NC Alliance for Public Charter Schools » School News

Report cards are out

Baker Mitchell — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 14:37:34 +0000

While most public school students receive final report cards in June, schools and districts can review their annual progress each October when the North Carolina School Report Cards are released. The Report Cards, which are in the 10th year of publication, feature a collection of information about student performance and attendance, class size, school safety, teacher quality and classroom technology. (Source NCDPI)

Find how well our schools did here…

Creative Juices Flow At Arts Based Charter School

Baker Mitchell — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 12:27:35 +0000

Something new has emerged from the old industrial center of downtown Winston-Salem. The pioneering spirit found in most charter schools throughout the state has emerged in the middle of an inner city street littered with vacant brick factory buildings, relics of a bygone era. Read more…

Kestrel Heights Middle School building ribbon cutting

Baker Mitchell — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 16:54:19 +0000

Durham’s Kestrel Heights new Middle School opens. Read about here…

Holly Springs Rotary and Kestrel Heights School

Baker Mitchell — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 14:26:19 +0000

The “Charter Trail” this week led to Holly Springs and Durham. Thanks to Brian Woomer, of Woomer Insurance in Apex, for the invitation to address the Holly Springs Rotary Club Wednesday.

Kestrel Heights School, with a proud 13 year history of success, is having its ribbon cutting for a new Middle School building and I am priviledged to join that ceremony at 1 pm today at the Durham campus!

Eddie Goodall, Pres.

Note for high schools…”Career & College Promise”

Baker Mitchell — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 19:14:46 +0000

Governor Perdue’s Career and College Promise initiative, which was adopted by the General Assembly and begins in January 2012, will provide students with a remarkable opportunity to accomplish up to two years of college credit while in high school. In detail, the initiative will provide eligible high school students an opportunity to achieve 30 hours of college transfer credit through North Carolina’s Community Colleges while in high school or 18-48 hours of CTE credit leading to an entry-level job credential or an associate’s degree or two years of college credit. The State Board of Education approved policies regarding this initiative at its meeting last week. The State Board of Community Colleges will take action on its part later this month. For many North Carolina students who may see college as out of reach, this initiative will show them that college is in reach. This is exciting news for our state and our public school families. Regards, June Atkinson

Pine Lake Preparatory’s Marching PRIDE competed at the Carolina Cavalcade Festival of Bands

Baker Mitchell — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 13:55:33 +0000

Pine Lake Preparatory’s Marching PRIDE competed at the Carolina Cavalcade Festival of Bands this past Saturday, September 24th. The group took home honors for 1st place Overall in Class, 1st place Musical Effect, 1st place General Effect, 1st Color Guard, 1st place Drum Major, and 1st place Percussion. Their next competition performance will be at the Mooresville HS “Blue Devil Classic” on Saturday, October 15, 2011. Come out and support the Marching PRIDE! The Marching Pride perform under the direction of Danny Lloyd, Director of Bands and Dan Taylor, Assistant Director of Bands.

For many in Guilford, private charter schools earn an A

Baker Mitchell — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 12:39:41 +0000

Tristan Rodriguez was lucky. He had to wait less than a year to gain admission to Greensboro Academy, one of Guilford County’s oldest charter schools.

His parents, Maria Agosto and Enrique Rodriguez, applied for a spot there because they believed Tristan, a bright kid with an attention deficit disorder, would flourish in a middle school with fewer students.

He joined the academy’s sixth-grade students in August and has since stopped complaining about going to school and completing his homework, Agosto said.

“It’s smaller, and it’s easier to have a good time there,” said Tristan, who previously attended Stokesdale Elementary School. “I’m not being stressed. It’s just easier and better.”

Advocates of charter schools fought for years to remove a state cap that limited the number of students like Tristan who could get a free education outside of traditional public schools.

East Wake students are out of this world!

Baker Mitchell — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 20:31:01 +0000

Thomas Jefferson and “Sugar Creek” Appeals decision

Baker Mitchell — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 13:06:44 +0000

The judges agreed unanimously with a trial court decision that the Rutherford County Schools owed Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy about $731,000 in back per-pupil funding over three years, based on funding levels in an account that all districts must keep for normal operating expenses. Read more here…

2 schools win national recognition

Baker Mitchell — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 14:50:06 +0000

Two Charlotte-Mecklenburg schools have been named winners of the annual Blue Ribbon School awards from the U.S. Department of Education.

Piedmont IB Middle School and Metrolina Regional Scholars Academy are among the eight N.C. winners of the award, presented to schools that demonstrate success in closing achievement gaps between groups of students.

None of the other six N.C. winners or the three S.C. winners are from the Charlotte region.

Piedmont Middle, just north of uptown, is among CMS’ oldest magnet schools. It launched an “open” academic program in 1973 and adopted the International Baccalaureate program several years ago.

Metrolina Regional Scholars Academy, a charter school based in southeast Mecklenburg, opened in 2000.

“This is a great moment in our school’s history,” said Piedmont Middle Principal Dee Gardner, who has taught at the school since 1988.