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Rumor Mill-5627

Published March 14, 2014

The purpose of this section is to answer any questions parents, teachers or community members might have regarding the school district and to set the record straight in regards to any rumors that might be circulating.

If you have a question or have heard a rumor that you would like for us to address, simply SEND US your questions and we will respond to them in upcoming issues of InFocus. Below are some of the questions we have received since our last issue.

Why are there try-outs for sports that are more individual in nature, such as cross-country, track, and swimming? If a student would like to join a sport, such as those mentioned, shouldn't they be allowed to? Why should a student that would like to be healthy, get into shape, and possibly meet new friends be denied the opportunity? Especially since it is not a transportation issue due to the fact that they have to provide their own transportation to practices and meets. It doesn't matter what place a person gets in these sports, it matters that they get out there and try their hardest!

At this time, no high schools have try-outs for cross country or track.

At the middle school level, try-outs for competitive sports such as track may be necessary at times due to the number of students who wish to join the team. For instance, some schools do not have the track space/facilities to accommodate large numbers of athletes, especially when they must share the track with other schools. In addition, some schools may not have the supervision needed to watch over such a large number of athletes.

Swimming is a club sport and is not sanctioned by the TSSAA or Williamson County Schools, therefore the decision to have try-outs is made by each individual team.
What exactly are the counselors' jobs and how often should they meet individually with students? I would think that they should at least meet with every student once a year for an one-on-one meeting to see how that student is progressing. It doesn't have to be a long meeting, just a quick "how's it going" or "is there anything we can help you with". The counselors shouldn't wait until the student's senior year to meet the student and then try to help someone that they really don't know try to determine what he or she would like to do after graduation.

The goal of WCS high school counselors is to assist all students in meeting their academic and career goals while supporting their social and emotional development. The counselors provide indirect and direct services to students through individual academic and career planning, classroom presentations and responsive services. They also serve as personal counselors for individuals and may also lead group counseling sessions. In addition, they serve as a valuable resource to consult with parents, faculty and administrators while assisting students in problem-solving.

Some of the counselor’s time, unfortunately, may be consumed with administrative tasks (i.e. scheduling, letter writing, transcript evaluation, testing, etc.). With caseloads that often exceed 450 students to one counselor, school counselors make every effort to meet with students who are a part of their individual caseloads a minimum of one time during the school year. If you do not feel that your student has been advised during the course of the school year, please contact your child’s school counseling office to arrange an appointment for your student as well as yourself.

I understand that teachers are not required to keep a webpage, such as a Share Point page. What would be the process to have this changed so that it is a requirement that all teachers maintain one? In this day and age, Share Point pages are great resources for parents and students to go to for seeing daily assignments, upcoming quizzes and tests, view Power Point presentations, etc. Some of these teachers have absolutely nothing on his or her page and others have information from years past.

Teacher websites delivered through SharePoint are one example of district provided tools that can be used to share student assignments, quizzes and tests, and other instructional content. Each building principal works with staff to find the most comprehensive tools to meet community needs. If you value one means of communication over another, provide the suggestion to the school principal. Your input, along with the input of others in the school community, helps school personnel select the best communication methods to meet community needs.

Is Williamson County ever going to provide parents the opportunity to "grade" the county's performance? The last district that we lived in had an anonymous survey that was conducted every year that addressed the parents' opinions on how their child(ren)'s school was performing, the performance of the teachers and administration, the school buildings (cleanliness, adequate equipment to teach, etc.), clubs/sports, and there was a place to ask additional questions that were answered on the county's website. The grades were also calculated by school and as the district overall and listed on the district's website. If the district does not plan on ever providing the parents an opportunity as such, please let me know why.

Every five years, WCS undergoes a national accreditation study through AdvancED Systems Accreditation Institute. WCS just completed this rigorous process in 2012-13, and it included an extensive online parent survey that was used, together with a self-analysis and an outside team evaluation, to determine the district’s effectiveness in serving students and their families.

In August of 2012, the survey was sent to parents via administrators and through the district's e-newsletter InFocus. The district received more than 10,000 responses from parents. The survey data have been used to determine action steps that will guide and strengthen the district's efforts to improve student performance and system effectiveness.

The AdvancED Accreditation Report can be found on the district website by going to http://www.wcs.edu/wp-content/pdf/ExternalReview.pdf.

In addition to this comprehensive survey, the district also uses focused parent surveys on specific topics on a regular basis. For example, we recently surveyed the parents of students in our elementary world language pilot in order to inform our planning in that area.

There is a rumor that the high school honors classes will not require portfolio projects next year. My son heard this from a teacher in one of his honors classes. Truth or fiction?

The district will not require portfolios for honors classes in the coming year. Instead we will be focusing very heavily on day-to-day rigor and relevance. Individual teachers will have the option of requiring portfolios, but that will be a school-by-school decision.

We are almost entering the fourth semester of this school year. Why are Ravenwood High School students still sitting on the ground to eat their lunches; particularly the over-capacity freshman class? It is unsanitary and just plain gross. I don't think any parent or teacher would want to sit on a dirty and uncomfortable floor to eat his or her lunch. There should be adequate sitting for EVERY student. Why are there extra tables on the second floor that students cannot sit at? They were told they were reserved for the senior class. The senior class is not eating lunch at that time and students should be allowed to sit there.

At Ravenwood High School, the tables located upstairs are off limits to freshmen because it is a senior privilege. There are enough tables for students, but some choose to sit on the floor.