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NC Supreme Court to hear battle for control of public education today

Superintendent Mark Johnson, left, and State Board of Education Chair Bill Cobey lead the May 2017 meeting of the State Board (Alex Granados/EducationNC)
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Today the state Supreme Court will hear from lawyers for the state, the State Board of Education and Superintendent Mark Johnson in their respective battles over who should hold the chief responsibility for public education in North Carolina. 

The legal matter started back in 2016 after Republican Mark Johnson beat longtime Superintendent June Atkinson, a Democrat, to gain the top education job in the state. In December of that year, the General Assembly held a special session where lawmakers passed House Bill 17. That legislation rearranged the responsibilities held by the superintendent, transferring certain powers held up until then by the State Board of Education. 

Shortly thereafter, the State Board sued the state over the new legislation, leading ultimately to a hearing before a three-judge panel which ended in victory for Johnson. Check out this timeline for a detailed description of each step in the case. Follow EdNC for continuing coverage on today’s proceedings and the court’s decision.