ABC Skool Choice.....

[Wuptdo]

Just passing this along as a "community" service. ABC School Choice has some upcoming events coming up. One is "fundraiser" for Ron Margiotta (WCPSSS Member) and the other is a local leadership/meeting of ABC School Choice.

Please see attached website if you are interested:

http://www.assignmentbychoice.org/

Wuptdo B-)

[Wuptdo]

Now here is a lunch I would of enjoyed attending. Read on....


http://www.newsobserver.com/news/story/1314262p-7436939c.html

This is a good read :wink: !

Enjoy!

Wuptdo B-)

[Brent]

It's a wonder there wasn't a food fight (assuming there wasn't :lol: ).

[johnb]

The fault lies entirely with the school board.


In the testy luncheon meeting, county officials complained that the school system isn't giving them enough budget information and that commissioners need to have more oversight over school spending. School officials responded that they're the ones entrusted to decide on educational issues and that they're good financial stewards.


In the adult world we are all accountable to someone else. The school board does not have the right to demand unlimited funds while simultaneously rejecting any type of fiscal oversight/accountability.

That is immature and irresponsible and that Republican, Bill Fletcher, is the chief miscreant on the school board. He proves that the little donkey aren't the only pigs at the public trough.

Kenn Gardner, chairman of the Board of Commissioners, complained Monday that the budget information the school system gave to the county contained vague justifications such as maintaining and supporting academic excellence. He contrasted that with the more detailed explanations provided by county departments.

"We don't know enough because you haven't made known to us the decisions behind your budget," Gardner said.

But school board member Bill Fletcher countered that the school system is not a county department. Other board members added that the county had requested the information a few days before it was due.

Oh gee Bill, because the WCPSS isn't a "county department" your fat @$$ is supposed to be free of any type of fiscal oversight eh?

Fletcher also questioned why the school system wasn't involved in the development of Cooke's budget model. He said getting $10.7 million would hurt.

But the WCPSS isn't a county department! Why should they be involved in the planning since they also reject the responsibility that comes with being accountable through oversight? That excuse works for Fat @$$ Fletcher when he is dodging county oversight.

The county manager wants the school system to request and receive approval from commissioners for any grant applications that may require the use of local money. Unless commissioners are asked about grants beforehand, Commissioner Phil Jeffreys said, it is ridiculous for the school system to expect the county to fund grants after they've expired.

But Fletcher said that the school system will continue a grant program only if it's helping students.

Cooke also wants the school system to request and receive approval from commissioners if it wants to use surplus funds during the school year that will result in future funding obligations for the county. Examples include the school board's using its surplus to buy school buses.

It's only fair for commissioners to have a say if they're going to be responsible for picking up the bill, Cooke said.

That's outrageous! How dare the panel empowered with taxing authority for the county be notified of the financial obligations the WCPSS would impose on them before the WCPSS makes the commitments! How dare the Wake County Commission insist the WCPSS join the rest of us in the adult world of responsibility and accountability.

Susan Parry, school board chairwoman, said the board has nothing to hide, but she raised concerns about intrusion on the panel's authority.

"The school board is an elected body entrusted with making decisions about long-term policy for schools," Parry said. "We don't feel there could be any way for us to take our responsibilities seriously if we were to come to you to make requests regularly for educational decisions."

Seems the WCPSS board members are more interested in playing political games than anything else. The school board has no power to tax as such it has no power to obligate anyone for debt. The county commission has the power to do that, if the school board members don't like it they should resign. They can run for a seat on the county commission or lobby to change state law. Until then they need to grow up.

[Wuptdo]

Bravo-Zulu, John!

When I read the article the other day, well let's just say, the coffee went down the wrong pipe; from laughter.

One of my favorite lines is:

Clark was less diplomatic.

"The county commissioners aren't interested in having high-achieving students," she said after the meeting.




No, they are not. Not every kid should go to college and the WPCSS should stop trying to do so. We are now a service ecomony, yet the School Board has not woken up and smelled the roses. I know the business community is screaming for workers who can make beds, run a cash register, change oil, and just show up to work "on time" and ready to work. This should be the mission of the WCPSS - "To prepare children for the workforce."

After learning something about the Cary budget, I took a glace at the WCPSS budget (over $700 million and that is not including CIP). 8-O

Wuptdo B-)

[johnb]

Whether all kids or no kids go to college is irrelevant Wup.

Wake County has finite fiscal resources and those resources are prioritized by the County Commission. What the school boards thinks about that is pretty much irrelevant. They need to keep their cart behind the Commissions horse. They are no different than any other county activity when it comes to the money.

I wonder how well people would take it if the Department of Defense decided to spend money without Congressional appropriations? How about the NC State Police? They all have jobs to do that could be made easier or better with more cash.

[Cathy]

Mike,

I have to disagree with you on your support of having the Public K-12 schools take on the principal role of preparing students for the service industry through the "School-to-Work" program.

As a parent, I would expect the Public School System to focus their attention on making certain that my children learn to be intellectually curious_ how to read, write, and have decent math skills,_and learn Science, History and social skills also.

I would not desire or expect the Public Schools to lower the bar on learning so far that they call it success if they train young minds to aspire to nothing more than To be a body to fill the service industry's menial, low paying positions. Neither should they be given the impression that they can't or shouldn't take such jobs, as they should, to be able to gain real world experience this way. But they should not be trained to aspire to nothing more.

Highschool may be the place to offer the choice of learning a trade as an alternative to going on to a university. And those who make this choice should feel that they are learning something valuable for themselves and others.

Cathy

[SteveG]

Mike,

Highschool may be the place to offer the choice of learning a trade as an alternative to going on to a university. And those who make this choice should feel that they are learning something valuable for themselves and others.

Cathy

The future of the service economy in the USA hinges on the skills of our workers, and their ability and willingness to learn new things and adapt to change. Both depth of knowledge and critical thinking skills are essential to attracting service jobs that will pay well.

When I attended high school, I chose to take a number of elective classes that were intended as "trade" classes for non-college-bound students. These classes included "power and energy" aka "shop", "metals", "electricity and electronics" and both architectual and mechanical drafting. I chose these classes because I wanted very much to work in the applied sciences, but I did not know which discipline would be most interesting. Getting my hands on some representative projects was very helpful for me, and gave me some insight into my future studies. I was mostly surrounded by students with lower motivation and much less ability in math and science than I had. However, there were also some very intelligent, motivated guys who were mechanically inclined and would obviously go far. I am certain that these guys would benefit from every bit as much academic preparation as the college-bound students got, in order to assist them in their future of entrepreneurship and invention in the pursuit of their trade.

[johnb]

Excellent point Steve.

I'm not sure what the benefit is of assuming/asserting the schools should be funded for AG / honors programs as if all students were going straight into college.

[Wuptdo]

Good points made by both Steven and JohnB. As I learn more the public school system in Wake Co, NC, and the USA, the more these three words seem to apply: "Fraud, waste, & abuse." (ok, add "inflexible!")

I am beginning to lean toward a la carte system for High Schools. High Schools provide the baseline education you need to graduate. However, if you desire your child to go "Honors/AP" classes, then the parents of that child should pay the difference between the baseline class and the "Honor/AP" class. For some outstanding students (GPA 3.80 or higher), the cost can be reduced or waived. For the F&R crowd, that can't afford "Honor/AP" classes they could develop some sort of scholarship fund or allow individuals or groups(including church groups) to sponsor students. Once again, this is just an idea, but the system needs to changed to reflect new ecomonic conditions.

Thoughts & comments?

Wuptdo B-)