7th & 8th graders can stay at Rhodes
In a dramatic turnaround following an angry parental protest, School District 65 Superintendent Angel Turner has decided to let 7th and 8th grade students remain at the Bessie Rhodes magnet school for the remainder of the current school year.
In mid-October, Turner said that the roughly 40 students would have to return to their home middle schools on Nov. 18, due to a shortage of subject-specific teachers at Rhodes.
However, families complained about both the transfer iself, and the short notice.
And now, the superintendent has informed those parents that staying at Rhodes, one of four possibilities presented after the protest, "has been identified as the preferred option providing the necessary stability for our 7th and 8th graders to stay together as a cohort and continue the community built at Bessie Rhodes over the course of their educational careers."
However, Turner also noted that a "one-size fits all approach does not fit the needs of all families," so the district is allowing those families to leave Rhodes, even while the 7th and 8th grade sections still remain.
Here's how the families' choices break down as of Friday:
Thus, it appears that more students (21) plan to leave Rhodes than plan to stay (20).
Families have until Monday to contact the district if they want to change their minds.
There is a caveat for those staying at Rhodes.
The superintendent said, "We will continue to assess ... 7th and 8th grade staffing and student numbers throughout the year. We are committed to collaborating and communicating in advance if any changes are needed before the end of the school year and for next year."
Turner once again acknowledged that the district could have handled the situation far better than it did.
"Taking additional time to come to a decision," she said in her message to families, "allowed us to learn from our mistakes, hear from a wide group of stakeholders, and calibrate on the best path for our 7th-8th grade students."
Turner noted that she was particularly impressed by the group of 8th graders who attended the recent stakeholder meeting, as a "powerful reminder that our young people always deserve a seat at the table to express their voices."
A couple of other points:
