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dkemom2
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« Reply #1 on: March 01, 2008, 07:56:21 AM » |
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Feb
25
BOE: North Chatham Parents Demand Overcrowding Plan
by goodschoolz
Facilities, Education, Regions (click for all), Chatham Central, Northwood, Northeast, Jordan-Matthews, GovernanceAdd comments
Board of Education meeting (BOE) February 25, 2008 at North Chatham School
Around a hundred North Chatham parents and teachers showed up at the school board meeting Monday and demanded to hear the plan for fixing overcrowding at North Chatham School. The new Briar Chapel Middle School was recently delayed a year, so major overcrowding relief is now two years away instead of one. Board members responded by saying they were playing catch-up and were dependent on the County Commissioners for funding. After parents spoke, board members did not offer any plans for managing the next two years of overcrowding at North Chatham.
When North Chatham School parents expressed concern about delays in school construction schedules, board chair Kathie Russell at first denied there had been delays and then seemed to imply it was the County Commissioners’ fault, saying: “We (board members) aren’t responsible for school funding. That’s the County Commissioners’ job. Talk to them about it.” This prompted a parent to go to the microphone to plead that the board begin to serve as an advocate for parents with the County Commissioners for needed assistance to the schools.
The school board and central office have been discussing several options to deal with the next two years of higher and higher overcrowding at North Chatham. The following ideas are being talked about privately but, so far, there have been no public discussions or engagement of parents.
Purchasing even more trailers.
Moving one or two grades to Cole Park Plaza (on 15/501) when Woods Charter moves to their new school this fall.
Redistricting some middle school grades to Horton Middle.
Public Comments
There was a public comment period at the beginning of the meeting and several parents spoke about overcrowding and the need for the board to communicate a plan. Each speaker got a loud round of applause.
Lawanna Goods spoke and made a point-by-point case for why a “pod” is needed at North Chatham to manage overcrowding over the next two years. A pod is 8 classrooms connected together and includes restroom facilities. The principal, Mattie Smith, has also recommended this solution.
Serena McClamroch spoke and said, “I don’t have a prepared speech, so I’m just going to speak from the heart. I’m fed up with the overcrowding situation at North Chatham. I can’t believe that 4 years after moving to this county we are still discussing the opening of another school. Who’d have thought?! I’m exhausted both physically and mentally! I have spent too much time away from my family attending meetings trying to get the middle and high schools going…and it all feels like a waste of time!”
Mary Blythe spoke and said, “It is increasingly difficult to stay positive as a parent at North Chatham School, as well as a property owner in Chatham County.” She went on to say, “Will you (the board) be our voice to the Board of Commissioners, for the students and staff of North Chatham School. It is time to build the middle school.”
Flint O’Brien spoke:
I’m a founding director of GoodSchoolz and you may know that I’m running for School Board.
We’re here to talk about overcrowding. I also need to point out the fact that we had this same conversation in this same room a year ago. The school board promised solutions, but in fact, the situation has gone from bad to worse.
A year ago, you said the middle school was on track to open in 2009. Now you say it will be 2010. As you know, we are moving the middle school grades from this school to the new middle school to help with overcrowding. It was one year away. Now it’s two.
Why did this happen? We’ve heard a lot of excuses, but I do think it’s important for you to hear what informed people are saying: If the school board cared, or the superintendent cared, or the assistant superintendent of facilities cared; if any one of them cared, that middle school would be on time. No one’s saying individual board members don’t care. We are talking about the actions of the board as a whole. It’s not just me saying this or parents saying this; that’s what some of the County Commissioners say. They’re just as mad and frustrated as we are.
We just added 3 more trailers at North Chatham. They were supposed to arrive last August to relieve overcrowding. Then they were supposed to arrive over Christmas break because Virginia Cross opened late (last October). Somehow, no one even thought about moving them until December – that’s why they are still not open.
I could go on about progress on the new high school and similar issues, but I won’t.
We don’t expect perfection but we do expect to hear what the fall-back plan is. You knew the middle school would not be on time a year ago when you stopped the design process. You knew this more than a year ago and we still don’t know what the plan is.
This is déjà vu. We had the same conversation a year ago. I don’t want to be here next year having the same conversation about the exact same problems. We will not make any progress as long as this board refuses to do the most basic planning to dig ourselves out of this hole.
We don’t want secrecy. Tell us what you’re going to do and we’ll support you.
The current strategy of no planning and no communication is unsustainable. I have talked about North Chatham, but this is not an isolated problem. The entire county is clearly exhausted with this kind of behavior. We are angry and frustrated. Our organization, GoodSchoolz, has tried to push things along in a responsible way. Ultimately, it comes down to leadership and initiative. If this board is not committed to solving our problems, they will not be solved. There is no one else.
I must apologize. I did have some good things to say about the board, but you only gave me three minutes and I had to cut something out.
Board’s Response
After the public comment period, board members each spoke about the problems we’re facing and that we are in this predicament because of past boards. Many asked that parents talk to the County Commissioners to provide funding. Norman Clark and other board members made a point that they are working closely with County Commissioners to move things forward.
Kathie Russell said that the board is trying to be proactive in laying the groundwork for future boards. “We are working with the County Commissioners to find property for ‘land banking’ so we can pick up land now, at minimal cost, for future schools,” she said.
The Victims
After the board members spoke, North Chatham parent Dennis Jones said, “I’ve never heard a bigger group of victims. Nothing is there fault and they take no responsibility for anything.”
Flint O’Brien responded saying, “I was at the County Commissioner meeting last December and the commissioners asked the school board members who were present, ‘What can we do to get these schools built on time?’ The school board members were silent. Finally one school board member spoke up to say, ‘Well, now we know what the process is.’” O’Brien went on to say, “The current problems are not funding, it’s execution.”
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