Back to School

Sorry to be away so long. But, I just haven't had too much to say until now.

Last week, I toured the schools in my district with Mayor Dean and his very sharp Director of Children and Youth, Danielle Mazera. We started at West Meade Elementary on Carnavon Parkway. West Meade Elementary is a darling school in the middle of a picture perfect residential neighborhood. Unfortunately, very little of the neighborhood actually attends West Meade. Demographically, the population of West Meade has moved beyond their child-rearing years and those that have not are affluent enough to send their children to private school or smart enough to send them to magnet schools. The school is operating at only 79% capacity with the prediction that will continue to fall. Approximately 50% of the children that attend West Meade are eligible for free or reduced lunch.

We were met by Steve Breese, the principle of West Meade. Steve seems like a pleasant and energetic man. We toured the school, visited several classrooms, including a resource room and PE. In one class, children were watching the show Arthur and discussing story elements. In another, they had just broken for snack. I learned that the school started the year with 4 first grade classes but 4 weeks into the year, a teacher was tranferred to Julia Green and the children re-assigned to other classrooms. So, that means your young child gets acclimated with one teacher and class and then gets to do it again a month later. In the latest round of the perpetual blame game between Council and School Board, I was told that the transfers happened because the budget would not support classrooms with less than the requisite number of students. The school was slated to lose one of its PE teachers because of under-enrollment but managed to hang on to him because he provided the necessary African American role model for the children. He is likely to be re-assigned next year.

Next we went to Hillwood High School. Karl Lang is the principle at Hillwood. He is appears to have a pretty good command of his school. The atmosphere is orderly and respectful. The classes we visited - American History and Ecology - were small. The library is large but sparse. The cafeteria was well run and pleasant but that might have had something to do with the two uniformed Metro police officers that are posted there. Hillwood operates at about 80% capacity. About 43% of the kids are on free or reduced lunch. Only about a 1/3 of children make it to school 95% of the time.

At HG Hill Middle we met up with Julie Simone. Julie strikes me as one of those rare teachers for whom teaching is a calling not a job. We talked about the children at HG Hill who rode the bus 30 minutes each way and how difficult it was for their parents to get to school for conferences. Julie told me that if a parent won't come to her, she gets in her car and goes to them. Julie's class presented the Mayor with a homemade hoola-hoop. In the ongoing effort to burden the education system with correcting every single pathology that affects our society, kids must get 90 minutes of activity a day. So, they have came up with the hoola-hoop as something they can squeeze in. The Mayor promised to return in March and demonstrate his hoola-hooping skills. I plan to attend and watch.

We had lunch at HG Hill. Tater Tots (which I love) and hambugers. I sat with several girls who were trying to get an assignment on plant biology done so they could go to recess. The worksheet called for them to draw a picture of a plant's egg cell but the text book had no illustration or description. I could remember the basic differences between plant and animal cells but could not help with the egg cell picture. The girls told me that they ride the bus about 30 minutes each way from their home in "Dodge City." Why do you call it "Dodge City?" I asked. They told me that was what everyone calls it. (No snarky emails. I know why they call it "Dodge City.") I asked what they did on the bus for 30 minutes. One girl said that they get wild. Another girl said they were quiet and stayed in their seats because the bus driver was very strict. They were very sweet and were thrilled the Mayor came to visit their school.

Like Hillwood and West Meade, HG Hill Middle stands in the middle of one of Nashville's most affluent neighborhoods. Some of the richest people on this planet live within 1/2 mile. Yet, HG Middle is 52% free and reduced lunch particpants. Like West Meade, the Hillwood neighbohood has - and not for good reason - abandoned the schools in their midsts for magnet or private schools.

The question is: "Why?"