Freedom Reduces Drop Out Rate

Freedom High School in Morganton leaped past nearly 100 other schools in the state's new report on graduation rates.
Ranked 274th among the 414 schools last year, Freedom High rose to 180th — solidly in the upper half — after 77 percent of the Class of 2008 graduated on time last spring.

Morganton.com Story

Letter to the editor

Stephen Rudicil
Published: August 25, 2008

Rutherford College, N.C. - In her recent letter (The News Herald, Aug. 19), Gayle Walden stated that she was surprised that Rob Hairfield would use such negative and, in her opinion, inappropriate language in his letter (The News Herald, Aug. 14). I am glad that someone else had the same opinion as I did concerning this, his most recent letter, as well as previous ones Mr Hairfield has written.
In his letter of July 13, Mr Hairfield said there was one school board member, as well as several administration members "of the highest echelon," who were trying to discredit the newly elected board members. He stated that the previous school board was a "second-class" organization. In his Aug 14 letter, Mr Hairfield states there were leadership problems at "one of our middle schools."
This is typical of Mr Hairfield. He casts out allegations and suspicions about individuals, without naming them or offering any proof of his charges.
He causes people to question the leadership of our schools without knowing even which schools he is talking about. Now every parent who has a child in "one of our middle schools" is going to wonder if that child is attending the school with the problems. After his letter, every parent will wonder if the principal who moved from one school to another is the bad principal. He has cast doubt on every school board member as well as every person in the school administration.
This reminds me of the McCarthy era of the 1950s. Anyone can be found guilty of something if you do not go along with those in authority. If you are not in agreement with Mr Hairfield, then you are opening yourself up to attack and innuendo.
Mr. Hairfield campaigned for six years for a school board seat using this same strategy. He attacked the school administration and the school board members with slurs, allegations and name-calling.
I, for one, am not the least bit surprised by this latest verbal attack by Mr. Hairfield.

The Parental Prerogative

How 'parent-friendtly are school districts in NC?
This report develops a system to evaluate school districts on how “parent-friendly” they are. In other words, to what extent do North Carolina’s school districts provide children a sound, basic education in a stable and safe school environment that is responsive to the needs of children and the concerns of parents?

http://www.johnlocke.org/spotlights/20080818207.html

Overall
District-Grade-Rank
Burke C+ Tied for 20th
Catawba B+ Tied for 13th
Pamlico D+ Tied for 96th
Hickory D+ 99th

School Districts with 14,101 to 35,000 students
District-Enrollement-Rank
Catawba - 17,332 - 1 out of 22

School Districts with 7,701 to 14,100 students
District-Enrollement-Rank
Burke - 14,055 - 6 out of 22

School Districts with 4,461 to 7,700 students
District-Enrollement-Rank
Hickory - 4465 - Rank 18 out of 22

School Districts with 500 to 2,600 students
District-Enrollement-Rank
Pamlico - 1510 - 19 of 22

Tim Buff's Bio

Let's create one

Tracy Norman Bio

i wonder how tracy and tim's board bio would read...
Tracy spends her extra time in court with her kids or with her married boyfriend. She is a manager at a salvage store, and serves as head bagger. She enoys getting in everyone business. She has been a member of every denomination in town. and is currently at the last church she hasnt attended in burke county.

This is a good start...

Jimmy C. Draugh High School Dedication

Set for Sunday at 2 pm.

morganton.com link

BCPS Convocation 2008-2009

I have heard a lot of stories about golf claps to Tim and Tracy, please share yours here.

Board Meeting Aug 18th

Your place to discuss.

Rob Hairfield's Letter

There is some feeling that the Burke County Schools Board of Education was responsible for the recent rash of principal re-assignments.
That is not the case.

In June, some board members confided to the superintendent that there were some problems at one of our middle schools that needed to be addressed as far as leadership positions there. This was the only time the board asked the superintendent to do something to correct the problem. This was back in June of this year.
The superintendent told the board he had some concerns with the principal at W.A. Young and originally wanted to swap that principal with the principal at Mountain View. That was the extent of what this board knew or was involved in.
Since then, the superintendent decided he would make several other changes as well. Since these are lateral moves and not promotions requiring board official action, it is within the right of the superintendent to do so. All the board does then is approve the changes so the proper funding is authorized.

I remember telling the superintendent I did not want to go through what we did a few years ago and move many principals at the same time. Well, that is exactly what happened. He has moved several principals and some assistant principals, but, to make matters worse, he waited until two weeks before school opened to make the moves.
If he was going to move all these people he should have done it earlier in the summer so the newly assigned people would have time to transfer and prepare for their new assignments.

This board had nothing to do with all these changes - nothing.

Principal Shake Up?

From the comments...

Has any one heard of a principal shake up still may happen for BCPS. Heard it might be this week!!!

Board Meeting From July 29th

Been busy down here in the Bahamas.

Dear Mr. Hairfield:
Please stop commenting with the "hee hee har har" laughter.

Thanks!