Monday, June 30, 2008

Sunday, June 22, 2008

Joel Hastings

Someone forwarded me this email.

It is with a broken heart that I let you know that our dear friend, Joel Hastings, passed away just a few minutes ago. He fought a valient fight but the injuries to his brain were just too much to overcome.

Please pray for God's comfort and grace for Joel's family and for each other.

We have scheduled a time tommorow at 9:30 a.m. in the Patton High School auditorium for any of our school system family to just meet together and remember Joel.

The children of our community and state have lost a true advocate as we have lost a great friend. Only by God's amazing grace can we deal with such a tragedy.

Thank you for being the wonderful school system family you are.

David Burleson

Monday, June 16, 2008

What would you like to talk about?

Leave a comment and I will try to give you a place to talk about it.

Exodus

Please use this to discuss the rumors of people leaving BCPS.

Tracy and The Map

Please use this to discuss the map situtation

Did board gerrymander school lines?
Grady demands school board's May e-mails
By Arrick Gordon
news@morganton.com
Tuesday, June 10, 2008

MORGANTON - Controversy erupted at the Burke County Schools board meeting Monday night when Board Chairman Tim Buff presented a newly drafted map of school board district lines for approval.
Board member Buddy Armour challenged the action, because the board adopted a prior (and slightly different) map at its May 5 meeting. That map, Armour added, was not the same as one presented for the board's review on April 21.

At this week's meeting, Armour again questioned Vice Chairman Tracy Norman, asking why she went to the Burke GIS Department the day of the May 5 school board meeting, made changes to the map and did not disclose the changes that evening.

"Who authorized you to change the map?" Armour demanded. "It's not the map that I was voting for on May 5."

According to several board members, the change in district lines from April 21 to May 5 was not fully disclosed or discussed during open session.

"I received a phone call from a man, who would not tell me his name, several days after we voted on the map," says board member Sam Wilkinson. "He was wondering if I knew that a board member had gone to the GIS office and made changes to the map the day of the vote. I told him no I was unaware of such a thing. He wouldn't tell me which board member, but told me the line had been changed to include the residence of an individual who could run for school board in the central district."

Wilkinson said he subsequently went to the GIS department and learned Norman had changed the April 21 map on the day of the May 5 vote.

Other board members say they, too, were unaware the April 21 map had been changed.

"I had no idea the map was different," says board member Karen Sain. "I was glad to vote the map through and get on to more serious issues concerning the welfare of our teachers and students. No one told me or pointed out that the maps had been changed. I saw the map was dated May 5, but I assumed that was for purposes of the vote."

Armour asked at the May 5 meeting whether Bryan Grady was involved in redrawing the school district lines. The April 21 map placed Grady's residence in the Western Voting District. The modified map adopted May 5 includes Grady's residence in the Central Voting District (the adjusted voting line runs up Pearson Drive).

At Monday's meeting, Grady demanded that all e-mail communications between board members from May 5 to May 19 be handed over to him for review with his lawyer.

Board member Rob Hairfield, who spent months preparing the original district lines map, repeatedly has said the April 21 map met the state law's requirements that all districts have approximately equal population.

According to Buff and Norman, the map was modified to better distribute the population evenly between the three voting districts.

The third map, proposed by Buff at Monday's meeting, moves the Central District Line even farther west, to the Fleming Drive Bypass.

The Kite Runner

Please use this to talk about The Kite Runner.

Kite Runner no fly-by-night issue
School board continues censorship squabble
By Arrick Gordon
news@morganton.com
Tuesday, June 10, 2008

MORGANTON - East Burke High School Media Coordinator Peggy Poe addressed the Burke County school board Monday in defense of the controversial book “The Kite Runner,” throwing her support behind the literature, urging the board not to censor the award- winning work of fiction.
In February, Vicki Dobson addressed the school board and challenged the use of the book within the classroom. Dobson sought its removal primarily for author Khaled Husseini’s use of strong language, racially-motivated rape of a child and other mature content.
Following Dobson’s complaint, the book was sent to a specially-assigned review committee at Freedom High School. The committee, comprised of faculty, students, parents and community members, made its recommendation to the school board in late March to keep the book in the classroom.
As a result, Dobson appealed, in writing, to the school board to overturn the committee’s recommendations and take final action.
Superintendent David Burleson urged the board to follow the procedures outlined by school policy and the committee.
“We should keep the book in the advanced and honors literature classes,” Burleson said, “and send out a detailed letter to the parents describing the content and nature of any book with questionable language, sexual content or adult themes. It is up to the parent to decide if he or she wishes her son or daughter to read an alternate assignment.”
School board member Tracy Norman felt that the letter would not be adequate unless passages or descriptive quotes of the material in question were included in the letters to parents.
Board member David Barnard felt that censorship was not the solution and that the teachers should be given the authority to decide what is appropriate within the classroom environment.
The issue has been tabled until the next board meeting.
The board is considering the naming of the Jimmy C. Draughn High School baseball field in honor of former teacher and baseball coach Glen Yoder.
A petition with nearly 1,000 signatures was previously submitted to the school board by community members living within the Draughn High School district specifically seeking a naming recognition in honor of Yoder.
Draughn is slated to receive its Life Safety Inspection later this week, a crucial step toward the final completion of the building project. According to Randall Brackett, construction at the site will be completed in approximately three weeks.
Brackett also informed the board that the school’s sports practice fields and stadium have been suffering as a result of the ongoing drought and that the previously planted grass seed is not rooting or growing very well. As a result, a variance was received from the Town of Valdese which will allow the school to irrigate the fields three times a week.
Robert L. Patton High School has suffered from the same problem and very little grass is currently on its sports practice and stadium fields. A contractor is scheduled to evaluate and reseed the fields.
The official dedication and open house for Draughn High School may take place at 2 p.m. on Aug. 24. However, the date and time is tentative pending final board approval.
The school board will meet again at 11 a.m. on June 30 at at the board room on Parker Road.

Monday, June 9, 2008