Downtown Magnet Schools

As many of you are aware, the Hamilton County Dept. of Education is in the
process of building two new magnet elementary schools in the downtown area.
The schools are being built with private money and will be run in
conjunction with the relevant departments of UTC. In addition, the UTC
children's center, currently in the Siskin Hospital building, will move
into the two schools.
The schools are expected to take in about 25% of their students from the
downtown area. The rest will come from around the county, attracted (it is
hoped) both by the schools' "magnet" curriculum and by the convenience for
parents who work in or near downtown - including UTC. The children of such
parents will have preference in admission. To receive preference, their
admission forms must be notarized by their employer, in order to prove that
they do, in fact work downtown. (For more information go to
http://www.hcde.org/magnet/)

Now here's the point: when I went to Cathy Bonham to have my kids' forms
notarized, I asked her how many other UTC employees had come to her and she
said none. I know that she is not the only notary on campus and that the
applications do not have to be in until Feb. 15, but even so, that sounds
strange.

So, just out of curiosity, I'd like to know whom of you, who have kids
going into grades K-5 next year, either intend to, or have decided NOT to,
apply for the downtown magnet schools.

To make it easy, here's a form. All you have to do is press "reply", fill
in the appropriate places, and press "send". I will post the total results
in a few days. I might also decide to send those results to the HCDE magnet
school office, but I will not give any information on the people who
answered, other than the fact that the survey was conducted among UTC
employees.
If, however, you do desire to remain anonymous even to me, you can also
print the form, erase your name, and send it to me (Yigal Levin) via campus
mail at dept. # 2753.

Remember, telling me that you intend to apply is NOT an application, and
even if you do apply, you can always back out later.

Thanks for your cooperation.

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To be returned ONLY by employees who have children going into grades K-5 in
2002:

I have _____ children going into grades _____________.

I _____HAVE or ______INTEND to apply to either ______Battle or _____Brown
schools (mark X where relevant).

I _______ DO NOT Intend to apply to the downtown schools, for the following
reason (optional)_____________________________________________.









Dr. Yigal Levin
Dept. of Philosophy and Religion
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
615 McCallie Avenue
Chattanooga TN 37403-2598
U.S.A.