Extra School Council meeting announced: December 11, 2012

In addition to the meeting already scheduled for Tuesday, December 4th, the School Council will meet on Tuesday, December 11th at 5 p.m. in the Evansdale Media Center.

The purpose of this meeting is to review the proposed changes to the Evansdale Magnet program with Pat Copeland from the DCSD School Choice Office.

As always, anyone from the Evansdale community can attend the meeting, but the meeting will not be open for public comment.

A Succinct Column on How to Help Your Child Succeed in School

Maureen Downey of the AJC and the Get Schooled Blog recently assembled reader comments into a  list of great tips to facilitate student success at home.  A copy of the article can be found on her blog at the following link:
Best advice ever on how to raise successful students. Thanks to my Get Schooled readers.

Henderson Mill STEM Program

The Evansdale Principal and a parent representative toured the Henderson Mill STEM Program today.  Information about the Henderson Mill STEM Program can be found by clicking here.

The Evansdale School Council will discuss the possibility of Evansdale Elementary pursuing STEM certification at the meeting scheduled for Tuesday, December 4th at 5 p.m. in the Media Center.

Proposed 2016-2017 DCSD Redistricting - Includes Evansdale

Below is a link to the "Proposed 2016-2017 School Organization Attendance Zone Adjustments, and Bond Financing" that was released by the central DCSD office on November 28, 2012.

http://www.dekalb.k12.ga.us/www/documents/splost-iv/proposed-organization-facilities-presentation-and-binder-(2012-11-12).pdf

The proposed plan makes significant changes to Evansdale and the middle and high school feeder patterns.

This plan will be voted on by DCSD School Board on December 10th.

More information will be forthcoming from the Evansdale PTA.

An article appeared in the AJC last night: http://www.ajc.com/news/news/dekalb-officials-consider-new-attendance-lines/nTG25/

December Meeting Agenda

Generally, the School Council does not meet in December; however, several agenda items had to be pushed back in meetings earlier this fall.  The Council will meet next Tuesday, December 4th at 5 p.m. in the Evansdale Media Center so that these agenda items do not have to be held over until the new calendar year.  The agenda appears below.  It is unknown at this time if the Magnet Revision discussion will be continued at this meeting because we are waiting on a response from the DCSD School Choice office.  An agenda update will be posted when it becomes available.

AGENDA FOR SCHOOL COUNCIL MEETING

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

1.     CALL TO ORDER

2.     INSPIRATION – Denise Robinson

3.     APPROVAL OF MINUTES – Joli Mauldin

4.     REPORTS

     a. PTA President – Jennifer Hatfield

     b. Evansdale Foundation– TBA

     c. Principal’s Report – Dan McGuire

          i. Staffing and Allotments

          ii. Enrollment

         

5.     UNFINISHED BUSINESS

a.     Magnet Revision Discussion

          - tentative – pending appointment with Pat Copeland 

         of  DCSD School Choice office

6.     NEW BUSINESS

a.     STEM Certification Process – Gretchen Neigh

b.     STAR testing updates – Dan McGuire

         

7.     DEVELOP AGENDA FOR NEXT MEETING: Tuesday, January 8^th, 2013

8.     ADJOURNMENT

Happy Thanksgiving!

The Evansdale School Council wishes you all a Happy Thanksgiving!

If you are looking for activities to do at home during this week-long break from school, check out some of these free resources that are available online:

Thanksgiving videos and worksheets are available from Scholastic free of charge.

Schoolfamily.com offers links to various free printable worksheets.

Bright Hub Education provides ideas on how to work math and patterns into preparations for the Thanksgiving meal.

Parental Involvement and Parental Engagement

One of the themes that was recurrent during the focus groups was that of parental involvement and parental engagement.

Here are a few resources that touch on the qualities of involvement versus engagement, how to increase the role of the parents in their child's education, and the power a parent has in facilitating the academic success of their children.

Ways to Engage in Your Child’s School to Support Student Health and Learning

A fact sheet from the CDC:  http://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/adolescenthealth/pdf/parentengagement_parents.pdf

Beyond the Bake Sale: Family-School Partnerships

The link below will take you to a recorded presentation by Anne Henderson, the author of "Beyond the Bake Sale: Family-School Partnerships."  The presentation is long - but maybe good listening for that Atlanta commute.  Learn about the differences between a "fortress school" and a "partnership school".  

Description from the website:

"Countless studies demonstrate that students with parents actively involved in their education at home and school are more likely to earn higher grades and test scores, enroll in higher-level programs, graduate from high school, and go on to post-secondary education. But, what is a family-school partnership supposed to look like? How can schools and families build trust instead of blaming each other? How can involving parents help raise student test scores? How can teachers relate to families who do not share their culture and values?"

http://dev.forum-network.org/lecture/beyond-bake-sale-family-school-partnerships

An essay on "Parent Involvement or Parent Engagement" by Larry Ferlazzo

An excerpt from the essay: 

"Merriam Webster’s Dictionary defines involvement as “to enfold or envelop.” It definesengagement as “to interlock with; to mesh.” Those definitions get to the crux of the difference. When schools involve parents they are leading with their institutional self-interest and desires – school staff are leading with their mouths. When schools engage parents they are leading with the parents’ self-interests (their wants and dreams) in an effort to develop a genuine partnership. In this instance, school staff are leading with their ears."

http://www.learningfirst.org/LarryFerlazzoParentEngagement

The School Council is actively reviewing ways Evansdale can promote parental involvement and engagement and these important topics will be examined at a Council meeting in 2013.

What does it mean to pursue STEM certification?

The recent focus groups have clearly indicated that science is one of the educational areas that is held in high regard in the Evansdale community.

In addition to the standard science curriculum, Evansdale offers a 45 minute science lab to all students each week.  Evansdale also offers an after school science program through Big Thinkers (http://www.big-thinkers.com/), an annual Science Fair and Science Night, and participates in Science Olympiad.  Further science exposure also occurs through the community's focus on healthy eating and active lifestyles.

But can we do more?

Recently you may have heard that Henderson Mill Elementary successfully achieved certification as a STEM School.  STEM is an acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. Georgia is ramping up the educational focus on STEM learning and has a website available here:  http://stemgeorgia.org/

The School Council will examine the potential for Evansdale to pursue STEM certification at the upcoming December meeting on December 4th, 2012 at 5 p.m. in the Media Center.  In order to pursue STEM certification, we will need support and participation by many Evansdale families.

If you are interested in supporting efforts for STEM certification, please contact School Council at edaleschoolcouncil@gmail.com

What will School Council do with feedback collected during focus groups and through emails that is beyond the scope of the Magnet Proposal?

The information in the proposal is specific to items that require feedback/approval on the county level.

Changes to Evansdale Elementary that do not require DCSD approval are considered beyond the scope of the Magnet proposal.  For instance, specifically how the Magnet classes will be dispersed does not require DCSD approval and will be decided at the school level. Therefore, this level of detail is not in the proposal.

We received a variety of feedback through the focus groups and email communication that are pertinent to our school and will be considered in future meetings.

In response to the feedback, the following items will be addressed in upcoming meetings (specific dates to be determined):

1)  pursuit of STEM certification to expand/strengthen presence of science at Evansdale

2) what do we want our world language program to look like

3) how will Magnet homerooms be dispersed

4) increasing parental involvement

5) increasing parental engagement

6) tutoring and remediation

Next Steps in Magnet Proposal Process

The School Council met on Tuesday, November 13th from approximately 5 p.m. to approximately 7 p.m. in the Evansdale Media Center.

Minutes from this meeting will be posted on the School Council bulletin board within 20 days of the meeting. These minutes will be available via the web following approval at the next meeting.

A portion of the meeting is captured here but this is an unofficial account of the meeting and has not been reviewed and approved by all School Council members.

The majority of the meeting focused on revision of the Magnet proposal in response to feedback through the focus groups and emails sent to School Council members or the edaleschoolcouncil@gmail.com email address.

Changes to the 5 points of the proposal were made after lengthy discussion.  The basic format of the discussion was: 1) all council members reviewed all feedback prior to the meeting, 2) teams of two were assigned at the October 16th meeting to each of the 5 points and were charged with presenting their point, feedback pertinent to their point, and then making a recommendation, 3) the Council members then discussed each point and the presented options for alternate possibilities, 4) a vote was taken on the language of the point as originally stated or amended language as presented.

The points of the proposal now read as follows:

Current Magnet Program	Proposed Magnet Program
One magnet homeroom per grade level (except PreK).	Dissolve the magnet homerooms and distribute resident and non-resident Magnet students among all homerooms.
Every K-5 homeroom has science lab once a week for 45 minutes.	No Change
All Magnet homerooms receive French once a day for 30 minutes. Non-Magnet homerooms receive French once a week starting in second grade for 30 minutes.	Offer French or other world language instruction as funding allows.
Magnet homerooms (one per grade) are comprised of 50% resident and 50% non-resident students. (For example, Kindergarten currently contains 13 resident and 13 non-resident students.)	Each grade will contain a minimum of 5 non-resident students with a variable option to increase that number as determined by the principal based solely on enrollment, class size, and grade size.  Students will be selected via the existing DCSD School Choice Lottery.  All current students will remain enrolled.
Students must maintain a “B” average to stay in the Magnet program.	Out of district students must maintain a B average to remain enrolled at Evansdale Elementary.

What is the next step?  The School Council has provided the Principal with the amended proposal.  The proposal will be reviewed by DCSD employees in the School Choice office, and the School Council will meet with Pat Copeland to discuss the feasibility of the proposal at a date and time that is yet to be determined.  This meeting will hopefully occur prior to the next School Council meeting which has been scheduled for Tuesday, December 4th at 5 pm in the Media Center of Evansdale Elementary. Following any additional changes subsequent to feedback from the School Choice office, the proposal will begin to move through the DCSD Superintendent's office.

Summary of Email Communications Regarding Magnet Proposal

Evansdale Elementary School

School Council Magnet Proposal October 2012

Summary of feedback received through email communications

Parent Responses

Non-magnet	20
Resident magnet	13
Non-resident magnet	3
Both magnet and non-magnet	2
Community member	1
TOTAL	39

Notes on coding of email feedback

·       Every effort was made to retain the specific language used by individuals who submitted feedback by email.

·       In some cases, it was difficult to determine the intent of certain statements included in emails. In these situations, every effort was made not to interpret the meaning, but to make a literal application of the statements made.

·       Some emails included lengthy discussion of particular points. In these cases, a few sentences that summarized the overall points were included in this summary.

·       The following summary includes comments and suggestions that were generally related to the proposal. A number of additional recommendations, comments, and suggestions were also submitted by email, but they were outside the scope of the magnet proposal.

Coding Categories

Comments on current program/status of program/funding of program -        In support of current status -        Against current status

Overall comments about the proposal -        In support of the proposal overall -        Against the proposal overall

Other comments/suggestions -        Support for grandfathering in current “at-large” students -        Parental participation requirement -        Retain “magnet” designation

Magnet program proposal 1. Dissolve the magnet homerooms and distribute resident and non-resident magnet students among all homerooms. -        Warm -        Cold -        Support for keeping “cohorts” together (regardless of magnet status) 2. No change in the science lab -        Warm -        Cold 3. Offer French twice a week for all students in grades 1-5 -        Warm -        Cold 4. Each grade will contain a minimum of 10 non-resident students. -        Warm -        Cold 5. Provide tutoring and remediation services at Evansdale if any student's performance is below B average or a student tests below grade level. -        Warm -        Cold

Unresolved issues/Other comments -        Low participation of ELL students in magnet -        Overcrowding

Comments on current program/Status of program/Funding of program

In support of current status

• I believe that the current Magnet program benefits all Evansdale students by allowing them to participate in science lab and eventually French classes. The Science program at Evansdale was very important to my family in selecting a neighborhood to move to for elementary school. The Magnet School was also important to our final decision to move to this community rather than somewhere else. We do not have a child in the magnet program.
• Parent attraction and retention is exactly the reason we still need a strong magnet program today. Not only does Evansdale have an ongoing challenge of attracting new education-focused parents to our community, but we need to keep the committed parents that currently contribute as part of our community.

Against current status

• This is not fair or equitable in a public school environment.  We might as well be a "separate but equal" school, which is a concept that I doubt any of us would support.
• There is no getting around the fact that it no longer brings in any financial resources to the school and there is no longer a need for it to bring in additional students and a more diverse student population as was originally a part of its mandate. Because of changing demographics it has also created a perverse "private school within a public school" dynamic that does not support an equitable and fair education for all. For these reasons, the program needs to evolve and change.
• Classes at Evansdale are demographically unequal and a program such as magnet is able to continue without funding.  These are two critical points to the future of this school. If the magnet program was a unique solution to help an under enrolled school stay open and integrate, then it has way outlived its usefulness based on today’s enrollment.
• With the lack of funding this is the perfect time to dismantle the program.
• The status quo is completely unfair, and unsustainable. If there's no money, I feel like the program must end.
• I feel compelled to speak up and against continuing the magnet program as it currently stands. Naturally, parents of kids in the program want nothing to change - the children enrolled have an unfair advantage against those children not in the program.  But the fact remains, Evansdale is a public school - not a private school. And if all the children are not getting and equal and fair education, then you are bringing a disservice to the majority of children at this school. This school exists to serve the children of this community. Right now, 160 of our students have an unfair advantage over the other 500 non-magnet students. The priorities of schooling have been lost, and its time to bring the magnet program to an end. That is a disappointment to me as a parent, a taxpayer, and a member of this community – especially in a state and county where our students are already below the national average.
• How do you propose this community continue to fund a program (in light of cuts to our school, such as for needs including early intervention programs) with the majority of the students are not enrolled in this program? How can you justify the Foundation supporting programs that only benefit 100 kids in our school of nearly 700 students? Again, this is a public school, not a private school.  The magnet program has to stop being treated as a private school within a public school.
• I am glad to see that the SC has recognized that the Magnet program “as-is” must change, especially in light of the discontinuation of DeKalb County funding. There are Magnet parents stubbornly digging in & questioning why things can’t go on the way they are. The main argument I get from them is because the program has been so great for their kids. In a sense, this shows exactly why it needs to change. When I ask what benefit it is to the rest of the school to fund it for them at the expense of others, I’ve gotten no answer. We all want the best education for our children. The Magnet program “as-is" within our school is simply unfunded, unfair, unequal & divisive.
• Now that magnet funding is gone, I feel strongly that this is the time to discontinue the program, as it is. I have always felt that it is unfair to provide extra services to one small group of students who qualify by lottery, not by merit or special need. If extra services are to be provided, they should benefit all students at the school.
• I wanted to voice my opinion about the magnet program. The magnet NEEDS to benefit all children at Evansdale, the Magnet needs to change! The people who support the magnet as is, are the ones who were "lucky" enough to be pulled from the lottery. The lottery is unfair, even if all children were automatically listed for the lottery it would still be unfair.
• DeKalb County has a serious budget problem and we question the school’s ability to keep this magnet program going. We believe in this community to make this a good school for all students.  We were skeptical last year to give to the Evansdale Foundation because we did not want our money to save a program that currently segregates and does not benefit our children.  As a contributor to the Eagle Trek this year we trust that the school can use the money towards investments that impact the largest number of students.

Overall comments about the proposal

In support of the proposal overall

• Good proposal.
• I wanted to email to show my support of the Magnet proposal. Overall I felt the majority of those in attendance support the integration of the Magnet students into the general population. It is very evident how segregated the Magnet classes have become. The statistics support it, as does the fact that the Magnet classes "win" every participation and money-raising goal set by the school.  I understand why they want to keep it "as is." However, I feel their reasoning is to benefit their own children and not the benefit Evansdale as a whole. We all know how much our school has changed the last 2 years and I have often thought of "jumping ship" and either moving or changing schools. However, this proposal gives me hope that we can come together as a school and get through this difficult transition.
• Both of my kids are in magnet, and I have loved the program.  But after hearing in detail how other parents and teachers feel about it, it really seems unfathomable to keep as is.  Any magnet points should be distributed throughout the school.
• The proposal put forth is acceptable with one caveat, the students should have a language elective for 5 days a week. 
• I just wanted to let you know that I am very much in favor of the changes the SC proposed for the magnet program. I really don't understand how some folks think we can keep the program the way it is in light of the lack of funding, not to mention the fact that the reasons the magnet was created no longer apply.
• For the most part, I agree with the magnet proposal. I would not be upset if it was implemented the way that it was presented. I feel that it fairly handles the issues of budget and inequity.
• I believe that the Magnet Proposal is the way to go. As a parent of a non-magnet student, I believe that what the magnet program offers should be offered to all students.
• I'm writing to support the proposed changes to Evansdale's Magnet Program. I am honestly baffled as to why anyone would not want to change the current system which supports so few students at our school, creating an unfair system of "haves" and "have nots." It is most decidedly unfair that money was diverted from a much-needed EIP program that is far more meaningful in the lives of students who need it in order to pay for a French teacher whose lessons, while stimulating, really aren't enhancing anyone's life in a truly significant way.
• I FULLY support this proposal because I think it makes sense and is fair to all parties.  I think it is important that ALL the children at Evansdale benefit to the same degree from the wonderful French and Science resources that we have available. I think the proposed revisions make sense, and actually will improve the educational experiences for the student population as a whole.
• We are writing to urge you to support the proposed changes to Evansdale's magnet program.  The current program has evolved from its original purpose, which was to attract out-of-district students to an under-populated Evansdale, into a program which allows for an optimal learning environment for a few students.  Over the years, we have heard from many others who feel as we do that this has created much negative tension among students, parents and teachers at Evansdale.  The club-like culture among many magnet parents and students, which is highly perceived  by students and parents alike, is an unfortunate and counter-productive by-product of this lottery program.
• We feel that the proposed changes will enhance life and learning at Evansdale, providing all students access to a great program and spreading the contagious culture of highly engaged parents around the school.
• I support this proposal.
• This is to let you know that I am strongly FOR the proposed changes to the Magnet program at Evansdale Elementary.  Due to the dramatic increase in enrollment of kids with all skill levels including many students who speak English as a second language, there is now a much higher burden on the non-Magnet teachers to education kids of all reading and math levels within their classrooms.  The proposed changes which have been discussed in group forum, would allow the current teaching staff to share responsibility with regard to giving the best education possible to ALL of the students at Evansdale Elementary.
• I fully support all of the changes that you have outlined in the proposal. I understand that with the recent budget cuts that our magnet program is not being funded. I personally think it is unethical for additional resources to be allocated to only 20% of our student population.
• I think the proposal sounds like a good first step.
• As a magnet and non-magnet parent, I look forward to a school that is unified in providing the best education to each student without having to win the lottery.
• I strongly agree with the proposed magnet changes.  I have been very involved with PTA and a room-mom for the past 5 years.  I do see a huge inequity between the magnet and non-magnet classrooms.  With with the large population increase last year, most of which we are unable to get parental volunteers, involvement, and resources, it is even more important now to equally spread out the magnet families. The inequity that now exists effects all students, parents and teachers.
• I agree with the proposed changes as stated.  I have always felt that the program was not as necessary to the success of Evansdale as it was when it began years ago.  With funding cuts, the strain to maintain the program as is, is too much on the other students and school resources.
• I really appreciate your proposal to build a magnet school. It is an exciting change to provide equal opportunity to all students, and to give positive feedback to the parents who support Evansdale. Evansdale becomes such a good school, the parents and students from non-magnet program make substantial contribution. Now it is time to be fair to them, and the school council is doing right thing at right time. It is really necessary to expand magnet program to whole school, to make Evansdale better.
• I also feel the proposal is thoughtful and balanced, especially in the way it would extend Magnet instruction to the entire student population.
• I've already spoken to a couple members and expressed approval of the direction in which we are going. In light of the loss of magnet points, it makes sense to "share the wealth" and allow all students to benefit equally from Evansdale's resources.

Against the proposal overall

• Eliminating the magnet classes, removing daily French, and not requiring a B grade point is the end of the magnet program for which Evansdale is known.  This seems driven more by the overcrowding of Evansdale and not equity. The risks of giving up the magnet program are likely giving it up forever, losing the magnet status and stellar reputation within Dekalb County, negatively impacting the neighborhood attractiveness, losing good teachers who selected Evansdale because of the magnet program, and likely lowering of test scores (rather than spreading or raising them as is likely hoped for).
• Please keep the magnet program as-is. The current system allows all kids, regardless of their sex, race, religion, or any other factor from being the primary consideration for attending the magnet program. The current system is a lottery, open to all, and devoid of any of these factors from impacting decisions on who can participate and who attends the school. It is supposed to be based on 50% local kids and 50% out-of-district kids.

Other comments/suggestions

Support for grandfathering in current “at-large” students

• As an at-large parent I fully support keeping all the current at-large students. Our children and their parents are an integral part of the school and I am thankful that you all have considered us as part of the Evansdale community in this proposal. I hope that we will have your continue support in the future.

Parental participation requirement

• To help support this endeavor, I would love to see a participation requirement on the part of all parents (or guardians, aunts, cousins…). This requirement could be as few as three hours per year, per family. I think this could be included in this part of the proposal, since parent engagement is linked to higher grades and this would help our students to maintain the B’s that are needed.
•  “Grandfather in” existing At Large (non-resident) magnet students.

Retain “magnet” designation

• Retain “Magnet” designation in name – If we draw students from out of district, we are a magnet. If we choose to do some kind of math and science specialization, we should still make sure we brand ourselves attractively – a Math and Science Theme School or Math and Science Magnet or STEM Magnet/Theme.
• There is no doubt that the magnet has had a positive impact on Evansdale. In addition to the funding, the ‘magnet’ label attracts parents who are interested in education. This is not to say that non-magnet parents are not, but the magnet label increases the interest of educationally minded parents. Magnet attracts parents who are highly involved. And not just parents who prefer to have their children ‘tracked’, it attracts parents who value foreign languages. There is no proof in your proposal that the dispersed magnet program will have the same level of attractiveness.
• I think it is very important for the neighborhood (property values/school desirability) that we keep some kind of magnet to help our school/neighborhood stand out from others.

Magnet Program Proposal

1. Dissolve the magnet homerooms and distribute resident and non-resident magnet students among all homerooms.

Warm

• The benefit of eliminating the magnet program (grandfathering in the students who are there now) seems to be spreading the teaching resources across the school so the large class sizes are evenly dispersed.
• All students should be equally divided among the homerooms, otherwise we suspect it would be difficult to encourage other families to move here if there was such a discrepancy in the class make up.
• Magnet parents typically donate far more time and funds than non-magnet parents.  Spreading them around isn’t intended to change the amount of money they donate, but would equalize the amount of volunteer time that classrooms receive.
• Agree strongly. Achieves equity in class makeup; alleviates maximum class size differences; eliminates the “haves and have nots” situation (for children, parents, and teachers); allows us to still label ourselves a “magnet” school, because we still accept non-resident kids; makes funding easier if we don’t have to choose between magnet and non-magnet.
• I believe that the removal of the magnet class will allow for a better distribution of diversity and student level throughout all the classes.
• I totally agree it is time to dissolve Magnet homerooms. It should be in the hands of the administration & teachers to create homerooms that work best for each grade level.
• I do not regret the decision to not put my children in the magnet even though over the past two years I've seen first hand the inequities between the magnet and non-magnet classrooms in terms of academic performance, socioeconomic situation, % of ELL and more.   Our school took on quite a bit when we accepted the redistricted students from Pleasantdale and the magnet's insular nature meant it was business as usual for those students while the teachers took on the brunt of the effects.   Now in the upper grades the effects are not as severe but it is time to dissolve the magnet homerooms.
• I think that distributing the magnet benefits across all students would go a long way to improve our schools overall sense of community and prevent a lot of future bickering.
• Agree Strongly.  Keeps magnet label, achieves equal learning environments for students and teachers.
• Although I am an at-large parent and I love our current class make-up, I understand that many see the need to dissolve the magnet homerooms.
• Spreading the benefits of the magnet school across the entire school would benefit the learning of all students: achieves equity in class makeup; alleviates maximum class size differences; eliminates the “haves and have nots” situation (for children, parents, and teachers); allows us to still label ourselves a “magnet” school, because we still accept non-resident kids; makes funding easier if we don’t have to choose between magnet and non-magnet.

Cold

• Mainstreaming doesn't affect our funding level.  Whether or not the program is mainstreamed becomes moot if we cannot pay for the language and science teachers.
• Beyond the concern for their children’s education that will continue, magnet parents are aware of their good fortune and feel motivated to “give back”.  With mainstreaming, some are probably going to feel less fortunate and less motivated to give both time and money.  I don’t have a strong sense of what the loss:benefit ratio would look like, but one indicator is that some magnet families plan to leave Evansdale if mainstreaming goes through.
• If all previous magnet students and parents remain in school and still choose to participate, there would only be 12 current magnet Evansdale student parents available for redistribution throughout the entire grade.  Non-Evansdale magnet parents are usually heavily invested in our school and we will lose those parents and their contributions to Evansdale if the magnet class is eliminated (even if current out-of-district students are grandfathered in the school would lose that high contributing parent population over time).
• The curriculum being broadened to the entire school is nothing more than a ruse to get local parents to buy-in to a diversity program, just as it was done in the 90's to "integrate" the school.

Support for keeping “cohorts” together (even if current classes are re-distributed)

• What if we let the current magnet classes matriculate out together, and all the incoming Kindergarten at large kids be dispersed throughout the grade. Each year for the next five years, we would have one less magnet-only class, until the last one (current K) matriculates out and goes on to middle school. So, for instance, next year, 1st through fifth would have a magnet class, but the incoming K class would be dispersed, with no magnet-only class. The following year, 2nd through fifth would have a magnet class, but K and first would be "dispersed" throughout the grade. Might soften the blow a bit for those worried about their cohort, or retain, at least temporarily, the allegedly more involved parents who might leave if the classes are leveled. (Would be more of a phasing out.)
• My comments are related to keeping cohorts together for future classes (with the diversity, etc.).  I want to make sure we are making sound decisions based on data and practice.  Are there benefits to keeping children in the same cohort at least from K-2?  It is my understanding that they begin to move around at 3rd grade anyway – so doesn’t seem as relevant at that time.
• I personally like the same cohort feel (regardless of magnet vs. non-magnet).  I like the ability to really get to know parents and children better.

2. No change in the science lab

Warm

• If it comes down to it, and we can somehow get one point, I'd say use it for science lab.  Given the questionable benefit of 2x/wk French, keeping science seems more logical.
• Agree. Science lab is one of the most important programs offered at the school, and reason many moved here; more important to most than foreign language; a program that the whole community can get behind if it means raising our own funds to retain the lab and teacher.
• I support this.
• I fully support the continuation of Science Lab at Evansdale. Almost every child I know that attended or attends EES speaks of only praise for the Science program. My kids often come home excitedly talking about something they learned in Lab. My HMS student excels in Science. Science Lab is the best vestige of Magnet.
• I must say that my children have greatly benefitted from the science lab at Evansdale, and I wholeheartedly support continuing the science program, as best we can.
• I think like other parents I would like to see Science (along with many subjects) expanded and enhanced at some point down the road.
• Agree.  Love the science program and lab.

Cold

No “cold” comments made on this item.

3. Offer French twice a week for all students in grades 1-5

Warm

• Ideally, offering foreign language classes to younger students is the best time for teaching new language. Ideally the younger students at Evansdale could benefit from language classes. This may not be the most important educational issue to all parents.
• I would really hope we would delve deeper into making this a successful part of the school.  This would be developing a strong plan for growth overtime.  I don’t think Evansdale can separate itself from any other schools in the area without this concept.  Many other schools in the area are all over science, math, etc. Foreign language instruction is something unique that no other school has.  I would also make learning a foreign language or foreign language instruction mandatory for each child K-5.
• My thought is to offer French every day for kids K-2.  It is well documented that children’s brains are more open at this time than as they get older.  While I have seen different studies – some say the ability starts closing down around age 7.  I think we miss a major window here. . I understand that instead of continuing with daily French for magnet students, the proposal is to let all students in the school receive French instruction twice a week. This seems fair.

Cold

• I wish that French could be offered more times a week to grades 3-5 versus everyone get a foreign language 2 times a week, however, there are no county-funded resources for a foreign language at this time.
• Daily exposure to a language is needed for meaningful learning.  In other words, this proposal takes us from giving insufficient exposure to some children to giving insufficient exposure to all children.  This actually hurts overall academic achievement instead of helping.
• Attempting to learn two languages at once is counter-productive.  For children who are currently learning English as a second language, adding French to their load would be problematic.  French should wait until English is solid.
• From the children’s standpoint, the concern would be that school-wide language lessons that are not held with each class every day at each grade level could actually result in less students being able to become fluent in a foreign language compared to the current magnet structure.
• The needs of our school are much more basic and essential than a foreign language.
• To receive the benefit of foreign language education, it should be taught every day.  If that's not possible, then that time should be spent on the core subjects.
• I am not sure if providing French 2x a week is possible time-wise. If so that is great, however, I do like the idea of offering choices, such as, Spanish, technology, engineering, or environmental stewardship.
• Makes more equitable than current program, but most would prefer Spanish; if there is no funding for French, I would choose to eliminate French; if forced to choose, and if funded by parents, I would fund Math, Science, Reading/EIP, or Technology over French.
• I am personally undecided on the continuation of the Foreign Language classes at EES. Truthfully, I have been disappointed in the once weekly French class. The best I can say is that it offers enrichment, which is fine, and that it gives the classroom teachers a small break. If FL is continued, I would prefer maybe x1 a week for all K-2, x2 for grades 3-5 (or whatever one teacher could handle) And if possible, I wouldn’t mind seeing an advanced French offered to all qualified students, one class per grade 3-5 &/or finding funds for computer enrichment programs for the language students who are ahead of the curve.
• It is clear that language instructions can provide significant benefits, but there is evidence that children who have not yet achieved a basic mastery of English would benefit from learning French at the same time as having to cope with learning English plus mastering other subjects in English. There may also be other students with specific disabilities that make them ill suited for learning a foreign language.
• I do not advocate continuing the French program. Unless children receive French instruction every day, as the magnet children are lucky enough to do, there is very little benefit.
• First, we have some students that are native Spanish speakers that are struggling with the English language, adding a third language will only add to the task of advancing them academically in overcrowded classrooms of primarily English speaking students.  Secondly, magnet students that have been in French 5 days per week since Kindergarten would not receive quality French instruction.  Per the proposal, their instruction time would be dropped from 5 days per week to 2 days per week and they would be co-mingled with students that have limited or no French language background. How does this benefit all students?
• We should not be teaching French at the school. English speakers should get spanish lessons. ESOL kids should get english language skills. Teaching French is a waste of resources. Kids need to be taught a language they will use for the rest of their lives. Teaching spanish will enable kids to communicate in the modern world, as well with their neighbors. They will use it every day.
• I would be in favor of dropping the foreign language component and adding additional math and science.  I don't think we will be able to offer enough exposure for our students to retain any foreign language and our resources are better spent in boosting the amount of math and science they receive.
• Also, I think Spanish should be the language taught to all the kids.  I think this is a huge opportunity to bring more of the ESL parents in to the fold and a tremendous opportunity to make Evansdale an even tighter community.
• Strongly disagree.  Prefer Spanish over French.  Two days a week is not beneficial in learning a language.  Would rather see a bigger focus on math and science if I had to choose.
• My suggestion is to let current 2nd, 3rd, and 4th grade magnet students stay on a accelerated French language track until they graduate from Evansdale.  Even if they only receive French twice a week, the instruction should remain more rigorous and level appropriate.

4. Each grade will contain a minimum of 10 non-resident students.

Warm

• I think that establishing a minimum for the out-of-district folks is essential.  Overcrowding is transient, and redistricting will happen at some point in the future.  By establishing a minimum, it will demonstrate the commitment to the program and help have an appropriate sized district when the next redistricting occurs.
• We also must maintain the magnet label, therefore we must maintain a significant number of out of district magnet students. They are an asset to the school, and not just to balance out the demographics. I understand that the school is overcrowded, but I believe that classroom overcrowding is way worse than school overcrowding, and the 10 extra students currently allow us to be at the next level for several classes, i.e., they are beneficial to student teacher ratio.
• I support continuing to bring in a limited number of out of district students to benefit from Evansdale's Magnet program.
• As for the 10 students, I agree with the proposal.  If this is going to be part of the “Magnet” definition then it should be done.  There shouldn’t be any half doing this or that.  It also seems disingenuous to make it variable year to year.  I say either do it or don’t.
• I say we add in a provision that siblings of current out-of-district students get first priority out of the 10.  So after siblings are factored in, the remaining number will be the open slots available to out-of-districts for the following year.

Cold

• I think 10 out-of-district students coming in for Kindergarten may be too high a number, but I don't think there is a big difference in letting in 5, 7...or 10
• Evansdale has had to increase the number of its homerooms and manage overflow with trailers.  The proposal decreases out-of-area kindergarten magnet enrollment from 12 to 10 students.  As students rise through the grades, there will be progressively fewer out-of-area students.  With current enrollment around 650 students, this means we’ll decrease enrollment by less than one-half of one percent in the first year.  It will take 4 years before enrollment decreases by even 1 percent.  This amount of change in enrollment isn’t likely to have any real impact on our crowding issue.
• I believe that a negotiable at-large is better than a set number of 10.  We're already desperately overcrowded, there's no need to add to that more than necessary to keep the program.
• I strongly support changing this number to a variable number dictated by principal in direct response to enrollment. Variable number would allow us to relieve overcrowding/class size in times of overcrowding and raise numbers in times of low enrollment.
• In spite of the overcrowding of our school, I support keeping the current at large students enrolled if at all possible. I do not wish that the plans made by the families & the education of the students be disrupted by the poor planning of the county. But I fully believe the SC must put the community first. I would rather see Magnet end completely than continue "as-is". I propose a 5 year phase out of the Magnet program. This would allow the current group to get through while the school community has the time to explore new options to reinvent itself & find a new niche. We know that Magnet program funding is not likely to be reinstated & that the program is outdated. I see no long term benefit in holding on to the Magnet school identity.
• Monitoring the out-of-area magnet students by a variable number would allow us to relieve overcrowding/class size in times of overcrowding and raise numbers in times of low enrollment.
• At a time when our neighborhood school is already overcrowded, how can we justify bringing in out-of-district students to add to the problem? Overcrowding has already impacted the quality of education at our school, and if there's a way to alleviate the problem we need to do it.
• I suggest a modification to allow us to cap the number of incoming students each year due to overcrowding and capacity issues.
• I also do not agree that the school should be open to a minimum of 10 and no maximum of students who are not tax payers in the local district. There must be a balance between local and out of district kids in order to give priority to any child in the primary attendance zone.
• I would like to see us try and limit how many out of district students entered if Evansdale continues to face overcrowding.
• This needs to NOT be a minimum of ten non-resident but rather a variable number determined by the principal based on enrollment due to overcrowding.

5. Provide tutoring and remediation services at Evansdale if any student's performance is below B average or a student tests below grade level.

Warm

• Sounds great! I would put priority funding to hiring support staff to help every child succeed, however best needed. I would like funding for a part-time bilingual counselor is a top priority. I can only imagine what an asset that would be to the ESOL students, parents and the teachers.

Cold

• As far as all the students maintaining a B average, I wonder if this will cause us more time, resources, and money than the current program. We cannot know how many students will need support since our demographics are changing rapidly and our school is still growing. I do think this is a worthy goal and would have wonderful effects on the school.
• Disagree: All out of district students should have to maintain a “B” to remain in the program. We are already providing tutoring and remediation services anyway.
• Having to maintain a B average is a magnet requirement. There is no evidence that the county would loosen that requirement, therefore the dispersal of the magnet does NOT mean that all non-magnet students become magnet students. It means that all resident magnet students are no longer magnet students, and the only magnet students are non-resident students.
• Is this really something that we want to designate as our “Magnet” status.  Don’t we want all children to succeed and some may be more average than above average – but they are succeeding well for themselves.  Just seems like a lot of process for this effort – which should be happening at some level anyway in any school.

Unresolved Issues/Other Comments

Low participation of Hispanic and ELL students in magnet

Regarding the question about why Hispanic children do not participate in Magnet programs.

I have talked to several Hispanic parents, especially the ones that were in Pre-K last year (with Ms. Stradford).

Here are the reasons:

1. The application to the lottery requires knowledge and experience with internet. Most Hispanic parents do not have these skills.

The website and the application do not have instructions in Spanish.

2. Although the application can be done in writing, the process is cumbersome AND it is not done in site at Evansdale but another place/location. The application process requires information (Student ID) that parents do not understand.

3. When the advertisement came in flyers, it was for the School of Choice program not Magnet program. I was totally confused and I speak English.

4. The main reason I (a fully bilingual parent) applied to the Magnet program was because I have wonderful friends and neighbors that made sure that I applied to the Magnet program and they guided me during the process (even while my child was in the waiting list). Non-English speakers do not have these social networks that inform them about these opportunities.

5. When I talked to Hispanic parents they were very disappointed to have missed this opportunity. They want to have the best education that schools can provide and they want them to learn as many languages as possible. They (as immigrants) fully understand the need and advantages to know other languages.

Overcrowding

WE HAVE A HUGE OVERCROWDING PROBLEM

• Currently at 653 students (118% capacity); (100% Capacity = 554.)
• Currently have 6 Kindergarten homerooms. Could feasibly have 7 next year. Just added another First grade classroom.
• Largest class (K) right now has 122 students. What if we sustain that same amount of growth over the next five years? (Meaning, if we added 122 students in Kindergarten every year for the next five years. Imagine a snake eating five golf balls and how fat he would get, fatter every year! If we added 122 Kindergarten students each year, for the next five years, we could feasibly have 732 students at the school in five years. We’d be at 132% capacity!)
• Overcrowding may not be alleviated until at least 2016-2018 (at least four years, but more likely six.) SPLOST IV schedule lists Pleasantdale replacement during 2016-2018.
• There could be redistricting before 2016 to alleviate crowding. Last time redistricting was discussed, a portion of our neighborhood feeder pattern was slated for redistricting to Livsey/TuckerMS/Tucker HS. Keeping the magnet numbers variable would help avoid this, too.