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Governors, school leaders offer look at how states will address learning loss
The National Governors Association (NGA) in partnership with the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) shared a white paper Thursday that highlights “trends and notable strategies” states are using to address COVID-19 learning loss. The paper was prepared by Education First, a national strategy and policy organization. “One year after the COVID-19 pandemic forced state and school leaders across the nation and around the world to immediately […]
Don’t rely on the ABC Science Collaborative study to inform school re-opening decisions
As schools begin spring semester classes, local leaders in North Carolina face the weighty decision of whether to offer in-person instruction. Local leaders have been handed no favors from federal and state officials who have abrogated their responsibility to establish objective criteria for in-person instruction that would apply to all schools, public and non-public alike.
As charters siphon off students, Granville County’s public schools are struggling to stay afloat
Granville is a cautionary tale for rural school districts that must compete with charters
Granville County Schools is in what former school board member Rob Rivers describes as a graveyard spiral.
As evidence, the former NASA test pilot points to budget problems, declining enrollment and worsening academic performance, all of which Rivers believes will doom the district if steps aren’t taken to stop the free fall.
PW exclusive: State Board of Ed urged to jettison firm hired as part of controversial Innovative School District scheme
A confidential letter delivered to the State Board of Education alleges that the school management firm Achievement for All Children has failed to meet its contractual obligations in running Southside-Ashpole Elementary, to the detriment of its students.
The letter, obtained by Policy Watch, recommends that state education officials terminate the contract — three years early — under which the firm oversees Southside-Ashpole, the lone school in the state’s controversial Innovative School District.
PW special report – “It’s been more than long enough”: The unfulfilled promise of the Leandro ruling in Halifax County
A generation later, an original plaintiff in the landmark lawsuit hopes state leaders will finally do their constitutional duty
One evening in 1994, the Pender family — Schnika, then 15, and her parents, Clarence and Isabelle, sat down to dinner, when they usually talked about school and discussed events of the day. But this conversation was unlike any other.
The conversation took place over dinner, which was when the Penders usually talked about school and discussed events of the day.
For local students who need Wi-Fi, East Carolina University answers the call
If you have been working from home these last few weeks, chances are you have thought more than once how important it is that your high-speed internet connection holds up. Broadband is the backbone to staying connected to your co-workers and staying sane with access to NetFlix, Hulu and other streaming platforms. But access to […]
Superintendent candidates focus on racial equity at Raleigh education forum
As the proud owner of a new restaurant, Leonardo Williams surely had other things to do this past Saturday.
But there he was, taking notes and listening closely to six state superintendent candidates who want to replace Mark Johnson in the November 2020 General election.
With HB 514, legislature unambiguously embraces school segregation
There’s a word for what happens when majority-white suburbs pull their children from a majority-minority school district and place them into exclusionary, majority-white schools: segregation. With the advancement of HB 514, lawmakers are unambiguously embracing school segregation as state policy. HB 514 allows four Charlotte suburbs – Cornelius, Huntersville, Matthews, and Mint Hill – the […]
Despite concerns, divided State Board of Education approves controversial operator for Innovative School District
A divided State Board of Education approved a controversial operator in the Innovative School District Thursday, despite concerns about the contractor’s limited experience and perceived conflicts of interest. The vote clears the way for a contract with the Forest City-based nonprofit, Achievement for All Children (AAC), which formed last year under the leadership of influential […]
Betsy DeVos, Jeb Bush, gather with school choice champions in Tennessee
Some of the country’s most prominent school choice champions—including U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos and former GOP presidential candidate Jeb Bush—will gather once again this week to push a choice-friendly slate of K-12 reforms. Bush has been leading the national education reformer summit since 2008, extolling the virtues of charters, private school vouchers and virtual […]
Here to stay? Despite poor scores, critics, for-profit virtual charter school seeks blessing from state officials
The head of a controversial virtual charter school wants North Carolina lawmakers to funnel more cash into the program and clear operations beyond the 2019 sunset of its four-year pilot program, despite lagging test scores and a host of concerns about similar programs nationwide.
“There are hundreds and thousands of kids and teachers that will benefit from our model,” Nathan Currie, superintendent at N.C. Connections Academy, told a committee of influential state lawmakers Tuesday, one day after making a similar pitch to a state charter school oversight panel.
Controversial virtual charter school seeks funding boost, permanent status
The head of a controversial virtual charter school wants North Carolina lawmakers to funnel more cash into the program and clear operations beyond the 2019 sunset of its four-year pilot program. Nathan Currie, superintendent at N.C. Connections Academy, pitched his K-11 program—which is affiliated with international, for-profit education giant Pearson—to state lawmakers and charter school […]
With Robeson elementary mulling closure, N.C.’s Innovative School District left with no schools to take over?
The Robeson County elementary school tapped for North Carolina’s controversial Innovative School District (ISD) is likely to close, the county’s school board chair tells Policy Watch, potentially leaving the state’s new charter takeover program without a school to take over in its first year. “The state has failed us,” said Peggy Wilkins-Chavis, chairwoman of the […]
Missing elephant in the room? State lawmakers to examine education finance without considering overall funding sufficiency
When state lawmakers meet next week to begin the weighty task of reforming North Carolina’s knotty method of financing public schools, the sufficiency of the state’s K-12 funding will not be on the table.
Rep. Craig Horn, an influential Union County Republican who co-chairs a pivotal joint legislative task force on education finance reform, told Policy Watch Tuesday that he considers adequacy to be an altogether “separate issue.”
Chalkbeat: Independent charters distance themselves from networks, Trump
Despite a clear alliance between some of the U.S.’ largest charter networks and President Trump cohorts such as U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, independent charter companies are looking to separate themselves from the fray, Chalkbeat reports. This week, the site covered a fascinating New York symposium that reportedly touched on, among other things, a divide […]
Facing charter takeover, Robeson County leaders tell state to stay out
Just days after a North Carolina official tapped a Robeson County elementary for a controversial charter takeover district, local leaders say the state isn’t welcome in Southside-Ashpole Elementary.
“The governor of North Carolina and the legislators cannot justify that, as far as I’m concerned,” Jerry Stephens, a Robeson County commissioner, told Policy Watch Tuesday. “It’ll be such a great fall-out.”