North Carolina’s Republican state lawmakers are quietly undermining the State Board of Education, diminishing the state’s ability to set and uphold school standards. The board, which is supposed to oversee public school policy, has been weakened by the Republican-controlled legislature.
The board, mostly appointed by Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper, has seen its power reduced, staff cut, and oversight diminished. Republican lawmakers have shifted power to the Republican superintendent, declined to confirm board members, and created a new panel appointed by the legislature to oversee charter schools.
The board, which consists of 13 voting members, including the state treasurer and lieutenant governor, is now a shell of itself. Several members are serving in expired terms, and the superintendent, Catherine Truitt, has stopped following the board’s directives.
The erosion of the board’s power has left members frustrated but reluctant to speak out for fear of further actions by the legislature. A Republican bill proposed last session aimed to make board members elected rather than appointed, further politicizing the board’s function.
The disregard for oversight by Republican lawmakers may backfire, as the Democratic nominee for superintendent, Mo Green, is ready to work collaboratively with the board. If Green wins, GOP lawmakers will have to scramble to dismantle what they built for Truitt, potentially leading to legislation cutting the superintendent’s power.
The power struggle between the board and the legislature ultimately impacts the state’s 1.5 million public schoolchildren, who are caught in the crossfire of political gamesmanship. The future of education in North Carolina hangs in the balance as the battle for control continues.