Education and Schools
Education is both an extremely important and extremely controversial issue. Education is vital for the future of the South. Yet the problems that plague our schools continue to be an issue while political battles over Southern education continue to wage on.
School vouchers: A pathway toward fraud and abuse of taxpayer dollars
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April 25, 2013
By Lindsay Wagner, NC Policy Watch
School vouchers and related efforts like tax credits, scholarship grants, and education savings accounts have become popular tools of the...
Who's behind the push to limit multicultural studies in Texas universities?
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March 20, 2013
Advocates of multiculturalism are girding for a fight in the Texas legislature, where a bill has been introduced that would ban racial, ethnic and gender history studies from...
A Colorblind Constitution: What Abigail Fisher's affirmative action case is really about
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March 19, 2013
By Nikole Hannah-Jones, ProPublica
When the NAACP began challenging Jim Crow laws across the South, it knew that, in the battle for public opinion, the particular plaintiffs...
Are NC schools teaching Art Pope's version of history?
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February 28, 2013
This week, Durham, N.C.-based Indy Week reported that North Carolina's leading education agency was promoting a curious resource for teachers in public schools: the Bill of...
Mississippi charter school supporters fought against public education for years
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February 19, 2013
By Joe Atkins, Labor South
Mississippi state Sen. Hob Bryan, D-Amory, a longtime champion of public education, said the current debate on charter schools in the state legislature...
In North Carolina, school resegregation by charter?
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January 25, 2013
North Carolina could soon see a dramatic increase in the number of charter schools, with as many as 150 of the public-private hybrids opening across the state next year.
But new...
NC judge tosses law that represented GOP revenge against public school employees
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January 7, 2013
A law passed by North Carolina's Republican-led legislature to punish the state teachers' association for fighting education budget cuts has been thrown out as...
Political controversy roils NC school system at center of resegregation fight
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September 27, 2012
The North Carolina public school system whose innovative and nationally lauded desegregation policy was targeted for elimination by conservative activists is embroiled in fresh...
The South faces growing school segregation
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September 25, 2012
Despite declining residential segregation for black families in the United States, school segregation for black students remains very high -- and it is increasing most...
Preaching Koch Brothers gospel on public education
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September 17, 2012
By Joe Atkins, Labor South
Barack Obama, then still a U.S. senator from Illinois, said this back in 2006 about teachers, unions and education:
"If we're serious about...
Vouchers no quick fix for disabled students in Louisiana
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August 22, 2012
By Zoe Sullivan, New America Media
Last April, Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal signed a new voucher program considered to be the most sweeping in the country. For years,...
Lacking contracts, New Orleans teachers use old-school tactics
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August 8, 2012
By Theresa Moran, Labor Notes
Just months after Hurricane Katrina, the city of New Orleans fired all 7,500 of its teachers. After a seven-year legal battle, the teachers union won...
Southern states get failing grades for school funding fairness
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June 28, 2012
Many states are failing to provide public schools with the resources they need to serve all students equitably, and Florida and North Carolina doing a particularly poor job in...
Billionaire privatization activists pushing 'neovouchers' for North Carolina
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June 6, 2012
North Carolina lawmakers are moving ahead with plans to establish an indirect voucher system that would help low-income children attend private or religious schools with public...
Marco Rubio's DREAM Act: The new 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell'?
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April 9, 2012
By Elena Shore, New America Media
Florida Republican Sen. Marco Rubio on Wednesday dismissed speculation that he could be the vice presidential nominee, but he is preparing to...
Why the racist history of the charter school movement is never discussed
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March 16, 2012
By Christopher Bonastia, AlterNet
As a parent I find it easy to understand the appeal of charter schools, especially for parents and students who feel that traditional public...
Feds provide welcome guidance on use of race and poverty in school assignment
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December 15, 2011
By Matt Ellinwood, NC Policy Watch
As the recent battles over school re-segregation in various North Carolina school districts make clear, the use of race and poverty in school...
Teachers call for holiday boycott of Pope stores
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December 2, 2011
Teachers in the North Carolina Association of Educators are calling on shoppers to boycott stores owned by conservative powerbroker Art Pope this holiday season. The group is...
A big loss for Art Pope in NC school resegregation fight
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November 9, 2011
Voters in Wake County, N.C. have shifted political power on the local school board, ending a Republican majority backed by leading conservative benefactor Art Pope that worked to...
US education chief watching NC school board desegregation fight (video)
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October 26, 2011
Education Secretary Arne Duncan was in Wake County, N.C. yesterday promoting President Obama's jobs plan. He visited Wake Technical Community College in Raleigh, where he...
NC voters reject Pope-backed candidates in local school board battle over resegregation
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October 12, 2011
Voters in Wake County, N.C. headed to the polls yesterday in high numbers to reject a slate of conservative Republican Board of Education candidates who opposed a longstanding...
Art Pope bankrolls candidates dismantling desegregation policy in NC school system
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October 5, 2011
North Carolina's leading conservative benefactor, Art Pope played a critical behind-the-scenes role in the 2009 Wake County, N.C. school board race. At least one Republican...
Controversial NC election fliers linked to anti-public school religious activists (updated)
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September 15, 2011
This week, North Carolina election officials announced they were investigating an anonymous flier targeting five candidates in the contentious race for Wake County school board....
Financial (R)aid: Donors back college budget cuts, offer private assistance
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September 13, 2011
For the country's public colleges, what one hand giveth, the other taketh away.
Let's start with the taketh: This year, at least 20 states slashed their budgets for...
Is our children learning (the bible)?
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June 19, 2006
South Carolina governor Mark Sanford (R) has signed into a law a bill that allows students to receive credit for bible school. As The State reports,
While other students learn...
