Craig Horn Coverage

State school superintendent wants lieutenant governor job

Mark Johnson, North Carolina's superintendent of public instruction, declared his candidacy Tuesday for lieutenant governor.

Kelly Hinchcliffe, WRAL education reporter

JUSTIN PARMENTER: Educators back Cooper's pay raise veto, lawmakers must do better

Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2019 -- Ask a majority party legislator why they aren't providing more for public education in North Carolina and you're likely to hear--as Rep. Craig Horn recently told the New York Times--"We simply don't have the money." That excuse is wearing extremely thin as the General Assembly recently passed its sixth corporate tax cut in the last seven years.

NC superintendent will run for office in 2020, but he won't say which one

North Carolina Superintendent of Public Instruction Mark Johnson will run for office in 2020, but he won't say which one. A spokesman for Johnson declined to say Friday whether he'll run for superintendent again or seek another office, such as lieutenant governor or governor.

Kelly Hinchcliffe, WRAL education reporter

Republican lawmaker considering running for state superintendent in 2020

A Republican lawmaker who chairs several education committees in the North Carolina General Assembly says he is considering running for state superintendent of public instruction in 2020.

Kelly Hinchcliffe, WRAL education reporter

Editorial: Rebate pays for mediocrity, use surplus to make N.C. better

Friday, Aug. 16, 2019 -- Legislative leaders' assumption that revenue collections were "more than was needed" is just plain wrong. Meeting the basic needs of the state are well beyond even the surplus. The leadership is shorting our state's citizens and the quality services they are entitled to. Now that revenue figures are available, we want the governor to change his counter proposal to the legislature to include more funding for unmet needs.

House throws DPI's Istation pick for a loop

The House threw a wrinkle into the debate over the state's literacy assessment pick when it passed an amendment Monday night to a Senate Read to Achieve reform bill that could complicate the Department of Public Instruction's plan to role out Istation across the state.

Alex Granados, EducationNC senior reporter

DRAUGHON DRAWS: Where N.C. tax dollars really go

Friday, July 19, 2019 -- Capitol Broadcasting's editorial cartoonist.

'Nothing's really changed': NC Teaching Fellows still enrolling mostly white female students

A North Carolina program that recruits top students to become teachers by providing college tuition help has once again enrolled mostly white, mostly female students for the 133 spots this year, according to demographic data reviewed by WRAL News.

Kelly Hinchcliffe, WRAL education reporter

Editorial: Time to shut down the Economic Development Partnership of N.C.

Friday, Feb. 1, 2019 -- A scathing report challenges the effectiveness of the Economic Development Partnership of N.C. One of the big questions: Just who the partnership worked for - the Department of Commerce or the state legislature? It is difficult to identify just who was in charge of economic development. It is time to do away with the partnership. Let the governor and Secretary of Commerce do their jobs.

Lawmaker: 'I want to have more conversation' about teacher diversity

Rep. Craig Horn, R-Union, says he would like to learn more about teacher diversity and how it affects children in North Carolina.

New NC education organization brings Jeb Bush to town

Grow Great NC, Inc., a new group focused on education reform, kicked off its first official day as an organization Tuesday by bringing former Florida governor and presidential candidate Jeb Bush to town.

Alex Granados, EducationNC senior reporter

Teaching Fellows revival moves forward with broad support

It might be the easiest bill Rep. Craig Horn, R-Union, ever has pushed in the state House.

Matthew Burns

Bill would lower mandatory school attendance age from 7 to 6

A bill filed in the state House this week seeks to lower the age when children must begin attending school from 7 to 6 years old.

Kelly Hinchcliffe

Schools bracing for their report cards

The state will issue letter grades for the first time to all North Carolina public schools on Feb. 5. Teachers, administrators and even some lawmakers say the grading scale is unfair.

Mark Binker

House passes bill to allow lottery funds to be used for technology needs

Local school districts would be able to shift lottery funds from construction projects to technology needs under a bill that cleared the state House today. The measure now goes to the Senate.

Mark Binker

Kilah's Law would increase penalties for child abuse

A bipartisan group of lawmakers say stiffer penalties and better notice in court records are needed to head off incidents of child abuse.

Mark Binker