Chapel Hill-Carrboro Schools

In all the other high profile developments going on, I don't think there's been any mention here or in other media of another bold proposal -- the redevelopment of the PTA Thrift Shop in Carrboro.

Seems to me this is an interesting proposal.   They are using multiple revenue streams to avoid a huge capital campaign (although whether folks will feel tapped out by this going on same time as IFC remains to be seen).  And they are increasing the public good they serve beyond just the re-use of goods to maximize the use of the land they own -- options for retail, office and restaurant/entertainment spacein addition to their store. 

I've been asked a couple of times what I think of the appointment last week so here goes.

In surely the most significant action the board takes (fortunately for us, a not-too-frequent action), the board chose Dr. Thomas Forcella of Guilford, CT as the next superintendent.   He certainly hit all the right points in his introduction and initial interviews over the first day --  encourages community involvement, seeks strong growth by every child, has demonstrated high achievement with a diverse student body.  I am optimistic that we have found a proven leader to bring creative solutions to our schools.  I even heard him utter the word "progressive" in a radio interview.  Either he is extraodinarly savvy about saying all the right things or he is truly a good fit for the culture in our district and believes in the same goals we share.   Probably a combination of those two, but that's not a bad thing either.