PR: Governor Cooper lashes out at school choice, hints at keeping sexually explicit material in schools

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 22, 2023
Contact: Laura Macklem
[email protected]

GOVERNOR COOPER LASHES OUT AT SCHOOL CHOICE, HINTS AT KEEPING SEXUALLY EXPLICIT MATERIAL IN SCHOOLS

 Governor Cooper issued a state of emergency plea, opposing school choice and rejecting the idea parents should use their public education tax dollars to fund the school which fits their child.

“Democrats are nervous because their grip on public education, which has been weaponized to indoctrinate students, is slipping. They want to control parents’ decisions and deprive struggling families from giving their children more educational opportunities because it threatens their power,” said NC Values Executive Director Tami Fitzgerald. “Governor Cooper has called a state of emergency, but parents have already done that by demanding school choice and transparency hoping to rescue their children from failing government schools.”

A January 2023 statewide poll commissioned by NC Values and NC Faith & Freedom Coalition showed 69% of North Carolinians support opportunity scholarships, including 68.6% of African Americans and 80% of Hispanics. An astounding 81% of parents surveyed said they want more transparency in schools.

According to The Nation’s Report Card, “The percentage of students in North Carolina who performed at or above the NAEP Proficient level was 35 percent in 2022,” and in reading just 32%. Eighth graders who performed at or above the proficient level for reading was 25%.

Governor Cooper also denounced “book bans” referring to the parental push sweeping North Carolina to stop age inappropriate, explicit sexual content from being provided in schools, and said the legislature wants to bring their “political culture wars into the classroom.”

“The governor has sent the message today that parents should accept keeping their children in schools with abysmal test scores, pornography, and politically charged curriculum. Governor Cooper doesn’t know what’s best for other people’s children, parents are the ones with the God-given rights to direct the upbringing and education of their children. I encourage the General Assembly to approve the “Choose Your School, Choose Your Future” legislation and allow children a chance to thrive at a school which fits their individual needs,” said Fitzgerald.

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