Fw: public hearing on changes to bus schedules

[Suzan Antin]

Immersion Parents:

 

Last night there was a public hearing on the proposed changes to the bus schedules for GCS.  The impact at Jones and Aycock will be easy, as Jones now starts at 8:00 with student drop off beginning at 7:30, and Aycock now starts at 8:50.  As you may be aware, there is an Aycock bus that stops at the corner of South St. and Ashe St. (in front of Jones) and picks up at 8:10, so those who are bringing younger children to Jones can easily drop off their older children at the same time and have them at Aycock by 8:40.  Aycock's start time will be pushed back 10 minutes under the proposal.  What will affect us is that Grimsley will now begin 1st period at 8:15.  Currently Grimsley starts at 8:40 and offers a zero period class that meets from 7:30-8:30. Transportation to Grimsley has never been provided for immersion students (even though we were told that immersion is a k-12 program and have been told for years that our kids could go to Grimsley as high school students if they continued on the immersion path through middle school.)  Most immersion parents manage the transportation issue by dropping their children off around 7:20 and have the children take a 7:30 class.  We do not know if a zero period class will be offered under the new schedule, but it seems unlikely to me, as it would have to begin at 7:00 and I doubt that there will be teachers or students who can be in a classroom in time to start at 7:00. 

 

You should be aware that most elementaries and middle schools do NOT currently start when Jones and Aycock start and there was great opposition expressed to the proposed schedule last night, mostly by traditional elementary parents.

Here's a quick report on what was said; if you want to give input to your board members, their contact info is on the GCS website at   http://www.gcsnc.com/boe/members.htm; you need to email quickly because they have to make a decision by early March.  I would email Alan Duncan, the board chair; Amos Quick, the vice-chair; Dr. Nancy Routh and Dr. Sandra Alexander, the at-large reps; Deena Hayes, who is the rep for Jones and Aycock; and your neighborhood rep.  The superintendent, Maurice Green, can be emailed at gre...@gcsnc.com.

 

Most speakers did not want elementaries to open their doors at 7:30, thought that was too early (the proposal has most elementaries with an instructional day beginning at 8:00).  Most suggested that high schools start early, even though a couple of speakers mentioned that there is a substantial body of research that indicates that high school kids' brains don't "turn on" until later in the morning and that they are the ones who truly need a later start.

 

Most speakers wanted to do away with transportation for magnet students and special programs.

 

I did address the issue of the zero period class at Grimsley (currently meets from 7:30-8:30, with first period beginning at 8:40).  I pointed out that it was unlikely that Grimsley could offer a zero period if their first period begins at 8:15, as proposed.  This means that most freshmen will have one elective, so it will be impossible for a 9th grader to have a foreign language and music, art, keyboarding, etc. Also, for Spanish Immersion kids, there are NO electives that they can take without the zero period.  Additionally since transportation is not provided for immersion kids at the high school level, many parents are going to have to take their children out of the program, since they have no way to get them to school when the parents have to be at work at 7:30 or 8:00. I added that this is not a pleasing option for me, since my family was "sold" a K-12 immersion program and we have dedicated the past 9 years of our lives to it.

 

Magnet parents, I will tell you that I think you need to speak out in support of magnet options and magnet transportation for elementary, middle AND high school, because I do believe that the sentiment tonight was strongly in favor of eliminating all magnet transportation.  I was the only magnet parent who spoke, one of three speakers who addressed any high school issues, and the only Spanish Immersion parent who spoke.

 

Here are some quick facts:

The GCS strategic plan calls for graduating students with proficiency in a second language.  Immersion is a program that is in place NOW that helps address that goal.  Transportation needs to be provided K-12 to enable all GCS students to participate.

 

Grimsley offers a ninth grade class called Honors Spanish for Native Speakers II that is composed of immersion students.  Grimsley is the only IB school that currently gives both the AP Spanish Language exam and the Advanced Level IB exam in Spanish.  Grimsley is a natural feeder for immersion.

 

Making Grimsley's start time earlier will make it impossible for immersion students who are freshmen to have ANY electives. Offering the zero period class enables freshmen to have more than one elective (they can take a foreign language and band, or a foreign language and keyboarding); without it, most non-immersion freshmen will have one elective option.

 

As immersion parents, we were told that immersion was a K-12 program and that our children could go to Grimsley.  Without transportation and without the 7:30 class, many of us will have to take our children out of the program because we cannot be at work and get our children to school for an 8:15 start.

 

Feel free to email me if you have questions.

 

Suzan Antin