By David Bass, Carolina Journal
A national anti-school-choice group gives North Carolina an “F” grade and ranked the state 46th out of 50 because of its expansive educational opportunity programs.
The report, authored by the left-wing group Network for Public Education based out of New York City, penalized the Tar Heel State for its Opportunity Scholarship Program, expansive public charter school network, and being one of nine states with an Educational Savings Account program.
“During the dark days of the Covid-19 epidemic, state legislatures bowed to the pressure of right-wing think tanks and foundations, pushing through charter expansion and voucher legislation with little opportunity for input,” the report says. “Couched in the language of school choice, new voucher programs were crammed into budget bills or resurrected and passed even after initial defeat.”
In contrast to North Carolina, the highest scoring states in the rankings were Nebraska, North Dakota, Vermont, Kentucky, and South Dakota.
“I hope this report is a wake-up call to families in Nebraska and North Dakota, the two states that received top marks due to their lack of parental choice options,” said Dr. Terry Stoops, director of the Center for Effective Education at the John Locke Foundation. “North Carolina’s school choice community is here to help. I invite parent advocates and lawmakers from those school-choice deserts to learn how they can turn that scarlet ‘A’ grade into a solid ‘F.’
“I will not rest until Network for Public Education ranks North Carolina 51st in its privatization ranking,” Stoops added. “It will not be easy for North Carolina to overtake school choice powerhouses like Florida and Arizona, but I think we’re up to the task.”
Happy to have an F in this category! Parents were given the task by God to educate their children and decide what is best for them. More choices is good to allow parents to make the best choice for their children. The government doesn’t own our kids and we don’t co-parent with the government.
I believe the current administration will put such constraints on charter and private schools (from a financial standpoint) that many will close. This will be in an effort to force more children into public schools where they are more likely to be taught what to think rather than how to think. We see it happening already.
Those people sound like they belong in communist china. Parental CHOICE is what its all about. The children belong to the parents, not the state. Let’s keep getting the failing grade in this category!
This is written by a highly biased group. Joco Report is choosing to publish this to stir up controversy.
NC is doing fine.
That is the point of the article… NC getting a failing grade in this area is a good thing cause it means we don’t allow the government to have sole control over our childrens education. NC is doing good!
Wait they feel the Opportunity Scholarship program and Educational Savings Account program are bad? This group is nuts!!!!
A group from New York, criticizes North Carolina’s educational system yet New York is unable to stabilize their economy enough to retain businesses or insure suitable living conditions for their downtrodden….who they send to North Carolina to be housed because it’s cheaper here.
New York has a lot of good people, but their vocal nimrods are running it into the groud.