Cover

• Superior Court Judge Howard Manning last fall ruled that North Carolina was required to fund a pre-school program for “at-risk” children. Some lawmakers want to transform Smart Start into that program. But Smart Start officials say that would do children a major disservice. Page 1

North Carolina

• Judge Manning also is considering a case that could force the state to equalize public school spending statewide. But school spending already is equal. Page 3
• Redistricting battles across the country are likely to be messy this year but also less tilted towards Democratic gains. Page 4
• A member of the N.C. Aeronautics Council did airport work funded by a grant he voted to approve. Now he wants to get paid. Page 5

Education

• Gov. Mike Easley has guaranteed that reducing class sizes will increase student performance. But academic research shows that there’s reason to be skeptical. Page 6
• Home schools keep education within the family. Page 7
• Paige Holland finds strong educational leadership across North Carolina. Page 7
• North Carolina’s charter school law is no longer considered one of the best in the nation. Page 8
• Richmond, Va. experiments with a public military school. Page 9

Higher Education

• N.C. State University redefines “diversity” to mean a mixing of different ideas rather than a mixing of races. Page 10
• N. C. English departments have maintained higher standards than have most others. Page 11
• Secrecy regarding UNC-W women’s center concerns conservative group. Page 11
• Secrecy regarding UNC-W women’s center concerns conservative group. Page 12
• University of California president proposes abolishing the SAT. Page 12
• N.C. taxpayers shoulder the bulk of higher-education costs. Page 13

Local Government

• Definitions of Smart Growth vary widely, even supporters are split. Page 14
• Growth can pay for itself, several studies have found. Page 15
• Tom Fetzer says opponents of a Raleigh development are just NIMBYs. Page 15
• One on one with Thomas Stith of the Durham City Council. Page 16
• Revenue problems and new expenditures dominate city agendas. Page 17

Learning Curve

• Reviews of The Tyranny of Good Intentions by Paul Craig Roberts and Lawrence M. Stratton and Bobos in Paradise by David Brooks. Page 18
• Reviews of Property and Freedom by historian Richard Pipes and A History of Britain by historian Simon Schama. Page 19

Opinion

• Editorials address Gov. Mike Easley’s State of the State address, race and education, and the misuse of statistics on women’s. Page 20
• John Hood rips the media for uncritically accepting a flawed report. Page 21
• Roy Cordato says George W. Bush’s tax cuts are needed. Page 22
• Regression, progression, and who gets soaked by taxes. Page 23

Parting Shot

• John Hood announces his conversion to the cause of regulating those “precious polity fluids.” Page 24