Outgoing Governor Roy Cooper visited Claxton Elementary School in Greensboro Tuesday to make what is expected to be his final public address on public education in North Carolina.
A school chorus kicked off the governor’s appearance with a positive start, and Governor Cooper’s initial comments matched that tone.
Reflecting on his eight years in office, he praised advances in the state’s public education, including increased teacher pay, and a record high-school graduation rate.
“In the past four years, we've had the National School Psychologist, Counselor and Superintendent of the Year, and the finalist for the National Teacher of the Year," he said. "That is quite a lineup.”
But Cooper said there have been missed opportunities as well. He noted that right-wing media has been painting the state’s public schools as failing. Cooper says they’re not. And he criticized the Republican-leaning legislature for shifting the state's school funding priorities.
"The biggest missed opportunity, ironically, co-opts the word opportunity — opportunity scholarships — otherwise known as taxpayer-funded private school vouchers for the wealthy," he said. "The right-wing public school rip-off.”
In September, Cooper vetoed legislation to expand the private school voucher program by more than $400 million. The legislature voted to override the veto last month, saying the vouchers expand school choice for everyone.
Cooper said the money would have been better spent on improving teacher pay and investing in public school students.