Last week, I mentioned that the NC Department of Public Instruction received 161 letters of intent from groups looking to apply for a charter from the state. I obtained the list of the potential applicants. Here is the breakdown:
Fourteen of the applicants would like to open a charter school in Wake County, while 33 list Mecklenburg County as their proposed home. One wonders if this is a reflection of citizens’ satisfaction/dissatisfaction with the public school district in their county. It is impossible to know for sure.
Eleven applicants would like to open a charter school in Durham County. One of the Durham County schools would be home to a statewide virtual charter school, North Carolina Connections Academy. Another statewide virtual charter school, the North Carolina Virtual Academy, is also on the list.
Also of note:
- Phillip Berger, Jr., son of the President Pro Tempore of the Senate Phil Berger, is the contact person for the proposed Providence Charter High School in Rockingham County
- Roger Gerber, former president of the NC League of Charter Schools, is affiliated with proposed charter schools in Alamance, Chatham, and Orange counties.
- Eddie Goodall, executive director of the NC Public Charter Schools Association and a former state legislator, is the contact person for a proposed school, The Bonnie Cone Academy.
- Goodwill Industries proposed two charter schools – one in Forsyth and another in Mecklenburg County.
- The Fayetteville-Cumberland Chapter Black Leadership Caucus is interested in opening a vocational middle/high school in Cumberland County.
- Bryan Setser, an education consultant and former director of the NC Virtual Public School, is leading the charge for a proposed statewide virtual charter school, North Carolina Connections Academy.
- Norman George, owner of Creative School Development, will oversee the application process for ten charter schools, the most of anyone on the list.
- The award for the most interesting name goes to Crystal Stairs Learning Center.
- The award for the most awesome name is a tie between The Bastiat School and the James K. Polk Public School.