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Floyd County Georgia SAVE OUR SUMMERS / SAVE OUR SCHOOLS! |
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During the past year, our new superintendent has brought about a
lot of change. What he has not done -- and likewise neither have our local board members
and modified calendar task force -- is to COMPLETELY inform you about his
proposed school calendar change. Every individual who is affected by changing
our school calendar should have input. So far, vital facts and other information that
each of us should be given have been HIDDEN, LOST, MISPLACED,
AVOIDED, or something to that effect. We, the S.O.S. Initiative, have been formed to provide a
necessary service to the general public that your tax dollars have not
delivered! The Modified Calendar Task Force was compiled of so-called UNBIASED INDIVIDUALS! We can prove to each of you that this is NOT TRUE! There are individuals on this task force who were very much PRO Year-Round-Education before it was formed. This is important due to the fact that NO INFORMATION has been given to the public to show the NEGATIVE IMPACT of the calendar change. On September 9th, the Task Force was given a 50+ page document outlining the negative impact of year-round school. Part of this report proves that YRS DOES NOT WORK by using Georgia Department of Education Test Scores. Our neighboring school
system, TRION CITY SCHOOLS, claimed "great leaps in
achievement" due to year-round school. In 2000-01 Trion took
the CRCT, (Criterion-Referenced Competency Test), in Grades 4, 6, and
8.
Here is what you are NOT BEING TOLD:
1. Only
49% of students met or exceeded
standards in Language Arts. (State average was 64%). 2. Only
55% of students met or exceeded
standards in Math.
(State average was 69%). 3. Only
61% of students met or exceeded
standards in Reading.
(State average was 77%).
GRADE 8 1. Only
61% of students met or exceeded
standards in Language Arts. (State average was 68%). 2. Only
28% of students met or exceeded
standards in Math.
(State average was 58%). 3. Only
78% of students met or exceeded
standards in Reading.
(State average was 82%).
HIGH SCHOOL SAT 1. In
1999, the first year of Trion High's calendar change, SAT scores
averaged 1008. 2. After
one full year of the Calendar modification, SAT Scores averaged 951. 3. After
two full years of the Calendar modification, SAT scores averaged 930. Trion's 8th graders rank in the lowest 30th percentile in the country in Language Arts scores. In Math, it gets even more depressing. Trion ranks in the LOWEST 24th percentile in the country. Reading is just as low with Trion ranking in the lowest 28th percentile in the nation. Trion's High School S.A.T. averages dropped almost 80 points. If the calendar change at Trion has made a tremendous positive change in their children's test scores, the scores must have started at ZERO! The fact is that Trion's test scores have DROPPED in almost every grade since moving their students to a Modified Calendar! In comparison, almost EVERY FLOYD COUNTY SCHOOL EXCEEDED STATE AVERAGES! Do you want to risk Floyd Counties achievements and
have our scores drop? GET THE FACTS BEFORE YOU DECIDE! Year-Round School, A
Modified Calendar, whatever they call it, HAS CONTINUOUSLY FAILED for
over a century all over this great country! The research that is READILY
AVAILABLE BACKS UP THESE FINDINGS! Destroying the concept of family time during the summer is
not a positive alternative for our system! Look closely and you will see
the BIASED PRESENTATION of the issue! THE TRUE FACTS CANNOT BE HIDDEN! Where
have you seen any of the above information ?
The BOE and Task Force have planned to hold community meetings at Coosa High School on Monday October 7th at 7pm, and Tuesday October 8th at Armuchee High School at the same time. It seems that the Model and Pepperell Districts have been left out of the loop? Why did they exclude these areas? We feel Model has been excluded because of the negative inputs from the community as well as tremendous support for the traditional calendar. Pepperell has been excluded due to the fact that it is the LARGEST of Floyd County Schools and is also an area where the largest detrimental effect would be felt if the schools implement this calendar. Please make every effort to attend at least one of these meetings! AND THEN, Come and listen to the TRUTH! Don't let your children's future be placed at risk. We are counting on each of you to make an informed decision. For further information, please look through our
website and check out the links. We know you will be better informed
after doing so. Sincerely, S.O.S. Initiative Here are the web sites to visit. You might even want to write to some of these parents to see what their experiences are. Summer Matters - Jacksonville Florida Balanced School Calendar - Thomas County, Georgia (They decided against it.) STOP YEAR-ROUND SCHOOL IN AUBURN - Auburn, Alabama Donoho - A Year-Round School? - Anniston, Alabama The Balanced Calendar, the Achievement Calendar, and Year-round School in Tennessee Whetstone Parents Against Year-Round School, - Columbus, Ohio Stop MTYRE and YRE in Tracy, CA. - Tracy, California Year-Round
Education, the untold Story - Phoenix, Arizona This page last updated 10/27/02.
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