Education
Strong proponents of school choice, Locke supports the fundamental right of parents to direct the upbringing, education, and care of our children.
Responding to Some of the Claims of Anti-Choice Advocates
In a desperate attempt to head off the expected expansion of the Opportunity Scholarship Program, anti-choice advocates are taking to social media. One of the most circulated posts is from…
North Carolina Parents Rush to Apply for Expanded Opportunity Scholarship Voucher Program
Last Thursday, parents across North Carolina rushed to apply for the state’s Opportunity Scholarship voucher program on behalf of their children. More than 20,000 applications were received on the first…
Proclamation and Its Timing Leave No Doubt About Cooper’s Views on School Choice
What does Gov. Roy Cooper really think about school choice? Two years ago, Gov. Cooper surprised many when he signed a proclamation declaring Jan. 23–29, 2022, to be “North Carolina…
It’s That Time of Year. . .
It’s late January. That means we’re nearing National School Choice Week, the annual celebration of empowering parents to choose the best educational option for their children. This year National School…
Yes, State Government Can Help Improve Local Educational Outcomes
Last year, 115 school districts in North Carolina spent almost $17 billion in state, local, and federal funding to educate children in grades kindergarten through 12. The overwhelming majority of…
You Can Help Improve North Carolina Schools’ Healthful Living Standards. Here’s How.
Earlier this week, I described some of the changes that were incorporated into the second draft of the proposed content standards for Healthful Living, which covers both Physical Education and…
Second Draft of North Carolina’s Healthful Living Standards Shows Some Improvement, but Work Remains
The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction posted the second draft of proposed Healthful Living standards on Dec. 14. The new draft incorporates aspects of the John Locke Foundation’s recommended…
Seeing Past the Spin on Learning Loss
In the last few days North Carolinians have received quite a bit of news regarding how our students are doing in recovering from learning loss. The short answer is better…
Plenty of Local Pork in North Carolina Education Budget
For years, Republicans called out Democrats for using state funding to finance local pet projects Republican lawmakers say they are holding the line on spending but at the same time,…
NC School Districts are Spending Covid Relief Funds on Bonuses and Short-term Fixes. Will They Avert the Fiscal Cliff?
Bella DiMarco, a policy analyst at FutureEd, an education think tank affiliated with Georgetown University, has written an informative report on how North Carolina schools, are spending local ESSER funds. …
Wake County Public School System Doubles Down on Equity
The Wake County Public School System provided training for school board members that included a “land acknowledgment,” a “black body acknowledgment,” a video about confronting one’s “implicit biases,” and an…
A Closer Look at North Carolina Eighth Grade Math Scores. Why Aren’t the Alarms Going Off?
Student performance in eighth grade math can often be a predictor of problems or promise for North Carolina students. Since the pandemic, math performance has taken on even greater importance since…