A little filler in Wednesday's Tennessean tells us that BOE member Mark North's (Madison) rezoning committee will delay its recommendations.
"The task force was scheduled to have zone line recommendations this month. But board member Mark North, the task force chairman, said the group needs more time to redraw school zones."
I'm not sure it's a good idea to make major changes in zoning before we've got a new superintendent of schools in place. My suggestion is they wait another year, if financially possible, and get the new superintendent's input. They're going to have to live with it and starting a job with lots of folks angry about their child changing schools doesn't seem a fair start. The new superintendent will have plenty on their plate as it is dealing with Metro's current standing with the State Department of Education. I don't think they need to start anymore behind the 8 ball than they absolutely must. They might also have some valuable insight that should be included in the process.
4 comments:
I disagree. The director is supposed to do the will of the board. Member North heads the Task Force; the board will have to approve a new plan. The will of the board will be a part of any rezoning plan. Henson and his cabinet should be quite qualified to discuss costs and impacts on personnel.
Further, in my opinion, any new zoning plan should include more choice; this is even more true with the Small Learning Communities and the "Career Academies"; if a high school has a unique academy, any available spots should be open to families across the district. This and other open enrollment initiatives should be policy enacted by the elected representatives of the district, not by those who manage the bureaucracy.
Just to add, I think the bureaucracy has had too much influence on student assignment and parents have had too little.
My understanding the changes that are to be proposed by the task force are not effective until the 2009-2010 school year. Also, I am hearing the proposed changes for the Hillwood cluster will be the same as those recommended by the district a few months ago. This might be DOA. We will see...
I'm sorry...the will of the school board? Where is that, exactly? Seems to me they've got a track record of following the director.
I'm with you on allowing openings to be filled from anywhere in the district. If we're not going to have neighborhood schools I don't see the need to create arbitrary boundaries.
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