I’m writing because in the past two weeks, a committee formed by the Chapel Hill-Carrboro school district released a comprehensive recommendation for all dual-language programs in the district. While I could make a list of more than 10 things that I don’t agree with in terms of the recommendations and how they were made, I would like to focus on one important issue.
I recognize that with the new elementary school’s arrival, there are a number of decisions that need to be made, none of which are easy given that many families within the Chapel Hill-Carrboro district will be affected. No matter what decision is made, there will always be a contingency of parents and school staff unhappy with that decision.
But I hear time and again from our town leaders that this town wants to be inclusionary and transparent. We encourage our residents to be involved in the issues surrounding our town’s growth and development. Chapel Hill 2020 is a good example of that. I am one of the co-chairs on the CH2020 committee and have seen firsthand the lengths to which our town has reached out to the many populations that make us who we are. The result has been many spirited, thought-provoking discussions about who we want to be when we grow up. And while the process has not been easy to navigate, I’m confident the resulting product will be much more rich and multi-dimensional than the plan that could have been written by a few people holed up in a conference room for a few days.
I see the decision regarding our district’s DL programs as an issue that demands the same attention and respect. This is an issue with far-reaching consequences throughout the district, affecting many populations within Chapel Hill-Carrboro, particularly our relatively new neighbors from Burma. There was a 10-person committee formed to review this issue. The committee consisted of principals from several area elementary, middle and high schools, as well as representation from Lincoln Center. However, Frank Porter Graham was not invited to participate, nor was our administration even aware that these conversations were taking place. Yet FPG has been selected by the committee as the location for the DL magnet school starting in 2013-14.
I respectfully ask that FPG administration and/or staff be involved in the committee making these recommendations. No one in this district quite understands the unique population and distinct needs of our school like our own administration and staff. And it would be nice to have someone with actual knowledge of our school to be a participant in the discussion.
Paige Zinn
FPG parent