Education | PoliticsNC

A new narrative for public education

by Thomas Mills | Nov 13, 2015 | 2016 Elections, Editor's Blog, Education | 7 comments

North Carolina Democrats seem poised to make education the centerpiece of the 2016 campaign. And why not? Per pupil spending is among the lowest in the nation, teachers are leaving for other professions or other states, and teacher pay has slipped far below the...

Cowell’s Surprise Announcement Means Opportunity for GOP

by John Wynne | Oct 13, 2015 | 2016 Elections, Carolina Strategic Analysis, Education, Features, NC Politics, UNC | 4 comments

With campaign season comes several surprises. State Treasurer Janet Cowell’s announcement that she’s not seeking reelection next year certainly qualifies as one of them. Cowell, first elected in 2008, was heavily courted by the DSCC to run against Richard...

Make ’em own the damage

by Thomas Mills | Sep 29, 2015 | Editor's Blog, Education | 17 comments

The damage that Republicans are doing to public schools is on full display. Our per pupil spending is among the lowest in the nation. Our teacher pay ranks down there, too, and a new study lists North Carolina 50 on its list of best states for teachers. Now, the...

Taking UNC down the road to mediocrity

by Thomas Mills | Sep 28, 2015 | Editor's Blog, Education | 8 comments

Nothing the Republicans have done in North Carolina is quite as disturbing as watching their handling of the University of North Carolina system. They stacked the Board of Governors with ideologues and put an obviously incompetent lawyer in charge of it. They’ve fired...

Wake County Public Schools and the Death of Socioeconomic Diversity

by Alexander H. Jones | Sep 13, 2015 | Education, Politics | 5 comments

The “Margiotta School Board” was a disaster for Wake County. A handful of wingnuts, elected in a low-turnout race by other wingnuts, managed to embarrass the County and hurt children. The diverse schools they resent so much are crucial. Thus, it‘s...

The GOP’s tax on school kids

by Thomas Mills | Sep 2, 2015 | Editor's Blog, Education | 5 comments

School’s back in session and so are the asks for money to provide for school supplies. I’ve had children in the public schools for most of the past 20 years. Never have I seen the need for so many basics. In the past, the PTAs and PTOs focused on extras. They added to...