David N. Bass

Published May/June, 2007, in Family North Carolina Magazine

Having a say in where their child attends school is a foreign concept to countless parents across North Carolina. Due to financial and regional limitations, many families have only one educational option—a public school system that at times fails to meet the needs of each individual student.

While the harmful social atmosphere, reduced academic standards, and plummeting graduation rates in some public schools may worry parents, many do not have the tools or resources to choose another option. But a new statewide organization is working to change that unfortunate fact. Parents for Educational Freedom in North Carolina (PEFNC), a non-profit group incorporated in July 2005, is bridging political and racial lines to advocate policies that aim to bring the benefits of school choice to every family across the state. Read the rest of this entry »

Published March/April, 2007, in Family North Carolina Magazine

In January of this year, the medical community received the news that a new source for stem cells had been discovered—one that did not require the destruction of human embryos and that may have the capability to treat numerous diseases and conditions. In the center of this buzz was the Institute for Regenerative Medicine (IRM) at the Wake Forest University School of Medicine in Winston-Salem, N.C. directed by, Dr. Anthony Atala. He and his associates at IRM have already experienced a number of succeses.”

AFS Cells
In an article published in the journal Nature Biotechnology, Atala and his team of researchers described how they extracted stem cells from the amniotic fluid that surrounds developing embryos in pregnant women. Researchers also discovered similar stem cells in the placenta and other membranes that are expelled after birth. The new stem cells, called “amniotic fluid-derived” stem (AFS) cells, have already been used to create “muscle, bone, fat, blood vessel, nerve and liver cells in the laboratory,” according to an IRM press release. Amniotic fluid-derived cells can be grown in large quantities and do not produce tumors, a side effect commonly seen in other types of stem cells. A stem cell bank hosting 100,000 specimens could ostensibly provide 99 percent of the American population with transplantation options, Atala said. Read the rest of this entry »

Published January/February, 2007, in Family North Carolina Magazine

In the moments before 18-year-old Holly Patterson died of septic shock resulting from a botched abortion, her parents gathered in the critical care unit at Valley Care Medical Center in Pleasanton, California, to watch helplessly as their daughter’s life ebbed away.

“[We] will never be able to forget those last moments of her life when she was too weak to talk and could barely squeeze our hands in acknowledgement of our words of encouragement,” wrote Monty and Helen Patterson in a letter released shortly after Holly passed away on September 17, 2003. The Pattersons recalled their daughter’s “brilliant blue eyes, engaging smile, laughter, unwavering determination and sheer gentle beauty,” but candidly described their feelings of “disbelief and desperation” as the young woman edged toward death.[1] Read the rest of this entry »

Published November/December, 2006, in Family North Carolina Magazine

With parents increasingly concerned about the academic quality and moral suitability of traditional public schools, many are turning to that often shunned by government agencies—charter schools.

Simply put, charter schools are public schools without the red tape. A charter is free to choose its own direction and educational emphasis because it operates independently of most state regulations and district standards. The school and state establish a performance contract, called a “charter,” by which the school is required to abide. Like traditional public schools, charter schools are funded mainly through taxpayer dollars that are distributed by the State Board of Education according to the per pupil allocation set forth by the local school administration. Despite enjoying the autonomy of choosing their own direction and emphasis, charter schools are still tuition-free and must accept students on the same nondiscriminatory basis as any other traditional public school. Each school is organized as a nonprofit educational organization with its own board of directors to oversee the operational details of the school. There’s no doubt that many charters have blossomed nationwide, despite being denied financial perks enjoyed by conventional public schools. According to the Center for Education Reform, well over one million children now attend 3,977 charter schools across America, an increase of nearly 400 schools since the 2005-2006 school year. Although charters are often the brunt of criticism, research shows that they often provide a better overall learning environment than comparable public schools. Faculty from at least two North Carolina charter schools attribute their school’s success to what they consider the primary goal of this education alternative: creating an atmosphere free of bureaucratic entanglements where students can grow and achieve in new and innovative ways. And that starts by parents, teachers, and communities thinking outside the box. Read the rest of this entry »

Published September/October, 2006, in Family North Carolina Magazine

Like many North Carolina parents, Jim and Beverly Burrows never dreamed that a public school classroom would be the place their son was exposed to a pro-homosexual agenda. But that’s exactly what happened when the Burrows sent their son to the taxpayer funded Governor’s School of North Carolina in June 2005 to study natural science.

Offered as a state-sponsored summer residential program for academically gifted North Carolina high school students, the Governor’s School reaches 800 teenagers each year. Teaching is split between two campuses—the Governor’s School West (GSW) in Winston-Salem and the Governor’s School East (GSE) in Raleigh. The program provides a number of seminars and courses on various academic disciplines including drama, foreign language, and mathematics. But according to Beverly Burrows, parents were not told that the six-week program would also include an optional seminar promoting the homosexual lifestyle. Read the rest of this entry »