NORTH CAROLINA We MUST fully fund our public education system

Extremist GOP legislators in Raleigh have made it clear that they’d rather spend taxpayer money to help rich people send their children to private schools than fully fund our public schools.

Even though our public schools are doing an amazing job on a shoestring budget, failure to properly fund them will leave behind the more than 8 in 10 of our children who go to public schools and need the resources.

My mother was a great public school teacher. I and our 3 children went to public schools. I know firsthand that students can get an excellent education here — as long as our legislators work to fund it.

As of last year, North Carolina ranked 48th out of 50 states and the District of Columbia in per pupil public school funding. That’s unacceptable.

No matter where they live or how much money their parents make, every child in our state has the right to learn. Our schools must be able to prepare students for a competitive job market, and students must be ready for postsecondary education or vocational training — whichever is right for them. Without proper funding, our education system can’t provide the education North Carolina’s kids deserve.

I am completely committed to our great public schools — teachers and students. I won’t stop fighting until they have the resources they need to succeed. But we can’t solve this crisis without buy-in from North Carolina Republicans.

Thank you for standing with me, Governor Roy Cooper