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Post by forthekids on Sept 2, 2008 10:32:48 GMT -5
I have never heard anyone (candidates or otherwise) say we should not move any resident students ever, Linnea. Where did you see that? That wouldn't make any sense, and we all know that. CFKF proposed moving open enrolled students FIRST and that is the way it should be. On the candidate's flyer it says they support "PRIORITY TO RESIDENT STUDENTS in Cedar Falls Schools". Don't put other words in their mouths.
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Post by linnea on Sept 2, 2008 11:59:30 GMT -5
This is how I understand it (correct me if I'm wrong): CFKF says, don't move any resident kids *now*. First spend a few years trying to manage class sizes by moving OE kids.
I personally think the board did the right thing by moving some resident kids and some OE kids now. In fact, I think they maybe did too little too late. But I can't support people who want to do it even slower. Particularly when it seems that the same people who founded CFKF and are saying "Don't move any kids now" are the same people who were saying "Close down North Cedar and build a new school in the southwest" earlier on in the process.
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Post by LKN on Sept 2, 2008 13:10:35 GMT -5
CFKF put trust into the subcommittee that was assembled to study the boundary line situation. The board chose to completely disregard all of the work done by members of the community they are suppose to be representing. This leads me to believe the board had predetermined the outcome regardless of the suggestions of the public. As a member of a board, an individual is representing the interests of a particular group - which groups are being represented by the current board?
I fully support the new candidates regardless of the school they send children to, this should play no part in anyone's decision. It is a personal choice that was made, just as it is a choice to OE out of the district - as a parent, you must do what you feel is best for your child/children.
As far as the "Close down North Cedar and build a new school in the southwest" statement previously commented on - I personally believe that this is the best route to take for the long-term success/growth of the Cedar Falls School District. While I firmly stick by this belief, this is not (never was) the goal of the CFKF group, this group simply wants the interests of the children of Cedar Falls to be at the forefront when making decisions about the future of the CF School District. Hopefully new faces on the school board will put the focus back where it belongs -- on educating children of Cedar Falls.
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Post by NC Parent on Sept 2, 2008 22:01:34 GMT -5
I just find it interesting that you feel it would be a better use of taxpayer money and in the best interest of "all F kids" to build a new school South of town. I guess it is not okay to move some CF kids to an existing school but it is okay to move ALL the NC kids from one whole part of town to another school-they are CF kids too! It is not okay to move some but perfectly acceptable to move an entire side of town to accomodate the rest. To me I would say that is not any better of a plan. The board did listen to the committee and made the best decision to move as few kids as possible and to allow any money to be spead as far as possible. It just angers me that it all seems to continue to come down to "it's all good as long as it isn't my family that is effected".
If everyone was so upset with the board all of these years, why have they run unopposed for so long? If they were doing such a terrible job, why have they been on the board for all of these years. Now that the hard decision had to be made, I guess there needs to be someone to blame, why the the folks that have spent so long doing the job no one else wanted to do.
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Post by CF parent on Sept 2, 2008 22:36:13 GMT -5
Linnea
What specific ideas are you suggesting the "incumbants" espousing that you do not agree with.....specifics?
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Post by Linnea on Sept 2, 2008 22:42:13 GMT -5
Linnea.
Please do not take this wrong, would you excuse yourself from this website...you do not bring meaningful dialogue...nothing personal please...you make igornant and false statements and than you cannot factually support them.
It's just like saying the challengers are single issue candidate. FALSE...read their flyers and their bio's......Are you a surrogate of Coils?
Please, excuse yourself from this website unless you are prepared to bring facts you can support......
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Post by cf schools on Sept 3, 2008 8:30:58 GMT -5
I've looked back over a few of linnea's posts and I find noting offensive...She/he has brought a different point of view without attacking anyone personally. While I don't agree with her/him mostly, that is what this board is for...isn't it? To share points of view and discuss the issues that concern us all.
I mean, we do have that in common...we all care about this school district and want what's best for the children who are educated by it. We can agree on that can't we.
Now, I'm sure if you go back far enough, you could find a post where she/he may have said something that was a little emotional and hurtful to someone, but heck you could probably find that in some of my posts too. This is an emotional issue for many of us and sometimes things are said that may be inappropraite, but I know I don't mean to offend anyone personally and I'm sure linnea dosen't either...but for the most part I've found linnea's posts to be respectful.
Please, linnea, don't feel like you have to leave this website...you bring another perspective to the site that is valuable and challenging. How boring would it be if we all agreed on everything....what would we talk about?
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Post by CF Mom on Sept 3, 2008 13:01:20 GMT -5
NC Parent,
I am a parent of kids in the CF school system. I am also on the side of looking to build a new school in the furture. I am not at all saying to close NC right now, but the facts are facts. NC numbers are dropping and not many people are moving into that area. I think it is necssary to look at the long term growth. There are 700 new jobs coming to the area from Target Corp and a Big Finicial Co is coming to the Beaver Hills area of CF. Where are these people going to move??? They might move to NC, but most likely will not.
All in All the changes made this fall to the boundries did nothing for relief of class sizes. My daughter has 24 and 22 in there classes. I personally think that is to much, but at NC those kids get to have 15-16 in there classes
I do not think it is fair to my kids to have these large classes. If a new school were to open, and they would add on to some of the schools then we could get class sizes more managable.
I have said in the past that I would move my child in a heart beat if it were to result in a long term solution. I think people are angry because the solution used was not a long term fix and there kids might be moved again in a few years.
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Post by Parent of 2 on Sept 3, 2008 13:37:55 GMT -5
I am the parent of 2 young children who will be entering the school system in a couple years. The CF School District is not looking like the stable, quality environment that it has been touted as in the past.
I want to know what the candidates (incumbant and new) are planning to do to heal this school district. It seems as if some schools are being utilized as a very temporary solution to a long term problem - what is the long term solution? What will happen next year? And the year after that? In 5 years? In 10 years? What will keep the Cedar Falls Schools regarded as some of the best? These are the questions that, in my mind, the current board has not answered - or has not been willing to share with the public.
The bottom line is the school board is there to represent the people of Cedar Falls, and all must be accountable for the decisions that are made - which includes planning for the immediate and distant future, and sharing the plans with those they are representing.
The board/administration of CF needs to look closely at what their neighbors have done in the past few years. Waterloo has done a tremendous job of making the tough decisions for the betterment of the district - long term solutions to improve the district as a whole.
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Post by linnea on Sept 4, 2008 9:50:10 GMT -5
cf schools, thanks for your comments. When I have an opinion, I try to specify that it is my opinion, and when I have facts, I present them as facts.
CF parent asks "What specific ideas are you suggesting the "incumbants" espousing that you do not agree with.....specifics?"
Actually, I agree with the incumbents, for the most part, except I think they should have moved more kids to North Cedar.
CF Mom, how long to you think the process of planning, funding and building a new school will take? We could have smaller class sizes *now* by moving more kids to North Cedar.
The thing about trends is that they can change direction. Yesterday a flyer from the school district came in the mail. It was interesting to read that until 2002, enrollment was dropping. It's been going up since then, but this year elementary enrollment dropped slightly. Maybe that growth trend has flattened out. It would be a real shame if the district put a whole bunch of money into a new school building that turned out not to be necessary. In the meantime, why not use the buildings that already exist more evenly?
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Post by linnea on Sept 4, 2008 9:57:12 GMT -5
Parent of 2, do you have a lot of exposure to what's going on in the CF schools besides this website? I think there are a small number of people who are upset about the boundary issue, but otherwise, there are a lot of great things going on in the CF schools.
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Post by chillidog on Sept 4, 2008 17:26:25 GMT -5
Parent of 2, do you have a lot of exposure to what's going on in the CF schools besides this website? I think there are a small number of people who are upset about the boundary issue, but otherwise, there are a lot of great things going on in the CF schools. Linnea do you have exposure to anyone other than NC people. I think you will find that there are a huge amount of people who are upset about the absurd and worthless solution Mr Stoakes and his lackeys on the school board came up with. People are not so stupid or shallow minded to think that just because they didn't get moved in this years stupidity that they aren't going to get moved next year or the year after that but then again when we look at the numbers no one needed to be moved this year. Just FYI there are other schools and other students other than the 'NC' students who were affected by this travesty of the school board Covering their _____ after wasting the committes time. Expand your horizons and leave NC and cross the river to where the rewst of us got screwed
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wowchillidogisanasss
Guest
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Post by wowchillidogisanasss on Sept 4, 2008 19:44:39 GMT -5
That was uncalled for, your opinion could have been stated better. I think the boards decision was OK, could have been better, but was OK. Now what you said, that is what Cedar Falls Parents First is all about.
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Post by chillidog on Sept 5, 2008 7:15:01 GMT -5
That was uncalled for, your opinion could have been stated better. I think the boards decision was OK, could have been better, but was OK. Now what you said, that is what Cedar Falls Parents First is all about. Yep, i am an ass not a sycophant suck up parent. See some of us recognize the mistakes this school board and puppet master Stoakes have been making since they went way overboard on costs at Lincoln and that this is what caused their stupid and devastatingly short sighted boundary plan. Yep an ass and whatever other funny little names you want to call me
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Post by guest5 on Sept 5, 2008 19:03:41 GMT -5
Did anyone have the chance to make it to the public forum last night, if so what was your take?
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