State education policy directly impacts the lives of North Carolina’s 1.8 million K-12 students. Spending on education represents nearly $9.8 billion of our state budget. Our approach to education policy is vitally important to students, families, educators, and taxpayers. The decisions made by legislators and state agencies today — and the availability of the best public schools, charter schools, private schools, and tech learning centers — will determine if students will be college and career-ready tomorrow.
Conventional school policy drives districts, schools, and teachers into solutions governed by politics and bureaucracy. It does not promote more personalized and effective learning environments or curricula. It holds back students wanting deeper academic challenges. It does not adequately serve children with special learning needs. When politicians and public agencies play a more prominent role in shaping educational policy than students or families, we do not prepare those students for a diverse society or a dynamic economy.
There is a better approach to cultivating opportunities for North Carolina’s students, families, and educators. This better approach focuses on the freedom to access options for student success. It includes the freedom to reward engaged teachers and develop innovative instruction. And it allows for the freedom to enhance quality and performance while responsibly controlling cost.
North Carolina can promote a dynamic, future-oriented educational system based on choice. Students and families need choices among diverse, robust approaches. They need choices that promote high-quality and responsive educational environments. They need choices tailored to the needs of individual students and the future they face. We can achieve outstanding education policy for a better North Carolina with these choices.