A Superior Court judge has reversed course on a $2.5-million settlement granting a Confederate veterans group ownership of Silent Sam. Judge Allen Baddour threw out the deal during a hearing Wednesday, Feb. 12, about whether the Sons of the Confederate Veterans had legal standing to sue in the case. The judge ruled the group didn’t...
A judge has asked the parties in the long-running Leandro school funding lawsuit to develop a joint plan. It would implement consultant’s recommendations for major changes in the state’s public education system, including $8 billion of new spending in the next eight years. Terry Stoops, John Locke Foundation vice president for research and director of...
East Carolina University’s leadership continues to be a headache for the University of North Carolina System, and several members of UNC’s Board of Governors seem fed up. On Friday, Feb. 7, the BOG voted to “censure” ECU Board of Trustees member Robbie Moore. Phil Lewis, another ECU BOT member, resigned abruptly and without apology after...
A stack of studies chronicles worrisome trends in adolescent mental health. Over a decade, youth depression has increased significantly. Nearly one-third of high schoolers report depressive symptoms, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Other federal data show 13% of adolescents experienced a “major” depressive episode in 2017. Trends are easy to spot, hard to explain. But consensus...
Richard Vedder, professor of economics at Ohio University and senior fellow at the Independent Institute, discusses key themes from his book Restoring the Promise. Vedder offered these comments during an interview for Carolina Journal Radio.
As National School Choice Week approaches, it’s a good time to highlight the growth of parental school choice in North Carolina. Terry Stoops, John Locke Foundation vice president for research and director of education studies, sifts through the data. Stoops explains why more and more parents are opting for alternatives to traditional district schools. The...
The University of North Carolina’s Board of Governors is taking concerns over North Carolina’s budget impasse straight to the General Assembly — in the form of a resolution asking lawmakers to quit stalling and pass an updated spending plan. The board met Friday, Jan. 17, days after lawmakers failed to override Gov. Roy Cooper’s veto...
Leaders of the University of North Carolina System are feeling “grim,” in the words of one official presentation, after state lawmakers’ latest one-day trip to Raleigh. Legislators embroiled in a political standoff have failed to pass a budget that would fund the university’s priorities. But the UNC Board of Governors is not relinquishing hope. The...
The plaintiffs in a lawsuit challenging the University of North Carolina System over transparency issues hope their case will pave the way for greater openness and accountability at UNC. But even if UNC loses the case — which could take months or longer to resolve — there’s no guarantee the administration will change its approach...
Debate about public education in North Carolina gets bogged down by some popular myths. The myths include misconceptions about teacher pay and the impact of school choice on public school enrollment. Terry Stoops, John Locke Foundation vice president for research and director of education studies, addresses those myths and attempts to correct the record. Occupational...
Members of the N.C. General Assembly may meet for only one day this week — Tuesday, Jan. 14 — and will potentially hold a vote to override Gov. Roy Cooper’s budget veto. According to plans, anyway. Four Senate Democrats joined all Republicans in approving the budget bill, House Bill 966, with a 33-15 vote June...
