High School Tour 2009

[Cathy McCaughan]

On both School Matters and KNS, the mention of one specific high school invariably results in someone commenting that the school needs to be closed. This particular school is accused of being a money sinkhole. At the same time, when high schools in one specific area of Knoxville are given anything, there is an outcry of favoritism. Taking students and teachers out of the equation, school buildings and the equipment within them should be subject to objective comparison.

Today, I am sending an identical e-mail to the principals of the 13 Knox County High Schools. I am asking permission to visit their school so that I can compare the facilities in each high school. The caveat is that I want to visit the schools before August 17th when the buildings come to life with students and teachers. I will work around everyone else’s schedules to accomplish this.

I am letting the principals know in advance, that I am going to ask the staff, parent or student assigned to accompany me, the following questions:

• 1. What are the most urgent physical needs of your school?
• 2. Do students share desks, textbooks, microscopes, computers or other equipment?
• 3. What is special about your school?

I understand the purpose of competition among school sports teams, but I want an end to the misunderstandings about school facilities. All of our children deserve to attend schools in a building with good working conditions and the necessary supplies to learn.

I will post a summary and photographs of each high school tour on School Matters so that school facilities and budget choices affecting facilities can be discussed.

[Jamey Dobbs]

Cathy, you may also want to take a look at a report on facility conditions at the KCS/MPC site I mentioned last week. http://www.knoxmpc.org/pefa/ Go to the right and click on individual school profiles, a large document that compares some major aspects of facilities across the county. It would be a good place to start. I've learned that KCS is planning to build a more extensive database that links facilities with maintenance. That's good news.

[Cathy McCaughan]

I did look at that and it didn't really jive with what I keep hearing from people that their school doesn't have enough ___ while other schools have too much. I have to believe that each school has something special that most people don't know and that is reason enough to care about ALL schools instead of only the school you are zoned to attend. I'm leaving students out of the equation completely because ALL students deserve a good facility and adequate supplies.

[Debi]

I think open enrollment would help with county-wide appreciation. It would also help with specializing particular schools that any student in the county could attend.

[Doug McCaughan]

I'll second that!

[Seely Booth]

Some smaller counties do have open enrollment. The problem I could see with that would be providing transportation. That could be a nightmare for a county that it is "spread out" as much as kc. If you put that policy in place, I would think you would be required legally to provide transportation to any school from any area. Think Halls to Farragut or vice-versa.

It's a great idea...just don't know how kc could afford the additional $ for cross-county transport.

[Doug McCaughan]

For open enrollment, you draw a circle around each school. If you fall within that circle, busing is provided to that school (or schools). If you choose a school outside of that circle then you are responsible for your own transportation. If the population density wanes and one circle does not have enough students to support the school, you create incentives such as academy classes, or tax breaks for people to choose that school and also provide busing from the next nearest circle. For geographic boundaries such as rivers you would go to the next nearest circle. If the population density or demand for a certain school is too great, you give first choice to the zoned circle or give the people within that circle incentives (busing, tax breaks, etc) to encourage them to other schools. Outside of any circle? Busing is provided only to the nearest circled school.

[Jamey Dobbs]

Have you approached anyone at KCS with this model, Doug? If so, what was the response?

[Vic Spencer]

Excellent suggestion Doug.

[Debi]

I agree with Doug, you could argue a distance limit. I have found with my own kids that transferring to just any school isn't as easy as we think. She didn't want to consider leaving a peer group. So I doubt everyone would take advantage of it, likely only those students who are having problems with bullying, getting particular services, etc. In the long run it would likely consolidate services which is what KCS tends to do anyway. Like with autism, I know a ton of middle schoolers who go to Bearden Middle because the same services are not available at other middle schools, despite the law that says they should be.

[Cathy McCaughan]

Quizzes by Quibblo.com

[formerschoolmom]

Cathy -

I like your survey question, but the answer depends. Ideally I would go for schools having different offerings and facilities (though all should have agreed-upon basics) but it makes a lot more sense if open enrollment is a possibility. For some offerings, such as orchestra, you might impose some sort of test or audition to weed out those who are just looking for the loopholes.

When we lived in Massachusetts in the late 80s and early 90s, a school district could post openings in certain grades, and students from other districts could apply to attend there. It is a different system there, because most districts are small and have only one high school. Transportation was not provided, except that reimbursement was possible for low-income students, I believe. Our son attended middle school and high school in another town because the academic offerings were better, and one of his friends attended a different high school because it had a wresting program, and ours did not.

One town even had three elementary schools with very different offerings, and parents in the town chose which they thought would be best for their child. One school was Montessori-based, and one was the traditional model with graded classrooms; I don't remember the third. It was a great example of complementary offerings, though, and recognizing that it's not financially viable for every school to try to please everyone, and different students thrive in different situations.

I feel very strongly about making classes in the arts available for students who are interested, and I think AP or other special courses should be available for those who qualify for them, not just because they live in a certain part of the county. Since it's obviously impossible to provide musical theater, six years of French, and AP Physics and Art History at every school, it makes sense to me for schools to specialize. It needs to be coordinated at the countywide level, though, because someone needs to look at how many students really are interested in middle school orchestra, for example, and determine how many schools can then afford to offer it.

[Jamey Dobbs]

Cathy, have you heard from the principals yet?