Nuese Charter School

Hi,

I searched the boards and found an older thread that mentioned this school but was wondering if anyone has any recent experience (negative/positive) with this school? I am researching it as an option for my boys and thought I'd include any input I received on here in my file.

TIA

Barbara

Sorry, it's "Neuse" not "Nuese". My bad!

 

I have not had experience myself, but know several people who had children there. The people I know who had their kids in there had them moved back to their original school.
These people were not happy with the teachers and said it was not what they were told it was going to be. This is just what I've been told from a few parents.

 

Dangerboy is who you need to talk to.....he hasn't been on lately. maybe you could PM him. He has alot of info.

 

I had my kids there last year. My older one had a great experience my younger--not so much. Our main reason for leaving was it was so far away. At that time with gas it cost me $12 per day to transport them. It is a different school this year with different leadership and almost all new teachers--so I really can't comment on how it is now. My younger child's teacher is one of the ones who stayed. The biggest pro for me was that my voice as a parent was heard. The teachers acknowledged that I knew my kids best and were willing to try my suggestions. If this school was in Clayton we would not have left last year. I will say I was told it would be a "gifted" school. That is not the case--and will never be. It is a public school and they cannot just take gifted kids. Feel free to PM me if you want. My older son summed up his experience by saying last year we went to school and had fun and learned while we were doing it.

Also--I have several Neuse Charter sweatshirts, hoodies and tee shirts that I am willing to sell cheap!

 

yes, things have changed since last year. the school is still new and finding its way. there are quite a few things that charter schools have to do that regular public schools don't.

and yes, there was substantial staff and student turnover. people found out that a charter school is not for everybody, teachers and parents and students alike.

let me address a few points.

1. a "gifted" school. no. not strictly gifted. the idea is to teach to all levels of student, within the classroom. for instance, in first grade, there are no more than 18 students per class. within that class, there are at least 4 or 5 different reading groups, all at different levels. the goal is to be able to tailor the teaching almost to the individual. this is done in reading and math. we have all levels of student, from those who would easily qualify as gifted in the regular system, to those who would qualify as special needs. but the gifted students are taught on their level, and the special needs students are taught on their level. all in the same class.

2. there have been some bumps in the road for us. one problem, i believe, is the ambitious nature of the school's beginning. most charter schools start off k-2, with one class per grade, and add on from there. NCS started off as a k-5, with two classes per grade level. it was just much harder to do.

3. a big part of the problem is the funding. we are given per-student operating money based on the home county of the student. johnston county is much lower than wake county. notice i said "operating money". in a traditional public school, that money goes much farther because the school is GIVEN a facility, GIVEN buses, GIven a cafeteria, GIVEN a gymnasium, GIVEN an auditorium....tha fact is that NCS is GIVEN NONE of those things. we have to use OPERATING funds to provide for facilities. this is probably our biggest obstacle. we don't do the usual candy bar and magazine subscription fundraisers (another thing about traditional public schools that the founders wanted to avoid), but we do cultural events, a golf tournament, etc.

4. there are MANY positives to our school. as mentioned above, parental involvement is required, and access to the school for parents is unprecedented. the school is run like a private school, by a board of directors. the board meets every month, and parents are encouraged to attend, and to voice their opinions and concerns. the board is mostly made up of parents, who generally share those concerns. if there's something people don't like, it can be changed without an act of congress, or going through the county school board.

5. foreign language for every student. spanish and chinese. yes, chinese. you would not believe what a 7 year old sponge can absorb. my kid is speaking some basic chinese after just a few months of instruction.

there have been some negative things said about us in the community. we have encountered difficulty in dealing with the county school board at times.
the whole argument that "it's not what they told us it was going to be" is a cop-out, imho. the school has done the best it can to meet the lofty goals set out in the charter. it seems that some people are not willing to work to make the school "what they told us it was going to be", and many who expect the place to run as if it had been there for decades. the simple fact is that we do not have a giant government beaurocracy that's been in place for 50+ years behind us, nor do we have an unending pile of taxpayer money to draw on if we need funds.


the bottom line is that the school is what the parents and students make of it. it takes some work on the part of the parents. it's not a "drop em off and let them handle it" atmosphere. the school cannot operate to its full potential without the full support of the parents. it's not for everybody, and we understand that. we are determined to make the school successful, and we believe that we can. we welcome those who want to be active in their child's school, willing to work hard and encourage their children to do the same, and who are willing to bring solutions to the table instead of complaints.

i will add that our eog scores, just released, were generally higher than the johnston county average. we were very pleased to have achieved this, even though it was our first year....

i invite anyone who would like to talk about ncs to pm me. i am more than willing to discuss anything i can...the good things and the bad. we admit we are not perfect, but we're trying...

 

DB's wife here. Maybe I have posted this before but it was really meaningful to me when I ran across it online somewhere last year. Thought I'd share.
****
Charter schools are founded by individuals or groups with a common educational vision. Each school has a specific mission and many are designed to serve a certain target population. Therefore, it is important for parents to be familiar with the programs and goals of a school to determine its suitability for their child. While the small class sizes offered by charter schools are enticing, small classes cannot substitute for an appropriate program for any child. Charter schools are highly accountable for producing results.

Charter schools add a new level of choice to the public school system. They also allow teachers, parents, and students the opportunity to have a great deal of involvement and influence in our public schools. However, the reality of bringing vision into action can test the patience and perseverance of even the most dedicated individuals. Consequently, charter school families cannot be reminded too often that the rewards that come with being educational pioneers can take several years to come to fruition. Charter schools are not for the impatient, inflexible or faint-hearted. Those who are willing to embark on this educational journey--roll up their sleeves to help make it work--are rewarded with a wonderful new form of public education that will serve this and future generations of North Carolina students very well.

 

I didn't ask for this info, but thanks for the updates. I've been curious about this school.

 

hey,

Thanks to everyone who responded. I had a long talk with dangerboy yesterday afternoon and I appreciated his time

Barbara

 

Sounds like a great school. I wish my kids had this opportunity growing up, I would definitely have been interested.

I had not heard of the fundraisers you spoke of, DB. Perhaps more vigorous promotion would help.

 

it's a unique opportunity, we think. it's worth the extra effort to us to ensure the boy gets the best we can give him...

our golf tourney will be in the spring. we're actually toying with the idea of a fishing tourney. most of the school festivals and book fairs and stuff are not really promoted outside the school, since they're basically targeted at the kids and families. i'll be sure to post here about the tourneys when they're set, though. thanks for the support

 

I've recently heard some troubling news about Neuse Charter School. They let three teachers go due to budget restraints and have some non-licensed teachers working there.
Apparently the study body numbers are low, therefore the funds are low too. They can't provide the basic items for students like grade appropriate books. They also can't keep their computers up and running. The website doesn't give much information and the newsletters available are months old.
It sounds like a sinking ship based on the folks I've spoken to.
:ack:

 

bwahahahahahaha sinking ship. that's funny. whoever you are talking to, and i suspect it's noone other than yourself (especially considering that 5 out of the 6 total posts you have made here in 18 months have been about NCS), is misinforming you.


your information is incorrect.

frankly, personnel issues are nobody's business, but what you have said about the teachers is waaaay wrong. no teachers have been released due to budget constraints. all teachers are licensed, in accordance with federal no child left behind act standards. north carolina law only requires 75% licensure for charter school teachers. why don't you try to find out from any other public school in johnston county what their licensure rate is, and i bet you hit a dead end, or you will be shocked to find out the percentages. we are 100%. period.

re: the website. last year, the director, now an IT instructor at a graduate level computer school, was the IT person for the school. we have had some difficulty in replacing him in the capacity of IT person at the school, yes, due to the fact that we don't have piles of money. if you would bother to read what i posted above, you would understand that we have to use OPERATING funding to provide for FACILITIES, unlike any other public school in the county. we have recently found an IT savvy parent who is willing to take on the task of updating our website, and that process has begun. look for it to move more quickly very soon. the newsletters on the website may not be up to date, but rest assured that parents have received them regularly. not every parent has internet access anyway.

re: the computers. we had an issue with viral infection that occurred near the end of last year, and have had to purchase viral software for nearly 100 computers. not cheap. and an unforseen expense, by the way.
our onsite wireless campus computer network needs an upgrade. that is true. and that is also costly. we are in the process of seeking grants and donations in addition to funds we plan to spend to cure our IT issues.

our student population is not "low". we are under the capacity of students that we could serve, but we could take on more students without additional funding. for example, we may have 4 spots in a particular grade level, but that class has a paid teacher, paid for space, and paid utilities. would we like to fill those spots to receive more money? duh. of course. will the class cease because it is not at capacity? laughable.

your attempt to smear us with misinformation is WEAK SAUCE. feel free to fabricate more mental midgetry and post it here so i can shoot it down again.

and the next time you want to spew venom about something you obviously know nothing about, why don't you try to find the intestinal fortitude to tell people who you are. i don't think you will, because i think you're basically full of it and have some axe to grind for whatever reason. you wanna hash this out in public? fine. let's go

 

I would like to say that our child attended a public school for 3 years and we transferred her into NCS this year. So far I haven't had any real concerns but I will watch her EOG's to verify she is getting what she needs from her grade level. That being said....The difference in our child is amazing! We choose to drive the 30 miles it takes to get her there every day because she is happy, thriving, and learning in a positive environment. We feel that the school is teaching her at her individual level and encouraging her to achieve even more. They are very family orientated and I feel that when I have a concern I can go right to the teacher or the office and it is listened to with sincerity and addressed. Their academics are taught and fun projects accompany them so that the subject is reiterated in a fun way. Also, parental involvement is required at NCS so there is a community and family feel to the school. Everyone is there for the kids-I will repeat what someone else said-you can not just drop them off at this school. As a parent, you have a voice in your child's education. Charter schools are not for everyone but for us it was the right choice.

 

Some Fundraiser Ideas for Neuse Charter

Our son went to private school in Virginia because the public schools in that area were terrible... couldn't even get accredited. Even though it was private school and cost a lot of money (we weren't rich), the parents never hesitated to pitch in and volunteer. We listed the school on our MVP Card (Food Lion) and they would receive funds that way. We did the Box Tops and Campbell's Soup labels there. They also had Silent Auctions and Raffles (people and businesses in the area donated items and/or services= advertising for them), sold wrapping paper and gifts, had Bake Sales, the first Saturday in May we had a May Day Celebration to raise funds. They had Cake Walks, Bake Sales, Sold Hot Dogs, Hamburgers and Drinks (parents volunteered and brought cookers), Inflatables, Petting Zoos, Games, etc. This was all "manned" by parents and upper school children. EVERYONE pitched in! And a parents, you always felt welcome and appreciated. And, yes, the kids came to school on Saturday as it was required and each (every) class performed their May Day Skit. And even though there were other celebrations happening the same weekend... we always had a good turn out!!!

P.S. My son has had 9 weeks of Spanish since he entered the Johnston County School System in 2008 (3 whole school years). Sad. He came home from private school (Virginia) one day, while he was in Kindergarten, and started talking "jibberish" (I thought). When I asked him to repeat it again... it was word for word the same. I asked him what he was saying and he replied, "Mom, I'm speaking Russian". It seems that the librarian was from Russia and was teaching them some Russian (volunteered). She started the class (after the Headmaster approved it) and they were learning Russian in Kindergarten. :mrgreen:

 

Thanks for all the suggestions! I think we've done every one of them except the mayday idea...although we do have two seasonal festivals during the year that classes participate in after school. Since charter schools don't charge tuition, parents are happy to give their time and money doing fundraisers...

 

For what it's worth ... I've only heard very positive things about NCS. The only negative thing I've learned concerning this school is that my child wasn't selected to join the school in the last lottery Keep up the good work

 

I am very excited to say that my son will be attending NCS this fall!! We were very fortunate that he was selected in the lottery and I'm looking forward to a new school
We would love to meet some of the other families involved in the school. I could host something at my house (McGee's Crossroads) if anyone is interested. Feel free to PM me or better yet email me at ccpetshop@earthlink.net

Rachael

 

congrats Rachael, so happy for you!!!

 

I have 2 girls that will be new students there also. If you do plan anything please let me know. They are not very excited about leaving their friends so meeting other families would be nice!

 

Here it is 2012 and Nuese Charter is going into 2013 school year , looks like Pausane should eat crow from this 2008 post.