For the week of
January 18, 2013
- carolinajournal.com
Reaction of the Week
RALEIGH — Potential charter school operators,
including two that would operate online, flooded the state with 154
letters of intent to open in fall 2014, punctuating a growing appetite
for alternatives to traditional public education, reports Carolina Journal.
But some education observers worry that the State Board of Education is
signaling an eagerness to impose more regulations that would defeat the
innovation that makes charters an attractive option for parents.
Critics contend that regulations just rolled out by the State Board of
Education for digital distance-learning providers are more restrictive
than necessary, and that the board’s “unprecedented” refusal to allow a
Pamlico County charter to add high school grades to its class offerings
is “worrisome.”
“We were expecting quite a few, [but 154] was not what we were
expecting,” Joel Medley, director of North Carolina’s Office of Charter
Schools, said of the huge volume of letters of intent received by the
Jan. 4 deadline. Formal applications are due by noon, March 1. (Initial
reports said 161 applications were filed, but that number was overstated
because of a database glitch.)
“One of the things that we did not expect was as many as we saw in
Mecklenburg County,” from which there were 30 applications, including
the two virtual schools, Medley said. Multiple letters of intent also
were sent from the Greensboro and Raleigh areas.
“There were even some in smaller counties that currently do not have
charter schools, so there is a possibility of breaking some new ground
in some new areas,” Medley said.
News Features
CJ: Little apparent payoff for research campus
KANNAPOLIS — Tomatoes that don’t rot for a year;
sunscreen made from watermelons; and super-cancer-fighting broccoli:
These are but a few of the wonders on display at the North Carolina
Research Campus in Kannapolis.
CJ: New State Bar building underwritten (in part) by lawyers
RALEIGH — The North Carolina State Bar expects
to complete its $18 million office in downtown Raleigh by March. But
some legal observers have raised red flags over its capital campaign
through a proxy foundation seeking high-dollar donations from lawyers to
help pay for construction.
CJ: Two make pitch for Democratic party chairman
CHAPEL HILL — Two men who want to lead the N.C.
Democratic Party — former state Sen. Eric Mansfield of Cumberland County
and Pittsboro Mayor Randy Voller — made their case Wednesday night
before about 125 party faithful during a town hall gathering in this
university town. CJ: Rally urges GOP officials to nullify Obamacare
RALEIGH — As state lawmakers made their way back
to work Jan. 9, they faced nearly 200 protesters on the lawn in front
of the General Assembly building. The message from the demonstrators to
the incoming legislators – some seasoned, some newly elected: “Honor
Your Oaths: Nullify Now! AG says immigrants eligible for NC driver’s licenses
RALEIGH — The state Attorney General’s office said Thursday that young
illegal immigrants participating in an Obama administration program
blocking deportation for two years should be eligible for driving
privileges in North Carolina.
Upcoming Events
Monday, January 21, 2013 at 12:00 p.m.
Shaftesbury Society Luncheon
with our special guest Dr. John Hubisz
"Energy: What is It and How Do We Promote a Better Understanding of It?" Saturday, February 16, 2013 at 7:00 p.m.
JLF 23rd Anniversary Gala Event
with our special guest Stuart Varney
JLF 23rd Anniversary Event with
Fox Business News Anchor
Stuart Varney
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Capital Quotes
“We will get a tax reform bill this session.”
— Senate leader Phil Berger, R-Rockingham, as quoted by the Associated Press, talking to reporters about the upcoming session of the General Assembly. “I still think that overall spending in North Carolina is probably higher than it needs to be.”
— Phil Berger, as quoted by the Raleigh News & Observer, talking about the state budget.
“We’re going to have to be smart about how we do this.”
— Rep. David Lewis, R-Harnett, chairman of the House Election Law Committee, talking to the Associated Press about the General Assembly possibly enacting a voter ID law.
“That’s kind of an eyesore.”
— Carl Tobias, a law professor at the University of Richmond, commenting to the Wilmington Star-News about an opening an unfilled federal judgeship in the Eastern District of North Carolina. The seat has been vacant since 2005, the longest opening for a federal judgeship in the country.
On The Air This Week…
This week on C J Radio…
Carolina Journal’s Rick Henderson discusses Gov. McCrory’s first executive order; NC State economist Mike Walden offers a 2013 forecast; JLF’s John Hood on N.C.’s role in the American Revolution; key McCrory appointees share their vision; and JLF’s Terry Stoops analyzes why so many N.C. graduates are unprepared for community college.
This week on NC Spin…
Join moderator Tom Campbell
for another week of political discussion and debate on the most
intelligent television talk show in the state. Topics this week: Education priorities; unemployment benefits; and school safety. This week’s panelists: John Hood, president of the John Locke Foundation; Chris Fitzsimon of NC Policy Watch; columnist Cash Michaels; and broadcaster Henry Hinton.
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