Carolina Journal Print Columnists
Colleen Calvani


Articles by Colleen Calvani

(9.22.09) Study: Energy Mandates Decrease Income
RALEIGH — The renewable energy law could cost North Carolina millions in income and investment and thousands of jobs.

(8.25.09) N.C. Eager to Jump Aboard High-Speed Rail
RALEIGH — President Barack Obama’s plans to transform fundamentally the way Americans travel is gaining speed, and North Carolina wants to go along for the ride.

(8.17.09) State Cap on Charter Schools Could Endanger Stimulus Funding
RALEIGH — When Gov. Beverly Perdue was elected last November, champions of school choice steeled themselves for a long four years. “I don’t support removing the cap on charter schools,” Perdue told Carolina Journal in December, reiterating her support for phasing out underperforming charter schools before new ones are brought online.

(7.27.09) Inclusionary Zoning Again In Play in Charlotte?
CHARLOTTE — Families displaced by the recession and the rising number of homeless have elevated concerns about affordable housing in Charlotte. Some civic organizations and nonprofits have resumed calls for mandatory inclusionary zoning, a controversial policy that forces developers to reserve a certain number of units in any new project for low-income residents.

(7.14.09) “Welfare For Local Pols” Bill Stuck In Neutral
RALEIGH — It’s certainly a detour if not the end of the road for a bill that’s been called “welfare for local politicians,” resulting from a grass-roots effort to defeat the legislation. House Bill 120, which called for taxpayer-funded political campaigns at the city level, is stuck in committee for the time being, with General Assembly watchers predicting that it won’t be seen again before the legislature adjourns.

(6.24.09) Will More at Four or Smart Start Survive Budget Battle?
RALEIGH — Facing pressure to cut redundancies and scale back its budget, the General Assembly has been seeking ways to reduce funding to North Carolina’s pre-kindergarten programs. It’s unclear whether the state’s two principal pre-K programs will survive the conference committee that will iron out the state’s 2009-10 budget or if a single program will emerge.

(6.08.09) Charlotte Principals Given New Freedom Under Decentralization
CHARLOTTE — Thanks to a program introduced by Superintendent Peter Gorman, some principals in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg school system are being freed from the burden of centralized management. Armed with innovation and frontline knowledge of each school’s challenges, these principals are using their judgment — and not that of district middle management — to make the best decisions for their schools.

(4.02.09) Out-of-Wedlock Births an Issue to Be Addressed
CHARLOTTE — Preliminary numbers are in for the latest round of American birth statistics, and among the headline-grabbing news is that 39.7 percent of births in 2007 were to unmarried mothers. In North Carolina, that number was 41.2 percent, up about 1 percent from the year before. The bad news doesn’t stop there.

(3.02.09) Growing number of autistic kids put strains on public schools
CHARLOTTE — North Carolina’s public schools educated 9 percent more autistic children in 2008 than 2007, the Department of Public Instruction has found. The number of students eligible for special services reached 9,755 this year, raising questions about how schools are dealing with an influx of students whose conditions may range from nearly fully functional to more severely disabled.

(2.25.09) Back to School
CHARLOTTE — If buying a car, understanding your child’s text speak, or identifying predatory lending practices are not your strong points, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg School system has some news for you: Class is in session. In its second semester, Parent University is CMS’s effort to educate parents about kid- and grownup issues alike.

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