It's no secret that Republicans in the NC legislature and Governor Pat McCrory have not made NC public schools a priority. Teachers and students all over the state are feeling the results of the lack of needed funds and the cuts to education while corporations and the wealthiest citizens are given priority by some lawmakers.
Check out this video from TWC's Capital Tonight, where you can watch Senator Josh Stein prove once again he is a champion for NC's young people in a discussion with Senator Bob Rucho. The discussion starts about 9 minutes into the video.
http://www.twcnews.com/nc/triangle-sandhills/capital-tonight-show/2015/05/28/capital-tonight-may-28--sens--rucho-and-stein-on-budget.html
You might remember that Senator Rucho was the one who said voter pre-registration was too confusing for NC's teenagers when he led the effort to eliminate that opportunity and the education programs in NC schools that went along with it. In his appearance on Capital Tonight, Senator Rucho mentions putting money back into the classroom but spends a good part of the interview defending cuts to education. Senator Rucho is himself confused, it seems.
People all over the state have been contacting their lawmakers and showing up at Moral Mondays and other events throughout the state to show their support for public education.
Something else we can do to support education is show support for the students who are not sitting by silently but instead using their voices to fight for better policies and taking an active role in trying to influence the policies that directly affect them.
I'd like to invite everyone to sign and share the following petition, created by a 13 year old NC student. When our young people use their voices in an effort to help create a better future for our state, we should support them and it is the duty and obligation of our elected representatives to listen and respond.
https://www.change.org/p/general-assembly-give-funds-back-to-public-schools-to-give-kids-a-better-education
Certain representatives in the NC legislature aren't supporting NC students with their deeds, but each of us has the opportunity now to to show them, and especially one NC student trying to make a difference, that the citizens support our students by taking one simple action.
Jacob of Raleigh, this one's for you. Forward together.
