Letters went home to Four Oaks Elementary parents yesterday that their parents voted NO for the proposed calendar. The proposal will go no further for their school. Anyone heard from other schools yet?
There must be some fair measure of accountability for schools and teachers. And I maintain evaluation is a good thing, if it's used to get better. My two biggest beefs about NCLB was that it was an unfunded mandate from the federal government AND it did not hold accountable the people most responsible for a child's education: the parents. By using the aggregate scores for an entire school and requiring inclusion of scores from subgroups whose scores will never get close to acceptable test levels, the entire school is painted with a broad brush. Given that, it's easy to see how pressure could be applied to teachers to improve the scores of the tests, whether in meant that a few schools or teachers cheated, or many more taught to the test. In my mind, there needs to be some standardized test required of all students charter, public, or private school, given prior to graduation that demonstrates a graduate is prepared to enter society and be productive. That would also assure employers that the pool of new hires presenting diplomas are actually prepared, as opposed to it being a document that represents attendance at school over a length of time. After what should be the usual graduation age for most, a senior who doesn't graduate should move into a diploma type program in another facility, i.e. JCC or similar.
My husband and I last night voted no. We have two children at Polenta and really do not see the need for this program at this school. We looked at all the facts and went to meetings and talked to other parents and teachers we know personally and not one of them thinks this a good idea for Polenta.
The county has put a spreadsheet on the first page of the website that shows how each school votes. It shows the teacher votes and will show the parent votes once they have been counted. Three schools have completed the voting per the spreadsheet: McGee's NO, Four Oaks NO, Slema YES. When you go to the district website there is a section on the front that says NEWS and it scrolls different topics, one says Academic Enhancement Calendar Vote Results, click on that and then on the attachement provided. http://www.johnston.k12.nc.us
You're Welcome. The numbers are interesting to me and very close on the teacher and parents side at a lot of the schools. Looking at the numbers makes me believe we will be doing this again next year at the schools that voted no this year.
Like telling a 5 yr old they can't have a piece of candy. "No." "Can I, please?" "No, I said." "Aw, please?" "No!" "Pretty please?" "NO!" Reminds me of the story of a young lieutenant who sent to JEB Stuart, a battle plan based on his limited time in the service. The battle wizened general, mindful of grooming a young officer yet not wishing to break him down completely, sent back a nicely worded rejection telling the Lt that, "at this time, the battle requires a different type of tactic". Unpersuaded, the young lieutenant sent his plan to the General. General Stuart's response was akin to the" Not NO!, but Heck (censored) NO!. I've told you once, I ain't tellin' ya agin!" Something tells me that the board and the schools will keep asking for this, until they get an answer worthy of General Stuart's response.
Not sure if they do. I recall when they first introduced the idea that if a student didn't pass, they'd receive a certificate of attendance. Former inlaws were worried about my former BIL knowing that his chance of passing it was nil was glad that he graduated just before it came.
quick question. Did any of the other schools have a problem of families receiving more than one survey? Neighbor got three.... one from each child at PES. and a friend recieved two....how many more mistakes are there???
According to the principal, one survey per family was sent home, to be sent with the oldest student from PES. Surveys are due back by the 23rd. I hope that if the school does receive multiple surveys from a family, that they count just one.
Didn't know if anyone had heard that this whole topic will most likely be dead in the water for next year due to the State legislature most likely passing the bill that would start traditional schools Aug. 15. That would put schools on the proposed calendar starting July 5, not the 28th as everyone has been told. At the Board retreat last week, they pretty much said they would not be going forward with the proposed calendar but couldn't vote to stop the process at the retreat due to it not being an actual meeting or something like that. And I personally think this will be a dead issue the next year as well due to the opposition the Board has received from parents AND due to it being an election year.
personally I think all the test scores are garbage anyway. go back to the a,b,c,d and f and call it a day. simple and to the point with any school calendar no one can mess that up. Only test that need to be administered is SAT and ACT. When this state went away from keeping it basic it all went to garbage. I mean come on anyone can learn anything and remember it for a day. even as adults we learned it take the test and forget about it. Test scores are garbage. Think about it your son/daughter brings home math or any subject and your like darn I can't remember this. This whole change school to a new calendar in my mind won't go away. It may go away in my life as once my kids move on in grades but then there are new parents new kids a new "crop" so to speak and they will vote and go through all this. Maybe it has been brought up to fast, but just because it may go away today and other schools may change to the other calendar to my experience if something hangs around long enough change will take place. I am just saying................
I guess if more than one is returned in the same envelope, was my thought. I do wish that the count would be conducted in an open and transparent fashion. Given the division between supporters and opponents, it would be better received if representatives from both sides were present. Latest plan I heard was that the votes will be counted by school folks, PTA member, and Advisory Council member, all of whom were touted as being in favor of adoption.
There's no way they could know. It seems simple enough to give a survey to one child per family.:? Guess not.
what do families do that are on vacation the week of the 15th @@ I have already paid for it. my son cant start school and be away at the same time. I hate they are starting earlier cause thats my fav time to vacation everything is cheaper @@
simple enough? never. I get two of everything. There is no way they would be able to make sure only one kid in a multi-kid family gets just one. I mean, there is a way, but it's way too much trouble to be sure teacher of Kid #1 knew that kid # 1 got the survey for the whole family. Be hard for teachers of kids #2 and #3 to relay that and then all 3 of them to remember, especially in elementary school. not going to happen. It would be easier for THE PARENT to call the school and ask, do I fill out one of these or all 3? =) that's what I have done for 8 years now. :mrgreen:
