More than 100 public schools in North Carolina have applied and been granted approval to participate in a scholastic experiment called Restart. The Restart program allows low-performing schools to operate like charter programs without having charter status.
The institutions have greater flexibility than traditional public schools, allowing them to play around with school hours, shift teacher positions, or start after-school programs in ways not designated by the state. Two North Carolina reporters looked into the little-known program and found that while it gives schools permission to experiment, it does not provide sufficient administrative support or a clear way to measure success.
Host Frank Stasio speaks with Alex Granados, senior reporter at EdNC, and Kelly Hinchcliffe, WRAL education reporter, about their new three-part series about the state’s Restart program.
