news-record.com

Sounds like GCS would like to establish an early college at HPU. What do you think, especially you High Point folks?

Mo Green rolls out his much anticipated strategic plan Tuesday evening. What issues would you like to see it address and how?

You can find action plans for the following low performing schools here:
Gillespie Elementary
Montlieu Elementary
Oak Hill Elementary
Vandalia Elementary
Ferndale Middle
The Academy at High Point Central
The Academy at Smith
Andrews High
Northeast High

It appears there are some disadvantages to having a swank new school. Band teacher Ed Kimbrough said yesterday the school's lack of history means a lack of music. Band teachers amass music books over the years and while Kimbrough was able to purchase about 30 pieces of music for his band class he's had to borrow additional music from other high schools to keep things fresh.
The most effected classes are chorus and jazz band, both of which are using borrowed material.
Kimbrough said he realized late how much music he would need, though not before school started. With this year's budget tight, Kimbrough said it was too late to buy additional music books. He's now turned to his band boosters for help. Booster President Mary Tesh is looking for additional help, including sponsors.
Kimbrough said
The school system also maintains a central music library that teachers can borrow from.

The school system fears this year's homeless student population could top last year's. So far this academic year 930 students (or their parents) have filed paperwork stating they are homeless. The total from last year was 1,282.

It's sad when even one child has to live through this. Many schools have networks of local organizations to help these families and some are doing even more. Smith High has a food bank as well as a network of support set up.

It's hard to say definitively that the economy is the culprit but it sure doesn't seem like that big of a stretch.

A dear friend of mine went through this when we were in high school, it was really hard on him and his family, to say nothing of academic impact it had. When I look back on it I see how naive I was about the situation and wish I could have done more.

Any of you experience homelessness as a child?

2009 is nearly here, what should Mo Green's New Year's resolutions be for the district?

School officials are rearranging the high school testing schedule so that students are not taking state tests on the day of the presidential inauguration. As best as I can tell this has never been done. Now there are many reasons for that including the fact that testing days have not always fallen on inauguration day.
Some will take issue with this decision. It's a tough call. On one hand you've given teachers in some courses one less day to review while giving others an extra day. Then again, this inauguration is a historic event among historic events (all other presidential inaugurations I mean). Schools not taking that into account would be naïve.
So what do you think?

Sitting here at the board of education meeting I'm struck by a thought I've had before. Who's paying attention? Nearly every member has a laptop and during long presentations I often see that many members are staring down at their computer screens.

Are they following along or checking email? Looking for past data or watching a squirrel water ski on Youtube? Should the laptops be up during meetings?

Looks like things haven't improved much at Kirkman Park Elementary. The school board could vote tonight to create a "school with in a school" there. The school is currently all Spanish immersion but my understanding is that the staff is proposing making that a program within the school.

Any parents with students at Kirkman Park want to weigh in on what can be done to bring these scores up?

*Thanks to Lekan for the edit.

When students do this kind of thing should they be allowed back at school? Should they be allowed to go to another school in the district?