School Woes

I'm losing faith in our public school system. It's sad but I think our county school system is a hot, hot mess. First off we have this new school board going all renegade and making changes left and right trying to implement things immediately. While I agree with a lot of what they are ultimately trying to do I wonder if they are going about things the right way? What I do know? I like my calendar option and I generally (though not so much right now) like my school and I want it to stay the same for a while.

Here's what I'm really fired up about right now. I get this letter home yesterday for my Kindergartner and 1st grader that basically says their classrooms are too full (really? duh..we knew that in JULY) and that the Department of Public Instruction didn't grant waivers this year to have the classes this full. Apparently the school was expecting to get these waivers. Let's keep in mind 2 things: 1. the General Assembly never had the final budget approved before school started in July and Wake Co. was on a hiring freeze and 2. We started school in JULY - as in over 6 mos ago. So now, since we didn't get waivers a new Kindergarten and 1st grade classes must be created so that class sizes are in line. They are looking for volunteers to move to these new classes and if they don't get enough volunteers they will "randomly" select students to move.

The more I think about this the more furious I am getting. There is a meeting on Tuesday at the school which I intend to attend with my list of questions. First, we knew class size was an issue since the start of school and yet more students continue to be added (and imo those kids ought to move to the new class). Also, they are taking two existing classroom teachers to teach these new classes - so their classrooms are getting new teachers that the school has to relocate from other jobs in the school. There are no new teachers being hired. These classes are going to be multi-track classes - which means for you non-year round folks that every 3 weeks new kids are coming in and out of the class. How in the world do you manage that? And the thing that really kills me is that it's January! Our school year is more than half over. By the time this new class gets started in February we'll really only have 3 mos of school left. How horrible for all these kids to either move or mess up their class dynamic with such a short period of time left in the school year. I mean really, at this point, is it even worth it? Will having a smaller class size really make a difference?

So shame on you DPI for waiting so freaking long to grant/not grant these waivers. And shame on you Wake County for just assuming the waivers would be granted. And shame on you legislators for treating year round students like stepchildren and not approving the budget in a timely fashion so that funds were in line before our year started. But really it's a shame for all the kindergartners and first graders that having the end of their school year screwed up. And I'm sure they'll all be fine but really...I just wonder is it worth it.

And..one last thing..I'm sure our school isn't the only school getting these letters and going through this but that just makes it worse and makes you realize our school system is a mess right now.