By Keung Hui, The News & Observer
RALEIGH — North Carolina's plan to expand school choice options this year is being praised as a victory for parents by some and condemned by others as draining money from public schools.
In the News
As the source for parental school choice in our state, PEFNC is often asked to provide commentary on educational choice.
NC educators group seeks $15 per hour for school workers and ending state-funded school vouchers
By Holden Kurwicki
RALEIGH, N.C. — The North Carolina Association of Educators and State Superintendent Catherine Truitt seem to agree that change is necessary to improve our children’s education, but that doesn’t mean they’re on the same page as to how to go about it.
“We don’t want to put our school personnel in unsafe positions,” said NCAE President Tamika Walker-Kelly.
Public school enrollment is down in N.C. as alternatives grow during COVID-19 pandemic
By Keung Hui, The News & Observer
RALEIGH — North Carolina's traditional public schools are fighting to hold on to their students as they lose ground to their competitors during the coronavirus pandemic.
QC Life: National School Choice Week
It’s an important decision that parents need to make. What type of school is best for your child? Maybe the past year of online learning has made that answer a little clearer. This week is National School Choice Week. Brian Jodice is the Executive Vice President of Parents for Educational Freedom in NC. He joined us on QC Morning to tell us more about this “celebration”.
What’s happening this school choice week
By Alex Granados, EdNC.org
This week is National School Choice Week. It’s held every January, and its purpose is to highlight all the options parents and students have for attending K-12 schools.
Traditionally, when people think about school choice in our state, they think about the three major options available to North Carolina students: public, private, and charter.
School choice could see gains in new legislature
By David Bass, Carolina Journal
As North Carolina prepares to celebrate National School Choice Week Jan. 24-30, the cause of educational freedom could see even more advancement during the North Carolina General Assembly’s 2021-2022 session.
School-choice advocates are coming off what turned out to be a breakout year for their cause, as millions of parents nationwide fled their locally zoned school option for alternatives. Here in North Carolina, around 381,000 students are enrolled in schools of choice, including 150,000 in home schools, 127,000 in public charters, and 104,000 in private schools.
U.S. Education Secretary DeVos attends roundtable in Raleigh
By A.P. Dillon, North State Journal
RALEIGH — Parents, students, lawmakers and non-profit leaders came together to meet with U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos for a roundtable discussion of North Carolina’s Opportunity Scholarship Program and the state’s other school choice options.
As N.C. lawmakers expand school choice options during pandemic, the reaction is mixed
Legislation passed by the Republican-led General Assembly last week expands access to voucher programs to attend private schools and lets up to 3,800 more students attend the state's two virtual charter schools. It also includes a $335 stimulus check for parents with children younger than 18 to help offset remote learning costs.
To reverse declining attendance, WNC districts divert time and money toward self-promotion
By
This school year will be David Proffitt’s 31st at Jackson County Public Schools, but his first on Instagram.
1 in 5 NC students don’t attend traditional public schools, new figures show
By Keung Hui, News & Observer
Raleigh, NC - Twenty percent of North Carolina’s students are not attending the state’s traditional public schools — and that percentage is expected to continue rising.
Virtual charter school gets legislative approval to grow, but opponents push for a veto
By Alex Granados, EducationNC senior reporter
Raleigh, N.C. — The Senate approved a bill Tuesday that would, among other things, get rid of the enrollment cap on one of the state’s two virtual charter schools and allow it to grow its population by 20 percent annually if it so chose.