If you google the Department of Education and look at their reports regarding test scores, percentage of high school graduates, and even educator compensation, the results for North Carolina, for the most part,  come out that we are average.

According to Niche.com (formerly known as College Prowler) which focuses on helping people investigate neighborhoods and schools where they might want or need to locate, Brunswick County schools rank 62^nd out of 116 districts in the state.  They also say that our school system only has an 84% graduation rate.   And an average ACT score of 24, for students going onto college.

Since I have been associated with Cape Fear Voices and Teen Scene, I have had the opportunity to visit some of our participating middle and high schools and get to know some of the students and teachers.  For the most part, the students have been creative, eager to learn how to improve their writing skills and open to new ideas.  I have found some very talented students who continue to impress me with their imagination and view of the world around them.

The teachers with whom I have interacted are similarly, engaged, dedicated and open to assistance from others when it comes to helping their students learn.  All of this sounds like a winning combination for success.  So why are we just average?  Not good, not bad, just average?

I think part of the answer is how much state and local governments allocate to the school systems.  The PPE calculation (Per Pupil Expenditure) is calculated by taking the amount of money a school district spends on students in a given year and then dividing that by the number of students in that district.

In 2020 (reflecting the 2019/2020 school year for elementary and secondary schools), the North Carolina funding level was $10,791 per student, while the national average was closer to $17,000, putting North Carolina in 48th place statewide.

But we are making progress.  For the 2021 school year, the National Education Association ranked North Carolina 41^st for public school expenditures per student.

Aside from funding, schools all over the country have issues that are impacting the quality of education.  According to the publication, American Education, among them are:

• School safety
• Disciplinary policies
• Changes in Technology in Education
• Not teaching “The Basics”
• Standardized testing
• Teacher salaries.

So how do we move from average to good or even excellent and what does that mean long term?

I know that a well-educated workforce will be better able to attract new businesses and provide a higher standard of living for future students of Brunswick County.  And, for the businesses already in this area, my sense is that when you need to hire employees, you want to hire the best candidate—meaning one who meets your job requirements and is also able to communicate well, understand your metrics and present a professional image to your customers.  Can “average” do that?

If they aren’t present already, our students need measurable, defined standards and expectations that are strictly enforced for what we are asking them to achieve.  How can they even get into college if they can’t write a basic sentence or comprehend what they read?  Students can’t even write their names anymore—saying no to cursive has caused them to forever print.  Picture our students “signing” a business contract for their employer by printing their names.

Our children take tests where they don’t have to really know and understand the material, all they have to do is guess at multiple-choice options.

I don’t think our teachers and administrators are supported to the degree they need to be in order to make our children successful.   How many times do we hear about teachers going out and buying materials out of their own pockets for their students?  Our educators need to be well educated, well compensated, well prepared and supported especially by parents, the school board and everyone who calls Brunswick County home.

Children in school now are our future leaders.  Do you trust that they will be able to make good decisions for you based on the education they received here?

Our children need to achieve high academic standards.  They need to be challenged, and have policies and procedures in place that will support learning. Maybe that means more back to the basics and less funding for sports.  Maybe it means smaller teacher-to-student ratios.  Maybe it means ensuring that members of our school board are all there for the right reasons–to improve the quality of education our children are receiving and make Brunswick County an attractive place to relocate because of it.  Or, maybe it means common sense. When it comes to our schools, we need to stop being on one side or the other, we need to come together and put our children first.

Then, and only then will we have a chance to not be average.

Editor’s Note:  The opinions expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of  the CFV/TS organization