Pollard Middle School?

[shadow]

Okay, so I'm still totally in the dark about this whole redistricting thing.

I am a 7th grade student at Horton Middle School. I have been hearing talk about a new school called Pollard Middle. Many of my friends are telling me that next year, they may be redistricted. I don't know why they have to cut back our HUGE population of 400 students (sarcasm). Seriously, there is more than enough room at Horton. There is even a whole hallway with no classrooms in it.

Why must they remove the fifth graders? There are plenty of middle schools across the nation that include the fifth grade. http://www.nmsa.org/portals/0/pdf/publications/On_Target/grade_config/grade_config_1.pdf

In addition, the cuts needed to make this change will decrease the educational opportunities available for the students at Horton. Many extracurricular activities will be cut, possibly even band class. Extracurriculars are great for students. They even help a student's grades in some cases. Also, if teachers are cut, this will mean more students per teacher, resulting in less one-on-one time between teacher and student.

I am sure that there is some good reason to make this school. We wouldn't be spending our tax money on something with no reasoning behind it. I would just like to know this reasoning, because I see none.

Sincerely,

Rachel Crawford
Vice President of 7th Grade

[stephanie]

I attended one of the redistricting meetings, and i also asked about the 5th grade.  i was told that per the north carolina curriculum, 5th grade is part of the elementary curriculum, while 6th-8th grades follow a completely different middle school curriculum.  one main difference is that the middle school curriculum involves teacher specialties and students rotate classrooms, while in elementary, the teacher teaches everything to their one class.  teachers are certified for either k-5 or 6-8, there is no k-8 certification. so, trying to include 5th grade in a middle school environment is not ideal.  it's actually to the disadvantage of the 5th graders, because they don't get to share in other elementary school resources.

i don't see how the extracurriculars would be affected, as so many of them, ie band, are only for the middle school, so removing 5th grade would have no affect on them.

[munn5]

 Hi Rachel - why don't you come to the next school board meeting, at 6:30pm,  Monday, April 19 at SAGE Academy in Siler City, and tell the school board what you wrote. I think the administration didn't think about or communicate the impact to Horton. Anyone can speak to the board on any topic for 3 minutes.

I don't think you will feel the impact, though the younger kids at Horton will - I believe the changes have been delayed until the start of the 2011-12 school year (except for the kids actually moving to the Pollard from Perry Harrison and North Chatham).

Thanks for being involved and speaking up.

[artymarty]

I think if you went to the board meeting and read just what you wrote here the board would be impressed!

[Donnie Springfield]

Okay, so I'm still totally in the dark about this whole redistricting thing.

...

Rachel Crawford
Vice President of 7th Grade

Great post, Miss Crawford. I heard another idea about why the school system is moving toward redistricting, but it isn't nearly as interesting as the suggestions given by the others. Transportation and salaries are a couple huge expenses for Chatham County Schools. Redistricting presents an opportunity to make some changes to busing and the personnel involved. At present, teaching assistants at the elementary schools are required to drive buses as well perform their classroom duties. The long hours behind the wheel and in the classroom add up, and these employees are routinely racking up expensive overtime hours.

Redistricting will move students in certain areas to nearby schools. This should allow the school system to get students to and from their school faster. Chatham County Schools can then stagger the beginning and end times for the schools and hire full time bus drivers. The teaching assistants will be able to focus on their classroom duties and the dedicated bus drivers can handle transportation duties for multiple schools. These moves will decrease salary and equipment expenses, and may also allow our elementary schools to hire talented teaching assistants who are not interested or capable of driving buses.

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