There should have been some thunder
Yesterday evening's budget presentation by school board chairman Alan Duncan didn't draw many tough questions from county commissioners. (Please see today's news story. Nice writing touch about the thunder outside but not inside, Jen.)
Duncan is an outstanding point man for the schools. He can explain policies, programs and nickel-and-dime details so clearly and forthrightly that it all makes sense.
Still, he got off easy.
It would have been a lot different if he were making the same pitch to Howard Manning, the judge overseeing the Leandro case. As I noted in an earlier post, Manning is focusing on poor high school performance -- and Guilford County has several high schools where test scores indicate lots of trouble.
Manning would have demanded to know what new ideas the board of education has to fix those problems.
Other than adding a few ninth-grade teachers at Smith, Dudley, Andrews and High Point Central, a new middle college program in High Point and hopes to open a second SCALES site there, the answer would be not many.
Manning would not be pleased.
Of course, if commissioners asked the tough questions about our high schools, the answers might compel them to come up with more money to pay for drastic improvements. No one wants to go there.