To the Editor:

Every person who pays taxes in Haywood County needs to be aware of, and pay attention to, the creation of Shining Rock Classical Academy, a charter, public school about to begin classes in our community. The school’s application to become a charter school reveals that over a half-million dollars of Haywood County “local per pupil funds” will be transferred from our public schools to the charter school. Nearly $1.5 million more are expected from the state of North Carolina. Thus, $2 million of tax monies paid by individuals are going to this school for its first year.  The school’s own revenue projection anticipates that figure will grow to exceed $3 million by 2019.

You and I have absolutely no say in how this school is run. There is not an elected school board that we, as voters, can support or replace. There was no public bond vote so that you and I could decide whether to fund this new school or not. If you want an example of taxation without representation, there it is. 

Shining Rock is a Challenge Foundation sponsored school. Go online and see for yourself the lack of educational background on the national board. There is not ONE person who was an educator before becoming a board member. One of the five members is the Director of Higher Education at the Charles Koch Foundation and never taught in a classroom. One member is, currently, the headmaster of Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy.  He made the leap from being a president of a commodity trading firm to headmaster. Rev. William Steinbrock is on the board and was the founder of the Challenge Foundation. The last two members are an entrepreneur with a degree in agricultural economics and a man who is a partner in a large insurance firm.

Surely our local school, however, will be headed by an appropriately qualified professional. Sadly, no. School Director Mr. Ben Butler states, on the school’s website, that “… I began teaching at Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy in 2003 after CAREERS (emphasis supplied) in print journalism and commercial photography.” He has a four-year degree in English and, to the best of my knowledge, became a teacher through the lateral transfer program, not by being an accredited teacher. He is now the person charged with overseeing the hiring of all the teachers and staff for Shining Rock. 

Lastly, take the time to review the Challenge Foundation’s proposed curriculum. In the school’s application to the state of North Carolina it is stated that Shining Rock’s intent is that all classes will be taught at the honors level or above. That may be a worthy target, but does that reflect any public school that you have heard of? What will happen to those students who are in need of help to simply get to average or those who have learning disabilities? What about those students who will struggle until they gain a mastery of English? Public schools are a shining example of democracy in action as every student is taken in with the goal of helping each student reach his or her potential. We who pay the taxes have oversight and control over how our monies are spent for educating our fellow citizens. At least we used to. 

Bob Clark

Waynesville