Yesterday, we highlighted that Rep. Tricia Cotham, the chair of the NC House Education Committee, and a former teacher of the year, was switching parties. That gives Republicans a supermajority in both houses of the legislature and the ability to override Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper’s vetoes. Universal school choice is now on the short list of legislative agenda items.
Rep. Cotham had some choice words for why she is fleeing the Democrats and their reactionary opposition to school choice:
“One size fits all in education is wrong… [Democrats] didn’t want to talk about children. They had talking points from adults and adult organizations.”
She said that because of her support for school choice she was “shunned and called a traitor.” Liberal groups even contacted her children in an attempt to bully them and intimidate her.
https://www.wfae.org/politics/
She also complained about being told she shouldn’t use the American flag or a prayer emoji on her social media.
“The party has become unrecognizable to me and so many others. When did Democrats become so afraid of independent thought?”
Good question.