The RAS Board has decided to take another attempt at phasing out the transfer busing. Remember: last time they reinstated the buses near the end of the previous phase out plan. We had just passed the referendum, money was available and Parents lobbied, so it the phase out was cancelled.
RAS Transfer Busing Phase Out Plan Site
The plan seems to make sense overall, however I am puzzled by the following statement.
"Honors transfer students attending Robbinsdale Cooper High School currently in grade 9 or above would receive busing throughout high school. A prior decision phased-out transportation for Honors transfer students to Robbinsdale Armstrong High School over 4 years, ending with the 2010-11 school year."
I must not have been watching close enough again, since I can not for life of me remember the prior decision or it's rationale. Why were we on the path to phasing out cross district busing to AP (ie East to West), while planning to continue cross district busing to IB (ie West to East)? Can anyone jog my memory?
4 years is a long time to carry the extra costs, however at least the clock has started again. Hopefully, this time we will follow through and the potential new Magnet does not swallow up the Transportation savings for it's busing needs. I'd rather have the funds go into the classrooms.
Since things are never simple and though I am in general against all this transportation complexity and expense. I want to remind folks that this savings, though necessary, will likely make the District and community less attractive for some small percentage of families. Those that want choice and busing. (remember: losing 50 students is equal to losing ~$500,000) Now we'll see what happens?
What are your thoughts on this change and it's handling?
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5 comments:
I believe there was furious lobbying by parents and CHS IB leaders that if there wasn't west to east busing, then Honors IB at Cooper would slowly dwindle. And I suspect that the previous administration wanted to keep the involved parents that Honors IB brings to CHS. It will be interesting to see if taking away guaranteed busing to Robbinsdale Middle School for Honors IB there (and recall the whole school is IB, but there are many west students bused over for Honors IB)will result in many fewer students in Honors IB. Honors IB is a magnet, with the goal that magnets usually have - to pull in more high achieving students and their parents.
I think Schools with IB curriculum vs the IB Honors programme confuse many people, including myself.
I'll take a shot and if I am too far off base, maybe a reader would be kind enough to correct me. Schools with the IB curriculum teach courses in such a way that math, reading, writing, etc are somewhat combined in solving the problem. Also, the Teachers need to meet some prescribed training criteria. The International Baccalaureate curriculum is based on the IBO criteria.
Whereas the IB Honors/Degree programme is a "Magnet" school within Cooper. And the students are pretty well kept separate from the typical Cooper student body. It is a very very small school based on the Grad picture. The curriculum is hard and you have to be pretty smart to get in. If you succeed, you get an IB Degree.
As JJ noted, there is a group of Board Members, Admin, Teachers and Parents that are very interested in continuing to nurture and offer the IB Honors programme, though it seems to struggle to grow.
IB Primary Years
IB Middle Yrs
IB Honors/Degree
IB Home Page
If we account for unique overhead, unique admin, unique training, smaller class sizes, etc. I wonder how much each IB Honor student costs? On the other hand, it is good for advertising... And it may attract certain families to our community...
Remember: I am an AP advocate and therefore may be slightly biased... (AP Home Page)
Thoughts?
That's the only way they'll get kids to stay in IB and go to Cooper, otherwise they'll all just go back to Armstrong. It's still unfair! Busing should be eliminated for kids not going to their home school and that includes RSI. It's bull that parents say they can't get their kids to RSI if they aren't bused. The RSI kids in our neighborhood go to Adventure Club (no busing needed) or a parent stays home (they can give them a ride) before they head out to the club.
The District seems not to be speaking with one voice. I asked a high official about this recently and that person said both AP and IB intra-district busing were being eliminated, just on different phase out calendars. And that both decisions were reluctant, forced by [allegedly] tight budgets. And yet, I can't help but wonder if this will conveniently be "revisited" in future years, particularly if IB loses enrollment.
In other words, I can't help but wonder if IB phase out is temporary lip service until AP busing (and the parents protests) is phased out.
I am concerned you have hit the nail on the head...
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