Tammy Covil is replacing Jeannie Metcalf as co-chair of the Academic Standards Review Commission. Metcalf said the position had become too time consuming and she needs to focus on her role as co-chair of the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Board of Education, which is dealing with the closure of two middle schools due to concerns over groundwater contamination. Personal issues also play into her decision, she said.
“I’ve had some serious family health developments that are going to take a good deal of my time,” she said in an e-mail. “Plus we’ve had some very unexpected and serious issues that are facing the WSFCS and, as the longest serving member, with six new members as the result of the November elections, I feel an obligation to help mentor and guide this predominately new board.”
Metcalf will continue as a member on the Commission.
The change happened during an abbreviated meeting of the Commission held via conference call Monday due to inclement weather around the state.
During the meeting, co-chair Andre Peek updated the Commission on efforts to hire an administrator and editor.
Peek said the search process is being conducted by human resources, and he will keep the Commission members posted as the process moves forward.
The fact that it has taken so long to start the process of hiring personnel (the Commission began in September) is due to the fact that the Commission has been hamstrung thus far by a lack of funding. The Academic Standards Review Commission was set up by the General Assembly last session with the goal of replacing the Common Core State Standards, but lawmakers failed to allocate funds to run the Commission. A bill that would give the Commission $275,000 has passed the Senate and moved over to the House where it was referred to the appropriations committee. In the absence of funding, members have been getting per-diem expenses paid for by the Department of Administration.
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The Department of Public Instruction has an online survey on the current state standards. You can take the survey here and read more about it here.
