Direct Instruction’ Hangs up Charter’S Bid Ties
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•Marketing Dollars • Flawed Climate Don’t Materialize, P. 4 Analysis, P.5 One-Room Inspiration, P. 9 C A R O L I N A H2O Emotionalism, P. 17 Statewide Edition A Monthly Journal of News, Analysis, and Opinion from November 2007 • Vol. 16, No. 11 the John Locke Foundation www.CarolinaJournal.com JOURNAL www.JohnLocke.org ‘Direct Instruction’ Hangs Up Charter’s Bid ties. A lot of folks were counting on this. State Board turns down It’s not just me. There’s an outcry about “[T]here has been great success this decision.” Duplin proposal, OKs Duplin Charter had been one of nationally with direct instruction in three schools competing for the state’s Wake, Guilford plans final two charter slots. The state school bringing very low students and their board awarded preliminary approval By MITCH KOKAI lead teachers up to mediocrity ...” to the other two and rejected Duplin Charter’s application. With final ap- Associate Editor proval expected as early as March, the RALEIGH Melissa Bartlett two new schools in Wake and Guilford he State Board of Education has State School Board counties would give North Carolina 100 taken choice off the table for charter schools, the maximum number parents of elementary-age public of charters permitted by state law. Tschool students in one southeastern lectures and presentations and student county, while Guilford has three. N.C. county. recitation, fast-paced delivery, care- “This sticks out like a glowing sore Thanks to a unanimous vote at the ful attention to components of skill thumb,” said George “Buster” Price, the Approval process board’s meeting in October, organizers development, intense teacher-student local poultry farmer and minister who This year marked the first time pro- of the proposed Duplin Charter School and student-student interactions, ho- did much of the early legwork for a Dup- spective charter schools faced a review cannot move forward with plans to open mogenous skill grouping, and frequent lin charter. “When the state came up with from a special State Board of Educa- next fall. The board cited three objec- assessments.” this cap, I assume someone must have tion committee. Review from the new tions, but its main objection seemed to The other two objections dealt with been thinking about one charter school Leadership for Innovation Committee be the plan to use the “direct instruction” the school’s pledge and its method of per county. I can’t understand why that replaced an outside review by a state method at the proposed school for chil- allotting slots to prospective students. wouldn’t affect the decision.” Charter School Advisory Committee. dren in kindergarten and first grades. The board did not, however, base its Price and the supporters of the The state school board disbanded The UNC-CH School of Education decision to deny Duplin Charter on the proposed school are not happy. “I’m ter- defines “direct instruction” as “[t]eacher- geographical distribution of existing ribly upset about it,” Price said. “Duplin centered instruction with methods that charters. Wake already hosts 13 charter County does not have a charter school. include scripted lesson plans, teacher schools, the most of any North Carolina Neither do any of the surrounding coun- Continued as “Direct Instruction,” Page 2 Some See Double Standard as Schools Bend for Islam By KAREN McMAHAN schools because few incidents like those Contributing Editor The “best and safest place for a Muslim child to be in other parts of the country have been RALEIGH reported. But several national and local or decades, Americans have de- educated” is in a home school because of the “preva- Islamic groups are quietly working to bated the role of religion in public infuse an Islamic-friendly curriculum education, leaving many confused lent moral degradation” of American society. in N.C. public schools. Fand divided over what constitutes reli- In fall 1998, Sister Sahar El-Shafie, gious freedom versus promotion. Dr. Ibrahim B. Syed a sixth- and seventh-grade social studies Of increasing concern to critics, Islamic Research Foundation International teacher at Martin Middle School in Ra- however, is the growing number of leigh, wrote an article for Noor on what Muslims who are demanding and re- ceiving special accommodations, while virtually being eliminated from public North Carolinians might be un- Judeo-Christian values and rituals are school classrooms. aware of Islamic influences in public Continued as “Some See,” Page 3 Should the Children’s Health In- 80surance Plan cover children in The John Locke Foundation NONPROFIT ORG. families of four making $62,000 and Contents 200 W. Morgan St., #200 U.S. POSTAGE $82,000? Raleigh, NC 27601 PAID RALEIGH, NC North Carolina 3 PERMIT NO. 1766 Interview 7 Education 8 Higher Education 12 No 62 % Local Government 16 Yes 26 % Books & the Arts 20 Not Sure 12 % Opinion 24 Parting Shot 28 John% William Respondents Pope Civitas in June Institute Civitas Poll, Institute Oct. Poll2007 CAROLINA C A R O L I N A North Carolina JOURNAL JOURNAL ‘Direct Instruction’ Proves Charter’s Undoing Richard Wagner Continued from Page 1 Each dot Editor represents one that advisory committee in April, said Don Carrington charter school Executive Editor Terry Stoops, John Locke Foundation education policy analyst. “The state’s own documents called Paul Chesser, Mitch Kokai, this change a restructuring that would Michael Lowrey allow for more in-depth involvement of Associate Editors the State Board of Education in working with charter schools,” Stoops said. “De- Geographical distribution Chad Adams, David N. Bass, spite what any board members might say Shannon Blosser, Andrew Cline, of charter schools about the changes, the purpose of the in North Carolina Roy Cordato, Paige Holland Hamp, Source: N.C. DPI David Hartgen, Sam A. Hieb, new committee is to look for new ways Lindalyn Kakadelis, George Leef, to regulate charter schools.” Karen McMahan, Karen Palasek, As the board reviewed this year’s sarily be given a slot for the next year,” this meeting is to be schools which have Susan Robinson, Marc Rotterman, prospective charter schools, all three Bartlett told her fellow board members. the flexibility to aspire to the highest of Mike Rouse, Jim Stegall, finalists had “good applications,” state “And that was a great concern.” organization … which is very important George Stephens, Jeff Taylor, board chairman Howard Lee told the That’s not what the application in the mission and goals.” Michael Walden, Karen Welsh, News & Observer after the vote Oct. 4 in says, Cramer said. “This part of the ap- Concerns about direct instruction Hal Young Ocracoke. But comments offered during plication gives us the ability to be sure seem misplaced, Stoops said. “The Dup- Contributing Editors the debate show state board members we do not exceed the state’s limits on lin Charter School would have followed raised three objections to the Duplin the number of students we have in a the instructional model used by teachers Charter School proposal. classroom,” he said. “Let’s say you have a at Roger Bacon Academy, one of the most Abby Alger, Clint Atkins, The first dealt with the last section Justin Coates, Josh Harper, classroom with 25 students, and one kid successful schools in the state,” Stoops of the school’s pledge. Duplin Charter Geoff Lawrence, Michael Moore needs to be held back. Do you take away said. “It looks as if the state board rejected Editorial Interns School’s application indicates that a slot from one of the students who’s a charter school application despite the students would recite the pledge each expecting to move into that class?” fact that the school would have used a morning. After pledging to stay healthy Like the student pledge, the proven model of instruction and would Published by and to be truthful and virtuous, Duplin Duplin Charter application imported have held parents and students account- The John Locke Foundation students would say, “I pledge to be obe- the language dealing with guaranteed able for academic performance. Isn’t 200 W. Morgan St., # 200 dient and loyal to those in authority.” student slots from the existing Charter it good to know that they are running Raleigh, N.C. 27601 Some state board members didn’t Day School’s policy guidelines, Cramer education in North Carolina?” (919) 828-3876 • Fax: 821-5117 like that line. “One of the first concerns said. “We’ve never had to execute that Test scores from Charter Day www.JohnLocke.org was the pledge that the students were policy,” he said. “We just wanted to have School suggest direct instruction works required to sign promising absolute a policy in place. We told board members for more than just struggling students, Jon Ham acquiescence to adults in authority,” we would have no problem taking that Cramer said. The State Board of Educa- Vice President & Publisher board member Melissa Bartlett told her language out of the application.” tion has honored Charter Day School colleagues. “It’s not exactly those words, John Hood as an “honor school of excellence.” The but close.” Chairman & President Direct instruction state also recognized Charter Day in 2005 Duplin Charter School supporters as one of North Carolina’s top 25 schools, Bruce Babcock, Herb Berkowitz say that pledge never has caused con- The final red flag from state board out of more than 1,850 K-8 schools, for Charlie Carter, James Culbertson cerns. Charter Day School in Brunswick members targeted direct instruction it- its students’ academic growth rate. Jim Fulghum, Chuck Fuller County has had the same pledge since self. That instructional method requires In 2005-2006, more than 92 percent Bill Graham, Robert Luddy 2000, according teachers to follow of Charter Day School students scored at Assad Meymandi, Baker A.