Comments on: Unofficial Survey Says Parents Prefer K-5 Model

By: Decatur Metro

Decatur Metro — Thu, 28 May 2009 19:39:27 +0000

Did they give a reason why a parents survey wasn’t necessary?

By: CSD Mom

CSD Mom — Thu, 28 May 2009 13:50:34 +0000

“I’m not sure that I would want the opinion of an individual who was not following the very complex issue that is reconfiguration to be counted the same as someone deeply intimate with the issue like CSD Mom or Garrett.”

Total BS. They did a teacher survey, and most of the teachers were not “deeply intimate” with the issue either. You can tell this by reading all the teacher comments. As I said above, by the same token, they should have done a parent survey.

No one needs to be “deeply intimate” with the intricacies of reconfiguration in order to know what they care most about and what they want to get out of the school system. If you look at the survey, that’s what it’s mostly about–what is most important and what is least important to you as a CSD community member.

By: CSD Mom

CSD Mom — Thu, 28 May 2009 13:48:15 +0000

Of course this is not a scientific survey. And of course it didn’t reach everyone that it should have. I had 325 email addresses on my list, and I trusted those people to forward it to as many people as they could. That’s the best I could do–I certainly could not do a survey of those who do not have internet access.

The school system could have done a survey and reached everyone in the system who has internet access by doing the survey through the parent portal, just like the last two surveys they did. We lobbied for such a survey but were told it wasn’t necessary.

They did a teacher survey even though most of the teachers are not “intimately involved” with the reconfiguration data and process. By the same token, we feel they should have done a parent survey.

Oh, and I should have said “what other people are thinking”–I know it’s not what “everyone” is thinking.

By: I'll dip my toe in now

I'll dip my toe in now — Wed, 27 May 2009 17:31:16 +0000

I received and completed the survey. I don’t know how I got on the mailing list, other than volunteering at my son’s school. I like reading about the pros and cons on this site. Overall, I am content with CSD. I think we have it great here in Decatur.

By: another Rick

another Rick — Wed, 27 May 2009 16:56:29 +0000

Good points. That is what I like about this process so far. Seems like everyone is encouraged to be involved, if interested. Those of us who have children in the CSD definitely have a stake in the outcome!