School officials get an earful

eyecantspel (anonymous) says...

Pop Quiz....

1. The story states "She asked the attendees to rank them on paper and said the forms would be compiled and given to the school board to decide what to do." This became a problem when:
a. no one there knew how to read
b. the people there thought they getting government bailout checks and were very upset to learn there was work to be done instead.
c. there was only one pen

2. "But the crowd wouldn't be pacified, and the tension escalated until the room erupted in frustration and anger." Sounds like a tough crowd. Please translate this sentence into non-pc english.
a. The s. hit the fan
b. people was all like crazy and sh.t
c. Everyone started blaming Bank of America, and demanded their TARP money
d. all of the above

3. Please assign the events that would need to occur for this statement to occur. "Some others brought up the enrollment issue and suggested that Mount Pleasant students should be asked to attend Lincoln High instead of sending McClellanville students to the already crowded Wando High."
a. North Charleston freezes over
b. The National Guard finally desegregates Lincoln High School.
c. The Earth spins off of its axis, slams into Mars. Mars sues Earth and President Obama declares war on Mars. The war results in a draw after both sides realize that intelligent life exists on neither planet.

4. "But McGinley was adamant when she said district staff was there to listen and that this was "an honest process.'"
Honest process is to the CCSB as Rob Blagojevich is to:
a. prision
b. shamelessness
c. moron
d. honest process

5. A resident "called the consultant a waste of taxpayers' money". This is a shocking statement to make about the CCSB. Why?
a. resident are usually blind to wasteful spending
b. Consultants are always a waste of money, because they make the decisions elected officals can't say they wanted to make. This gives the elected officals a backup as if to say "our hands are tired, this out-of-towner knows more about Lincoln HIgh School and our county than anyone here".
c. Wasteful spending makes up 78% of the budget, the odds were in favor of this being wasteful spending.
d. all of the above

December 11, 2008 at 2:33 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

moonpie (anonymous) says...

Funny "eye", very funny"
Hey here's a wake up call, Linclon High is a waste of "taxpayers money", which the majority there don't pay anyway I'm sure. And what Mt Pleasant kid in their right mind would transfer their kid from Wando to Lincoln? Segregated we are and segregated we will stay, blacks will see to that in cases like this. It's the old entitlement thinking that we just supposed to what ever they want at what ever expense.

December 11, 2008 at 6:18 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

islandbenzbc (anonymous) says...

Sounds like a fun time was had by all...I'm sure the other four meetings will be just as lively. In the end CCSD will do as they please...

December 11, 2008 at 6:52 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

theronce (anonymous) says...

The one truth not stated in the article is that their decision is a done deal and only waits for a little more time to pass to be final. That's just how things work.

December 11, 2008 at 7 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

hadenough (anonymous) says...

I like the misconception that MT Pleasant Schools are all white havens, some of these folks need to go to schools like Lang, Moultrie and yes even Cario where there are plenty of NCLB kids that dont look like members of the Brady Bunch Casting Call.

December 11, 2008 at 7:27 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

carolinadude (anonymous) says...

These parents effectively stood up to the manipulative DelphMar 10, 2008 at 12:00 AM

Citizens interested in retaining honest representative government need to be aware of a proven psychological technique that has and will continue to be used by special interests and public officials to deceive, propagandize and control uninformed citizens.
These techniques are used professionally by trained individuals to unethically create an illusion that the people of Greenville County favor the already conceived and prepared plans for the future of the County. Many of the participants in the meetings will be unaware that the outcome is predetermined. They will be oblivious to the fact that the plans that will ultimately surface with their participation are designed to deliver ultimate control of every aspect of human endeavor and commerce to those who control the reigns of power.
"The Delphi Technique" was developed and perfected by behavioral psychologists and sociologists at the Rand Corporation under contract to the US Office of Education during the Ford and Carter Administrations during the 1970s. The 7-volume how-to manual resulting from the study was titled: "Training for Change Agents." The purpose of the study was: "exploring ways to 'freeze' and 'unfreeze' values, to implement change," and turn potentially hostile groups and communities into acquiescent, rubber-stamp bodies by means of such strategies as "The Delphi Technique."
B. K. Eakman in 1991 published her well-documented book, Educating for the New World Order. Eakman exposed precisely how sophisticated psychological manipulation techniques were used by "change agents" or "facilitators" to defuse potentially hostile elements like parent groups (PTAs), teachers and community watchdog organizations so that they are maneuvered into accepting programs and strategies of which they do not approve.
The Delphi Technique and its modifications have been used successfully by special interest groups during the past decade to manipulate the majority Christian, conservative citizens of Greenville County into accepting things totally against their basic beliefs, morals and ethics. As one dramatic example, citizens have been manipulated into accepting a level of school construction debt and insider financial deals that defy logic and acceptable business ethics. This situation could yet result in catastrophic economic consequences as the value of homes decline and the billion dollar debt plus interest incurred by the school board, according to one study, exceeds the value of all assessed taxable property in Greenville County.
We have heard it said that "all that is necessary for evil to prevail is for good citizens to do nothing." This is a time for action.

December 11, 2008 at 7:34 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

realityck (anonymous) says...

Imagine! People shouting and screaming, demanding that FAILING schools remain open, obviously, these are GOVERNMENT educated parents who have no clue!
Back in the day, parents would have been screaming and demanding that the schools that we failing be closed. Instead, they are demanding they remain open! My, how times have changed!!

December 11, 2008 at 8:10 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

oldglory (anonymous) says...

ther, carolinadude - good comments/info.

Coming from out-of-state, even though I've been here a few years now, I cannot overcome the sick feelings in my stomach when school issues arise. The attitudes of all officials remind me of the 1950s in the state where I grew up. It is the blatant 'separate but equal' lie all over again. Straight from a dictionary: 'a social system that provides separate facilities for minority groups.' I don't know how SC gets away with this stuff.

You citizens who stood up at that meeting, just keep standing up every chance you get!

Let me this morning be the first 'racist' by saying that I am white, not a teacher, not in the educational field. But I probably will be called a carpetbagger (isn't that what out-of-state people are called), a yankee, a bleeding heart, etc. I'm quite sure there are other names that I've not seen in past comments that will appear.

My bottomline is that all deserve an education, no matter what their color, their 'status' in life, all deserve this start. How dare anyone in this day and age have a separatist attitude! Amusing in a way that the more educated, the richer, 'locationlocationlocation', show just how much ignorance yet abounds.

The officials in this state in this time of economic crisis need to put aside their pet projects and keep this state and it's education system on track.

December 11, 2008 at 8:25 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

onesidedsquare (anonymous) says...

This thread isn't complete with jimislanders racists comments, but in other news these schools failed due to lack of community involvement, and now that there free baby sitting service is going to be taken away now they care?
am I about right?

December 11, 2008 at 8:33 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

lantanagurl (anonymous) says...

oldglory, thanks for the comments. I usually get called names, except the yankee & carpet bagger since I am a native. I agree wholeheartedly with you!

Keep shouting people because the sad fact is, the squeeky wheel gets the grease.

QUALITY education should be had by ALL of our citezens so we can quit filling up the prisons system & feather the governments nest with OUR hard earned money. Wall Street & Car company bailouts? Whose going to bail out our educational system?

December 11, 2008 at 8:49 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

commonsence (anonymous) says...

The SWAT team might want to keep their uniforms handy because this is only a preview of what's to come in the other meetings. Can you imagine the frustration and anger that will spew forth in North Chuck, downtown and the others. Metal detectors anyone?

December 11, 2008 at 8:51 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Name_Withheld (anonymous) says...

How many predominately white schools are being closed?

December 11, 2008 at 8:52 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

carolinadude (anonymous) says...

Another short piece on Delphi

Using the Delphi Technique to Achieve Consensus
How it is leading us away from representative government to an illusion of citizen participation.

The Delphi Technique and consensus building are both founded in the same principle - the Hegelian dialectic of thesis, antithesis, and synthesis, with synthesis becoming the new thesis. The goal is a continual evolution to "oneness of mind" (consensus means solidarity of belief) -the collective mind, the wholistic society, the wholistic earth, etc. In thesis and antithesis, opinions or views are presented on a subject to establish views and opposing views. In synthesis, opposites are brought together to form the new thesis. All participants in the process are then to accept ownership of the new thesis and support it, changing their views to align with the new thesis. Through a continual process of evolution, "oneness of mind" will supposedly occur.
In group settings, the Delphi Technique is an unethical method of achieving consensus on controversial topics. It requires well-trained professionals, known as "facilitators" or "change agents," who deliberately escalate tension among group members, pitting one faction against another to make a preordained viewpoint appear "sensible," while making opposing views appear ridiculous.

In her book Educating for the New World Order, author and educator Beverly Eakman makes numerous references to the need of those in power to preserve the illusion that there is "community participation in decision-making processes, while in fact lay citizens are being squeezed out."

December 11, 2008 at 9:01 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

june (anonymous) says...

Maybe governor Sanford should re-act the no child left behind case and
let him be in charge of reassigning the students and closing the schools
that are not meeting recommend standards. Perhaps the students could be
attend the closest county school in their districts. Say georgetown county or
berkeley county. after all Mt. Pleasant is quite a bus ride for the students.
How would you like to spend hours on bus each day?

These people of the areas need to work together.

December 11, 2008 at 9:08 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

scconservative (anonymous) says...

Carolinadude, good morning. I read with interest your reply re the 'Delphi Technique' of the CCSB as well as a number of your 200+ replys on the P&C site. You and I think alike about a host of issues, the Tax & Spend SC State Gubmint, limited government, anti smoking nazis, welfare, illegal aliens, etc. I like you have been wondering where the CC Conservative types might become more active locally...if you think of any way to do so, please include me. Thank you.

December 11, 2008 at 9:08 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

wjhamilton3 (anonymous) says...

I think the people of McClellenville were pretty smart last night. They behaved like Americans should when their government isn't listening.

I've been to dozens of these "public hearings" where you sit and listen to proposals and then you fill out forms. Often the results on the forms are never released. They have largely replaced traditional public hearings where people stand up and speak. In the past year I've attended sessions with County Government, the Town of Mt. Pleasant and the School District like this.

The real goal of such meetings is to prevent communication and prevent the community from organizing itself and finding leadership. People are left with no alternative but to accept one of the offered options and often have no way of knowing which of those options their neighbors preferred. They are anti Democratic and anti free speech. I've seen them organized by both conservative and liberal governments.

What they don't want is for someone from the community to stand up, say something that matters and makes sense and begin organizing their leaders.

It puts huge power in the hands of hired consultants, who get hired because they support the agenda of who is paying them. Their plans, management of the meetings and reports all provide cover for the elected officials, who can then claim this is what the consultant recommended. It adds layers of political insulation between elected officials and the public.

Of course, such meetings are almost always held in December, before Christmas or in late summer when people are busy, distracted or traveling. This reduces participation and prevents followup organizing in the community.

The real goal of such meetings is to shut citizen participation in Government down and send everyone home feeling powerless. It's working. In Mt. Pleasant virtually no one bothers to show up any longer. There have been about 12 public meetings on the Waterfront Park, but virtually nothing the public indicated it wanted was actually constructed. Johnnie Dodds Blvd. had plenty of meetings too, but we ended up with little more than sidewalks nothing like what the public wanted, filled out forms demanding and held its own meetings with its own paid consultants to try to get.

Democracy in SC isn't a strong cultural tradition. Our authoritarian culture really wants to make a deal with whoever is in charge. The Plantation or Military Leader is our cultural model, not the New England Town Meeting see in the Norman Rockwell Painting. It's top to down Government and it doesn't serve us well. However the government's determination to wear the people down is impressive and I've seen them grind the people of Mt. Pleasant flat in the past four years.

December 11, 2008 at 9:12 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

almostspeechless (anonymous) says...

You know it is a sad sad thing...the problem with most of the public schools is the lack of parental involvement...how can any school succeed when they are full of students whose parents really don't give a rat's butt about their education....that is until it threatens to inconvenience them....

December 11, 2008 at 9:26 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

wjhamilton3 (anonymous) says...

Forms, break out groups, and brainstorming sessions have a place in the public process, but it's at the beginning. Later, you need focused discussion which gradually and democratically narrows the options and a final decision for which the deciding body is accountable.

The problem here is that everything is backwards. Decisions get made, consultants get hired and then the forms get handed out for the show.

In the past forty years Parliamentary Procedure, civics and local government have largely disappeared from our educational system. Citizens don't have the tools to organize themselves. I've called public meetings on important issues, but its really difficult to get people out when it's not "official." Unfortunately, by the time the government sponsored process gets started, it's often too late.

In view of that, standing up and raising hell makes perfect sense to me. The First Amendment says a lot about how our government is supposed to work.

There are inexpensive systems available for on the spot voting now. I've seen them used. Small remote control like units are handed out to the participants, a receiver is plugged into a USB port on a laptop and the results pop up on the projector. You really don't have to wait months for a consultant to total up what is on the forms. You can know instantly.

December 11, 2008 at 9:32 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

SimplyMad (anonymous) says...

wjhamilton3 - "Democracy in SC isn't a strong cultural tradition. Our authoritarian culture really wants to make a deal with whoever is in charge."

Hmmm, lets see, california has some of the most restrictive state laws, New York City has banned trans-fats...it isnt "the south" its the self appointed elitists that want to dictate to the people how to live.

Failed schools are because of failed government involvement and lack of local community involvement.

onesidedsquare "...but in other news these schools failed due to lack of community involvement, and now that there free baby sitting service is going to be taken away now they care?"

You are so right onesidedsquare. And this entitlement mentality is only going to get worse and more aggressive. Thanks to the "Yes we can" BS.

Apparently no we cant without the nanny state, from the UAW and auto makers to the wall street money lenders and the housing project dependents. Not to leave out the politicians from the local level to the federal level that are all to happy to intrude more and more into our lives.

December 11, 2008 at 9:44 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

SimplyMad (anonymous) says...

wjhamilton3 - I dont disagree with the majority of your post, I dont agree that it is just a "southern mentality" thing.

December 11, 2008 at 9:47 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

justjerry (anonymous) says...

I would like to know just how many of the folks protesting participate in school activities such as the PTA and volunteering to help out in the classroom (and how often they did it) before deciding to save some of these schools. There is a school not very far from my home in North Charleston where the president of the PTA is a young woman who does not have any kids. Pretty sad when they have to recruit someone who, other than having an interest in the success of her community, really has no personal vested interests in the success of this school.

The one parent who was active in the PTA, a military single father if I am correct, has his kid in a magnet school now. Funny how that works. Pay attention to the schools, participate in their activities and help your kid and they will do well.

If they start talking about shutting this particular school down and there is the same response from the public I would love to be there to see what there response would be to questions about their lack of involvement.

December 11, 2008 at 9:53 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

XB (anonymous) says...

I don't understand the attachment to the failing school. A majority of District 1, which includes McClellanville and Awendaw, is physically closer to Wando than Lincoln. Even the furthest extents are less than 30 minutes away. Wando was just named one of the top schools in the country.

How is it racist to want to close a failing school and put those students in a great school that is a short ride away?

Minnie Alston's (constituent school board member) solution is to not let students transer out of the failing school so that there is a larger student population. That's the forward thinking a school board member should have. Trap kids in failing school.

December 11, 2008 at 10:03 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

beespencer (anonymous) says...

What publication had Wando as one the top schools in country???? Anyway, why would the school district put more students in an over-crowded school?

December 11, 2008 at 10:13 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

akkomplished (anonymous) says...

WOW!! Some of your comments are unbelievable! When are we going to realize that it's not about race or economic status. All children deserve an education... All children deserve a good education! The bottom line is Charleston county does not have the money to fund all these schools. So they decided to merge the smaller schools into one. As an educator I don't think that this is a bad thing. However, I don't think that this is the solution to our major problem. There are too many failing schools in Charleston County. Unfortunately, the failing school are the schools where the population is majority African American and free/reduced lunch. If we know this why wouldn't we try to place teachers in these schools that are willing to do their jobs?! Why wouldn't we fund these schools so that teachers can have the tools to do their jobs?! Charleston County has a lot of improvements to make... this is only the first step of many to come!

December 11, 2008 at 11:19 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

zoomru (anonymous) says...

WOW....!!!

Richard Todd is ...RIGHT!! If the citizens were educated enough by the POST and Courier about how valuable their TRASH is with respect to generating TAX revenue....these citizens would not have to be concerned about their school closing due to lack of FUNDS...!!

Follow the TRASH money....!!!

December 11, 2008 at 11:52 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

bjenkins (anonymous) says...

Minnie Alston said
"If the Charleston County School Board would let the constituent school board do their job, our children would be here now," she said. "We would have our children here if you all just gave us half of the things that you give to Wando."

Wow. I hate to bother Ms. Alston with silly things called facts, but let me see if I can clear up her allegations. I can only gather from her statement that Wando students must have everything given to them on plates of gold from CCSD and Lincoln students must be struggling because CCSD gives them nothing.

Thanks to the P&C we can check out this claim (see http://www.charleston.net/news/2008/a...)

Per pupil expenditure for AY06-07:
Lincoln (3rd highest in CCSD): $13,748.43
Wando (62nd highest in CCSD): $5,256.31

Man, I hate it when facts get in the way of statements!

December 11, 2008 at 12:01 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

AFWally (anonymous) says...

Employing "dumbing down" is working ....."Iz beez edumacated in da Souf Cackalacky publick scoool sysem" "Nowz Iz goin ta collije tooz beez eben mo smahta"

December 11, 2008 at 12:14 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

ParkCircle4Ever (anonymous) says...

beespencer:
What publication had Wando as one the top schools in country???? Anyway, why would the school district put more students in an over-crowded school?

I believe Wando's awesomeness was mentioned in Sunday or Saturday's P &C regarding the recent top 9 rating of AMHS in US News & World Report, I think the mag gave them some kind of ink along with a few others...

We're talking about less than 150 kids for Wando to absorb, its not much really when its spread over 4 grades. If Lincoln High was truly the center of the community as the protesters say, why is the school failing? Why are so many of their constituents transferring to Wando already due to NCLB? Why is equipment consistently stolen? Why so few students? etc etc etc

We all hate to think of our neighborhood school closing, I honestly think CCSD is thinking very little about race and very much about money. If Lincoln had 150 white kids (oh they don't because all the white kids in McClellanville go to a private school for some unknown reason) we'd be hearing the same plan. They spend 3 times as much to educate those kids, even with high gas prices, its cheaper to bus 'em to Wando.

Oh and yes, there are poor kids at Wando (spoiler alert!) the percentage is lower since the school is so huge, but there are 600-700 kids from high poverty neighborhoods who attend the school. Hopefully they, and the future McClellanville transplants will utilize the multitude of opportunities available to them at Wando to pull themselves and their families out of poverty.

December 11, 2008 at 12:25 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

GG (anonymous) says...

The McClellanville parents need to consider visiting Wando High School to evaluate the positive aspects of sending their students to one of the best high schools in the state. Additionally,

1. While Wando currently houses a little over 3,000 students, it is not overcrowded, as some have stated in thiese comments. The Wando campus is massive. The few students currently at Lincoln could easily be added.

2. Busing is not paid for by the district. It is funded by the state. Therefore busing students from McClellanville to MP would not be an added expense to the district.

3. The actual per pupil expenditure at Lincoln is closer to $19,000. It is around $8,000 at Wando. Closing Lincoln would result in over a million or more dollars in savings. This is the major motivation by CCSD.

4. Wando has been recognized nationally for the past two years as an outstanding academic school by US News and World Report.

5. In additon to its core academics, Wando has an exemplary fine arts program in drama, band, art, and choral studies, as well as, a Career and Technology program, which includes a nationally recognized culinary arts, engineering, and health sciences program.

6. Wando's AP, SAT, and ACT scores are the highest of all the traditional public schools in CCSD.

Lincoln parents should see this as an academic and social opporutnity for its students.

December 11, 2008 at 1:31 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

muffin_92 (anonymous) says...

Well let me start off by saying all yall on here talking but none off yall never came here to see what it is about.I am a student that attend Lincoln High School and so did my mother and father and everyone else i know and they are good.ALL of yall need to stop comparing us to WANDO cause we are not we are Lincoln High School.The only thing Wando got to offer us is NOTHING and to tell you all the truth Wando is a Dumb school that don't know NOTHING. Why are everyone trying to send us to Wando when it is all ready over crowded and they can not learn with all those kids in the class room now and I know that for a FACT. IF PEOPLE NEVER WENT TO LINCOLN you don't know what is going on in Lincoln cause you never went here and people down here do pay tax cause my family sure do. SO IF YOU DID NOT WENT TO LINCOLN HIGH SCHOOL THEN DON'T TALK ABOUT IT CAUSE YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT IS GOING ON IN HERE!!!!!!!! I LOVE DEAR OLD LINCOLN THE SCHOOL THAT IS SMALL BUT HAVE A BIG HEART!!!!!

December 11, 2008 at 2:01 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

concern_09 (anonymous) says...

I am a student at Lincoln High School. Matter fact... I am a senior, and for as long as I have been going to this school our school has been raising up in academics!! I cant stand to see these comments on here assuming that Lincoln is a failing school. LINCOLN HIGH SCHOOL is NOT a FAILING SCHOOL. The problem for all of this is that we are in debt. The money that they district take to build new schools...in Mt. Pleasant and so forth are not called for... As a senior I know I should not have a so say in this because when I graduate I will be gone about my business. Second... I do care because this is a community school and many people can lose their jobs and the students here wont get that one on one teaching when they plan to send them to another school that has too many children... how could the students learn. As long as I have been to this school, I love this school and Lincoln means alot truely!!!
Why shut this school down just because we have like 160 kids in this school, so what thats why its a community school!!! No this situation that has arised is not racist in anyway... BUT there is no need to combined any school or send any students away where.
and.. another thing YES our parents have been there for all of us, they have showed support for us kids... dont underestimate me but I really dont see the point of Closing this school, means alot to me and to a whole lot more people than you think!!
Thanks alot

December 11, 2008 at 2:03 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

mz_k3k307 (anonymous) says...

1ST OFF I AM A STUDENT CURRENTLY ATTENDIN LINCOLN HIGH SCHOOL...LET ME JUST SAY THAT YA'LL ON HERE TRYIN TO DOWN US AS A COMMUNITY WHEN YA'LL DUNT KNOW THE HALF...US THE LITTLE SMALL SCHOOL AS PEOPLE IN THOSE HIGH PLACES SAY...YES LITTLE OL LINCOLD MADE AYP...DID WANDO...........NO THEY DIDNT!...SO STOP TRYIN TO COMPARE US TO THEM...WE DONT COMMIT SUICIDE, HAVE SEX IN BATHROOMS, SELL DRUGS ON CAMPUS... OR EVEN OD OVER POPPING PILLS...AND "MOONPIE" MOUNT PLEASENT'S CRIME RATE IS MUCH MUCH MORE HIGHER THEN OURS, WE ARE A COMMUNITY AND WE STICK TOGETHER...I LOVE DEAR OLD LINCOLN TO DEATH! OUR STUDENTS HAVE MOVED ON TO BE VERY SUCCESSFUL WITH THE EDUCATION THEY GOT HERE AND AND I WILL GET THE SAME...I AM IN THE TOP OF MY CLASS AND WITH SMALL NUMBERSE YOU CAN REALLY STAND OUT MORE...AT WANDO YOU HAVE NO CHANCE AT ALL...THERE ARE SO MANY KIDS THEY YOU CANT GET RECOGNIZED FOR YOUR GOOD WORK...THATS WHY I LOVE DEAR OL LINCOLN AND WILL STAND BEHIND MY SCHOOL, CLASSMATES, FACULTY, AND STAFF 100% I BELIEVE THAT MRS GLOVER AND MR.CHANDLER WILL DO EVERYTHING IN THEIR POWER TO SEE THAT OUR FUTURE IS BRIGHTER THAN BRIGHT...I LOVE MY SCHOOL FAMILY...LINCOLN IS NOT GONNA CLOSE...AND WHO EVER DONT LIKE IT...THEY CAN KICK ROCKZ! WE RULE OTHERS DUNT! WITH ALL DU RESPECT WE LET OUR VOICES BE HEARD AS A COMMUNITY...WE ARE DETERMINED TO LET OUR VOICES BE HEARD!!!

December 11, 2008 at 2:04 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Quincy (anonymous) says...

Been in education all my life in another state. Most people know the real answers to our educational woes. The system cannot legally address or solve our public educational meltdown no more than government can solve society's problems. Money is never the answer.

December 11, 2008 at 2:14 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

GermanyXO (anonymous) says...

Seriously, akkomplished is spot-on! Charleston County simply can't afford to keep 81 schools open. Falling tax revenue is yesterday's news and even our President-elect informed us that nationwide economic conditions are bound to get worse before it gets better. South Carolina isn't immune to our nation's economic woes and its residents must commit to supporting the solution instead of expressing disapproval.

Communities will feel a sense of loss when schools close, because it's common practice for any community to parade around a school it can call its own. However, if the community itself is found incapable of raising the capital (property and sales tax revenue) necessary to support the school, then that school must close. More interesting enough, however, is the ultimate cause and impact of what leadership in Charleston County School District will soon have decided.

Think about it. Businesses, Commercial & Real Estate developers, and Limited Liability Partnerships (you know who you are) have focused their investment dollars and influence primarily in Mount Pleasant. What have county and district leaders done to direct commercial and real estate growth in McClellanville? Before one responds, "Not enough", look ahead to the impact of our Superintendent of Education's leadership in making the decision to move students to Wando High School. Think about the big-picture economic forces in play:

1. Where is the majority of commercial and real estate development being pushed?
2. Where will future increases in tax revenue be realized?
3. Why would you send your children to school anywhere else if there's already a school attended by the very children and grandchildren of families providing a flood of tax revenue and capital necessary to support a school under any economic condition?

Our Superintendent of Education knows exactly what she's doing and she could use everyone's support.

December 11, 2008 at 2:52 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

TieraMajette (anonymous) says...

First of all, I am a junior at Lincoln High School. Everyday I come to Lincoln, I feel happy in class and around my peers. After reading some of the comments on here from other students I know who attend Lincoln, I agree 100% with them.
Wando has too many students. There is no way they could get anymore. They have 3,100 students. Why do they need anymore. I would rather be in class with 10 students and get all the one on one help I need than to be in a class with 50 students and not get that much help. Second, LINCOLN IS NOT A FAILING SCHOOL FOR EVERYONE WHO KEEPS SAYING IT!!!!! Lincoln is a passing school. At the meeting, CCSD was saying that they were building another building for Wando. On the other hand, they are saying that Wando has so many programs and it would be better for us to go there. Well, if Wando has so much, why are they still spending more money towards them? And instead of putting more money into "a school that has so much" why not use that money to provide more programs at Lincoln like nursing?
Just b/c you graduate from Lincoln does not mean you will not succeed in life. A student who graduates from Lincoln has the same opportunities as a student who graduated from Wando.
And another thing. If Wando has so many programs and has EVERYTHING, can you explain to me why their students have to travel to LINCOLN every week to take carpentry??????

December 11, 2008 at 3:08 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

madashell (anonymous) says...

LOOK YOU RACIST BIGOT IT SEEMS TO ME THAT YOU ARE THE ONE THAT WILL KEEP US SEGREGATED WITH YOUR 1950'S WAY OF THINKING THESE ARE NOT THE DAYS OF JIM CROW. THE PARENTS, STUDENTS AND THE PEOPLE IN THE MCCLELLANVILLE COMMUNITY HAVE THE RIGHT TO FIGHT AND STAND UP FOR THEIR BELIEFS. IF WE DON'T STAND FOR SOMETHING WE WILL FALL FOR ANYTHING AND THESE ARE NOT THE DAYS AND TIME FOR THAT. IF WE AS A COMMUNITY AND A RACE STICK TOGETHER (SINCE YOU PLAYED THE RACE CARD) WE CAN DO ANYTHING "YES WE CAN",TAKE A LOOK AT YOUR NEXT PRESIDENT. NOW MOVING ON TO THAT COMMENT YOU MADE ABOUT PAYING TAXES WE PAY AS MUCH DAMN TAXES AS ANYONE ELSE SO WHO OR WHAT GIVES YOU THE RIGHT TO SAY LINCOLN IS A WASTE OF TAXPAYERS MONEY THE TAXES WE PAY DON'T JUST STOP AT LINCOLN IDIOT ITS SPREAD ABOARD TO BUILD AND FUND YOUR SCHOOLS SUCH AS WANDO. SO I SUGGEST TO YOU THAT BEFORE YOU START WRITING CHECKS THAT YOUR BEHIND CAN'T CASH DO YOUR HOMEWORK AND WHEN YOU DO YOU WILL SEE THAT LINCOLN IS NOT THE FAILING SCHOOLS PEOPLE LIKE YOU THINK WE ARE IN FACT SWEETIE YOUR OVER POPULATED WANDO IS! IF YOU IDIOTS WOULD TAKE THE TIME TO THINK ABOUT THIS AS A WHOLE AND QUIT TRYING TO THROW STONES AT LINCOLN AND THE MCCLELLANVILLE COMMUNITY, YOU WOULD SEE THAT IF YOU DID SEND YOUR PRECIOUS STUDENTS AT WANDO TO LINCOLN IT WOULD SOLVE THE CROWDING AND THE TAXPAYERS WOULDN'T WASTE ANYMORE MONEY TRYING TO BUILD A NEW SCHOOL TO ACCOMODATE THE WANDO STUDENTS AND THE PEOPLE OF EAST COOPER. I FEEL THAT IF THE STUDENTS FROM WANDO WERE TO BE TRANSFERRED TO DEAR OLD LINCOLN THEY COULD LEARN A THING OR TWO VS. OUR KIDS BEING TRANSFERRED THERE WERE OUR KIDS WOULD ONLY ADD TO THE ALREADY OVERCROWED SCHOOL AND IN THE END THEY WOULD ONLY GET LEFT BEHIND. SO REMEMBER MOONPIE THINK BEFORE YOU SPEAK!

December 11, 2008 at 3:12 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

mz_k3k307 (anonymous) says...

i agree wit you 100% tmajette! i just saw them over here in Mr. Wilson's Class last week..., but Wando has SSSOOO MUCH!

December 11, 2008 at 3:19 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

StefanieJenkins (anonymous) says...

As a 2005 graduate of Lincoln High School it deeply saddens me that the misconceptions surrounding my alma mater remain. The people of my community WILL NOT take the closing of our beloved high school sitting down. So many of you have posted comments about what you THINK you know is a FACT about Lincoln High School. LINCOLN HIGH SCHOOL IS NOT A FAILING SCHOOL. It has an absolute rating of GOOD and has been improving steadily since 2003. I must make a concession to the individual who pointed out the new paint job at Lincoln. Yes it is true; every two years like clock work we receive a fresh coat of paint:. while other schools in the district receive state of the art equipment. My 55 year old father attended high school in that same building and if you chip away at the walls I'm absolutely positive he could point out which layer was on the walls when he was there. Admittedly Lincoln has its issues which are only magnified by the small school population. I would love to see how your schools measure up if they too were constantly under the magnifying class. As for not paying taxes, that's laughable. Since, when is poverty an appealing method of avoiding property taxes? And seeing how under ACT 388 public schools in South Carolina are now being funded primarily by sales tax how is that argument justifiable? I have been taught to do my research BEFORE I open my mouth:maybe they only teach that at Lincoln. It disturbs me to see how many of you feel you have the right to offer your opinion about a school you have never visited, individuals you have never met, underlying social and economic factors you haven't researched, and a community you obviously don't understand.

December 11, 2008 at 3:28 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

SUGARWUGGA329 (anonymous) says...

IM A SENIOR AT LINCOLN HIGH SCHOOL AND IM PROUD TO SAY THAT TO EVERYBODY. ALL THESE PEOPLE THAT THINKL THAT THEY ARE BETTER THAN US LINCOLN IS WHAT?? YALL ALL DEAD WRONG. YOU NEED TO ALL CLOSE YOUR MOUTH TALKING ABOUT MY SCHOOL WHEN FOR ONE YOU KNOW CRAP. WE MITE DONT HAVE ALL THE THINGS THAT BIG OLD WANDO HAVE WHICH I BELIEVE THAT SCHOOL IS A WASTE OF MONEY. THEY BIG AND OVERCROWED AND AINT EVEN A PASSING SCHOOL***** AND I WILL SAY THAT AGAIN WANDO IS A FAILING SCHOOL!!!!!!!***** AND LETS TALK ABOUT LINCOLN WHAT IS MY SCHOOL AHW LET ME THINK ..... OH YEA DUH WE PASSING FOR OVER THE LAST FOUR YEARS. MY SCHOOL IS A GREAT SCHOOL AND MOONPIE WHOEVA DA HELL YOU ARE NEED TO KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT BECAUSE YOU KNOW NOTHING AT ALL ABOUT MY SCHOOL. YOUR JUST LIKE SOME OF THE OTHER PEOPLE VERY IGNORANT AND JUST PLAIN RUDE AND FROM READING YOU COMMENTS CAN TELL THAT RACIST. !!! FOR ALL YALL PAOPLE GOT SO MUCH TO SAY IF YOU WANA TALK TRASH GET YA FACTS STRAIGHT . VISIT LINCOLN AND YOU WILL LEARN CAUSE OBVIOUSLY YALL DONT KNOW NOTHING MUCH AND THAT IS SUCH A SHAME. I WOULDNT CHANGE GOING TO LINCOLN TO TRANSFER TO WANDO FOR NO REASON IN THE WORLD. WHY CLOSE A PASSIONG SCHOOL TO SEND STUDENTS TO BIG OVERCROWED SCHOOL THATS FAILING ??? THATS MAKES NO SENCE AT ALL TO ME. LINCOLN HAS JUST AS MUCH REASONS TO STAY OPEN THAN ALOT OF OTHER SCHOOLS. WE MAY BE LITTLE WITH JUST A SMALL POPULATION OF JUST ABOUT 150. BUT ALL OF STUDENTS ARE SMART. WE LEARN SO MUCH HERE AT OUR SCHOOL WITH SMALL CLASS SIZES WHICH HELPS THE LEARNING BECAUSE THEN ITS LIKE US HAVING ONE ON ONE TIME WITH OUR TEACHER. AT WANDO YOU AINT GOING TO GET THAT. WE HAVE SUCH A STRONG AND SUPPORTIVE COMMUNITY THAT SUPPORTS ALL THREE SCHOOLS IN THE MCCLELLANVILLE COMMUNITY AND I DO AS WELL. ALL THE PEOPLE IN THE MT. PLEASASNT AREA N WANDO PEOPLE AND WAY EVER ELSE JUST WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE BAD THINGS AND NEVER WANT TO PRAISE US FOR ALL THE GOOD THAT WE DO AND BRING TO THIS COMMUNITY. SO AS I END MY COMMENT I JUST SAY TO ALL THE PEOPLE IT WOULD BE A STUPID IDEA TO CLOSE MY SCHOOL LINCOLN HIGH SCHOOL WE ARE THE BEST AND WERE PASSING UNLIKE WANDO.
*****LINCOLN HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR KENDRA E.S. THOMPSON*******

December 11, 2008 at 3:44 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

GermanyXO (anonymous) says...

I think somebody must point out that any high school senior demonstrating poor grammar and sentence structure is doing more harm than good. No matter how credible and emotional his/her pleas may be to keep any high school open, the standard must be for any high school senior to demonstrate greater skill at submitting quality grammar and sentence structure.

So when are parents and students at Lincoln High School going to view this situation through their teachers' eyes? What have your teachers told school district officials? What was the condition of teachers' job security at Lincoln High School? How many teachers from Lincoln High School want to run academic programs for their students funded at Wando High School but not at Lincoln? Perhaps transplanting students from Lincoln High to Wando high will persuade former Lincoln High students to be more competitive? What about funding for extracurricular activities outside the classroom?

How about we challenge these Lincoln High students to make Wando High better than ever?

December 11, 2008 at 4:46 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Bones (anonymous) says...

Wow! With the sole exception of Stephaniejones, who gave a very cogent and well thought out missive, if the other posters from Lincoln High are indicative of the academics taught, it deserves to be immediately closed. To have high school students with no ability to properly spell or structure a sentence above a fourth grade level, I would be very ashamed of my child. All of my children have attended public schools here, and any of them could have written a much better missive (while in middle school) defending any subject than the efforts by the poor posters here. Truly, a sad commentary on this school.

December 11, 2008 at 5:34 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

XB (anonymous) says...

Lincoln has gotten better there is no doubt, and I know it has produced good students that are proud of their accomplishments. I would ask these graduates, what if you were given all of the opportunities that Wando has to offer?

Wando gets a rating of Excellent and has an average SAT score of 1669.

Lincoln now garners a Good rating, but has an average SAT score of 1158.

Even though there have been improvements over the last several years, it is still not at the same level as Wando, not even close. At some point you need to think about what is best for your kids. Good enough for you doesn't mean good enough for your kids.

I went to Clemson, but if I could have gotten into Duke I would have gone there, it's a better school. Now I hope my kid can get into Duke. We won't be able to cheer for the same football team, or share memories of campus life, but he will be better off for always having reaching to for higher level.

December 11, 2008 at 5:57 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

dolphingirl (anonymous) says...

I'm currently attending Lincoln High School as a junior. I would like to point out that Lincoln is not a segregated school! I can say this as a fact because I am a white student that goes there. Alot of points have been made concerning the closing of the school and why or why not that should happen. In my opinion, Lincoln is a good school. The one on one interaction between the students and teachers helps alot. Lincoln is in need of much improvement in areas such as better courses, better lunches, and better extracurriculars. Lincoln is in fact a passing school, and we did meet AYP. However, Wando did not. To tell you the truth, I think it's ironic that "they" say Wando has everything to offer us. At least once or twice a week I sit in the cafeteria and can look over and see a crowd of Wando students here taking carpentry. How can anyone say people at lincoln are racist? The crowd of Wando students that come to Lincoln are all black. Why won't white Wando students come here? Anyways, those students from Wando stare at us like we're ignorant kids and think we don't belong! (Even though it's our school.) Who is to say that won't be the case if you send us to Wando? How will we be treated at Wando, as students coming from Lincoln? We have to look at this issue from all viewpoints. If we get sent to Wando, how will this affect our GPA's? As a senior next year, how will this affect me and my peers? I believe in a 5th option. Why not integrate Wando students with ours? Why can't we bring Wando students here, and have Lincoln prosper? We have a small poulation, Wando is overcrowded and already needing another building to accomadate them. If CCSD's problem is money, why are they spending money to build a new school for them instead of funding Lincoln, and giving Lincoln better courses and better extracurriculars? Lincoln is said to be worse then Wando. If you think that, that is your opinion. It is true, however that Wando has more to offer concerning AP's and other courses. Send Wando's students here and we can "advance" just as much as they have. Why send students from a passing school to a failing school? (LINCOLN IS PASSING)How can people think it's right to send Lincoln students to Wando, but wrong to send Wando students to Lincoln?

P.s. Georgetown is not closer than Wando. Wando is closer. Majority of the students at Lincoln drive anyway. We are in Charleston County. We are a passing school, think about that.

December 11, 2008 at 7:37 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

mlm (anonymous) says...

GermanyXO says, "Our Superintendent of Education knows exactly what she's doing and she could use everyone's support."

Oh, really! How so?

The "facts" being quoted here by some CCSD employees and hangers-on are part of CCSD's misinformation. If Mt. Pleasant is the be all and end all, let's just send everybody to Mt. Pleasant schools. Everybody...downtown, N.Charleston, Johns Island and Edisto Island...we're all on our way. I'd like to see what Mt. Pleasant has to say when that is proposed.

Who in there right mind wants to put a kid on a CCSD bus to spend between 3 and 4 hours a day being driven to a school that is too big, too crowded, doesn't want them anyway and is just a consumer factory? The constituent board member had it right...if you read the whole article. If CCSD hadn't striped these schools of their ability to offer courses those school once had, they not only would be excelling, they would still have the kids who live near them attending schools a lot closer to home. What our failing schools represent is the failure of CCSD to meet the needs of these communities where they are.

What CCSD is proposing is to move students ill prepared in CCSD's long failing schools to larger schools where these "problems" will be lost in the more favorable statistics of a larger school like Wando. If you think this is designed to improve the education of individual students, then you must be drinking CCSD's Kool-Aid. This is only about making the superintendent's report card look good.

If I was a Mt. Pleasant, West Ashley or James Island parent, I'd be asking our great leader why she didn't include us in this "conversation". Those are the schools that will be taking in a whole lot more than just 150 Lincoln students when this crazy consolidation plan is eventually rammed down our throats.

I agree with WmHamilton, the public participation part is coming at the wrong end of this process. It's a done deal. More power to the McClellanville parents for turning out and holding CCSD to the fire on this. They didn't answer your questions which you gave them earlier. For those who don't follow District 1, they didn't just show up last night. They have been on top of this for some time. They also know that CCSD is all about pressure. Why else would 7 out of 9 county school board members have turned up?

To the CCSD spin artists posting here...yes, the state does pay for some school bus programs, but not all. It doesn't pay to bus kids to magnet schools...unless CCSD is cheating the state, too. If CCSD was serious about saving money, it would start by eliminating the $2 million is spends annually to bus magnet school kids on what amounts to a private shuttle service. Then we can talk about the millions CCSD spends on useless administrators.

Our superintendent may know what she's doing for her resume, but it sure isn't doing much good for our schools.

December 11, 2008 at 7:58 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

dolphingirl (anonymous) says...

From my mother's persepctive:

As the parent of 2 white students, one at McClellanville Middle and one at Lincoln High School, I would like to say that is has nothing to do with race for me. My children have gone to the same school with the same kids since kindergarden. Some of you say we just use the school as a daycare, that's not so. I have preached to my children the importance of an education since day 1, as have many other MMS and Lincoln parents. There are always some parents that don't get involved but that is at every school. Not just in McClellanville. How can you judge us when you don't know us? Lincoln High has passed AYP for 4 years. I as a parent do not want my child to leave a passing school to go to Wando who has a failing AYP. CCSD has always failed to see us as a part of this county. They put us on the backburner. We've had to fight for everything we've been given. As for what Ms. Minnie Alston said, she was not talking about the percent of money given to each student, she was talking about the huge building and all the extra bells and whistles they have been given. I know students that go to Wando, and Wando has the same problems as every other school. It was not Wando in NewsWeekly it was AMHS, where my daughter went for 2 years with outstanding grades, before realizing she could serve a better purpose returning to her home school. (Which she loves!) I realize that Charleston County has to do something to fix this problem. I do not think closing all McClellanville's schools is a good option! What will happen to all of our teachers, coaches, librarians, and cafeteria wrokers? These people spend money everyday in restaraunts, stores, etc. It will have a negative impact on our entire community, but especially our children. What about all that money to fix our schools years ago just to close it now? It is our beautiful school. I know Lincoln has it's issues, but it is just like all of the other problems in every school in Charleston County. Why won't people give the students at Lincoln the credit they deserve for the strides they have made? Stop putting down the kids and parents for something you know nothing about! They after all are the reason Lincoln made AYP 4 years in a row. Lincoln has wonderful students who are talented and wonderful teachers and staff.

December 11, 2008 at 8:22 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

GG (anonymous) says...

Wando did not meet AYP b/c of their special education subgroups. This is the only reason. They met all other categories. When a school like Wando has so many special needs students, it is next to impossible to meet those subgroups due to the bizarre requirements that all special needs students have to be tested just like regular ed students.

Lincoln does not have enough special education students to have a subgroup; therefore, they would not have been evaluated as Wando was.

December 11, 2008 at 8:51 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

GG (anonymous) says...

With regard to AYP reports, Wando is required to meet 23 objectives. They met 21. The 2 areas not met were with special education students. This information is given on the CCSD website.

Lincoln is required to meet only 5 objectives. They have too few students to be evaluated in any of the other objective measurements.

This is one of the reasons AYP is an invalid method of evaluating academic progress. It is a pathetic way to compare schools also.

December 11, 2008 at 9:59 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

VarnetteMaxwell (anonymous) says...

My name is Varnette and I am a current student at Lincoln High School. For all the people that are trying 2 down grade Lincoln High School as if we are a bad and failing school for the past 4 years we met AYP which Wando High School which is suppose to be an "excellant " school has not. For our school to have 160 students and there school which has a 3000 population they should have been the ones making AYP. And for the person "MOONPIE" I no for sure that my parents pay taxes every year just because we live in the rural area it dont make no difference. And also MOONPIE if Wando has all of the courses and classes why kids right from WANDO HIGH SCHOOL have to come to our school to get Carpentry classes every Friday? I feel that if you dont live in the McClellanville area and you dont attend or have a child that go to LINCOLN HIGH SCHOOL you should not have anything to say about the school or the area that we live at. It seems like all Chareleston county do is spend all of there money on WANDO eveerything is just bout WANDO like Wndo is one of the top schools in the United States. Many students that attend Wando say that it is too over crowded and that they are failing so what is that saying WANDO aint doing to much and another thing is every single time that they want to close down a school in Charleston county it seem as if LINCOLN HIGH SCHOOL is the number one choice. Also they should do something to the kids that are suppose to be in District 1 shold transfer back because we are passing and they are once again FAILING . It seems as if they are trying to to close the BLACK schools too. Thanks 4 my time

December 11, 2008 at 10:14 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

opie (anonymous) says...

If the parents currently complaining about the potential closure of Lincoln High would invest a little more time into their kids' education (and maybe spend some time instilling some discipline into them) then maybe the school wouldn't be failing.

December 11, 2008 at 10:17 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

GermanyXO (anonymous) says...

Quoting mlm: "Who in there right mind wants to put a kid on a CCSD bus to spend between 3 and 4 hours a day being driven to a school that is too big, too crowded, doesn't want them anyway and is just a consumer factory? The constituent board member had it right...if you read the whole article. If CCSD hadn't striped these schools of their ability to offer courses those school once had, they not only would be excelling, they would still have the kids who live near them attending schools a lot closer to home. What our failing schools represent is the failure of CCSD to meet the needs of these communities where they are."

Your passion is commendable, but your logic is severely flawed. It's borderline incoherent and myopic when you fail to recognize the hierarchical facts documenting CCSD's financial burden and the mitigation efforts led by our Superintendent of Education.

Quoting mlm once again: "What CCSD is proposing is to move students ill prepared in CCSD's long failing schools to larger schools where these "problems" will be lost in the more favorable statistics of a larger school like Wando. If you think this is designed to improve the education of individual students, then you must be drinking CCSD's Kool-Aid. This is only about making the superintendent's report card look good."

Parents who are truly committed to their children's education from kindergarten through high school have an expectation that their children will leave for college with the determination, experiences, knowledge, study skills, and understanding crucial for success. Given the size of the student body and the low student to teacher ratio, Lincoln High School's academic environment appears insufficient to satisfy this expectation. How will a student at Lincoln High currently applauding the one-on-one instruction adapt once he's in a Division I College English I composition and literature class populated by nearly 100 students in an auditorium? CCSD has high hopes for all of its students and our communities must unite for the sake of preparing our students for challenges that present themselves in an academic environment that demands self-motivation, self-reliance, commitment, and sacrifice.

Let's move forward and challenge all of our high school students to strive for excellence in their classrooms so that they will have the tools for success in college. Does the name of your child's/student's high school truly matter?

December 11, 2008 at 11:35 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

SeaSaw (anonymous) says...

Some Black parents feel that integration is not working. They regret that Black schools are not getting the attention and resources they deserve because all funds are going to bus Blacks to White school districts. They are tired of seeing their children being the only ones who get bused. Plus their children get tired being bused around several hours each day. Sending kids to schools outside of their neighborhoods makes it less likely that parents will participate and fails to make the school part of the community. Evidence tells me that integration, which we have had for nearly a half century, has not rescued most black children from the behaviors and culture that trap them in the cycle of failure. I wonder how would the Mt Pleasant parents react if their children were going to be bused to Lincoln High?

December 11, 2008 at 11:44 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

akkomplished (anonymous) says...

Honestly I understand where the students and alumni of Lincoln High are comiing from because if Baptist Hill was on the "chopping block" I would be upset too. However, I still feel like we're all missing the big picture. They cannot afford to keep both Wando and Lincoln open next year so they have decided to merge the two. Now you ask, "Why not close Wando?" The answer to that question should be a given... Wando is the larger school so there for it will be able to house the most students. Please understand that Lincoln is not the only school being affected by this plan. In Hollywood alone 2-3 elementary schools will be closing. Baptist Hill will house 7th-12th graders! 3rd-5th graders will be sent to the middle school with 6th graders. I mean there are lots of schools that will have to experience change. The fact of the matter is this going to happen regardless of what we may think or feel. So I would suggest that we come together and make the best of it. We must remember that where our students is educated is not as important as how they are educated!

December 12, 2008 at 8:28 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

StefanieJenkins (anonymous) says...

So many of you who have decided to post comments and hide behind nondescript user names fail to truly grasp the concepts that are on the table. Yes, the cost per pupil for Lincoln High appears to be much more than at a school like Wando. But if you multiply the 13,000 spent per pupil at Lincoln by 150 (the schools population) and the 7,000 spent per pupil at Wando by the 3,000 (the schools population) who is really getting the short end of the stick? Don't let the bare numbers fool you. Yes, some students at Lincoln High have difficulties with writing but I'm sure I can point some out at Wando as well. You are all so willing to point this out but could it not be a symptom of a larger problem? How did Lincoln and its students reach this point? Could it be a systemic problem? One that is readily apparent in many small poor rural schools in South Carolina? Could it be contributed to the fact that the high school was ignored for many years and allowed to deteriorate? Could it be that some of our students have internalized the negativity that is rampant throughout these posts? People outside the community have always viewed us as less than or failures. And if we do well at something, we couldn't possibly have earned it out right. I attended Lincoln and during my junior year my English teacher quit after 2 week into the semester, the district solution:a substitute. I'm sure the powers at be would not have allowed such an atrocity at their beloved Wando. This is just one example of some of the inequities and injustices that I have witnessed while there. Now that the school is improving, everyone is so quick to undermine and dismiss our accomplishments. Has everyone forgotten that these are children we are talking about? Contrary to popular belief, they too can READ. After seeing these posts I am disgusted. Why would our community or our students be excited about the prospect of being combined with Wando?

December 12, 2008 at 9:31 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )