North Carolina decided to copy Tennessee’s failed “Achievement School District” by creating a special district to take over low-scoring schools, giving them to charter operators, and claiming victory. Despite the abysmal failure in Tennessee, North Carolina created an “Innovative School District” and identified 48 Low-scoring prospects. One by one, they got off the state takeover list, after protests by parents and local boards. Finally, only one was left, and its school Board decided to close the school rather than let it go into the takeover District.
“Without a school to take over, ISD Superintendent Eric Hall says the district may have to pick up additional schools when they take up the matter next year. Leaders were expected to choose two schools this year and another two next fall, but this month’s developments are likely to shift that timetable.”
A letter to the editor following the article:
“Learn as they proceed….”??? Really?? The ISD Superintendent will make more than the governor of NC to oversee only ONE school?? A school that would actually be run by a for-profit charter company?? And he says they only chose one this year to learn as they go?? If they don’t ALREADY know what they are doing, how do they expect to turn around a “failing school”?? What a bunch of goobers… #WAKEUPNC!! #PUBLICservants??!!
“Hall described the program’s slow roll-out as an opportunity for North Carolina officials to learn as they proceed with the new district.”
Another big victory for reform.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Yeah!
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This posting helps to explain why many heavyweights of corporate education reform prefer to capture and mandate.
Look at it from their POV: where’s the $tudent $ucce$$ in people having an actual choice of accepting or rejecting what you’re peddling?
😎
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Another terrible thing NC DPI took from Tennessee. EVAAS being another.
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EVAAS is a failure. Read Audrey Amrein-Beardsley, an expert on EVAAS
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Sales position open in NC for this fraudulent way to evaluate teachers and rate schools.
https://www.glassdoor.com/job-listing/evaas-services-delivery-consultant-sas-JV_IC1138945_KO0,34_KE35,38.htm?jl=2549321630
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Well, it had just been rumors that they might opt to close rather than be taken over… BUT your timing is perfect because they just made it officially official on Thursday night:
Robeson County School Board unanimously votes NO to NC ISD:
http://www.robesonian.com/news/104592/county-says-no-to-isd
They did not commit to closing the school – as they are expected to do if they refuse to be taken over – and are instead asking for more time to create a plan. Note that their county is still recovering and rebuilding from Hurricane Matthew, which devastated some parts of North Carolina.
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I also wouldn’t call this a big victory for reform. North Carolina public schools and communities sent a clear message that, across the board, we do NOT awake a state takeover or our children, educators and local power and assets to be involuntarily transferred to some unknown charter entity.
The fact that they had to end up with ZERO schools has to mean something. They thought they could get away with starting with five schools the first go round and then insidiously spreading to more… it appears they did not expect the backlash and bad publicity. That doesn’t seem like a clear win for reform. And now a lot more of us are paying attention. 😉
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Uh-oh… an editorial from the Robeson County local paper in explicit support for the Innovative School District takeover, and apparent wavering on the part of the commissioners:
Commissioners see ISD as ally, not the enemy
http://www.robesonian.com/opinion/104889/commissionerssee-isd-as-allynot-the-enemy
Looks like a final decision about whether to be taken over or close the school might happen by December.
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More signs looking like they WILL have their ONE school for the “slow” roll-out of the ISD in North Carolina after all…
Published today (11/22):
Robeson County officials vacillating on planned charter school takeover:
http://www.ncpolicywatch.com/2017/11/22/robeson-county-officials-vacillating-planned-charter-school-takeover/
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“Right now, we’re at a standstill,” said Peggy Wilkins-Chavis, chairwoman of the Robeson County Board of Education. “I am more confused now than I was before. I wish somebody would just sit down and tell us about it, the pros and cons.”
I still keep wondering when a journalist is going to question Hall on why he is still name-dropping his most recent former employer (“Communities in Schools”, which already has a an existing branch in rural Robeson County!) as one of the possible ISD partners, even though they supposedly withdrew their name from the applications?
(10/12/17) – Groups with ties to Innovative School District head seeking state contracts for charter takeovers
http://pulse.ncpolicywatch.org/2017/10/12/groups-ties-innovative-school-district-head-seeking-state-contracts-charter-takeovers/#sthash.Xcw8vPsz.dpbs
(10/31/17) – Following angry backlash in Robeson County, potential applicants for Innovative School District have second thoughts
http://pulse.ncpolicywatch.org/2017/10/31/following-angry-backlash-robeson-county-potential-applicants-innovative-school-district-second-thoughts/#sthash.tiTQAwhK.dpbs
(11/11/17) – Hall pitches new approach for Southside
http://www.robesonian.com/news/104653/hall-pitches-new-approach-for-southside
11/11/17 quote>
Question: Does that mean you will have a parent-teacher association?
[Eric Hall] Answer: “That is possible. We may have a community advisory board. We may partner with churches and other community institutions, and maybe Communities in Schools to remove non-academic barriers. I want to see this school turn the corner. In the end, it will take a strong community to expect more from its school. I’ve seen it happen. It’s not about doing something nice, it’s about doing something intentional.”
I’m also wondering when a journalist is going to directly ask him about his former employer AMIKids and if he will renounce their practices as proven potentially ineffective and dangerous for children (see multiple 2017 news articles), as he is still citing his work with AMIKids as part of his qualifications for his current position:
11/11/17 quote>
Question: What are your qualifications to be superintendent of an experimental school district?
[Eric Hall] Answer: “I earned a bachelor’s degree in education and a master’s degree and a doctorate in educational leadership from the University of South Florida.
“I started as a biology teacher. I’ve served as a principal and school administrator. Then, I worked for a nonprofit organization overseeing 26 schools in Florida for the juvenile justice system. These were high-risk kids. Because of our success, other states invited us to serve them. Eventually, we served 56 schools in nine states.
“I was recruited to North Carolina to be CEO of the North Carolina Communities in Schools.”
When will Dr. Hall confirm to Robeson County and the rest of the state that neither AMIKids nor CIS will be considered for management of Southside-Ashpole?
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How much will Dr. Hall be paid to be superintendent of a “district” with one school?
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His salary is $150,000 per year.
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NORTH CAROLINA ISD UPDATE:
This is not looking good…
Check out this misleading title in The Robesonian, which has completely endorsed the “Innovative School District” for Southside-Ashpole Elementary. Notice there is no subtext: School takeover, thumbs up!
School closure opposed
http://www.robesonian.com/news/105157/school-closure-opposed
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Brenda Fairley-Ferebee, the Rowland District school board member with the Public Schools of Robeson County, said the only option to a takeover by the state Board of Education’s Innovative School District is to close the school. She said she would do what’s right for the community and work to keep the school open.
“I believe there are the votes to keep the school open,” Fairley-Ferebee said. “In September, we did not have enough information to make an informed decision.
“At first, the parents at Southside-Ashpole were against it, because we needed more information. I do not believe the community is unanimously for the takeover.”
Fairley-Ferebee invited members of the audience to attend the next county school board meeting, which will be held at Southside-Ashpole on Dec. 12 at 6 p.m.
“I am hopeful they will make a decision at that meeting,” she said. “I am hoping there are enough votes to keep the school open.”
The county school board has until Feb. 1 to decide to close the school or to hand the keys over to the ISD. The takeover would begin during the summer of 2018, although the PSRC would continue to be responsible for maintenance and transportation.
And from the superintendent of the ISD, Dr. Eric Hall:
“Changing the education system at Southside-Ashpole begins here, not in Raleigh,” Hall said. “The key is creating partnerships and a shared vision and using the flexibility the new law gives us.
“I am not here to talk about blame, I’m here to talk about opportunities. I am not a political appointee,” Hall said.
I have no idea if there is any organized resistance movement in Robeson County… if there is, I hope they will be at that December 12th county school board meeting. Whether or not Hall gets his ONE school for the ISD, we can still be sure they will be back for our Durham schools on the next go round…
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Still no hard-hitting journalism coming from the local paper of the town where the first NC ISD school may be…
Support for ISD inclusion grows in Rowland
http://www.robesonian.com/opinion/105182/rowland-showssupport-forisd-inclusion
They just published an opinion piece from a parent at the target school. She says she still has no details about the ISD but doesn’t want them to close the school either…
Southside-Ashpole must stay open; parents deserve details of ISD plan
http://www.robesonian.com/opinion/105217/southside-ashpole-must-stay-open-parents-deservs-details-of-isd-plan
Wonder why the newspaper won’t press Dr. Hall to share those details… their early coverage of the ISD was more critical until they met with Dr. Hall and ever since they have been toeing the line for him…
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Board’s call on Southside-Ashpole looms
http://www.robesonian.com/news/105318/boards-call-on-southside-ashpole-looms
“At a town meeting last week, Smith heard Rowland residents say they strongly favor keeping their school open. They also expressed concerns for the school’s recent history of poor academic performance under the Public Schools of Robeson County, and they are concerned about its future with the untested ISD.
The school board has until Feb. 1 to accept the takeover or close the school. In September, the school board unanimously passed a resolution opposing the takeover but leaving the fate of the school undecided.”
“Southside-Ashpole would be the first school to be taken over in North Carolina history…”
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