Dive Brief:

• North Carolina Superior Court Judge Howard Manning reprimanded state education officials Wednesday, saying they were failing to provide all students with a sound education.
• The scolding came as Manning weighs in on a January case that alleges the the state education officials are not fulfilling their duties to provide all students with a dependable and fair education.
• He specifically zeroed in the low test scores in certain schools, and according to the local ABC affiliate asked the ed officials "how they'd feel if they were hauled off to jail with no warrant."

Dive Insight:

Manning has been weighing in on education in the state for over a decade, ever since he ruled on Leandro v. State of North Carolina. That case brought to court by a number of parents from a low-income community, who alleged that state was failing to uphold the constitution and its guarantee that all students have equal access to educational opportunities. 

So often educators are the first to blame for poor student achievement, so its fascinating to see the attention being focused on another group. Judge Manning's feelings, as well as the accusations of the parents over a decade ago, are reminiscent of the current lawsuit that was filed by Pennsylvania parents against former Governor Tom Corbett and many of the state's education officials. They too argued that the state was failing to provide equitable education to all students, however, their claim stemmed more from a specific source: uneven funding.