After three challenging years following the pandemic, public education in North Carolina began to strengthen, benefiting students, their families, and teachers. However, today, a new threat hangs over the state’s classrooms. This is not another pandemic or a natural disaster, but rather the political will of certain state legislators actively seeking to strip funding from public schools.
Progress and Challenges in Public Schools
In the last academic year, North Carolina’s public schools made significant strides toward educational excellence. The state recorded the highest number of teachers certified by the National Board in the country. On top of that, a graduation rate of 87% was achieved in 2023.
Public school students earned over 325,000 job credentials during the 2022-2023 school year, preparing the next generation to face a constantly changing job market.
Despite these advances, there is still work to be done. Many schools suffer from shortages, both in personnel and supplies. For example, several school systems lack the resources to replace the laptops distributed to students during the pandemic.
Latinos Remain Marginalized
A student’s academic success depends both on the school and on how much their family is involved in their learning process. The problem is that many Latino families face significant obstacles, from a lack of flexibility in their work schedules to a lack of knowledge about the system, to the challenges they face in communicating with their child’s school; especially if they do not speak English.
There is a clear shortage of teachers in schools, and there is also a great need for Spanish-speaking staff and representation. For instance, even though Latinos make up almost a third of the students in the Charlotte Mecklenburg School System (CMS), only 2% of the teachers are Latinos.
One of the reasons for this is the lack of incentives for bilingual staff. While county workers or employees of institutions like the fire department or the police receive a bonus for knowing a language other than English, there is no such incentive in CMS. How do they plan to retain school workers who can serve as a bridge to Latino families?
A New Threat
More than 80% of children in North Carolina rely on the public education system; yet instead of investing in our public schools, several Republican legislators are insisting on diverting funds toward a voucher program for private schools, disproportionately benefiting the state’s wealthiest families.
Let’s remember that private schools lack the same accountability and regulation as public schools.
The General Assembly plans to allocate an additional $460 million to private schools through vouchers. This is a clear attack on public education. That money could, and should, be used to significantly raise teacher salaries, modernize school facilities, and provide crucial educational resources that help all students thrive.
In contrast, Governor Roy Cooper presented a budget for Fiscal Year 2024-2025, which includes an investment of over $1 billion in the state’s public schools, an 8.5% salary increase for teachers, and a $1,500 retention bonus. These measures are not only necessary, but they are a direct investment in the future of North Carolina.
