SALISBURY — At the kickoff for the fourth annual Power in Partnership series, Rowan-Salisbury Schools Superintendent Lynn Moody asked the audience a question: “Do you want world-class learners or world-class test takers?”

Moody was the featured speaker for the Rowan County Chamber of Commerce event Thursday morning at Trinity Oaks. More than 130 people from the across the county attended.

Moody said that No Child Left Behind — the early 2000s education legislation that put an emphasis on standardized testing — “has probably been the tail that has wagged the dog for far too long.”

She said that instead of being run by legislative bureaucracy, schools need to be run by local communities.

“If you want local control, you have to believe in community,” Moody said.

She said that one of the ways she and her staff have been involving communities is by “rounding,” which Moody said is a concept inspired by the hospital rounds that doctors make.

She said rounding involves spending an hour at each building in a school “cluster” and interviewing students, teachers and staff members about which practices are working and which are not.

“By the way, they want girls to play football. And they want orange chicken every day,” said Moody, laughing, of the students.

She called on people in the audience to be good community members and gave them tips about how they can help local children succeed. The tips included reading to children, making sure students have a healthy sleep schedule and becoming a school volunteer.

“Mainly, the message I wanted to leave with you is, ‘Be the solution, not the problem,’” Moody said.

Chamber of Commerce President Elaine Spalding said Moody was chosen to speak at the first Power in Partnership meeting of the year because chamber members consistently cite education as the most important issue to them.

“Because they want to make sure we have a qualified workforce,” Spalding said. “And it’s also important to help them recruit senior management people to live in Rowan County so they can send their kids to Rowan County schools.”

At the end of Moody’s speech, chamber Chairman Tim Norris presented Moody with a donation to the Rowan Partners in Education Foundation.

“Congratulations to you, your staff and everyone who helps make this a wonderful school system,” Norris said.

The donation, which several chamber member businesses contributed to, totaled more than $3,000, according to Spalding.

Spalding also gave Moody an Aveda gift bag because she said she “figured you might enjoy a spa day, just to relax, after all the hard work.”

The next Power in Partnership breakfast is Oct. 19.

Contact reporter Jessica Coates at 704-797-4222.