Lobbyists for education reform are prepared to put up a fight for a list of long-term goals they hope will be met with the cooperation of legislators during this year’s General Assembly.
Despite the state’s tight budget, constituents are looking for key changes to be made to the public school system. These include integrating innovative teaching styles into curriculums, improving teaching quality and adding more enrichment programs and charter schools.
The ultimate goals of the Board of Education include having 100 percent of students graduate from high school, ensuring high school provides students with necessary skills for success at the next level, producing globally competitive students and employees, keeping students healthy and responsible, and implementing innovative tactics to overcome challenges.
Martez Hill, executive director for the North Carolina State Board of Education, gives their objectives for the upcoming year. First, is the restoration of $370 million in discretionary reductions accumulated over the past few years for local school districts. The board proposes that the money be paid in increments over the next few years to make up for the previous cuts.
The board wants to expand students’ opportunities to use digital learning resources by integrating online assessments, class material and teacher-parent interaction into curriculums. Hill explained that a curriculum with more online classes and flexible learning opportunities would be budget-efficient, as virtual learning allows for fewer teachers. However, the costs of purchasing technology and teaching instructors how to use the technology would be large enough to require a significant appropriation.
Expansion of learning opportunities outside of school hours is among the top needs for education reform, Hill said. When comparing the North Carolina system with schools of higher ranks, including schools in foreign countries, the state lacks the continuation and stability seen in other schools systems. Expansion of these learning opportunities could help improve North Carolina schools.
The state would like to implement more programs held before and after school for tutoring and enrichment. Programs for summer learning and remediation have been proposed to help bridge the gap between each school year, which is especially necessary for students from low income families for whom academic stimulation is less accessible during the summer months, Hill said.
Charter Schools and Prekindergarten
Legislators will discuss an increase in the number of charter schools, an issue for which many parents in the state are pushing. Wake County could potentially add up to 14 more charter schools by 2014. Eddie Goodall, a former state senator who is now the executive director of the NC Charter Schools Association, said the association intends to establish more charter schools upon parent requests.
“Their child deserves a better education,” he said.
Education reformers also place importance on early childhood education. Constituents proposed to add a pre-kindergarten program to the current kindergarten through 12th grade system. Hill would like to see the program placed back under the control of the Department of Public Instruction so that preschool is considered essential early childhood education rather than an optional day care facility.
Teacher Salaries
Raising pay for teachers will be discussed during the 2013 assembly: the Board hopes for a 5 percent pay increase for all teachers and for adjustments in teacher income based on teacher performance and school evaluations.
“Our goal is to recruit, retain, support and reward high quality teachers,” Hill said. Whether to emphasize teamwork throughout schools or to encourage individual teacher performance with rewards remains a question for the assembly to debate.
Hill said the biggest obstacles to achieving these goals are the weak economy, the lack of sufficient revenue, and the need to inform new legislators of the importance these education reforms hold in the grand scheme of North Carolina. Education lobbyists hope that legislators will give education reform precedence in the midst of competing issues like health care and tax reform.
North Carolina Association of Educators president Rodney Ellis wants to see legislators work collaboratively with the NCAE and other education organizations to implement vital reforms.
“With our experience, we could help make decisions that would positively impact the system,” he said.
This story was reported as an assignment for the JOMC 253 Reporting class.
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