Eye on the Candidates
Does education reform matter anymore? With Rome-on-Wall-Street burning, are we going to allow the Neros to fiddle with progress in education reform?
The economy may be in shambles, but we can still vote. CER reveals next week its take on candidates for state executive posts. Here’s a glimpse of the excitement – or not – you can anticipate.
New Hampshire
The only thing Granite about this state lately is the position of the incumbent Governor when in comes to choices for children. While it’s along shot, his opponent actually likes charter schools and believes that they should be funded equitably, which is not what happens now. Gov. John Lynch (D) and State Senator Joseph Kenney (R) are locked in a battle for the executive post there. Lynch, the incumbent, has a vague education agenda and has never addressed the Granite State’s weak charter laws, leading to lackluster community interest. Kenney, on the other hand, has a track record of supporting strong charter school legislation and advancing options for parents.
North Carolina
Leaders in the Tar Heel State once were boiling over with support for education reform, but in the last few years the molten lava has cooled and the state maintains a restrictive cap on the number of charter schools. Other choices are not even on the table, and it always appears that leaders have put all their eggs in one basket – the state’s accountability system. While a model, it still isn’t solving the problem for all children. That’s why reformers are excited about one candidate for Governor, Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory (R), who supports vouchers for at-risk children and a lift of the charter cap – two agenda items his teachers union-backed opponent, Lieutenant Governor Beverly Perdue (D) has heavily criticized.
Tags: charter school, choice, education reform, election, governor, New Hampshire, North Carolina
