NC Legislators Vow to Find Voucher Money Despite Budget Woes

Once again, our state legislative leaders in North Carolina demonstrate where their hearts really are: anything but public education. According to to WRAL,  North Carolina State Representative “Skip” Stam from Wake County said he hopes to find “another $7 to 8 million” to pour into the state’s legally challenged voucher program that the North Carolina predominately anti-public education legislature passed last year.

Not to be outdone, North Carolina State Senator Jerry Tillman jumped in and stated that he felt obligated to continue pouring money into state vouchers too.

One thing is clear; this North Carolina Legislative leadership, which includes Senator Tillman, Senator Phil Berger, and NC House Speaker Thom Tillis, do not demonstrate the same dedication and determination to provide for students in the public schools in this state.Their eagerness to find money for vouchers rather than find funding for textbooks, teacher assistants, and teacher pay is a clear indication of where their heart is. Together, these three have done more to damage public education in this state than anyone else. At the end of their anti-public education campaign, there will be no public schools left standing. For more information about their determination to find voucher money even in difficult budget times, check out “Voucher Backers Want NC to Double Available Slots Before Lottery."

With political leaders like these guys, North Carolina continues to become the anti-education state.

Texas Advertising for Teachers in NC: Perhaps NC Should Advertise in Texas Too

Recently, the Houston School District in Texas decided to take advantage of how teachers in our state are being treated by a legislature that has no interest in supporting public education. Here’s their ad:



Perhaps we should run an ad in Houston, but it wouldn’t look like this one. Here’s what our ad might look like.



As long as our North Carolina Legislature is more interested in tax cuts for the wealthiest and for businesses, than providing a quality education, unfortunately this won’t change, but with the way our state government is acting, one has to wonder whether that is their intention.

NC State Superintendent Responds to Anti-Public Education Budget of NC Senate

In her response to the North Carolina State Senate’s budget proposal which continues the anti-public education agenda of this current state legislature, North Carolina State Superintendent, June Atkinson, pointed out these additional, hidden gems in that budget:

• Administrator salaries have been separated from the teacher salary schedules and no change from last years salaries. Personnel on these schedules would receive an average 2 percent pay raise.
• Teachers would get 11% pay raise if they choose to give up tenure.
• Central office employees would receive a $500 raise while the rest of state workers would receive $800.
• Teacher assistant funding would be cut in half.
• No improvement in instructional supplies funding and technology.
• State funding to local central offices would be cut by 5%.
• Reduced funding to school transportation by $28.6 million. Funds replaced with driver’s education funding which would be cut entirely.
• The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction would be cut by 30%.
• Grades 2 and 3 teacher allotments will remain at 1 teacher per 18 students rather than be reduced to 1:17 as funded last year.

As Dr. Atkinson amply points out, “The dismal state of textbook, technology, and instructional supplies funding means that teachers will have fewer resources to work with as they develop lessons and assignments,” this lack of additional instructional resources continues even as accountability and testing demands have increased. These cut resources will also translate into teachers having to take on even more responsibilities and duties in the schools as well. Teachers will most likely in their dedication do what they normally do, continue to dig deeper into their own pockets for money to pay for what this state legislature is refusing to pay for.

It would appear that our North Carolina Legislature and Governor are continuing the same strategies and plans that had from last year. They will do all they can to make sure business and industry get those tax cuts as evidenced by their proposals now to limit taxing from local governments. Education is simple dispensable with these politicians. That leaves these questions to think about?

• Why would any business or industry be willing to move to North Carolina with such anti-public education leadership in the state government—from Governor McCrory, to Senate leader Phil Berger, to House leader Thom Tillis. All that talk about preparing students for careers and jobs seems to be bluster. These people aren’t willing to work with educators. They are focused intently on an agenda that must have been borrowed from the American Legislative Exchange Council or ALEC.
• How can our state government leaders possibly think this budget would be good for public education in this state? This budget will do more to set education back in North Carolina than anything else this state legislature has done. One can almost conclude that is their intention; wreck public education in this state.

You can read Dr. Atkinson’s full response to the draconian North Carolina Senate budget here. (Dr. Atkinson’s Response.)

NC House Speaker Thom Tillis Says Educators Don't Care About Kids

Across the United States, politicians have decided that it is permissible to mis-characterize educators and educator organizations instead of listening to them. This past Saturday, and the North Carolina GOP Convention in Wilmington, North Carolina House Speaker Thom Tillis took an opportunity to take a jab at the North Carolina Association of Educators, and perhaps by default educators everywhere in our state by making the following remarks as described in this Charlotte Observer article.

• Tillis drew applause also when he said the budget cut one-third of the staff of the State Department of Public Instruction.
• Tillis also drew applause for bragging about a bill that would bar the state from collecting dues for the North Carolina Association of Educators (NCAE).
• Tillis added: "They (speaking specifically about NCAE) don't care about kids. They don't care about classrooms. They care only about their jobs and pensions."

Now I might be wrong, but each of these show a insensitivity and level of meanness that has become just a bit fashionable in the era where politicians promise that budget cuts and more budget cuts will take us to the promise land. For a state level politician to brag and boast about putting one-third of a department at the state level out of job is just plain mean. Perhaps those jobs needed to be cut, but to gloat about cutting them ignores that there are now more people entering the unemployment line, and the attitude of Thom Tillis seems to be I'll use even the misfortunes of others to push my political cause if necessary.

The second remark about forbidding the state from collecting NCAE dues is a purely political ploy by a party that has long had enmity with the teacher organization. For the sake of disclosure, I am not a member of NCAE and have not been for quite a few years. Like every organization, I have not always agreed with their every stance, but to characterize an entire organization like NCAE the way Thom Tillis does is unfair. I know many, many teachers who are members of that organization who give their all for kids. Across this country, Republican legislatures are dismantling any influence professional educator unions and organizations have over policy. Tillis' remarks makes me wonder if he also had drunk from the cup offered by the American Legislative Exchange Council, who may be the actual author of so many legislative bills introduced across the country in recent months. Still, it is clear from this legislature's actions, it is perhaps they who do not care about kids, or at least they care more about scoring political points and budget cutting. This ploy to remove payroll deductions for NCAE dues is not about kids, it's about the majority party being able stay in power and push its agenda to destroy public schools.

Thom Tillis' remarks should not go unchallenged by those of us who know his mis-characterization of an entire organization and educators is wrong. Perhaps all those educators who do care more about kids than their jobs or pensions should give him a call and inform him about how much they care. To contact Mr. Tilllis, see the link below:

NC House Speaker Thom Tillis' Contact Information