Education (PreK-12)

This week, the NC Department of Public Instruction (DPI) released the fourth draft of North Carolina social studies standards. I reviewed the available documents, but I took a particular…

Schools are finally beginning to reopen. The urgency of resuming in-person instruction cannot be overstated. Not only has it taken a toll on students’ mental health, learning losses exacerbated by remote learning are devastating and will be most severe among our most vulnerable student populations.

We know that the issues that confront public school parents and local taxpayers vary from one school district to another.  School board races highlight specific local concerns about property taxes,…

The race is a dead heat even though Mangrum maintained a 6-to-1 fundraising advantage thanks to hefty contributions from the North Carolina Democratic Party, Lillian’s List, and the NCAE PAC. Notable individual donors included former governor James Hunt, documentary filmmaker Barb Lee, retired executive director of the National Education Association John Wilson, and Silicon Valley megadonor Karla Jurvetson.

What accounted for the extraordinary net decrease in public school students? A cursory review of the data offers few patterns or common characteristics of note.

If large-scale in-class instruction does not resume until January 2021, the average student will have fallen behind by the equivalent of seven months of learning. For low-income, black, and Hispanic students, the loss may be much greater.

Repealing the state's law against collective bargaining for public-sector employees would increase state government spending by between $889 million and $1.32 billion — a cost of $84.75 to $126.03 for each North Carolinian and a decrease in state gross domestic product.

Jen Mangrum made it clear that doing "what's best for all our kids" includes slashing the number of charter schools. During the forum, Mangrum reiterated her longstanding belief that charter schools are taking funds from traditional public schools. Her preferred remedy is reinstating a cap on the number of charters.

The future of public charter schools in North Carolina may depend on who controls the General Assembly and occupies Council of State offices. If you are a charter school parent like me or simply want to ensure that all families have plentiful educational options, it is critical that you consider candidates’ views of charter schools.

North Carolinians do not need WalletHub to tell us that North Carolina teachers have fared well since 2014. Several state-level reports and studies reflect the efforts of the NC General Assembly to prioritize investments in public school teachers.