If you live in North Carolina, join with parents, teachers, and other citizens, join the fight to save public schools. Join Public Schools First North Carolina.
And please attend this meeting:
To educate or not to educate in NC
Apr 12, 2013 | Written by Patsy Keever OPINION
Our rulers in Raleigh are answering that question for us with bills that they could vote into law to change everything from how Carolina and State are funded, to whether tax money ought to be used for church schools, to whether or not “Hamlet” needs to be taught to “tech” kids. If our local legislators do not hear from us, they will vote on these bills in a vacuum — which is contrary to representative democracy.
We have two education commandments in North Carolina. The first was spoken a century ago by Gov. Charles B. Aycock, our first education governor, “You cannot do the best for your child unless you also do the best for my child.”
The second is from our state Constitution, which mandates that “The General Assembly shall provide by taxation and otherwise for a general and uniform system of free public schools, which shall be maintained at least nine months in every year, and wherein equal opportunities shall be provided for all students.”
Pretty simple. Education for all of our students is our ultimate long- range economic development tool, our best defense against politicians who would mislead us, and our moral and constitutional duty. How do we work together to ensure that all of our children get the best possible education? How do we ensure that the limited funds are fairly distributed? How do we ensure that our school personnel have the tools and resources they need? How do we incorporate the best ideas into all of our schools? How do we keep a positive attitude and continue to do the best for all our children?
What can you do?
On April 23, from 6:30-8 p.m. at the Asheville City Schools boardroom on Mountain Street, Public Schools First North Carolina, a statewide nonpartisan nonprofit is hosting a gathering of parents, school personnel and the general public to provide information about pending legislation, to identify resources and to hear ideas and suggestions from the attendees. Asheville City Schools Foundation and Children First are co-sponsors of the meeting.
At a time when the citizens of Asheville and Buncombe County are facing water control issues, airport control issues and election issues, we cannot lose sight of the most long-lasting and important responsibility — our children’ s education. We can choose to sleep through this — but in doing so, who knows what nightmares may come? And that is the rub. See you on the 23rd.
Patsy Keever is a former teacher, former Buncombe County commissioner, former state representative and current public school advocate.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Well, I asked Senator Martin, June Atkinson, Will McDeavitt, Diane Ravitch if anything could be done and here is an answer.
Here are my thoughts.
First, Patsy is not exactly the gentle and appealing voice I had in mind to talk Raleigh down on sweeping changes. Asheville is a logical place to rally outspoken liberals, but in Raleigh it will be seen as just that. . .a bunch of outspoken liberals.
I see the issues as follows:
yes, we need to keep these radical changes from happening right now in NC for several reasons:
1. our schools are not that bad
2. the problems of spending in the school machine far more likely come from overreaching pensions for non-teaching staff or something along those lines rather than teachers
3. If teachers are not up to snuff, then the institutions that trained them need to be examined before sweeping changes are made that punish anyone
4. More creative problem solving for resources needs to occur (tying in with local industry, creative reuse facilities, etc)
5. This needs to be an issue about NC. Not about the United States.
RtTT has caused a disease and now our state needs to figure out its own course of action.
So if a liberal voice will get the issue heard enough to stop things in Raleigh long enough for some actual problem-solving to occur, then I see it as good–I do see that there are problems to fix, but I don’t think the way they want to fix them is wise. I genuinely don’t know if Raleigh will pay attention, though, to cries coming from a town recently painted as a den of iniquity. (I live in Asheville so I can talk about it all I want. We wear that title with a wink and smile, but for me the rest of the state does matter—I was raised on the coast and I have lived and worked all over the state).
The problem, as I see it, is the national trend of the changes suggested in Raleigh right now. It smacks of keeping up with the Joneses in the worst way. My song for Raleigh leaders proposing these changes (with all due respect) is from Wicked (the musical): “I want to be popular.. . ” among their think tank cronies.
As for Ms. Keever, the song that pops into my head at this moment is Lucinda Williams’ “Lonely Girls,” (she did recently lose an election)—but I do believe that when people do anything with community in mind they start from good intentions so I won’t knock her for it.
I hope it gets the average citizen aware of what is on the table. But from what I can see the real problems are being evaded and quick, national fixes are being tried everywhere. I am happy some states are reversing that trend. I hope NC can stamp it out before it really gets going.
The problem is that all of the public school defenders are seen in all the state capitols as a bunch of liberals, which they are, and are therefore ignored.