PEMBROKE — The Board of Education for the Public Schools of Robeson County on Saturday authorized administrators to move forward with plans to transfer fourth-grade students at Tanglewood and Rowland-Norment elementary schools to Carroll Middle School in time for the start of the next school year.
The decision came during the board’s annual retreat held Friday and Saturday at COMtech, which covered everything from maintenance of school facilities to finances and policy.
The board voted 7-3 in favor of the fourth-grade transfer, with Dwayne Smith, whose district houses Tanglewood Elementary and Carroll Middle schools; Bosco Locklear; and Severeo Kerns in opposition. The vote will be taken again at the June meeting to become official.
According to school administrators, there are currently 114 third-grade students at Tanglewood and 87 students at Rowland Norment who will be affected by the transfer. Walter Jackson, an assistant superintendent, said five teachers from Tanglewood and four teachers from Rowland-Norment will also be transferred to the middle school to teach fourth grade.
Smith, whose son is currently a third-grade student at Tanglewood, has said that overcrowding at some Robeson County schools, especially Tanglewood, is due to a liberal transfer policy that allows students from outside the district to attend school there.
Smith said students living in the district are being forced to attend the middle school to make room at the elementary schools for students from other districts. Smith told board members that as the member in whose district Tanglewood lies, he objected to their planning to move the fourth-graders to the middle school without his input.
“This was not brought up by me,” Smith said. “… You are shipping people out of the district to make room for out-of-district students.”
Locklear agreed with Smith.
“We need to put a percentage cap on transfers,” Locklear said. “It’s not fair to the people in the community to bring in a busload of transfers.”
School system Superintendent Johnny Hunt said moving the students would not hurt the education they receive. He told The Robesonian after the meeting that in the past, fourth-grade students from both elementary schools had attended Carroll Middle.
Board member John Campbell spoke in favor of the transfer.
“We are talking about the same teachers, the same parents and the same support system for the students,” he said. “We’re just talking about a different building.”
Board members Saturday also gave their approval to the administration to revise the policy governing who can attend the district’s Early College High School.
The new policy, which becomes effective next school year, will allow students who are not enrolled in the county school system to apply to attend the school. Current regulations require that a student be enrolled in the county’s public schools to be eligible to attend the Early College High School, which is held on the campus of Robeson Community College.
Under the new policy, 80 percent of the 45 or 50 students selected each year to attend the school must be first-generation college students. The remaining 20 percent can be eligible if there is documented evidence of long-term medical and emotional issues.
On Friday, board members were brought up to date on maintenance and rehabilitation of school facilities. Topics included air-conditioning, paving and roofing projects and sewer system and septic tank work under way at the Piney Grove and Littlefield schools.
Board members were also brought up to date on repairs and renovations being conducted at the Townsend Middle School gym, which soon will be leased to the town of Maxton for use as a community center. Attorney Grady Hunt said that with the work almost complete, he is ready to move forward with drawing up the lease.
Board members Saturday amended a policy to prohibit students from transferring more than once in any single school year to participate in a sport. Assistant Superintendent Steve Gaskins said there are several students who have transferred as many as three times in a given year so they could participate in a specific sport.
1. Please attend the meeting tonight at Tanglewood at 7:00. Anyone who has an issue with this needs to be there.
2. The Robco Education web site has a link to each board members email. Make your voice heard. send emails showing why you really have an issue with this. We all know who is really driving this move let her know we dont want it.
The issue is the number of students being allowed to transfer. It’s the NUMBER not the transfers themselves. This is the issue that is escaping many of you. I have talked to the parents. Not one of them had an issue with the transfer of children.
The problem is very simple and I challenge you to give me an answer:
****Why should a parent who has a child attending a school in district, see the quality of education drop because of over crowding that is a direct result of a high volume of transfer students?****
Not once has some one answered this question. Not the transfer parents, the paper, and most importantly the board.
I cannot believe that the School board would make this move due to the overcrowded situation that they themselves created. Parents, Grandparents, and any concerned citizens need to know that Loistine DeFreece was the person that brought this movement about. She went around gathering support to make changes to schools outside of her district while the schools she should be focused on are falling apart. I personally do not have a kid in either of these schools, but I think that the parents that do should know where to focus their complaints. Overcrowding has been a problem at these schools for years now, but she only decided to push this issue after her (out of district) granddaughter completed her fourth grade year. Interesting timing for this event.
Granma and rebel chose their position in life and they know it ain't where they wanna be, so they go after those they think TOOK THEIR position.
You could proove it to em, show em, point to it, and Jesus himself could explain it and they still wouldn't understand. This is why I wont argue with folks like that. I just tell them in their own understanding terms, with a few slurs for laughter and let it go. Who cares what people like them think anyway...right.
Again, continue "living the dream"(see, that's one of those poor people terms) and enjoy the life you've made for your wonderful family.
ps. And every once in a while just laugh out loud at people like granma and rebel, you deserve a good laugh everyday....
Ross
Title I is designed to support State and local school reform efforts tied to challenging State academic standards in order to reinforce and amplify efforts to improve teaching and learning for students farthest from meeting State standards. Individual public schools with poverty rates above 40 percent may use Title I funds, along with other Federal, State, and local funds, to operate a "schoolwide program" to upgrade the instructional program for the whole school. Schools with poverty rates below 40 percent, or those choosing not to operate a schoolwide program, offer a "targeted assistance program" in which the school identifies students who are failing, or most at risk of failing, to meet the State's challenging performance standards, then designs, in consultation with parents, staff, and district staff, an instructional program to meet the needs of those students. Both schoolwide and targeted assistance programs must be based on effective means of improving student achievement and include strategies to support parental involvement.
Includes:
•Improving Basic Programs Operated by Local Educational Agencies
•Reading First
•Early Reading First
•William F. Goodling Even Start Family Literacy Program
•Improving Literacy through School Libraries
•Education of Migratory Children
•Prevention and Intervention Programs for Children and Youth Who are Neglected, Delinquent, or At-Risk
•Close-Up Fellowship
•Comprehensive School Reform
•Advanced Placement
•School Dropout Prevention
Anyway, all in-district kids that should be attending Tanglewood or Rowland-Norment next year for fourth grade should all plan on transferring to another school (besides CMS) just to show the board 'two can play that game.'
We should have two goals.
1) Save both RNS and Tanglewood- this means coming up with an alternative solution
2) VOTE the sorry board members out – We know who is pushing this so let’s push them out.
1. Now here is the one I really want you to see. No one is saying that Tanglewood is a private school. Just as you say the children shouldn’t have a better education, I say why should all of the transfer students hurt the legitimate students in this district? What gives you that right?
2. Let’s look at your post. On one hand you say “Why should Tanglewood students have a better education?” The very next line you state “you wont have your daughter attend Tanglewood for that reason and that you will be sending her to private school” Your argument is ignorant and has no structure. In reality it seems like a ploy to attack the hard working people who put in the effort and made the decisions in life to earn more and provide better for their family.
3. If you knew anything about Tanglewood, you would know it is the only NONE title one school in the county. ONLY! Tanglewood has a strong parent support network that raises money and strives to support the school. NO HAND OUTS
4. Unlike you Rebelgurl29, I do have kids in Tanglewood. Every day they struggle for supplies and material. I want to make that very clear. As you seem to be taking from what you have heard and not what you know. Considering Tanglewood does not receive the funding that other schools have, you can see just how lacking this school is sometimes. Again your post seems more like an attack on the parents and their economic background.
5. The educational opportunities are the same. Teachers are very well qualifies in many of the schools across Robison County. The difference comes from the parent support and environment.
REBELGURL29, when you spew the type of ignorance you did in your post you only give a stronger foundation to why Tanglewood is such a great place. It’s your mind set that hurts other schools.
1. You are right Tanglewood is a great school partly because the parental involvement... At long Branch there is very few and the ones that are there want to send there child to another school just for that reason. .... So you parental involvement comes from your out of district parents as well.. The parents that send there children there are doing so because they are involved.... Parents that do not care would just leave there children at a school that is not performing because it is easier on them....
2.. I work hard and provide for my daughter and it is a huge sacrifice for myself to send my daughter to private school... I don't want my child at tanglewood because of people like you that think this school is reserved for certain people... If your district school was not meeting it's requirements you would send your child someone else and most schools in this county do not meet there requirements and the parents ahould be able to send there child wherever is convenient for them... For most people that is a city school considering that most people work in the city...
3. You are right they probably do have the same opportunity but at long Branch my daughters teacher was just telling me the other day I cannot give your the attention she needs sometimes because of all the discipline problems I have in here which in turn goes back to the parents..... So that's why the involved parents want there children at tanglewood.... Who are you to deny them a better education....
4. Tanglewood is not the only overcrowded school... I believe tanglewood has five kindergarten classes as well as long Branch... A fifth kindergarten class was added this year to long Branch as well... If there is a school open with plenty of room why not use it to give the few students a better opportunity to learn... Like the paper stated same parents, same children, just a different building..... Less than two miles away....
This is right of the US Education Web Site..... Show me where it says Lunch. Once again someone not knowing what they are talking about..... Get over yourself.
CFDA Number: 84.010
Program Type: Formula Grants
Also Known As: Education for the Disadvantaged–Grants to Local Educational Agencies, Improving the Academic Achievement of the Disadvantaged, Title I ESEA, Title I LEA Grants
Program Description
Title I, Part A (Title I) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, as amended (ESEA) provides financial assistance to local educational agencies (LEAs) and schools with high numbers or high percentages of children from low-income families to help ensure that all children meet challenging state academic standards. Federal funds are currently allocated through four statutory formulas that are based primarily on census poverty estimates and the cost of education in each state.
1.Basic Grants provide funds to LEAs in which the number of children counted in the formula is at least 10 and exceeds 2 percent of an LEA's school-age population.
2.Concentration Grants flow to LEAs where the number of formula children exceeds 6,500 or 15 percent of the total school-age population.
3.Targeted Grants are based on the same data used for Basic and Concentration Grants except that the data are weighted so that LEAs with higher numbers or higher percentages of children from low-income families receive more funds. Targeted Grants flow to LEAs where the number of schoolchildren counted in the formula (without application of the formula weights) is at least 10 and at least 5 percent of the LEA's school-age population.
4.Education Finance Incentive Grants (EFIG) distribute funds to states based on factors that measure:
◦a state's effort to provide financial support for education compared to its relative wealth as measured by its per capita income; and
◦the degree to which education expenditures among LEAs within the state are equalized.
This is what's wrong with Robeson, so many people don't want to do anything about the economic situation they are in, so they despise others for achieving what they think should be given to them. Doesn't work that way.
This school doesn't have any students, who actually live in the district, who eat free or reduced lunches, that makes a difference. These people are self sufficient and take responsibility for their children and want the best for them. The out of district people see this and assume they can drop their kid off and this will make their kid smart and and well mannered.
They wont say it but I will, NO I don't want my children around a lot of these kids in Robeson county. They are ill raised, no manners, and I don't want them influencing my children. Like minded people flock together. Look at trailer parks and poor neighborhoods, those people all think the same, act the same and raise their kids the same. Keep em with one another and we'll do the same with ours...
You are 100% correct. RNS has been placed in the shadows of this whole thing. Although it has not been specifically stated, several people have talked about RNS and the teachers and staff. RossisRight, BBB and my self to name a few.
RNS have all the same issue that Tanglewood has. I don’t know why we haven’t seen more from the parents of RNS.
EC4, this should be something you push. You feel strongly about your school, stand up for it.
******This goes for everyone reading these posts. The vote was only the first of two. If you truly care and are not simply keyboard activists, you need to show up at every school board meeting or related event possible. I mean this, some of us are writing just to express an opinion and hide behind the fact that no one will ever know who is writing these posts.
We should have two goals.
1) Save both RNS and Tanglewood- this means coming up with an alternative solution
2) VOTE the sorry board members out – We know who is pushing this so let’s push them out.
So keep your word and send them to private school(wow).
ps. Those kids in private school have very high standards and they will also pick and choose who they "play" with...and they do know.
District lines exist for a reason. Hey, I know, since we all pay taxes, let's ALL send our kids to Tanglewood until it's so overcrowded that they ship all but the kindergarten students to other schools!
This school is no better than any other school, the parents of the kids attending are. The parents spend time with their children after school, try it, it works. The kids are well mannered and are taught at home to respect their teachers and do what your are told.
And you said you didn't want your child to attend tanglewood..... the parents there would appreciate it if you'd keep your word.
Heck, just look at how the democrat policies are keeping poor people poor and unemployed. Unemployment and food stamps are at record levels. The man whose policies have caused this got voted back in.
Most democrats are poor for a reason..
I challenge the people to run against every one on this board and get them off of it & then replace the heads & assistants!
I wonder how many transfer kids will now oddly see their parents leave tangle wood. Now they will make up some kind of reason to justify the move back or out but we all know the real reason they will go.
Also to show you how much people are against this, ask the 4 th grade teachers. For the most part they are asking to go to a lower grade, leave the school or retire. I think this says a lot
The school board needs to do better