Why Did Gov. Cooper Sign a National School Choice Week Proclamation? | Eastern North Carolina Now

    Publisher's Note: This post appears here courtesy of the John Locke Foundation. The author of this post is Dr. Terry Stoops.

  • Gov. Roy Cooper, a vocal school choice opponent, signed a proclamation declaring January 23-29, 2022, "North Carolina School Choice Week"
  • There are three possible explanations for his unexpected endorsement of public, private, and home education options: a startling change of mind, a shrewd political maneuver, or an embarrassing administrative blunder
  • The most likely explanation is that it was an administrative blunder: the proclamation does not appear on the governor's web site, and Cooper's press secretary has not issued a press release about it

    When I first received word that Gov. Roy Cooper had signed a proclamation celebrating National School Choice Week, I believed it was a hoax (see the proclamation here). For years, Gov. Cooper has been one of North Carolina's most strident opponents of private school vouchers. He particularly dislikes the Opportunity Scholarship Program, which awards private school scholarships to children from low-income households. Consider just a few of his previous statements:

   
  • "I am very concerned and have opposed vouchers because of the lack of accountability. We really don't know what these schools are doing or how they are performing. Instead, we need to invest in our public schools." (2017)
  • "I oppose vouchers that drain money from public schools." (2018)
  • "I don't like their vouchers." (2019)
  • "I think [the Opportunity Scholarship Program] siphons money away from our public schools. We only have so much to invest, and this money is unaccountable. ... I know this is something that's been a real project of the Republican leadership. I felt better just eliminating the funding." (2019)
  • "School vouchers are wrong. They hurt public schools. They hurt students. It is a wrong use of tax dollars, and it needs to stop." (2020)
  • "I think that [the Opportunity Scholarship Program] is an expense that we should stop in North Carolina." (2020)
  •    


    Suddenly, a trusted colleague produced a proclamation signed by Gov. Cooper proclaiming "January 23-29, 2022 as NORTH CAROLINA SCHOOL CHOICE WEEK" and commending "its observance to all citizens."

    The proclamation language supplied by the National School Choice Week organization and endorsed by Cooper acknowledged that educational options enhance North Carolina's economic prosperity and the welfare of our diverse communities. It celebrated public, private, and home education options available to families. Most importantly, it affirmed the responsibility to provide all children in North Carolina access to these high-quality options.

    Did Roy Cooper see the light? Will he cease presenting budgets that phase out the Opportunity Scholarship Program and instead work with Republican lawmakers to continue expanding private school scholarships and education savings accounts?

    At this point, we haven't received a comment from Gov. Cooper's staff, but I can conceive of three possible explanations for his unexpected endorsement of North Carolina's thriving school choice movement. His decision to sign the proclamation is either a startling change of mind, a shrewd political maneuver, or an embarrassing administrative blunder.

    The least plausible is that Gov. Cooper had a genuine change of heart about the value of school choice. Yes, he paid for one of his daughters to attend the prestigious Saint Mary's School in Raleigh. Yes, his wife, Kristin Cooper, spoke at the school's commencement ceremony in 2017. Yes, the Coopers wanted their daughter to receive an education that met her unique needs. No, I do not believe that Gov. Cooper suddenly recognized that low- and middle-income families deserve resources to access a nonpublic school that meets the unique needs of their children.

    Another possibility is that the gubernatorial election in Virginia spooked the Cooper administration. Democrat Terry McAuliffe vetoed school choice legislation in 2016 and 2017 and later proclaimed that he would do so again if Virginia voters granted him another four years in the governor's mansion. His opponent, Republican Glenn Youngkin, understood the depth of parental discontent and centered his campaign messaging on their concerns. Youngkin's improbable victory may prompt leaders in the Democratic Party to adopt a more parent-friendly communications strategy in anticipation of the midterm elections in November. Perhaps Cooper believes that a symbolic concession to parental choice will be advantageous to Democrats running for office in 2022 and beyond.

    The most likely explanation is that it was an administrative blunder. The proclamation does not appear on the governor's web site, and Cooper's press secretary has not issued a press release about it (although I wouldn't dismiss the possibility of a classic Friday evening statement). A public admission that the proclamation was a mistake would make the Cooper administration appear sloppy or inept. That would not be a good look for the governor recently elected chair of the Democratic Governors Association. More importantly, disavowing the proclamation would reinforce Cooper's opposition to school choice, which is politically hazardous for Democrats still hoping to rehabilitate their image following the debacle in Virginia.

    As of Tuesday, Jan. 18, Cooper's office had not responded to inquiries about the proclamation, so we may never know the real story.

    In the end, I do not believe that Gov. Cooper will be sporting a bright yellow National School Choice Week scarf next week or learning the official National School Choice Week dance. Until I learn otherwise, the cynic in me will continue to believe that the Cooper administration has no desire to protect and expand educational options for North Carolina's children.
Go Back


Leave a Guest Comment

Your Name or Alias
Your Email Address ( your email address will not be published)
Enter Your Comment ( no code or urls allowed, text only please )




The NC Threat-Free Index and Immunity Update for the Week Ending January 18 John Locke Foundation Guest Editorial, Editorials, Op-Ed & Politics INBOX: Tillis Expands Inquiry into Federal Policing of School Board Meetings


HbAD0

Latest Op-Ed & Politics

most voters think EU officials not doing a good job on illegal immigration
Be careful what you wish for, you may get it
Come from behind by GOP candidate is a blueprint to 2024
Biden spending and energy policies to blame
Tuberculosis carried by illegal invaders has already infected Texas cattle

HbAD1

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) said this week that the only campaign promise President Joe Biden has delivered on as president is the complete dismantling of the U.S. southern border.
Hamas is reeling after losing two of their most cherished leaders on the same day: military commander Saleh al-Arouri, and Harvard President Claudine Gay.
President Joe Biden’s brother told the Internal Revenue Service that Hunter Biden told him he was in business with a “protege of President Xi,” referring to the leader of China, according to notes by an IRS investigator that were divulged during a congressional interview of Jim Biden.
Gov. Roy Cooper seeks a temporary restraining order to block a law changing the composition of the State Board of Elections.
X owner Elon Musk mocked a news segment from ABC News this week that promoted President Joe Biden’s talking points about the Democrat-led Senate’s failed border bill, which critics and many experts have said would make the situation on the border worse.
That’s the question Marguerite Roza of Georgetown University’s Edunomics Lab sought to answer in a recent webinar on the topic.

HbAD2

The University of Florida has fired all of its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) employees and shut down its DEI office.

HbAD3

 
Back to Top