Do-it-yourself school split

CMS parents, you don't need legislative authority to secede

PAUL CHESSER Charlotte Observer

Special to the Observer

RALEIGH - While proponents of a Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools split felt disrespected after they were largely ignored in a House education committee meeting at the General Assembly last week, they are not stuck in the system they disapprove of.

Supporters of a bill that would break up the state's largest school system believe CMS is unwieldy and ineffective, and they want school leaders who will be more responsive to their needs. Many of them drove three hours to Raleigh for the hour-long committee hearing, but believed the breakup idea didn't receive sufficient consideration from state lawmakers.

In dramatic contrast, recently another group of North Carolina parents achieved a remarkable political victory in almost lightning-quick fashion. Weeks ago, as part of his budget recommendations, Gov. Mike Easley had proposed moving the state's Department of Non-Public Education from the Department of Administration's oversight to the Department of Public Instruction's. DNPE watches over the state's homeschoolers and other private education institutions.

The General Assembly began to consider the idea at about the same time homeschoolers learned about the proposal, which led to an overload of objections on the voicemails and e-mails of legislators. Homeschoolers and private school advocates in no way want to be under the authority of the state's public education bureaucracy.