North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper has declared that public education across the state is facing a “state of emergency” in an effort to prevent what he says is “extreme legislation” from being passed by the Republican-controlled Legislature.
Cooper, a Democrat, made the claim in a special address on May 22, referencing recently proposed education reform measures by Republicans that he said will “choke the life out of public education.”
Republican lawmakers in the state have proposed Senate Bill 406 (pdf), which has also passed through the Senate’s education committee.
Under the bill, the state’s school voucher program would be expanded so that children in families at any income level could receive North Carolina taxpayer funds to help pay for attendance at K–12 private schools. The voucher program, known as the Opportunity Scholarship Program, was created in 2013….