ADVISORY COMMISSION

A MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIRMAN OF THE COMMISSION . . .

January 11, 2006, was a very special day for me. There are two reasons that come to mind. The first reason, of course, is that I awoke to the dawn of a new day with all its gifts, challenges, and opportunities to serve. The second reason is that I attended my first official meeting of the Raising Achievement and Closing Gaps Commission as its newly appointed chairman. The fact that I attended as the chairman is less important than the synergism and commitment I felt from fellow commissioners in attendance, as we carried out the discussion and dialogue of the day in the interest of the children of North Carolina. I was also struck by the attendance of individuals from across communities in North Carolina, not only for their obvious interest in raising achievement and closing gaps, but also for their willingness to spend the precious gift of a full day. In a follow-up meeting the next day, I was privileged to meet with members of local community task forces on education and gained another perspective on the widespread commitment to raising achievement and closing gaps.

The future of this state and country depends greatly on the education of all children. This requires us to understand that before we can address the principle of leaving no child behind, we must first ensure that we leave no child out.

The North Carolina Raising Achievement and Closing Gaps Commission was initiated in 2000 and its charge remains the same--to address the achievement of all students by taking a deliberate and probing approach to learn the source of issues that inhibit academic progress and why the issues are resistant to change. My role as chairman can be described best as a facilitator of needed changes in a system that does not maximize the learning and achievement of all children. To this end, the Commission has a compelling responsibility to advise the State Board of Education and the State Superintendent on ways to raise achievement for all students and close the number of gaps that exist in student achievement outcomes and student participation in the instructional process. The guiding principles of the Commission are three-fold: 1) clarity of purpose; 2) efficiency of actions; and 3) sustainability of recommended changes—all in the context of advising the State Board of Education and the State Superintendent.

I welcome the involvement of all and pledge a commitment to making a difference.

Joseph F. Johnson, Chairman
NC Raising Achievement and Closing Gaps Commission