Manning to State: Fix Halifax Schools
Superior Court Judge Howard Manning is justifiably outraged that 71.3 percent of elementary and 74.3 percent of middle school students in Halifax County Schools are not proficient in reading. "This is irrefutable evidence of a complete breakdown in academics in Halifax County Public Schools," Manning stated, when ordering a hearing next month to determine who should run the school system.
Manning calls the failure “academic genocide” because he knows that if students can’t read and do math at grade level they stand a good chance of never graduating from high school. And if they don’t graduate from high school they stand a better than good chance of unemployment or minimum wage jobs or, worse yet, involvement in crime.
The Judge is absolutely correct to be angry. What is mystifying is why this response came from a Superior Court Judge. Why wasn’t the Superintendent of Public Instruction outraged? Or the State Board of Education, the school board association, the principals’ association, or NCAE? Worse still, why aren’t the parents screaming from the rooftops?
It’s no wonder the public has little confidence in public schools. The unfortunate truth is that failure is tolerated and accountability, if not absent, is certainly not visible. Educators and administrators are rearranging deck chairs on this obviously sinking ship. The solutions are not just repeatedly testing students, teaching to the tests, higher teacher pay or increasing per pupil expenditures. No one seems to want to admit that wholesale education reform is badly past due.
If the education community doesn’t want to learn their lessons they have Judge Howdy Manning who will call them to task. We agree with those who say that a Judge shouldn’t be attempting to run the public schools, but in a vacuum someone has to do it and Manning is not bashful.
Excellent evidence for vouchers and more charter schools.
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I have paid taxes all my working life, most of which have gone to fund public school systems and I have not had any children. If people want to send their children to private schools, they can pay the way. I do NOT agree with issuing any type of voucher for me to help fund their sending their children to private schools. Enough is enough.
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So we will continue supporting the education monopoly that doesn't carry out its intended purpose, educating citizens, and building expensive schools we can't afford.
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It is not about educating our children. It is about the Democratic and liberals who want control. Pat McCrory brought up the issue about control in the last election. And people decided they want to keep the failing schools and not allow choice. To reply to Martha C I only have to say that sending a child to a private school on a voucher would actually save thousands of dollars. The public schools would actually come out ahead because they would have part of that money and no child to educate. It is a win win situation. But the people in charge of public schools do not want to give up CONTROL.
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It’s no wonder the public has little confidence in public schools. The unfortunate truth is that failure is tolerated and accountability, if not absent, is certainly not visible. Educators and administrators are rearranging deck chairs on this obviously sinking ship. The solutions are not just repeatedly testing students, teaching to the tests, higher teacher pay or increasing per pupil expenditures. No one seems to want to admit that wholesale education reform is badly past due.
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