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Public commenter tells board strategic plan needs people and funding, not just goals
Summary
During public comment Alice Welborn urged the Transylvania County Board of Education to back its strategic plan with funding and staff, and highlighted the need for frequent, intensive direct instructional time for struggling students.
Alice Welborn, the lone public commenter at the June 16 meeting, praised the district’s strategic plan but urged the board to commit resources and advocacy to achieve its goals.
Welborn said the plan clearly sets priorities, actions and goals but lacks details about who will do the work and how it will be funded. She described routine resource shortfalls facing teachers and schools: GoFundMe requests, churches and local PTOs raising money, and teachers spending personal funds for supplies.
“Academic growth, especially for struggling students, is summed up in two words, instructional time,” Welborn said. She urged the board to prioritize properly trained staff and sufficient instructional minutes rather than relying on volunteers or worksheets. “I’ve worked with students who require two and a half hours of reading instruction every day in order to make progress,” she said, adding that schools must frequently track progress and adjust the frequency, duration and intensity of interventions.
Welborn recommended the board and district ensure funding and staffing to let teachers deliver intense, targeted instruction to students who are behind. The board did not take action on the public comment during the meeting; staff and board members acknowledged the strategic plan’s release earlier in the agenda.
