Education

No more excuses for lawmakers when it comes to public schools

By Alanna Joyner / July 6, 2021 /

Recently, State Superior Court Judge David Lee issued the latest order in the Leandro v. State lawsuit – directing the state to address the longstanding violation of the constitutional right of North Carolina public school children to a “sound basic education”, by implementing a comprehensive funding plan developed by the state itself. The Comprehensive Remedial…

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After fourth COVID-19 cluster students, prominent faculty and medical experts call for UNC-Chapel Hill to go online

By Alanna Joyner / August 18, 2020 /

Just a month ago, current and former faculty from across the UNC system sent a letter to top UNC System leadership and the UNC Board of Governors, urging them to join other university systems in making online instruction the default for the coming Fall semester as the COVID-19 pandemic continues. Despite their concerns, the BOG…

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WRAL: Safety, equity and resources are key to begin N.C. school year right

By Alanna Joyner / July 20, 2020 /

Decisions on reopening schools is happening across the country as the Trump Administration has pressured governors to reopen schools his fall. With numerous threats to cut school funding for states that do not adhere to Trump’s strong-arm approach, North Carolina was one of many states that announced school plans.  For North Carolina, the choice of…

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WRAL: Long-standing, unmet priorities are even more critical now

By Alanna Joyner / May 20, 2020 /

Two weeks after meeting to approve a $1.6 billion package that distributed COVID-19 funds from Washington, the North Carolina General Assembly resumed its annual session on Monday.  The N.C. Senate unveiled spending priorities on Tuesday for the coming fiscal year, rolling out more than 18 separate bills. The N.C. House has yet to lay out…

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Charlotte Post: Disparity in North Carolina public school funding widens

By Alanna Joyner / February 28, 2020 /

According to research by the Public School Forum of North Carolina, the student funding gap between the wealthiest and poorest counties in North Carolina, has substantially expanded.  During the 2017-2018 school year, the Local School Finance Study found that the difference in spending between the 10 wealthiest districts and 10 lowest-spending districts, was $2,523 per…

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Group says NC must take ‘immediate action’ to provide students a sound basic education

By Alanna Joyner / February 19, 2020 /

With the recent decision in the Leandro case, an advocate group says NC must take ‘immediate action’ to meet the state’s Constitutional obligation to provide students with a sound basic education. In January, Superior Court Judge David Lee signed a court order in the long-running Leandro school funding case ordering state leaders to provide enough…

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Judge voids UNC’s shady settlement over confederate statue

By Alanna Joyner / February 17, 2020 /

 Last week was a win for UNC students, faculty and alumni as a state judge vacated the UNC settlement over Silent Sam. Judge Allen Baddour held a hearing to reconsider his initial approval of the deal back in November, now ruling that the SCV did not have standing to bring the lawsuit in the first…

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UNC-Chapel Hill faculty petition to end moratorium on renaming university buildings

By Alanna Joyner / February 4, 2020 /

On Monday, a group of prominent UNC-Chapel Hill professors delivered a petition to the new UNC-Chapel Hill Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz, petitioning to end the moratorium. UNC professors are asking the UNC Board of Trustees to allow the university to rename buildings and historical places on campus — particularly those tied to a racist or white supremacist history.…

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The Sanford Herald: Teacher By Day / EMT By Night: Politicians put health of schools at risk

By Eleanore Wood / January 28, 2020 /

From The Sanford Herald: Like countless N.C. educators, I’m forced to work a second job to make ends meet. Unlike most of my colleagues, my second job isn’t retail, it’s saving lives. Every Friday after I finish grading coursework, I head to my weekend job as an EMT/firefighter in Harnett County and pull 12-hour shifts.…

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Transylvania Times: Shortchanging Public Education

By Eleanore Wood / January 24, 2020 /

From Transylvania Times: Two recent reports state North Carolina is not spending enough money on public education. Late last year, independent consultant WestEd released a nearly 300-page report entitled “Sound Basic Education for All: An Action Plan for North Carolina.” In that report, the consultants call for an additional $8 billion to be spent over…

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