In a series of articles published this week, News & Observer reporters Lynn Bonner, Jane Stancill, And David Raynor are occasionally evenhanded in their treatment of North Carolina charter schools. The exception is an article that, I believe, was a ridiculously slanted portrayal of TeamCFA and its founder John Bryan.
I will openly admit my bias here. My wife and I are co-founders of a TeamCFA charter school, Carolina Charter Academy, that will open in southern Wake County next year. Our many experiences with TeamCFA staff have been universally positive. Contrary to what is implied in the article, the growth of the network has nothing to do with the financial assistance that they provide. We would choose to join the network even if they did not offer it. Instead, it is a testament to the quality of the organization’s leadership and staff and the advancement of a compelling vision of public schooling that TeamCFA schools share and districts schools would be wise to emulate.
