[Durham INC] Vote YES for charter school in Chapel Hill

[Christine Chamberlain]

Very well written Nancy-Anne!  My daughter attended RTCA as well.


Research Triangle Academy is actually operated by Healthy Start Education, Inc., a NON-PROFIT organization I founded in 1996.  Elizabeth Morey is the current president of the non-profit.  Healthy Start Academy was the first charter school, opened in 1997, and Research Triangle Charter Academy opened in 2000, and Elizabeth Morey is the founder of the second school.  The board hired National Heritage Academies to manage the school.


Actually, my daughter attended both charter schools.

Christine Chamberlain
Founder, Healthy Start Education, Inc.


________________________________
From: Nancy-Anne Potts <nmpotts at live.com>

To: fairfieldspeaksout at yahoogroups.com; inc-list at rtpnet.org 
Sent: Tuesday, 31 January 2012 9:03 AM
Subject: Re: [Durham INC] [FairfieldSpeaksOut] Fw: Anti-gay charter school in Chapel Hill
 

 
Melissa, 
 
Since you have forwarded this rather inflammatory email, I feel I must respond. 
 
My boys both attended RTCA which was run by National Heritage Academies so I have some familiarity with the company.  During the time we were associated with the school, I never experienced or heard of anything that would be construed as anti-gay.  The quote referred to the petition came from a 1999 article and I could find no evidence of lawsuits or anything other indication that it was ever any more than a personal opinion.  Given the quote and accusation has been around for over a decade, if it were policy I would have expected that proof would exist by now.  
 
With regards to the "creationism" -- that charge is baseless.   It has been floating around for over a decade and is based on a lawsuit brought about in the late '90's based on activities at one school and was thrown out of Federal Court in 2000.   I can say that my boys were NOT taught creationism at RTCA.    There was a "Moral Focus" curriculum that was based on the Greek virtues.  I will admit that I was skeptical at first about a "moral focus" curriculum that was not based on religion but was pleasantly surprised at well it was done WITHOUT religious overtones.    
 
With regards to National Heritage Academies being cookie cutter schools -- yes, they do use the same curriculum across schools.  Some teachers like that; others do not.    However I saw different teachers implement that curriculum in different ways.   As a parent, the curriculum was one of the reasons I chose RTCA.  At the time I enrolled my sons, Durham Public Schools did not have a standard curriculum for reading or math and I wanted a strong curriculum.  Others feel differently.  That is why I view choice as a good thing! As far as books in the library -- NHA provided a baseline set which at RTCA were then expanded based on the what the librarian chose to order and what was donated by parents.  Also RTCA took advantage of resources brought by its faculty.   It offered a phenomenal school band and orchestra program because the principal was a band
 director and amazingly talented music teacher.  That was not cookie cutter. 
 
While I would never claim that National Heritage was perfect, overall I feel that my boys got a good education at RTCA and that the material contained in the petition is essentially a rehash of accusations that have been around for over a decade and do not have a basis in fact. 
 
Nancy-Anne 
 
 
When everything seems upside down, stand on your head!    

 


________________________________
 To: inc-list at rtpnet.org
From: mmr121570 at yahoo.com
Date: Mon, 30 Jan 2012 19:53:30 -0800
Subject: [FairfieldSpeaksOut] Fw: Anti-gay charter school in Chapel Hill

  
I received this information today and thought I would notify those on the neighborhood listservs about it. Just FYI. Feel free to do your own research -- I'm certainly interested in any discussion regarding this issue.

Melissa (Rooney)


----- Forwarded Message -----
Sent: Monday, 30 January 2012 12:54 PM
Subject: Anti-gay charter school in Chapel Hill


Please sign this petition to tell the NC Board of Ed. not to approve a new, for-profit charter school to be opened in Chapel Hill. It's part of a corporate charter corporation called Nat'l Heritage Academies. Based in Michigan, the NHA do not believe homosexuals should be allowed to teach children, and they stand to siphon $4.5 million from the local school system!

http://www.change.org/petitions/mr-william-harrison-and-the-north-carolina-state-board-of-education-vote-no-for-the-howard-lillian-lee-scholars-charter-school

This is a FOR-profit private corporation that takes our tax dollars and makes a profit on our children. It is a barely disguised faith-based, right-wing, corporation, already sued in Michigan by the ACLU for having religious activities in schools. They teach evolution based on the Bible "creation story" as well as on Darwinism. Teachers are paid less; schools are cookie-cutter down to the books in the libraries. Howard and Lillian Lee deserve better than this.
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