In a May 22 video statement, Democratic North Carolina governor Roy Cooper declared a “state of emergency” for public education in his state. While this may have sounded alarming, the reality is that the governor’s proclamation was little more than political theater, aimed at scoring points against his Republican opponents and virtue-signaling to special-interest groups that he is opposed to proposals to cut taxes and expand North Carolina’s Opportunity Scholarship program — a school-voucher program.
Governor Cooper’s publicity stunt was inappropriate for a state executive for several reasons. First, his strange use of violent language was not befitting of a public official seeking reasonable debate. His heated rhetoric only inflames the situation and creates further divisions between political parties. Who, exactly, was more convinced by Cooper’s arguments when he said, “It’s clear that the Republican legislature is aiming to choke the life out of public education” or that tax cuts will drop “an atomic bomb on public education”?
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