Greensboro, N.C. (March 1, 2018) – UNC Greensboro and Rockingham County Schools Board of Education today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the Moss Street Partnership School in Rockingham County. The MOU agreement, which governs the operation of the new school, is the final step in the approval process that began last year.
“Today is an important day for education in North Carolina,” said UNC Greensboro Chancellor Franklin D. Gilliam, Jr. “At UNC Greensboro, we talk often about access and opportunity. With the Moss Street Partnership School, we have a unique opportunity to reinvigorate a school that enables students from some of the most disadvantaged backgrounds in our state to achieve greater educational success. This is a partnership designed to help students discover and unleash their potential with the help of cutting-edge hands-on learning and innovative teaching techniques.”
The Moss Street Partnership School will have about 420 students, approximately the same number currently at Moss Street Elementary, with approximately 24 classrooms in grades Kindergarten-5. To return in the fall, current students must complete a simple, one-page enrollment form. The form, available on Monday, March 5 at the school, enables a family to enroll all eligible children at once. For example, a family with a rising 4th grader, a rising second grader, and a rising Kindergartener currently at Moss Street can put all three children’s names on one form. Once enrolled, children remain enrolled for the duration of their elementary school experience.
The school will develop student skills and interest in the highly-desired “STEAM” subjects – science, technology, engineering, visual and performing arts, and math—as well as providing other services including counseling, social work, and additional support for students and families. Students will learn the North Carolina Standard Course of Study, including literacy, mathematics, science and social studies. Student learning will be enhanced through active and collaborative learning experiences that include service learning and field trips.
Each classroom will be led by a highly qualified, licensed teacher. All teachers will be UNC Greensboro employees. Current Moss Street Elementary faculty and staff will continue in their existing capacity for the entire 2017-18 academic year. Current teachers are encouraged to apply to the new school and have the option to request a transfer to another district school.
The Moss Street Partnership School concept began in 2016 with law passed by the North Carolina General Assembly. The law, which was modified earlier this year, requires nine UNC system universities with teacher education programs to open laboratory schools in low-performing areas. The UNC system office selected UNC Greensboro to run one of the schools, and in May, UNC Greensboro officials and Dr. Rodney Shotwell began discussions around the project.
About UNC Greensboro
UNC Greensboro, located in the Piedmont Triad region of North Carolina, is a higher-research activity university as classified by the Carnegie Foundation. Founded in 1891 and one of the original three UNC system institutions, UNCG is one of the most diverse universities in the state with nearly 20,000 students and over 2,700 faculty and staff members representing more than 90 nationalities. With 17 Division I athletic teams, 85 undergraduate degrees in over 100 areas of study, as well as 74 master’s and 32 doctoral programs, UNC Greensboro is consistently recognized nationally among the top universities for academic excellence and value, with noted strengths in health and wellness, visual and performing arts, nursing, education, and more. For additional information, please visit uncg.edu and follow UNCG on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.