NC's Leandro Case: Schools in Limbo, Students Suffer

0:00From Durham, this is your March 17th update. North Carolina's Leandro Case has dragged on for decades, highlighting the state's failure to provide a sound basic education as required by its Constitution. File back in 1994, the lawsuit led to court rulings that the state must step up. In November 2022, the Supreme Court ordered full funding for the Leandro Plan, an eight-year road map with reforms like Better Teacher. Pay, more pre-kindergarten spots, and added school staff such as nurses and psychologists. But right after that ruling, the court's make-up shifted with a new chief justice and the case got rehearsed two years ago. Shockingly, there's still no final decision, leaving students and schools in limbo. Public education advocates are furious about the stall, as schools ranked dead last nationally in funding after big tax cuts for corporations and the wealthy. Test scores are flat, teacher vacancies hit records, and low-income kids and students of color suffer most from the unfair funding setup.

1:02Republican lawmakers admit the problems, but argue courts can't force them to follow the Constitution or fund the plan. They've offered no alternative fixes, betting the delay favors their priorities. With little push from top Democrats or anyone else, the justices seem content to sit on it. Without some real pressure, this inertia could keep public schools waiting even longer for the resources they need. Quick thanks to today's sponsor. See the description for more. You know what is better than earbuds in bed? No earbuds at all. S-O-L-I-SOLYPILLOW.com