Two new incidents show why North Carolina shouldn’t let schools keep secrets | Opinion

People will always try to downplay bad news. When something goes wrong, the instinct is to manage the fallout quietly and move on.

That’s exactly why public records laws exist for our government. Good ones make it harder for agencies to sweep problems under the rug. Weak ones, like North Carolina’s, make it easier — and we’re seeing a prime example here in Charlotte right now.

Consider what’s unfolded in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools this month. First, the principal of Ardrey Kell High School was suspended with pay on May 2. But parents weren’t told — not that day, or the next, or the week after. Instead, the school eventually sent a generic email saying the principal was “away for a period.”

Just days later, the principal at Randolph Middle School was also suspended. Parents received the same language, the same vagueness, the same silence.

This isn’t just a CMS issue. Versions of this happen across the state — because the law allows it. North Carolina doesn’t require public agencies to disclose when an employee is suspended, even someone as central and public-facing as a school principal. Unless that person is fired, the reason for their absence can remain a mystery indefinitely.

Technically, superintendents have the authority to say more. But the law doesn’t require them to. And when disclosure is optional, too often, the answer is no.

Why it matters

This silence isn’t just frustrating. It’s disruptive.

Principals shape the daily experience of a school. Their leadership affects everything from which electives are offered to how teachers are supported to when students are dismissed from class. When a new principal arrives, it changes the culture. When one disappears, it shakes the foundation.

Parents see the impact immediately. They feel it in the hallway chatter, in teacher turnover, in the questions their kids bring home. And when no one provides answers, speculation fills the vacuum. Trust erodes.

This is about more than just communication. It’s about accountability. And it’s about whether families are treated as partners or bystanders in public education.

A conservative issue

Over the past few years, conservatives in North Carolina have made parental rights a top priority. Lawmakers passed a Parents’ Bill of Rights last year to codify the idea that families should be informed and involved in their children’s education.

But rights don’t mean much if they aren’t paired with transparency.

When a principal — arguably the most influential person in a school building — is removed without explanation, that silence runs directly counter to the values the General Assembly has championed. Parents can’t make informed decisions if they’re kept in the dark about who’s leading their school.

This is exactly the kind of issue where conservatives can lead: by protecting families from bureaucratic opacity and reinforcing trust in public institutions.

The fix is ready

There’s already a solution on the table. The Government Transparency Act of 2025 would require agencies to disclose the date and a general description of any promotion, suspension, demotion, separation, or dismissal of a public employee.

The bill, backed by Republican Sens. Norman Sanderson and Buck Newton, is modest and measured. And it reflects a basic, nonpartisan principle: if a public employee is taken off the job, the public deserves to know that — and to know why.

More than a dozen states, including Florida, South Carolina and Georgia, already have similar laws. North Carolina is behind the curve.

Unfortunately, the bill didn’t make the crossover deadline this session. But it’s not too late to bring it back — and to send a message that the state still believes in meaningful parental rights.

Families don’t need every detail. But they do need clarity when something big changes in their child’s school.

North Carolina has made smart investments in recruiting and training great principals. That’s good policy. But it’s only part of the equation. When one of those leaders is pulled from their role, families deserve honesty — not vague emails, not weeks of silence, and not a legal wall of secrecy.

The law should reflect that. It’s time to fix it.