Principal, Teacher Fired; Raleigh Parents Upset

Northeast Raleigh Charter Academy is in its infancy. It just opened in August. Parents like Alan Beal took a chance on this school because traditional schools had failed them and their kids.

"My child wasn't really being challenged in a public school," Beal said. "So he came here and he was getting the challenge."

"I was really pleased with that, and I'm still upset those changes were made." Beal said.

Those changes are Friday's firing of the school's principal and a teacher. A teacher parents say is a shining star.

"You can come in there and talk to him, and he'll try to work with you about your child," said Lucinda Hinton, a parent. "My daughter didn't have any complaints about him so we came here for the board meeting."

"I still think we're getting the runaround," Hinton said.

A group out of Greensboro currently holds the charter for this school. Sharon Arline, a board member, says the firings were made because of money trouble.

"We are paid on a student basis, and when the enrollment is not what we assume it's going to be then, you have to look at making different cuts," Arline said.

Parents thought their own non-profit group was about to take over the board. Robert Coney, an incoming board member, found out from board leader Rose McNeil, the process has not even started yet.

"At least, I was under the impression that Ms.McNeil had started that process already," said Coney. "That apparently has not occurred, so one of the things we're going to do is get clarification on how long that process is going to take."

Parents are also unhappy that outgoing board members would move to dismiss employees.