At EdNC, we are wrapping up our first year with a look back at the articles our readers found most interesting. These are the articles you read the most, shared on social media, and emailed to friends and colleagues. It is the articles that got you talking about education in our state.
Over the next three days we will be featuring our most read news, perspectives, and featured stories from 2015.
Today, we start with our top-10 most read news items.
Halifax School Board ousts superintendent… for now
Alex Granados/October 7, 2015
“Less than two months after the start of the school year, the Halifax Board of Education has fired its superintendent, but the move is unlikely to last long.
At Monday’s board meeting, the members present voted 2-1 to fire Superintendent Elease Frederick, according to both board member Charles Hedgepeth and the attorney representing the board, Larry Armstrong. Chair Debbie Hardy said in an email that a special meeting will be held Thursday on reinstating the superintendent, though she would not offer further comment.”
Local groups sue Halifax Commissioners, hold press conference
Alex Granados/August 26, 2015
“Monday, some local community groups and parents in Halifax County announced a lawsuit against the Halifax County Commissioners over violations of Halifax students’ constitutional right to the opportunity for a sound basic education.
The suit is being brought by the Coalition for Education and Economic Security (CEES), the Halifax County branch of the NAACP, and three parents and guardians of children in Halifax County public schools.”
Senate budget plans stir superintendent concern
Alex Granados/June 29, 2015
“The Senate and House budgets are far apart in some areas, and the best case scenario is that the two chambers hammer out their budget differences and pass a spending plan sometime in July. If that happens, school administrators will have a little more than a month to hire extra teachers for class-size reduction and to eliminate some of their teacher assistants. That’s a quick turnaround, and superintendents around the state are expressing some concerns. “
Judge Manning issues notice of hearing and order in Leandro
Mebane Rash/April 25, 2015
“On April 24, 2015, Superior Court Judge Howard Manning issued a notice of hearing and order in the Leandro case.
A hearing will be held from Tuesday, July 21 at 10am through Thursday, July 23 in Courtroom 10-A of the Wake County Courthouse.”
Local community groups and parents sue Halifax County Board of Commissioners
Staff/August 24, 2015
“According to a press release, today as children in Halifax County begin a new school year, the Coalition for Education and Economic Security (CEES), the Halifax County Branch of the NAACP, and three parents and guardians of children attending public schools in Halifax County filed suit against the Halifax County Board of Commissioners in Silver et al. v. Halifax County Board of Commissioners, to vindicate the North Carolina constitutional right of all Halifax County’s schoolchildren to the opportunity for a sound basic education.”
Breaking News: Inaccurate comparison of teachers leaving for personal reasons
Alex Granados/October 23, 2015
“An analysis of the data shows that this comparison chart is not accurate when it comes to “Turnover for Personal Reasons.” The number of teachers who left for personal reasons in 2010-11 through 2012-13 should be much higher. For 2010-11, it should be 3,735. In 2011-12, it should be 4,173. And in 2012-13, it should be 4,623.
Our analysis here focuses on teachers leaving for personal reasons because the five-year jump in numbers was so startling, and we wondered why.“
Breaking News: Trouble in Halifax
Alex Granados/August 10, 2015
“The State Board of Education sent a letter today to the Halifax Board of Education criticizing the Halifax Board’s financial decision-making and listing directives the Halifax Board must now follow.
‘With the start of the 2015-2016 school year a few days away, it is clear that the HCS Board and leadership are unable or unwilling to make sound financial decisions in order to sustain a financially viable school district,’ the letter, signed by State Board Chairman Bill Cobey states. ‘To our dismay, irresponsible decisions by the HCS Board signal a failure to cooperate with the recommendations by the SBE’s designees.'”
Speech by Sen. Phil Berger raises questions about the future of teacher assistants, schools of education in NC
Alex Granados/November 3, 2015
“On October 27, 2015, Senate President Pro Tempore Phil Berger (R-Rockingham) gave a speech on public education reform at Best NC’s second annual legislative gathering.”
An obstreperous school board meeting in Halifax? You decide
Alex Granados/
“During the latest round of hearings last week in the Leandro lawsuit, one topic came up again and again: local school boards and when they interfere with education.
Sitting there in Judge Manning’s courtroom and listening to the testimony about local boards, my mind went back again and again to a school board meeting earlier this month in Halifax County.”
Changes in testing heading to State Board
Liam Murray/June 25, 2015
“The North Carolina State Board of Education’s Task Force on Summative Assessment assembled on Friday afternoon for its final meeting and discussed sweeping changes to the testing landscape that it is planning to recommend to the State Board.
The changes (the link goes to a draft of the recommendations report) include scrapping End of Grade tests in grades 3 through 8 and replacing them with three interim assessments throughout the year and one EOG-like assessment at the end of the year.”
Tomorrow we will reveal our top 10 featured stories for 2015.
