Huntsville City Schools redrawing zone lines (Madison, Providence: 2013, how much, houses)

[LCTMadison]

Here we go.......Get ready for the rezoning of Huntsville City Schools | al.com

[Rlmoore33]

We will see how much Huntsville/Huntsville/Blossomwood are affected.....this will show how serious they are.

[BMW Dave]

Ok, Leslie.

What is the worst case scenario here?

I mean if the the HSV plan is terrible and passes, does that mean something awful could pass in Madison too?

[LCTMadison]

Madison's plan is done, final was posted last week. Its pretty common sense overall, and necessary. HSV has needed to do this for YEARS and has ignored it.

I don't know what they have in mind. HSV is far more extensive and much more complicated that Madison.....they alluded to this last year so it will be interesting to see how these lines are redrawn.

Blossomwood just absorbed East Clinton on the new campus, so I am not sure how much theirs will change. And to be honest, I really don't think Dr. Wardynski CARES if Blossomwood parents whine about expanding their zone even more.

[hey teach]

Regardless of how they change the lines, in the long run North Huntsville is going to be predominantly black and South Huntsville is going to be predominantly white. They will bus in who they want to in an attempt to give to appearence of racial balance, but in the great scheme it will be the best students and the best atheletes who will get transfers to the south and no one will be transferred to the north.

[RocketCityMama]

Originally Posted by hey teach

Regardless of how they change the lines, in the long run North Huntsville is going to be predominantly black and South Huntsville is going to be predominantly white. They will bus in who they want to in an attempt to give to appearence of racial balance, but in the great scheme it will be the best students and the best atheletes who will get transfers to the south and no one will be transferred to the north.

Do you really think they can get away with that though? Also isn't North and South Hsv pretty much that way already? When I attended Johnson during my Junior year (back in the mid 90s) and I was most certainly the minority there then, so I don't imagine it's changed that much now.

I am in I guess NW Hsv, zone Providence, but am currently at Williams, and I keep hearing W is going to do away with middle schools and such, seems there are lots of rumors, but no one really knows what is going on until he makes his announcements because it's obvious what is covered in meetings isn't always what is going to happen.

[LCTMadison]

Originally Posted by hey teach

Regardless of how they change the lines, in the long run North Huntsville is going to be predominantly black and South Huntsville is going to be predominantly white. They will bus in who they want to in an attempt to give to appearence of racial balance, but in the great scheme it will be the best students and the best atheletes who will get transfers to the south and no one will be transferred to the north.

So do you think its more important to have "community" schools (kids attend the school closest to their home) or "racially balanced" schools.....because the one thing the school board can't control is where people decide to live.

The one thing HSV needs to focus on and correct is the have/have not school issue. It shouldn't matter WHERE you live, the system should provide the same quality education to ALL kids. And that has not happened in HSV....there are DEFINITELY the have's and have not's in that system, and its not hard to figure out which is which.

[RocketCityMama]

Originally Posted by LCTMadison

The one thing HSV needs to focus on and correct is the have/have not school issue. It shouldn't matter WHERE you live, the system should provide the same quality education to ALL kids. And that has not happened in HSV....there are DEFINITELY the have's and have not's in that system, and its not hard to figure out which is which.

Amen, amen, amen!!

Something else I read yesterday was, about having large classes 20-30 kids in order to provide more options at high school level (if I recall), my middle school student has about that many in several classes and more than half the time the teacher is to busy reprimanding someone than teaching. Having large classes may seem good on paper, but in reality they aren't.

Also, the community school, isn't that what Providence was built as? A neighborhood school? yet within a few years they started busing in kids from all over to obtain their racially balanced school. Many people that I know that bought houses in Providence pulled their kids out and sent them to private school.

Huntsville City definitely needs help and restructuring, but not sure what is going on now, is actually going to help.

[brianjb]

Originally Posted by LCTMadison

So do you think its more important to have "community" schools (kids attend the school closest to their home) or "racially balanced" schools.....because the one thing the school board can't control is where people decide to live.

The one thing HSV needs to focus on and correct is the have/have not school issue. It shouldn't matter WHERE you live, the system should provide the same quality education to ALL kids. And that has not happened in HSV....there are DEFINITELY the have's and have not's in that system, and its not hard to figure out which is which.

I think it's more important to have community schools. I think that all schools need to be fair as far as teachers, spending per student, etc. But I don't agree that we need to bus kids around to make them more racially balanced.

[LCTMadison]

Originally Posted by brianjb

I think it's more important to have community schools. I think that all schools need to be fair as far as teachers, spending per student, etc. But I don't agree that we need to bus kids around to make them more racially balanced.

I think community schools....with all other things being equal in regards to teachers, resources, etc....is VERY important. I think it sends the WRONG message to the kids being bussed OUT of their communities and into other ones. I sadly know some people whose children are bussed to other schools and to them it makes them feel their community is not GOOD enough, or their kids are pawns being used to add some "diversity" (which actually is dead on IMO). What kind of message is that to send to those children and families?

I know HSV is operating under a desegregation order, I just wish people would focus on the QUALITY of the schools, not the demographics. Can we not get past racial demographics in 2013? Education should be colorblind. Those lower performing schools need to be RAISED to a higher standard....not just a reshuffling of kids. And do you notice they never bus kids from the "have" neighborhoods to what they consider the "have not"? You improve the school, the community diversity will come as property will become more desirable.

And yes...Providence was built to be a community school for that community, and its zone lines are anything BUT "community" they are so spread out.