forum on WCPSS 's future paulmar_to: Keith Sutton 02/14/2010 08:18 PM History "This message has been replied to Hello, Mr. Sutton. I am a member of RARE and was present at Marjorie and Allan Younger's house when you spoke to our group about the school board issues. Although I am sending this to all board members, I wanted to add this personal note. Thanks again for taking the time to speak with us and many RARE members will be at this forum. We at st. Francis Catholic Community, 11401 Leesville Rd., Raleigh 27613 are concerned about the issue of the future of Wake County Public Schools and therefore are sponsoring a forum on Thursday, March 4 from 7-9. We are still in the process of getting specific speakers, but will have at least one representing the neighborhood school concept and one representing the diversity concept. A few others may be invited also who have specific knowledge of WCPSS issues. We welcome all concerned members of the public to come and listen, ask questions, and have a chance to express their own positions You are being invited, along with others, to come and be part of the audience and listen to the concerns of citizens. Attached is a flyer. We welcome you and thank you for serving on the school board. If you have any questions, please email back and 1’1l try to answer them. Sincerely, Marianne Williams 113 Bayleaf Dr. Raleigh, NC 27615Del Bums prazgod3 to: Keith Sutton 02/17/2010 09:08 AM Mr. Sutton, I am a product of the Wake County School system's first attempt at desegregation in 1971. I graduated from Enloe in 1978. I have always lived within 2 miles of Daniels Middle School and Broughton HS. I was shipped to Carnage and then to Enloe and expected to accept a reassignment to Broughton my senior year. I did not accept that invitation. Twas in what are now AP classes throughout my school years and those in my classes that are supposed to glean so much from sitting next to me were not. There were African American children sitting next to me but they were as smart or smarter so I didn't offer much to their advantage except friendship. After graduation I never saw many of them again except at HS reunions. We all got along well with each other while we were in school, but our lives took different paths. My husband and I live in a nicely diverse area off Oberlin Road. Daniels is a block from our home. We send our child to a Chrietian school, however, because we want to be in control of the school he attends each year. His school is also nicely diverse with Caucasian, African American, Bi-Racial, Hispanic and Asian students from various economic backgrounds. Thére are few that share the same neighborhood, but we all live within convenient access to this school. Returning to neighborhood schools will not create a segregated school system and even if it did T have to wonder why a school like Carnage (which was a low rated school when I attended) would get less money than a school like Lacy? If you can put a per student price on education (I've read this before) then why do schools in the poorer neighborhoods get less money? Somebody's not managing the piggy bank very well, and that's the place you need to be investigating. I wish you would all get off this soap box and hold the Central office accountable for the money they spend. They are WASTING money and saying they need more just so the students you are so trying to support (and I mean that in the nicest way, and commend you for it) can get educated.Tf each school is not receiving the same opportunities then that's not equal education. That's what the law stipulates the government provide. Follow the money Mr. Sutton. That's where you'll find your real enemies Thank you for your time. Lisa Cotney ElliottSE) New York Times interview Request Atlanta Bureau, News to: Keith Sutton 0271972010 04:57 PM Mr. sutton, T hope you're doing well. I'm a reporter for The New York Times. I'm going to be writing an article about the recent changes to the Wake County school system: the election of four new board members and the potential end to diversity requirements. I'd Like to speak with you. I'm trying to talk to as many people as possible, including all of the board members, to make sure I understand the situation. Please let me know how and when I can reach you on Monday ‘Thanks, and have a great weekend, RB Robbie Brown Southern Bureau The New York Times Atlanta@NYTimes.com Office: (404) 624-2409 Cell: (404) 401-4071sokker17mom_to: Keith Sutton 02/22/2010 05:42 PM Mr. Sutton, This letter is really aimed at the new members Please consider our children and the school’s budget shortfall when you make your decision regarding Dr. Burns. Buying him out of his contract is a waste of money that our schools cannot afford at this time. Please, think about our children and their education. They are the most important ones in this whole mess. Please do not waste any more money. In addition, there are too many new members to the board to simply push Dr. Burns and his experience and knowledge to the side. Whether you all want to admit it or not, you need an experienced professional at the helm, even if he, like the majority of the county who did not get to vote, disagree with the direction you all are taking the school system. If you push him out early, to many people it will look like the board’s ego was the important issue. Be an example to our students. Show them how to collaborate with others, even when you do not agree with them. Please stop making hasty decisions. You all made quite a few complaints regarding the old board, many justified. However, one thing they did well was to look at educational research and make decisions that would benefit our children, such as the collaboration time parents dubbed Wacky Wednesday. I pray that you all will listen to educators and do what is best for our children. T applaud your desire to uphold your campaign promises, but pay attention to your own survey, listen to the majority of the people, not the vocal few. Do not do what you complained the old board did. By the way, the “Wacky Wednesday’ idea is being adopted in other states, like Iowa. Respectfully, Mrs. Chris Allenvote “yes” XESEP Kathy Nicoll_to: Keith Sutton 02/27/2010 11:57 AM Dear Keith, Please vote "yes" on the resolution for community based schools Sincerely, Kathy Nicoll Parent of two Holly Springs Elementary studentsGg Please Voto NO on Directive for Community -Based Assignment ER Lynne Hoyt-Meyers to: Keith Sutton 02/27/2010 07:40 PM Dear Mr. Sutton, | appreciate your wilingness to serve on the Schoo! Board , but | am strongly opposed to the Directive for Community-Based Assignments. | hope you will vote against it. | have expressed my concerns. about moving away from diversity in greater detail in an earlier e-mail, so | am writing today to emphasize my opposition tothe directive. Thank you for your time. Sincerely, Lynne Hoyt-Meyers, PhDPlease vote yes on the resolution for the establishment of a directive for community -based assignments Micki McCarl_to: Keith Sutton 02/27/2010 10:11 PM I live in Bedford, in North Raleigh, and our neighborhood including my node, 653.0, has been reassigned from Wakefield High School, less than 3 miles away, to Heritage High School, 9 miles away in another community. Communities need to stay together: T attended school in my community and my children started to until we moved to Wake County . I have not seen an improvement in their education , and probably have seen a negative, with the schools being non community based Please “Vote Yes" on the Resolution for establishing a Directive for Community-Based Assignments. Thank you for your support of this directive and I ask that you continue to support it on Tuesday. Please allow my daughter, and Bedford, to stay at our community based school - Wakefield High. Populate Heritage High with students that live within 3 miles of Heritage High and live in Wake Forest. Thank you, Micki McCarl(ae) Community -Based Student Assignment REMEW ——_Erikka Buico (US) to: Keith Sutton 2128/2010 08:19 AM Please "Vote YES" on the Resolution Establishing Community-Based Student Assignment Directive Thank you, Erikka Buico daimer: This e-mail communication and any attachments may contain confidential and privileged information and is for use by the designated addressee(s) named above only. If you are not the intended addressee, you are hereby notified that you have received this, communication in error and that any use or reproduction of this email or its contents is strictly prohibited and may be unlawful. If you have received this communication in error, please notify us immediately by replying to this message and deleting it from your computer, Thank you.Please support the community based resolution! The elementary school children in our neighborhood ride a bus every day with 4 other children, ten miles each way, when they used to go to ‘a scheol 2 miles away. What a waste of money to have a bus take 6 children 10 miles every day and then have the bus driver sit with them for 1/2 hour to babysit them until school starts! I would rather see that money used for more teachers and resources for the classrooms, than for bussing the children across the county: I applaud what the current board majority is trying to do, not because I have any objection to diversity at all, but because spreading around the low performing students does not improve the students education but only waters down the statistics to make it look better. I believe the problems of low performing students should be addressed directly through their education. Tutoring, additional resources, smaller classes etc., would be a better way to spend the tax dollars than sending children miles from home no matter what their economic circumstances. SPEND MORE MONEY ON RESOURCES AND TEACHERS NOT BUSSES AND BUS DRIVERS Please support the community based resolution! Thank you!! Bonnie Heller 4020 Country Village Drive Raleigh, NC 27606 Bonnie Heller to: Keith Sutton 02/28/2010 08:46 AMVOTE YES Saxon Knight to: Keith Sutton 02/28/2010 09:20 AM Ce: saxonnitet Keith Sutton Please Vote Yes! Resolution Establishing Community Based Student Assignments Hello: It is rare that | register my thoughts concerning school board issues. However, this year we are approaching a turning point and an opportunity to take a new path that will truly improve our Wake County schools. | urge you to support and vote YES on the Resolution Establishing Community Based Student Assignments. | have listened to both sides of the issue and have formulated my own opinions that form the basis for my support for the resolution. They are: 1. Neighborhood schools have been shown to build a stronger student-parent-teacher relationships due to proximity to ones own home. Also students have shown to have a greater stake in the success of their neighborhood school. 2. Neighborhood schools allow parents more immediate access to teachers and and to the administration to support them in the education of their children particularly during Parent-Teacher conference periods. 3. Neighborhood schools by reducing busing requirements are more cost effective in these times when budgets are being cut due to the economic downturn. 4. Neighborhood schools have a more positive impact on the environment by reducing the pollution caused by bus engine exhaust. 5. Neighborhood schools have been shown to be safer because parents know parents and other students. This neighborhood support system is vital for increased student safety and for maintaining a harmonious learning environment. In closing, allow me to thank you for your service and once more urge you to vote yes on the resolution. Cordially yours,Ronald E. Weiss 919-995-3952bay Community Assignment Zones NESE Richard Wilkinson to: Keith Sutton 02/28/2010 01:12 PM Me. sutton, Mr. Malone, Tt is not any body's best interest to regress back to the time when the Raleigh Wake School systems were paragons of failure. Passage of the Community Assignment Zone resolution will cause the best teachers and administrators to leave the system and further cause the citizens a great deal of money and the children a great loss as the people correct the mistakes made at the last election. Please vote no. Richard & Janet Wilkinson 1619 Park Drive Raleigh 27605VOTE YES ON TUESDAY maryheanty_to: Keith Sutton 0228/2010 03:10 PM Please vote yes on the community based student assignment resolution. It is important for students to have a both community schools with diversity. | know we can accomplish this Thank you Mary CantyCommunity Assignment Zones kathryn haddad to: Keith Sutton 0228/2010 03:36 PM Dear Mr. Sutton, As a resident of Wake County and parent of 2 children in Wake County Public Schools, I'm writing to express my strong disappointment in the proposed resolution for Community Assignment Zones. This move, simply put, is a mistake. If passed, it will certainly reduce diversity in our schools, a truly backward move for 2010! It is obvious that there are problems in Wake County Public schools, but this is certainly not the solution. I hope you make the right choice for the future of families in Wake County and vote against the resolution for Community Assignment Zones. ‘Thank you for your attention, Kathryn Haddadcw) Please Vote NO mwayland to: Keith Sutton (02/28/2010 09:14 PM Please respond to mwayland Mr. Sutton, I live in northwest Raleigh, but my children attend schools in your district I have seen first hand how having friends of every race, religion, and economic status has made my kids better people. I am so sorry this is happening to our school system. I know you are trying, and I thank you. Please put me down as being opposed to the Directive for Community-Based Assignments. Thank you Michelle WaylandoN opposition to resolution on community-based assignments ERG Anna Wetterberg to: Keith Sutton 02/28/2010 09:42 PM Dear Mr. Sutton, Thank you for serving on the Wake County School Board. I am writing to express my strong opposition to the Directive for Community Based Assignments. Diversity is a critical element of our childrens’ education, and the existing assignment system is integral to the high-quality schools we enjoy today. Please do not support this resolution which threatens to severely disrupt our school system I support the drive for innovation, but would encourage you and your fellow board members to provide better data on how community based schools would work and why they are likely to improve on current achievements. Then, demonstrate these ideas in a pilot program, perhaps in one of the regions of the county with the most growth, to be able to compare concrete outcomes with the current system Thank you for your time, Anna Wetterberg. New Windows 7: Find the right PC for you. Learn more.bs Yay for local schools ! Dianne Snider to: Keith Sutton 02/28/2010 10:21 PM Dear Board Members, I want to commend you for the efforts towards neighborhood schools and for not busing our children across town! ‘My son went to Douglas Elementary for kindergarten which was a 45-minute commute, one way. My five-year-old’s commute to kindergarten was longer than my husband's commute to work. Since we were fortunate enough to have been redistricted during the last round, our new school IS the local school, Durant Road Elementary. Having the local school as our assigned school has made great improvements to our daily lives. I am close enough now to be able to volunteer in my son's classroom at least once a week. Some of my son’s classmates actually live in our neighborhood. Anytime my son needs something at school, I can be there in 7 minutes. If he misses the bus, I can drive him and still make it to school ontime, These are necessities in a child's life that you dont realize what benefits they are until you don't have them. And to mention once again, I GET TO VOLUNTEER and be a presence in iy son's class. Thank you for all that you do. I hope more families get to experience the benefits of having their children attend their local school and not spend 45+ minutes on a school bus. Thank you, Dianne Snider& Please Vote NO on the Directive for Community-Based Schools US Vinay Toomu_to: Keith Sutton 0228/2010 10:45 PM Dear Mr. Sutton, I appreciate your willingness to serve on the School Board, but I am strongly opposed to the Directive for Community-Based Assignments. I have expressed my concerns about moving away from diversity in greater detail in an earlier e-mail, so I am writing today to emphasize my opposition to the directive. Thank you for your time. Vinay Toomu (A concerned Wake County Parent)Gad Please Vote No on the Directive for Community-Based Schools eS Lisa Scales to: Keith Sutton 0228/2010 11:35 PM Hello Mr. Sutton, My husband and I are parents of (wo children in the Wake County Schools. Our children attend Magnet Schools As African-American parents, it is extremely important that our children learn the value of diversity and we glady travel the distance to these schools because of the diversity and because of the types of opportunities that these schools provide. Our children have flourished in these schools and we are happy to contribute our time and energy to support these schools by working in the classrooms and supporting the overall grade teams Please slow down and take some time to evaluate the issues before making such a drastic change. We ask that you please vote No on the Directive for Community~Based Schools. Sincerely, Reginald and Lisa Scaleselliwno to: Keith Sutton 02/12/2010 01:06 AM =) Thursday's Meeting Mr. sutton: I was watching the 11 pm news and noticed you make a comment about the low or non-turnout of people from this district. Have you ever wondered that the people in this district don't come out because they don't know you? You may have been elected to the board, but it was by those who knew you. I'm still not sure who is supposed to represent my household because I live right on the tip of Raleigh and Garner in South Park. We don't feel as if anyone listens to our concerns when it comes to wake county schools or the transportation, so why take time from our families to attend something where we're not important. How do we identify with someone we don't know? Yes, I voted, but for Tedesco, who I had heard about and listened to what he wanted to do as far as changing some policies. I gather you don't like the proposal of giving parents a choice of where to send their kids to school because you think it will re-create segregation...we have never left it. Just about every school in this district is magnet and our children cannot attend them, they are bused to Cary and Apex to year round schools. That shouldn't be and the message sent to our children shouldn't be "you're not good enough to go here." Rather than put up with the terrible bus transportation system of wake county schools, I carpool, from Raleigh to Cary, everyday because they want my children to be picked up and put off in a drug and violence infested area. why can't they walk to school, as we did when we attended school? ‘The people you hear from in this district that say they're opposed to neighborhood schools more than likely graduated from a neighborhood school. Although I wish you well in your endeavor I hope you do remember that we do count, we do have something to say, but if we don't know you or we are made to feel as if we don't matter, we don't rally behind just anybody. Thank you. M. McDonald