Budget, Taxation & Economy
Education
Strong proponents of school choice, Locke supports the fundamental right of parents to direct the upbringing, education, and care of our children.
Education
North Carolina State Board of Education Passes Policy to Reassert Authority over Charter Schools
On Sept. 7, the North Carolina State Board of Education approved a new policy entitled “Funding and Accountability for Charter Schools” in an effort to exert more authority over charter…
Research Brief
Education
Plenty of Reasons to Expand the Opportunity Scholarship Program
The legislature may pass significant expansion of the Opportunity Scholarship Program in the budget bill. Growing public support for school choice is hard to ignore, and so is the failure…
Education
Ignoring the Real Impacts of “Parents Bill of Rights”
NC Schools Must now follow “Parents Bill of Rights.” Here’s how things will change that’s the title of an article in yesterday’s Raleigh News and Observer that describes how the…
Research Brief
Education
Three Ways to Improve North Carolina’s Draft Healthful Living Standards
Standards writers have released the first draft of proposed revisions to North Carolina’s Healthful Living standards, which include Physical Education and Health/Sex Ed. The standards writing team could make three…
Education
Big Victories in North Carolina for Parents and Friends of School Choice
Christmas came in August for many North Carolinians as Republican lawmakers in the House and Senate flexed their muscles and overrode three of Gov. Cooper’s vetoes on bills impacting school…
Education
Wake County Public Schools’ Misplaced Covid Spending Priorities
Last week’s News & Observer highlights the Wake County School Board’s decision to approve $1.4 million in coaching and tutoring programs to aid math and reading skills among students. There…
Research Brief
Education
North Carolina Science Standards: Some Good, Some Missed Opportunities
North Carolina’s new science standards add beneficial introductory material about the scientific method and its importance. Unfortunately, in some areas the standards seem to promote one-sided discussions of important topics,…
Research Brief
Education
Teacher Pay Scale Reform Could Help Fill Vacancies, Raise Student Achievement
North Carolina parents and school board members identified teacher shortages as one of the biggest challenges facing education, according to recent polling Data show that during the 2021-2022 school year,…
Research Brief
Education
Poll Finds Strong, Broad Support for Parents’ Bill of Rights
Locke’s survey of parents asked questions on the topics of the Parents’ Bill of Rights and education spending. Parents polled supported Parents’ Bill of Rights legislation by better than a…
Education
Spring NC Poll: Strong Support for Parents’ Bill of Rights legislation
After a failed attempt last year, advocates of the Parents’ Bill of Rights (PBR) succeeded this session in passing legislation (SB 49) that enshrines parental rights and helps to correct the…
Research Brief
Education
Cooper’s State of Emergency for Public Education: Just Throwing More Against the Wall, Part 2
Gov. Cooper’s decision to declare a “state of emergency” for public education lacks justification and widespread public support. Cooper’s policies to close schools and pivot to remote learning helped fuel…
Education
Voucher Critic Flubs the Numbers
Kris Nordstrom is at it again. In a recent article commenting on the Opportunity Scholarship Program, Nordstrom alleged that “many private schools in N.C. have more vouchers than students.” He…