Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Springfield Study Committee: Evaluating a Magnet School

As a part of the Springfield Schools Study Committee, we are taking a look at a ‘magnet school’ this week as one of the potential solutions – whether a partial or total solution -  for some of the problems and perceptions surrounding the Springfield School System. 
 
We have been charged with evaluating a ‘magnet school’ with the following categories.


I would certainly value your input. Please feel free to comment below and send me an e-mail.

Pros -


Cons -


Stakeholders involved -


What input we need from stakeholders -


Budget implications -


Additional Information needed -

8 comments:

  1. Not sure I can think of a pro, but the con is where would the money come from? Are they going to cut jobs to come up with the money for it? I feel we don't need another school, we just need 1. better teachers, 2. put God in the government (and schools)3, parents to take more responsibility for their kids and their education.

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  2. One problem is you pull some of the best out of the schools--which may be an advantage to them, but you lower the overall levels of the schools they left. I'm not sure how this will help the overall problem of the system. We might get one really good, elitist school, but the others would not improve. Many teachers are excellent but are working under constraints that hamper their ability to teach. If parents were held more responsible for their children's attendance and behavior, teaching would be easier. Have all elected officials substitute teach a few days, not for a media op, but the real thing.

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  3. A magnet school may help. However, until we get the parents involved in their children's education we are wasting time and money. Where is our "Joe Clark"? The teachers can only do what they can do. It is each parents responsibility for their child's education. We need someone unafraid to say what is not being said. We are failing our children as parents. How do private and magnet schools perform so well? The parents are involved! Sacrifices are made for their children. Maybe, we could use the PTA to form a group of parents and possibly other students to tutor children that require extra help. We hold the children and parents accountable. If your child is not excelling in school, you are required to participate. I'll be the first to volunteer, right now! I am willing to help.

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  4. "Not sure you can think of a pro?" "Pulling smart kids out?" "Getting parents involved?" Are you people kidding me? You sound like three different versions of Eeyore, a gray, pessimistic, "Woe is me", stuffed Donkey.

    Pro: It makes Springfield extremely attractive to those who can't afford private school.

    Pro: It gets the kids who WANT to do better out of a "Lowest Common Denominator" system.

    Pro: Magnet School CAN have the affect of getting a community to rally behind them. I think a good example of this is Merrol Hyde in Hendersonville.

    Pro: I think Springfield has the "intellectual stock" to put students in there. Example, Springfield High often does well in the Tennessee Mock Trial competition. In order to make that happen, you have to have an ample supply of kids who are able to go above and beyond scholastically.

    Pro: It could improve the tax base by potentially attracting a higher income demographic, who does not want to deal with Davidson or even Montgomery County and want their kids in a Magnet type school.

    Pro: It will tick off those who are resistant to change. That's always a lot of fun.

    Con: The school is not already operational. So, get in that Jonathan... :)

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  5. No, "anonymous" I am not kidding you. The only way for any school to work is for the parents to be involved. Who cares about ticking anyone off. My interest is in our children. Also, is one school going to "fix" our system? This is a systematic problem. I had a teacher tell me that she asked a parent to help by spending extra time with their child on homework. The parent says " isn't that what you get paid for?". This is a difficult problem with difficult solutions. I don't have all the answers or most likely any answers. However, I am willing to help. Jonathan is doing an outstanding job in his role as county commissioner and I am confident he can help lead us in the right direction.

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  6. I have seen both sides and agree that parents should be more involved, but at the same time teachers in this day in age have alot more time during the school week for planning so both should be held accountable. I have children in both coopertown and springfield high and there has been some things I have noticed as far as respect for teachers and staff. While springfield seems to be tough on dress code they are lacking in basic discipline in respect. This problem again is the problem of both the staff of springfield and parents of the children. The school staff should be just as stringent on respect for teachers and staff as they are on correcting dress codes by using duct tape and cell phone use by wanting to charge parents for return of thier property. The same standards should be enforced by parents on their children, now this is not something that a school system can correct it is something they can discipline on.

    Parents stop making excuses for your childs behavior and start correcting it. Your not their buddy, your suppose to be their parent! All your doing by making excuses for them is hindering them in the future!

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  7. @ SumIdiot if you had a magnet school, parents that take their kids to the private schools outside the county would have a place for their kids to go. Those parents would be highly involved in the school. I also agree that there are many parents that don't understand their role in their child's education. @socernut1 (I am not a teacher) but if you think teachers are not working their tails off, you don't know any teachers. I suggest you get into a school, sit down with a teacher and find out everything they are doing and required to do for our kids. A lot of what they have to do in planning periods is federally mandated and they have no choice. Ask any teacher and they will tell you they wished they had more time with the kids and less paperwork.

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  8. You should #1) build a brand new Middle School in Springfield, #2) make Springfield Middle the Magnet School, #3) Magnet Schools are suppose to attract the cream of the crop but the school is so run down that it want attract anyone that didn't have to go there.

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