Wake County school system not taking position on proposed Triangle Math and Science Academy charter school

The Wake County school system is taking a different approach than the Durham and Chapel Hill-Carrboro school systems in how they view proposed new charter schools.

As noted in today's article by Jane Stancill and Lynn Bonner, Durham school leaders are urging the State Board of Education to not give approval to a new charter high school that would be located in Research Triangle Park. The Chapel Hill-Carrboro school system is also raising concerns about a new charter school proposed in Orange County.

But Wake school officials have not submitted any response to the proposed Triangle Math and Science Academy that could open for the 2012-13 school year in the former Exploris Middle School building in downtown Raleigh.

TMSA is one of nine charter school applicants who, thanks to the lifting of the state's charter school cap, are seeking fast-track approval to open this year..

The state board will discuss the applications today and is expected to vote in March.

TMSA's founders are the same people who established the Triad Math and Science Academy in Greensboro.

On TMSA's website for the Raleigh location, it says it will be a K-12 college prep school with a focus on "advanced science, technology, engineering and mathematic learning." They also talk about "collaborative learning, "global leadership," "inquiry-based learning," "advanced studies program" and "collaborative Learning."

School organizers say TMSA works for Wake County because of the rapid population growth, school district overcrowding and long waiting lists at existing charter schools in the county.

The liberal Independent weekly published this article last week on the proposed charter school. The school's founders deny the questions raised in the article about whether they're tied to the Islamic Gülen movement.