Now that the election is over, we turn our attention to holding our newly elected leaders accountable.
Hi there,
Now that the election is over, we turn our attention to holding our newly elected leaders accountable, and continuing the good fight for the right policies.
And that includes our governor-elect, Democrat Josh Stein.
Two weeks ago, in an interview on Spectrum News’ Capital Tonight, Stein repeated multiple inaccurate claims about various topics, including the Opportunity Scholarship Program (OSP).
Stein’s opposition to the OSP is no secret, but his claims were still surprising.
In one part of the interview, he said:
“Right now, they’re giving half a billion dollars to people, public taxpayer dollars, taking it away from public schools to give to unaccountable private schools and wealthy families. And understand there are no curriculum requirements, there are no teacher certification requirements, there is no requirement that these schools not discriminate against students.”
What is Stein talking about? Let’s separate the truth from fiction in his statement:
Myth - They’re taking taxpayer dollars away from public schools
OSP is administered via the University of North Carolina system
As such, it makes no sense to suggest that the money appropriated for OSP would otherwise go to public schools
Myth - OSP money goes to schools that are unaccountable
State law spells out the numerous obligations placed on nonpublic schools that accept students receiving OSP grants
These obligations include (but are not limited to):
Administering a national standardized test
Provide criminal background checks for school members
Have an independent financial audit for all schools with over 70 scholarship students
Report graduation rates and aggregate scores of nationally standardized tests to the NC State Education Assistance Authority (NCSEAA)
Myth - Scholarship funds are for wealthy families
The OSP is built to help children from low and moderate income families
The OSP uses a sliding scale for scholarship amounts, with lower-income families receiving larger scholarships
The awards range from:
$7,460 for students in lower-income tiers
And $3,360 for higher-income tiers
Moreover, why should it be considered okay for taxpayer funds to be used to educate children from wealthy families in traditional public schools, but not private schools of their choice?
Myth - Private schools should have the same curriculum as public schools
Private schools offer different curriculums than public schools for a reason: to offer different academic, pedagogical, or religious perspective
Many private schools are also accredited by governing bodies, such as the North American Christian School Accrediting Agency
OSP schools are also required by law to offer standardized testing in basic subject areas like grammar, spelling and mathematics
And finally, schools of choice are ultimately held accountable by the parents
Myth - Private schools should have the same teacher certification requirements as public schools
Teacher certification is not a prerequisite to teacher quality, nor to improved student outcomes
And just because private schools use different means to ensure they have quality teachers, does not mean they offer an inferior educational product
Once again, Stein’s complaint completely ignores the ability of parents to hold the schools they choose for their children accountable, as well as the schools’ ability to demonstrate their instructional quality, through student performance on standardized tests and more.
In North Carolina, in October 1774, the ladies of Edenton banded together to hold the first documented political protest led by American women
Despite having very few political and legal rights of their own, Penelope Barker and these women asserted their belief in the God given right of North Carolinians to decide their own destiny
Despite being attacked in the English press for their actions, these women did not back down
In A Letter to the King, these brave women stated: “We cannot be indifferent on any occasion that appears nearly to affect the peace and happiness of our country, and…it is a duty to which we owe, not only to our near and dear connections,…but to ourselves.”
