Branches of government at odds in pre-K education debate
September 12, 2011
North Carolina: As with most government issues in North Carolina these days, the core of this debate is about the budget. This summer, the Republican-dominated General Assembly of North Carolina reduced funding for pre-K education programs and mandated that parents must pay fees to participate.[1]
These changes violate a court order in place since 1997. The order was the ruling set forth in Leandro v. State, which found that children have a fundamental constitutional right to the "equal opportunity to receive a sound basic education."[2]
Judge Howard Manning Jr. has been the watchdog of this mandate for almost fifteen years. In response to the legislature's budget reductions, he found that the state was in violation of the outlines set forth by Leandro this July. Responding to that, Republican leaders accused the judge of "judicial activism."[1]
Governor Bev Perdue agrees with the judge and has the Department of Health and Human Services drafting a new plan that follows the requirements set forth by Manning. She said, "Providing at-risk children with access to an academic pre-kindergarten program helps prepare them for success in elementary school and throughout their lives."[3]
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Charlotte Observer, "Lawmakers, stop trying to renege on pre-K," September 12, 2011 (dead link)
- ↑ Duke Law, Children's Law Clinic, Leandro v. State
- ↑ Office of the North Carolina Governor, Press Release: "Gov. Perdue's Statement on Judge Manning's Pre-K Order Released Today," September 6, 2011
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