Rutherford Early College High School

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"I attended the 2010 meeting for this REACH program excited that Rutherford County had such a program for my child that would help him with a college education that myself or his step-dad did not get the opportunity to have. I was under the impression that this was the first priority of the program, to help the kids whose parents did not have a degree. After the results came in from the so called lottery drawing, we have contacted several friends and students who applied also. It was to our suprise that so far, 4 of the children selected, 2 in Rutherfordton - both parents have at least a 4 year or higher college degree, and are known to be very wealthy in town. This is not fair and an outrage and we have contacted Dr. Mason who claims that none of this matters if your name was not drawn in the lottery. So let me see...lets say there are 300 applicants. 250 applicants parents have went to college and 50 did not have a college degree. A lottery was drawn but none of the 50 students names were drawn. This means the program is not at all for these under priveleged children at all if the 50 are not considered first. What is the purpose of the program, and is there a white to black child ratio - as there should be. The NAACP needs to get involved also. This is a drawing like when you gamble, and a who you know program for the wealthy. Let's Get Real. Tell it for what it is. Another poorly ran program that is not what it claims to be. If my son had been chosen and I knew that another child was less fortunate, I would offer my slot first to those who need it most, not who got lucky in the drawing. After all those less fortunate were exausted, then the more fortunate could join in. That is the way it should be. FAIR and what it is advertised for first!"

"I attended the 2010 meeting for this REACH program excited that Rutherford County had such a program for my child that would help him with a college education that myself or his step-dad did not get the opportunity to have. I was under the impression that this was the first priority of the program, to help the kids whose parents did not have a degree. After the results came in from the so called lottery drawing, we have contacted several friends and students who applied also. It was to our suprise that so far, 4 of the children selected, 2 in Rutherfordton - both parents have at least a 4 year or higher college degree, and are known to be very wealthy in town. This is not fair and an outrage and we have contacted Dr. Mason who claims that none of this matters if your name was not drawn in the lottery. So let me see...lets say there are 300 applicants. 250 applicants parents have went to college and 50 did not have a college degree. A lottery was drawn but none of the 50 students names were drawn. This means the program is not at all for these under priveleged children at all if the 50 are not considered first. What is the purpose of the program, and is there a white to black child ratio - as there should be. The NAACP needs to get involved also. This is a drawing like when you gamble, and a who you know program for the wealthy. Let's Get Real. Tell it for what it is. Another poorly ran program that is not what it claims to be. If my son had been chosen and I knew that another child was less fortunate, I would offer my slot first to those who need it most, not who got lucky in the drawing. After all those less fortunate were exausted, then the more fortunate could join in. That is the way it should be. FAIR and what it is advertised for first!"

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