After a highly contentious debate this afternoon, a bipartisan majority in the House passed House Bill 1080, the goal of which is the creation of a new “Achievement School District” (ASD). The legislation establishes a special turnaround district whereby charter schools gain legal authority to take over and operate five of North Carolina’s chronically underperforming […]
Education
House Passes Budget With Extraordinary Bipartisan Support
Yesterday, the North Carolina House of Representatives passed its version of the state’s budget for the second year of this session’s biennium. The spending plan cleared the chamber by an overwhelming margin, with a bipartisan vote of 103-12. Representative Bell voted with all of his House Republican colleagues for the Budget, joining with 30 other House Democrats who also supported […]
Some Additional Bathroom Reading
Revenues for the current year are projected to finish $330 million above initial budget projections, according to the latest figures released by the North Carolina Office of State Budget and Management and the legislature’s nonpartisan Fiscal Research Division. The latest revenue forecast also boosts projections for FY 2016-17 by $231 million above the certified budget. […]
Setting the Record Straight
[youtube_sc url=”https://youtu.be/Q7Kc4cjiuKI” width=”580″ modestbranding=”1″ autohide=”1″ fs=”1″ border=”1″ hd=”1″] Lt. Governor Dan Forest sets the record straight on education funding in North Carolina. For more of Lt. Governor Forest’s informative videos, be sure to visit his YouTube Channel.
The Campus Free Expression Act
On March 7, Lieutenant Governor Dan Forest announced that he would propose a bill be introduced this year that he’s calling the “Campus Free Expression Act.” The legislation would require a discipline policy for any students who interrupt the free expression of others. Forest is working on a draft of the bill with the help of Stanley Kurtz, […]
Vote YES on Tomorrow’s Bond
[youtube_sc url=”https://youtu.be/NfzqkLo_-hg” width=”590″ modestbranding=”1″ autohide=”1″ fs=”1″ border=”1″ hd=”1″] In October of 2015, Governor Pat McCrory signed into law the Connect NC Bond Act, giving voters across the state the opportunity to approve a $2 billion bond during the primary election. The bond referendum that will be on tomorrow’s ballot was passed in the legislature with overwhelming […]
NC Youth Legislative Assembly
[youtube_sc url=”https://youtu.be/f51M03MHe_c” width=”590″ modestbranding=”1″ autohide=”1″ fs=”1″ border=”1″ hd=”1″] From the state’s Department of Administration: Governor Pat McCrory is inviting North Carolina high school students to apply for the 46th Annual Youth Legislative Assembly. “Our Youth Legislative Assembly program gives North Carolina students who are interested in government a head-start in learning the process and developing […]
Speaker Moore Tells It Like It Is
The following letter to the editor was written by House Speaker Tim Moore and first appeared in the Raleigh News & Observer on Tuesday, February 1, 2016: In recent education discussions, some have helped illustrate a fundamental difference between conservative governance and tax-and-spend liberals. A comment recently made that the state of North Carolina should […]
The Death Trap of Failing Schools
Forsyth County Rep. Ed Hanes Likens Failing Schools To ‘Death Traps’ For Minorities State Rep. Edward Hanes, D-Forsyth, said a proposed Achievement School District that would operate with charter school flexibility is a step in the right direction to turn around low-performing schools that are “death traps” for the prospects of minority children. Hanes made […]
National School Choice Week
[youtube_sc url=”https://youtu.be/cKqFP6tpcj8″ width=”590″ modestbranding=”1″ autohide=”1″ fs=”1″ border=”1″ hd=”1″] More than 280,000 N.C. students choose charter, private, homeschools As North Carolina nears the 20th anniversary of the law that opened the door to public charter schools in the state, 82,000 students are enrolled now in charter schools. They make up a large chunk of the more […]