They did it to themselves

It seems every day we lose more and more of our freedom because some folks lack self-control and the understanding of what it means to be a considerate sharer of our public facilities and spaces. The next loss comes because the Nashville Public Library is having to crack down on youth loitering as the result of the inconsiderate behavior of some students, many of whom ought to be well able to understand the concept of good manners.

Library administrators told The City Paper this week the new policy was prompted primarily by the frequent, and sometimes rowdy, gathering of teenagers and young adults outside the East Branch Library after the East Literature Magnet School across the street lets out in the afternoons and also by groups of high school students who have been gathering, sometimes rowdily, during after-school hours in the youth section of the downtown library. The situation is starting to appear at other libraries as well. City Paper

To be fair, Hume Fogg Academic Magnet School is closest to the downtown library, but many other students traveling across town to attend their magnet schools do bus transfers not far away.

At some point students will realize that they're shooting themselves in the foot. They insisted on pushing the clothing envelope and they got Standard School Attire. They're now in danger of losing their usage of the library because they forgot to be good guests. Likely, though, many will demand their right to do what they want and we'll hear parents providing excuses for why Susie and Tommy aren't the problem. It's those wound-too-tightly old fogeys that don't understand the needs of the children that are the real problem they'll say. I disagree. The real problem is that these children haven't been taught or don't understand that they are not the center of the universe. Their rights end when it meets my rights. That involves complying with some societal norms like pants at the waist and quiet, polite behavior at the library. In the meantime, instead of the library staff helping actual patrons utilize the facilities their time is wasted by playing hall monitor and truancy officer. This is an abuse of our tax money and facilities and needs to stop. Libraries are not designed to be, and should not become, free aftercare facilities.


One word of caution to the Library Board. Some of those students in the library during school hours may be homeschoolers and private schoolers who are legally allowed to be out and about during 'school hours'. I would suggest remembering that before calling truant officers just because those students are there. They don't get a pass for bad behavior though.

Magnet school notices

Tuesday evening's consent agenda for the MNPS BOE includes their response to Metro Council Resolution RS-2006-1518 which the agenda says reads:

"A resolution requesting the Metropolitan Board of Public Education to send Magnet school selection/acceptance letters used to fill vacancies by certified mail."

The administration says this will cost $19,811 to implement and the Garcia administration is recommending the Board say no. Since the Council didn't send a check along with this resolution I do think the BOE is wise to decline the suggestion. Done this way it comes across as an unfunded mandate. Now the Council might want to consider sending the BOE a check for $20,000 to be used expressly for this purpose to counter that criticism and show citizens that they are concerned about seeing the problem solved.

I do think the Metropolitan Nashville Public School System has done a very poor job of communicating with parents of magnet school applicants and the Council's suggestion is a good one. Garcia's administration hasn't made reasonable changes to the entire magnet notification process that could vastly improve the communication between participants and ensure that all the available magnet slots are utilized. For the Board to just turn down this suggestion without a plan of their own in place is going to look bad in the community and come off as further evidence that they don't really want to improve the process.

This isn't going away

If folks thought that the little dustup at the last BOE meeting over the magnet school process was a blip on the radar--I believe they're completely wrong.

Today's Tennessean highlights a complete waste and an injustice that must be changed. I, as a BOE member, had been lead to believe that there was hope for parents who were on the magnet school waiting list and so I passed that hope on to parents. Apparently, such isn't the case at all.

Current policy states that the roster of students closes on the first day of school. If a student leaves a magnet school on the first day, the spot is not filled, said Sandra Johnson, chief instructional officer for Metro schools.

What a complete waste. Didn't we budget and hire for a certain number of magnet slots? Is the administration committed to the magnet school program or not? Policy can be changed. What is the downside to making this change?

Parent Discoll asks a good question that deserves a prompt and clear answer:

"Why not create a two-week buffer where, if a kid moves or decides not to attend the school, then the next in line gets in?"

and

As for Driscoll, who hasn't been shy about his disdain, he's thinking about starting a Web site for parents fed up with the magnet school lottery process.

Let me know if I can be of any help Mr. Driscoll.

And as an aside, heretofore, the Tennessean has been providing BOE member contact information in their "Make your voice heard" box. In this article it points people to MNPS alone.

Here's a link for e-mail all the BOE members.

Clicking on the District # will take you to the MNPS website for that district. Not sure which district is yours? Check here. Clicking on the name will bring up your e-mail so you can write them.

District 1: George Thompson GHTHOMPSONIII@aol.com
District 2: Joann Brannon ILOBU5444@aol.com
District 3: Pam Garrett (BOE Chair for the moment) pamgarr@bellsouth.net
District 4: Steve Glover Steve.glover@comcast.net
District 5: Gracie Porter gracieporterschoolboard@yahoo.com
District 6: Karen Johnson Kvettej@aol.com
District 7: Ed Kindall EtKindall@aol.com
District 8: David Fox david@fox4schools.com
District 9: Marsha Warden marshawarden@bellsouth.net

Want to e-mail them all? Here ya go.

Elite activist objects

There is an amazing argument against the Tennessee Tax Revolt's efforts to give citizens the right to vote on property tax increases on a local blog for magnet school parents. This entry leans so left you may have to weight your computer monitor to read it while sitting upright. This line leapt out at me.

They [supporters of the petition drive] are interested in a political system that favors wealthy, elite activists who are over-represented in tax referendum elections.

Some have said that that the magnet schools system favors wealthy, elite activists who are over-represented in the school board election process.

The author of this entry may be a good example:

Alan Coverstone
Alan Coverstone is a teacher of Government and Economics, as well as Academic Dean at Montgomery Bell Academy. He is the father of two children who attend Hull-Jackson Montessori Magnet School, a part of the Metro Nashville Public Schools. He helped found and served as president of the PTO at Hull-Jackson. He also served as a Parents Advisory Council representative on the Mayor’s School Funding Task Force and currently serves on the Magnet Cluster board of the Parents Advisory Council.

Mr. Coverstone writes:

They openly call tax increases "pay cuts" for their family with no consideration at all of the "benefit increase" they receive from property value increases regularly experienced in communities with strong schools.

As a teacher of economics maybe (but I doubt) he can explain the 'benefit increase' the families of the Maplewood cluster are receiving from their property tax dollars.