School system raises concerns over new charter school in Garner
YOUTUBE, TV SPECTRUM AND THE
WRAL APP ON YOUR TV OR
STREAMING DEVICE.
>> CONCERNS ABOUT SEGREGATED
SCHOOLS HAVE THE WAKE COUNTY
SCHOOL SYSTEM PUSHING BACK
AGAINST PLANS TO OPEN THE FIRST
EVER CHARTER SCHOOL IN GARNER.
A MAJORITY OF STUDENTS IN
GARNER ARE NOT WHITE. AND THE
DISTRICT BELIEVES A CHARTER
SCHOOL WILL LEAD TO MANY OF THE
WHITE STUDENTS LEAVING THE
PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM. WR WAS
JOE FISHER REPORTS ON WHAT THIS
COULD MEAN FOR THE DISTRICT
MOVING FORWARD.
>> IN EDUCATION, THE FUNDING
FOLLOWS THE STUDENTS AND WITH
MORE STUDENTS FLOCKING TO
CHARTER SCHOOLS, LOCAL
DISTRICTS ARE PLAYING D THATS
ONE OF THE CONCERNS OF THE
COURSES FUNDING AND HOW THAT
AFFECTS THE SCALE. WHAT YOU'RE
ABLE TO DO, KEITH HOSTIN IS
PRESIDENT OF THE WEEKEND
PARTNERSHIP. THEY ADVOCATE FOR
WAKE SCHOOLS. HE'S NOT OPPOSED
TO CHARTER SCHOOLS BUT
ACKNOWLEDGES THEY DON'T PLAY BY
THE SAME ROLES LIKE REQUIRING
BUS TRANSPORTATION BY NATURE.
IF YOU'RE GOING TO REQUIRE THE
PARENTS TO DRIVE THEM TO
SOMEWHERE ELSE OUTSIDE OF THEIR
NEIGHBORHOOD.
>> PROVIDE LAUNCH SERVICES ARE
PROVIDED FREE LUNCH YOU'RE
GOING TO HAVE SOME FAMILIES
JUST CAN'T AFFORD. WAKE COUNTY
BELIEVES PLANS TO BUILD
AMERICAN LEADERSHIP ACADEMY
IN GARNER.
>> WILL FURTHER SEGREGATE.
THE TOWN'S SCHOOLS, THE WAKE
COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD SUBMITTED
THIS LETTER TO THE CHARTER
SCHOOL ADVISORY BOARD WRITING,
QUOTE, RATHER THAN OFFERING
ANYTHING NEW OR INNOVATIVE THIS
SCHOOL WOULD PROMOTE WHITE
FLIGHT FROM TRADITIONAL PUBLIC
SCHOOLS SOWING DIVISION IN THE
GARNER COMMUNITY AND SIPHONING
RESOURCES FROM STUDENTS WHO
NEED THEM THE MOST WAKE COUNTY
POINTS OUT THAT AMERICAN
LEADERSHIP ACADEMY IN
WILMINGTON IN ROLES, 87%, WHITE
STUDENTS MUCH HIGHER THAN THE
59% OF WHITE STUDENTS IN THE
LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICT. AND WE
SCRUTINIZE THE APPLICATIONS
EXTENSIVELY. TERRY STOOPS IS ON
THE ADVISORY BOARD.
>> AND VOTED IN FAVOR OF
AMERICAN LEADERSHIP ACADEMY
WITH 6 OF GARNER'S 11 SCHOOLS
CURRENTLY UNDER PERFORMING.
HE BELIEVES FAMILIES DESERVE
MORE CHOICE RATHER THAN
COMPLAIN ABOUT THE FACT THAT A
CHARTER SCHOOL IS LOCATING IN A
DISTRICT LIKE WAY.
>> I THINK POINT LEADERS NEED
TO STEP UP AND ASK SOME TOUGH
QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT THEY ARE
DOING TO ENSURE THAT THEIR
STUDENTS ARE SATISFY THEIR
FAMILIES ARE SENT A SPINE AND
THE STUDENTS STAY IN THAT
DISTRICT. THE WILMINGTON CAMPUS
WAS ALSO A LOW PERFORMING LAST
YEAR, ACCORDING TO STATE
RECORDS.
>> THE SCHOOL IS OWNED BY
CHARTER ONE, WHICH JUST OPENED
WAKE PREP ACADEMY IN WAKE
FOREST AT THE DEMAND FOR
CHARTER SCHOOLS AND JUST
CONTINUES TO ACCELERATE IN
GARNER. THE PROPOSAL OUTLINES
SOME TRANSPORTATION FOR
STUDENTS AND A WEIGHTED LOTTERY
SYSTEM TO INCREASE DIVERSITY.
REALLY WHAT THE SCHOOL
DISTRICTS NEED TO DO IS TO
EMBRACE COMPETITION.
>> AND EMBRACE THE FACT THAT
THIS COMPETITION WILL MAKE THEM
BETTER
>> AND THIS WEEK, THE SCHOOLS
PROPOSAL JUST NARROWLY GOT THE
APPROVAL OF AN ADVISORY BOARD.
THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION
HAS THE FINAL SAY A VOTE IS
EXPECTED NEXT MONTH. I'M JOE
FISHER, WRAL
NEWS, RALEIGH.
>> THE ACADEMY SAYS THE STUDENT
POPULATION HAS GARNERED SCHOOL
DIRECTLY NEAR THE DIVERSITY IN
THE COMMUNITY. IF APPROVED,
THEY HOPE TO OPEN IN THE FALL