The Triangle has been shut out on the latest round of charter school openings.
None of the four local applicants made the list of six finalists who will be interviewed by the State Board of Education. Click here for a post detailing the local folks.
The six finalists are McKinnney Academy and Mountain Island Charter School in Mecklenburg County, New Bern International Academy in Craven County,Bear Grass Charter in Martin County, Lake Lure Classical Academy in Rutherford County and Henderson Collegiate in Vance County.
Click here for thumbnail info on all 18 applicants. Henderson Collegiate is interesting as it's basically a clone of the KIPP model of longer school days and greater parental involvement.
Comments
Interesting
Fri, 04/24/2009 - 08:36 — g88ky07this is a reply to bottom post
We have a family member at OCE and they've been asking for 2 years to be moved to trk4 and just now found out they GOT IT! None of us would've bet a buck on it happening, but it did.
Now if they could just move some kids out of there and reduce Olive Chapel being one of the most over crowded in the county, ESPECIALLY with the mass of trailers they have!
As Someone...
Thu, 04/23/2009 - 19:08 — RiversideRealist... who lives close to Mountain Island, I am glad to hear they've gotten a Charter School. CMS is such a mess of its own, that most border-living families flood the neighboring counties' Charter Schools, and this will provide some relief.
I am sorry, however, that another choice has been denied for Wake families. :(
I am ever-hopeful (for WCPSS families and for CMS families as well) that the madness ends soon :)
So sorry...
Thu, 04/23/2009 - 16:21 — louiselee44I missed that blog post. Back to the topic at hand...
With all due respect...
Thu, 04/23/2009 - 16:03 — louiselee44are my eyes deceiving me?
http://www.easternwakenews.com/front/story/3962.html
Sorry this is off-topic, but I just couldn't let it go...
oh yes indeedy....you are seeing clearly
Thu, 04/23/2009 - 16:08 — AngelaWhttp://blogs.newsobserver.com/wakeed/rosa-gill-as-possible-successor-to-vernon-malone
It's basically the blog post
Thu, 04/23/2009 - 16:08 — KeungHui (author)It's basically the blog post I ran this morning. They converted it from a blog post to an online story.
Unfortunately, this is yet
Thu, 04/23/2009 - 15:58 — CaryCurmudgeonUnfortunately, this is yet another case where our children's education has been made a partisan issue. President Obama himself has strongly encouraged states to lift any caps on charter schools. The NC Republican delegation introduced a proposal to follow our President's direction and lift the NC charter cap. The NC Democratic delegation (which holds an absolute majority) killed it; apparently they know better than the President.
Yet another example of why Unaffiliated is the fastest growing political party in America.
can I get an Amen?
Thu, 04/23/2009 - 16:02 — AngelaW"Yet another example of why Unaffiliated is the fastest growing political party in America"
vote ISSUES not political rhetoric
§ 115C‑301. Allocation
Thu, 04/23/2009 - 15:36 — AngelaW§ 115C‑301. Allocation of teachers; class size.
(a) Request for Funds. – The State Board of Education, based upon the reports of local boards of education and such other information as the State Board may require from local boards, shall determine for each local school administrative unit the number of teachers and other instructional personnel to be included in the State budget request.
(b) Allocation of Positions. – The State Board of Education is authorized to adopt rules to allot instructional personnel and teachers, within funds appropriated.
(c) Maximum Class Size. – The average class size for each grade span in a local school administrative unit shall at no time exceed the funded allotment ratio of teachers to students. At the end of the second school month and for the remainder of the school year, the size of an individual class shall not exceed the allotment ratio by more than three students. At no time may the General Assembly appropriate funds for higher unit‑wide class averages than those for which State funds were provided during the 1984‑85 school year.
(d) Maximum Teaching Load. – Students shall be assigned to classes so that from the 15th day of the school year through the end of the school year the number of students for whom teachers in grades 7 through 12 are assigned teaching responsibilities during the course of the day is no more than 150 students, except as provided in subsection (g) of this section.
(e) Alternative Maximum Class Sizes. – The State Board of Education, in its discretion, may set higher maximum class sizes and daily teaching loads for classes in music, physical education, and other similar subjects, so long as the effectiveness of the instructional programs in those areas is not thereby impaired.
(f) Second Month Reports. – At the end of the second month of each school year, each local board of education, through the superintendent, shall file a report for each school within the school unit with the State Board of Education. The report shall be filed in a format prescribed by the State Board of Education and shall include the organization for each school, the duties of each teacher, the size of each class, the teaching load of each teacher, and such other information as the State Board may require. As of February 1 each year, local boards of education, through the superintendent, shall report all exceptions to individual class size and daily teaching load maximums that occur at that time.
(g) Waivers and Allotment Adjustments. – Local boards of education shall report exceptions to the State Board of Education as provided in G.S. 115C‑47(10), and shall request allotment adjustments or waivers from the standards set out above. Within 45 days of receipt of reports, the State Board of Education, within funds available, may allot additional positions or grant waivers for the excess class size or daily load.
(1) If the exception resulted from (i) exceptional circumstances, emergencies, or acts of God, (ii) large changes in student population, (iii) organizational problems caused by remote geographic location, or (iv) classes organized for a solitary curricular area, and
(2) If the local board cannot organizationally correct the exception.
All allotment adjustments and waivers submitted under this provision shall be reported to the Director of the Budget and to the General Assembly by May 15 of each year.
Based on state general
Thu, 04/23/2009 - 15:31 — AngelaWBased on state general statutes 115C-301, the absolute max for grades 4 - 9 is 29, unless the school has an ABC waiver. Ask to see the actual class size numbers, not the averages. Ask if there is a waiver and if there is when does it expire?
off-topic question
Thu, 04/23/2009 - 15:13 — tiredparentDoes anyone know the exact # of students that can make up an elem. classroom? I realize that it might be going up by 2, but I am curious what the present number is now.
Thanks!
Go here for the link and
Thu, 04/23/2009 - 15:32 — KeungHui (author)Go here for the link and look at pages 23-24.
This year, it's funded at 1 teacher per 18 students in K-3 classes. An individual class can reach up to 24 kids as long as the district average is 21. K-3 waivers need individual state approval.
Grades 4-5 are at one teacher per 22 students. But for class size purposes it's lumped in at grades 4-9 with the maximum for a single class at 29 kids as long as the district average is 26.
Waivers in 4-12 don't normally need specific state board approval. Schools routinely request the right to exeed state limits in those grades as part of their school improvement plans.
If the funding formula for elementary is raised by two kids then add two to the other numbers.
Not at Olive Chapel
Fri, 04/24/2009 - 07:46 — tiredparentInteresting. Next year the Princ. at Olive Chapel didn't hire a second track 3 class for the rising 3rd grade (for 4th grade) and so she "asked" for volunteers to go onto other tracks. Didn't go over well. One parent was told her daughter was placed on track 2 who did nOT volunteer. When they spoke w/ the principle, she said okay, but they would run the risk of staying in a class next year that might have 35 students in it. I guess this was her SCARE TACTIC to get them to switch???