Statewide, advocates for public education are raising concerns about the North Carolina Supreme Court, which has now gone nearly two years without issuing a ruling on the still-pending Leandro case. The Leandro case has actually been active since the mid-1990s, with courts repeatedly ruling that North Carolina is failing to meet its constitutional obligation to provide all children with access to a “sound basic education”; indeed a few years ago, judges even took the unusual step of developing a concrete plan to close the gap. But lawmakers have not enacted the plan, arguing that judges don’t have the authority to issue such specific orders even if the legislature’s inaction is unconstitutional – and that dispute has been pending at the State Supreme Court for 700 days.

To discuss the issue, Aaron is joined by Ann McColl, the interim president and executive director of the Public School Forum of North Carolina.

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