I want everyone to read Karen McMahan’s Carolina Journal article, “Critics Say N.C. “Race to the Top” Team Misled Feds on Charter Schools.” Read it now and then return to this blog post…
I want to highlight the following section:
Section F2 (iii) of the [federal Race to the Top] application asks whether “the state?s charter schools receive…equitable funding compared to traditional public schools, and a commensurate share of local, state, and federal revenues.” One scorer asked the team, “Do the local [local school districts] provide equal amounts of dollars to the charters in their localities?” All five members nodded in affirmation, with [Bev] Perdue, [June] Atkinson, [Bill] McNeal, and [Bill] Harrison replying emphatically, ?Yes, they do.”
Critics say this answer is misleading. Charter schools across the state have had to sue local school districts and the state Board of Education for failing to provide charter schools with equitable funding as required by state law.
Their answer is beyond misleading. North Carolina education officials either 1) lied, 2) are ignorant, or 3) are ignorant liars. To be honest, I do not expect Governor Perdue to know the answer to this question. I assume that she relied on the answers of her colleagues. She gets a pass.
All told, charter school received $1,102.14 per pupil less than district schools for the 2008-2009 school year. There is no reason why Harrison, Atkinson, and McNeal would not know this.
