If you ever needed more proof that many of our lawmakers in Raleigh have absolutely no idea of what happens in public education or how things work, then this should help.

Courtesy of Kris Nordstrom:

Read that carefully.

If comes from a draft of a bill that has not been filed just yet.

Specifically, page 19:

Nordstrom quickly points out that this is not even a current standard for virtual charter schools. The two that are in NC have been amongst the worst performing schools in the state according to the state’s own grading system.

But to insinuate that “growth” should be commensurate with “what would have taken place on a non-remote instruction day” is absolutely insane. First, this legislative body does not even really value growth, because if it did then the way that schools are “graded” in the School Performance Grading system would not exist.

Secondly, it is deliberately ignorant of the very inequalities that exist in NC that already impede student achievement.  This epidemic is “exacerbating” those divides at exponential rates.

Just today EdNC.org posted the statement made by James Ford in a recent State Board of Education meeting talking about how to grade and assess student work in the state during this epidemic. It is exactly what Justin Parmenter had in a post last week on the very day that Ford made his statement. 

He stated:

“It’s important to acknowledge that on our best day in North Carolina, our public schools don’t serve all of our students well. And I think we all can acknowledge that and recognize that. What the virus has done though — in the midst of this global emergency, in the way that has disrupted our education — it’s not only exposed these inequities, but it’s exacerbated them.

In other words, those who are already disadvantaged by the former arrangement are even more so now. And we’ve done our best as a Board. I have no doubts we’ve tried to account for these inherent flaws in our system in such a strained environment. I don’t doubt that, I know that for a fact. We’ve had to respond really quickly and definitively in unprecedented times, in a dynamic environment. And this is uncharted territory.”

It is sadistically ironic that a draft of a bill which talks about this comes to light before the NCGA has acted in this crisis to even address some of the obstacles affecting our state’s citizens.

But there are lawmakers in Raleigh who cannot even fathom the reality of the situation for our students, but have gerrymandered themselves into a position that allows them to set policy.  And they will go out of their way to put unrealistic expectations on schools and teachers when our public school system was never fully funded in the place.