“It’s time to declare a state of emergency for public education in North Carolina.“ - Roy Cooper

Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper is embarking on a campaign to try to beat back education and tax legislation from the Republican-controlled General Assembly that he says if enacted would crush North Carolina’s public schools and wobble the state’s economic future. Cooper released a video Monday making his case entering the final weeks of the chief work period of this year’s legislative session, including passage of a state budget for the year starting July 1. Cooper is opposing: -Proposed tax cuts for wealthier residents (House Bill 259, which has different versions in the House and Senate) -A major expansion of vouchers for students to attend private schools. The Office of State Budget and Management estimates public schools would lose more than $200 million by the 2026-27 school year under the plan, as they also lose students. (House Bill 823 and Senate Bill 406) -Switching State Board of Education seats from governor appointments to partisan elected positions (House Bill 17) -Shifting the authority to set course standards away from the Board of Education, which uses a large stakeholder process to develop standard recommendations, and to a board appointed by lawmakers and the governor and including the state superintendent (House Bill 756) -Banning certain ideas from being taught in school related to race and sex, including teaching that one group has privilege over another. Critics of the bill argue it includes enough gray area that teachers will feel uncomfortable even discussing race or sex in the context of history. (House BIll 187) -A bill, called the “Parents’ Bill of Rights,” that would expand administrative requirements for responding to parents or proactively releasing information on course materials, though it does not come with additional personnel or funding. It would also require schools to notify parents if their child is questioning their gender identity, which opponents of the bill argue is tantamount to outing a child without their consent. (Senate Bill 49) -The House proposal would raise average teacher pay by 10.2% over two years, compared to 4.5% in the Senate plan, which would lag behind recent inflation rates. Cooper’s budget proposal wanted 18% average raises. The governor also accused legislators of doing little to expand the state’s prekindergarten program for at-risk children and to stabilize child care centers. And he’s also worried about a proposed constitutional amendment that if placed on the ballot would remove his ability to appoint nearly all members of the State Board of Education. Members would be picked in district elections instead. Subscribe to WRAL: Follow WRAL: Facebook: Twitter: IG: About WRAL-TV: WRAL is your Raleigh, North Carolina news source. Check out our videos for the latest news in Raleigh, local sports, Raleigh weather, and more at #localnews #northcarolina #education