WJCC Schedules More Forums, Focus Groups for Next Week

WJCC Schedules More Forums, Focus Groups for Next Week

By Amber Lester Kennedy Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Citizens will have a few more chances to share their ideas for Williamsburg-James City County School Division’s strategic plan at community forums.

Public Consulting Group, the consultant contracted by the school division to help develop its plan, has scheduled two more community forums and six more focus groups for next week.

The community forums, open to the public, will be held at 7 p.m. Nov. 29 at James River Elementary School and at 7 p.m. Dec. 1 at Toano Middle School.

The six additional focus groups will be held that week , with two sessions for hourly WJCC employees, two sessions for WJCC teachers, and sessions for the Special Education Advisory Committee and representatives of the minority community. The sessions are scheduled as follows:

• 9 a.m. Nov. 29: Hourly WJCC employees, at the cafeteria in the Central Office at James Blair

• 3 p.m. Nov. 29: WJCC teachers, at the cafeteria in the Central Office at James Blair

• 9:30 a.m. Nov. 30: Special Education Advisory Committee, in Room 108 at the Central Office at James Blair

• 1 p.m. Nov. 30: Hourly employees, cafeteria at the Central Office at James Blair

• 9 a.m. Dec. 1: Representatives of the minority community, Room 108 at the Central Office at James Blair

• 4 p.m. Dec. 1: WJCC teachers, cafeteria at the Central Office at James Blair

Attendees at a Nov. 7 community forum advocated for more meetings and focus groups. Several voiced concern the focus group selection hadn’t been inclusive enough or their ideas might not be represented. At the meeting, PCG consultant Steve Kutno said he wanted to hear from everyone. “The purpose is to be as inclusive as possible,” he said.

Read more about the strategic plan process here.

Comments

+2 #7 Mr Scopes 2011-11-28 16:01

The WJCC school system has got to come up with a way to give kids the option of attending a school besides the one they are zoned for. We need magnet schools, schools for the arts, schools of technology, something. Often times, kids are struggling in their home school, but for one reason or another (for example bullying) should be give the option to try somewhere else.

WJCC could be a premier school division. We are well funded with parents who care about their children's education. It's time for the leadership to step up and lead, and not be merely caregivers to the status quo, or mouthpieces for the "we're handcuffed by the SOL" apologists.

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+3 #6 JordanW 2011-11-28 11:39

Was in my second graders class last week when I saw a shelf full of math books... Since I am interested in math, pick one up and thumbed thru it... Was very nice so i asked the teacher when were the kids going to start using them.. The response shocked me " we are not allowed to use them, since there are not enought to go around for the entire system, they told us not to use them.... Apparently the system spent $10 k on these, and now they are going to waste... Guess they were too busy remodeling the "central office" to get the order right... 10k down the drain, and students cannot use these books... Maybe we need a group of consultants to review our textbook purchase orders.

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+2 #5 juliet giblin 2011-11-26 10:01

It is absolutely essential for us to have public schools. Vouchers are a last resort and are indicative of sick public schools. We need to get the public schools to step up. Access to current technology is not necessary and in fact gets in the way of learning at the younger levels. The mock trial put on by W&M law school using fairy tales is a great example of teaching - kids can learn how our current legal system works and I would like to see more of that in our schools. NOT technology - technolgy is a tool, not the be all, end all

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-3 #4 Hopley Yeaton 2011-11-25 07:24

Give the parents vouchers that would allow them to send their kids to private schools where smaller classes and exposure to technology prevails.

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+9 #3 Jo Krantz 2011-11-24 08:11

Small class size is essential. Increased support of the arts is essential. Public schools need to make note of national studies of home-schooled children. Those studies have shown that, regardless of gender, race or economics and regardless of the educational level of the parents, that ALL home-schooled children perform better than their public-school counterparts. I'm not advocating home-schooling (although I have the utmost respect for those who do). However, we can learn a lot from these studies. It is the personal attention, flexibility to avoid the one-size-fits-a ll approach, field trips, and participating in the arts, combined with the obvious parental involvement, that breeds academic success. Large class size, decreased arts opportunities, and focus on technology are not the answers. Back to basics. Make these kids read, write and memorize the multiplication table before they're out of the 3rd grade. Technology is a tool, not the be-all-and-end- all of education.

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+3 #2 juliet giblin 2011-11-23 15:28

I am disgusted. I still have no idea who "represents" me from a high school parent perspective. i did what Dr. Kutlo suggested and contacted WHS admin. it has been over 8 days - no word. And if it is the PTA Pres as hinted in the first Forum meeting, then all hope is lost as far thorough input or representative input.

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+8 #1 edickinson 2011-11-23 12:17

Just what WJCC schools needs. Another expensive consultant posing to make the pubblic and teachers feel like they have a "voice." Here's one for ya Steves--class sizes continue to grow while the overpaid and superflous wizards behind the curtain continue to spend money on consultants and unused technology.

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