Charlotteans rally for private school voucher program

North Carolina's plan to use public money to issue private school vouchers was nearly dealt a fatal blow this summer, but now its advocates are rallying support ahead of a final decision on its fate.

The program, known as "Opportunity Scholarships," gave about 2,000 students vouchers worth $4,200 toward tuition at a private or religious school in its first year this fall. But it was almost struck down even as it was getting off the ground. A judge in August declared the arrangement unconstitutional. The courts later allowed students already in the program for this school year to continue.

Opponents say the plan represents the abandonment of the state's responsibility to fund public schools. The N.C.  Supreme Court will make a final determination on the Opportunity Scholarships in the coming months.

But in the meantime, a chief advocate for the private school vouchers is holding rallies around the state to build public support. One held in the Charlotte area brought nearly 200 parents and educators to the Embassy Suites near Concord.

"So much of the discussion surrounding the Opportunity Scholarships has unfortunately centered around the legal battles, if you will," said Darrell Allison, president of Parents for Educational Freedom in North Carolina, which sponsored the rallies. "We thought it would be a great idea to ... hear directly from the parents themselves on how impactful the program has been."

One of those parents is Jacquelyn Davis of Charlotte. Her third-grade son is attending the Male Leadership Academy on Nations Ford Road on a private school voucher. He has attended Sedgefield Elementary in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools before that.

Davis said she is unemployed after being laid off from being a security guard at CMS, but said her son benefits from the smaller environment at a private school. She said this semester he is bringing home straight A's for the first time.

"The scholarship has helped a whole lot," Davis said. "I'm praying they keep it going."

Are charter boards accessible to public?

One side effect of the surge in school choice around Charlotte is that it's getting harder to keep track of public education decisions and spending.

Mecklenburg County currently has about two dozen public school boards,  though only one of them gets much attention. The Charlotte-Mecklenburg school board,  which has responsibility for more than 144,000 students and controls a $1.2 billion budget, gets regular coverage from the news media and scrutiny from others interested in public education. The folks who serve on that board go before county voters every four years.

But about 10,800 Mecklenburg students,  or roughly 7 percent of the total public-school enrollment,  attend charter schools,  which are run by independent boards.  Members aren't elected but those boards are public bodies,  subject to N.C. Open Meetings and Public Records laws.

I'm not about to add all those charter board meetings to my calendar,  but I got curious enough to check the web sites for the 16 charters currently operating inside Mecklenburg County  (a fuller tally would include those in nearby counties which draw Meck students and the 11 new charters just authorized to open in 2014).  Could I find information about their board members and meetings?

The best site I found was Lake Norman Charter's,  where I easily located information about the board members,  times and locations of meetings,  agendas,  minutes and process for signing up to speak.  Metrolina Regional Scholars Academy also has a notably strong board presence on its site,  though I had to search the school calendar to locate meetings.

At the other end of the spectrum were Invest Collegiate and Crossroads,  where I could find nothing about board members or meetings. You might be able to get that information by calling or emailing,  but nothing about the web pages tip you off that these schools are open to public scrutiny or participation.

The rest fall in between.  I managed to find meeting times and locations for 11 of the 16,  though sometimes it took some hunting.  Some don't list board members at all,  some list only names and some give biographical and contact information.

State law requires public bodies that have web sites to post notice of their meetings  (agendas aren't required).  Amanda Martin,  attorney for the N.C. Press Association,  says charter boards need to be aware of their public role.  "They need to be as transparent as the Mecklenburg County school system,"  she said.

Joel Medley, director of the N.C. Office of Charter Schools, says his staff  "hammers on"  the need for charter board to comply with the Open Meetings law.  Some post meetings on bulletin boards at school,  he said,  but if they have a web site,  the board meetings should be listed.

Regardless of how well those schools post their meetings,  none are likely to get regular media coverage.  Which poses the next question:  What kind of reception do parents,  community members and other interested parties get if they seek to attend charter board meetings?  If you've attended meetings or requested public documents from charters, let me know how it has gone.  Choice and innovation are cause for celebration,  but public spending without public oversight is cause for concern.

Big menu, little info for school shoppers

The new year ushers in a time of unprecedented school choice in the Charlotte area.  And unfortunately for families trying to sort it all out,  school data is harder than usual to find.

Twenty-six of North Carolina's 127 charter schools are in Mecklenburg and surrounding counties, and this week the state Board of Education is poised to approve 11 more to open in August. That includes four near the Meck/Cabarrus line that plan to draw students from both counties.

The nonprofit MeckEd has provided a boost for families interested in charters, with an updated report on local charters.

2012 magnet fair

CMS kicks off its month-long magnet application period Saturday with a school options fair from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Phillip O. Berry Academy of Technology,  1430 Alleghany St. A dozen new magnets and other programs for 2014-15 will be among the options showcased.

And new N.C. Opportunity Scholarships will help low-income families pay for private school in 2014-15.  Applications will be taken starting Feb. 1 for $4,800 vouchers.

It's the time of year when families traditionally scour data on academic performance, demographics and other measures of school performance,  trying to figure out the best option for their kids in the coming year. But a confluence of new state tests and problems with the new PowerSchool data system have made that unusually difficult.

Halfway through the school year,  CMS has yet to release any enrollment numbers or demographics for individual schools, or to post  long-promised school data reports.   N.C. school report cards,  usually a great source of information, haven't been updated to reflect 2012-13 data.

I've got 2013 proficiency results for CMS and Mecklenburg charters in the School Data maps at the right of this post,  but families tend to want a lot more.  I'm expecting state and local resources to be updated this month,  and as fresh information arrives I'll keep you posted.

Meanwhile,  I'd love to hear from those of you who are exploring your choices.  With so many new and untested options,  how are you checking them out?  What kind of questions do you have about the rapidly-changing school choice scene,   and what tips do you have for fellow seekers?

Staying Ahead Carolina? What's that?

Ever been to a great party where no one seems to know the host? Saturday's panel on the future of public education felt a bit like that.

McIntyre

I made the rare choice to cover a weekend event based on the timeliness of the topic and the quality of the speakers. The focus was on choices, challenges and change in the Charlotte region,  landing at a tumultuous time when the 2014-15 school choice season is on the horizon.  Ellen McIntyre, dean of the UNC Charlotte College of Education, moderated a panel consisting of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Superintendent Heath Morrison; state Rep. Rob Bryan, co-sponsor of the N.C. voucher bill and co-chair of a panel on teacher compensation; Eddie Goodall of the N.C. Public Charter Schools Association and Bill Anderson of MeckEd.

The turnout was big enough that the event was shifted from a 100-seat conference room to a bigger auditorium.  I saw many of the usual movers and shakers in the education scene,  plus new faces.

So I was feeling kind of dumb:  Why hadn't I heard of Staying Ahead Carolina, the host organization?

But when I mingled and chatted before the event, I couldn't find anyone else who was familiar with the group.  One person speculated that it was part of CarolinaCAN, a recently-created North Carolina spinoff of a national education reform group.  Someone else said it was  "a front for MeckEd."  Even McIntyre was confused.

Brown

None of the theories were correct.  Sabrina Brown,  who works in marketing,  started the social networking group seven years ago.  There was always a theme of learning more about Charlotte,  she said,  but at first it was mostly about meeting people, making contacts and exploring the city.  Staying Ahead started getting sponsorships to do forums on such topics as arts,  entertainment and health.  It now has more than 500 members and an advisory board,  Brown said,  and the education panel was its first foray into a wider community outreach.  Carolina STEM Academy,  a charter school that has been approved to open in 2014,  and Melange Health Solutions sponsored the Saturday forum.

The discussion was lively and informative enough that I didn't regret giving up a sunny Saturday morning.  I'll look forward to any other contributions Staying Ahead might make to the local scene.

Seven big CMS budget questions

Superintendent Heath Morrison rolls out his first budget today,  a little less than a year after he was hired to lead Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools.  Here are the big things I'm wondering:

Large raises?  Morrison knows morale has been bad and employees are frustrated by stagnant wages.  Will he ask county commissioners for another big chunk of money to bump up what the state approves,  like interim Superintendent Hugh Hattabaugh did last spring,  or take the more traditional path of following the state's lead?  And will some form of performance pay be incorporated?

How much for technology?  We don't have to wonder if the budget will include a big request for money to provide internet access in schools.  Morrison has said online testing requirements make that a mandate, not an option.  The question is how much -- and how much that leaves for other projects in a tight budget year.

What kind of choice?  Again, we know Morrison is big on increasing options within CMS.  The question is how far he'll go with that in 2013-14 and where he'll find money.

Changes in busing or bells?  Some parents and teachers have been pushing hard for Morrison to find money to change school hours and/or restore busing options that were cut during the recession.  They'll find out this evening whether that made the cut.

More school guards?  The board has already approved spending capital money to beef up school security.  Now we'll see whether Morrison plans to add police officers, security guards or both,  and what it will cost.

Cultural competency?  A cultural competency program won't be a big-ticket item, but it'll be a talker.  Morrison drew equally fervent praise and criticism earlier this year when he talked about hiring racial equity consultant Glenn Singleton. Morrison has gone silent on that subject for the last couple of months. But it's hard to imagine he'll wait another full year before tackling something he has repeatedly described as one of his top priorities.

Real cuts?  CMS always touts millions of dollars in  "reductions and redirections,"  but those tend to be expenses that went away on their own or shifted from one funding source to another.  Big, real cuts are tough.  But Morrison came in with fresh eyes and a surge of popularity.  He's got to find money for his own vision,  and county commissioners don't exactly have their checkbook out. We'll soon see whether Morrison is going to make big sacrifices to free up money.

The meeting starts at 6 p.m. at the Government Center, 600 E. Fourth St.  You can show up to comment on the capital plan,  make remarks on any topic or dress like a zombie to protest testing. Or you can watch from the comfort of your own computer.