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Lawmakers push for solution to failing North Carolina schools

By Tina Terry, wsoctv.com
By Tina Terry, wsoctv.com

Failing schools in the area could see major changes next year because North Carolina lawmakers are talking about the state taking them over.

The controversial idea called achievement school districts is something some area superintendents said they will fight because it will not work.

Stephanie Shaw has been teaching for 14 years and enjoys knowing she's changing lives.

Her school is performing well but she said the state's new effort to give each school a letter grade has put even more pressure on teachers, who are already stressed and underpaid.

"We've done a lot of great things and they're looking at these few pieces and saying that's not enough," she said.
 
Last week, lawmakers passed a draft bill out of a research committee addressing failing schools.
 
The bill would place the state's lowest-performing schools inside the achievement school district.
 
The state-run district would have its own superintendent and it would contract with an achievement school operator to make day-to-day decisions about finance and instruction.
 
Superintendents and leaders spoke out against the idea at a meeting Tuesday, questioning if it would work.
Rep. Craig Horn, R-Union, who sat on that research committee, supports looking further into the idea.
 
Last school year, more than 140 schools statewide received a failing grade, and Horn said children at low-performing schools throughout the state deserve more.
 
"Doing something over and over (and) expecting different results is crazy. So let's try something that may work," Horn said.
 
 
The draft bill doesn't include any details about cost, and leaders said they will work out the details as it works its way through the House.
 
Superintendents at the meeting also talked about some of their other legislative priorities.
 
They want an increase in base pay for all teachers, and salary increases to all school personnel, and they want lawmakers to increase the state's per-student investment, which they say has been declining since 2008.

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