I agree 100% (if it is true)

I myself no longer have children in the fay county school system,
BUT i still pay school taxes and this bothers me that this is going on. all my children and my self went to fay county.
the county and city gov and BOE need to remember that they answer to the tax payers of the county and city

and we the tax payers need to show up and voice concerns

shadowalker

Please don't lump Fayetteville and Clayton county together when talking about schools. Look a little closer, PTC is not the only place that good schools inside of Fayette Co. There is a reason I chose to buy a house in Fayetteville vs PTC as well.

-reserved for something more clever to say

My intention was not to lump Clayton with Fayetteville. My goal was to identify the disparity between Fayetteville and PTC. I, like other posters, identified that we could have purchased a much larger home in Fayetteville but decided to go with a very much smaller home to get into the best schools. Booth has won how many NATIONAL SCIENCE OLYMPIADS? I will do this as long as my children are in school then will move closer to my place of employment.

When I started looking, I asked why the disparity in home pricing between two neighboring cities, his response was:

"Education and Crime.

Crime is only slightly higher but graduates of the county school call graduates of PTC schools Boss".

I told him that there could not be that much of a disparity, he then provided me with the complete breakdown of SAT and College application percent. When I find those, I will post them but there is a difference. When you have a city where most residents are college graduates, they tend to be more involved in education. They augment what is presented at the public institutions and ensure that proper study habits are acquired.

I understand you’re vehement and steadfast feelings for your city, like anyone who has made a purchase, they want to feel they have the best option/product.

I found this (BTW I cannot afford to live in the north fulton areas that top the charts hence my commute)(I do what I can)

http://www.thecitizen.com/node/9857

The More I learn, the Less I know

Congratulations to you for making some sacrifices to give your kids a better life. Too many parents won't, and you should be commended.

Now I want to beat the long dead horse of the maps. People, look at them. It is absolutely, painfully obvious that the plan shifts students to "equalize demographics." (It isn't about race, it's about socioeconomics, so don't start with me.) The "rich neighborhoods" on the north side of PTC, meaning the kids of the "PTC snobs" whose kids go to Crabapple, are going to be shipped to FRMS and SCHS. Regardless of whether or not the school needs additional students, regardless of whether or not Booth and McIntosh are overcrowded, the kids will go there BECAUSE of the statistics. It's absolute crap, I'm tired of it all, and it's about time the board was challenged about it. It's illegal, it's irresponsible, and it's hurting our kids.

It takes years to build excellence and minutes to tear it down. If the FCBOEs goal is to export kids to schools to equalize scores - and let’s face it they already started with Bennett’s Mill – that is wrong. North Peachtree City kids will not go to Sandy Creek they will keep on trucking to Landmark and Woodward that I guarantee. Before you say “good” that frees up the schools for others remember without good schools Fayette County is just another inferior suthside county with zero attraction for families. By having two Blue Ribbon schools in PTC, Kedron and McIntosh all of Fayette County benefits. Let’s stick together and tell the BOE that in the space of two years they will have built two schools in the wrong place. The kids at Birch will suffer another year of overcrowding without an equal education while the rest of the kids will be enduring a bus tour of the countryside on their way to Inman. Accountability has to be the key.

1. look who you voted,or didn't, on the school board. Janet Smola just loves to talk, no one ran against here because they didn't care about their kids. Smith's husband is/was a silent partner in TCGY holdings/ Burt clark was the front man, A developer.

2. You guys are gonna have to watch all new developement, go to town hall and STOP IT! You are up for sale!

3. It is hard to find land in PTC for sale.

4. It makes a real good selling point for the developers when you put it in the middle of no where, the land is cheap and they can halk their neighbor hood school in their flyers for their new subdivsions. Look at the only person that voted against the schools there. Marion Key...does she have developer ties? Nope!

Okay, I have read every article about school redistricting since the discussion began about the opening of a new elementary school in the Inman area after the last elementary school redistricting took place. Let me first say that I do not have children in elementary school, but I am concerned about the quality of the education system in Fayette County in order to maintain the standard of living and retain or increase my property's value. I have lived in this County for longer than most of you posting to this board. (30 plus years). Welcome to Fayette County. Isn't it great that the "gates" were not closed at some point in time and the development stopped just prior to you or your family moving into Fayette County. Fayette County is a great place to live. Do I wish that different development had taken place over the years? Sure. Have I stood before Council Meetings and School Board Meetings to make my opinion known over the years? Yes.

Enough with the introduction. This redistricting argument is so predictable. With every redistricting decision there will be groups of parents who passionately want their children to remain in their school district. I would fight for the right of my child to do so if I wanted him or her to stay in the same district. Unfortunately, with all of the growth throughout the past 30 plus years, there have been many new elementary schools that have opened and caused hundreds of students to be redistricted with each new school opening. That means when your families moved into the district, they caused a little more growth which eventually caused a new elementary school to be built.

People have been singing the praises of Marion Key. Be careful what you praise. She is very predictable in her actions. She will approve the appointment of a committee to create boundaries, then in the eleventh hour be persuaded by a group of parents that the entire process is incorrect and people will start to sing her praises. Observe the redistricting lines when Whitewater High School was opened. Look at the lines going down Ebenezer Church Road toward Peachtree City. Could it be that she wanted her property to be the last property allowed into the new high school and removed from Fayette County?

FAYETTE COUNTY has a school system. PEACHTREE CITY does not. Every time redistricting becomes an issue, there are parents in Peachtree City who state “My realtor told me that I would always be attending this or that school.” That comment is not the fault of the School Board. It is the fault of the realtor.

Many people are asking “Why was Inman Elementary built when the schools are not even filled to capacity?” Do some homework. School planning must take place years in advance. My guess is that Inman Elementary was on the drawing board at least five years ago. No one can predict when the population of the county will begin to grow at a much slower pace. It was going to happen sooner or later that there would be an elementary school built that might not be needed at the time it opens. Think of the complaints that would come forth if the school board had not planned an elementary school and the population of Fayette County grew in double digits over the past 5 years. People would be asking them why they did not plan ahead.

Proper facility planning takes places years before the students arrive. Be thankful we are not in the situation that Gwinnett County finds themselves faced with. I don’t think I would trade places. One extra elementary school may not be that bad.

For those of you who are so upset about them thinking of closing East Fayette. Is it really such a bad idea to close the aging facility? Or, do you feel that the facility should remain open simply because that would allow your son or daughter to attend a much newer facility? I have been in the East Fayette facility many times over the past 30 years and it is time for either major improvements to be done or for the school to be closed. The cost to the taxpayers is probably much less to close the school and move the entire faculty to the new Inman Elementary. This total transfer will cause much less problems because the faculty will be cohesive and will have worked together. I thought it was a great idea.

My children were moved to other schools during the school years. Did it take some adjusting? Sure. Did they survive? Sure. Did they have to make some new friends? Sure. Kids are flexible. With parental support, as with any new change in a child’s life, even a change to a new school will not be as big of an adjustment as what you feel it might be.

It is time to face the facts. There will be many students moved with redistricting. It will take some adjustments, but the kids will be okay. Peachtree City parents will face the reality that there child may have to attend a different school. Living in a community with neighborhoods so close together will cause that to be a reality.

if East Fayette will realize a ROI of their new kitchen when the school closes?
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It is my understanding that E. Fayette will not be "closed" as in collecting dust, it is being re-purposed for kids that need the space. At the revealing of the maps it was explained that kids who are currently squeezed into the LEC would use E. Fayette, which I think was originally a high school. I think that's a great savings of money. As a taxpayer I am all about saving money & putting it to better use for the schools!

I think the FCBOE is going to put 1 of these maps to good use & get this county's elementary lines fixed! I have hope!

I still want to know what ROI stands for?

ROI is business-speak for "Return on Investment".

The bicycler (to use the new word I learned this week) was making a comment that if the new kitchen was shut down, we'd gain essentially nothing for the substantial investment made in upgrading the kitchen facilities there.

Bingo!
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I feel exactly the same way. When we relocated back to Georgia many many years ago, I wanted my kids to have the best public school education available.

That meant Peachtree City. My realtor made it plain: You can probably get a much bigger home in Tyrone or Fayetteville, but you'd have to settle for less insofar as schools go.

That was a no-brainer.

There have been a few bumps in the road but overall I've been very satisfied with my childrens' education here.

My wife and I did the same research that you did but some time ago when there was only two high schools. At the time, we conclude that FCHS and the surrounding area is where we wanted to raise a family. SAT and graduation rates at that time were closed to equal between the schools. But as we all know, nothing remains the same.

As for today, on the surface it would appear that there are differences between all five high schools. Some like you would call those schools "lesser" and that's fine its your opinion. I'm sure that someone at Alpharetta High or Davidson Magnet would refer to all other high schools in Georgia as lesser. Still, that's their opinion. What I do know is that both my sons like your son or daughter have participated in AP studies and have done extremely well with much higher than average SAT scores. I'm also reasonably sure, in fact if I was a betting man, I would say your children are academically ahead of the pack just like mine. I just want to point out that it's the parents that make the difference. It's the long hours that you invest with them that makes the difference. Yes the school does impact but it's the home environment that truly makes the difference. And the beauty to all of this is that we both know that we are not the only ones that believe in the importance of this.

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Speaking for myself as a citizen of Fayetteville, thanks for moving to PTC, we don't need the attitude you have here anyway. I'll put my hutchette up against yours any day and walk away a winner.

I yam what I yam...Popeye

Three woodpeckers were doing their woodpecker pecking thing on a hollow tree trying to catch the attention of a would be mate. Woodpecker One looked at Woodpecker Two and said, your pecker isn't big enough to make enough sound, I have a biger pecker, I make a more virile woodpecker sound ... you had might as well leave. Woodpecker Two looked at Woodpecker One's pecker, and it was bigger, and he felt totally inadequate, sure the would be mate would chose Woodpecker One.

Woodpecker Two went to a pecker enhancement clinic and had his pecker made larger, larger then Woodpecker One. He came back to the hollow tree and started pecking, his sound was much louder then Woodpecker one's. Woodpecker One looked at Woodpecker Twos pecker and saw what he had done. "That cheater!", thought Woodpecker one. "Well, if he is going to cheat, I am too!" Woodpecker One went to the very same clinic, and you guessed it, came back making booming noises on the hollow tree.

Woodpecker Two wasn't to be out done, back he went, then back one went, etc. Finally, when woodpeckers one and two had peckers so big they could hardly fly. Back at the hollow tree, they saw Woodpecker dancing with three lovely female woodpeckers. Woodpeckers one and two managed to fly over to where Woodpecker three was, anxious to show off their big peckers to the three lovely ladies. The ladies gave a cursory glance and turned back to Woodpecker number Three, the four of them doing a get down and dirty dance to Jerry Lee's "Great Balls Of Fire." Seems Woodpecker number Three had rhythm, and knew their favorite melody.

You two guys through with the enhancement clinic, or are you going to continue to measure peckers?

Im really glad your speaking for yourself and not the rest of us
you dont want it fixed if its not your problem.

shadowalker

tell me wise swine just what is the problem at FCHS?

I yam what I yam...Popeye

The baseline I use is the dropout rate. This does not tell how well the school performs. It identifies how involved the parents are with their children’s education. Let us take a look:
06-07 year GA had a DO (Drop Out) rate of 4.1
06-07 year, Fayette County had a DO rate of 1.5
06-07 year, McIntosh had a DO rate of 1.2%
06-07 year, Fayette County had a DO rate of 2.1%.
I can delve further into the detail but in no way can you argue that the parent involvement is equal. I will agree that the schools are the same, quality educators etc... But as I will state again for you. IT IS PARENTS GETTING INVOLVED that will make or break a school. It is nice that you’re proud of your school. Good for you. But the numbers and advantages afforded residents of these schools speak for themselves.
Good luck Hutch, I do sympathize for you and wish you luck in garnering interest or a grass roots movement to better the Fayetteville schools.
The More I learn, the Less I know

If the schools are the same as you say and hutch's daughter as well as my sons are in the upper 10% of their respective class' then, I would say my education dollar is well spent regardless of DO rates.

BTW, DO rates don't tell the whole story as it's a measurement of the incoming 9th grade class and then a snapshot 4 years later of those remaining in that class. DO rates are somewhat skewed for a school that has a high transit population.

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Some other selected measurements, McIntosh vs. Fayette County.
2006 school year, from AJC school comparison website
Fighting: Mcintosh 20 incidents, Fayette 17
Pot busts on campus: Mcintosh 7, Fayette 7
Alcohol busts on campus: Mcintosh 7, Fayette 12
Weapons busts on campus Mcintosh 3, Fayette 5
Suspensions: Mcintosh 591, Fayette 956

Lets put a little different spin on this. If you apply the population size to the events you come out with this:

Highest school in category (from AJC)
Alcohol FCHS 0.74%
Drugs SMHS 0.79%
Fighting SCHS 2.44%
Theft FCHS 0.25%
Sexual Bat. SCHS 0.07%
Sexual Har. SCHS 0.14%
Threat FCHS 0.25%
Tobacco FCHS 1.54%
Trespass FCHS 0.19%
Vandalism FCHS 0.25%
Weapons Knife FCHS 0.25%
Weapons Other WHS 0.24%
Other Discipline SCHS 63.58%

So with all this said, with the exception of "Other Discipline", SCHS has the highest incidents of fighting at rate of 2.44% of its population. Now folks, if this nation had the same percentages as represented here I would suspect that we would not need as many police, courts, or prisons. Please don't get me wrong, none of this should happen. Parents are a very important part of the equation!!!!

I do find drug/alcohol rate interesting. In the transportation industry the rate is about .5% of that population tested positive.

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Another comparison, Mcintosh vs. Starrs Mill
2006 school year, from AJC school comparison website
Fighting: Mcintosh 20 incidents, Starrs Mill 10
Pot busts on campus: Mcintosh 7, Starrs Mill 14
Alcohol busts on campus: Mcintosh 7, Starrs Mill 8
Weapons busts on campus Mcintosh 3, Starrs Mill 2
Robberies on campus: Mcintosh 0, Starrs Mill 3
Suspensions: Mcintosh 591, Starrs Mill 331

The average number of incidents per 100 students:
State average: 67.9
Starrs Mill: 22.0
Mcintosh: 38.6
Whitewater: 31.1
Fayette County: 64.9
Sandy Creek: 68.0

And special mention should be made of the Flat Rock Gangsta Training Academy (aka Flat Rock Middle School), with an incredible 125.6 incidents per 100 students, almost double the state average!

FRMS also came in second in the "Fayette Fighting League" with 38 fights on school property, beating (pun intended) Sandy Creek High School, SCHS was third in the county with 34 fights. The overall winner was Fayette Middle School with a whopping 50 fights.

If those stats are accurate then I may have to move my kids to a Clayton County School before long.

Those Flat Rock stats are shocking.

**** GIT REAL TOUGH ON CRIME ****

"That man was Griffin Judicial Circuit District Attorney Scott Ballard".

CLICK HERE FOR THE REST OF THE STORY

If you compare the stats for Flat Rock versus the stats for Sandy Creek, keep in mind that the kids from Flat Rock end up going to Sandy Creek, for the most part. Yet the stats for Sandy Creek are not nearly as bad as the stats for Flat Rock. I think that is because of the strong faculty and administration at Sandy Creek. They are doing the best they can with what they are getting. So are most of the teachers at the other local schools in Fayette County.

Parents these days are too quick to blame the school system for the trouble their kids get into, but most of the problems have already developed before the kids get into high school. As Cyclist and others have said, it all starts at home. Whatever happened to Truman's motto of "The Buck Stops Here"? Lately, everybody from the President on down is busy pointing the finger of blame at anybody and everybody else, and accepting NONE of the responsibility for any negative outcomes.

Nowadays, when a student gets a bad grade on a test, both the student and the parents tend to point the finger at the teacher and immediately assume that it must have been the teacher's fault. Likewise when a kid gets arrested, it must have been police racial profiling. (Remember Basmati?) Where's the "rugged individualism" that made this country great? That's usually a Republican mantra, but lately, they have been dodging responsibility as much as anybody.

Wake up, folks--the sky IS falling!!

Does anyone know what the reaction of the Supt's office and the BOE has been on these stats? Are issues -- such as these -- ever discussed at BOE meetings, or is it a rather constant whine of obfuscation? Looking at these, would imagine that the problems we have seen surface the past month -- and been headlines in the media -- are really nothing new to those charged with the responsibility of 'maintaining good order and discipline'!

I WAS TRYING TO FIND THOSES STATS BETWEEN OTHER THINGS GOING ON
AND COULD NOT YET

shadowalker

If you can define a school by one stat more power to you. I say you know not of what you speak. Ask Cy or Chippie or acey1 how many involved parents were at the school last night. I say our involvement is just as large as yours, show me a stat that says otherwise, not your interpretation of the dropout rate. Tell me this, is the parents involvement the reason McIntosh has drunken parties that result in homicides, or maybe the one parent was helping the star soccer player sell the weed. No, no, clean up your own backyard before you complain or comment on my mine. It's all a matter of percetption and I care not a whit for yours.

I yam what I yam...Popeye

you are like the kid spinning his tires and cant figure out why you have not gotten anywhere
you can be wrong and in this case you are wrong
face the fact of your lack of knowledge
and its not a matter of percetption its just truth
NOW LOOK AT WHAT SNIFFLES SENT YOU FOR MORE STATS
OH I MIGHT NOT HAVE GREAT SPELLING BUT MY MEANING COMES ACROSS
FOR YOUR TIN CAN MIND TO UNDERSTAND.
THE TRUTH IS THERE IN THE ARTICLE AJC
WAY TO GO SNIFFLES

shadowalker

hey hutch what did the new native say wrong
sounds like you dont agree with what she said
why not i like what she is saying
pull you head out of that can of spinich
that pop eye
shadowalker

Gee, just can't slide anything by you, I could almost hear that steel trap in your head slamming shut.

I yam what I yam...Popeye

metal sponge not steel trap

you is what you is and that aint much

you also dont want to except the fact that you could be wrong
shadowalker

I might not be much, but at least I know the difference between except and accept. Never heard of a metal sponge what metal would that be?

I yam what I yam...Popeye

Given the recent weeks of 'concern' in the Fayette Public School system (middle to high school); the somewhat 'arrogant' attitude of some who are being paid by taxpayer's money to SERVE the public; the somewhat reluctance of being up front with parents regarding the future of their kids; is it not time to seriously consider vouchers for private schools, or even home schooling? Guess the real question is: at what point do you tell administrative bureaucrats -- THAT IS ENOUGH!! The folks did it in New York state with their governor on the driver's license for illegals issue. Is it time for parents in Fayette County to do the same thing with the bureaucrats that run the public school system?? What kind of a grade would you give the bureaucrats? What kind of grade would you give the BOE? Is it time for a change in policy and faces?

"Sam Sweat's children are zoned to East Fayette Elementary and Fayette County High School. Yet, his 4th grader goes to Sara Harp Minter and his 12th grader goes to Star's Mill. One of the redistricting committee reps asked him if this was true and he replied that it was purely for convenience, he just dropped his 4th grader off at Sara Harp Minter on his way to work. Can you please tell me how you can start in the East Fayette school zone, drive past Sara Harp Minter Elementary, and end up at the Fayette County Board of Education? You draw your own conclusion!"
I wish I hadn't read that! When my child went to Flatt Rock and told me at the end of the 8th grade year, they couldn't stand it another minute, I went to the school board and without going into great detail, did all the paperwork and BEGGED, that if I didn't get my house sold in time, could my child please attend any of the other schools for the 9th grade, that I would drive them. I GOT A BIG FAT NO! My child refused and left the state and lived elsewhere! This year they came back and I asked no less than Sam Sweat face to face the same question, the answer was again NO! I guess it is only for the big guys and the rest of us can go to you know where!

i did read it and it sounds to me that someone needs to be held
accountable for there actions.

maybe mr sweet needs to move the kids to where they belong

this is the kinda crap that is putting fay co. on the bad maps

shadowalker

How lame that the excuse "for convenience sake" is okay for Mr. Sweat. At least tell the truth. For whatever reason you believe that school to be better for your child-many others need to be able to have the same opportunity as your child and how about some equality on this?? Some call the I Team.

For all the money I've paid in taxes to live in this county, I must say I am extremely dissapointed in the people elected to the school board with the exception of Marion Keys. Decotis, Sweat and the rest are not helpfull at all. It has been a great dissapointment. I'm told by people who have moved from the Sandy Creek area to Northgate, it is all the diffence in night and day.