Tagged: Education

Students in Wake County Schools who seek technical skills that could lead to jobs may soon have a new school to consider. The Wake School Board has approved the creation of a new career technical high school.

Dave DeWitt: The Career Technical High School would be a partnership with Wake Technical Community College. It would offer classes and certificates in areas like automobile repair, biopharmaceuticals and cosmetology.

Among the vast, winding hallways inside the UNC Hospital complex, there’s a school. It's small, by public school standards, but it serves a vital purpose.

As Dave DeWitt reports, it offers young patients the chance to remain students, and retain a sense of normalcy during a difficult time in their lives.

North Carolina had a high school graduation rate that ranked 25th in the nation last year. The state statistics are showing improvement, but still about 27 out of every 100 students do not receive their diploma on time. Of all the large and urban school districts in the state, Guilford County has the best graduation rate. Part of the reason is a growing number of the district's early and middle colleges. Students at those schools are now earning degrees at a near perfect pace. Jeff Tiberii reports as part of our American Graduate series.

Republican Gubernatorial candidate Pat McCrory laid out his education platform today. As Dave DeWitt reports, the former mayor of Charlotte is in favor of expanding school choice and teacher merit pay, among other things.

Dave DeWitt: McCrory was careful not to wade into the current debate between Governor Bev Perdue and the Republican led Legislature over school funding. He refused to say if schools were adequately funded under the current budget, but instead offered outlines of new programs that he said may save money.

Most North Carolina school districts will not have to add five days to their upcoming school year. It's the second year that waivers have been granted from an extension mandated by the General Assembly. The State School Board authorized the waivers. Ninety-one of the state's 115 school districts have gotten them so far. Board Chairman Bill Harrison says teachers need those five days to prepare for new national curriculum standards. Plus, he says it would cost $14 million system-wide. State Senator Jerry Tillman is a major proponent of the school year extension.

There’s a renewed fight over education funding. Dave DeWitt reports that the loss of federal stimulus money has republicans and democrats picking sides ahead of the legislature coming back to Raleigh.