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A small bit of progress on Jones Street: House advances A-F school performance grade change
In case you missed it, the state House took a positive step in education policy last week when it voted in favor of HB 322, which would change the way A-F school performance grades are calculated. The current school grading calculation is based 80% on test score proficiency and just 20% on student growth. This […]
Back to School: Meaningful educational interventions for low-performing schools
This is the fifth installment of a Back to School blog series (see Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, and Part 4) that highlight various issues to be aware of as the 2016-17 school year kicks off. As North Carolina’s school children and their families settle back into the rhythms of the school year, thousands […]
Honoring Rodney Ellis, a champion for children
Over the weekend, former NCAE President, teacher, and civil rights leader Rodney Ellis was laid to rest in his hometown of Winston-Salem. The hundreds in attendance whose lives he touched are testament to the lasting impact Rodney had on those who were fortunate enough to know him during his remarkable life. Rodney was the voice […]
NC Senate’s math bill doesn’t add up
Last week, the North Carolina Senate passed a bill that would require high schools across the state to simultaneously offer two completely different math tracks: the integrated math sequence that is currently taught in middle and high schools and the old Algebra I, Geometry, and Algebra II sequence that was previously taught. The most glaring […]
School vouchers: We need accountability before further expansion
The subject of school vouchers remains a controversial and divisive matter in North Carolina. To many opponents, they pose an existential threat to the future of public education. To many proponents, they are a potential cure for all that is broken or imperfect in K-12 schools. Whatever one’s position on vouchers, however, one idea ought […]
North Carolina should not abandon its commitment to individualized education
Earlier this month, Governor McCrory signed legislation that ends the practice of providing Personal Education Plans (PEPs) to students who are at risk of academic failure. Though probably an unavoidable step given the flawed and sporadic use and implementation of PEPs, the decision raises real questions about the future of individualized learning plans in North […]
Virtual charter schools recommended in spite of serious academic and financial questions
Despite major concerns and numerous unanswered questions, a special committee appointed by the State Board of Education recently recommended approval of both applicants seeking to create virtual charter schools in North Carolina. While the concept of introducing more technology into classrooms is almost universally lauded, virtual charter schools are a relatively new concept in which […]
We simply must do better
North Carolina must dramatically improve education for students with disabilities Officials from the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction will present an alarming report on the educational performance of students with disabilities at today’s State Board of Education meeting that calls into question the quality of education the state’s most vulnerable children receive. Only 9.9% […]
Back to School Series – Registration
This is part of a Back to School blog series that highlights various issues to be aware of as the 2014-15 school year kicks off. (See Parts 1, 2, and 3). Schools opened their doors this week to the state’s more than 1.5 million children for the beginning of a new school year, but there […]
Diverse organizations support Common Core as N.C. and other states back away
An array of organizations have voiced support for the embattled Common Core Standards following recent efforts to drop or water down the standards in states like Indiana, Oklahoma, Louisiana, and South Carolina. Aside from original supporters and developers of the standards like the National Governor’s Association, the Council of Chief State School Officers, the Gates […]
It’s critical to find common ground on Common Core
State lawmakers are quickly advancing legislation during the current legislative session to repeal North Carolina’s previous adoption of the Common Core Standards in education. Unfortunately, the debate on the subject has generated a lot more heat than light. Rather than focusing on the practical, in-classroom impact of raising standards, many lawmakers have fallen victim to […]
North Carolina’s looming third grade retention crisis
More than half of North Carolina’s third graders could be held back this year as districts work to implement the state’s new “Read to Achieve” law. The program’s goal of ensuring that all third-graders can read on grade level before being promoted to fourth grade is undeniably laudable, as researchers have widely recognized that reading […]