Education
Public school advocates rally against vouchers, demand adequate funding
Democratic state lawmakers and members of Every Child NC on Tuesday demanded that the Republican-led General Assembly fully fund Years Four and Five of the Leandro Comprehensive Remedial Plan and stop a proposal to allow North Carolina’s wealthiest families access to the state’s controversial school voucher program. In a news conference, Sen. Rachel Hunt, a […]
Bill would mandate history course, prescribe curriculum at UNC universities, community colleges
Should students at UNC System Schools and community colleges be required to take a course on history and government, irrespective of their majors? Should lawmakers be able to prescribe the curriculum for such a course, rather than campus leaders and faculty? Those are a couple of the thorny questions sparked by House Bill 96, one […]
Weekend reads: Veto rally sets up a legislative showdown, the latest battles in education, and a new face enters the 2024 race for NC governor
In this issue: 1. Crowd cheers Gov. Roy Cooper as he vetoes abortion ban A crowd cheered Gov. Roy Cooper as he vetoed a Republican-authored abortion ban in an unusual rally that capped off a week of attempts to pressure a small group of GOP legislators into letting the veto stand. Some bills are signed […]
In Raleigh, GOP supermajorities advance big and controversial changes in public education
Two of the more controversial K-12 education bills to make it through the state House and Senate before the General Assembly’s May 4 crossover deadline have relatively innocuous names. “Choose Your School, Choose Your Future” (Senate Bill 406) and the “Fairness in Women’s Sports Act” (House Bill 574) both appear to promote concepts that, at […]
What’s behind the Republican attack on accreditation?
If you were going to spend thousands of dollars seeking a college degree, you’d want to be sure to get your money’s worth: knowledge vetted by subject-matter experts; teachers who use the best practices to promote student growth; and a range of experiences that help you discover and develop your potentials. You’d want to avoid […]
Higher ed experts: “Harm can come to our students” in changing accreditation process
A bill that would compel UNC System universities and community colleges to change accreditors flew under the radar in the recent flurry of higher education legislation at the General Assembly. But as Senate Bill 680 clears legislative hurdles on the way to becoming law, the public should pay attention to the “in the weeds” issue […]
Education experts to discuss controversies surrounding university accreditation
When the crossover deadline passed at the North Carolina General Assembly last week, some of the most controversial higher education-related bills filed this legislative session hadn’t yet passed from one chamber to the other, taking them off of the conventional path to becoming law. But Senate Bill 680, which would dramatically change the way universities […]
Panel upholds State Board of Education’s ruling to close Charlotte charter school
Without discussion, the State Board of Education on Monday unanimously agreed to close Eastside Stream Academy in Charlotte due to financial and governance concerns. The state board’s vote came on the heels of a recommendation by an independent appeals panel that upheld the state board’s April 6 decision to not renew the school’s charter. Eastside […]
Rep. Tricia Cotham touts school voucher expansion on national stage
In a recent op-ed for the conservative National Review that is both celebratory and defiant, Rep. Tricia Cotham, a Republican from Mecklenburg County, made a case for opening up the state’s school voucher program to the state’s wealthiest families. The North Carolina General Assembly is currently weighing bills that would allow any parent, regardless of […]
State Rep. Julie von Haefen on a bevy of bills that threaten to undermine public education
This past week was crossover week at the North Carolina General Assembly – the legislature’s self-imposed deadline for passing bills to keep them eligible during the 2023 session. It’s an event that helped turn the steady stream of backward-looking bills that have been winning approval from the Republican supermajorities into a virtual torrent. Fortunately, despite […]
Education policy expert Kris Nordstrom of the NC Justice Center discusses school vouchers
One of the top priorities for the conservative majorities at the General Assembly this year is a bill that would dramatically expand the state’s controversial private school voucher program. Under the legislation, all North Carolina households with kids – even wealthy families who already send their children to exclusive and expensive private schools – would […]
Weekend reads: Republicans pass new abortion hurdles, massive school voucher expansion, and one NC town’s struggle to reinvent itself
1. Republican bill banning most abortions in NC after 12 weeks heads to Gov. Roy Cooper The state House passed the bill late Wednesday night, so it will soon land on Gov. Roy Cooper’s desk. Cooper, a Democrat, has said he will veto the measure. The bill will likely become law anyway. Republicans have veto-proof […]