Just joking you wittle wildcat!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! [img]/LDPforum/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/getsmile.tmp008106164.gif[/img]
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Just joking you wittle wildcat!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! [img]/LDPforum/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/getsmile.tmp008106164.gif[/img]
okay just makin sure. Sometimes on here you cant be sure who's jokin and who's serious.
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Does a town of 1000 people need a small school all to itself?
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Yes. Any school over 400 kids is too big IMO. Also, your figures are flawed. These "towns" consist of more people than just that number that lives within the town limits. Your figures only speak for the inside of the town, not for all of the outlying areas that are still part of the community and the school service district.
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But Wise Co. has great roads. So what if a kid has to ride a bus for 30 minutes? I went to school with kids who rode the bus for almost an hour morning and evening. Gives them time to sleep, do homework, or make out with their sweetie pie.
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Do homework on a bus? Yeah right. Make out? Hah. Also, if you started a bus at the Kentucky state line in Flat Gap and had to drive all the way to JJ Kelly picking up kids as you went, it could easily take an hour and 30 minutes. Someone said 45 minutes earlier, but thats how long it takes driving normal speed in a car not making any stops.
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schools on this end of the state would still be one room with a school marm.
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Not such a bad idea.
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If any consolidation makes sense, it is Appy and PV.
[/ QUOTE ] Big Stone Gap and Appalachia are two distinct communities with their own different identities. It is very similar to the Pound-Wise situation discussed earlier, the Appy kids would be lorded over by the BSG kids.
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Hell, over half (and I'm just throwing a number out there, might be more, might be less) of Scott Co's roads are still graveled. Yet Scott only has 3 high schools. I knew kids who rode a bus from darn near RCHS all the way to TSHS.
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Scott County is far more sparsely populated than Wise County is.. this accounts for the lesser number of schools and the greater areas served by those schools.
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I've been in every high school in the county save Pound and I've yet to see a school in good shape.
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Just what does a school have to be to be in "good shape"? That's ridiculous. You cant expect them all to look like they were built yesterday, people use them you know.
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Perhaps I am too single-minded, but I tend to look at things like this solely from a financial point-of-view.
[/ QUOTE ] Yes that is a problem. Because this whole thing should be about what is best for the students and the communities, not about someones pocketbook.
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Would it be good if all of the WCHS's could be remodeled? Yes. But some of these schools were built what, 60 or 70 years ago? Before computers, before televison, before air conditioners. One must compare what it will cost to remodel the schools versus what it will cost to build one or two or three new schools that, with proper care, will last into the 22nd century.
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Here's the best one of all... if we build a school today thats supposed to last into the 22nd century.. then guess what? That building would have to stand and be used for over 90 years!
Now.. there is something fundamentally wrong with that statement. If were going to build a building and use it for 90+ years, then why cant we use our existing buildings for 90+ years? This is a non-sequitur.
We all know that in 50 years, just like today, someone would be yammering about how old the school was and that we needed a new one. Again...
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are duplicates of courses being offered at local colleges and they should be properly taught at those colleges
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Why wait to take these classes? This is detrimental to students. Also, very few students have the ability to dual-enroll. This takes tuition. AP courses are part of a public education. And those that do dual-enroll still dont get in one or two semesters the AP courses that should be offered in high school. AP course boost attractiveness to colleges - boost scholarship opportunities.
Our students are not marketable. Our students are not competitive. When students apply for college admission they are compared to the other applicants. Our students can't compete with regards to college prep. This affects their financial aid (scholarships) also.
http://www.virginia.edu/undergradadm...admission.html
http://www.admissions.duke.edu/jump/applying/who.asp
http://www.admiss.vt.edu/apply/fresh...e_look_for.php
http://www.admissions.unc.edu/applying/freshman.htm
Just some example of what colleges are looking for.
You may not agree with the efficacy, but the reality is these courses are weighted heavily in admissions consideration. The colleges dont care why a student doesn't have more AP classes. The colleges only care that you do have them at all.
Yes the "basic" education at Pound is good. But why stick our students with basic? Give these kids options. Don't give them a basic education. Give them an outstanding education. They're being left behind simply because they live in Southwest VA.
As it stands right now, if I had a high school age student in Wise County he/she would be yanked for homeschooling/private schooling or moved to a better school system. I would be doing my child a disservice by not giving him/her every academic option available.
If my options are "sense of community" or "child with a future" I pick child with a future.
[/ QUOTE ] I don't have time to read the whole thread, but there is no tuition for dual enrollment. [img]/LDPforum/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] Move the AP classes to college, what is different from that and the "one big high school" you want? Taking them your jr and sr year under dual enrollment is no different, saves space, teachers and cash. And not one of those classes would be taught in Appy or Pound. [img]/LDPforum/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]
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take uva wise out of the county and you would have a four lane county wide on our way to bristol and kingsport.
I say that because I see so many people copy and past stuff on here, then lean on it as if they made some large find, other than knowing how to use a search engine.
[/ QUOTE ] It is the only way we can get some of you to read. [img]/LDPforum/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]
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Just because I am not an ancient decrepit person such as yourself
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I just love hearing comments like this. Those who say these things are so naive & immature. "I'm never going to get old I'll be 19 playing house forever." And then before you know it, maybe before you've even hit 25, you've got 4 kids hanging off your ankles, not working, drawing a check. (Fortunately I've had the good sense to avoid that but so many of my Pound High School classmates with the same attitude couldn't.)
It'a amusing. At the ripe old age of 30 I'm decrepit. Your time's coming young lady. You too will soon be ancient & decrepit in 11 short years.
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last time I checked Aphrodite was the Greek goddess of love. Think you might need to brush up on your history a little
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Mythology = Fiction. History = Non-Fiction. Aphrodite = Fiction. It would be pointless for him to brush up on his history to learn about mythological characters. Did you take AP Mythology and fail?
X~Lone~Crusader~X. I dont live in Wise (never have) and I didn't go to school in Wise. While it's none of your business where I live, I will say that most of my family still lives in Pound, and they have been in Pound since well before Pound became Pound (Bold Camp to be exact - sound familiar?). Odds are, we're even related. Isn't that nice.
Pound is my hometown.
You say "we don't care what you think." That my apply to the two of you, but my family, friends, and former educators (which in reality is a large portion of Pound) seem to care what my opinions are - I can have intelligent conversations with them.
I'm sorry I didn't mention the big ol' pizza plus and The Pixie in town. Wow! The economy has exploded! Such progress! Do you even know how many times the Pixie has opened and closed over the years? It's a roach breeding center. You're too young to even remember the fight to bring in a few nationally recognized chains. It's still ongoing. The town of Pound hates change & progress. Pizza Plus hardly counts as progress. I note you didn't counter on the fact that Pound is refusing to attempt recruiting industry/jobs/a future for the town. You can't deny it. Pound has nothing to offer for business & industry.
As far as having "too much time" I work 3 jobs seven days a week, 1 full time 2 part time. I get no days off no time off. I work to make something of myself and to earn the things I want in life (you know... 'the old fashioned way'). If I want to browse the internet in my free 10 hours a week then by hell I will. What do you people do? Hardee's? WalMart? Romas? A little part time coursework at the local Community College?
I stumbled upon the myspace material accidentally when I was sent something to review by someone else. I dont even have a myspace account myself - no time for it. But while I was there I recognized some usernames and checked it out. Spelling & grammar: atrocious. Dont get on here and argue that your education was great and then demonstrate the opposite by not even being able to conjugate verbs.
I could rebut every single comment made on there. Some of these comments made during the night are the most infantile unintelligent things I've heard in a long time, and in a way defend consolidation and better education.
I made my point and my opinion will not change
And who on here from Wise or BSG is saying they're better than the folks from Pound & Appy? I'm from Pound and I sure dont think that. I would laugh my rear off at any Wise person who dared approach me and claim superiority. You must be the one with the confidence issue.
Consolidation will happen. I'm not worried about it.
LPDFTBL.. [ QUOTE ]
But you don't win folks by making them feel inferior. Or as if your talking down to them
[/ QUOTE ] I'm sorry if my words are too big for you and that properly structured sentences befuddle you. I'm not going to dumb down my manner of speech. My parents and other family are working folks too. Blue Collar. Wage earners. They dont seem to think I'm talking down to them and I use the same manner of speech with them all. It's very sad that you think speaking thoughts clearly is acting stuck up.
You take whatever opportunity you can to stab at me because you're a misogynist. I figured that out a long time ago. I know you have a personal issue with me... but you can take it up with me to my face. Dont hide behind that monitor.
I took some of my free time last night and made my point on the matter, but my time is more valuable than this post (remember those 3 jobs?). I wont be wasting anymore time on it: I've got more important things to do with my time - like work. I have no doubt some will come on and continue to argue, maybe quote a few things I said & attempt to rebut. Enjoy yourselves.
When it's all said and done this forum has no standing in the actual consolidation issue.
Wasting your time arguing with these people. God knows that straight facts scare the hell out of these folks. Hey, if I was 19 just got out of school, I would probably fight it, not having children, not swallowing my pride, but I am not. I have a couple of folks more important to think about than me. Folks that are live in this little area of the world don't know any better. They like the simple, slow (and limited) life. I love this area and its people, but pride goeth before a fall.
Folks we can argue about it forever and nothing is going to change a thing. You all can park your little VW in front of the train, wave your little flags of protest, and watch it flatten you. Things change, times change. Either accept it or live in your little fantasy world and deal with serious disappointment.
i'd say in five years from now that person won't even be living in wise county....they will move away for better opportunities.
I agree with you and elp6n I rember when this stuff came up during the bashum mess I just finally got tired of arguing there are some people who's minds you can never change and I have gotten to the point that I don't even try.....
One of my favorite lines in this thread was that ANY school with 400 students was too large I did a boat load of digging when DC was looking at consolidation and while all reports will point to smaller schools being a better learning environment the studies consider 700 kids in 10-12 a small school and one study even stated that once a school drops below 300 in 10-12 that school in general starts losing programs based on censes. I did not keep my old links but I am sure anyone who wants to can Google and find much of the same info (If I am feeling froggy later I may do it myself LOL)
In any case I DO feel that consolidation would be beneficial to MOST SWVA schools but I also feel that if the backlash now is as strong as it was last year in Wise Co. it will take schools losing programs to get any type of change.
Sixty to eighty million dollars for renovations????????? Lee High cost 12 million dollars, and has room for 1200 students. Maybe Lee County got it right a long time ago, and our travel problems in athletics isn't so much that we made a mistake as much as we are years ahead of the rest of the counties around us in doing what must be done. I know I'm going to be blasted for saying that by all of you critics of consolidation and critics of Lee County, but I'll say it again: Lee High cost 12 million, and you are looking at spending sixty million to renovate 50 year old buildings. Maybe you should have consolidated back when two by fours were a dollar each.