Education: Bill Fletcher September Newsletter
Wake County, NC — Thoughts for September 2015 from Bill Fletcher, Member Wake County Board of Education.
A Quiet School Opening
School-based and District leaders are to be commended for a smooth school opening.
Even some of the media were disappointed that their “Wake problem hotline” went unused. It was significant commitment and focus to orchestrate moving 10,000 teachers and 156,000 students into a new daily routine in less than eight hours. Congratulations.
Vision 2020 and Graduation Rates 2015
Kudos to Wake teachers and students for a healthy increase in the number of students earning a diploma! The four-year completion rate rose 3.2 points to 86.1%.
Of particular interest are the increases for students in sub-groups.
Wake issues new School Progress Reports.
Collaborative Design
The Knightdale High School of Collaborative Design rocked out with a 7.4% increase in the graduation rate…up to 88.8%. Principal Jim Argent says:
We have a good game plan. Next stop: 95%!
Still No State Budget
The current NCGA agreement on a maximum funding amount leaves in limbo some significant items important to students and families:
- Will the state continue to fund teaching assistants?
- Will non-certified staff get a modest 2% raise?
- Will all teachers get some increase?
- Will the state fund required driver’s ed classes?
IMHO, leaders in the NC House, continue to fight for a state budget that meets our near term needs. Let them know you support the House budget plan.
Transportation Update
Can you say “smooth school opening” again? The Wake transportation folks cranked up bus service for 80,000 riders with minimal problems. Every bus had a driver and regional staff were able to man their phones instead of, as in the past, filling in for missing drivers.
Racially Identifiable Schools
Racially Identifiable Schools are back in the news. Changes to student assignment practices that date back to 2010 are resulting in what many call alarming consequences…an increase in the number of schools with significantly high concentrations of poverty.
Research clearly shows the correlation between the incidence of poverty and slow and low academic growth! How will our community choose to deal with this emerging and troubling fact?
Factoid #15
Does the socio-economic mix in a school matter? The Tampa Bay Times published a series of investigative reports on five elementary schools in Pinellas County Florida.
Parent Chats
Parent chats are held on the first Thursdays and on the third Mondays of each month. They are not held on holidays.
- 1st Thursdays: 1 pm, Cary Chamber, 315 N Academy Street
- 3rd Mondays: 11 am, Caribou Coffee shop, 109 SW Maynard
Get in Touch
BFletcher@wcpss.net || Voice Mail: 919-431-7332 || Mobile: 919-880-5301
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Story by Bill Fletcher, Member Wake County Board of Education. Photo by Rocky Lubbers.
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CaryCitizen is sponsored in part by The Grove School of Cary.
