Letters: Resident against new southeast district

As a citizen of southeast East Baton Rouge Parish and a parent of five daughters who have all attended EBR Parish public schools, I am extremely concerned about the effort to carve out yet another school district from the EBR Parish School District. Thus, I read with interest The Advocate’s position in opposition to Senate bills 299 and 563. Three of my daughters have graduated from McKinley and one more will graduate from McKinley next week (all in the gifted and/or talented programs) and my youngest daughter is a freshman at Baton Rouge High School. Our daughters also attended a variety of both neighborhood and gifted/talented/magnet elementary and middle schools (special thanks to BRCVPA).

It is unquestionable that the choices we have had to send our daughters to schools throughout the district have been critical to their academic success. If the new district becomes a reality, it is my understanding that my youngest daughter would no longer be allowed to attend Baton Rough High School

Aside from my personal reasons for being opposed to passage of SB299 and SB563, I do not see how pulling resources from an already struggling school system will result in improvements to failing schools. It seems to me to be a recipe for continued decline and will further create a segregated public school system in the parish — one based upon race and economic condition. A viable public school system is critical to a community’s future and we seem poised to inflict yet another harmful blow to what remains of the EBR Parish school system.

My emails to Sen. Mack “Bodi” White and Rep. Hunter Greene, who represent my neighborhood, have thus far gone unanswered. I assume the lack of response was because I did not agree with the “vast majority” of residents within the proposed district that I keep reading about. My conversations with many people who live in this area indicate that assertion is not accurate. I urge all residents of East Baton Rouge Parish to demonstrate their support for a diverse, successful public school system by contacting their representatives and encouraging them to vote no on SB299 and SB563.

Richard Martin

program manager

Baton Rouge

Comments

1) Comment by DMJ - 14/05/2012

"I do not see how pulling resources from an already struggling school system will result in improvements to failing schools." That's just it....no one claims this move will help struggling schools. The point is not to help underperforming schools; it's to kill them. I thought this was common knowledge...

2) Comment by robrockk - 13/05/2012

So here is what I gather on all the different pages and threads concerning this similar issue: 1) Smart kids can't withdraw from EBR because the below avg kids need the smart kids in their classes in order to be successful 2) I have to sacrafice my kids' education because EBR students need them in their classes 3) My tax dollars need to be dumped millions upon millions of dollars into a school system that is failing, but It's not ok to pay taxes and tuition to private schools 4) The people will NEVER fix this system. Send your kids to the best school you can and let other parents do their own parenting

3) Comment by Honeybunny337 - 13/05/2012

Back in the 60's I was one of many EBR public school kids that learned "new math". It was a bust, still struggle with some basic concepts of math because I had to unlearn what I was taught and relearn the old standard math. Experimenting with children is foolish and harmful. The EBR "desegregation" from the 1980's only further segregated the schools. This experiment has failed. Parents are the key to children's education. When your children are flung all over the parish, attending schools miles and miles away from home...how are parents going to be able to participate in the school activities. As a child I remember walking to my elementary school with my parents to attend PTA meetings, school carnivals, talent shows, etc. My school WAS "integrated" even back in the 1960's. I lived in a diverse, working class neighborhood and if you lived there, you went to school there. Parents were involved, peer pressure to excel was part of our daily diet. We need to get back to basics here.

4) Comment by Dawson - 13/05/2012

In today's world of education, segregation means anything that is less that 75% minority. I ask this question again, why are "poor" or minority kids so expensive and difficult to educate?

5) Comment by mcarter - 12/05/2012

Nimby, yes, had one the other day on free lunch with a pair of Coach tennis on their feet with a brand new pair of 130.00 Nikes in a box for an extra curricular activity. Amazing isn't it.

6) Comment by 8.3 - 12/05/2012

nimby?, "responsible, caring parents "etc. that is exactly the purpose of Gifted/Talented programs. Thank you for stating the obvious.

7) Comment by nimby? - 12/05/2012

8.3 , responsible , caring parents want their children in a safe environment , where education is a priority , free from distractions ...

8) Comment by nimby? - 12/05/2012

while teaching I often wondered about kids getting free lunches wearing air jordans , licensed nba/nfl merchandise . had to take away many an expensive cell phone . just sayin ....

9) Comment by 8.3 - 12/05/2012

WhoCares "The truth is that Magnet and Gifted parents do not want their kids in the classroom with the other students. They want to hang out together and brag about the achievements of their own kids while the rest of the system goes up in flames." Disregarding the speciousness of those absurd statements, the point it what? Is it that your kids don't qualify for the programs, therefore, no one should? The same arguments you are making for creating a new system (of the average?) are the same arguments those parents you despise would make, after all, they care for their kids and given the reasons stated on this subject over and over, must obviously care for them more since they achieve more. Making unsubstantiated, spurious claims does not help. Try again. Hopefully you will not be involved in any position in this new school system if your decisions are based on such vague banalities. If you are, that is very good reason to not support this proposal for obviously there may be reason for concerns about competency. Would you want your kids educated by someone who would present contrived theories as fact?

10) Comment by hemogoblin - 12/05/2012

In splitting up EBRP into smaller school districts, we may be following the model of northern cities: wealthy suburbs with excellent schools, and inner-city ghettos with poor schools and little financial support. They segregate by income by voting for high property taxes, which makes it difficult for lower-middle class and poor families to live in the area. Do we want to do this in Baton Rouge? Do we want to convert Baton Rouge into Detroit?

11) Comment by WhoCares - 12/05/2012

Sorry for the double post. Hemoglobin I respect that last post.

12) Comment by WhoCares - 12/05/2012

8.3 I'm not worried about condemning myself on a comment thread. The truth is that Magnet and Gifted parents do not want their kids in the classroom with the other students. They want to hang out together and brag about the achievements of their own kids while the rest of the system goes up in flames. I do not think for one second that Mckinley is meeting the needs of all its students. Tardis fair point, but that is a much bigger issue than a school system and residents of North Baton Rouge also feel the way about the current system. This movement is not specific to SEBR. It is a way for people who have had enough to do something about it. Regardless of what happens the Charter Boom is coming to EBR and everybody can kiss their schools good bye if they don't act, especially North Baton Rouge.

13) Comment by WhoCares - 12/05/2012

8.3 I'm not worried about condemning myself on a comment thread. The truth is that Magnet and Gifted parents do not want their kids in the classroom with the other students. They want to hang out together and brag about the achievements of their own kids while the rest of the system goes up in flames. I do not think for one second that Mckinley is meeting the needs of all its students. Tardis fair point, but that is a much bigger issue than a school system and residents of North Baton Rouge also feel the way about the current system. This model is not specific to SEBR. It is a way for people who have had enough to do something about it. Regardless of what happens the Charter Boom is coming to EBR and everybody can kiss their schools good bye if they don't act, especially North Baton Rouge.

14) Comment by hemogoblin - 12/05/2012

WhoCares, "dumb" means unable to speak, and I don't think of any children as dumb in the way you mean it. In the magnet programs, including McKinley Middle Magnet, all the children have the same opportunities for classes. Even in the "self-contained" gifted program, the gifted children take foreign languages, PE, and electives like computer science in the same classrooms as the traditional students. The students play on the same sports teams and eat in the same cafeterias. I'm not sure what you mean about Woodlawn. It has a gifted program, and is 69.8% minority. I think it terrible that the state has taken over some Baton Rouge schools, since those schools have performed worse since takeover. I care a lot about all the parish students, and I wish more middle-class families would join the public school system and help support it.

15) Comment by TheTardis - 12/05/2012

WhoCares, yes, the current system is segregated b/c white folks moved to the suburbs or sent their kids to private schools to get their kids away from the black kids when forced busing began. I was a witness to the beginnings of it in the 80's. As far as your other comment, I'm not sure what you're talking about. JDK, these are the opinion pages and I'll give my opinion about whatever I want. Plus, your facts are wrong. A majority of the current school population of the new district is minority. That won't be the case a few years after its creation. This whole type of argument has been going on for years. We all know who the players are and what their agenda is.

16) Comment by Warp7 - 12/05/2012

Mr. Martin had some really good comments. We do have some good schools here in Baton Rouge, especially the Magnet Schools. Both of my kids went to Magnet and did extremely well. One of my kids went to BR High but left after her sophomore year to attend Louisiana School for Math, Science and the Arts, which is probably the best High School in the state. Both graduate from LSU with honores. What counts is really parental engagement with their children and with the schools they attend. A lot of folks complain about the schools here, but I bet these are folks who have zero interaction with the schools and zero interaction with their kids in terms of educating their kids. The schools that are doing poorly is a direct result of a high attendance of kids that do not want to be educated and parents who don't give a care. These particular kids go to school just for the luch and the rest of the time is spent being a class disrupter. And guess what folks it is not just the little minority kids, it is also the majority kids! The poster who goes by WhoCares, actually does not care and sounds like someone with a real hate problem. Really, what does "free and reduced lunch" have to do with this discussion? Is that a negative sign meant to degrade the students? Baton Rouge schools can do better, but it will take the help of an involved community of all people not just one race. The continued white flight does not help. The Bodie bill is just a bill to help out those whites that cannot afford to send their kids to private schools. So what does he create, create a district for them away from all these so called terrible minority students. Ignorants still runs high in Louisiana when it comes to race. You still have some folks who want send their kids to a school that has minority kids, just for the fact that they don't want little Johnny or little Suzie sitting next to a Minority student. What some folks need is to stop grouping majority students as one. The minority people are just as diverse as any other group. You have good and you have bad, just as the majority has good are bad people. Does one bad majority person automatically mean all majority people are bad? Of course it does not, so why do some people try to lump all minority people as being bad! Only those with a pea brain of high stupidity do this.

17) Comment by 8.3 - 12/05/2012

condemning obviously, but the spelling of condmeing may be applicable

18) Comment by 8.3 - 12/05/2012

careful, WhoCares, "...by all means keeping you kids away from "the dumb kids" the fallacy of ad hominem tu quoque looms, you risk condmeing yourself.

19) Comment by WhoCares - 12/05/2012

Mckinley is a D rated high school and the only thing that you care about is the self contained gifted program that does not reflect the statistics you have listed. This all goes back to self contained gifted and everybody knows. I am not naive enough to think that anyone of you gives a rip about Glen Oaks, Istrouma or Capitol going into the "achievement zone". Nor do you tout Woodlawn! The only thing you care about is Self Contained gifted and by all means keeping you kids away from "the dumb kids".

20) Comment by Scrooge - 12/05/2012

ScotB asserts"Local representation usually works best. ... I applaud the legislators for listening to the folks." The local representation assertion is belied by the performance of many small school districts in Louisiana, including Baker. It is probable that ScotB is a legislative shill who works for a legislator or is one himself. These politically self-anointed ones evidently consider all Louisianans to be their ignorant personal servants. However, it may be that independent charter schools, independent of amateurish school boards and monitored for unscrupulous profiteering, with harsh discipline for miscreants, and required parental involvement may work. No matter how one splits the current situation, the whole state will not improve. IMHO, an American society, yes even Louisiana. should educate all children, no matter the circumstances of their birth.

21) Comment by nimby? - 12/05/2012

kids don't care , don't want to go to school , their parents don't care either , why should I ? let those wanting to educate themselves free of distraction . for the others , I'm sure employment can be found suitable to their knowledge level , no free rides ....

22) Comment by hemogoblin - 12/05/2012

Mr. Martin and his family illustrate the point that you can get a great education in East Baton Rouge Parish Schools if you are comfortable with going to school with people of other races. The schools WhoCares mentions are what our schools would look like if all parents enrolled their children in public schools. They reflect the racial composition of East Baton Rouge Parish. WhoCares does not mention other magnet schools such as McKinley Middle Magnet (92% minority, 78.9% free and reduced lunch)(a B+ school, by the way) and McKinley High School (88.4% minority and 68.6% free and reduced lunch.) I think it would be great if EBRP offered more magnet schools so that more people would choose public school. WhoCares, did you try to enroll your children into a magnet? Or are you just attacking magnets because you don't like success in the public schools?

23) Comment by Scrooge - 12/05/2012

Te people on the west side of Jones Creek are undesirable . We on the east side want our own school district and local representation. Why should my kids have to go to school with those on the west side?

24) Comment by ScotB - 12/05/2012

This is already a very diverse district, even if seperated from the rest of EBR. Local representation usually works best. It is what the parents of these kids at these schools want. I applaud the legislators for listening to the folks.

25) Comment by Scrooge - 12/05/2012

jdk944 dishonestly asserts: "a majority of students in this area are minority" the majority of students in this area are white, they just go to private schools. it is a safe bet that the ratios will change once this new system is in place, hiding the the real motive is rather futile, even a neon sign would be less obvious. There is a real opportunity here for charter schools, especially in light of the new voucher/privatization laws, to cater to the more, shall we say, astute students. It is a ridiculous stretch of credibility here to think that the most ardent proponents of this withdrawal are doing so because of a minority majority. For verification of this, just read the rest of the comments. A review of Louisiana history and Baton Rouge's social milieu may be quite enlightening as well, while a review of educational history in Louisiana might be rather comical for the hardhearted, sad for the empathetic and disheartening in terms of the incalculable historical economic loss, extending far beyond the (lack of) funding for education.

26) Comment by tradewinns - 12/05/2012

i feel sorry for children of parents who sacrafice their kids to social experiments, that are failing. EBR school system is horrible and, as hard as it is to believe, getting worse. the real shame is the school board is afraid to correct the situation because it will cost them votes in their reelection or their next political office. "it's for the kids" is now an acronym for "i ain't doing nothing". i hope the new district is allowed to be free and i hope they refuse to allow mediocracy to invade their elected offices. sooner or later, after the loss of thousands of students, EBRSS will have to correct their lost drifting. if for no other reason than the taxpayer will no longer be able to afford the welfare cost and will cut the programs back to food and shelter only (which is where i believe it should be anyway).

27) Comment by Attila - 12/05/2012

WhoCares, you and Mr. Martin are typical of what is wrong with the EBR school system. Your blind allegiance to "diversity" at all costs is indicative of the mindset that got us into this mess in the first place. According to you, all that matters is that no one be allowed to achieve at a higher level than others. Here's a tip for ya...dumbing down the curriculum and busing kids all over creation are abject failures. If you live in a section of town where most kids are from one parent homes that could care less about the education of their offspring I could care less...it is not my problem. If the people who are causing the problems don't care enough for their own children to change their attitudes and value systems they are well aware that they are destroying their children's chances of being productive and leading happy lives in adulthood. I fail to see why it is my responsibility to continue to pay taxes to support your bad parenting.

28) Comment by jdk944 - 12/05/2012

TheTardis - what are you talking about?? The boundries setup for this new school district were defined by natural man made borders like highways and interstates. As Whocares points out, a majority of students in this area are minority!! Come back and post some facts, not just your own distorted opinion, based on nothing but your own bias!!

29) Comment by WhoCares - 12/05/2012

I'm sure your hanging out north of plank road on the weekends helping those in need. Give me a break.

30) Comment by WhoCares - 12/05/2012

Edit* segregated.

31) Comment by WhoCares - 12/05/2012

Not true...I'm not being daft I'm being serious we have a serrated system whether they break away or not.

32) Comment by TheTardis - 12/05/2012

Don't be daft. You know I what I meant. Those in favor of this new district just want to kick out the kids from North BR.

33) Comment by WhoCares - 12/05/2012

Tardis I agree with you the magnet and gifted programs are modern day segregation.

34) Comment by WhoCares - 12/05/2012

Westdale Heights Magnet enrollment is 438, minority 54%, 42% free and reduced. Unbelievable....this has got to be some kind of conspiracy.

35) Comment by TheTardis - 12/05/2012

This is a bad idea. It's just modern day segregation. If it happens, hopefully it will go to federal court and they will force busing to occur again.

36) Comment by WhoCares - 12/05/2012

"Provides that any high school student residing within the geographic boundaries of the SEBR Community School System or the EBR Parish School System may elect to remain enrolled in the high school he was attending on the effective date of the Act, until such timeas the student graduates from high school. Further provides that such student shall be included in the membership count for the school system in which he is enrolled for all purposes, including state funding through the Minimum Foundation Program formula." There now you know more about it than you ever did. It took all of 7 minutes and the internettodo that, Richard.

37) Comment by WhoCares - 12/05/2012

"The president of the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education shall appoint a committee of experts to make non-binding recommendations regarding the apportionment of financial obligations between the Southeast Baton Rouge Community School System and the East Baton Rouge Parish School System." amendment #4

38) Comment by WhoCares - 12/05/2012

Read the bill , big guy, any freshman in high school will be able to continue to go to that school until they graduate! That includes Woodlawn, but we all know you care less about that. This letter is not only inaccurate, but shows your true colors. Number 1, you didn't take the time to read the bill before writing a letter to the editor which means you're either lazy or easily influenced by others and that you only care about the 10% of kids that get into self contained gifted or BRHS. Your karma is awful.

39) Comment by WhoCares - 12/05/2012

You're not fooling anybody you self contained gifted elitist. If you are so Convinced that the majority of the people you talk to ( magnet gifted parents I'm sure) than let it go to a vote communist. BRCVPA enrollment is 440 students is 58% minority and 46% free and reduced lunch. BRHS ienrollment is 1273 students, 57.8% minority, and 33% free and reduced. East baton Rouge Parish System is 90% minority with 82% free and reduced lunch. WE all know that it's ok for Magnet and Gifted kids to attend a diverse WEALTHY school, but no one else. The real seperatist and down right selfish ego maniacs are you. Get over yourselves you have been taking advantage of the system for far too long and try to act like your some kind of civil rights leads. It makes me want to puke. I bet you live in a gated neighborhood!!!!!!