identification, but he did not make the cut for Center Reading. He is very high in math. He is clustered with other identified students. Many more students are identified than go to the Center. At his school, there are about 5-6 in his class and 5-6 in another, but only 2 that go to the center (from his grade).

 

That is right Ginger. I forgot that they need to qualify in both areas.