RALEIGH — A national anti-school-choice group gives North Carolina an “F” grade and ranked the state 46th out of 50 because of its expansive educational opportunity programs.
The report, authored by the left-wing group Network for Public Education based out of New York City, penalized the Tar Heel State for its Opportunity Scholarship Program, expansive public charter school network, and being one of nine states with an Educational Savings Account program.
“During the dark days of the Covid-19 epidemic, state legislatures bowed to the pressure of right-wing think tanks and foundations, pushing through charter expansion and voucher legislation with little opportunity for input,” the report says. “Couched in the language of school choice, new voucher programs were crammed into budget bills or resurrected and passed even after initial defeat.”
In contrast to North Carolina, the highest scoring states in the rankings were Nebraska, North Dakota, Vermont, Kentucky, and South Dakota.
“I hope this report is a wake-up call to families in Nebraska and North Dakota, the two states that received top marks due to their lack of parental choice options,” said Dr. Terry Stoops, director of the Center for Effective Education at the John Locke Foundation. “North Carolina’s school choice community is here to help. I invite parent advocates and lawmakers from those school-choice deserts to learn how they can turn that scarlet ‘A’ grade into a solid ‘F.’
“I will not rest until Network for Public Education ranks North Carolina 51st in its privatization ranking,” Stoops added. “It will not be easy for North Carolina to overtake school choice powerhouses like Florida and Arizona, but I think we’re up to the task.”
