Business changes course on education.

AuthorMooneyham, Scott
PositionCAPITALGOODS

From 1997 to 2003, the CEO of the state's chief business lobbying group--back then called North Carolina Citizens for Business and Industry, now the North Carolina Chamber--chaired the state Board of Education. Phil Kirk, a former Republican state senator who had worked for two Republican governors and a Republican U.S. senator, occasionally faced criticism for potential conflicts of interest. But his dual role was a tangible sign of the business community's commitment to improving public education in the state. A decade later, some wonder if that support has withered.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

For example, the UNC system, former UNC Wilmington Chancellor Jim Leutze recently wrote, was built with the business community's backing, which it could depend on, "It lost that support in approximately 2006," he added. His criticism follows a legislative session in which the General Assembly approved a tax overhaul that eventually will carve at least $600 million--perhaps as much as $800 million a year--from a $20 billion general operating budget. The Republican majority continued to trim money from the education budget and made major changes in policy, including eliminating teacher tenure, approving a $4,200 voucher for children to attend private schools and delivering a final blow to a popular scholarship program for teachers. The budget also eliminates 4,500 teaching-assistant positions and does away with requirements related to the teacher-student ratios that drove school funding in the past.

The significance of another round of budget-cutting depends on one's perspective. Year-over-year, spending for K-12 schools, community colleges and the UNC system increases 3.6%. But when measured against the state's "continuation budget," which calculates expected spending growth based on inflation and rises in enrollment, it's cut about 2%. The university system's budget is flat even when calculated on a year-over-year basis.

Sen. Jerry Tillman, a Randolph County Republican who played a key role in assembling the education budget, dismissed talk of dismantling public education by noting that no schools have closed and predicted fall hiring would prove teaching posts have not contracted and no teachers would lose jobs. He may be right, but the budget cuts and policy shifts have critics calling the session anti-teacher and anti-public education. Lawmakers again...

To continue reading

Request your trial

VLEX uses login cookies to provide you with a better browsing experience. If you click on 'Accept' or continue browsing this site we consider that you accept our cookie policy. ACCEPT