Republicans could skim half a billion dollars from public schools

Submitted by James on Sun, 02/06/2011 - 10:00am

In a move to fulfill their campaign promises to gut public education in North Carolina, Republican leaders are indeed pushing ahead with HB41, a half-billion-dollar giveaway to for-profit, religious and private schools.

Rep. Rick Glazier, a leading Democrat on education issues and a former school board chairman from Fayetteville, called the bill a direct assault on public schools. "I don't think taxpayers ought to be involved in funding private schools, nor do I think the taxpayers want their money going there," Glazier said. "It is not the constitutional mandate of the state to fund the private schools."

Taxpayer funding for a thriving network of Christian schools? Is that where Skip Stam wants to take North Carolina? It would seem so.

Unfortunately, as Steve has reported, at least one independent Democrat is helping Stam with the scheme. That makes this a bipartisan demolition derby.

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Greensboro N&R - Charter push goes beyond raising cap

Submitted by wafranklin on Sun, 02/06/2011 - 11:07am.

Well, this was quick. Next is vouchers and severe cuts to public schools. Hello resegregation, racial and economic.

RALEIGH — Charter schools could receive more public money but face fewer limitations than they do now under a bill the Senate Education Committee has rolled out.

Republicans, who took over control of the state House and Senate this year, campaigned on promises to eliminate the 100-school limit on the number of publicly financed but privately run charter schools.

But the measure now being considered goes beyond that promise.

It would remake the state’s charter school law, creating a new state oversight board, separate from the State Board of Education and Department of Public Instruction, to oversee charters.

Limits on how fast charter schools can grow enrollment would be eliminated, and local school systems could face penalties if they are slow to turn over money due to charters.

http://www.newsrecord.com/content/2011/02/05/article/charter_push_goes_b...
by Mark Binker

wafranklin