Parent-friendly schools and other education news

The John Locke Foundation’s assessment of North Carolina public school districts’ “parent-friendliness” continues to attract media attention. The Durham Herald-Sun responded to Education Policy Analyst Terry Stoops‘ report, while two news articles in the High Point Enterprise touched on Stoops’ work. (Even with the Thomasville school district improving its grade from an F to a D, the conservative John Locke Foundation rates Triad schools just average or below in a new report.) The Enterprise also published an editorial on the topic. (Some may claim that the John Locke Foundation is too harsh a critic, but the fact that only four grades above B-minus were given to five public school districts in The High Point Enterprise circulation area certainly makes one wonder about how much progress is being made in improving education.) In other education-related developments, the Richmond County Daily Journal published Stoops’ recent opinion column on school-funding myths, while the Debate.org Web site highlighted his research into merit pay for teachers. The Lincoln Tribune picked up David Bass’ latest Carolina Journal exclusive on the work of the Wake County school board’s new conservative majority. Meanwhile, the News & Observer‘s WakeEd blog focused twice this week on John Hood. First, blogger Keung Hui noted comments Hood made about the Wake school board during a recent N.C. Spin television appearance. Second, Hui highlighted a column Hood wrote on the topic.