From a friend's Facebook post:
"You belong here!" This is the school motto for the new Welborn Middle School. Last Thursday I attended the last Leadership CSISD meeting and was wowed by the message delivered by the new principal. It was nothing less than superb. I invite you all to watch her video reflecting her vision at WMS, http://wms.csisd.org/apps/video/ .
The new principal used the analogy of not wanting her students to feel like a small fish in a big pond. She gets it! I would like to ask the current CSISD leadership and School Board, do they get it? Do they want to tell the class of 2022 (current 8th graders currently facing rezoning) that "You belong herebut only for a year"? Do they want to tell them they get to be a small fish in a big pond, not once but twice? Telling them that they can "opt" to shift schools for the fall of 2018 is insulting. In doing so you are also telling them they don't deserve to be a cheerleader, on a dance team, try out for band placement and numerous other high school experiences the rest of their peers will have the option to do. This too will cause further division. The timing of the rezoning does not allow for this change with this age group because many of the tryouts and signups for these activities are currently taking place already for next year. The truth is the school district failed these kids by not postponing everything, including high school registration that took place just 2 short months ago.
Luke walked the halls of his currently zoned high school on February 5th and turned in his schedule request February 13th. Why didn't leadership hit the pause button on all of this? Why did the recommendation to rezone come just weeks after the 8th grade class turned in their schedules for next year? This decision should have been made fall of 2017 when the data was received. This would have allowed the kids affected the ability to prepare for the correct high school, before schedules were turned in, 4-year academic plans made, and extracurricular activities planned for and tried out for. Surely our message to the affected kids should not be that they are simply the casualty of poor planning by the administration and school board.
Ultimately both high schools are great and if our twin 5th graders rezone we will support the school they go to. They have time to prepare their path either way. However, the timing of this for current 8th grade is asinine. Uncertainty and yo-yo rezoning will only lead to disengagement and loss of parental support in all areas. Who wants to commit to PTO, booster clubs, sponsorship, or volunteering when your kid may or may not be rezoned yet again or stay for only a year. The reality is that parents want to invest in the school where their child is enrolled, but our CSISD schools need to also invest in the families they serve. Please don't forget this part.
**Negative comments toward either high school are not welcome. Our kids should take pride in them both. However it is mid April and they also deserve to know where they will be enrolled for high school for the next 4 years.
"You belong here!" This is the school motto for the new Welborn Middle School. Last Thursday I attended the last Leadership CSISD meeting and was wowed by the message delivered by the new principal. It was nothing less than superb. I invite you all to watch her video reflecting her vision at WMS, http://wms.csisd.org/apps/video/ .
The new principal used the analogy of not wanting her students to feel like a small fish in a big pond. She gets it! I would like to ask the current CSISD leadership and School Board, do they get it? Do they want to tell the class of 2022 (current 8th graders currently facing rezoning) that "You belong herebut only for a year"? Do they want to tell them they get to be a small fish in a big pond, not once but twice? Telling them that they can "opt" to shift schools for the fall of 2018 is insulting. In doing so you are also telling them they don't deserve to be a cheerleader, on a dance team, try out for band placement and numerous other high school experiences the rest of their peers will have the option to do. This too will cause further division. The timing of the rezoning does not allow for this change with this age group because many of the tryouts and signups for these activities are currently taking place already for next year. The truth is the school district failed these kids by not postponing everything, including high school registration that took place just 2 short months ago.
Luke walked the halls of his currently zoned high school on February 5th and turned in his schedule request February 13th. Why didn't leadership hit the pause button on all of this? Why did the recommendation to rezone come just weeks after the 8th grade class turned in their schedules for next year? This decision should have been made fall of 2017 when the data was received. This would have allowed the kids affected the ability to prepare for the correct high school, before schedules were turned in, 4-year academic plans made, and extracurricular activities planned for and tried out for. Surely our message to the affected kids should not be that they are simply the casualty of poor planning by the administration and school board.
Ultimately both high schools are great and if our twin 5th graders rezone we will support the school they go to. They have time to prepare their path either way. However, the timing of this for current 8th grade is asinine. Uncertainty and yo-yo rezoning will only lead to disengagement and loss of parental support in all areas. Who wants to commit to PTO, booster clubs, sponsorship, or volunteering when your kid may or may not be rezoned yet again or stay for only a year. The reality is that parents want to invest in the school where their child is enrolled, but our CSISD schools need to also invest in the families they serve. Please don't forget this part.
**Negative comments toward either high school are not welcome. Our kids should take pride in them both. However it is mid April and they also deserve to know where they will be enrolled for high school for the next 4 years.