Winston-Salem Journal ponders the possibility that a Winston-Salem-Forsyth County School could be part of new Achievement School District, in which five of the state’s lowest-performing schools will be converted to charter schools:
“Absolutely,” said Beverly Emory, superintendent of Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools. “I would imagine… there would be some look our way.”
Based on last year’s state performance scores, Forsyth County is home to as many as eight of North Carolina’s lowest performing elementary schools and could be looked at for inclusion in the ASD. The state will choose five elementary schools, each from a different district and each performing in the bottom five percent on the state’s grading scale — based mostly on state test scores.
The bill, signed into law last month, calls upon the State Board of Education to hire a superintendent for the new district and select five schools for the ASD pilot in 2017. Once selected, a district can either relinquish that school to the state — and, eventually, the charter management operator selected to run it — or close the school.
Note the healthy dose of skepticism over the ASD wrapping up the article. Some might say it’s unbiased journalism presenting the other side of the story. However—maybe it’s just me—other might say it reflects the mainstream media’s overall skepticism of charter schools because—horror—it “strips resources” from public school systems.
Semi-related: News & Record says schools participating in the state’s Opportunity Scholarship Program shouldn’t discriminate against gay students—-or gay parents.
