school vouchers

Rep. Abe Jones on the House floor

State lawmaker was angered by colleague’s racist comments, but chose to forgive

BY: - May 24, 2023

A white, Republican colleague’s question about whether Rep. Abe Jones was admitted to Harvard University in 1970 because he was a minority and a track athlete was only the second time the Wake County Democrat had experienced such an encounter. The first incident occurred several years ago during a party at UNC Chapel Hill when […]

COMMENTARY
the North Carolina Legislative Building

Senate budget would take education funding to destructive new depths

BY: - May 20, 2023

“Fund students, not systems” has become the rallying cry of the country’s most extreme school choice zealots. It’s a silly motto for many reasons. Notably, private schools and public schools are both “systems,” and systems are necessary to efficiently provide students with high quality education serving the public good. Despite the motto’s obvious ridiculousness, it […]

COMMENTARY
Republican senators

Public School Forum leader: Senate budget proposal comes up woefully short

BY: - May 18, 2023

The State of North Carolina has money. In 2022, North Carolina had over $6 billion in unappropriated funds. This year, North Carolina is expected to have at least $3 billion more than budgeted in revenue. This is a significant surplus. And yet, the budget speeding through the Senate this week — a proposal based solely […]

Activists discuss the harm inadequate public schools funding causes educators, students

BY: - May 18, 2023

Inadequate school resources help to fuel the school-to-prison pipeline, says Letha Muhammad, co-executive director of the Raleigh-based Education Justice Alliance. The lack of school counselors, social workers and other school support staff and funding for restorative justice programs that provide alternatives to harsh discipline policies all help to feed students with discipline problems into the […]

Rep. Tricia Cotham touts school voucher expansion on national stage

BY: - May 8, 2023

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 […]

NC House panel advances controversial bill to dramatically expand school vouchers

BY: - May 3, 2023

The state’s House Committee on K-12 Education on Tuesday powered through a controversial expansion of North Carolina’s school voucher program that could forever change the state’s public education landscape. House Bill 823 was topic No. 1 ahead of Thursday’s crossover deadline. The Republican-backed legislation would open the state’s Opportunity Scholarship Program to all families regardless […]

Charter schools should join fight against state’s voucher program, say public education advocates

BY: - April 26, 2023

Charter school leaders should join traditional public schools advocates to oppose the Republican-led General Assembly’s move to expand the state’s school voucher program, says Christine Kushner, a former Wake County school board member. Kushner made her remarks during a recent panel discussion about the impact of charters on local school districts. The hour-long webinar was […]

COMMENTARY
a Bible on a school desk

Proponents of massive school privatization scheme owe us answers

BY: - April 25, 2023

If legislative leadership has their way, our public schools will be radically transformed by the 2023 legislative session. Bills targeting Black students and trans students threaten to make our schools increasingly hostile for many children. They are seeking to radically overhaul school funding in ways that harm rural students, students with disabilities, Black students, and […]

Sen. Graig Meyer discusses abortion restrictions, vouchers, and future transportation funding

BY: - April 24, 2023

As anyone who pays attention to North Carolina politics is well-aware, the General Assembly was rocked recently by the decision of State Rep. Tricia Cotham of Mecklenburg County to switch her political allegiance from the Democratic Party to the GOP. The move gives Republicans a supermajority in both legislative chambers and would seem to boost […]

COMMENTARY
the North Carolina Legislative Building

A massive expansion of school vouchers is on tap after Cotham’s switch

BY: - April 19, 2023

A Charlotte-area state legislator’s recent decision to switch parties just months after being elected as a Democrat all but assures a massive expansion of North Carolina taxpayer dollars flowing into school vouchers. In addition to increasing funding for vouchers by hundreds of millions of dollars per year, the recently filed bill eliminates income eligibility requirements so that […]

A picture of money and the words "state budget"

NC House proposed budget has tax cuts, employee raises, and is stuffed with policy changes

BY: - March 31, 2023

GOP agenda items for schools, COVID, elections, judicial retirement are included in omnibus proposal -- Medicaid expansion could be impacted The budget state House Republicans presented this week would increase teacher salaries an average of 10% over two years and give state employees 7.5% raises over the two-year budget cycle.

Budget bill sent to Cooper puts NC’s controversial school voucher program on path to dramatic expansion

BY: - July 7, 2022

Big hike would come at same time traditional public schools are grappling with funding challenges and staffing shortfalls  State lawmakers may regret the decision to stuff millions of additional dollars into the state’s underutilized school voucher program, Rep. Rachel Hunt warned last week. The Mecklenburg County Democrat said the feeling of remorse will likely come over them in August...