* * * IMPORTANT NOTICE * * *
Scroll to the bottom of the page for the survey results.
On November 22,2000 the Batavia Board of Education sent out 2 different surveys to parents of grade school children. One type of survey was sent to 5 of the new boundaries excluding the West side boundary. Another survey with different wording and different questions was sent to the new West side boundary.

Link to scanned image: Survey only for new West side boundary.

The new West side boundary survey makes absolutely no mention of MI (multiple intelligence) or that the new West side boundary school will be an open enrollment school open to all of Batavia. The survey sent to the rest of the 5 boundaries mentions that the new West side school will be offering the MI program.

Parents who check the first choice in their survey will be choosing the MI program according to a conversation we had with superintendent Ed Cave.

If you answer this question affirmatively 


"________  I would like my child(ren) to attend the new westside
           school in the fall of 2001."
you will be choosing the "McWayne MI" program for your child(ren)!

Here is the similar question for the other 5 boundaries on the other survey form. Information about the MI program at the new West side school is presented on this survey. 


"________  I would like an opportunity for my child to attend the the
           new westside school in the fall of 2001."
Link to scanned image: Survey for 5 of 6 boundaries excluding the new West side boundary.
There should have been only one survey the same for all residents and it should have asked: 

________  I would like an opportunity for my child to attend the
          new westside school in the fall of 2001 knowing that
          those attending the westside school will have teachers
          who deliberately organize instruction using the elements
          of Howard Gardner's theory of knowing, understanding and learning.
The last part of the question is Ed Cave's own description of MI from his letter of November 22, 2000. Why are the facts being hidden from the community????? 
Donna Hymel's comments:
----------------------

Hello,

Please take a few minutes and check out the new information on the Equal 
Choice Website concerning the parent survey that came home with the kids on 
November 22, and concerning the letter that Donna Todd got from Ed Cave in 
response to four of the basic questions Equal Choice has been trying to get 
answered. 
        On Wednesday, November 22, our children brought home a survey for 
parents to indicate if they want their children to attend the West side 
school, or stay at their present school or some other alternative.  There is 
NO mention that the West side school is to be an open enrollment school, or 
that the program there is to be the Multiple Intelligence (MI) program ONLY.  
However, per Ed Cave's conversation with Donna Todd on that same day, ONLY MI 
will be offered at that school.  So by checking that you want your child to 
attend the West side school, you are telling them that you want your child to 
attend the MI program.  Whether that is your choice or not, that is what 
attending the West side school means.  
Yet, the survey that everyone else in the district got, that is, any person 
outside the West side boundary with children currently in K-3 grades, 
specifically states that the West side school be open enrollment so that more 
people may chose the MI program to be at that school.  The survey asks 
parents to return it if they would like the opportunity to send their 
children to the West side school for the MI program.  CHECK OUT BOTH OF THESE 
SURVEYS AT THE EQUAL CHOICE WEBSITE: www.tltodd.com/equal_choice.

WHY DID  WE GET A SURVEY DIFFERENT FROM THE SURVEY SENT TO THE REST OF THE 
DISTRICT, ESPECIALLY SINCE WE ARE MOST DIRECTLY AFFECTED BY THE HOUSING OF 
THE MI PROGRAM IN OUR ASSIGNED BOUNDARY SCHOOL??????

At the last board meeting, Kathleen Roberts specifically stated that she 
would like to know how many of the West side parents do not want to send 
their children to MI.  
HOW IN THE WORLD WILL THE SURVEY GIVEN TO THE WEST SIDE PARENTS TELL THE 
ADMINISTRATION AND BOARD HOW MANY OF THEM WANT MI FOR THEIR CHILDREN WHEN MI 
IS NOT EVEN MENTIONED???!!!!!????

I also asked at that board meeting if the parents on the West side will get 
the same survey as the rest of the district, so that they can indicate if 
they want MI for their children.  I was told that yes, the same survey 
concerning MI would go to all parents in the district, except those already 
in the program ( the McWayne parents).  How is it then that I got a survey 
different than the rest of the district and MI is not even mentioned.

In addition to the surveys on the website, a letter that Donna Todd received 
from Ed Cave is now available for your viewing.  Please be sure to read it.  
It is Ed Cave's attempt at answering some of the questions from the West side 
parents.  It is just amazing.  He insists in the letter that all the schools 
in the district are the same.
Yet,  he has  sent a survey to every k-3 student in the district outside the 
West side school boundary to see if their parent has an interest in sending 
their children to the West side school for the MI program.  How can all the 
schools be the same, yet the MI program is offered to all people other than 
the West siders as a choice for their children?  What is wrong with this 
picture????  If all schools are the same, why in the world are we spending 
money on busing children from all over the district to the "same" school at 
the West side instead of sending them to their boundary school?  Why are 
teachers from McWayne being treated preferentially in their movement as an 
entire group to the "same" West side school when other teachers have to 
interview to move to a different school?   Why are parents allowed to 
"choose" the "same" West side school even if it is not their boundary school 
without requesting a "boundary variance", while West side residents are told 
THEY must request a "boundary varience" to stay at their "same" current 
school?
Is this administration acting fiscally responsible?  
Is this administration twisting the intent of the taxpayers' yes vote to two 
new schools into the reality of a replacement building for McWayne and one 
new school?  Why wasn't the referendum worded that way?  IT WOULD NOT HAVE 
PASSED!!

The next board meeting is Tuesday, November 28, at the Middle School.  Be 
there.  Ask questions.  Demand that we get treated like every other parent 
and tax payer in  this district.  


Donna Hymel

Survey results:

Multiple Intelligence interest survey:

J.B. Nelson    Total sent out    311
               Received           18 (2-3 clearly didn't understand the survey)
                                  15 

Louise White   Total sent out    376
               Received           10

Alice Gustafson Total sent out   350
                Received          25 approximately

H.C. Storm      Total sent out     ?
                Received           ?

New Westside boundary survey:

Alice Gustafson Total sent out    98
                Received          69
                of the 69 received
                20 want to attend the New Westside school MI program
                13 want to stay at Gustafson
                11 want to attend New Westside with no MI
                25 need information

H.C. Storm      Total sent out      ?
                Received            ?
                of the ? received
                6 want to attend the New Westside school MI program
                14 want to stay at Storm
                0 want to attend New Westside with no MI
                ? need information