Cover

• Voters hold fate of Charlotte’s transit tax
• Counties want more taxes despite Medicaid relief

North Carolina

• Parton payback requirement mysteriously dropped, Page 4
• State halfway to Johnson & Wales money promises, Page 5

Education

• N.C. kids flunking American history, Page 8
• N.C. colleges differ in how they use SAT writing scores, Page 9
• Terry Stoops commentary: Bad Evaluation? Just ignore it, Page 9
• N.C. charter schools holding their own, Page 10
• Southern Baptists want Johnny to know more than ABCs, Page 11

Higher Education

• UNC of Tomorrow vision already discernible, Page 12
• N.C. Schools cool to Shakespeare, Page 13
• Jane Shaw commentary: Universities tell — nearly — all, Page 13
• Bats in the Belltower: Feminists against ‘choice,’ Page 14
• Pope Conference addresses building higher ed excellence, Page 14
• Issues in Higher Education: Elon should ponder Antioch’s fate when assigning reading, Page 15

Local Government

• Interbasin water transfer an ’emotional issue,’ Page 16
• Chad Adams commentary: Questions to ask about taxes, Page 17
• Local innovation bulletin board, Page 18
• From Cherokee to Currituck, Page 18
• ‘Heart of Triad’ discussion turns HOT at meeting, Page 19

Learning Curve

• Book review: The Iranian Time Bomb, Page 20
• Troy Kickler commentary: Next time you drink a Pepsi, remember Duplin’s Caleb Bradham, Page 21
• Short Takes on Culture, Page 22
• Book review: The Green Wave, Page 23

Opinion

• Donna Martinez commentary: Mommy state knows best, Page 24
• Editorial: Charlotte’s dubious effort, Page 24
• Editorial: Don’t forget productivity, Page 25
• Editorial: Margins not just for books, Page 25
• John Hood commentary: An educated education debate, Page 25
• Mike Walden commentary: Where will the jobs be in N.C.’s future? Page 26
• Becki Gray commentary: Get ready for lots of buts when legislature convenes, Page 27
• Letters to the editor, Page 27

Parting Shot

• Locke Foundation seeking government incentives (a CJ parody)