Charter schools

If you've spent any time at all following the ravings of North Carolina's free-market extremists, you know that they see charter schools as something akin to the second coming. If only the politicians would lift the cap on charters, all would be right with the world and challenges in public education would magically be solved. Today the Charlotte Observer weighs in with a well-reasoned editorial that puts things in perspective.

Federal Judge James Dever removes himself from Jim Black's sentencing
     N & O | C O

Wilmington Journal has strong words:
     Open Letter to the NC Black Legislative Caucus

Charter School 100 cap should remain according to NC Center for Public Policy Research:
     AP @ CO | WLOS | NBC17

Charter schools performed about the same or slightly worse than traditional schools

UPDATE: Read the full report from NCPPR

It must be frustrating to be a Puppet these days. Because aside from the nearly Pyrrhic victory of sentencing poor workers to death, I can't think of anything of significance the the Puppetshow has actually accomplished over the past year. Unless, of course, you consider getting Hairdresser Boylan installed in the General Assembly, or perhaps the anointing of Sponge Bob Orr as Art Pope's candidate for governor.

Sure they're spending a boatload of the Puppetmaster's family fortune to buy influence with the media, but in terms of actual impact on public policy, I don't see it. For example, despite all their free-market property-rights baloney, they sat on the sidelines for years and watched the biggest federal land-grab in decades go unchallenged. It took progressive activism to help get that deal stopped, not right-wing "reports" and hand-wringing about the mean old government. And all their whining about the need to end the so-called "temporary" tax was, well, completely ineffective.