Carolina Journal’s Barry Smith reports here on the lawsuit filed by the state’s teacher union and their allied liberal advocates against a scholarship program that gives parents the assistance they so desperately need to help educate their children. It is heartbreaking that liberals are seeking to take away this option.
Rep. Paul “Skip” Stam, R-Wake, a chief architect of the state’s voucher program, said proponents were careful in crafting the state’s opportunity scholarship program.
Stam noted that in 2002, the U.S. Supreme Court had upheld a challenge to Cleveland’s voucher program. “The way I understand the Supreme Court decision, as long as parents have a reasonable choice of schools, the opponents are going to lose,” Stam said.
Melinda Lawrence, executive director of the N.C. Justice Center, said the voucher law would provide tax money for private schools that are unregulated and don’t have requirements for teacher certification or curriculum.
Stam likened the public school vouchers to need-based scholarships that the General Assembly offers to students at the state’s private colleges and universities.
“They all have their own admissions standards,” Stam said.
The lawsuit was filed Wednesday in Wake County Superior Court. It lists as defendants the State of North Carolina and the North Carolina State Educational Assistance Authority, which is charged with administering the voucher program.
Craige noted that similar lawsuits in other states have gone both ways. “It all depends on the language of the state constitution,” Craige said.
The lawsuit seeks a preliminary and permanent injunction against the voucher law, and it seeks to have the voucher law declared unconstitutional. It also seeks to have plaintiffs awarded attorneys fees.
What a shame for the children whose needs are not being met by the traditional system.
