The kids are about to head back to school and just in time for their return to the classroom we got some great news about out schools. Niche, a research company that evaluates places to live, schools, neighborhoods and the workplace ranked Dare County Schools sixth in North Carolina.
For those of us who live here and have kids in the school system or maybe someone who works with the schools, that ranking is a great validation. There is a lot of support for local schools, and to have a national organization recognize the quality of education our kids are getting is a real feather in our caps.
It is important to note that the Niche ranking is separate from the rankings done by the North Carolina Department of Education.
What's interesting the Niche evaluation is how inclusive it is, looking at a number of factors, not just test scores and dropout rates that are the traditional ways of evaluating a school's performance.
The scoring system does place a lot of emphasis on academics, which it should, but other factors are also included.
The Niche system evaluates teachers as well as academics. In the scoring Dare County Schools received an A- in academics but local teachers received an A.
The teacher grade includes ongoing instruction and advanced degrees. Much of what the teachers have accomplished is because of their initiative, but there is also a lot of support locally that includes grants for teacher training.
In any discussion of community support for local schools, the Dare Education Foundation has to be part of the mix. One of the most important functions of the DEF is providing affordable housing to teachers at their apartment complexes in Kill Devil Hills and Hatteras Island. It has been an invaluable tool in recruitment.
DEF also is also provides classroom grants and funds for teacher training.
So, yes. We're proud of our schools and the support we give them.
The Outer Banks is a great place to live and work. Need more information? Check out our Joe Lamb, Jr. & Associates website.
