2150…954…And Counting

2150. That’s how many visitors have come to the main Website, www.hueyforguilfordschoolboard.org since Dec. 1, 2006.

954. That’s how many of you have visited this Web site blog since I moved this over to its separate server last month.

Many of you are just simply curious onlookers, wondering exactly what I will say next or think of next.

Thank you.

Because it is you that continue to make this effort a true grass-roots effort. Because of you, we’re hearing that traffic and participation over at the News & Record’s Chalkboard Blog is waning a bit. I could be wrong and we don’t want to contribute to that, for they have been doing this a lot longer than I have and have been successful. So Morgan and Jennifer, please continue the blog efforts there at the N&R.

But as you know by now, I seem to take more controversial stances on issues involving our children and our schools…simply because it is our schools and our children we are talking about. And I make no excuses. Many of you are hungry to hear my opinions and my stances on policies and issues involving our children. I appreciate that. And we now have a wider audience as well because of the local and statewide feeds; remember that we have visitors from the Triangle to Charlotte, from the West to Down East and places in between reading this blog and commenting in real time.

That speaks to the technology of 2007.

I’m a person that puts it in perspective. We always seem to take two essential groups for granted in life. Our children and our most seasoned citizens. That has to stop. And with the children of Guilford County, the buck stops here with me.

I’m always giving words of thanks and expressions of gratitude because this is not a one man show; it will take the efforts of all of you to make the election next year a success. I simply want to be a public advocate for our children’s behalf. And when it is successful (notice I didn’t say ‘if’ but ‘when’), the efforts will not stop there. As I said before, I will pledge to fulfill my duty to make the best and the right decisions involving the children of this county. I will be humbly responsible to all of you, for it is you I’m asking for support.

So thank you again. And I’ll keep saying thank you. Keep reading. Keep commenting. Keep participating. And above all else, keep supporting what is right and what is needed in our schools. For it is our children who are our future.

E.C. 🙂

Block Scheduling Helps to Improve Test Scores: Detroit News

Many low-performing Michigan schools have instituted radical changes to improve student test scores, and it seems to be working, according a report released today by the Washington, D.C.-based Center on Education Policy, according to an article in today’s Detroit News. Click here for the article.

An excerpt:

Gladys Stoner, principal of Cerveny Middle School in Detroit, said she used multiple strategies to transform her school. She replaced 60 percent of her staff this year and implemented block scheduling and a new “house” system in the school, where students and teachers are grouped by grade.

Replacing and interviewing staff was a lot of work, but Stoner said it was worth it.

“They are here because they want to be here,” she said. “They know the direction we’re moving in, and we’re all on the same page working together.”

Preliminary data show that Cerveny met Adequate Yearly Progress goals this year, she said. In seventh grade English Language Arts, scores jumped from 29 percent to 55 percent passing.

Megan Myers, a new Cerveny English teacher, said students were apprehensive about the changes at the beginning of the year and didn’t want to do homework.

Now, several students daily ask her to stay after school to do class projects, Myers said.

“We changed not only the test scores but the way they look at education and the value they get from it,” she said.

I have to add some commentary here…in my opinion, block scheduling does more harm than good. Maybe it is working well in Michigan, but in North Carolina, I don’t feel it is working. Traditional scheduling provides more educational value than blocks. It is very hard on students to sit for 90 minutes and it provides a challenge for teachers to plan for an extended period. But it seems to be working in Michigan.

What do you think?

E.C. 🙂

N.C. “Lootery” Missing Jackpot: CLT Observer

Today’s Charlotte Observer talks about the Lootery, specifically that many NC Senate Democrats will not support the Governor’s proposal to make more money available for prizes.

Thank you Dems. It’s the first thing they’ve done right in a while.

I still feel duped though.

I, like others in the state, were promised Lootery Revenues were going to be directed toward education. It’s not happening, the state grossly underestimated projected revenues, and now the Gov. is left to clean up the mess. Many school systems, GCS included, are still planning construction bonds for this fall’s ballots across the state. Many will pass, some will fail. And now we’re back to square one.

An excerpt:

Supporters have called the lottery’s initial projections unrealistic. Skeptics say they’re not surprised by its less-than-stellar performance.

“What we’re seeing from the lottery is what those people who opposed (it) said all along — that the amount raised would not meet the rosy projections,” said Senate Minority Leader Phil Berger, R-Rockingham. “It’s an unreliable source of revenue.”

Easley and others believe the lottery could raise more money by giving more away.

Now, 35 percent of lottery proceeds has to go to education, including school construction and scholarships. Another 52 percent goes to prizes.

In comparison, South Carolina devotes 60 percent to prizes.

Easley would raise prize outlays here to 59 percent, keeping 29 percent for education.

“The state needs more money for education and this is the best way to get it,” said Easley spokesman Seth Effron. “The governor knows the General Assembly supports education as well.”

Bill Holmes, a spokesman for House Speaker Joe Hackney, D-Orange, said there’s no consensus on Easley’s proposals in the House.

E.C. 🙂

The Half-Billion Dollar GCS “Wish-List”

Today’s News & Record gives the complete roll-up of what Guilford County Schools would like to be included as part of the proposed 2007 bond referendum. A half-a-billion dollars.

Of course, this is on the basis of the bond passing in November. Wishful thinking.

In my opinion, the Board had better start making plans now to begin asking the County Commissioners about plan B because I honestly think this bond will have a tough time at the polls in November. I’m not anti-growth, I’m not anti-education (or I wouldn’t be running for school board next year)…we need new and upgraded facilities…badly! But we also need to be fiscally prudent about it. There’s entirely too much waste going on downtown and nothing is being done about it and I can’t stand it. And this November, I have a funny feeling the taxpayers of this county are going to put their foot down and say no.

 E.C. 🙂

Thomasville program helps kids in struggling economy: HP Enterprise

Today’s High Point Enterprise continues its Communities in Schools series referencing how the organization is helpful in some of our most highly-impacted schools.

An excerpt from today’s story:

CIS of Thom­asville Director Judy Younts said the work of the organization’s staff, site coordinators and volunteers is aimed at making students “taxpayers, not tax takers.”

“We need to give our students the best tools to become produc­tive citizens and to assist them in meeting the demands of the classroom when outside forces get in the way,” said Younts, a former teacher who has led the organization since 1994.

With a bleak industrial situa­tion in the city, community lead­ers say CIS has been able to help provide relief to families suffer­ing from economic burdens.

“The community is really hurting with the industrial situation, with plants closing and reduction in (work force),” said Daniel Cockman, super­intendent of Thomasville City Schools.

E.C. 🙂