share.triangle.com - Judge Manning's decision - Comments

did manning goof?

plusaf — Tue, 15 May 2007 15:56:08 -0400

a lawyer-relative of mine mentioned that the state constitution merely says that the school year must comprise a minimum number of days for classes. it does not specify a maximum.

therefore, judge manning may have goofed badly. the BOA could just as well specify that <b>year round is the standard</b> and anything else must be by opt-out only.

if that were the case, i wonder if this "problem" would evaporate, despite the shrillings of the mis-named "Wake Cares." Wake Cares cares about their own agenda and personal needs. they may transmit the most volume at meetings, but i've never seen anything to support their claims that a majority supports their positions.

for my money as a taxpayer, if Wake Cares and their ilk would rather have schools shuttered for three months of the year, would they please explain why they don't take their family cars off the road for three months of the year? seems sensible to me.... since we're paying for the schools, maintenance, depreciation, repairs, energy consumption and all that, wouldn't the best use of this kind of investment be to get the most use out of it as possible?

when i do the math, it looks to me that three year-round schools can seat and educate the same number of students as four 9-month-ers.

if Wake Cares supports that mandated inefficiency, they should be very willing to support building 4/3 the number of non-year-round schools to compensate, and willing to pay the 4/3 of taxes needed to do that.

what say ye, WC? [oops, bad abbreviation, if you've ever been to England... :) ]

plusaf
Northwest Raleigh
27613

The continuing problems with

johnwsimpson — Wed, 09 May 2007 15:28:45 -0400

The continuing problems with providing sufficient school facilities for Wake County's school children indicate that it is time to step back and reconsider some fundamental assumptions. Our Wake County policymakers seem to be driven primarily by economic considerations, with quality of life for all residents far in the background. Thus, they cling to the old paradigm of tax subsidies to promote growth, even though growth is already white-hot.

One tax subsidy promoting growth is the property tax increment due to growth-related construction of new schools -- this is the all too familiar cycle of bond issues financed by property tax increases. This is what the N&O, the Goodnights, and other pro-growth real estate and business leaders promoted last year. From their point of view, the school system is a taxpayer-funded marketing tool for generating wealth for them. Meanwhile, growth explodes, and taxpayers again and again are asked to pony up.

The N&O recently published an account of the events leading to the latest fiasco, the impasse over forced assignment to year-round schools, beginning with the failure of the 1999 bond issue. Not surprisingly, the N&O's version of history pointed the finger of blame away from the N&O and it's cronies in the business and real estate community, who are promoting the old paradigm and blocking a much-needed shift to growth-related sources of funding for growth-related school system expansion.

Year Round Schools

Heatherbrook — Mon, 07 May 2007 20:21:12 -0400

Shame Shame on the Wake Co. BD. of Ed. to think about all the children in Wake Co. and the Tax Payers. Lets buckle down to those Wake Cares Folks that apparently CAN NOT Deal with change. ( Is there a little OCD or ADD there)?

Judge Manning - Bad Decision

Dikama — Mon, 07 May 2007 16:31:02 -0400

When all of this started, I couldn't care less which school format the BOE chose, but I have made a lot of plans based on the new year-round format. But by bringing this lawsuit and causing change at the 11th hour, Wake CARES has really not done any favors for me. I'm glad the BOE is appealing and I really hope they win because if my school goes back to a traditional calendar, not only will it cost me considerable more money for care during the traditional summer, but it will cost ALL of the taxpayers A LOT more money to build the number of schools that will be required. I think Wake CARES does not CARE about anybody but themselves and I think they will find that they are not the majority based on BOE's plan for voluntary attendance of the year-round schools. All of this seems to stem from people being upset that they can't plan their vacations during the summer anymore. Wow! That's right up there with world hunger! I don't care what school calendar I'm on, if I want to go on vacation and take my kids... I'm going to!!

Silent majority?

roar822 — Mon, 07 May 2007 14:16:43 -0400

"Our reps need to hear from the silent majority who are angry with the mess that WakeCares Not has put us all in." If those of you who are for mandatory year round schools are truly the majority, silent or otherwise, what are you so worried about? Under the school board's last ruling the schools will still be year round, you can send your kids there if you want to; they just won't be mandatory so I don't have to send my kid there if I don't want to. Nobody ever stops to ask the question of why, if year round schools really are so popular, the school board had to make them mandatory to begin with? The truth is that you suspect what most of us know; those of you for forced year round schools are no more in the majority then you are silent and you know that unless the majority of parents are forced to send their kids to a year round school they won't do so which means you won't get your way. You're hoping that if you kick up enough fuss you'll convince people you are the majority and that will intimidate some judge or other politician into siding with you and the bullies on the Wake County School Board.

What's going to be unpleasant, but embarrassingly hilarious to the bullies on the school board, is when all the numbers are in from the forms the school board is sending out letting parents choose whether to send their kids to year round or traditional schools and the numbers are something like 80% to 20 % against year round schools. How are the bullies on the school board going to justify having converted all these schools to year round schools for a small percentage of the population? If you don't think that's going to happen let's just wait and see the numbers...unless you're scared to?

How do you feel about split

jerryskid315 — Sun, 06 May 2007 10:44:21 -0400

How do you feel about split sessions? The way I read it in the N & O if you don't volunteer then space will be made at a traditional school which will possibly mean split sessions. Talk about a major disruption of family life and a less than ideal learning and teaching environment.

My only child attends and my wife teaches year round school. They are both on the same track. I really don't see the problems with the whole year round thing but my situation is different from most. As far as the horse hooey about summer vacation vs. year round vacation I dont see it the same way as the people who brought this lawsuit to fruition. I do see a teacher and a kid that are ready for a break after nine weeks of school. I can only imagine the burn-out that is experienced by students and teachers that wait 9 months for a considerable break.

In my experience as far as family visits go family members don't care what time of year it is so long as they get to spend some time together. Oh sure we have missed a few family functions due to the year round schedule but such is life. Better for children to learn that situations in life come along with consequences that are less than desirable than it is for them to be coddled and allowed have their way all the time. This includes parents that act like children.

Email county comm.,BofE,legislative reps,Apex mayor,etc

WakeCaresNotAboutYou — Sat, 05 May 2007 21:34:54 -0400

Use the email links found on the WakeCares website to express your opposite views of the lawsuit. Our reps need to hear from the silent majority who are angry with the mess that WakeCares Not has put us all in. Now WC N wants to EXTEMD this chaos by challenging the appeal!! How self centered!! Make sure our views are heard in all venues.

Not really

Vox_Populi — Sat, 05 May 2007 13:59:19 -0400

"I think the judge made the right decision..... think about it ....the school board cried that if we don't pass a bond refferendum they will have to force the year round schedule."

The bond we passed INCLUDED year round schools. Remember there were two bonds the board considered, they presented us with the bond that had a lesser amount. That bond was cheaper because it included year round schools.

Year round schools

bill1fj — Sat, 05 May 2007 11:47:24 -0400

I believe year round schools would be better for all. By making full use of the buildings you would save millions in the cost of new buildings.

Be equal and fair, year round school for all.

The point was the same as

matclaw — Sat, 05 May 2007 11:32:15 -0400

The point was the same as yours. This board is mostly in disagreement with the deciision. However, at our school it was the opposite. The tally there was in the magnitude of:

Against MYR (support decision): 200

Support MYR (against decision): 3

Sounds like the BOE is going to ask for volunteers. That will be a more meaningful vote and a larger sample.

Judges Decision

rxm8918 — Sat, 05 May 2007 09:11:41 -0400

I think the judge made the right decision..... think about it ....the school board cried that if we don't pass a bond refferendum they will have to force the year round schedule. Well it passed and they decided to make it year round anyway and then cried for more money.

I wholeheartly agree that the public schools are more worried about diversity than teaching the children. Parents have to sue the public school system in order for their child to go to a school that is in their neighborhood instead of putting the kid on a bus for a 30 minute to an hour bus ride.

Some schools already have trailers, most due making a year round calendar will not stop them from putting trailers up.

I would like to see the privitazation of schools. My son attends a magnet school and eventually the only children in public schools will be the ones that private schools can't control.

Basically its greed, we passed a bond they wanted and not one school has been built and they say they need more money. For what?

I agree

jtorjt — Fri, 04 May 2007 23:15:54 -0400

Tried to paste the group info, but it didn't work. Would love to join...

WAKE CARES

Triscut25 — Fri, 04 May 2007 16:00:32 -0400

I just emailed wakecares to let them know what I think of the crap that they are doing and told them that I WOULD NOT BE PROMOTING ANYONE TO DONATE TO THEM (their website is all about asking for donations). I encourage everyone else to do the same...their email is

info@wakecares.com

Let's start with this board

jerryskid315 — Fri, 04 May 2007 14:18:27 -0400

Let's start with this board alone.... the tally so far is:

agree with the decision: 5

disagree with the decision: 25

What was your point again?

Bad decision judge!

Triscut25 — Fri, 04 May 2007 14:07:14 -0400

I happen to be one of the parents who likes the idea of year round schools. I had adapted my plans to accomodate it, already having booked and paid for vacations for track out periods, and spent lots of time and money on getting a visitation order modified to account for the year round schedule. I am NOT going to be a happy person when all that time, money, and effort goes down the drain for some rich kids parents wanting to think they rule, and being selfish in their efforts.

The constitution was sighted in the hearing, that it is mandatory for children to attend school for 9mths out of the year. This was a reason that was used against year round school, however the reality is that year round does provide a 9mth a year education, with more breaks.

I, as a working adult, if given a month of vacation, would prefer to use it a week at a time, instead of all at once. Maybe people should open their minds...afterall, thats what its all about here is that people dont like change and don't want to be open to new ideas.

I grew up in an area with overcrowding problems, and it affected students learning, the quality of teachers hired, the number of students in a class, and the number of people who couldn't participate in after school activities (lets face it, if they only want 20 people for a baseball team, that is all they would take, whether there is 400 wanting to play, or 4,000). Some people were subjected to learning in trailors, most of the time with no air conditioning! I KNOW THE RESULT of overcrowding. Lets hear all those parents crying about that when thats what the result of their actions are. Or, better yet, lets send our kids to school on the traditional calendar for a half of a day! That way they only learn half of what they are supposed to, and the after school programs, daycares and camps are subject to overcrowding-that'll be more beneficial and save us more money! But...thats okay because we will have the full summer for vacation ---WHAT KIND OF THINKING IS THAT! COME ON PEOPLE-GROW UP! Thought should have been given to all the options, then everyone should have realized that year round is the best option budget wise and for the sake of our childrens education.

Those of us who are thinking for the benefit of our children should at least be given the option to stay with year round schools. Just like the other parents feel year round shouldn't be forced on them, its not fair for those of us who have already accomodated the schedule to have to have traditional forced on us.

Judge Manning's decision

Thu, 03 May 2007 13:30:00 -0400

What do you think about Judge Manning's decision? What do you think Wake County schools should do now?