Non-Charter Charters in NC

Doug Clark comments on the absurdity of the recently passed "charter school" legislation in North Carolina:

This bill gives local school systems some new options for reforming failing schools, including turning them into "charter schools" that really aren't like other charter schools because they'll still be run by the school board and school system administration.

The purpose was to put this down on the state's second Race to the Top application, due Tuesday, in an effort to make it look like North Carolina is progressing farther down the road to school reform than it really is. Sort of like high school seniors add lots of clubs and activities to their college applications, even if they don't really participate.

This bill would not give Guilford County parents and students any real new alternatives.  They would be stuck with the same old mindset and the same old sets of problems.  This bill does nothing more than create some glorified magnet schools.

But the education establishment very much wants to control how charter schools do things for various reasons.  And that is what this bill is all about-- the Democrats in Raleigh granting the education establishment more authority over the one tiny sector of the system they have not previously controlled.

Comments

[Bubba]

".....the Democrats in Raleigh granting the education establishment more authority over the one tiny sector of the system they have not previously controlled."

It's just payback for their political cronies, and a further example of the Vast Democrat Culture of Corruption (NC version) we're used to experiencing.

Contrast North Carolina to New Jersey, and Chris Christie's no BS approach to running that state, particularly in the way he stands up to teachers and other public employee unions, and their "me, me, me" demands.

http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2010/05/gov_christie_argues_with_nj_re.html

[Joe Guarino]

Bubba, that is a great point. I saw a video of Christie interacting with a protesting teacher during a town-hall style meeting, and it was pretty impressive. Of course, the situation in New Jersey is much worse than we have here in some important respects. But we are making all the mistakes places like New Jersey had made.

It is pretty small to see them begrudge charter schools the success they have.

[Brenda Bowers]

Charter schools do not have to retain incompetent teachers or staff. Teachers unions don't like this and that is the sole reason for school administrations to be against charter schools. But what they are doing in this case is calling a pig a rose while forgetting that it will still smell like a pig. BB

[Theresa Yon]

A Charter School by definition is independent - NOT under the control of the School Board. The Legislature passes a bill that allows failing schools to become a "Charter School" - in name only - because it will remian under the control of the School Boards & Administration. This is a bow to the Teachers Unions and Schoool Boards.
****And lo & behold - my opponent Maggie Jeffus just accepted $1000 from the NEA exec director John Wilson, the largest Teachers Union in the country.
http://www.app.sboe.state.nc.us/cf_pdf/2010/20100428_84089.pdf
Just see the link above. He is a high ranking official in the NEA Teachers Union. They do not want ANY independent Charter Schools in North Carolina, because it takes power from the teachers unions. But the power SHOULD be in the hands of the parents. Parents of North Carolina are forced to keep their children in failing schools because Raleigh Democrats are beholden to Teachers Unions to continue winning elections.
The bill they just passed does NOT allow school choice.
It does NOT allow the creation of real, independent new Charter Schools.
It DOES keep failing schools under control of School Boards, allowing them to incorporate a few new "charter-like elements" into the curriculum
Here is the real story on the bill - http://www.carolinajournal.com/exclusives/display_exclusive.html?id=6459
Rep. Laura Wiley tried to make a difference and offered an amendment that would allow real change -that would help parents in North Carolina - and allow successful Charter Schools to expand without counting against the still-in-place cap - and Maggie Jeffus voted against it. Some of the lowest-ranked schools in North Carolina are right here in the Triad, and instead of joining Rep Blust & Rep Wiley of Guilford County, Jeffus voted with her party and against even allowing the amendment to be heard, and she therefore voted against better choices for Guilford County Parents.

[Joe Guarino]

Brenda, thanks, and I agree.

Theresa, thanks for your informative post. It appears voters in Guilford County have some work to do.

[Jim Langer]

Do people who want charters also support the National Governors' Association 46-state embrace of national standards for English and math? I've seen them. They look tough. It's about time. Tellingly, Texas is opting out. The Obama administration endorses the concept.

Charter schools, however, would likely be exempt. So, the real test for them would be the NAEP tests (currently showing NC in dismal condition).

[Jeff]

Take a look at the North Carolina SAT Report and see how well many of the charter school students are doing on this crucial national test. http://www.ncpublicschools.org/accountability/reporting/sat/2009