You can pencil in Jan. 12-14 for the days when the special review team from AdvancED will come to Raleigh to put the Wake County school system under the microscope.
Jennifer Oliver, a spokeswoman for Georgia-based AdvancED, said the January dates were agreed to in writing on Tuesday with Wake. While in town, the review team will meet with school officials and community groups.
About a month after the visit, the review team will issue a report. The question is whether the team will recommend stripping Wake's 24 high schools of accreditation, some lesser sanction or say that no action should be taken against the school district.
Wake could appeal any decision made by AdvancEd, including taking the group to court.
School board member Chris Malone said the review should be fine unless AdvancED attempts to dictate policy to the elected school board.
“If they tell us how to run the show, it’s beyond their purview,” Malone said. “It’s unconstitutional. It’s un-American.”
UPDATE
The review team will interview all nine school board members, interim Superintendent Donna Hargens and key members of her leadership team and various community leaders.
Oliver said they haven't determined which community members they'll meet with in small group sessions. She said the school system will suggest some names and that the NAACP may suggest people.
Oliver said the team, whose members haven't been determined yet, may also reach out to people it feels are important such as the leaders of the Chamber of Commerce.
(I probably should have said community leaders instead of community groups in the post.)
Comments
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Wed, 12/01/2010 - 19:06 — Sideburns"...and that the NAACP may suggest people."
Why is the NAACP being asked to suggest people? I hope Rev.Gatewood isn't busy.
Think about it here.....what
Wed, 12/01/2010 - 18:21 — willynillyThink about it here.....what started all this? The NAACP complaint? Then the AdvanceED....and then.....the FEDS? It sounds like someone in each group thought, "Hey, what if we sit back and do nothing and it turns out that something really was wrong?" Maybe they were affraid of being accused of being soft.
You know, if we were smart, we would hold this up and look VERY carefully. By going after this "race to the top" mess......we have opened NC up to the FEDS telling us what to do.....but we don't seem to worry about that. So if the FEDS come knocking on the door about NC schools not following the National Curriculum then who, pray tell, do we have to blame?
For Real
Wed, 12/01/2010 - 15:18 — mommy59If the schools loose their accreditation what really would happen?At this point it seems I should look into some other schools for my sons last 2 years of high school?Homeschool diploma maybe next!
"Unconstitutional"?
Wed, 12/01/2010 - 14:48 — chaboardNot the brightest bulb in the box, is he?
Well...
Wed, 12/01/2010 - 15:11 — Bob_SconceUnder the NC Constitution, the schools are under the control of the General Assembly whoever it decides to delegate to pursuant to that authority. No local board of education may cede any of that authority without the GA's approval.
I think Malone's probably engaging in hyperbole -- AdvanceEd has no authority to dictate anything. But, I suspect his point is more that AdvanceEd should not be interfering in the local politics of school boards. How the board makes decisions is none of AdvanceEd's business, even if 99% of the county residents were to disagree with those decisions. AdvanceEd's only concern is whether the district's high schools meet its standards. I don't know how meeting with the likes of GSIW or the Dr. Rev. William Barber, XXIV, will help it determine if those standards are met.
But...
Wed, 12/01/2010 - 17:30 — chaboardIt was hyperbole....
Wed, 12/01/2010 - 17:40 — Bob_SconceThe school district is under the control of elected officials, NOT unelected administrators of accreditation agencies. It's not the Constitution, but remember the Fundamental Principle that governments "derive[] their just powers from the consent of the governed" in the Declaration of Independence. To the extent that AdvanceEd purports to tell the school board what it must do, it infringes on the board's authority.
But, personally, I think the whole AdvanceEd is an utter overreach -- I think the education establishment feels insulted by the board's tossing out its holy grail, and is fighting back. That's especially obvious since they re-affirmed the accreditation of several WCPSS schools even after most of the things in Barber's complaint had occurred. There's no reason to believe anything had changed since then.
Negatory
Wed, 12/01/2010 - 22:07 — chaboardTo the extent that AdvanceEd purports to tell the school board what it must do, it infringes on the board's authority.
The authority to grant or deny an accreditation is given to AdvancEd by the board using it's authority to request accreditation. It's kind of silly to argue that the board exercising its authority infringes on the board's authority.
No...
Thu, 12/02/2010 - 07:17 — Bob_SconceIt's up to AdvanceEd to list its standards for accreditation and tell the district where its schools fall short of those standards. Unfortunately, the tilt of their inquiry so far hasn't related to those standards. In fact, it seems clar that the district's schools have met those standards.
Instead, they're looking into political decisions made by the school board, which is an area wholly outside of AdvanceEd's domain. For example, they've inquired about the Civitas training, but have not indicated how this impacts our schools' accreditation. They asked about placing H6 -- what does that have to do with the quality of the school?
It's as if a set of parents sent their brood of children to college, where they all earn straight As, but the college told their kids "Hey. We notice that your dad has switched political parties and that they fight a lot more now. So, we're going to check out their domestic dispute and your dad's new political party. If we don't like what we see, we'll have to fail you."
I'm with Bob. The items
Thu, 12/02/2010 - 14:36 — jenmanI'm with Bob. The items that they have chosen to ask about don't seem to have anything to do with the academic quality of our high schools.
Bob, is the AdvancEd audit
Wed, 12/01/2010 - 17:52 — DrActualFactualBob, is the AdvancEd audit limited in scope only to the items listed on the complaint? Can they pull student records and if they find discrepancies in the level of services provided or eligible kids kept out of classes can they sanction the school on unrelated information they discover during the audit?
Who knows...
Wed, 12/01/2010 - 21:11 — Bob_SconceBased on what they asked about, it wouldn't surprise me if they asked Ron whether he wears boxers or briefs.
It wouldn't surprise me if
Wed, 12/01/2010 - 23:06 — CaryCurmudgeonIt wouldn't surprise me if they ask him to prove it.
I'm still wondering which
Wed, 12/01/2010 - 15:35 — CaryCurmudgeonI'm still wondering which "community groups" they are meeting with, how they were identified, and what input from them should be considered in AdvancEd's decision/recommendation. Did AdvanceEd meet with "community groups" prior to bestowing their precious accreditation on each one of our schools? Are they meeting with NC Policy Watch, NC Center for Social Justice, Civitas or JLF? This stinks to high heaven.
I agree. I want to know
Wed, 12/01/2010 - 18:28 — jenmanI agree. I want to know which community groups or leaders they are meeting with. If they are going to meet with people respresenting one 'side', they need to meet with people representing the other.
So....
Wed, 12/01/2010 - 14:08 — Bob_SconceIt seems to me that any meetings they have with "community groups" ought to be public. I would love to hear Diana Bader or Anne Sherron get up and talk about why AdvanceEd should strip the district's accreditation.
Badger and Shearon don't speak for me
Wed, 12/01/2010 - 16:10 — FSandYOUso I don't want them getting up and saying or doing anything. These 2 drama queens have zero relevance with this situation or anywhere else for that matter. Both should be removed from all future meetings and all matters that involve schools. It's past time the school board leader get up off his butt and put those who are simply there to obstruct and create drama out on the streets.
Un-American...
Wed, 12/01/2010 - 14:01 — MiraMilAnd, and . . . it's a nazi/commie/fascist Obamacare inspired plot led by the liberal dictatorship of the N&O, Jim Goodmon and Nancy Pelosi, but the illegal immigrants are the ones really behind it all. Jeez. I wish these tea parties would put a leash on their hyperbole.
which groups?
Wed, 12/01/2010 - 14:01 — loriac'While in town, the review team will meet with school officials and community groups.'
Which community groups will they meet with?