Comments on Red Clay Now: Choice Policy Frequently Asked Questions

4:52 PM " Selock said... I am so deeply disturbed...

2010-03-09T05:58:50.439-05:00

4:52 PM

" Selock said...
I am so deeply disturbed by Choice I can barely articulate it. I want absolute transparency in the process. Primarily, I want to see data on where the children attending our elite charter schools are coming from. As a taxpayer I am not going to see resources funneled into creating a free private school experience for children with driven parents who could create other opportunities, while the poor continue to be shut out. It's outrageous, and it's getting more out of control with every year. I'd love to see choice & charters abolished, to be quite honest. It's both a symptom and a further cause of the deepening social injustice & void of community in this state. Argh!!"

I'd like to see charter's and magnate schools abolished. We should start focusing our time and money on traditional public schools that support the neighborhoods they are located in. Why does red clay support charter's. I've never understood this, no other district does.

I know that choice is a state law and the district can't tell people they can't choice anymore. But if they would support all schools, people would stay in their own neighborhood.

I am so deeply disturbed by Choice I can barely ar...

2010-03-08T21:10:53.034-05:00

I am so deeply disturbed by Choice I can barely articulate it. I want absolute transparency in the process. Primarily, I want to see data on where the children attending our elite charter schools are coming from. As a taxpayer I am not going to see resources funneled into creating a free private school experience for children with driven parents who could create other opportunities, while the poor continue to be shut out. It's outrageous, and it's getting more out of control with every year. I'd love to see choice & charters abolished, to be quite honest. It's both a symptom and a further cause of the deepening social injustice & void of community in this state. Argh!!

Lewis unfortunately has never been given the atten...

2010-03-07T16:52:40.739-05:00

Lewis unfortunately has never been given the attention or status of the other RC magnet programs. As a matter of fact, the district took away their "magnet school" designation a few years ago. They took the words off of the school wall--literally. The staff was rather surprised. When they questioned why this happened and why they were getting neighborhood, non-Spanish speaking students, and why their very successful dual-languiage program was not being highlighted and more rigorously advertised, they were told to back off.

"CCSA cannot have an attendance zone or a feeder p...

2010-03-07T06:57:21.854-05:00

"CCSA cannot have an attendance zone or a feeder pattern--it is a magnet school for THE ARTS'

So why does Lewis have an attendance zone?

It would be hard at Cab because they never had an attendance zone and they are close to AI Middle.

But they could do it at Conrad, just like they do at Lewis.

Johnny cannot go there if he ain't got some kind o...

2010-03-07T00:13:35.713-05:00

Johnny cannot go there if he ain't got some kind of and a certain level of talent--real talent. We do not want some kind of faux-arts school to evolve.

Just as long as Johnny from private school with the high test scores is held to the same artistic standards - because if he's not, it's already a faux arts school.

You people need to read the choice law. If Kim had...

2010-03-06T22:37:55.577-05:00

You people need to read the choice law. If Kim had read it, she might point out to you that the choice law does not require a district to use a lottery. The law also says that "(selection) criteria shall be reasonably related to the nature of the program or school for which the application is submitted." That means that the methods used by Cab and Conrad seem to comply with all aspects of the law.

You people need to read the choice law. If Kim had...

2010-03-06T22:37:55.576-05:00

You people need to read the choice law. If Kim had...

2010-03-06T22:37:55.575-05:00

I think the fact that we have a choice is a great ...

2010-03-06T21:49:30.474-05:00

I think the fact that we have a choice is a great thing.

Red Clay kids should get priority over any outside...

2010-03-06T19:55:58.579-05:00

Red Clay kids should get priority over any outside of district kid. Flat out. Conrad and CCSA are RC district schools.

All "acceptable" RC students who meet established criteria should be then placed into a pool and selected from that pool. If spaces remain, then any "acceptable" outsider could be selected from a similar pool.

CCSA cannot have an attendance zone or a feeder pattern--it is a magnet school for THE ARTS, so Johnny cannot go there if he ain't got some kind of and a certain level of talent--real talent. We do not want some kind of faux-arts school to evolve.

Your questions and concerns are all quite appropriate. Come to the next board meeting on March 17 at BSS and speak out about your concerns.

N.B.: Kim is not RC. She cannot speak for the scho...

2010-03-06T19:49:05.606-05:00

N.B.: Kim is not RC. She cannot speak for the school district. She is one of the RC school board members and may repsond as an individual.

And, Kilroy would not have deleted this--he leaves everything up unless it is malicious, evil, or decidedly offensive to an individual's family. Pay attention.

@ 11:30, that's how they say they do it - theoreti...

2010-03-06T14:45:16.560-05:00

@ 11:30, that's how they say they do it - theoretically, 100% of Red Clay applicants who are qualified in their chosen majors are accepted, otherwise there would be no room for out of district kids at all. It also would mean that Red Clay applicants who did not pass the assessment have priority over out-of-district kids who did pass in the wait list lottery. That's not right, either - unless the assessment numbers have little meaning.

I agree, make the rubrics public.

Lewis is a magnet school as well. But it has a fee...

2010-03-06T13:03:05.845-05:00

Lewis is a magnet school as well. But it has a feeder. The students who do not want dual language need to choice out if they do not want to be there.

Why not do this for Conrad? It would show that the school is really dedicated to the surrounding community. Students not interested in the science/math focus can choice out. Cab never had a feeder but may they could create one.

I wonder how many suburban parents would be pushing their kids to develop an interest in arts or science in order to get them into the lottery?

Given the costs of bussing these kids around I think it's worth considering.

I believe that Cab uses auditions/interviews to pu...

2010-03-06T11:30:30.439-05:00

I believe that Cab uses auditions/interviews to put together a qualified applicant pool for each major, consisting of both in and out of district kids. Then preferences are applied with Red Clay students and siblings getting priority over out of district students. If any remaining seats are left after applying preferences, the rest of the "qualified" students are put into a lottery for that major. The end result of this is that each year approx. 50% of the seats are offered to out-of district kids, and Red Clay kids who don't do as well in their audition or interview are shut out. Perhaps Red Clay administration will share the actual scoring rubric - it should be made available to the public.

Not sure about Conrad's process, but I believe it is similar.

OK, so it's naïve to think that Conrad and Cab are...

2010-03-06T11:24:51.905-05:00

OK, so it's naïve to think that Conrad and Cab are not biased in their admissions. Let's call it common knowledge, then, and stop pretending that students have equal advantage going in to the assessments (or that it's mostly advantaged kids who have the interest and talent to qualify for these programs).

It looks like Conrad and Cab use the Red Clay Choice lottery for filling slots via the waiting lists, and that's about all.

"i wonder why rc now hasn't responded to the false...

2010-03-06T08:41:12.842-05:00

"i wonder why rc now hasn't responded to the false lottery claims?"

It's not her job. I'm surprised she is letting people post so honestly. Killroy would have deleted half of this. Did anyone really think that Cab or Conrad admissions were unbiased?

'Lottery'- any action or process determined by cha...

2010-03-06T08:10:08.785-05:00

'Lottery'- any action or process determined by chance.
these schools DO NOT USE A LOTTERY-- I respectfully ask that representatives of RC stop using that word when describing admissions to these programs!

The principal for sure runs them. She gets input f...

2010-03-06T07:03:45.416-05:00

The principal for sure runs them. She gets input from a committee or a district cronie in the case of a 'connected' parent.
i wonder why rc now hasn't responded to the false lottery claims?

Anon 9:33 - I thought the teachers made the assess...

2010-03-06T01:23:45.532-05:00

Anon 9:33 - I thought the teachers made the assessments, based only on portfolio/auditions. That was my understanding from Open House.

Do I think the administration takes other factors into consideration? Sure.

For the two of you complaining about Cab assessmen...

2010-03-05T21:33:27.390-05:00

For the two of you complaining about Cab assessments, I would like to know who you believe runs them? This is a serious question, I would like to know who you think is in charge of these assessments?

gg- the point is that a board member has told us t...

2010-03-05T18:35:54.714-05:00

gg- the point is that a board member has told us that you get in via a lottery. interviewing and screening is not lottery.
if its a selective process just admit it

Anon 2:24 - Thanks for sharing your experiences wi...

2010-03-05T17:45:24.473-05:00

Anon 2:24 - Thanks for sharing your experiences with your sons' assessments. My son, who is currently waitlisted for Cab, does just OK with testing, and attends a non-elite Red Clay Elementary school. I didn't think any of that would matter, because he's an artist - and when I say that, I mean he's compelled to make art every day on his own (and he will continue to, with or without Cab). He worked hard on his assessment, going outside of his comfort zone for some of the requirements. I certainly didn't think it would score below a 70 on the rubric. Unless zero out-of-district kids were placed in his major, he must have. Right?

I hate to be the mom who bitches about assessments because her kid didn't get in, but I feel some families are using Cab as a private school alternative more than an art school, and getting in. That was certainly my impression overhearing the conversations of other parents on assessment day.

For Conrad, I think it might be recommnedation of ...

2010-03-05T17:22:47.287-05:00

For Conrad, I think it might be recommnedation of Peg Vavalla not Yvonne. I do not believe that Y. is all that involved in Conrad School of Science.

"if your kid is a high achiever and 'not a problem...

2010-03-05T17:20:04.336-05:00

"if your kid is a high achiever and 'not a problem' they are in. its the red clay way."

Gee, it sounds like this might just be the way of the world. Who gets picked first for the baseball game? The goodball who pays little attention to the game and picks daisies in left field or the kid with skills and motivation?

Hmm,.. that's not fair.

"they are also questioned about their school disci...

2010-03-05T17:17:51.313-05:00

"they are also questioned about their school discipline record... great questions for a freaking 6th grader! unbelievable!"

What does this mean? You find this objectionable?

It seems entirely appropriate to discuss student discipline as part of an interview. I wish that the rest of our schools had such a luxury. If nothing else, it communicates to kids that this is an important issue at this school.