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Author: Bob Luebke

  • Expert Highlights Dangers in Common Core Standards

    Posted in Education, Issues by Bob Luebke on May 17, 2013

    Last fall public schools in North Carolina along with 44 other states began implementing Common Core Standards. The standards — developed by academic experts and private trade associations with the financial backing of several large foundations — have unleashed a brushfire of criticism, fueled in part by the controversial ideas behind Common Core, parental anger [...]

  • New Website to Fight Common Core Standards

    Posted in Press Releases by Bob Luebke on May 13, 2013

    May 13, 2013 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Bob Luebke (919) 834-2099 Bob.Luebke@NCCivitas.org RALEIGH – The Civitas Institute has unveiled a new statewide web site, StopCommonCoreNC.com, dedicated to educating North Carolinians about the problems associated with Common Core Standards and the threat they pose to state and parental rights. The web site is a collaborative effort [...]

  • 3 Big Errors in N&O Voucher Op-Ed

    Posted in Education by Bob Luebke on April 26, 2013

    Not true – that’s my response to the oped by Yevonne Brannon and Nick Rhodes in last week’s News & Observer about school vouchers and their supposed harmful impacts on students and schools. Let’s look at three of the biggest errors. Brannon and Rhodes claim the current voucher (up to $4,200 for eligible students and [...]

  • Common Core Quiz

    Posted in Civitas Quiz by Bob Luebke on April 19, 2013

    Big changes are slated for North Carolina's public school curricula. How much do you know about the new federal Common Core standards?

  • Bill Gives Students Real Choice in Education

    Posted in Education by Bob Luebke on April 18, 2013

    Earlier this week Representatives Rob Bryan (R-Mecklenburg), Brian Brown (R-Pitt) and Marcus Brandon (D-Guilford) introduced HB 944,  the Opportunity Scholarship Act. The legislation allows children from families with limited financial resources to apply for a scholarship grant of up to $4,200 per year.  The grants could be used to help pay for tuition and fees, books, [...]

  • Common Core: Worse than you Think

    by Bob Luebke on April 11, 2013

    The second of two parts. In a previous article, I highlighted questionable assumptions underlying national Common Core Standards (CCS) in English and mathematics, which in 2010 were adopted by the North Carolina State Board of Education.  Let’s look at CCS’s three other major flaws. Diminished Parental and State Influence Imposing CCS on the nation’s schools [...]

  • Common Core: What Can We Do?

    by Bob Luebke on April 9, 2013

    Last fall, North Carolina public schools began implementing Common Core Standards in schools across the state. As parents and teachers become more familiar with the standards, expect Common Core to be a hot topic discussion.   Parents, educators and citizens who wish to learn more about Common Core have access to a variety of resources. Some [...]

  • HB 447, Restore Teaching Fellows Program

    Posted in Bad Bill of the Week by Bob Luebke on April 8, 2013

    Facing a multi-billion dollar budget deficit in 2011, the state legislature reduced and eliminated a variety of programs in order to balance the budget. One program the legislature ended future funding for was the North Carolina Teaching Fellows program. The Teaching Fellows program awarded renewable scholarships of up to $6,500 annually to 500 high school [...]

  • Common Core Standards Will Impose an Unproven ‘One Size Fits All’ Curriculum on North Carolina

    Posted in Education by Bob Luebke on March 28, 2013

    In 2010 the North Carolina State Board of Education unanimously adopted national Common Core Standards (CCS) in English and mathematics. The standards — spearheaded by two independent organizations, the National Governors Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers — were developed to better prepare students for college or careers and make American students [...]

  • Civitas Releases Poll on Education Issues

    Posted in Poll Results, Polling, Press Releases by Bob Luebke on March 7, 2013

    March 7, 2013 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Robert Luebke (919) 834-2099 Robert.Luebke@NCCivitas.org RALEIGH – A new poll by the Civitas Institute includes a number of questions which reflect voter attitudes on school choice, Common Core State Standards and ways to improve education. Almost two-thirds (65 percent) of voters support the idea of providing scholarship grants [...]

  • SB 125: Putting Teeth into Public Records and Open Meeting Laws

    Posted in Legislative Activity by Bob Luebke on February 27, 2013

    Let’s give three cheers for two North Carolina Senators. Last week state Sens. Thom Goolsby (R-New Hanover) and Tom Apodaca (R-Buncombe) sponsored legislation (SB 125) to make it a class 3 misdemeanor to violate public records and open meetings laws, which would at long last give those laws some teeth. North Carolina’s Public Records law [...]

  • School Choice PollExternal Link

    on January 22, 2013

  • Education Savings Accounts Can Give NC Families More School Choices

    Posted in Education by Bob Luebke on November 19, 2012

    Public opinion polls clearly show that North Carolina parents want expanded educational opportunities for their children. Combine that with the growing influence of school choice advocates in the General Assembly and the election of a new Governor supportive of school reform efforts, and you boost the chances that North Carolina will pass significant school choice [...]

  • School Choice Criticism Wilts Under Close Review

    Posted in Education by Bob Luebke on October 10, 2012

    A recent poll of North Carolinians by the Civitas Institute and the Friedman Foundation reported that if given a choice of where to educate their child, only 34 percent of respondents said they would choose a traditional public school. Almost two-thirds of respondents (65 percent) said they would enroll their child in other educational options [...]

  • NC Superintendent Debate

    Posted in Education, Video by Bob Luebke on October 1, 2012

    Among the statewide races to be decided this fall is State Superintendent of Public Instruction. June Atkinson has held the position since August 2005, and is the Democratic nominee for the office. Challenging Atkinson is Republican John Tedesco, a member of the Wake County Board of Education since 2009. The Superintendent is a powerful spokesperson [...]

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