The spreading GOP destruction of public education

NC Gov Roy Cooper declares State of Emergency regarding the attack on public education.

Public education is part of what has made this country great and provided what little opportunity their is for success from poverty circles. Republicans want to undo the community responsibility to educate all children for the betterment of the nation. Instead they are opting to fund wealthy families private schools and niche religious instruction in a playbook being followed all over the south.

We should be investing more in education, not less, especially in the ignorant south.

‘Stop the damage’: Gov. Cooper declares state of emergency for NC public education

A Devastating School Voucher Scheme
Legislative Republicans propose pouring billions of dollars in taxpayer money into private schools that are unaccountable to the public and can decide which students they want to admit. Their plan would expand private school vouchers so anyone – even a millionaire – can get taxpayer money for their children’s private school tuition.

By expanding voucher eligibility to any K-12 student, our public schools, especially schools in rural and poorer counties, will face steep funding cuts, leaving schools without the resources to maintain fixed costs and support students.

A Worsening Teacher Shortage
North Carolina schools currently have more than 5,000 teacher vacancies. Recruiting and retaining quality teachers to the classroom is harder than ever and low pay is a big reason why. Governor Cooper’s budget proposed an 18% pay raise over two years. But last week Senate Republicans proposed increasing veteran teachers’ salaries by just $250 spread over two years. This will cause North Carolina to continue to fall behind, pushing teachers out of our classrooms and leaving public school students without instruction. In addition, legislators are proposing an acceleration of tax cuts that are projected to cut North Carolina’s state budget by almost 20 percent —hamstringing the ability to fund public education now and in the future.

Injecting Culture Wars into the Classroom
Republican leaders want to inject their political culture wars into classrooms across North Carolina with bills that would put politicians in charge of curriculum setting, micromanage what teachers can teach, and target LGBTQ+ students. Already, prominent Republicans have proposed eliminating core science classes and are pushing to rewrite history curriculums to fit a political agenda. Students need an education that prepares them for the workforce and success. North Carolina’s families, businesses and economy depend on it. Putting politicians in charge of the classroom is dangerous.

 

Its not about where people send their kids to school its about whether the state funds it. I make a good living, so do I need to be subsidized to send my kid to private school taking money away from the public system that educates all kids? They already have shoe string budgets. It is the essence of public education to have a funded public education system.

Plus the culture war on schools by the GOP is a crime.

 

He sent some of his younger girls to St Mary's all girls privates school... not subsidized by the state however, and it took no money away from the school district he pays taxes in.

 

Illegally gerrymandered supermajority in a state that went for Trump by 70,000 votes in a state of 10 million. Over 300,000 people will move to NC this year and over a million will between the elections. Demographics are really bad for the republicans which is why they are all out on overreach. It will be short lived. In a decade no one will remember the republican party in NC.

 

I appreciate the thoughtful response. However, in this case, the will of the people are usurped by illegally drawn gerrymandering which makes a 49/51 population a super majority. It goes against the NC constitution upheld by the courts until an appointment to the Supreme Court based on those illegally drawn lines was reversed before the court remedy was in place. It’s highway robbery.