LUMBERTON — Parents concerned about a proposal to transfer fourth-grade students from Tanglewood and Rowland-Norment elementary schools to Carroll Middle School say they want a meeting with the full Board of Education and school administrators to find out why the elementary students are being transferred.
About 150 people — parents and educators — attended a Tanglewood PTA meeting Tuesday in hopes of finding out information about the proposal and to air their concerns after the school board on Saturday approved the transfers at its retreat. The transfers would take place before the next school year.
Two board members attended Tuesday’s meeting — Chairman Mike Smith and Dwayne Smith, whose district includes Tanglewood and Carroll Middle schools — which ended without any resolution. The chairman defended the absence of board members and administrators by noting that some were at another event that had been planned for a couple of months.
At the board’s retreat, Dwayne Smith was joined by board members Bosco Locklear and Severeo Kerns in opposing the plan. During that meeting, school administrators supplied information stating that there are 114 third-grade students at Tanglewood and 87 at Rowland-Norment who would be transferred. Walter Jackson, an assistant superintendent, said five teachers from Tanglewood and four teachers from Rowland-Norment would also move to the middle school.
Dwayne Smith repeatedly told the crowd that he is not against transfers, but worries about overcrowding. He said that unless the school district’s policy for transfers is enforced, any space that becomes available by moving out the fourth-graders will most likely be filled by transfer students from other schools.
Dwayne Smith said that he was never consulted by other board members about their plans to transfer the fourth-grade to the middle school.
“It’s plain and simple,” he said. “There are people trying to make decisions for us in our district and precinct that have not even been in our schools.
“The problem is we (board members) are not respecting each other. This is unfair to our community and kids. … I think this is a decision not being made fairly.”
Parents raised many questions about the proposal, most of which could not be answered by either board member.
‘This is a hasty decision,” said Josh Whitley, a parent. “If we are going to do this we should be looking at all options. I really don’t know of the urgency.”
Several parents said that it would not be in the best interest of fourth-grade students, most of whom are 9 or 10 years old, to be placed in a middle school. They argued that the younger students are not sufficiently mature to prosper in a middle school.
James Bass, who has a child in kindergarten, called it “reckless” and “irresponsible” for school officials to move forward with the transfers without a long-range plan.
“This seems like a haphazard solution,” Bass said. “There needs to be research and a plan that involves input from all constituents.”
Some parents criticized the timing of the board’s announcement. They said that their children are upset knowing that they will be leaving their elementary schools when the new school year begins.
“It is a shame this came out in the paper one week before the kids take the EOG,” said a parent who didn’t identify herself.
Hayley Howard, the mother of a 9-year-old student at Rowland-Norment, said the news devastated her son.
“He saw the news in the newspaper on Sunday and came to me and asked why he can’t stay for the fourth grade here (Rowland-Norment),” Howard said. “This is just before the EOGs, and now he has more on his plate to worry about.”
At the suggestion of Dwayne Smith, those present at Tuesday’s meeting said they want to schedule a meeting with the full board and school administrators.
“I think these chairs need to be filled,” Smith said, pointing to empty chairs on the stage in the cafeteria that had been placed there for board members. “They need to give us a reason why they are doing this. We deserve answers and we are not getting them.”
No date has yet been set for the meeting. Many of those in the audience said they would attend the June meeting of the school board when a vote would make the transfer official.
Now, I have grandchildren attending Tanglewood. I'm concerned, not only about their well-being and adjustment to the proposed changes, but for the other children as well.
My job requires that I travel and I have had the opportunity to meet some beautiful people; some who, when learning where I'm from, have commented about visiting the area....maybe a job proposal or because of having family in the community. Sadly, I have often been told that it is because of the school system that they chose to not live in this area. (No, they rarely point out the crime statistics, as many probably assumed.) In fact today I met a young wife of a physician, who although both of them had family ties to Robeson County, thought it best to move to an area approx 1.5 hrs away because they believed this school system to be less than desirable for their own children.
I am saddened when I hear comments such as these because I have friends who are educators and who have a genuine desire to help the children of this county. Where then lies the problem...is it in the Board and filtering down to the classrooms...does it start in the homes of the children whose parents fail to become actively involved in their children's educations...or does it fall back on each of us for not becoming more involved in the decisions that ultimately affect us all?!!
I only have one question: Why were you not there supporting this last night? This is your agenda, stand next to the other 6 people and explain this.
You could have had other plans last night but so did more than 150 other people.
The one question I really want you to answer is, why you and the other board members didn’t provide one other option? Not one!
Shame on you and the “reckless 7”
While a future meeting is being arranged I urge each of you to contact all of the board members asking that they put this vote on hold for one year to see how many kids from these schools move to the SeA (charter school). This is not the time for name calling and pointing fingers this will get our kids nothing!!! Mr. Campbell, Ms. Defreece you live in our districts why can't you listen to our voices?? We know you hear us..Our kids are screaming, we are begging that you reconsider this vote for every kid at Rowland Norment and Tanglewood. Mr. Gary Strickland, would you allow this to happen at your child's school? Mr. Randy Lawson, Mr. Steve Martin, Ms. Joann Lowery would you have allowed this at your child's school? Please put aside any other reasons you have for passing this other than for the betterment of the children at these two schools.
Please come to our meeting when it is scheduled...no name calling, pointing fingers or screaming matches...just listen to our conerns.
Lastly, Mr. Kerns and Mr. Locklear...Thank you for listening to us. Thank you for seeing the BIG PICTURE.
I will pray for each of you that you really do some soul searching before June 11 and that you act on behalf of every child in these schools and not because of any feelings you may have toward another board member or community leader.
Stand tall when you wake up on June 12th and show our children what you are made of. LEAD US BY EXAMPLE....Thank you!!!
Tanglewood Elementary total Student population = 538 approx.
Student Transfers into Tanglewood from other school districts = 122 approx
Approximate 4th grade Students to be moved out of the school = 110 approx
Even a 4th Grader can see that the Liberal out of control transfer policy has created the overcrowded problem.
The simplest and least costly solution to the tax payers and students is to cap the total students allowed to transfer to Tanglewood to a reasonable amount similar to the county averages of 40 student transfers and reevaluate the student tallies next year.
490/26=18.8. There is not problem here, when you look at the facts. The problem is political, and I don't believe it would hold water in court.
If it were left up to people like you we'd change the bible as you see fit.
That word "change" has become a silly word the democrats use to get their way, just like you used it. You can't scare us with that word, it means nothing anymore.
Some things are better left unchanged, like marriage, the bible, etc.....
ps. And to anyone ready to fire off something stupid about "things remaining the same" it doesn't matter what you think, those of us who matter don't care how you think.