The Crisis of Public Education in North Carolina

 

North Carolina public schools are facing multiple crises. NC General Assembly's reactionary policy privatizing education through vouchers for charter schools is increasingly bankrupting the public schools. A significant number of Black, Brown, and working class students, who make up more than 50% of public school population (source: NC Newsline, February 24, 2022), attend deteriorated public schools since funds have been siphoned to private schools in the form of vouchers (source: Public School First NC, September 2022). The draining of funds is also putting already underfunded Pre-K Schools and child care centers (where low income families are eligible) on the verge of closure (Source: WUNC August 30, 2024). 



On top, NC teachers’ salaries are consistently declining (source: CBS17, May 2, 2024), forcing many teachers to quit (source: WRAL, April 3, 2024). Teachers who remain in the profession operate with scarce resources and support, spending a record $1300 annually for school supplies, the fourth highest such spending amount in the nation (source: The News and Observer, August 19, 2024). NC teachers work without teacher assistants, and inadequate school counselors, nurses, and social workers (source: The News and Observer, January 4, 2024) Additional staff, including bus drivers, cafe workers, and other employees are chronically under-salaried (source: The News and Observer, August 15, 2024), leading to bus drivers going on strike at times (source: ABC11, January 18, 2024). To make matters worse, North Carolina prioritizes funding for police officers over funding for other school staff and community-based supports, a policy choice that has had grave consequences for North Carolina’s children, especially Black youth and students with disabilities.(source ACLU Report, 2024). The claim that vouchers will give another option for quality education to many students has also been debunked. Many charter schools do not provide quality education and some have shut down/lost license due to the mismanagement of funds and other abuses (source: QCNews.com, September 2, 2024; The News and Observer, June 7, 2024). Private schools are also not obligated to provide transportation, disability services, and other educational rights to students; North Carolina’s voucher program is the least regulated voucher program in the country (source: USA Today, February 26, 2024). 


Things were not always as bad for NC public schools. In fact, NC public schools made great strides in educational achievement thanks to the civil rights movement, court decisions against racism and educational disparities, and decisions made by the public officials in the later part of the 20th century (source: EDNC.org, August 11, 2019). In the 1980s, public education made significant progress due to the legislative efforts coupled with administrative measures in response to increasing public demand to improve public education (source: The History of Education in North Carolina by Bob Etheridge. 1993). The rise of conservatism in NC fueled education decline (source: WRAL, April 9, 2024). Since 2011, charter school growth has worsened racial divides, with over 20% of charter schools being more than 90% white by 2014. NC’s national education ranking fell from 19th in 2011 to 37th by 2016 (source: The News & Observer. Jan18, 2018).


Despite all the challenges, North Carolinians have always stood for social justice for all. North Carolina is the home of the Sit-In Movement in the early 60s as well as the environmental justice movement in the late 70s. If we organize beyond our differences for the common good of people, we will change the balance of power and defend our education system.

 

Since the publishing of this article, North Carolina General Assembly has passed HB10 that transfers $544 million to private schools in the form of vouchers and requires NC law enforcement to work with ICE. This bill is on Governor's desk with ten days window to veto the bill (until July 21, 2024). Take action by signing this letter, drafted by Carolina Migrant Network, to oppose this bill.

 


  North Carolina Public School Teachers' Rally in Raleigh, NC, on May 2019. Photo by Deborah Butler

 

 



 

 



 

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