“While imperfect, our school letter grade system has proven an invaluable tool. It’s brought to light schools that have been mired in generational failure, giving us the ability to address the problems and better serve students. Schools need an evaluation system. The best method is to let parents and families hold schools accountable themselves by giving them choices. Parents should have the freedom to choose the option that is best for their children, not just the one that the government chooses. No child should be stuck in a failing school. That’s why I support charter schools and programs like Opportunity Scholarships, which help give families more choices to find the classroom setting that works for them.“ – Dan Forest in answering a question from PENC for 2020 CANDIDATES for NC GOVERNOR SPEAK UP ON THE ISSUES.

That question was this:”North Carolina needs to be able to assess how our schools are performing and how well students are learning. A reasonable assessment system that gives teachers and parents accurate information about what students need without sacrificing accountability should help children learn without over testing. “

While imperfect, our school letter grade system has proven an invaluable tool. It’s brought to light schools that have been mired in generational failure, giving us the ability to address the problems and better serve students. Schools need an evaluation system.

Below is a map provided by EdNC.org that plots the most recent school performance grades across North Carolina (2019-2020 were not calculated because of the pandemic).

Next is a map of the economic well-being of each NC county as reported be the North Carolina Department of Commerce.

The LIGHTER the shade of blue, the more economic “distress.” This is how it was determined according to the site.

The next map is of poverty rates as reported by the Port City Daily on Feb. 18th, 2018.

The North Carolina Department of Commerce annually ranks the state’s 100 counties based on economic well-being and assigns each a Tier designation. This Tier system is incorporated into various state programs to encourage economic activity in the less prosperous areas of the state.

The 40 most distressed counties are designated as Tier 1, the next 40 as Tier 2 and the 20 least distressed as Tier 3.

Review the 2020 County Tier Designations Memo (revised December 2, 2019 following original publication on November 27, 2019)

County Tiers are calculated using four factors:

1. Average unemployment rate
2. Median household income
3. Percentage growth in population
4. Adjusted property tax base per capita

The next map is of poverty rates as reported by the Port City Daily on Feb. 18th, 2018.

Below is a map that considers what areas in NC are considered rural.

“The darker green areas are more rural according to most definitions. Courtesy of the Sheps Center for Health Services Research.”

From the North Carolina Alliance For Health:

And this is from the USDA.gov. It concerns low access to grocery stores.

And then there is access to hospitals. Also from North Carolina Health News:

Rural areas have a shortage of almost every type of provider. In North Carolina, 20 counties do not have a pediatrician; 26 counties do not have an OB-GYN; and 32 are without a psychiatrist, according to the interactive North Carolina Health Professions Data System.

Now go back to that map of the school performance grades.

See a pattern?

Forest seems to want to keep using those factors to keep school performance grades as they are so that they can keep getting this:

So that he can push “charter schools and programs like Opportunity Scholarships.”