Why NC’s Blue Ribbon Commission must succeed

A new bipartisan effort to examine North Carolina’s public schools comes at a critical moment. The Blue Ribbon Commission on Public Education — recently announced by Gov. Josh Stein, Speaker Destin Hall, and Senate Leader Phil Berger — tasks leaders from the public and private sectors with studying how education is carried out, and, one hopes, identifying real opportunities for reform.

The stakes for true inquiry and serious action couldn’t be higher. Fewer than half of state third graders are reading on grade level, according to the Department of Public Instruction’s most recent testing report, and just one quarter are on track to be college and career ready. Math competency is of equal concern, with fewer than half of eighth graders testing at grade level.

There is little doubt that students are working hard to make gains each year, and many are — but such progress is incremental and not guaranteed to hold steady. Current trend lines don’t suggest we’ll see major academic leaps anytime soon without a serious commitment from school leaders. The next generation can’t afford for North Carolina to drop the ball.

That’s why I’m rooting for the commission to succeed, and why you should too. And I’m optimistic it can for at least two reasons.

First, it brings together stakeholders at nearly all levels of education. On the local front, its members include a teacher and education coach, two current superintendents, a local school board member, a principal, and a county commissioner. Their ground-level knowledge can bring real-world insight to the challenges students and teachers are facing if applied correctly. Including a few parent positions on the commission would’ve helped even more.  

That local experience will matter for the 10 legislators on the panel, including several House and Senate Education Committee co-chairs. There are many things happening in our school communities that fall outside of Raleigh’s busy view. Even smart reforms like a bill to track school spending on Chromebooks and laptop programs fell short last year after being struck and replaced by omnibus legislation. Decisive collaboration among K-12 decision-makers can bring these timely issues back to the forefront.

Second, the commission’s key focus areas reflect substance, not just fluff. Specifically listed is “teacher training and student advancement,” two items that go hand in hand. North Carolina’s college of education courses are past due for an overhaul to ensure that teachers have the skills and knowledge to foster academic mastery and manage classrooms. 

Literacy instruction should — to some degree — be emphasized in every teacher training course, not just for those specializing in ELA. Equipping all teachers with this foundational skill can help students access, understand, and succeed in every subject.

The commission is also tasked with assessing educational leadership and accountability. This presents a great opportunity to look at our school boards, among other positions, which have tremendous authority over local education.

In neighboring South Carolina, lawmakers are currently weighing new accountability measures for school board members. One such change would expand mandatory training for trustees — adding conflicts of interest and nepotism as required topics — and create a process to remove members who fail to complete it.

By law, North Carolina school board members must receive continuing education in their duties; however, there is no penalty for non-compliance.

Much like teacher training, having well-trained and well-equipped local officials on the job can make all the difference. It’s why our organization, Carolinas Academic Leadership Network, exists. Putting a bigger emphasis on this going forward — particularly on topics such as school finance and improving student achievement — can be a real game changer for public education in North Carolina.

The Blue Ribbon Commission has the makings of a serious initiative to improve school outcomes — bringing together leaders across the education spectrum and investigating the issues that actually matter. We’ve done the easy part: setting the wheels in motion; the true test is what it can deliver and how quickly we get to work on executing reforms.

“Why NC’s Blue Ribbon Commission must succeed” was originally published on www.carolinajournal.com.