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Re-Elect Alicia Chisolm CCS Board of Education
Paid for by The Committee to Re-Elect Alicia Chisolm CCS Board of Education
Section Special Election
1A Section 2024
Alicia Chisolm
www.fayettevillepress.com (910) 678-1312
Volumn 34 No. 10 October 25, 2024 Edition * (910) 323-3120-Office Fayetteville, NC
Opportunity Scholarships Could Strangle the Life Out of Public Education
By Kathi Gibson, PhD foundation for success. I’m a candidate for the District 1
We can’t sit silently and watch North Cumberland County School Board seat. I know that dis-
Carolina’s legislature slowly, and quite intentionally, trict. I live there. The report card says just over 70% of
strangle the life out of public schools. What they’ve students in District 1 are economically disadvantaged. The
done in the past month threatens the future of pub- schools in District 1, according to the state report card,
lic education, and I’m convinced that effort will got grades of D, C, D, D, D, F and C.
continue. Now let’s be clear, there is no link between poverty
Last month, N.C. legislators approved hun- and intellect. History is filled with people born in poverty
dreds of millions of dollars for “opportunity” schol- who went on to graduate from some of our nation’s most
arships. Remember the word “opportunity,” we’ll prestigious colleges. What makes the difference? Oppor-
get back to it.The scholarships allow parents to pull tunity.
their children from public schools and use taxpay- Public schools provide educational opportunities for
ers’ money for private schools. The impact is that it everyone – hence the label “public.” There’s not enough
weakens public education because state funding for scholarship money to pay for all students to attend pri-
public schools is essentially based on the number vate school. So we must vehemently protect, and make
of enrolled students. (That’s why they count stu- provisions for, public schools as a way to offer good op-
dents after the first 30 days of school.) portunities for all students.
Public schools lose money each time a student Here’s my logic: Educational opportunities can lead
withdraws. Less money means fewer resources, and to success. One part of success is a job with a good sal-
fewer resources means a lower quality of public edu- ary. Having a good-paying job raises the probability of
cation. being a productive, tax-paying citizen. Lack of educational
Cumberland County has public schools that opportunity means limited options. Limited options can
struggle. Look at the most recent public schools re- lead to low-paying jobs. Low-paying jobs lead to pov-
port card, which focuses on the 2022-23 school erty. Poverty leads to desperate behavior. And that can
year.The good news is that students’ academic per- lead to crime.
formance is trending in the right direction. There are Now, the fact is most poor people are not criminals.
more students doing better in math, reading, sci- You find criminals all across the socioeconomic spectrum.
ence and other foundational subjects. There also are And wealth doesn’t change that.
more students getting grades that indicate they are However, opportunities and success are inextricably
ready for college. Then comes the bad news. interwoven.
If you look at the most recent report card, Here’s my conclusion: Use taxpayer money to fund
roughly 50% of Cumberland County’s students are Kathi Gibson, PhD quality education in public schools. It’s the broadest reach
not proficient in reading and math, which is their we have to offer good opportunities to the most people.
Vice President Harris will deliver
for Black North Carolinians:
Vice President Trump wants to
Harris is charting take us back.
a new way forward.
Tax cuts for Raising taxes on
working families working families
Supporting Black Giving billionaires
small businesses handouts
Protecting the Ending health care
Affordable Care Act protections
Lowering costs on Social Security and
groceries and housing Medicare cuts
Protecting Banning abortion
fundamental freedoms nationwide
The choice this election
couldn’t be clearer. Trump Photo: Gage Skidmore, CC BY-SA
