This morning, the House Education Committee debated HB 687 – Tax Credit for Children with Special Needs.
Brittany Farrell of the NC Family Policy Council spoke in favor of the bill. She argued that parents should be given the resources necessary to send their special needs child to the school that best meets their needs.
The committee paused to discuss a bill written by the North Carolina Association of Educators (NCAE), SB 962 – Probationary Teacher Appeals. No, really, Sen. Martin Nesbitt (D – Buncombe) admitted that the NCAE drafted the bill. The bill moves to the Judiciary I Committee.
Sheri Strickland, president of NCAE, argued that parents and students would lose rights and due process (under the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act or IDEA) if they moved from the public schools to a school of choice. Ms. Strickland also claimed that private schools are not held accountable. (Note: state law requires private schools to administer standardized tests.)
Mary Watson, director of the Exceptional Children Division at DPI, Leanne Winner of the NC School Boards Association, and Catherine Joyce of the NC Association of School Administrators, apparently working from the same set of talking points, spoke in opposition to the bill.
House Minority Leader Skip Stam addressed questions about the number of students eligible for the tax credit. He points out that the state requires private schools to administer a standardized test, so accountability should not be a concern.
Rep. Avila asked Leanne Winner about the 350 special needs students currently transferred out of the public schools to private facilities. Avila argued that, if school systems had more money, they would transfer more than 350 students out of the public school system.
Rep. Womble argued that “everyone [NCAE, NCSBA, DPI, etc.] is on the same page” in opposition to the bill. Hint. Hint.
The bill does not pass. (Vote: 21 in favor and 26 opposed)
