For all true believers, it goes something like this:
- Last year Janet Rose put in writing that students entering on the downtown list could move elsewhere as soon as they had enrolled. [This behavior is known as CYA in the vernacular.]
- As a result, 35 families immediately pulled up stakes and headed for Mt. Pleasant, Sullivan's Island, and the Isle of Palms. Or, at least, that's their story and they're sticking to it.
Now the question should be, who's looked at the openings in grades 1 through 8 to see how they were filled from the waiting list this year? Janet Rose? Oh, well, then that's all right. Who's going to oversee the "lottery" system? Janet Rose? Oh, okay.
What a relief!
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41 comments:
Nothing will ever be done about this Buist corruption.
I know several families who moved from downtown several years after their kids were already enrolled at Buist — because the policy stated they could move. I also know that a waiting list slot in second grade a few years back went to a District 20 resident. Now these folks live SOB and their kid was enrolled at Porter Gaud.
Is that OK with you?
You seem to be beating the drum for the underprivileged Dist. 20 people who can't afford private school, but there are plenty of downtown students who go to Buist who have lots of money and, hence, lots of options.
It seems to be elitism more than anything else that anti-Buist people argue with. And when a school tests children for entry and only takes the top percentile, then the basis of that school is elistism. It's inherently unfair — if you disagree with the concept of an academic magnet to begin with.
Or perhaps you're unclear that the school is the county's academic magnet — the best place countywide for the district's smartest kids to get pushed farther than they would at their home schools where the other kids are struggling to learn their ABCs.
I agree 100 percent that people shouldn't cheat to get their kids into the school. And I know that people have cheated. But, I don't think the school should be dismantled because of bad administration. And I don't think you can fairly punish people who have moved by making the address policy retroactive.
Perhaps they should have made it apply to the class that came in two years ago, when the constituent board flagged the suspicious names and brought it to the board's attention.
When taxes go up and lower income folks have to move out of D20 to Johns Island, let's make sure to kick their kids out too.
Only people who can afford to live in D20 should be allowed in to Buist.
Right?
It seems that those on the outside publish their theories about corruption.....trying to tarnish ALL at Buist. If you cheated, you should be punished. If you followed a rule that was in place....the anti-Buist people need to move on. This conspiracy theory needs a rest.
It's a County Magnet School for Advance Studies....that happens to be in District 20. It's for black, white, asian, hispanic - whomever gets the luck of the draw and qualifies academically. It is what it is.
If memory serves me correctly, the "2 years ago" uproar was initially caused by parents of children who didn't pass the test....not who didn't draw a good number. My parents didn't even consider picking up the phone when my SAT scores weren't high enough to get me into the college of my choice.
You have to wonder if those parents of the lower testers would be whining about admission policies if their children had made the grade....
Don't forget that the County did scrutnize those names two years ago, and only one family didn't ultimately make it in- they withdrew their application before being scrutinized. Oh, I know, you still think it was a conspriricy because the County won't let you look at what information these people provided.
Though I'm sure there are people who did what you said, I've known many innocent people who have had their names thrown out there by you bloggers based off of shaky and incomplete info that you dug up.
Why don't you spend some time trying to figure out how to improve other schools. The Buist policy is now very strict- I seriously doupt anyone can fake an address now- and from now on- you have to stay in District 20. So you've won 90% of the battle. Move forward, not backwards.
Who said that 35 families immediately pulled up and left District 20 last year when the rule was published?! That was never said and is completely false!! The Superintendant said that Buist parents had relied on the Counties Policy for years, and that policy was spelled out for the last time in 2007!She never said at that moment was when all the families moved.... Don't report inaccurate statement's just to inflame people. Now you're getting as bad as the Post and Courier!
I agree with Anonymous 11:45. People have been listed unfairly and that's called defamation. You should be careful.
You won - they are no longer going to allow those who entered under District 20 to move out of the District and remain at Buist. Why are you people whining? Next I bet you'll cause an uproar if they allow siblings to stay even when their older sibling goes to high school. Aaaahhhh, seems unfair, doesn't it? Now you see why there is resistance?
It's a fact that a very large percentage of kids that got into Buist on the downtown list never lived downtown. They are still there. That is the problem.
I have never met a downtown resident that felt that Buist should only be for the wealthy, the poor, or for any particular racial group of children. However it has been a downtown school for decades and 25% of the seats should have been filled by true downtown residents. An audit should be done to see how few downtown children go to Buist.
By the way, there is nothing "elite" about a score of 75% on the YCAT. There may be some Buist students that are "gifted and talented" but there are plenty of children in public school all across Charleston County that would qualify for the same programs that Buist children luck into at taxpayers expense.
No Buist parent can fool themselves into thinking that Buist somehow manages to test the perfect group of four and five year olds. Buist is not an elementary school version of the Academic Magnet High School. If Buist was a true Academic Magnet school it would be full of all of the children from around the county that score the highest on a standardized test in second or even third grade.
The Buist parents don't claim that the perfect group of 4 and 5 years olds were tested.....but when a child isn't making the grade (literally) and has been on probation for the amount of time spelled out and still not making the grade - it's time to realize it's for "Advanced Studies" This blog and its supporters were whining when a child was about to fail out last year. '
The point being, anti-Buist people won't ever be happy.
Buist has not been a downtown school for decades - it's been a County Magnet school since the late 80's.....it sat empty for years.
So how do Buist parents justify what their children are given by CCSD? If they are clearly not the most academically worthy students in CCSD why are the Buist programs (foreign language, pre-SAIL and SAIL for all, IB, full time music, art and PE teachers, a full time guidance counselor and an assistant principal) not provided to other magnet students or the other gifted and talented children in other CCSD schools? No other school comes close to approaching the programs and staffing our tax dollars provide at Buist. Why?
They must qualify for SAIL and gifted and talented.....I'm just saying Buist parents don't walk around thinking their children are perfect.
Why do you say they are "clearly not the most academically worthy students in CCSD"? Do you know Buist students that you think shouldn't be there?
Apparently some readers don't recognize sarcasm and hyperbole when they see it. Some of these comments regarding past address discrepancies and testing of potential students, as well as trust that the lottery has always been on the up-and-up,indicate blind acceptance of CCSD's behavior that flies in the face of the facts. Try reading some of the previous Buist postings on this blog if you really are that innocent and/or Google YCAT to see what the test used for admission does test for and how it's being used in contravention of the inventors' purposes.
Babbie... the previous Buist postings are all about blasting the school and conspiracy theories on keeping district 20 out of Buist... just a way for you to keep the fire burning
What I don't understand is why do you attack Buist for having SAil, Art, Foreign Lang, etc? That's a great thing! Instead of saying "Hey, Buist has this stuff, lets work on getting other schools to have the same programs" you just attack Buist. Aren't all Buist student's County citizens? Why do you begrudge them a quality edjucation? The one thing you're right on is other schools should have this, but instead of being happy for the kids at Buist and working on the other schools, you just sit back and whine about Buist! All of you are so desparate to have your kids in Buist, but you say it's a school full of kids who really aren't as smart as they say, we're all racist, we're all spoiled, etc... So leave us bad people at Buist alone, and all of you really smart, perfectly honest, color blind families, enroll as a mass into one of the other schools and raise that schools standards!! There's just so many of you from what you describe, you could fill up a school with all your brilliant kids, who are so much better than Buist kids!
Maybe you're posts are full of sarcasm and hyperbole, Babbie, but some of these posters really mean the crazy, outlandish things they say against Buist!!
Anonymous 8:18... I feel your pain... I get just as angry as you with all these people complaning about Buist... I've posted my thoughts many times defending Buist and people have bashed me several times...
I say get rid of all the lists and make it all about the county, a lottery and test scores... having a special list for district 20 is biased... just like the court found the minority list to be biased...
Then maybe we can stop all the whining
District 20's list is now pure and will be in the future. So get over it, and like other's have said, start working on improving other schools in the District and County.
I'm really sick of being accused of taking away a spot from some truly deserving child, because I can afford private school, but I choose to send my child to Buist. I looked at several private schools and found Buist was the best fit and education for my child. Why is my child less deserving of that spot than any other child? I pay taxes in District 20. Not all of us want to send our kids to Porter, Mason, or the others just because we may be able to afford it. Some of appreciate the diversity (yes, I do believe it's diverse) and education at Buist and believe it is the best education for our kids. Why would I deny my children the best education possible? Because they happen to be born to parents who aren't "poor"? These are children we're talking about. You want them all treated equally, but YOU aren't treating them equally either.
anonymous 11:30... you SHOULD have the right to send your child to Buist no matter what your financal status, race or where you live as long as it's in the county... that's your choice
Every parent in CCSD should have THAT choice... IN ALL DISTRICTS
that's what we need to move forward on and quit wasting time on fighting Buist...WE NEED MORE BUISTS
The irony is that most of the "anti Buist" movement is made up of the richest of the rich from downtown who scream discrimination against minorities only as a way further their own causes. It's been done by many groups over the years to further their agenda. Elitist's stir up the masses to help the Elitist's accomplish their goal- knowing full well that they and not the masses or minorities will be the ones to benefit. I'll never forget watching an anti-Buist parent at a District 20 constituent board meeting screaming at the podium that "Buist is becoming whiter and whiter" and "we need to do something about it" trying to incite the mostly african american audience. After the meeting- there she was- outside talking to a Buist parent that she knew- saying "you can't expect me to send my kids to another downtown school with a bunch of black kids!" Typical hypocrite..
Meanwhile someone like Mrs. Kusmider sits in her multi million mansions and sues Buist over and over because ONE of her two twins DID get in, but the other didn't!! How dare they not let BOTH her twins in?!! So she sit's on the District 20 Board while her kids are homeschooled and takes out her fury on Buist!
Anonymous 12:09... you know nothing of what you speak. I don't want to argue this case with the Buist rabble anymore. I want the drag out the cowardly a$$e$ of those who are really responsible for this mess. We can start with the cowardly, lying and unprofessional excuse for a superintendent. Then we should ask the board to explain themselves. Take Toya Green and Gregg Meyer, both attorneys, who should be disbarred for their hypocracy and self serving cronyism. Let's rely on the facts and not plattitudes of who is entitled, who is rich or who is connected.
Buist as a school, whatever its academic success, has been forever sullied by the people who are running it. You can justify the facts of a system that sets Buist apart and then does nothing to rectify the inequities it leaves for the other schools. The people in charge, from the superintendent to the school principal, must be cruel and sadistic to think that people should just accept the status quo.
Why is it that Buist is a county-wide "full-magnet" school with a limited number of seats available to District 20, while no other "full-magnet" is open to anyone except their neigbhorhood attendance zone. Is Jennie Moore a full or partial magnet now? What about Ashley River? Until questions like these are answered there will continue to be deep distrust and dislike for everyone in charge of this mess.
I propose that no one with a child or grandchild in a Charleston County school should be allowed to serve on the school board. Then maybe we can finally get some honest and objective board members. At least they wouldn't see it as a personal benefit for a guaranteed slots for their favorite rug rat at a trophy school like Buist. Toya Green should never have acted on a Buist issue. She is up to her neck in conflicts of interest.
To the jackass who thinks this is about rich SOB's wanting to get their little darlings into Buist...most of those people couldn't care less about this issue. They gave up on fixing this long ago. They've either made "other arrangements" outside the public system or they have quit Charleston altogether.
I'm sure it would be news to the chairman of the district 20 board that she lives in a house worth "millions". Check the public records. It's worth only a fraction of the nice new house Toya Green recently bought in the Beach Company's little enclave in which they made their early purchase and which was promoted to them by their friend Joe Riley. That was right about the same time Toya was guaranteed a seat for her first child at Buist. Wanna bet her 2nd child slips right in? If you want to trash an elected official...why not start with one that doesn't represent the people of her district...a fact made clear by her own admission.
Enough of this garbage and the defense of these people Buist defenders who are garbage. Please get Buist out of downtown...or at least open up Ashley River and Jennie Moore to the rest of us. And don't forget...it's Toya Green, Gregg Meyers and Nancy McGinley who are standing in the way of getting "more Buists", not the Buist critics.
What you anti Buist bloggers need to realize is that YOU won a major victory with the Board decision! You're precious District 20 list is now secure with address verification, and all that get in on it must stay in District 20!!! Yet you're still not satisfied! The great leaders of the past have always know when to take their victories- pure or partial- and stop! You're can't take winning 90% of the battle, and what you are creating is a huge backlash against you by Buist families, people with actual logic, and even former supporters of your's from those I've talked to! That's whats creating this movement now to eliminate all the lists at Buist and make it a 100% County wide school open to all in the County! 3Board Members publicaly came out in support of this Monday! Clearly they realize that "enough is enough!" By continuing to push forward, you are harming what you have accomplished!
By the way, who cares if Buist parents or anti Buist parents are rich or not! People have the right to earn as much as they can, and just because you have money or options doesn't mean you are less entitled to a public edjucation than someone with less money! I find it hypocritical that you constantly attack Buist families as being rich(as if that matters) but go apes--t if someone points out that many of the anti Buist supporters are in the same boat... You anti Buist bloggers are the ones who need to get past that issue!
Without a horse in this race, but with interest in the issue- I think you're all(pro Buist/anti Buist) half crazy, and at the very least hypocrites! Buist "haters" really take some of the things they say too far and really need to just move on to bigger problems that face all schools. Buist "supporters" need to realize that there are reasons for the anger and also need to tone down the language. However, I do agree that Buist is now on a better or the right tract, and it's time to go on to other fights. Actually, I am starting to see the validity into making Buist truly a County Magnet with no preferences at all. It would be fair, give everyone in the County who are all taxpayers the same shot, and then there could be focus on the other schools.
I'm all for the no list movement... how do we get that started... I'll be the first one that band wagon
Also, how about all magnet schools having the same rules instead of each one with their own messed up admissions policy...
We need an overall of CCSD
Several of the council members talked of eliminating the whole mess with the lists. It's going to happen eventually because District 20 won't leave well enough alone. Ruth Jordan was the only one who seemed against it, and Douglas said so many contradictory things, who knows what he wants....
I think it would be a good thing to not have any lists... then it would be truly fair to all (meaning county-wide)... and I also agree that all magnet schools should follow the same set of rules... that way all this fighting would be eliminated
They should make Buist truly open to the county with no preferences and eliminate the lists + start over with a new Magnet program in a Distirct 20 school just for District 20.. The fairest thing is for all the main areas of Charleston County to have a Magnet school specifically for their District, and then have Buist open to the whole County as the centerpiece.
Alright, 7:31 PM, I'll buy your suggestion of doing away with the lists at this county-wide school, but will you then agree that Jennie Moore and Ashley River should also be treated the same way since they are also considered county-wide? After all, that's what the bureaucrats at 75 Calhoun are saying...St. Andrews is a "partial magnet" and Buist is a "full magnet" (i.e. "county-wide"). So what are Jennie Moore and Ashley River? They aren't "partial-magnets", so they must be county-wide like Buist.
If you’re not for lifting the restrictions from these two other magnet schools formed at the same time as Buist, then you’ll have to admit that the whole process at Buist always had a racist objective. The court records clearly show that the Buist admissions process was designed specifically to keep downtown minorities out of Buist or at best enrolled in limited numbers. That’s the only reason District 20’s students were restricted to a quota for Buist and effectively barred from the other two suburban elementary schools which had no similar limitations placed on their neighborhood students.
Partial magnet, full magnet, entrance exam, advanced studies, gifted, Y-CAT, open enrollment, county-wide, whatever! Look, I didn't invent this convoluted lexicon, McGinley did. If you want to know who's perpetuating this problem, it's the administration. Buist was just fine until the administration and individual county board members started playing favorites with the process and jimmying it until the outcome suited their whims. The entire mess has become a metaphor for what's wrong with CCSD as a whole.
anonymous 10pm... I agree 100% that ALL the magnet schools should be run the same way... it would solve all the fighting and mistrust with the public about the CCSD...
and then we need more magnet schools for each district...
what is holding up the county in doing something about this issue?
we have several examples of great magnet schools, why aren't we creating more for all districts???
i'm so sick of all the chatter about Buist... let's change the policy for magnet schools across the board and be done with it
but I guess if we did that the district 20 board wouldn't know what to do with themselves
Sounds like anyone that was kicked out of any other magnet school for moving out of district has a great lawsuit against CCSD now.
7:31 here, I agree 10:00 pm. Let's eliminate the Buist list's- turn it full County and make Ashley, and Jennie Moore full magnet. We need to start doing what's best for ALL the children in Charleston County. Use the Buist model and start replicating it elsewhere. However, we have to get past trying to constantly attack and tear down Buist to do this.
I do not believe there is a conspiricy to hold down minority's at 75 Calhoun or any racial intent.. sometimes it's just plain incompetant leadership by our elected officials that get us into these messes and not some purposeful intent.
It would be a kicker if Buist changed it's admission's to 100% Countywide just as District 20 has won a ruling that would make their preference list more valuable and important. Serve them right for never being satisfied!
Let's ... make Ashley, and Jennie Moore full magnet. Got news for you...they already are "full magnent". They just aren't being run that way. As for satisfying D20 and its board...got news for you again. This is exactly what they have been fighting for...equity without leaving their kids on the outside looking in. I will agree that mismanagement has been at the root of much of this. Replicate Buist...and Ashley River...and Jennie Moore...just don't replicate the management at Buist. It's also what's wrong with the system.
The people that got most involved from downtown had babies and toddlers and hoped their school options might improve in a few years. They heard at churches, pre-schools, and downtown neighborhood association meetings about what had been going on at Buist.
Now it looks like the D20 list has been cleaned up for the time being. Thanks to this same group there have been many good changes at Memminger and even a downtown charter middle/high school. I am proud of the way the downtown community pulled together and supported their neighbors. This was a great group of parents and even grandparents of different races and economic groups. Many people worked behind the scenes.
Both sides of the Crosstown should continue to work together on behalf of all of the children in the downtown community.
Dear anonymous 12:09-
How miss guided are you? Pam Kusmider lives in a 1100 sq foot town home that she and her husband bought years ago. They live in this home with there 3 children. They have one car that on a good day with the check engine light off worth $3500. She and her kids have been riding the Bus to school board meetings and not out of public service or environmental concerns. Larry Kabrovsky works pro-bono; Thank God!
Grow up the people who are fighting Buist don’t have money they actually care about this city. Why we do I am wondering. But we care about all the kids that are robbed of the chance to receive a great education. Do you all actually think that all the kids at Buist actually qualify for SAIL. Give me a break we all know that money talks in this town.
Before you all start spitting lies about me I am a photographer with my common law husband. I am going to nursing school and have worked full time for $10 an hour and health insurance because it is a necessity for us. Being outspoken has actually hurt me more than it has done any good. GROW UP, GET A LIFE and start seeking the truth.
And there are just as many middle class families at Buist that are attacked for being rich, doctors and lawyers as if that disqualified you from a public edjucation.. By the way 77.7 % of Buist kids qualifed for gifted and talented...check the County's website... And the percentage is actually higher as the youngest grades don't test, but are still counted in the ratio of overall student body to qualified.. So your assertions are just as outlandish. This rubbish that barely any Buist kids are really gifted and talented and "there are clearly more worthy students" than at Buist has to stop! These are all great kids who are trying their hardest. Critizing them is terrible. They deserve every bit of the edjucation they are getting. All kids in the county do and obviously aren't getting it, but attacking Buist isn't going to help those other kids at all. Quit worrying about Buist and fix some other schools!
Why are you anti-Buist people screaming so much - if you hate what it is.....then move on to something else. I don't have an interest in terms of Buist directly....but it does seem from the papers and blogs that you can't be satisfied.
It's very interesting that you criticize the socioeconomic status of those at Buist....as if that makes them more or less deserving.
Perhaps this world would be a better place if you didn't put everything through a conspiracy or litigious filter. Stop whining and figure out what's best for your family.
It's also very interesting that people apply at Buist KNOWING WHAT THE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES ARE in terms of the admission process - then cause an uproar when things don't go their way. If the anti-Buist people's children had gotten in.......I suspect their lips would be shut.
There are plenty of good people at Buist (parents and even teachers) that are well aware of how the other downtown schools (and even other magnets) have been treated by CCSD. They continue to work behind the scenes.
These parents and teachers are sickened by the school board that has allowed so many dishonest people to scam the system. None of them would speak out publicly because the retaliation is brutal.
You don't have to live downtown to see that it is an educational apartheid. What I hear when I read these comments from some Buist parents is a "let them eat cake" point of view. Shades of Marie Antoinette?
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