Only 68% of NC H.S. Students Graduate: DPI

See this News 14 Carolina story on the state’s cohort graduation rate at around 68%. DPI says not to assume that the remaining 32% dropped out. “Our rate is not where we want it to be,” DPI Board Chairman Howard Lee said today.

GCS’s rate is even lower…at 63%.  

Duh!

This is frightening, folks. This blog continues to write itself…

E.C. 🙂

Decentralization Comes at a Price

See this story from News 14 Carolina regarding the continuing efforts to decentralize CLT-Mecklenburg Schools into six regional learning communities. Approximately 135 jobs will be lost as a result of their central office being shrunk, at the same time, 110 new positions will be created. Again folks, it will pay to continue monitoring this developing story carefully. Many around Guilford Co. say that splitting GCS back into three separate systems may provide the biggest payoff and the better return on the dollar. I hold no sway one way or the other. What do you think?

E.C. 🙂

Parental Participation in Wake Co.

See this story from News 14 Carolina. Wake Co. is progressive enough to have a citizens advisory committee that consults their school board on facilities management and construction projects. They met yesterday to discuss how schools in the capitol county can be built cheaper. They will compile public statements and bring them to their school board as a whole.

Progressive.

GCS…take lessons.

E.C. 🙂

Kids Are Bored In School

Apparently, many of our high school children across America are bored in school, according to a new survey released today by Indiana University researchers. Click here to read the AP story. Many of these students feel either the courses are irrelevant or teachers don’t care about them, thus making them wanting to drop out.

See my previous post on the importance of having an educated workforce, especially in this area. If we are to have an educated workforce, then our schools need to be relevant. The “dumbing-down” of our children has got to stop.

E.C. 🙂

Educated Workforce Now!

N&R’s Doug Clark comments on his blog yesterday about the Las Vegas Market marking an official “bulls-eye” on the High Point Market. At the same time, the “Heart of the Triad” committee, the folks aiming to recreate a “research triangle Park” between GSO and W-S right through Kernersville, are meeting today to strategize.

With the potential hit of our furniture market coupled with the advent of a concentration of tech, biotech and transportation/logistics jobs on the horizon, it is now time to refocus and redouble our efforts to have an educated workforce. Quit talking about it and just do it.

E.C. 🙂

The “Loot”ery

I feel hoodwinked. Have you felt hoodwinked lately?

I actually supported the new NC state lottery. Yes, I was sold on the idea of lottery revenues for education. Now that I’ve seen the back-and-forth with lottery revenues contributing (or really, not contributing) to fund GCS construction projects and Gov. Easley doing the “Texas-two-step” flip-flop on reducing lottery revenues in favor of bigger payouts, I feel cheated.

So now it’s time to have a real dialogue on changing the funding formula for education in this state. And this dialogue needs to take place in Raleigh. Enough already with the politics and fund these schools the way they need to be funded. I called in to the “Brad & Britt” show yesterday (airs weekday mornings on FM Talk 101.1 WZTK) and they were discussing this very subject. I said that the entire state education funding formula (lootery or no lootery)  needs to be revamped now.

Skip is right…what happens if the proposed fall school bond makes it to the ballot but doesn’t pass? And there’s a very good chance that it won’t; Grier & Co. is not very popular these days.

E.C. 🙂

“Grier-isms”

Welcome to this installment of “Grier-isms,” where we will feature and highlight the not-so-witty, half-cocked, and the just-plain-unreal and downright insensitive comments of our illustrious superintendent of schools, Terrence Grier.

You already saw the example of Grier’s comments made to Kiser Middle School principal Sharon McCants, telling her that she was inheriting a staff who doesn’t think that black children can learn.

Accusatory. Slanderous. Outrageous. Insulting. Borderline-racist.

Wait, there’s more. Today’s News & Record’s “Inside Scoop” in discussing CoCo Skip Alston’s message to Grier and Co. last week that if the proposed school bond makes it to the ballot and doesn’t pass, they should strongly consider certificates of participation. “Don’t leave it up to voters to fund your most dire construction projects,” he said.

He reminded them a second time. After reminding them a third time, Grier exclaimed, “We heard you.”

Not the tone and language I would be using if I was preparing to approach the CoCo’s for money (and budget time is at hand).

Add arrogant to the above list.

E.C. 🙂

Kiser Middle School Concerns–Part 4

An insider familiar with the deteriorating behavioral/discipline situation at Kiser Middle School comments:

“The climate has deteriorated so much that students are now putting their hands on teachers (shoving them, moving arms that are placed to block entrance/exit) and no disciplinary action is taken. The usual response given by the administration is ‘it was not brought to my attention.’ I know of at least one substitute teacher, who in the past was dependable and competent, that now refuses to come back to Kiser because of the above-mentioned issues. I will do whatever is in my power to transfer schools after this year, and in all probability I will leave this county as well. Terry Grier’s incompetence, namely his handling of redistricting issues in High Point, and “Mission Possible” are but two further examples of his inability to manage this school system, and are making it impossible for me to continue to work in this system.”

Wow.

Comments?

E.C. 🙂

CPS Kids Make the Grade, So Why Can’t GCS?

Yet another example of kids scoring high on state tests OUTSIDE of North Carolina…see this article from today’s Chicago Sun-Times. Illinois students made gains on state achivement tests for the first time since 1999. And at least half of the students from Chicago Public Schools passed every Illinois Standards Achivement Test taken last year.

It’s uncanny.

E.C. 🙂

New Discipline Problems at Page

When students openly assault school staff, there is a problem somewhere. It’s not supposed to happen and if and when it does, there should be immediate consequences. This was how it was when I was in school 20 years ago. If I ever put my hand on a teacher when I was in school, it could have meant expulsion.

But welcome to the new GCS, where the concept of expulsion seems to be unheard of. We’re afraid to suspend children because keeping Grier off of your case takes more of a priority than keeping clasrooms and schools under control.

Plain and simple, school staff have enough to deal with rather than worrying about kids wanting to fight teachers. And as such, working conditions for GCS employees should be free of behavior problems involving students and a zero-tolerance policy should be created and enforced. If I’m elected to the School Board next year, I promise to work hard to create such a policy as part of an overall strategy to crack down on discipline and behavior.

Case in point…I’ve been made aware of some possible cases of students assaulting staff members at Page H.S. with not-so-immediate consequences by administration. I’m investigating the incidents as I speak.

Teachers read this blog and the campaign website. And many anonymously participate and comment. If you have been the victim of violence or assault at any GCS facility, I encourage you to send me a note anonymously. I promise I will investigate.

Sounds like this is what GCS needs…an employee “inspector general.”

E.C. 🙂

Wishing Cooke Well

Eastern Guilford H.S. principal Dr. Lisa Cooke took medical leave for the rest of the year, and we wish her the very best. She’s been through a lot, leading staff and students through the toughest time in the school’s history with the November 2006 fire. I honestly hope she got what she needed from GCS central office and the Board, but from what I hear, it has truly been tough going.

E.C. 🙂

More on Grier–More on Kiser

Another source familiar with the situation within Kiser Middle School (and Grier’s “statement”) comments herein:

“Decisions (or lack of) concerning lack of discipline has led to low teacher morale, frustration, and a disconnect between staff and administration. It is demoralizing enough that Dr. Grier has called us racist–the administration micromanages and treats us as if we don’t have any input regarding student expectations. To me, this implies that their belief is the same as Dr. Grier. The suspension rate from last year does not tell the entire story. We all worked hard to try and help those students who needed it most–that also includes the past administration. To believe otherwise is insulting. We are professionals, and most have stayed at Kiser because we love this school. Don’t underestimate our passion for these children. Some of the decisions, such as the contract for changing grades, are immoral and unethical.”

This blog will write itself, folks. And please understand that there are many more schools operating in this manner like this one.

Comments?

E.C. 🙂

Grier Stumbles Again

I told you I was going to break some news this week.

Supt. Grier really should not be in charge of running schools.

Multiple and reliable sources familiar with the chaotic discipline situation at Kiser Middle School tell us that Dr. Grier made some rather disparaging remarks at the beginning of this school year as he announced the hiring of the then-new principal Sharon McCants. Sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, say that at an early faculty meeting this school year, McCants quoted Grier as having said that “she was inheriting a school with 85 students on long-term suspension, a school with the second-lowest reading scores in the county and a staff who doesn’t think black kids can learn.”

One confirmed witness to McCants sharing this with the faculty said, “Many of the faculty at Kiser feels that his statement reflects his own feelings about race.”

This is not the only time Grier has put his foot in his mouth. Published reports last summer said that Grier used similar language when being debriefed by state assistance team members at Andrews H.S. last year, which led to Grier walking out of one of the meetings.

And for all this, Grier got a raise and a salary extension. Wow.

I’ll just bet Charlotte-Mecklenburg is thanking their lucky stars they didn’t hire him.

E.C. 🙂

Concerns at Kiser

Kiser Middle School in Greensboro is a school that is experiencing a transition. Because it is an “opt-out” school from other area middle schools that aren’t making federal and state benchmarks, Kiser is taking on other students from out of district and that has created a unique set of problems. Multiple sources familiar with the situation inside Kiser say that problem is close to being “out of control.” These sources tell us that veteran teachers (including board certified teachers) have walked out. We’re told multiple false fire alarms are a part of daily life. We’re told the school is laden with graffiti, students who are extremely profane and disrespectful to staff, students shouting down the halls “eastside-southside,” in an attempt to incite a riot and students acting out inappropriately toward other students. Weapons and drugs have been found inside the school, according to these sources.

We’re told that because of this and much more, staff morale is at an all-time low and several are seeking transfers out next year.

Sounds like a school on life-support. Can anything be done to turn the situation around there…and fast?

E.C. 🙂

A Dark Anniversary

One year ago, our High Point children were taken hostage in a tragic case of political tyranny. And for the third time in six years, these children have been allowed to suffer unfairly. One year ago, this board voted again to redistrict these children away from their neighborhood schools, thus sending them to schools way across town in what was sold to citizens as “an example of racial harmony
and diversity.” But the end results continue to be demoralizing.

            Children now attend High Point middle and high schools miles away from their homes. Many of these children come from families that are low income and many do not have access to transportation in the home. If their child falls ill at school, these families have no mode of transportation to come and pick their child up from school.

            Families have been uprooted. Households have been split apart. Enrollment at area private schools has skyrocketed. Homes suddenly put up for sale because of politics. It is estimated that as many as 400 children in High Point alone have left the GCS system entirely. Where are the missing 400? They’re not at Andrews, where enrollment is now below 1,000. They’re not at Central. They’re not at Southwest. And the end result? Almost daily fights at Southwest Middle and High, and now Ferndale. The ongoing questionable mission of the supposed culinary arts academy program at Central. Severe supply shortages continue within Andrews. In fact, the plight of many High Point schools is dismal, as evidenced by the Montlieu Elementary parents who spoke at the last Board meeting. These parents, teachers, students…and yes, these communities…all of these communities in High Point, want their schools back. The “neighborhood” has been taken out of the neighborhood school. That’s not right. We owe it to these parents, teachers, children and neighborhoods to rightly return these schools to these neighborhoods now. Will our Board and GCS free these children and pour the necessary supplies into all of these schools by any means necessary so that student achievement can once again become a top priority?

E.C. 🙂

School Board, County Board Meet

The two boards will meet this afternoon prior to the 6pm School Board meeting this evening. See HP Enterprise story here for more. Undoubtedly, they both will confer on budgets and more likely than not, the two will confer on the proposed scholarships for high school seniors. See me previous Board comments here on this subject. I hope the County Board will take the big picture into consideration because all this is doing is needlessly funneling taxpayer money into a vacuum. As I told the Board, I think their hearts are in the right place, but this is not the way to do this.

I will also commemorate the one-year anniversary of last year’s redistricting vote. I have some comments planned to put it all in perspective.

As usual, my comments will hit the WEBSITE after 9PM this evening.  

UPDATE 7:23pm…My appearance at tonight’s Board meeting was cancelled; I got hung up on a last minute commitment; I’ll fill you guys in tomorrow.

E.C. 🙂

Regional Meeting on new HS Grad Requirements

See Asheboro Courier-Tribune article here for details about a regional meeting to be held Thursday, Feb. 22 from 6:30-8:30pm at Randleman H.S. on the state’s new H.S. graduation requirements. This meeting is probably worth attending if you’re as concerned as I am about the future of our children’s education in this Brave New NCLB World.

E.C.

21st Century School Board/Superintendent Leadership

Here is a report published by the New England School Development Council’s Educational Research Service, titled “Thinking Differently: Recommendations for 21st Century School Board/Superintendent Leadership, Governance, and Teamwork for High Student Achievement.” I fully endorse this report. (DOWNLOAD HERE)

E.C.

Anti-CMS Site?

Here’s an anti-Charlotte-Mecklenburg School site aimed at gathering ideas on how to reform CMS? See previous post for more info. Could a similar anti-GCS site be around the corner?

E.C.

CMS Makes Major Reforms

Supt. Peter Gorman, who heads the Char-Meck Schools, is no Terry Grier. In fact, he is spearheading several reform efforts. Full coverage of the “100-day plan” on the CLT Observer website. And I mean big big BIG reforms. Bold steps, my friends. I think what they’re doing 100 miles to the south of us is definately worth paying attention to.

 E.C.

Middle School Reform Strategies

From today’s Columbus (Ohio) Dispatch…teachers are spending unusual amounts of time remediating students who were not taught basic elementary school math. So maybe it is at the elementary school level that major reforms need to be made so that students can be ready for middle school.

See also this article from the NEA about a Florida middle school that’s taking on reform in a big bold way.

What do you think?

E.C.

71 Visitors on the First Day

Apparently someone out there wants to know what I have to say next (or have the guts to say next).

On the first day of this new “Express” blog, we logged 71 visitors. And BTW, we have logged our 1,700th visitor to hueyforguilfordschoolboard.org.

Thank you.

Please keep visiting. Please participate in our discussions here. As it says on the main site, this is purely a grass-roots effort to make a change in our public school system and we can be an army of one with your support. More enhancements are ahead and more announcements are planned. Stay tuned.

E.C.

Michigan…Almost like NC

Seems that the state of Michigan is going through many of the same issues that NC is going through. See this article from the Detroit News. The whole notion of high school reform, I’m starting to think, is becoming its own industry. And things will get awfully tricky if NCLB is reauthorized.

 E.C.

NCLB Reauthorization Recommendations

In an article in today’s Washington Post, a bipartisan commission dealing with the reauthorization of the No Child Left Behind law released a series of recommendations that require…yes, more testing.

Here we go again folks…

Recommendations include creating new national standards and national exams. Teachers would be subject to sanctions with poorly performing students. H.S. seniors would be required to be proficient in both reading and math and all schools held accountable for raising test scores in science by 2014.

The lawmakers like it, they’re the ones that don’t have to take the tests. The unions despise it, calling the current NCLB act “challenging enough.”

What do you think? 

It’s a Child…Not a Test Score

Here’s an op-ed piece I found in the Cincinnati Enquirer from a professor at Xavier University who believes education should be more than about test scores. As preliminary EOC data begins trickling in from block high schools statewide, this should begin to put it in perspective.

He writes: “…these tests are built upon standards which have been written by persons far removed from the actual experience of the teachers and students engaged in the testing process.”

See my past blog comments on EOC testing here on the sister site.

Just my opinion…please take a moment to write, send me an e-mail (hueyforguilfordschoolboard@yahoo.com) or sign my webpage guestbook. I welcome comments and replies to my blog

EOCs Hit the Fan

Is it fair that EOC teachers continue to be held accountable for students who don’t do well on EOGs/EOCs? I would particularly love to hear comments from GCAE’s Mark Jewell on this. Many teachers across the system, especially rookie teachers, wind up teaching EOC classes and because they are not tenured, their contract renewals are held up in the air pending how their students do on EOC/EOG testing. It’s a brave new world with these tests, my friends…Just my opinion…please take a moment to write, send me an e-mail (hueyforguilfordschoolboard@yahoo.com) or sign my webpage guestbook. I welcome comments and replies to my blog

Neighborhood Schools & Magnets

A gentleman named Jim Langer over on the N&R Chalkboard Blog site wants to discuss neighborhood schools and magnets. Okay. Let’s discuss. In my opinion, GCS is not doing magnets right. There are too many, they are scattered all over the county, there are too many magnets within schools and too many of them are not being supported. Case in point, take Montlieu Math & Science Academy. It is a high-impact elementary school in High Point. It is also a school where Grier’s new Intervention Teams will be sent. It is also a school where supplies aren’t getting to the staff. How can this be when it is supposed to be a math and science magnet? In addition, he wanted to know my additional thoughts on neighborhood schools. I’m not anti-diversity. But diversity doesn’t have anything to do with this argument. I’m a realist. And the realism is that when you live right across the street from a school and you’re bused to another school across town, I have a philosophical difference with that. All schools need the supplies and tools to do the job properly. And unfortunately, supplies aren’t getting to the schools that desperately need it. And it’s not fair to the children. 400 students have left the GCS system due to High Point redistricting. Residential real estate in the entire city of High Point is up for sale because of redistricting. Is it me or is there a problem somewhere? Just my opinion…please take a moment to write, send me an e-mail (hueyforguilfordschoolboard@yahoo.com) or sign my webpage guestbook. I welcome comments and replies to my blog

Welcome to the New & Improved Campaign Weblog

It had to happen eventually. We became a victim of our own success. So we’ve now created a separate standalone campaign Web Blog site. To come to this site directly, the site is https://erikhuey.wordpress.com. A link has been established off of my main website. As you now know, my web blog is that only one in Guilford County that’s EXCLUSIVELY dedicated to topics of all things GCS-related. And since the very first post, the blog has been an instant hit with supporters and visitors alike. We hope you enjoy the new blog area and please tell your friends and neighbors.

Blog entries prior to February 12, 2008 can be accessed here.

Intervention Teams are Going to Intervene…aren’t they?

See today’s N&R article for continuing coverage on the Intervention Teams into our high-impact schools. And there now seems to be a question as to what their role is. Did I call this one or what? And what I’m also uneasy about is the fact that the schools that need curriculum facilitators are being stripped of theirs so that they can go into the high-impact locations.

In my opinion, all of the schools need CFs.

SROs Safe For Now?

NOTE…this was the blog entry prior to the blog switchover. This is being rewritten to maintain continuity.

THE SROs ARE SAFE FOR NOW

Good reactions to the speech at the Feb. 8 Board meeting where we attempted to save our school resource officers, and it may have paid off via an unlikely source. Deena Hayes suggested waiting at least a month until a community meeting can be held to gather input. Thank you, Deena, for the suggestion. This campaign will be there, and I plan to give similar remarks. Amos Quick clearly wanted action on this at the meeting but was quickly shot down. Good. This is an issue that should not even be discussed. Even considering the removal of our SROs is a very stupid move.

STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT STINKS IN THE ENTIRE STATE RIGHT NOW.

Read this e-mail all public school teachers in the state received from State Supt. of Schools June Atkinson dated Feb. 8:

“Last week, the State Board of Education approved cut scores for four end-of-course tests: Algebra I, Algebra II and Geometry and English I. In setting these scores, the Board strongly considered teacher input that was collected on expectations and performance of students. As these cut scores are applied, teachers may see fewer students scoring in the higher levels of achievement. This is not surprising in some ways. Expectations for students and understanding of workplace and post-secondary demands have increased significantly in the last decade. Teachers know this and reflected this in their determination of where cut scores should be set. The change in cut scores does not impact the growth component of the ABCs or the incentive awards/bonus money provided under the accountability model. It does give students a better sense of how well their performance matches up with the expectations of teachers statewide and of “real world” needs. Regards, June Atkinson”

Sounds like spin to me. I’ll report…and I’ll let you decide.

GRIER GETS IT IN GEAR…Grier’s new “Intervention Teams” attacking all of the high-impact schools; I’m going to reserve comment until more information is gathered and if something positive comes away from all of this. It’s a bold, yet reactive step, which is typical at GCS. But remember, many of these schools have had state assistance or state turnaround teams, which have briefed Grier and the Board (in some cases…multiple times) on what steps need to be taken to turn these schools around. I hope it is not more of the same. Oh and one more thing…add Montlieu Elementary School, a high-needs/high-impact school to the growing countywide list of schools sending out an S.O.S. to downtown because they need supplies and they, like other schools, aren’t getting what they need to function. Sound familiar?

Just my opinion…please take a moment to write, send me an e-mail or sign my guestbook. I welcome comments and replies to my blog 🙂