EDITORIAL: Wisdom of Solomon needed to resolve MCA question

The Bibb County Board of Education needs the wisdom of Solomon in sorting out what to do about the situation at Macon Charter Academy. There are some who believe the board of MCA should be given a chance to turn the school around. Others feel the school should be closed. There is a third option that's not really an option at all that would bring in a private company specializing in school turnarounds but it comes with a price tag exceeding $400,000.

Solomon needed his wisdom when two women came to him claiming to be the mother of a child. Solomon said the only fair decision was to divide the child in two. The real mother said to give the child to the other woman to save his life, while false mom was willing to let the child die.

In the case of MCA, the child is represented by more than 500 students still attending the school. The board at the school said at the called meeting Tuesday that the Bibb school board had one of two courses of action: either give them a chance to run the school or close it and absorb the students back into the system's other schools.

But what does giving them a chance to run the school mean? The only leverage the school board has over the MCA board is whether or not to cancel the school's charter. It can't tell them who to hire or fire. It can't force them to seek a turnaround specialist they can't afford, The school board must evaluate whether the school can deliver on its mission of educating the children in a manner set out in its charter and does it have confidence in the plan the school's board presented? If it doesn't, they should close the school now and absorb the children. If they believe the school has a chance for success, then it should allow them to try. As was pointed out at the meeting, sending the children back to their previous schools may not be the answer. Success has been allusive for more schools in Bibb County than Macon Charter Academy, and for a much longer period of time.

This story was originally published December 3, 2015 at 10:20 AM with the headline "EDITORIAL: Wisdom of Solomon needed to resolve MCA question ."