Cooper Thinks Charter Schools Promote Segregation | Eastern North Carolina Now

    Publisher's note: This post, by Bob Luebke, was originally published in Civitas's online edition.

    On Friday, December 21st Gov. Cooper vetoed House Bill 1029, a technical corrections bill which among other things, would have made municipal charter school employees eligible for state benefits.

    In his veto statement Cooper said, "municipal charter schools set a dangerous precedent that could lead to taxpayer funded re-segregation. "

    For years Gov. Cooper has been telling us how important education is and how we need to give our students the best possible education.

    Gov. Cooper's veto will make it more difficult for four municipalities in the Charlotte area to staff municipally-authorized charter schools.

    Cooper said the bill would lead to "taxpayer funded re-segregation."

    The governor is wrong for a variety of reasons.

    Such a statement falsely assumes that the Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools are integrated and charter schools only reverse that process. Anyone familiar with charter schools knows that they are frequently located near troubled public schools, and in communities which are already - for a variety of reasons - highly segregated. If a student is moving from a racially concentrated public school to a racially concentrated charter school, it doesn't follow that charter schools lead to segregation. To say so is to not understand reality or much research that says otherwise (See here, here and here)

    Gov. Cooper talks about better educational opportunities and increased parental involvement. I guess that's fine as long as long as the child is assigned to a government-funded school, with a government regulated curriculum and government approved teachers. Parents who want a better public or private education for their children, good luck. You're on your own, because the governor and most of his Democratic brethren don't trust you.

    Choosing a better education for your child is now equated to a racist act - segregation. It's appalling and it's not true.

    Cooper's statement reveals the depth of control that Progressives seek over our lives. Parents, the people who know their children best, the ones who know what type of environment their child needs to flourish and the ones who have the most want their children to succeed - must have their choices taken away because they allegedly produce undesirable outcomes.

    Remember the governor's statement the next time he says he cares about giving kids the best possible educational opportunities.

    Actions speak louder than words - much louder.