Valerie Johnson joins lawsuit to protect NC public schools

This past Wednesday, December 11, a lawsuit was filed that challenges the constitutionality of a GOP-backed school voucher law that will funnel millions of dollars out of our state’s public school system. CJG’s own Valerie Johnson is proud to be a plaintiff in the suit alongside other parents, teachers, and clergy, as well as the North Carolina Association of Educators.

The voucher law, which was passed earlier this year, sets aside $10 million in education funding to pay for private school tuition. Republican legislators have said they plan to increase that amount to up to $50 million during the program’s second year. This assault on North Carolina’s public school system comes at a time when Republican budget cuts have already resulted in teacher pay that ranks 46th in the nation.

The lawsuit points out that the state constitution requires public education dollars to be spent on our public school system, not on private schools that are not accessible to all North Carolina citizens. As a former elementary school teacher and mother of two students in Durham’s school system, Valerie hopes the lawsuit will help to make sure that our public school teachers and students have the support they need to become the best in the nation.

You can read more about the lawsuit in this article from WRAL.