Too little, too late, Wendy

Both papers today reported on a "frank" presentation Wendy gave at last night's board meeting on the loss of students (money) to charter schools. I didn't tune in myself because the mute button on my remote is flaky so I'm just relating what was in the papers. Funny thing, a couple of years ago,  in a discussion about Imagine Schools, I heard Mark GiaQuinta say he welcomed the competition (as long as they didn't have air conditioned buildings of course). Now they're changing their tune but as usual the blame for their problems lies elsewhere. .

Wendy should have done this presentation ten years ago. Now she wants to talk to parents who want to flee the district to get them to stay. She could have been talking to white parents who have been fleeing for years, but parents and taxpayers don't know squat and losing 400 white kids a year apparently is not a problem. In fact she could still ask GiaQuinta why he pulled his kids out and maybe in private he would give her a straight answer. But now it seems minority parents are finally waking up and looking for better options, or a "better product" as GiaQuinta puts it.

She claimed the district has been making progress academically for the last three years. Let's see, that would coincide with the time the state finally lowered the boom. That would be about the time she had a conversation she couldn't ignore because the state was ready to move in and the money was on the line. No ignorant parents or taxpayers whining at the end of a board meeting even with the TV cut off. This time it's about self preservation.

And so now she's losing minority kids to charter schools because those schools are spreading "misinformation" about FWCS. Really? The Urban League is lying? Former SSHS principal Thomas Smith is lying? If I said that they'd be calling me a racist (again). Even Karen O'Frisco would dance around that one. FWCS is going to go door to door to spread the truth. Can't wait 'til they get to my door.