It seems School Board
members Jim Martin and Susan Evans don’t approve of the choices – or lack of
choices – you have been making for your children. WCPSS just released the
magnet application numbers and they are down from last year. Although WCPSS
still received twice as many applications than there are available magnet seats
and almost 2,000 students weren’t counted in the final number because the plan
pre-assigns them to their magnet, the immediate reaction from Martin and Evans was dramatic distress and concern. They
just can’t seem to understand why parents, who finally have some say in their
child’s assignment, aren’t choosing what they want them to choose.
Has it occurred to either
of them that this new assignment plan offers many of the benefits that parents
previously sought within the magnet system? How many families attended a magnet
school in the past because it offered long-term stability? How many went to
avoid MYR? How many attended to have an understanding of and priority to their
next level school assignment? It’s obvious that many families are still
choosing to send their child to an academically-rich magnet school for the
right reasons. Too many to seat, in fact. So, what’s the issue?
But, during the magnet
discussion at yesterday’s Board work session, the cherry on top was listening
to Mr. Martin drone on and on about his son’s middle school, Carnage Middle.
This isn’t the first time we have heard Mr. Martin discuss his son’s school and
I’m sure this won’t be the last. Mr. Martin simply isn’t happy with all those
poor kids feeding into Carnage from Walnut Creek Elementary as he is convinced
that they will lower Carnage’s performance as a school and take away too many
magnet seats – as if they are less deserving to attend Carnage. He didn’t show
the least bit of concern for what the families of those students may want or
what is best for those students’ education – just that his son may be affected
somehow by something at some time. And Evans nodded ferociously in agreement.
My advice?
My advice?
If you want a good
education, have your child attend the same school as Mr. Martin’s son.
