4 Schools
Dear Editor:
Well, I've had my coffee (it was good, too) and I find my opinion about the configuration of the school district unchanged. I've been characterized as the spokesperson for the 4 schools group. I'm not. I am, however, part of a large group of people (judging from the number of signatures on our petition) with a common goal in mind.
We have been called "stupid" and "retarded" for this common goal which is to provide the best possible education for our children. (Grandchildren in my case) Apparently people believe that if we close Eisenhower and Sheffield we are going to save lots of money.
First of all, any time you make a consolidation decision solely based on money, you are headed down the wrong path. Children suffer and there are many studies to back this up. As to how much money we would save, I'm not sure. You could put the students from Russell and Sheffield into Warren without a problem. After all, that school graduated classes in excess of 500 students and now they're down to 200 and less.
I don't believe that Youngsville could easily accommodate the students from Sugar Grove and Bear Lake. We're talking an additional 219 students based on current enrollment records, or another 36 students in each class of the middle/high school. So, either we deal with extreme overcrowding or we build a new school. How much will that cost?
And we still plan on keeping Beaty that needs 21 million dollars worth of construction, according to the last study that was done. We could save 21 million by closing Beaty, and use the money we would spend on a new school to fix Eisenhower, which has been largely ignored for any meaningful repairs for the past 20 years. What I think people aren't realizing is that there is no getting around the fact that we are going to have to spend money. Warren needs 14 million dollars in construction (according to the same study). As a taxpayer I believe I have every right to voice how and where that money is to be spent. I believe, after some research, that there is still room for compromise, with long range planning. We all could have a school district to be proud of.
Marcy Morgan, Sugar Grove
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BrandonTroutman
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09-07-09 1:34 AM
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Even a child at age 5 or 6 will have a discussion in school or in the play yard with friends about something they learned, saw, or heard, whether at school or home. This interaction alone is something they need, to be able to talk and debate amongst peers, even if it is "just a 1st grade level debate," it's progress towards forming their own thoughts and ideas.
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BrandonTroutman
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09-07-09 1:31 AM
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Pratcrat: "No, you are a child of 5 or 6 and do not have the cognitive ability to understand or combat the techniques being used against you." Though this is true, children should have the "cognitive ability" in as much that BEFORE they ever step foot in the classroom, they have basic knowledge of some simple things a child that age should have, and also, they should have a relationship enough that they speak with their parents about school, and go over their progress and what they've learned in school. Even at an early age, children should be able to, and even influenced to question things they are taught, not out of sarcasm or disrespect, but out of interest and curiosity. That also, should be done at home.
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pratcrat
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09-04-09 9:13 AM
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Morrison:"pratcat-are you going to school the poor ignorant neighbor's kid? The one who can't find their way out of a bar, let alone teach their kids required subjects?" You are assming they are being educated in the govschools. They are not. In fact, they are frequently outcasts and taught they are worthless in many subtle and not so subtle ways. It would be up to the parents to take control and provide opportunities. You would be surprised what social pressure can accomplish along with increased opportunities for private schools, mom schools, etc. School simply delays adulthood, squanders valuable time kids could be learning from adults instead of following other kids in herds. Morrison: "I smell some indoctrination in your posts". I have no idea what your computer smells like. Your insult is an attempt to dismiss my comments as the result of "indoctrination", they can't possibly be my own experiences or reasoned thoughts. This does not address the p
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pratcrat
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09-04-09 9:05 AM
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Brandon:"If you can go to school and be brain washed, you are very VERY shallow." No, you are a child of 5 or 6 and do not have the cognitive ability to understand or combat the techniques being used against you.
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pratcrat
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09-04-09 9:02 AM
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Brandon, the government schools are based on the Prussian school system, created to mold obedient, conforming "citizens. John Dewey openly expressed the need for an "uneducated" class to do work an educated population will balk at and the need to actually CONVERT the population from the religion of their family to humanism. We hear echoes of this when the WCSD opines that there will only be jobs for 20% college educated. Who decides whose kids are not college material, nurtures some and "tracks" others? I am all for your putting your kids in "schools" to be molded to the Marxist NEA platform but you should pay for it yourself and it should not be compulsory.I recommend you read John Taylor Gatto and Samuel Blumenfeld on the origins and purpose of gov't schools, the use of animal training techniques on children.
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BrandonTroutman
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09-04-09 3:48 AM
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If you can go to school and be brain washed, you are very VERY shallow. Now, more than ever in this day and age, if you hear one side of the story, you can surely get on the net or visit a library and educate yourself to hear another side of a story. Letting school, the news, or another person force you into a certain belief without hearing both sides is shallow. Schools are a great institution for getting an education and becoming socially fit. Many doors are opened to the mind through school, it's one willingness to open the doors to see what's inside each room.
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BrandonTroutman
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09-04-09 3:43 AM
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Pratcrat, you seem have been lost along the way somewhere. I learned to obey the RIGHT people in the RIGHT situations from my folks, not because school told me to; Peer pressure and "bullying" happens in the world of big kids too, dealing with it you learn on your own; discomfort with other age groups is a personal problem not a school problem, you need to be confident in yourself enough so that no matter what age group you are around you are personable; we are all consumers, in a survival and economical sense, and obviously having internet access you are somehow a consumer and not just someone who is living off the land. Your thoughts and support of those thoughts are inconclusive and very poorly thought out. I'm not trying to insult you as a person, but you base your arguement on antigovernment when this is a student/educational issue.
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Morrison
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09-03-09 7:29 PM
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pratcat-are you going to school the poor ignorant neighbor's kid? The one who can't find their way out of a bar, let alone teach their kids required subjects? I smell some indoctrination in your posts.
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pratcrat
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09-03-09 8:31 AM
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Homeschoolers interact with the world, all age groups, not just a preselected cohort with whom they may interact when their keepers permit it. Government schools instill a slave mindset, be sure to get permission from the government agent to go to the TOILET! They are kidjails and brainwashing centers. Close them all and free the kids.
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pratcrat
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09-03-09 8:27 AM
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The average joes are exactly who ARE homeschooling. The "hidden lessons" of government schooling are obedience, conformity, herd behaviors (obtained through peer pressure and bullying), discomfort with those of different age groups, consumerism,worship of the state, the Marxist NEA platform, fragmentation of knowledge, and lies. Billions are wasted in this jobs project. This is all documented FACT.
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BrandonTroutman
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09-03-09 1:49 AM
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There are so many options that would work educationally and financially by keeping a high school in each attendance area, they need studied a bit more closely.
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BrandonTroutman
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09-03-09 1:46 AM
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Home school and cyber school are poor options for the "average Joe/Jane" student. Children need the interaction with other children and the faculty/staff of their school to grow as a people, just as much as they need their classroom education. The "hidden" education of life lessons that a student will learn just from interaction with others will carry them through life. I think that each attendance area should be studied for a central school, with the exception of Warren, because I believe they could successfully run two elementary schools with no problem.
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pratcrat
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09-02-09 9:14 PM
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All outlying schools will be closed, the remaining ones will pick up the troublemakers and route students into trades and the military. The only schools that matter are the ones in Warren, Warren County exists to serve and support the city of Warren. The rest of the county will be stripped of schools but forced to pay for schools for others. Close them ALL down. Kids can be homeschooled for a few hundred a year, even less. Stop looting property taxes for "free" babysitting.
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FORTHEKIDS5
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09-02-09 11:45 AM
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Why on Earth would anyone want to put our children through such commotion? Why would you want your child to have to be in a class of 30 or more students and risk their education because they are not being taught. Why would you want your child to be in over crowded hallways and classes, being unnoticed, and most likely being bullied. Can you imagine the bullying and drug abuse that would go on? We are already dealing with way too much of this now in the smaller settings. Imagine that in a larger setting where the kids know they are not being watched. I just don't understand why anyone would want to overcrowd schools and make things harder on the kids and the teachers. I say leave well enough alone and fix what we have now. Don't make it worse by "trying to save money". It won't work. Money is always going to be an issue. It will never go away. Our kids only get one chance!!
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aslan7
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09-02-09 11:42 AM
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Actually the letter writer is a little low with their price tag of 21 million to renovate Beatty, according to the WTO article from last September it will cost 21.6 million to renovate. To the right, your numbers for the renovation of Eisenhower are high at 25 million. The 25 million number your quoting is if they replace the building altogether. No matter what the project, no matter what the outcome, its going to cost this school district and the tax payers in the tens of millions at the very least to put a plan in place due to lack of planning and lack of maintenance and lack of foresight on the part of the school district over the past 50 years. When you have buildings that haven't seen any type of renovation for 40+ years there's a problem.
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aslan7
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09-01-09 4:39 PM
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I haven't forgot. I am well aware of what happened during the last go round of consolidation. The people against it were called babies, whiners,etc. (sound familiar). You see the school district played the game and had community dialogue but ultimately they are going to do whatever they want anyway and run over anyone that gets in their way. You can go to the board meetings and scream and stomp your feet just as previous parents did and they will nod their heads and thank you for your time and send you away with the realization that you have absolutely no voice in your childs education. So I say if you want your schools fight! But get alot of support and be prepared to make the choice to cyber school or home school if you don't want your high school kids bused to Warren or Youngsville.
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wesnaustin
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09-01-09 11:40 AM
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Wow! How fast we forget the results of the community dialogue meeting where the board was going to take the taxpayers opinions into consideration when designing a plat plan to go forward. Overwhelming support for 4 high schools but that must have been a fluke. That data must be tainted right? Have another meeting; the results will be the same.
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Happe2day
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09-01-09 5:18 AM
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My family has personally already been in the large school situation it was not a great experience at all. It is one of the top schools for the area and I didn't see where it was any better then what we have here as far as education and the variety in classes. The bullying in the halls and classrooms go unnoticed because of the number of students. And you had more students in the school and a lot less participation in activities because everything is a tryout, then the kids have lots of time to hang out on the streets and in most cases find themselves in trouble. We live in a area that already lacks in entertainment for the kids unless they are sports or musically active. This whole project needs to be looked at in every angle.
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KMartin
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08-31-09 9:58 PM
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We could use all of the empty buildings as FREE business incubators. Pull in small businesses from other areas, by giving them a free spot to build their company, with the obligation that they don't just up and move once we help them. ...But no, the traditionalists can only see the "property value", not the people value.
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aslan7
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08-31-09 8:24 PM
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okay if declining enrollment is the reason for consolidation then the school district should do it correctly and fairly and close Beaty middle school, sheffield, warren, youngsville and eisenhower high schools and build a brand new intermediate (6-8 or 7-9) and high school 9 or 10-12 grade somewhere along rte.6 in the middle of the county. However just because they have a brand new building does not mean that education will improve. There are many issues at play here including declining population, aging population and apathy on the part of parents and their role as educators. The school district is on a slippery slope. It will be interesting to watch it unfold.
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MakeWarrenLiberal
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08-31-09 7:36 PM
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You all know where the interest lies in this debate don't you? it's the selfish who want their little school and their little click of people to still have their little school they can control!Every letter I've seen for keeping these schools open is about just that self interest at the cost of the many at all costs!
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brianhagberg
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08-31-09 6:29 PM
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At least the new partnership with Bonaventure is a step in the right direction...though the Pine Grove location seems a bit odd.
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fivealive
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08-31-09 5:05 PM
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Good ones, Jacksonian! :) WCSD has spent years trying to keep up with the changing times, spending money in a knee-jerk manner with few solid long-range visions. Now is the time to start anew -- consolidate, build the best school(s) w/ newest educational technology, and get the district set up to be competitive for the next 10-20 years. There's no way to fix the errors of the past. Take this chance to start over!
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KMartin
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08-31-09 5:04 PM
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what about programs where kids don't get cut, and everybody has an equal chance. Why do we need more than one of those in the county?.....Like marching band, we already do an all-school musical. One football team....specialized positions, a kid plays offense only or defense only. Think of the scholarships that are being lost right now, because kids are playing both sides of the ball, on 0-8 teams.
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KMartin
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08-31-09 5:00 PM
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A critique of Ms. Morgans numbers. She sends half of the Ike population to Warren, but then in the next paragraph, uses full class statistics to argue that Youngsville cannot hold that many students.
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