Accountability, Admin, Privatization of Public Education, Vision: 2020

JCPS is For The Children? Really? Which Ones?

The following email was sent to board chair @BradyJCPSBOE (Chris Brady) by a Maupin parent on April 20, 2017.

Chris,

I realize that you have a lot on your plate besides what is going on at Maupin.  And I understand that you have a huge workload and are very busy.  But the attached letter I received from the School greatly upsets me.  I was under the impression that the Board has not made a decision on removing the Catalpa Model at Maupin yet.  This was something that was going to be in discussion per the Agenda for the April 25, 2017 School Board meeting.

These letters, from talking to other parents, appear to have only been given to Magnet parents who live outside of the cluster.  Since, my husband has already been told we would not be able to keep our children at Maupin when the magnet is dissolved since it is not one of our cluster schools.  Really?!?  So, if after all the JCPS Administration has done to families if our kids end up wanting to stay because they end up having teachers that stay, that option is no longer open to them?  With such low enrollment can they really risk kicking out the only diversity they have in the school as well as the possible number of kids?

I keep hearing that JCPS is for the children, well I have to ask, which ones?  Because I feel like mine keep getting screwed.

I’m going to look at the bylaws, any governing body has them, to see how this should have occurred.  Decisions made behind closed doors and then voted in public after the fact or if these discussions are to be announced, even closed session ones with an Agenda, so that the public knows what is going on.  I feel like if it’s the latter then how is this any different then when Dr. Hargens / Maria Holmes were making those decisions and then having the SBDM vote on them after the fact?

Also, if you dissolve this model, the entire student body deserves to know.  All families, regardless of neighborhood/cluster/magnet should be given the opportunity to decide if this school is where they want to send their child next year.  Some of them actually came for the program as well and communication should be to everyone not just a few.

Very Respectfully,
Shanna Miller

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