If you are a glutton for punishment, I posted North Carolina’s Race to the Top Q&A video below. Participants included Bill Harrison (SBE), June Atkinson (DPI), Bev Perdue (Gov), and Bill McNeal (NCASA).
The following was the most revealing question and answer:
RTTT Reviewer Question: Does the local [school district] also provide equal amounts of dollars to the charters in their localities?
NC Delegation Answer: Yes.
Really? Localities do not provide equal facilities funds. Moreover, the N.C. Court of Appeals found that Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS) inappropriately withheld funds from charter schools.
Did the NC delegation mislead the RTTT reviewers? There is no way to know for sure. I would, however, expect that someone in the delegation knew that charter schools do not receive facilities funds from localities.
