Parents can choose school

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Sunday, July 25. 2010

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By Dr. Darrel S. May,
superintendent

As the parent or guardian of a student currently enrolled in our school district, the Dodge County Board of Education wishes to notify you that under a 2009 state law if your child attends either North Dodge Elementary School or South Dodge Elementary School, you may request to transfer your child to the other public elementary school in the Dodge County School District for the upcoming 2010-2011 school year.

Parent Responsibilities

As a parent or guardian, you can request to have your child transferred to another public school within your school district of residence as long as the school district has determined that there is available classroom space at the school after all assigned students have been enrolled.

Please keep in mind that if you choose to transfer your child to another school in the district, the law requires you to assume all costs and responsibilities related to the transportation of your child to and from the school as long as your child remains at that school.

For your convenience, the district’s list of schools with available classroom space for the upcoming school year include North Dodge Elementary School—grades K-5 and South Dodge Elementary School—grades K-5. In order to process your request, you will need to pick up and complete a “Transfer Request Form”.

These forms are available at the Dodge County Board of Education Administrative Offices at 720 College Street in Eastman. Requests for transfers will not be accepted after the close of business on August 13, 2010 Transfer requests will be reviewed and approved or denied on the basis of a lottery in the event a particular school has available space and the number of transfer requests exceeds the remaining available capacity.

Once available classroom space is reached at a school, no more transfers will be accepted at that school. Since it is possible that you may not receive your first choice, you may indicate more than one choice on the enclosed Transfer Request Form.

If you have questions regarding this, please contact Dr. LaWanda Gillis, (lgillis@dodge.k12.ga.us) or 478-374-3783.

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#1 Cherokee on 07/25/10 at 09:32 AM [Reply]

I pray that some parents donot group their children according to race. They should think about not putting their child in classes according to where the neighborhood children go. Parents if you do this then you are taking yourselves back to segregation and I am sure you donot want that because Dr. Martin Luther King would not like that if he could tell you. Dr. King was against segregation but intergration. Maybe one should learn more about intergation before making a decision about school choice.

#2 Cherokee on 07/25/10 at 10:24 AM [Reply]

A child needs intergration and not segregation so they can be taught on an equal level and so they will know how to interact with others that they will encounter throughout his or her lifetime. The time is now not until they get to be an adult. Being able to communicate or interact with others is a positive force in one's life. This cause one to have great job skills in this area which is greatly needed today. Parents look beyond today and think about your child's tomorrow which is their future. People think a job is not given to one for other reasons but sometime it is communication and interaction. The first step to getting a job is when you walk in the door and pick up the application and the interview which causes for good communication and interaction skills, so put your child in a school so they communicate and interact with all races. We do not live seperately in this world and we must think about that. Please donot get in the way of your child's future by putting them with all the children in the community. Our children are our future . Parent should want the best for their children and sometimes that means better than they have. Encourage and Inspire and take part in your child's life. They need academics more than any other subjects, that I know and when I say academics I am talking about the book work the subjects that are being taught in the classroom and I don't mean cheerleading or football that comes secondary. The mind is a terrible thing to waste.

#3 nane2mother on 07/26/10 at 12:16 PM [Reply]

I can not help but wonder what this might do to children whose family might move into Dodge County during the school year. Say the first grade classes are at their greatest capacitity and several famililies move into North or South Dodge area, will the new comers have to be bused to another part of the county. This is a very unfair system in my opinion. I'm sure it was thought up and put into effect just to benefit the priviledged.

This should be put to vote by the people of Dodge County not by a few that sits on the BOE that are constantly squabbling from what I read here in the Dodge County News.

#3.1 Quint on 07/27/10 at 12:39 PM [Reply]

This is a STATE law. The Dodge County B.O.E. has to abide by it. It has nothing to do with benefiting the privileged. It is a basic "school choice" issue.

#3.1.1 ashley on 07/28/10 at 09:11 AM [Reply]

Thanks Mr. B! Nice to know some people read :)

#3.2 Matt Oxley on 07/27/10 at 01:06 PM [Reply]

IF you think they squable according to the DCN you should go to one of the Board Meetings (Don't bother going to the standard meetings, catch one of the called ones).

#4 Matt Oxley on 07/27/10 at 01:17 PM [Reply]

My hope is that this is merely temporary and that within the next year or so the Board will adopt the policy to integrate the schools and run K-3 from one and 4-5 in the other...this will put an end to the inherited class-ism brought about by the system as it stands.

#5 anon on 07/27/10 at 02:07 PM [Reply]

This can't be put to a vote. As Dr. May stated, it is because of state law that he must make parents aware of their options. This is nothing new. Parents in Dodge have always had the option of sending their kids to whichever elementary they wish as long as they provide transportation. There are tons of kids that are attending schools out of their district because parents didn't like the teacher their kid had, or because the parent works on the South side but live on the North side, or because they moved from one side of the county to another and didn't want to change schools and various other reasons. Because of recent AYP results, Dr. May is required by law to notify the parents of school choice. It's part of that lovely law called NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND. Don't shoot the messenger. Email your representatives.

#6 Ashley on 07/27/10 at 03:47 PM [Reply]

It is insane to think that some people still see race as an issue. Both schools have an equally integrated set of students. Its not ALWAYS about race. The only people who make that an issue are stuck in the days where it was an issue. ACTUALLY check the ayp standards for each school. That might be a valid reason to want your child to go to a different school. Or perhaps you know a teacher and your child is comfortable with them. Before you pull the race card, evaluate all options. Besides, do you have children in either school?

#6.1 Matt Oxley on 07/28/10 at 09:33 AM [Reply]

Classism - not race.

#7 Pinkie on 07/27/10 at 06:35 PM [Reply]

Why do some people ALWAYS feel the need to throw RACE into everything????

#8 Ms. Smith on 07/28/10 at 11:46 AM [Reply]

We are new to Georgia & were considering moving to Dodge county but after reading this article & seeing how everyone seems to make something simple as where you send you child to school a race issue maybe our family & our children would be better off reconsidering. Besides the fact if you check the school ratings list Dodge County school district is rated 89th out of 158 but none of the schools rank over a 3 out of 5 on the ratings chart, when your neighboring county ranks 15th in the state. I don't see what the big issue is here.

#9 Cherokee on 07/28/10 at 02:53 PM [Reply]

Well I suceeded I got everyone commenting. Pyschology really works and now I will keep out. The school board really did need the locals to comment and voice their opinions. you see this is how we get issues solved. Everyone is entitled to his or her opinion and I hope some results comes from the discussion we are having here and now I will keep out and give you all the podium. Peace from me Cherokee.

#9.1 Quint on 07/29/10 at 11:43 AM [Reply]

You succeeded in creating a controversy where there was none. That's impressive.

#9.1.1 Matt Oxley on 07/30/10 at 05:33 PM [Reply]

He's about as good as me!

#10 Ashley on 07/30/10 at 08:54 AM [Reply]

1. Class structure has nothing to do with race. If you think it does, you are living in a world that doesn't exist. Maybe there are certain trends in racial structure. If you're talking about finances--Dodge really doesn't have too much variation in structure. Those kids in the public school system are pretty much in the same boat. Do you think they feel like less of a kindergartener because of their class?
2. Nothing like a person to defend an ignorant comment by insinuating that it was their intention. It is because of things of that nature that we are fighting to save a lax generation. All you have made success in is forcing me to review my grammar and spell check skills. :) Remember, the ignorant man opens his mouth (or moves his fingers) and shuts his eyes.

#10.1 Cherokee on 08/01/10 at 09:03 AM [Reply]

There will never be a lax generation along as man walk the face of this earth. Man will always something to resolve with his fellow man, says my great chief of the cherokee tribe. That is why we come together to have discussion to voice our opinion whether it be about something man is disbelief that it exist for what ever reason. I thought I had given the podium to others but I saw a problem that you are having that I needed to be address. My comments are made with what is still an issue among some people without my head in the sand and my ears and open. As a college student we were asked to discuss some important issues that we might encounter in life. A bachelor degree was not easy for me to earn in another state which is much advanced that Georgia. God Bless!

#10.1.1 Matt Oxley on 08/02/10 at 07:16 AM [Reply]

Cherokee - I have a hard time seeing the relevance of many of your comments, I think this one may be the most difficult to understand yet.

What might your Bachelors degree be in? Don't you dare say English.

#10.1.1.1 Cherokee on 08/02/10 at 04:21 PM [Reply]

I will leave that for your intellegant mind to figure out. I have been a sucess in life and continue to be. As long as God is on my side no man can be against me. I have great confidence in myself because God has instill this in me. No weapon formed against me shall prosper. Now since that has been said. Would you please try to concentrate on the school choice issue at hand and not my education level which is greater than you can imagine, would you like to know that I speak japanese,spanish and russia and know some great politician in Washington. Seek the face of God and he will bestow a blessing on you that you are unable to comprehend. (God Bless)!

#10.1.1.1.1 Matt Oxley on 08/03/10 at 12:54 PM [Reply]

No insults intended Cherokee....sorry to have seemed that way, just letting you know I have difficulties at times seeing your point.

I appreciate, at the least, that you have good intentions.

#11 Cherokee on 07/31/10 at 06:57 PM [Reply]

When there are issuse involving a school choice that wil give parents a choice where their child will attend classes, we should not leave out certain disussion, at this point all discussion should be put on the table and not swept under the rug and the ones who think certain things should not discuss some have forgotten african american history and this continue to be an issue that some people seem are to afraid to talk about and rather bury their head in the sand like an ostrich. As long as there are different races on God's earth there will always be a discussion about race as I have brought to all attention.

#12 Corey on 08/02/10 at 05:41 PM [Reply]

Alas, Eastman continues to make me facepalm.

#13 Cherokee on 08/02/10 at 09:37 PM [Reply]

I am sorry that some cannot understand me. The cherokee language has been my native tongue that I speak sometimes and only few understand me. If you don't understand me, I find your crticism to be one that my ancestors accepted with peace and love. PLEASE CONTINUE TO DISCUSS THE SCHOOL CHOICE ISSUE. It seems as if I have taken the attention away from the school board and I apologize to my colleagues (school board members).

#14 Pinkie on 08/04/10 at 01:17 PM [Reply]

Cherokee is right about Dodge County having a 'race' issue. I have never lived in a state where 'reverse discrimination' is practiced so openly. From the highest levels of county and city govenment to the lowest levels of government -mandated help (i.e. food stamps), doors magically open and certain requirements are over-looked. Will we ever live in a world where people are "judged on the content of their character and not on the color of their skin'?

#15 Pinkie on 08/10/10 at 12:04 AM [Reply]

As far as the parents chosing which school, though, it IS all about 'Classism.'--as Mr Oxley stated above. It has long been common knowledge that people hold the belief that South Dodge is more 'elite', thus making it more desirable, than North Dodge.

#15.1 Matt Oxley on 08/10/10 at 09:07 AM [Reply]

Actually i always understood North Dodge to be elite...and the numbers show that.

South has a higher percentage of minorities and low income students - meaning it actually EARNS the most money for our school system, yet it generally gets a lower portion of the funds...

#16 mr m on 08/11/10 at 05:06 AM [Reply]

south dodge is a much better school they do more their students then north dodge. my son has been to both. I can say that south dodge is by far a better school.north dodge acts like it is for all the upper class people if you dont fit in you will not make it out

#17 Educate on 08/15/10 at 01:33 PM [Reply]

Race is always going to be an issue. The county would save more money and get more funds if Dodge County had one elementary. Yet, Dodge county could be suited for discrimaniton due to the fact that many poor minority parents would not have a way or not educated enough to pick the most appropriate school for thier child. It sad to see in little Dodge county that the people are stilll stuck on race. Minority can and will sue until it gets to the Sumpreme County. It is a know educational fact that schools with high percentage of minorities and low socieconmic status does poorly. even the playing field for this students and parents.

#17.1 Cherokee on 08/19/10 at 11:08 AM [Reply]

Some minorites here and no offense to them(I love them)but I must help you say that some minorites are not educated to understand and they donot have the means of transportation to get their child to another school if they wanted to. If the School Board wants to help these parents to make a choice then they should provide a school bus to transport students. This is how the minorities might get stuck in one school without a mixture of race. Thank God, school was intergrated in my day because I learned how to interact with all races and I have all races in my family. I hope the parents can understand what I am saying about this world becsaue we donot live in it according to race but according to how we understand Sociology(one of my favorite subjects.) In the now and in the future we all need to know how to sociolize with each other with love,peace and harmony. God Bless! He loves us all!

#18 Pinkie on 08/15/10 at 11:44 PM [Reply]

Okay, Okay, I admit it. I gave the wrong reason for South Dodge being the more popular school! I have always known it was more popular with most people, but mis-understood the reason why. The programs are superior and more inclusive at South Dodge, maybe just to be sure no-one can complain that lower-socio-economic classes are slighted in their quest for education. Yay for Dodge County..way to even out the playing field!

#19 Cherokee on 08/16/10 at 07:29 PM [Reply]

My original comments were to make parents aware of a brighter future for their child. In the original comments I never said that Dodge County School System had a race problem but since some took it out of context, I sat back and watch how it would turn out without me trying to set the record straight. It was very interesting to see how the arena played out. Now let us wish all the kids a happy new school year. Remember I only tried to make some parents aware as to how postive their child's future might turn out if they use their heads and think about life's choices.

#19.1 Matt Oxley on 08/20/10 at 04:14 PM [Reply]

I don't think everyone involved in this discussion was necessarily responding to your original comment Cherokee

#19.1.1 Cherokee on 08/23/10 at 10:54 PM [Reply]

I don't think so either and they missed the boat. When I read a book I start from the beginning and this way I comprehend what is being said without jumping to a conclusion of my own but as I can see some just take the jack-ass by the tail and run with it---SO BE IT. CASE CLOSED.

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